In 1963, an idealistic Oberlin College student volunteered at a Freedom School established by social activists and residents of Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood – a desperately poor, segregated community ignored for decades and torn apart during the inner-city riots of the 1960s. Richard Baron’s experience working with children in Hough opened his eyes to the needs, hopes and potential of low-income urban communities. After graduating from law school Baron became a legal aid lawyer representing public housing tenants in St. Louis. There he saw first hand huge disparities in housing quality and opportunity available to poor families. Baron helped create a more responsive public housing bureaucracy and persuaded the agency to give tenants a role in managing public housing developments. During this time he forged a relationship with labor leader and homebuilder Terry McCormack, and in 1973 the two formed McCormack Baron & Associates (now McCormack Baron Salazar). Their vision, to rebuild low-income communities by providing quality housing options for all people, is the core principle of the company’s mission today.

Throughout time, the firm’s emphasis has evolved. Early projects focused on small, single sites and on mixed-income rental housing. Washington Apartments in St. Louis is an example of the firm’s early project type. Aiming for greater impact on disadvantaged neighborhoods, McCormack Baron began to develop multi-block areas, with a mixture of rental and single-family housing. The firm’s mixed-income developments – combining affordable and public housing with market-rate units – began to demonstrate that with the re-emergence of a healthy housing market, entire communities experienced positive growth and new investment. Westminster Place in St. Louis, Quality Hill in Kansas City and Lexington Village in Cleveland are outstanding examples of this approach.

In recent years McCormack Baron Salazar (MBS) has expanded its vision and scope of work, creating long-term partnerships with local governments, key institutions, and employers. MBS acts as program manager, overseeing comprehensive master plans for large, residential/commercial development districts. The goal: create lasting impact throughout a large area of the inner city, and link neighborhoods to the downtown core and major employment areas. Chouteau Lake & Greenway in St. Louis, Heritage Park in Minneapolis, and Centennial Place in Atlanta are examples of MBS’ work in program management.

MBS is poised to help cities meet 21st century challenges head on. We bring a comprehensive and workable approach to a complex development environment.