BALTIMORE—The University of Maryland Baltimore believes the soon-to-be vacated Social Security Administration building adjacent to its campus on North Greene Street would be ideal for its planned campus expansion, except for one critical item—the significant cost of the property's renovation.

UMB President Dr. Jay Perman says the “immense cost” of renovating the facility also known as “Metro West” makes it unattractive for a university-led project, despite its pending availability and contiguous location, according to the Baltimore Business Journal.

“We have a vital interest in Metro West for all the obvious reasons: it's contiguous to our campus, it's right across from the new pharmacy addition, and it's right across from the medical school,” Perman said. “Even if we didn't see ourselves as playing any role, the last thing we would want is a 1 million-square-foot building that lies fallow.”