The Maryland Deaf Community Center: Making a Difference

In December, the City of Frederick, MD, held a groundbreaking ceremony for the Maryland Deaf Community Center (MDCC)—the first of its kind within the state. Kimley-Horn is providing civil services for the center with one of our employees, Anthony Maginity, PE, a Deaf engineer, playing a pivotal role in the project. With more than 1.2 million citizens that are deaf or hard of hearing in Maryland, this center will bring substantial impact and more access to the community.

About the Center

Established as a nonprofit in 2021, the MDCC soon realized the need for a new space, which led to initiatives to create a permanent community center.

The purpose of the MDCC is to serve as a one-stop-shop for individuals of all ages and needs within the deaf and hard of hearing community from across the state of Maryland. When finished, the MDCC will be an accessible community center that will feature offices, a kitchenette, and a multipurpose gymnasium, which will serve as a space for athletic and social events, conferences, workshops, and more!

A Personal Connection and Passion for a Project

Led by Anthony, a civil engineer, Kimley-Horn joined the project early on to provide civil engineering, stormwater management, landscape design, and permit assistance services.

However, Anthony’s connection to the MDCC extends beyond his project role. Anthony is Deaf and primarily uses American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate—and he is deeply passionate about giving back to his community.

Anthony has been able to help the MDCC navigate a difficult, two-year permitting process and has served as a liaison between the City of Frederick, the design team, contractors, and the organization.

Collaboration Across the Country

To help bring the center to life, Anthony pulled in Kimley-Horn partners from across the country. Based in Indianapolis, Anthony had to rely on local employees from Northern Virginia—Sangam Neupane, PE; Keith Aimone, PLA, LEED AP; and Davis Walker, PLA, ISA-CA. Sangam served as the engineer-of-record and provided stormwater and erosion control design, while Keith and Davis helped with landscape architecture services.

With the construction process about to officially begin, Anthony is excited about the center’s impact. MDCC will not only provide a physical space for the community to gather, but it will also provide a space to celebrate Deaf culture, share resources, and serve as a model for other states to pursue a center of their own.