Locust Point : Development News

Baltimore may be the land of $1 Natty Bohs but a couple  of entrepreneurs are hoping people will pay upwards of $5 for a draft beer.
 
Dr. Matthew Earl and John Stein are spending $1 million to open World of Beer this summer at Locust Point’s McHenry Row residential and retail development. The 3,400-square-foot restaurant will open across from  supermarket Harris Teeter in a corner spot that faces Key Highway. It will seat 75 to 100 and feature additional seating on its patio.
 
Beers will cost $5 to as high as $50 for a Sam Adams Infinium, says Earl, a radiation oncologist at the University of Maryland and a beer lover.
 
World of Beer will feature 60 beers on tap and about 600 bottles of beer – but not your standard Budweisers or Coors. It will also serve wine, but not hard alcohol.
 
Earl says he hopes the pub will appeal to folks looking for a low-key alternative to some of boisterous bars in Federal Hill. And he says he thinks people will pay the higher prices to drink beers they wouldn’t otherwise get to try.
 
“This is unique opportunity to sample beers from around the world,” Earl says.
 
The bar will offer a limited food menu, including soft pretzels and stuffed sausages. The interior will feature high ceilings, a wood bar, large coolers with bottles on display, and a stained concrete floor. 
 
Live music will be played three nights a week and Earl says he is working with sound engineers so the music isn’t too loud.
 
“We’re not looking to be a place where you get trashed. We’re looking to be a place where you can enjoy a couple of beers and listen to some nice music.”
 
World of Beer is a fast-growing franchise based in Tampa, Fla. It recently opened its 37^th location in Denver. Currently, its closest location to Baltimore is in Arlington, Va.
 
So how did a doctor who treats cancer decide to tap into the beer market? Earl says he always wanted to open a restaurant, but decided to go the franchise route because the company gives you a formula to follow along with its expertise.
 
He says the bar will be privately funded.

Writer: Julekha Dash; @Julekha; julekha@bmoremedia.com
Source: Matthew Earl, World of Beer

Locust Point residents will have a spot to fill their craving for fruity drinks like Mangosteen Madness and Celestial Cherry High when Baltimore City’s first Smoothie King opens next month.
 
Franchisee Minseok Yu will open the Smoothie King at 851 East Fort Ave. by April. Yu says he plans to open 10 Smoothie Kings in Greater Baltimore and is currently looking for a location for his second store in Canton or the Inner Harbor.
 
Yu previously owned commercial property in his native country of Korea and will be moving to Baltimore the end of this month. He invested $250,000 in the franchise, which includes rent, training and travel fees. The 1,200-square-foot space was formerly a tanning salon. Yu says he believes Locust Point will be a good location for the first store because the neighborhood is growing but still could still use more retail.
 
Yu noticed how popular Smoothie Kings are in his native country. When he came to visit his brother who lives in Baltimore, he was surprised that there wasn’t a Smoothie King in the city. “A lot of people in the city go to the Smoothie King across from the Towson Mall,” Yu says. Yu says he plans to hire 10 employees for the first location.
 
Smoothie King is a health store that offers fresh-blended smoothies, vitamins and herbs, nutritional supplements and sports nutrition products. There are over 600 Smoothie King locations in the United States, Korea, Singapore and the Caymans. The company is headquartered in New Orleans.
 
Source: Minseok Yu, Smoothie King franchisee
Writer: Jolene Carr

A Baltimore chef who has worked for the Wine Market and Fleet Street Kitchen is opening a casual contemporary restaurant in an industrial building on the edge of Little Italy.

Omar Semidey says he anticipates that By Degrees Café will appeal to young professionals in the neighborhood and in neighboring Harbor East when it opens early summer in the old Fallsway Spring building at 415 S. Central Ave.

The 1,350-square-foot restaurant will serve soup, salads and sandwiches for lunch and half a dozen entrees for dinner. By Degrees will serve lunch at the counter and employ wait staff for dinner.

Semidey says he wants to offer a small, intimate dining experience for diners who want an alternative to the many massive, swanky eateries in tony Harbor East. By Degrees will seat 50 in the dining room and another six at the bar. Baltimore City's liquor board has yet to schedule a hearing date for the restaurant's liquor license.

He describes By Degrees as a “third-day” restaurant. When you have a friend in town, you take him somewhere nice the first day. The second day you cook dinner at home. And the third day you’re ready to eat out again, but some place that offers "solid food that doesn’t break the bank.” Most entrees at By Degrees will cost less than $15 and desserts will cost around $5 and sandwiches under $10.

Brick chicken — or chicken cooked in the oven and weighted down with a brick — is an example of the kind of food By Degrees will serve.

“The goal is not to revolutionize the culinary landscape, but shift it by degrees,” Semidey says.

Semidey is working with a silent business partner, whom he declined to name. He also declined to say how much he and his business partner will spend on the restaurant, to be financed with cash. 

The building’s developer Larry Silverstein is responsible for refurbishing several other properties in East Baltimore, including the Union Box Co. and the Holland Tack Factory, home of Heavy Seas Ale House and My Thai. 

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Omar Semidey, By Degrees Cafe

South Baltimore could see a new townhouse development if an area developer's plans get approval from Baltimore's zoning board.
 
A planning consulting firm is working with a local developer who plans to build townhouses near Key Highway in Riverside. The townhouses are expected to carry price tags around $400,000.

Baltimore's AB Associates submitted plans for zoning approval from the city for 14 three-story townhouses with rooftop decks, and most with two-car garages at the intersection of Harvey and Lawrence Streets bordering Locust Point. The site is one block from the Baltimore Museum of Industry. 
 
The plans will go before the city's Board of Municipal and Zoning Appeals Feb. 7.
 
If approved, construction could begin on the townhouses this year, and hit the market early next year, says Al Berry, principal of AB Associates. Berry says he's working on behalf of developer Ray Jackson, who owns the property.
 
Berry believes the location near the proposed townhouses just off Key Highway and close to the exit for I-95 will appeal to many homebuyers. Additionally, Berry expects the price point to suit buyers looking to move into the city.
 
"The neighborhood has always been strong for development and housing value," Barry says. He says he doesn't yet know the development cost. 
 
The land where the proposed townhouses sit belonged to the late Vincent Rallo, owner of Rallo's Restaurant. The planned site served as a parking lot for Rallo's Restaurant.
 
The homes will be designed modern industrial style and will all face onto an extensively landscaped interior court, says Berry.
 
Architectural work for the proposed project is being handled by SETO Architects LLC in Mt. Vernon, Berry sats.
 
Writer: Alexandra Wilding
Source: Al Berry, principal of AB Associates
 

A running store, sub shop, and dentist are latest tenants to sign up for McHenry Row, an office, residential, and retail complex debuting this year in Locust Point.

Charm City Run and Horizon Dental will open in January, says developer Mark Sapperstein. Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches is expected to open by the end of the year.

It will be the local running store’s fifth location. The others are located in Bel Air, Timonium, Annapolis, and Clarksville. McHenry Row’s anchor tenant, Harris Teeter, will open Dec. 7.

The retail portion of the development is now 90 percent leased, Sapperstein says. Two spots totaling 7,200 square feet remain.

The Green Turtle Sports Bar & Grille, Yogi Castle, Red Parrot Asian Bistro, pet store Dogma, and Massage Envy are among the other shops opening this year.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Mark Sapperstein

Organic products are sprouting up all over the place — milk, meats, apples, cleaning supplies.

Now the organic trend has hit the beauty industry. Two Baltimore women, Ambra Black and Maryam Dennis, are opening an organic nail salon mid-May in Locust Point.

Juste-B., to be located at 1624 E. Fort Ave., will offer manicures and pedicures and soy-based waxes. The scrubs and other products used on hands and feet will be made with essential oils and natural sugars, Dennis says. Nail polishes are water-based and don't rely on any chemicals.

The partners, who are spending $30,000 of their own money to start the business, will make their own foot scrubs using herbs from their herb garden.

Juste-B will be one of a handful of organic salons in Greater Baltimore. Others include Hampden's Sprout and Insignia in Overlea.

"We should be able to be healthy and beautiful without having to sacrifice the health of the planet," Dennis says.

Juste-B will embrace other green initiatives, including using light sensors and serving organic wine and vodka to guests. A combined manicure and pedicure will cost about $40.  

The business owners chose Locust Point because it's a "new and upcoming neighborhood." With office and retail developments like McHenry Row, to be anchored by a Harris Teeter grocery store, underway, the business owners hope to get in on the area before it really builds up.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Maryam Dennis, Juste B

Construction on a gourmet grocery shop and a wine bar will soon begin at Patrick Turner's Silo Point condominium tower.

Hospitality consultant Peter Yaffe is cooking up plans for a store where Silo Point residents can pick up a sandwich, coffee, prepared foods and a bottle of wine.

Construction on the 2,200-square-foot business, called FoodLifePoint, should begin in the next month or so. Yaffe describes the style of the design-heavy store as "cozy industrial chic," much like the condo tower itself. He has hired Silo Point's architect, Chris Pfaeffle of Baltimore's Parameter Inc., to design the store.  

FoodLifePoint's features will include wireless Internet access, HD TVs, and seating overlooking the harbor. The store will employ between 60 and 75. If all goes well, Yaffe plans to open more stores like it throughout the U.S., one of which could be built at Patrick Turner's Westport development in South Baltimore.

Yaffe's previous experience includes LFB Enterprises, where he was president of a Maryland hospitality group that included catering, a restaurant, a nightclub, and a gourmet-to-go food operation. He has also run high-volume seafood restaurants in Florida and was director of operations of Capital Restaurant Concepts, the Washington, D.C. restaurant group that includes Paolo's Ristorante and J. Paul's Dining Saloon.

Meanwhile, the folks behind the 13.5% wine bar in Hampden are opening a wine bar at Silo Point. No word yet on the name of the 2,600-square-foot store, expected to open in April at 1200 Steuart St.

Wayne Laing, of 13.5%, declined to comment on his latest wine bar.

"They're both great concepts for the neighborhood," Turner says of FoodLifePoint and the wine bar. "I'm not real big on chain restaurants. Restaurants of this caliber are very site specific and we want that uniqueness for Silo Point."

The condo tower also features Mexican restaurant Miguel's Cocina y Cantina and Privé Salon and Spa.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Sources: Peter Yaffe, FoodLife Point; Patrick Turner, Turner Development Group LLC

Following their retirement, business partners Irene Baum and Kathy Fleming got the itch to start a new venture, but they didn't want to get into something too time consuming or demanding.

So the pair came up with the perfect business: ice cream.

Baum and Fleming opened Screwballs Frozen Delights in Locust Point over Memorial Day weekend. The spot at 1400 Towson St. sells 30 flavors of snowballs and 13 flavors of hand-dipped ultra-premium ice cream, or ice cream with at least 17 percent milkfat.

The ice cream, which is free of growth hormones, comes from Moorenko's Ice Cream Café in Silver Spring. Their flavors include salted caramel with pralines, orange chocolate chip, cotton candy gummy bear and cookie dough.

Screwballs, outfitted like a 1950s-style ice cream parlor, also sells milk shakes, floats and banana splits. Baum could not say how much the partners spent to open the business, located on the first floor of a 1,220-square-foot rowhouse.
 
"We found a lovely spot in Locust Point that's perfect or an ice cream parlor," says Baum, a former division manager of a tobacco company.

The shop owners were not interested in, say, starting a full-service restaurant that would require around-the-clock hours and supervising a number of employees.

"We wanted something that just the two of us could handle on our own," Baum says. "It gives us flexibility on time, " says Baum, who plans to close the shop three months during winter.

Though Baum lives in Anne Arundel County's Glen Burnie, she decided Locust Point would be the best fit for the business.

"It's a very close-knit community with lots of kids and families," Baum says. "We've gotten great feedback and support from the neighbors. I grew up in the city and this reminds me of the city I grew up in where everyone knew everyone else."

And how did the business owners come up with the name? It's a joke between Baum and Fleming.
"We used to call each other screwballs. We're just two goofy people," Baum says.

To read more about Locust Point, click here.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source; Irene Baum, Screwballs

A new chef and owner is saying "ciao" to Locust Point's Pazza Luna.

Milan native Davide Rossi and his wife Christa have taken over the neighborhood eatery at 1401 E. Clement St. from Riccardo Bosio. The owner of Mount Vernon's Sotto Sopra, Bosio owned the trattoria for more than three years.

Rossi says he plans to add a host of new Northern Italian menu items to the 65-seat restaurant, which he started running Feb. 2.

The Rossis come to Baltimore after six years running Ports of Italy in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. The couple have put that restaurant up for sale, though if it doesn't get a buyer, Rossi will hire a manager to run it during the busy summer months. 

The two decided to make the move in part because Christa is from Baltimore. Rossi also likes the people and culinary scene here.
"I love Baltimore," Rossi says. "There's great food, great people, great restaurants."

He was also impressed with the receptiveness of his Locust Point neighbors. When they heard that Pazza Luna was getting a new owner, they introduced themselves."That doesn't happen very often in big cities," Rossi says.

Rossi says he his not sure if he will renovate the restaurant's interior. But he is planning a big makeover of the menu. His signature dishes will include lobster ravioli with mascarpone; rack of lamb with a sambuca demi-glaze and beef tenderloin with a gorgonzola brandy truffle sauce. He will also feature fresh pasta and risotto.


Source: Davide Rossi, Pazza Luna
Writer: Julekha Dash

Fans of Nicholas Batey who shed a few tears when his South Baltimore restaurant, The Bicycle, closed its doors earlier this year now have a reason to rejoice. Batey is back in the kitchen. This time, however, he's left behind the global theme and instead has chosen to concentrate on his take on Italian cuisine.

Ullswater, located at 554 E. Fort Avenue, may not sound like the name of an Italian restuarant, says Saundra Batey, co-owner, and that's because it isn't.

"Ullswater is a place in England. You'll see paintings of it around the restaurant. When [Nicholas] was at culinary school, looking at the picture calmed him. He was all alone and could only afford that one painting. He'd go and stare at it when he was lonely. So, he decided that Ullswater was a unique name. We know it doesn't sound Italian," she explains.

The former site of the Sly Fox bar, Batey says she, her partners Monique, Mary and Michael Faulkner, and her husband chose the location because they wanted to create a neighborhood restaurant that was affordable. "We've always loved the area. When we went looking for a restaurant we wanted to keep it in the neighborhood. We noticed that this building was empty and when we walked in it was perfect."

The Bateys and Faulkners completely renovated the two-floor restaurant. "We tore out the back part of the building and redid that, added crown molding. We changed everything. It's basically a brand new restaurant with a brand new bar. The bar is the main attraction."

Ullswater, which opened officially on Nov. 16, will seat up to 100 people. "We didn't want to make it overwhelming and chose to kept it small and intimate," Batey notes.

The restaurant is geared towards families and offers family-style dining for parties. The menu is what anyone familiar with Nicholas Batey might expect. "It's his take on Italian food. One favorite, so far, has been Batey's mozzarella sticks. Forget the frozen and breaded nightmares that are a bar mainstay. These are made with mozzarella, prosciutto, basil, wrapped in phyllo dough and served with a pomodoro sauce.

Another hit is Ullswater's Shrimp Trio. Shrimp prepared three ways, wrapped in pancetta, fried and chilled, served with a sundried tomato cocktail sauce.

"His meatballs in bolognese sauce are very popular and his green bean salad," Batey says.

The menu is changing a bit as the restaurant gears up to begin serving lunch. "We're starting to serve burgers and paninis and will be open for lunch starting next week."

For those who lament the the loss of Bicycle, the Batey's plan to add some of their loyal customers' favorite dishes to the menu. "They aren't Italian but we want to cater to our Bicycle clientele."

Source: Saundra Batey, co-owner
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Federal Hill residents recently welcomed a new neighborhood bar and restaurant. Hideaways, located at 1400 Key Highway, has replaced Tavern on the Key.

"We chose the Federal Hill area because it's an incredible area. The number of bars and restaurants, the location and the people there, it's hard to find people like that anywhere else in Baltimore. It's just a great tight-knit community," says Dave McGill, co-owner.

This is the first bar/restaurant for the Catonsville native and his partner. "Right now, we're a bar slash restaurant, but in a few weeks we'll have the kitchen open and begin serving dinner specials Friday and Saturday nights and bar food. We're expanding it slowly."

Hideaways, at just 1100 sq. ft. or so, features a full-sized bar and a few tables. Currently, the bar only offers bottled beers as they install a new tap system.

Source: Dave McGill, Hideaways
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Developers in Baltimore came together last Thursday to celebrate their own. The Baltimore District Council of The Urban Land Institute  hosted the first annual WaveMaker Awards event at the Legg Mason Tower in Inner Harbor East. The awards were given to developers whose local projects are unique, innovative, and visionary; the seven WaveMaker recipients were honored alongside the national ULI's Heritage Award Winner, Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

Earlier this year, ULI Headquarters honored Baltimore's Inner Harbor with its prestigious Heritage Award. The award is bestowed periodically on developments that have demonstrated industry excellence and made substantial contributions to their community's well-being for at least 25 years. Only eight developments have been selected to recieve the prestigious award in the past 35 years.

"Through the redevelopment of 192 acres of dilapidated and abandoned waterfront property, the Baltimore Inner Harbor catalyzed reinvestment in Baltimore -- supporting more than 50,000 new jobs, generating $60 million in new tax revenue, and generating a $4 billion tourism industry that was previously non-existent. The harbor now stands as the model for post-industrial waterfront redevelopment around the world," states the national selection

The ULI Baltimore also recognized the seven recent local projects that demonstrate industry excellence with the WaveMaker Award.

These projects are respectful of their surrounding neighborhood, economy, history, geography, and local government, and provide strong economic returns to stakeholders. The WaveMakers  were able to stretch the boundaries of what was considered possible and accelerate sustainable, prosperous development in Baltimore.

"ULI Baltimore is excited to build on the Heritage Award presented to Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The WaveMaker Award is an excellent opportunity to acknowledge the developers and projects that are shaping Baltimore's skyline," notes ULI Baltimore Chair, Caroline G. Moore.

The 2009 WaveMakers are:

Miller's Court, 2601 N. Howard St., Seawall Development Company

Silo Point, 1200 Steuart St., Turner Development Group

Legg Mason Tower, 100 International Dr., H&S Properties Development Corp.

Fairfield Inn by Marriott, 101 S. President St., Summit Associates LLC/A&R Development Corp.

Towns at Orchard Ridge, 4020 Maple Ridge Dr., Pennrose Properties/Doracon Development LLC

Baltimore Medical System's Highlandtown Healthy Living Center, 3700 Fleet Street, Highlandtown Development, LLC

American Brewery, 1701 N. Gay Street, Humanim

Latrobe Park in Locust Point has become the site of the city's second dog park. Located on the Andre Street side of the park, the 10,000 square foot playground for dogs cost about $200,000, paid for in part by the Locust Point Dog Park Supporters (LPDPS), a community organization.

"We kicked off the effort [to build a dog park in Locust Point] about two years ago. We raised $50,000 towards the cost of the park. Once we accomplished that, we went to the city and the city realized that we had a committed volunteer group and they offered to do a public/private partnership with us,"explains Meg Kelley, LPDPS treasurer.

With the city onboard, the park quickly took shape with extra elements thrown in for good measure.

"There are things in the park that we otherwise wouldn't be able to have [without the partnership with the city]. Initially we were hoping to just have a fence around some grass so that the dogs can get off the leash. Now, it has a water feature where dogs can play, a hill made out of special dog turf so we can keep the park as clean as possible. We're one of the first dog parks to have that. It helps keep the park clean because we can hose it down and disinfect it.," she says.

Drainage was installed to make the park environmentally friendly and the city also added a "big tree stump" as an additional play feature for the dogs that they run over.

"It's quite a nice addition to our neighborhood," Kelley says.

For those familiar with the city's original dog park in Canton, this one is about the same size, but with a few more bells and whistles. For instance, there's a water feature that snakes, creek-like across a corner of the park -- dogs can splash in it or even have a drink. And a big hill in the middle is covered with artificial canine turf, to keep it looking green all year.

Whether you're a business owner, community organization or just a neighborhood regular, if you have a business opening or that has recently opened tell us about. You could find your new business featured in our development news section.

The Baltimore-based Parks & People Foundation, is offering up to $1,000 for groups interested in greening their neighborhood. The monies, part of a partnership with the Baltimore Community Foundation and the Cleaner Greener Baltimore Initiative, provides up to $1,000 in Neighborhood Greening Grants for those planning projects that will plant trees, create community gardens, clean up and restore vacant lots, clean up neighborhoods, create green schoolyards, improve water quality improve and provide environmental education activities. Grant funds may also be used for tools, plant material, equipment and other needed supplies.