Downtown : Development News

Entertainment Cruises Inc. is pumping $1.2 million into its operations in Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

The company is spending about $750,000 to add a second speedboat and another $500,000 to make one of its dinner cruise boats more fuel efficient, General Manager Dan Leaman says.

The company is replacing two old engines in its Spirit of Baltimore boat with Tier 3 engines that are more eco-friendly. The boat should use 79,000 fewer gallons of diesel fuel over its lifetime, Leaman says.

Entertainment Cruises will start running Seadog VI, its second speedboat, April 14. The company expects to hire about 20 employees to sell tickets and staff the boat.

The boat, which can accommodate 106 passengers, takes visitors on a 50-minute sightseeing tour from the Inner Harbor to Key Bridge and back.

The company's first Seadog boat ferried 21,000 passengers last year. Entertainment Cruises hopes to double that number this year with the second boat, Leaman says.

Based in Chicago, Entertainment Cruises oversees 24 ships in seven other cities: Boston, Chicago, Norfolk, Va. Philadelphia, New York, Washington, D.C., and Weehawken, N.J.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Dan Leaman,

In less than a month, Baltimore Orioles' fans will hear the crack of the bat at Camden Yards.

In about seven months, more than 100,000 people are expected to visit Charm City for the Baltimore Grand Prix Race. And restaurant owners Justin Dvorkin and Donald Kelly hope their burritos and margaritas will feed and quench the thirst of these sports' enthusiasts � and put some change in their pocket.

The business partners will open Charm City Cantina at 200 W. Pratt St. April 4, just in time for Opening Day. The 220-seat restaurant will be located next door to their other venture, the Pratt Street Ale House.

Since taking over the Pratt Street Ale House two years ago, the owners have gotten steady traffic from sports fans, convention attendees, concert goers at First Mariner Arena, and tourists, Kelly says. When the opportunity came up to take over the restaurant next door, they felt they had to take it.

The pair will spend as much as $400,000 to open the 6,800-square-foot restaurant. Some of that money will be spent to hire a designer to create a look that is a cross between an American pub and a Mexican eatery.

With no other full-service Mexican restaurants downtown, Kelly and Dvorkin say they hope the investment pays off.

But opening a second establishment will be challenging as the price of food and other commodities climb higher, Kelly says.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Sources: Justin Dvorkin and Donald Kelly

The Downtown Sailing Center Inc. is looking to raise $500,000 to develop a marina so the nonprofit can teach the sport to people with disabilities.

Baltimore City's Board of Estimates approved a 25-year lease for the sailing center to occupy space at 1407 Key Highway, just next to the Baltimore Museum of Industry.

Though the nonprofit had been at that location for a while, it never had a long-term lease there, Downtown Sailing Center Executive Director Kristen Berry says. Without a permanent fixture, it couldn't develop the way it wanted to or convince people to give it money to build a marina when it could get kicked out at any time.

"At the harbor it's hard to come by new space so it's an exciting development for us," Berry says.

It plans to reach out to area foundations, individuals and corporations in its fundraising efforts.

By July, it should have renderings available for city approval and construction should begin next year, Berry says. The total project will take
between 24 and 36 months.

The nonprofit served 2,500 sailors last year.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Kristen Berry, Downtown Sailing Center

Power Plant Live has sushi, pizza and a host of nightclubs to lure in visitors.

Now add mechanical bull riding to its reputation.

PBR Baltimore Cowboy Bar will open next to Angels Rock Bar in March, says Danielle Babcock, director of marketing for Power Plant Live landlord the Cordish Co.

Entertainment Concepts Investors LLC, a Baltimore company that runs bars and restaurants in Cordish properties, is licensing the concept from Professional Bull Riders Inc. The Pueblo, Colo., bull riding organization organizes bull riding competitions and tours, some of which are televised.

The 8,000-square-foot bar will play country music and hold a mechanical bull in the center. It will be a standing room only bar that can hold up to 700. It will be the third PBR bar, after Kansas City and Las Vegas. Another will open soon in Houston.

Professional Bull Riders has drawn 45 million fans in its 16 years, says company president Sean Gleason. He bills it as one of the fastest growing sports brands.

Gleason says Baltimore seemed like a good fit for the upscale country-themed bar because the organization has a large fan base in the area.
Having a bar that features mechanical bull riding in a fun atmosphere will hopefully promote the Professional Bull Riding brand, Gleason says.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Sources: Sean Gleason, Professional Bull Riders; Danielle Babcock, the Cordish Co.

Shoppers looking for trendy clothes at bargain prices in downtown Baltimore can now rest assured. Construction on department store H&M has begun at Harborplace and the shop is expected to open in April, according to officials at mall owner General Growth Properties Inc.

The 20,000-square-foot store will be located next to Urban Outfitters in a two-story space in the Light Street pavilion of the downtown mall. The pavilion will undergo extensive renovations to accommodate the new store.

The Swedish clothing company has expanded aggressively in recent years and now has 2,000 stores worldwide. Its Greater Baltimore stores are located in Owings Mills Mall, White Marsh Mall, Westfield Annapolis Mall, the Mall in Columbia, Towson Town Center, and Arundel Mills. The Harborplace store is H&M's first location in Baltimore City.

The clothing store will hopefully draw city residents and workers to Harborplace, says General Growth Senior Marketing Manager Carmel Gambacorta. H&M gives Harborplace � a mall known for drawing mostly tourists � an opportunity to attract a broad range of shoppers, Gambacorta says.

In December, mall officials announced that Lenny's Delicatessen will open in the Pratt Street Pavilion of Harborplace in the spring. The shop will be the third in the Baltimore area for the 25-year-old eatery known for its conred beef.

Women's clothing and accessories shop Francesca's Collection will also open in the spring.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Carmel Gambacorta, General Growth

A new lunch spot will feed downtown office workers at Baltimore's SunTrust building.

Serving made-to-order salads and sandwiches, Nalley Fresh will open by the end of January at 120 E. Baltimore St. It will replace the closed falafel and gyro joint Cypriana Caf�.

Greg Nalley, who owned Tide Point's Harvest Table from 2001 to 2007, is launching the 830-square-foot caf�.

The former executive chef of the Maryland Jockey Club, Nalley says he is looking forward to serving the business crowd again as he did at the Tide Point office complex.

"You see the same people over and over again," Nalley says. "There's a camaraderie with people you see two or three times a week."

Nalley Fresh will also serve tart frozen yogurt sold by the ounce. Tart frozen yogurt � as opposed to the sweet concoctions that were all the rage in the 1980s � has been growing in popularity with the expansions of chains like Pinkberry. Lunch at Nalley Fresh will cost around $10.

The entrepreneur is renovating the interior with new floor, paint, cabinets and televisions broadcasting news and sports. Nalley declined to say how much he is spending to open the caf�.

Nalley says he likes the location because it's in the heart of the business district and provides plenty of outdoor seating on a nice day. The restaurant will seat 30 inside and another 30 outside.

Matthew Haas, vice president of Columbia's Manekin LLC, brokered the deal on behalf of Nalley. Manekin's Vince Brocato and Kevin Haus represented the landlord, Franklin Street Properties.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Greg Nalley

Devotees of Baltimore's Corned Beef Row will soon have a new reason to go to the Inner Harbor. Lenny's Delicatessen will open in the Pratt Street Pavilion of Harborplace, according to General Growth Properties, owners of Harborplace and The Gallery. The delicatessen will occupy approximately 3,100 sq. ft. It's scheduled to open Spring 2011. 

The Lenny's Deli Harborplace location will offer breakfast all day along with a full array of deli meats, fried chicken, wraps, salads, and baked goods for dining in, catering, and carry out. Owner Alan Smith and his father, Lenny Smith, recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of Lenny's in Owings Mills. The second location, on Baltimore's famed Corned Beef Row, opened in 1991. The Harborplace location will be the third in the Baltimore area.

"We felt the Inner Harbor area needed a place where tourists and business people could go for a good corned beef sandwich," says Alan Smith. "We are excited to be opening at Harborplace, where all visitors to Baltimore make sure to stop during their trip here. We look forward to serving the Baltimore business community and those who stop on their way to Orioles and Ravens games."

General Properties also revealed that Francesca's Collection, a boutique specializing in fashion forward women's clothing, accessories and gifts, will join the lineup of stores for spring 2011. The new store will be approximately 800 sq. ft. and will be located on the first floor of The Gallery. It will be the first Francesca's in the Baltimore area.

Source:General Growth Properties
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Federal Capital Partners (FCP), a Washington, DC-based real estate investment company, has purchased The Munsey, an 18-story high-rise apartment building in Baltimore's Central Business District at 7 N. Calvert St., for a reported $13.75 million.

"We are actively seeking new investments throughout Baltimore as the fundamentals continue to improve," says Alex Marshall, FCP Managing Partner. "The Munsey fits well with FCP's investment strategy and will be an important part of our portfolio as it is recapitalized and remarketed."

The Munsey is a landmark building that includes 146 apartments and 4,000 sq. ft. of ground floor retail space along with 109 underground parking spaces. The property, located a few blocks north of the Inner Harbor, was constructed in 1911 by newspaper icon Frank Munsey as an office building and was, at the time, the tallest office building in Baltimore.

The building was converted to apartments in 2003 and was an instrumental part of the resurgence of Baltimore's downtown as a live-work-play environment. FCP plans moderate improvements to common areas and amenity space.

The sale was facilitated by the receiver, Gray & Associates, LLC and was brokered by CB Richard Ellis. Wells Fargo provided acquisition financing for FCP.

Source: Federal Captial Partners
Writer: Walaika Haskins

An All-American diner has taken a bite out of Little Italy.

Walter Webb, a longtime restaurant operator at Harborplace, spent $160,000 to open the Diner at 413 S. High St. this month. In early December, the restaurant will include a sports bar on the second floor.

Formerly the site of tapas restaurant Tapabar, the eatery seats 81 on the first floor and 100 on the second floor. The second floor addition will double the space, to 5,000 square feet.

Webb closed his barbecue joint Brown Sugar at the Harborplace food court so operators of the downtown mall could make way for department store H&M. He decided to move to Little Italy to capitalize on the new hotels, apartment complexes, and office workers in Harbor East and Eastern Avenue traffic.

"I love the area," Webb says. "It's an exceptionally great place to work and live. People are right here in walking distance."

The Diner serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, costing between $9 and $13. The restaurant services nine types of pancakes, New York strip steak, stuffed flounder, sweet potato fries, and peach cobbler.

German cooks Christa Seiler and Claudia Phillips are selling pies, cakes and pastries in the shop as well.

"The people are so friendly," Webb says of Little Italy residents.  "I just love it over here."

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Walter Webb, the Diner

It's been in the planning stages for 10 years. Now, it looks like this ship is almost ready to sail.

Baltimore City's Urban Design and Architecture Review Panel gave its final approval this month for a new Education and Heritage Center at the ship museum USS Constellation.

Now it just needs another $1.6 million in funding to open by spring 2012, Constellation Executive Director Christopher Rowsom says.  It's already gotten $2.6 million from federal, state and city government.

The new building will contain more extensive interpretative exhibits detailing what life was like on board the 19th century ship, Rowsom says.

Crafted by Museum Design Associates of Cambridge, Mass., the expanded exhibits will hopefully boost the city's cultural and heritage tourism promotions.

The exhibits will highlight the ship's role in fighting the African slave trade when it intercepted three slave ships from 1859 to 1861.

"Baltimore is a very historical place," Rowsom says. "We want to have everything interpreted and displayed properly."

Designed by W Architecture & Landscape Architecture of New York, the new wood-and-glass structure will be modern looking, Rowsom says.

At 12-feet high, the new visitors' center will be half the height of the current structure and won't block the view of other ships at the Inner Harbor, Rowsom says.

"It's not a very nice piece of architecture and it blocks the views of the ship," he says of the current education center.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Christopher Rowsom, USS Constellation

An interior design company is expanding to downtown Baltimore.

RC Interiors LLC will open a 2,400-square-foot store Dec. 2 at 339 N. Charles St.

Called Market Centre Design, the retail shop will sell art and furniture and house a design studio, says Jayne Kelly, the store's director of marketing. The space once held lingerie store Bella Sorpresa.

Kelly says the store managers liked the building's soaring ceilings, big windows, and exposed beams.

"It's a really beautiful space," Kelly says. "It's great for a designer."

The Charm City Circulator, the free city shuttle that launched in January, will make it easier than before for folks to shop downtown.

"It's just a nice location," Kelly says. "It gives us some visibility."

The design firm signed a five-year lease at the location. RC Interiors also has an office at 414 Lyman Ave. in Baltimore's Homeland neighborhood. Commercial and residential clients who work in the city will hopefully find the downtown location convenient, Kelly says.

RC Interiors staff also like that the shop is close to Mount Vernon, an "artsy" area that is near the Maryland Institute College of Art.
The store sells a range of styles, from contemporary to antiques. It also carries many original pieces of art by local artists.

Jeremy Landsman of Baltimore's JBL Real Estate LLC brokered the deal on behalf of 339-341 N Charles LLC, an affiliate of WRH Property Holdings LLC.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Jayne Kelly, RC Interiors

Serendipity combined with a good reputation can lead to a very good thing. That's what got the ball rolling for the recently opened David & Dad's Express at 1 N. Charles St. David Cangialosi, owner, of the 17-year old breakfast and lunch spot at 334 N. Charles St. says that's how the new location came to be.

"The cafe at 1 N. Charles St. had closed. The building manager, a regular customer, approached us and asked us if we wanted to open something there. He knew all about us and liked what we did and felt comfortable having us there. I looked at it as a chance to open a new restaurant without a big investment because we didn't need to build something from scratch," says Cangialosi.

With just a $10,000 investment, the new location opened in mid-October. As with the original David & Dad's, the location offers freshly made breakfast and lunch items.

"Everything is still made to order but with seating for only about 14 people, the business is mostly carry-out."

The new location is open Monday to Friday from 7am to 3pm. It employs five people.

Source: David Cangialosi, David & Dad's
Writer: Walaika Haskins

More than one third of all downtown jobs are held by Baltimore City residents, and the number of employees who earned more than $40,000 per year increased 31 percent from 2004 to 2008.

That is according to a new report from Downtown Partnership of Baltimore Inc. that assesses downtown's impact on the Baltimore economy.
Officials from the group hope the report's findings will result in city policies that favor downtown.

Downtown Partnership wants city officials to create a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district for downtown, similar to those in Patrick Turner's Westport development, Harbor East, and Clipper Mill. A TIF allows the city to use debt to finance a new development with the expectation that the project will increase tax revenues in the future.

Downtown hotels contribute 89 percent of the city's total hotel tax revenue and downtown residents pay 24 percent of the city's total income taxes, the study shows. Downtown businesses pay $7.6 billion in compensation to employees, while Baltimore City businesses overall pay $19.4 billion per year to their workers, the report says.

The motivation behind the study is to understand how downtown contributes to the city's overall fiscal standing and to remind policy leaders of the importance of investing downtown, says Downtown Partnership President J. Kirby Fowler Jr.

"Baltimore is a very dense area that provides bang for the buck," Fowler says.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Kirby Fowler, Downtown Partnership of Baltimore

Maryland Art Place is moving its office and gallery from Power Plant Live to Baltimore's west side as the nonprofit hopes to be an arts anchor for the neighborhood.

MAP has owned the 20,000-square-foot building at 218 W. Saratoga St. since 1988, but it has been renting out the space to other nonprofit tenants. Some of those will remain when MAP moves in January to the five-story building.

Eventually, leaders at the nonprofit would like to use the entire space for community arts projects, MAP Executive Director Cathy Byrd says. This could include artist studios, a dance studio and a small movie theater. To do that would take several years and require a thorough renovation of the building costing in the neighborhood of around $1.5 million, Byrd says.

The nonprofit is now applying for grants and planning a series of fundraisers to raise money for that effort. MAP plans to hold its fall fundraiser, Pop-Up Gala, Nov. 12 in the Saratoga St. building.

Byrd says the organization wanted to take part in what it sees as a burgeoning arts district on the west side. The area is home to the Hippodrome theater, the artist warehouse known as the H&H building, and Current Space art gallery, which recently moved to Howard St.

Next year, it will be home to Everyman Theatre once it moves from its Charles Street spot in the Station North Arts and Entertainment District.

The basement of the MAP building on Saratoga St. currently houses underground performance art series 14Karat Cabaret.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Cathy Byrd, Maryland Art Place

Got an idea for a new shop but don't have the startup money?

Downtown Partnership of Baltimore is looking for proposals to set up temporary shops, or pop-up stores, in unused first-floor space in downtown buildings.

The initiative, dubbed OPERATION: Storefront, aims to connect available first-floor building space with entrepreneurs, restaurateurs, artists and nonprofits. Successful applicants will get up to $10,000 to start and operate their business. Funding for the program comes from a property tax surcharge on some downtown commercial businesses that went into effect July 1.

Proposals for the pop-up stores are due Nov. 22. A panel organized by Downtown Partnership will review the entries and select those that are the best fit for any given site.

Pop-up stores have risen in popularity as a relatively low-risk way to fill space as retail vacancies have risen amid a lackluster economy.

The economy has forced some shops to close or developments to stall in downtown Baltimore. A good way to fill those spots is by encouraging entrepreneurs and artists to open temporary stores, says Mackenzie Paull, retail and economic development manager for Downtown Partnership.  

And hopefully, with financial and other assistance, some of these stores will turn into thriving, permanent businesses.

"We're hoping they can blossom into self-sustaining enterprises," Paull says.

Downtown Partnership will help startups negotiate leases and get the necessary permits and licenses from the city.

The area that the downtown advocacy group is looking to fill is bounded by Center Street to the north, President Street to the east, Pratt Street to the south and Greene Street to the west. Priority will be given to proposals that seek to fill space on Charles Street between Lombard and Franklin, and Calvert Street, between Lombard and Baltimore.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Mackenzie Paull, Downtown Partnership of Baltimore