Commercial Real Estate : Development News

Hiring for the Lotte Plaza in Catonsville will begin early this summer as the grocery will employ as many as 75 for the new location.

The positions will be "typical retail supermarket positions," from cashiers to managers to bookkeepers, says Lotte Plaza Director Alvin Lee.  The company plans to hire from within the organization first and then reach out to the community at large, Lee says
 
The Asian market plans to open a store at One Mile West Shopping Center in Catonsville this summer and will compete a multimillion-dollar renovation of the 46,000-square-foot space, says Bob G. Pollokoff, president of The Fedder Co.

The remodeling of the building will begin later this month and will include renovations to both the inside and outside of the building. Lotte Plaza will remodel the interior of the building, turning it from a space formerly used as a toy store into a full-service grocery store, Pollokoff says.
 
Lotte Plaza will take over the space formerly occupied by Toys-"R"-Us at the shopping center that also includes Panera Bread and Pier 1 Imports at 6600 Baltimore National Pike. The Fedder Co., a commercial real estate development, investment, and management company that manages more than 1.8 million square-feet of commercial property in Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, owns the property.
 
Lotte Plaza operates 13 markets in seven states including locations in Ellicott City, Germantown, and Silver Spring and employs over 300 employees.
 
Sources: Alvin Lee, director at Lotte Plaza and Bob G. Pollokoff, president of The Fedder Company.
Writer: Alexandra Wilding

Plans are moving forward on a new $27 million cancer hospital at the Carroll Hospital Center that officials say will better serve patients in the area.

The hospital plans to break ground on the project in early 2013 and open in 2014. The hospital is currently seeking donations for the center and plans to finance the center with cash and ongoing donations, says Sharon Sanders, assistant vice president for service line management for Carroll Hospital Center.

Last year, the hospital took over the operations of a neighboring care unit in preparation for its growth in cancer care. 
 
The Westminster hospital plans to expand an existing building into a 42,500-square-foot facility that will serve cancer patients seeking treatments and rehabilitation all under one roof, Sanders says. 
 
The expansion will provide services to area residents that have to travel, sometimes daily, to downtown Baltimore for treatment.
 
The combination of a rise of cancer rates as well improvements in treatment has lead to an increase in population of patients needing medical care. To support the increase, the hospital must expand and improve, Sanders says.
  
Some of the planned additions to the center include the addition of eight new chemotherapy chairs and a second machine for radiation. The hospital wants provide wellness and disease management programs, and classroom spaces for educational programming.
 
Carroll Hospital Center acquired their current cancer center in July 2011 from US Oncology.
 
Source: Sharon Sanders, assistant vice president for service line management for Carroll Hospital Center.
Writer: Alexandra Wilding
 

A Baltimore businessman will open a Middle Eastern restaurant and smoke shop in Upper Fells Point, not far from the Brass Monkey Saloon, Asahi Sushi and the Latin Palace.

Akram Ayyad will invest between $20,000 and $50,000 to open a 1,200-square-foot restaurant and smoke shop at 1611 Eastern Ave. The plan awaits approval from the city's zoning board, expected next month. Ayyad has yet to determine a name for the venue. 
 
Ayyad hopes to create a upscale casual venue that will serve light fare falafel and hummus, soft drinks and desserts. The business will also offer tobacco products such as cigars and possibly hookah. No alcohol will be served.
 
No major renovations are expected even though the building was used formerly as a clothing store, Ayyad says.
 
Ayyad plans to run the business with his brother. Together the brothers also operate additional business ventures such as a deli, and a small towing company. Ayyad moved to Baltimore 12 years ago from Jerusalem to join his extended family that has been here since the 1950s.
 
Baltimore’s zoning board rejected Ayyad’s initial application because unlike tobacco shops, smoke shops are not listed as permitted or conditional uses in Baltimore.
 
Smoking in restaurants has been banned in Baltimore since 2008 and is currently regulated by the Baltimore City Health Department. However, some businesses can apply for exemptions from the indoor smoking ban such as retail tobacco establishments.
 
A retail tobacco establishment can qualify if at least 75 percent of its revenues come from non-cigarette tobacco products, and the entry of minors is prohibited.
 
If the appeal goes through, tobacco products will make up 75 percent of sales at the yet unnamed restaurant with the remainder on food, Ayyad says.
 
Pending approval for the zoning board and other city agencies, Ayyad hopes the establishment will open in late May.
 
 
Source: Akram Ayyad, business owner
Writer: Alexandra Wilding
 

Soon another vacant storefront in Highlandtown will temporarily house an art gallery.
 
It's all part of the Pop-Up Gallery project, a partnership between The Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture at UMBC, and the Highlandtown Arts and Entertainment District.
 
The second of three Pop-Up Gallery projects in the neighborhood will have an opening March 3 from 5 p.m to 7 p.m. at 3216 Eastern Ave. just east of the Creative Alliance. The gallery installation will run through March 17.
 
University of Maryland Baltimore County graduate student Lexie Macchi is curating the three Pop-Ups. That is according to Sandra Abbott, who is also a member of the Highlandtown Arts District and curator of collections and outreach at UMBC's Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture.
 
The concept of pop-up spaces is to take an unoccupied commercial space and temporarily convert it into a thriving business or art space. Organizers hope to stimulate interest in the property and the neighborhood, feature local artists, and create networking opportunities for local businesses. Pop-Up shops and galleries have gained traction recently across the country as a creative way to generate business in vacant spaces.
 
With the Highlandtown Pop Up, the goal is to partner with merchants and landlords to bring attention to spaces to stimulate rentals and sales, Abbott says.
 
Abbott says organizers of the project want to highlight the possibilities of Highlandtown and increase traffic to the area.
 
In the case of Baltimore's Pop-Up project, the first gallery opened in December and ran for six weeks on South Conkling Street.
 
Funding for the project is provided in part by UMBC. The Highlandtown Community Association helped obtain funding for the project as well, Abbott says.
 
Charm City Land Co. LLC donated the space for the project.
 
Organizers have been invited to speak about the project at the National Main Streets Conference in April in Baltimore.
 
"We want it to go viral and then everyone will be doing it," Abbott says.

Writer: Alexandra Wilding
Source: Sandra Abbott, member of the Highlandtown Arts District and curator of collections and outreach at UMBC's Center for Art, Design and Visual Culture.

The owner of an East Baltimore shopping center could spend as much as $5 million on renovations that will hopefully help it attract a restaurant, bank and other tenants.
 
The makeover is underway at the Erdman Shopping Center in the Belair-Edison neighborhood, says Peter Grose, vice president of Regional Management, Inc. 

The Erdman Shopping Center, built in the early 1960s to accommodate an expanding suburban population moving into the city's northern neighborhoods, sits north of Sinclair Lane between Edison Highway and Erdman Avenue. 

Current tenants at the 120,000-square-foot center include Rite Aid, Save-A-Lot and various clothing, cosmetic, and carryout food businesses. The shopping center serves daily and weekly needs of the neighboring community, Grose says. 

The company expects to invest between $1 million and $5 million on renovations, and plans to complete them between the next six to twelve months, Grose says.
 
The company plans to raze several buildings on-site, replacing them with a new 9,000-square-foot, multi-tenant space, as well as a stand-alone site that could house a restaurant or a bank.
 
"We have the financial ability to really lift this center, and provide a needed investment in a really solid neighborhood," Grose says.
  
The Erdland Co. took possession of the center in September 2011. Regional Management, a property management company in Baltimore, is overseeing the renovations and on-going management for The Erdland Co. 
 
No timelines have been set for the leasing of the new spaces, but Grose hopes to attract businesses that are consistent with current offerings in the center.
 
Grose says he hopes to attract a sit-down restaurant to the center, as local offerings are sparse.
 
Some of the completed renovations include painting, landscaping, removal of debris, old metal pipes and rusted fences, replacing curbs, and adding speed bumps, stop signs, and a new roof for the complex.
 
The majority of the renovations have yet to be completed and will include redoing the fronts and canopies of existing businesses, and a substantial redesign of the parking lot to include more green space and to soften the appearance of the center, Grose says.
 
The renovations are part of an effort to improve a run-down shopping center in a part of the city that has dealt with crime. Last summer, a man making a delivery to the center was shot and killed in the center's parking lot.
 
Grose hopes that the renovations provide the community with an additional level of support and optimism.
 
"Someone came in with private money and really believes the community will come back and do their shopping and get services in this center. It just needs some investment," Grose says.
 
 
 

Need a new necklace for a night out on the town? How about a custom-made hat for church? A shop planned for Canton hopes to have you covered.
 
Dana's Boutique, a shop specializing in accessories for both men and women, plans to open this spring pending approval from the city's zoning board March 6.
 
Owner Dana Church expects to invest somewhere between $5,000 and $8,000 to bring her boutique to 2400 Fleet St., a space most recently occupied by Baltimore Contained, a container garden shop and florist that closed last year.
 
Church's concept for the space combines couture fashion with a Paris theme. Some of the accessories will be from high-end labels, while others will be custom-made, Church says.
 
"I'm excited to bring something different the community in Canton. I'm hoping to stay there for the long-term and that Dana's Boutique becomes a name that people know and remember," Church says.
 
One designer Church plans to feature is Adrian Dana, recently featured in Lifetime's “Project Accessory,” a spinoff of the “Project Runway” reality television program. Dana specializes in ornate and colorful hats.
 
Church originally wanted a shop in Fells Point, but costs and competition drove her to look into other locations. After doing some research and speaking with local business owners, she decided the Fleet Street location a few blocks north of the Safeway and The Can Company shopping area in Canton was a good fit.
 
Outside of a paint job to match the theme of the boutique, the space is move-in ready, Church says.
 
Church grew up in northeast Baltimore and graduated from the former Northern High School in 1991. Prior to working in fashion, Church worked for a number of years at the U.S. Postal Service and also as a payroll accountant.
 
A mother of two, Church began selling jewelry in 2008. She had always loved fashion, but says she never had the drive to do it on her own until she actually started selling jewelry.
 
Pending zoning approval from the city, a grand opening for the boutique will be held on March 31 from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at 2400 Fleet St. in Canton.

Source: Dana Church, owner of Dana's Boutique
Writer: Alexandra Wilding

BangBang Mongolian Grill, a create-your-own stir-fry restaurant that touts its heart-healthy fare, will open Valentine's Day in   Canton's Can Co. building.

Midwestern snowstorms delayed the shipping of equipment for the 4,000-square-foot restaurant, pushing the expected opening from last fall until now, says Dr. Shawn Dhillon managing partner for the restaurant. Additionally, the restaurant didn't want to hasten their building process to compromise quality, says Dhillon.
 
Bangbang Mongolian Grill replaces the former Austin Grill, which closed over a year ago at The Can Company.
 
Additionally, the restaurant plans to employ 45 to 50 people on its staff from workers in the kitchen to managers. The majority of the hiring has been completed, says Dhillon.
 
Dhillon expects the second Mongolian Grill to open in early March at 15752 Annapolis Rd. in Bowie.
 
Along with his partners, Dhillon plans to open an additional four grills and is currently scouting locations in Annapolis, Washington, and Virginia.
 
The format of the restaurant allows patrons select from their choice of chicken, beef, pork, seafood, and vegetables with choices of spices and sauces making for a meal that Dhillon believes is healthy and balanced.

Writer: Alexandra Wilding
Source: Dr. Shawn Dillon, BangBang Mongolian Grill

A Massachusetts firm has acquired the rights to develop the retail and apartment component of Marketplace at Fells Point, a $40 million project that is now slated to break ground April 1.

Drew Dolben, senior vice president for the Dolben Co. Inc., says he has acquired the rights for the massive urban redevelopment plan from South Broadway Properties LLC's Dave Holmes. The Dolben Co. has a regional office in Odenton. 

Holmes says he is still involved with the project and is leading a $5 million renovation of the Broadway Market. The recession made financing more complicated and the company realized it needed a partner to see the project get built, he says. With a partner leading the retail and apartment building, South Broadway Properties can focus on the restoration of the market.

The developers of the Marketplace at Fells Point plan to transform the 600 block of South Broadway Street into a "vibrant gateway to historic Fells Point." The transformation will include shops, restaurants and a pedestrian plaza. Streetscape improvements will be a public-private partnership with the city spearheading the design and planning of a pedestrian space called the Square at Fells Point. Planning for that space is currently underway with construction expected to start later this year, Holmes says. 

The extensive project, in the works for several years, also received some federal stimulus funding. But construction on the project, initially slated for January 2011, has been delayed. The group revised it's original plans that included office space and a parking garage after the recession to simply retail and residential space. These changes lowered the total cost of the project.

The company is waiting on the city to issue building permits for the project at 600 S. Broadway and expects the development to take between 18 to 20 months to complete.
 
The project is expected to include 159 apartment units and over 27,000 square-feet of retail space. The company is working with CBRE Group, Inc. to attract food outlets and boutique retailers to lease space.
 
The apartments will be a mixture of one and two bedroom units, and the rents will be consistent with other prices in the area, Dolben says.
 
"We think the Fells Point neighborhood is one of the best residential addresses in Baltimore and a very vibrant area," Dolben says.
 
By acquiring the Marketplace at Fell's Point project, the company wanted to expand its portfolio in the Washington-Baltimore corridor.
 
The company currently has two projects in construction in Maryland, the Village at Odenton Station and the View at Mill Run in Owings Mills. Between developments in Virginia, Maryland and the New England area, the company maintains 11,000 apartment units, Dolben says.
 
Writer: Allie Wilding
Sources: Drew Dolben, Dolben Co. Inc.; Dave Holmes, South Broadway Properties LLC 

Capital Studios is expanding its co-working space in Little Italy as it gets more interest from the independent contractor who want someone besides her dog as an office companion.

The company just signed a lease to add another 1,000 square feet of space by May, Partner Michael Morris says. That will bring it up to a total of 3,740 square feet.

With 21 members, it has nearly maxed out of space since opening in June, Morris says. It has enough room for 22 workers on any given day. 

Members pay $25 for a day pass or $300 for a monthly pass. With a copier, fax machine, two conference rooms and a projector, it's a step up from working at a coffee shop.

Its clients include software engineers, real estate brokers, sales reps, writers and entrepreneurs.

Capital Studios joins other co-working spaces, Beehive Baltimore and Sizeable Spaces. 

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Michael Morris, Capital Studios

A framed art work provider and wholesale manufacturer that serves Bed Bath & Beyond and La-Z-Boy has relocated from Linthicum to a 34,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Curtis Bay.
 
Big Fish, acquired by Beyond the Label in 2010, moved into a facility that combines warehouse and office space in the Brandon Woods Business Park this month. The space is the same size as the company’s previous location, but configured differently to allow for more usable manufacturing space. In addition, the company added five manufacturing jobs to its 30-person staff on-site.
 
With the move, owner and CEO, Melissa Van Hise hopes to continue to grow her business, which Van Hise says is the largest framer in Maryland.
 
Van Hise wants to bring more of a local focus to a business that has long served clients across the nation.
 
Van Hise was drawn to the space because it was already used as a manufacturing facility and didn't need additional renovations. The building also has a space that Van Hise uses as a gallery area to meet with clients.
 
“It’s a perfect amount of space, there’s a great labor pool nearby and it’s a great facility for growth,” Van Hise says.
 
Big Fish Inc. specializes in innovative framing techniques and artwork including hand-colored prints, limited editions and posters.
 
In recent years, the company has expanded into publishing, graphic arts and private label manufacturing in addition to framing and manufacturing, Van Hise says.
 
“Graphically, we can make anything, people never believe me when I say that, but we can,” says Van Hise.
 
Big Fish creates and manufactures products for retail stores of all sizes, the hospitality industry, interior design firms as well as companies such as Havertys, La-Z-Boy, Arhaus Furniture, and Bed Bath & Beyond, according to Van Hise.
 
The company has no retail store, but does take orders through its website.
 
Other businesses in the area include Reliable Churchill, a wine distributor and Commerce Corporation, a distributor serving garden centers.
 
Big Fish is located at 7600 Energy Parkway in the Brandon Woods Business Park.
 
Source: Melissa Van Hise, owner and CEO of Big Fish Inc.

The president of Baltimore-Washington Beer Works is moving ahead with his plans to start a Charles Village brewpub and hopes to start brewing his first barrels in May. Stephen Demczuk says he is also developing a new Edgar Allen Poe series of beers with names such as Pendulum Pilsner, Tell Tale Hearty Ale, and the Cask of Amontillado.

The planned Charm City Brewery will be located in a 50,000-square-foot former bottling company at 401 E. 30th St. in Baltimore's Charles Village neighborhood. The terms of the lease have been agreed upon and lawyers are handling the final details, Charm City Brewery CEO J. Hollis B. Albert III says.

But Demczuk says he has abandoned plans to open a brewpub in the former legendary Haussner's restaurant in Highlandtown because the project would have been too expensive and the building was in poor condition.

Demczuk was working with a local developer to turn the vacant building at Eastern Avenue and Clinton Street into a brewpub for the company known for its "Raven" lager.

For now, Demczuk is focusing on Charm City Brewery, which will be a cooperative of several brewers including Oliver Breweries and a brewer relocating from Chicago called LPB LLC.

While the participating brewers will contribute to the cost of the facility and ingredients, Charm City Brewery will brew beer for the individual brewers using their formulas. This will allow the brewers to focus on marking their products and developing new brands, Demczuk says.

Zoning limits the ability for the brewery to include a restaurant. Instead, the brewery will offer tours and tastings. Additionally, the brewery is considering offering workshops for the public on how to brew, says Albert.

Albert declined to state how much has been invested in the property.

Writer: Alexandra Wilding
Sources: Baltimore-Washington Beer Works president, Stephen Demczuk; J. Hollis B. Albert III,  chief executive officer of Charm City Brewery.

The owners of Milk & Honey Market will open their second cafe in the former Chesapeake restaurant, furthering their plans to breathe life into a cornerstone neighborhood building that has been empty for decades.

Ernst Valery says Milk & Honey Cafe will open by the fall at 1701 N. Charles St., which is in the Station North Arts and Entertainment District.

Valery says the new restaurant will not sell groceries like the Mount Vernon store and will only function as a coffee shop. The sleekly designed Milk & Honey Market in Mount Vernon sells cheeses, bread, eggs and imported food items. It opened late 2010.

Developing the former Chesapeake restaurant is key to Station North’s ambitions to become a thriving arts and entertainment destination. The neighborhood has gotten several new cafes, bars, theaters, artists’ studios and housing in recent years. But it still houses many vacant buildings and will lose anchor tenant Everyman Theatre when it moves to the west side in the fall.

Valery says the building will house two restaurants. Valery and his Milk and Honey team will open one restaurant while another unnamed Baltimore operator will spearhead the other. Philadelphia restaurant owners Mauro Daigle and Annie Baum-Stein are joining Valery and his wife Dana to open the restaurant.

Valery declined to say any more about either restaurant as details are still being finalized.

All total, the two restaurants and Milk and Honey Café will employ 50.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Ernst Valery, Milk and Honey

Woodberry Kitchen’s Spike and Amy Gjerde will open a coffee shop at Hampden’s Union Mill this spring.

The 1,500-square-foot café will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Allie Caran, the lead barista at Woodberry Kitchen will manage the store, Spike Gjerde says.

Also still in the works is Half Acre, a fast-casual eatery that the Gjerdes will open at 3801 Falls Rd. in the middle of this year. The 75-seat restaurant will serve lunch and dinner and employ 30, Gjerde says. The restaurant is also opening an office at Union Mill for about half a dozen employees at the cafe and restaurants.

The café will be under construction next month and open in March or April, says Michael Morris, the real estate manager for the Gjerdes’ restaurant ownership group behind Woodberry Kitchen, Artifact and Half Acre.

One of the area’s first farm-to-table restaurants, Woodberry Kitchen is one of the Baltimore area’s most popular restaurants. It earned the accolade of Bon Appetit magazine, which named it one of the Top 10 Best New Restaurants in America in its September 2009 issue.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Sources: Spike Gjerde, Woodberry Kitchen; Michael Morris, real estate manager

The owners of Coal Fire Pizza will open a fourth restaurant at the Village at Waugh Chapel shopping center in May.

Principal Owner Dennis Sharoky was drawn to the new development because of other planned businesses, such as Wegmans, Target and Dick’s Sporting Goods that will hopefully make it a popular destination in the county. The Baltimore County native has invested close to $600,000 in the new 110-seat pizzeria.

The Village at Waugh Chapel is a 71-acre project that combines retail, office, and senior-living units. Existing businesses include LA Fitness, Caribou Coffee, Marshalls and Robert Andrew Day Spa. More businesses within the development are set to open throughout 2012.

Coal Fire Pizza specializes in coal-oven pizzas made with a choice of three sauces and topped with sliced mozzarella that's made daily.

"I just tried a pizza out of a coal oven and I fell in love with it and I thought no one does this around here. I think I can do this," Sharoky says.

The coal fire burns more intensely, creating a bake that leaves the pizza slightly charred. Customer response has been favorable and has allowed the business to expand, says Sharoky.

"It's a unique pizza to this area," says Sharoky adding that people from New York come to have pizza at Coal Fire that tastes similar to what they ate growing up.

Sharoky opened the first Coal Fire Pizza two and a half years ago and has steadily expanded the business that he describes as "upscale casual." Each restaurant has outdoor seating and a bar, but is also family friendly.

Coal Fire Pizza's executive chef, Steve Santos, was looking to move from West Virginia to the Baltimore area and joined the team as the menu was being developed.

While Sharoky says the company is not aggressively expanding, they do hope to open locations in Baltimore City eventually. While Sharoky didn't give any specific locations, he says he's been approached to lease space in Canton.

Coal Fire Pizza's additional locations are in Ellicott City, Gaithersburg, and Frederick.

Writer: Alexandra Wilding
Source: Dennis Sharoky, principal owner of Coal Fire Pizza