Commercial Real Estate : Development News

The Corner Stable, a family-owned restaurant in Cockeysville, is opening a second restaurant in the King's Contrivance Village Center in Columbia in October.

Known for its ribs and crab cakes, the 6,000-square-foot restaurant will replace longtime local watering hole Michael's Pub that closed earlier this year.

Co-owner Charles "Chip" Reed says he plans to hire between 65 and 85 full-time workers to staff the new restaurant. Reed says he and his wife Randy Reed have been scouring the Greater Baltimore region for a second location for years. They said they settled on Columbia because they thought a family-owned restaurant and bar could stand out among the area's many chain establishments. And many of the area's restaurants are bustling on the weekends.

There's also ample parking in the shopping center, which includes Harris Teeter, a CVS pharmacy, and a consignment shop, Reed says.

Close to Routes 29 and 32 and Interstate 95, the location will hopefully draw folks who live in Ellicott City, Laurel, Elkridge, and Silver Spring.

Reed says he plans to spruce up the interior with large-screen televisions and a pool table. His nephew Bryan Hiller will manage the restaurant.

The Corner Stable in Cockeysville opened in 1971. The Reeds have owned it for 10 years.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Charles "Chip" Reed, Corner Stable

A Baltimore area entrepreneur hopes to find sweet success by turning a childhood treat into a business.

Nikki Lewis will sell a variety of rice krispies treats at Mallow Munchies caf�. She'll spend about $50,000 to open the Rosedale dessert shop inside a strip mall at 8767 Philadelphia Rd.

She's giving the dessert an upgrade with ingredients like Belgian dark chocolate. The Trail Munch features dried cranberries and toasted pumpkin seeds while the Toffee Nut Munch is made with salted cashews and toffee. The desserts were named best sweet snack by Baltimore magazine last year.

Since cupcakes have been all the rage in recent years, fancy rice krispies treats should offer a good alternative for sweet tooths, Lewis says. The entrepreneur has made some inroads with restaurants, caf�s, and grocery stores. Whole Foods Market in the mid-Atlantic has agreed to sell the sweets. So far, the Whole Foods in Baltimore's Harbor East sells them, with others to follow.

Zeke's Coffee, Grilled Cheese & Co., Eddie's Market of Charles Village, and Milk and Honey Market Baltimore sell the confections as well. You can also find the treats at Baltimore area farmers' markets.

Lewis is raising some of the money to fund the caf� on Kickstarter.com, a website that allows individuals to raise money for creative projects.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Nikki Lewis

After two years at the helm of downtown restaurant Maisy's, Matt Helme has decided to give the place a face lift.

In the fall, he plans to add better lighting and will redo the downstairs lounge with new custom-made tables.

Helme recently hired Cyrus Keefer, whose French-inspired cuisine will be featured in a new menu soon. Keefer has worked at Rehoboth Beach restaurants Espuma, Nage, and Eden. He also recently won the People's Choice award at the B&O American Brasserie's Crab Bash for his blue crab and white corn ravioli.

Maisy's menu currently includes house-smoked wings, bison tartar, brick-oven pizza, and seafood paella.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Matt Helme, Maisy's

LifeBridge Health's sports medicine division has acquired a Baltimore-area physical therapy practice, giving it an another five clinics and nearly doubling its patients.

The clinics it acquired from Henning & Cole Therapy Associates are located in Hunt Valley, Bel Air, Essex, Perry Hall, and Belcamp, bringing its total number to 11.

The expansion in physical therapy also allows the health care organization to keep its grip on aging baby boomers as they stay active longer.
Having more clinics makes it easier for LifeBridge to keep patients once they leave the hospital and seek physical therapy, says Matt Carlen, executive director of LifeBridge's wellness division. LifeBridge will handle about 6,000 physical therapy patients per month with the acquisition.

Each of the Henning & Cole clinics pulls in about $1 million in revenue, Carlen says. He declined to disclose the purchase price. The practice was known for relying on manual, hands-on therapy more than machines, he says.

LifeBridge Health is composed of Sinai Hospital, Northwest Hospital, Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital, Courtland Gardens Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, and LifeBridge Health and Fitness.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Matt Carlen, LifeBridge

The Maryland Athletic Club is pumping up its Timonium facility this month with new workout machines and a makeover for its exercise studios and basketball court.

The focus of the renovation will be to allot more space for free-motion equipment, General Manager Michael Meehan says. That includes stability balls, medicine balls, and kettle balls that allow members to challenge their balance. It will also include resistance machines that rely on cables that let the user move around freely, rather than the restricted movements that are typical of traditional weight machines.

The Timonium MAC, which celebrates its 15-year anniversary in November, will shut down for a week in August during the renovation.

The gym is also sprucing up the floors in its yoga and pilates room, basketball court and swimming pool.

New elliptical trainers, computerized bikes and cycles that work out the upper body will go into the gym when it reopens Aug. 29.

The MAC has two other locations, in Harbor East and Hunt Valley.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Michael Meehan, MAC

An 11-year-old salon has moved to a new part of Howard County where its owner hopes she can get greater visibility and capitalize on a growing area.

Biago Salon & Day Spa has moved to Route 216 in Highland from a shopping center in Clarksville. Owner Lynn Lazzara has moved into the same space as Living Dolls Beauty Salon, which Owner Jane Caswell operates out of her home.

Caswell plans to retain her business under the same name.

Lazzara hopes the move will reduce her overhead expenses and bring in more business since the salon is located on a busy road. Biago offers haircuts, pedicures, manicures, waxing, and facials.

Though the former space was in the same shopping center as Great Sage vegan restaurant and organic grocer Roots, it was tucked away and not as visible to drive-by traffic, she says.

The salon owners spruced up the space to prepare for the merged businesses, including resurfacing the floors, adding new window treatments, and paint.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Sources: Lynn Lazzara, Biago Salon & Day Spa; Jane Caswell, Living Dolls

A husband-and-wife team have launched a local arm of a national paint franchise with plans to hire about 10 workers.

Rick and Dori Eisenacher hope to get Fresh Coat Painters of Baltimore up and running in one month and are eyeing both residential and commercial clients, Rick Eisenacher says.

The couple works out of their home and serve White Marsh, Fullerton, Kingsville, Perry Hall, Bel Air, Forest Hill, and surrounding communities.

Though the real estate market is still wobbly, Eisenacher says he hopes he can still pull in $250,000 in revenue in one year by attending home shows, job fairs, and meeting with realtors. The business required a $40,000 upfront investment, about one-third of the amount required of other home-improvement franchises he considered.

So why sign on to a franchise to paint homes and offices? Eisenacher says the advantage is getting support to run the business, including software that provides estimates for paint jobs and marketing assistance.

Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, Fresh Coat Painters serves clients in more than 100 cities.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Rick Eisenacher

Corningware Corelle Revere has opened a store in Hanover's Arundel Mills mall, its first in the Greater Baltimore region and second spot in Maryland.

The 4,000-square-foot store, which opened July 22, sells flatware, glasses, dishes, and other kitchen items. World Kitchen LLC manufactures and distributes the store's products under the Corelle, Pyrex, Corningware, Chicago Cutlery, Baker's Secret, and Snapware brand names. The shop is located between Best Buy and Medieval Times.

World Kitchen chose the Anne Arundel County location because it gets plenty of tourists, says Keri Durkin, vice president of merchandising and marketing for the Rosemont, Ill., company. The mall gets 14 million visitors a year and is one of the top visitor destinations in Maryland.

Those numbers will likely go up once Cordish Co. builds its mega casino and entertainment venue Maryland Live at Arundel Mills next year.

The mall, which celebrates its 10-year anniversary in November, is trying to shake up its retail mix.

"Retail is very cyclical," says Wendy Ellis, Arundel Mills' director of marketing and business development. "What consumers want is always changing and we work hard to bring what they want."

Ellis says Corningware Corelle suited the mall because it fits into its mix of mainly discount and outlet stores. Coringware Corelle's other Maryland store is at the Hagerstown Premium Outlets.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Sources: Wendy Ellis, Arundel Mills; Keri Durkin, World Kitchen LLC

Southern Management Corp., known for its portfolio of apartment holdings, is opening a 150-room boutique hotel by early August as the developer hopes to capitalize on the tourism revenue expected from the casino debuting next year at Arundel Mills mall.

The Hotel at Arundel Preserve is part of a $150 million development includes 242 apartments, which opened this month, and Grillfire restaurant. The project is part of the 268-acre Arundel Preserve complex that includes shops, offices, apartments, and restaurants.

The 156-seat Grillfire will open July 28. The sixth restaurant of New York's George Martin Group, the steakhouse will also serve seafood, salads, and chicken dishes.

The hotel will house three other restaurants, including Indian eatery Rangoli, says John Cohan, Southern Management's director of marketing.

The Vienna, Va., developer saw an "untapped market." Though the area around Arundel Mills mall is chock full of hotels, many are chain hotels targeting business travelers flying through Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Cohan says. Southern Management is hoping that an independently owned boutique hotel will stand apart for leisure travelers looking to press their luck at the slots machines.

The company also hopes to appeal to the thousands of defense contractors that will move and work in the area due to the federal government's Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC).


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: John Cohan, Southern Management

Two new restaurants spearheaded by the folks behind Bagby Pizza Co. will open next to the Harbor East eatery.

Ten Ten, billed as a contemporary American bistro, will open late August in the former Dutch Connection flower shop space. Fleet Street Kitchen, which will feature artisanal and local foods, will open in the winter, says Bagby Restaurant Group Director of Marketing Carmel Gambacorta.

The Wine Market's Christopher Becker and Mark Davis, formerly of the Baltimore Country Club, will be overseeing the kitchen of both restaurants along with Bagby Pizza Co.

Ten Ten -- named for the address on Fleet Street -- is kind of an extension of the pizza eatery, Gambacorta says. You can order from the pizza restaurant in Ten Ten. In February, Bmore reported that Bagby Pizza Co.'s owners will expand into the former flower shop that was next door.

Ten Ten will feature an "eclectic" design, with a lot of wood and exposed brick, Gambacorta says.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Carmel Gambacorta, Bagby Restaurant Group

ShopRite is opening two Maryland stores July 28, following the auction of 11 Maryland SuperFresh shops.

ShopRite in Timonium and D.C. suburb White Oak will each employ around 200, many of whom are former SuperFresh employees, says William Sumas, vice chairman of ShopRite parent Village Super Market Inc.

Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. Inc., the parent company of SuperFresh, filed for bankruptcy protection last year. It auctioned 12 SuperFresh stores, all but one in Maryland, as part of its restructuring plan. That has opened the door for other grocery chains to expand in Greater Baltimore. Fresh & Green's opened in the former SuperFresh downtown and plans to replace the former store in Hampden. Shoppers Food opened this month in Ellicott City.

Located at Fairgrounds Plaza, the Timonium ShopRite store will include a bakery, pharmacy, and full-service floral department. It will also feature an international aisle and prepared foods with hot entrees and side dishes, soups, brick-oven pizza, an olive bar, a salad bar and sushi.

An on-site registered dietitian will be on hand to educate customers on preparing healthful meals and proper nutrition. Customers can also take weekly cooking classes taught by professional chefs.

"It's a great opportunity for date night, a fun family activity, or a get-together with friends," Sumas says.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: William Sumas, ShopRite

The namesake section of the Station North Arts, Entertainment & Design district is about to get an overhaul. A master developer is being sought for the 1.5-acre parcel of land directly north of Penn Station via request for qualifications (RFQ), with an application deadline of August 5, 2011.

The Lanvale Street transit-oriented development (TOD) initiative is being led by state, national, and local stakeholders that include Amtrak, the Maryland Department of Transportation, Central Baltimore Partnership, and the City of Baltimore.

Joe McNeely, Executive Director of the Central Baltimore Partnership, notes that over $400 million has been invested in building up Central Baltimore, which includes Station North, in recent years.

"The development of the Lanvale lot and Penn Station give the city of Baltimore the opportunity to remake this historic train station as an iconic regional destination not only for travel but also for residential and commercial uses," McNeely says.

 
Writer: Sam Hopkins
Source: Joe McNeely, Central Baltimore Partnership

In cooperation with One Green Home at a Time, a home rehabilitation company building energy-efficient homes in East Baltimore, the Pat Tillman Foundation brought over 90 military veterans to the Oliver neighborhood for a clean-up day on July 11. Pulling weeds, clearing debris, and straightening fences, "We pretty much covered the majority of the Oliver community," says Earl Johnson, Executive Director of One Green Home at a Time and himself an Army veteran.

An estimated 200 more volunteers from local non-profit organizations The 6th Branch, Baltimore BORN, One Green Home, Baltimore Love Project, and the Veteran Artist Program joined nearly 100 Tillman Military Scholars in their day of service coordinated with the Pat Tillman Legacy Summit, which is named for the former college and professional football star who was killed by friendly fire while serving as an Army Ranger in Afghanistan.

One Green Home at a Time and its financial arm, Bridge Private Lending, purchased 40 homes in the Oliver neighborhood from the city in May and is currently coordinating funds for complete renovation. The 3-window-wide rowhomes are eligible for historic tax credits and will be standardized to share energy-efficient floor plans and other design features.


Writer: Sam Hopkins
Source: Earl Johnson, One Green Home at a Time

A restaurant and lounge that serves up Ethiopian beef tips along with a course of international music will open in Mount Vernon the first weekend after Labor Day.

E-Villa is the latest project of Harold Edwards, also the owner of six-year-old Eden's Lounge.

The spot will serve small-plate Ethiopian and Latin Foods, Edwards says. His wife, Helen, is Ethiopian. The two-story, 175-seat venue will feature DJs spinning international music, like at Red Maple.

The building at 917 Cathedral St. hasn't been in use since the 90s when it was known as the Gaslight. Edwards has spent roughly $200,000 to renovate the historic rowhome that features exposed brick, high ceilings, arched doorways, and hardwood floors.

The "E" stands for entertainment, in case you were wondering.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Harold Edwards, E-Villa

A Baltimore developer is pitching an apartment complex at a prime Inner Harbor spot that had previously been eyed for condos, a hotel, and offices.

J. Joseph Clarke, of J.J. Clarke Enterprises , is plotting a nearly 264-unit apartment tower for 1 Light St. A Baltimore City design panel is reviewing Clarke's plans for the 15-story unit, which would contain a three-level parking garage with 200 spaces and two retail spots totaling 12,000 square feet.

Clarke told the panel that the market demand is no longer there for an office tower, though he hasn't ruled out a hotel for the spot. The apartment market is one of the bright spots in the commercial real estate market. Apartment rents are rising while vacancies are declining in nearly every city tracked by research firm Reis Inc.

"There's a push to have more mixed use downtown," says Robert Quilter, an architect with the city's planning department.

Kona Grill, Sullivan's Steakhouse, and several hotels have livened nighttime activity in downtown in recent years. But filling the spot at 1 Light St. with full-time residents would add to the neighborhood's vibrancy, Quilter says.

"It's like a hole in the donut," he says of the property, which is a parking lot now. "It could contribute to downtown better than it is."


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Robert Quilter, Baltimore City