Commercial Real Estate : Development News

A home health provider, orthopedic surgeons, and a radiology group are slated for a new medical office condo building in Carroll County.
HomeCall Inc. will open a 3,513-square-foot office in the building at 844 Washington Rd. The company is relocating from 15 E. Main St. during the first quarter of next year.

The newly constructed 50,000-square-foot building by Green Development LLC will house Greater Chesapeake Orthopaedic Associates LLC, says Michele Kornbluth, a commercial real estate broker with NAI KLNB LLC. At 16,000 square feet, it's the building's largest tenant and will open after Jan. 1.

A physical therapy group affiliated with Greater Chesapeake Orthopaedic Associates will open a 6,000-square-foot office as well, Kornbluth says. Allergist Dr. Prasad Nataraj will also take a 2,500-square-foot space at the site during the first quarter of next year.

The broker is also talking to a radiology group and a lab. That leaves about 4,000 square feet remaining to fill, Kornbluth says.

While getting financing is tough for many businesses these days, it's a bit easier for doctors, Kornbluth says. That's because they typically have steady cash flow and sign up for long-term leases.

Less than a mile from Carroll County Hospital, the building is located in a growing area. The county has gained about 25,000 new residents in the last decade, according to county information.

The residential growth, combined with great highway access, has driven the demand for more services in the county, Kornbluth says.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Michele Kornbluth, KLNB

A restaurant serving coal-fired pizza and burgers will open in the former Daily Grind site in Baltimore.

Run by restaurant industry veteran Mark Hofmann, Earth Wood & Fire will open in March.

Hofmann says he and his three partners will invest $500,000 to open the new restaurant.

The 3,000-square-foot restaurant will look "funky and edgy" and feature fresh, local ingredients, says Hofmann. The partners haven't determined the prices or the exact menu items yet.

Hofmann says he hopes to draw everyone from the college kids at Towson University and Loyola College to residents in neighboring areas. He also hopes to attract the 1,000 workers in the Bare Hills Corporate Center, where the restaurant will be located. The restaurant will be located in a new retail building currently under construction.

Close to Interstate 83, the restaurant is easy to get to for residents in the affluent areas of Homeland, Towson, Lutherville, and Pikesville, Hofmann says. "It's a densely populated area," Hofmann says.

Trained as a chef at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, Hofmann is the former general manager of Tark's Grill in Lutherville. He also helped open the Grille at Peerce's, at the former Peerce's Plantation spot. Hofmann was also a chef at Linwoods in Owings Mills and the former Polo Grill.

Hofmann says Earth Wood & Fire is a concept he has had in his head for four years now. If it succeeds in the corporate park, he hopes to open another one in Canton, Federal Hill, or downtown Baltimore.

"Gotta make this one work first," Hofmann says.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Mark Hofmann, Earth Wood & Fire

The former Daily Grind warehouse and retail building is getting new life.

Continental Realty Corp. has begun demolition of 1407 Clarkview Rd. and, after extensive renovations, plans to reopen it as a retail center by the second quarter of 2011. Located at the Bare Hills Corporate Center in Baltimore, the building will get new awnings and a brick and stone exterior, Continental Partner Lawrence Rief says. The site will feature new parking, landscaping, and lighting.
 
"We're going to take an ugly duckling and make it into a beautiful building hopefully," Rief says.

Rief says he does not yet have a cost estimate for the renovation.

The 8,000-square-foot building will contain Earth Wood & Fire, a 3,000-square-foot restaurant serving coal-fired pizzas and burgers. Tenants in the business park are hungry for another restaurant as Atwater's is currently the sole eatery, Rief says. (Read more about Earth Wood & Fire here).

Continental is also looking for a dry cleaner and a coffee shop to replace the Daily Grind, which closed last year. Retail rates run about $40 per square foot, Rief says.

The Bare Hills Corporate Center houses 20 buildings, four of which are owned by Continental Realty. The office park houses 1,000 employees and its tenants include LifeBridge Health, Ilex Construction, and Velocity Sports Performance.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Lawrence Rief, Continental Realty

A fast-casual salad chain is counting on Maryland's appetite for healthful eating.

Saladworks will open at least three new stores in Anne Arundel, Howard, and Baltimore Counties within the next three years, franchisees Derek Morrell and Nicole Roudiez say. The first will open during the first half of 2011. Each store will employ between 15 and 30.
The exact locations have not yet been determined.

Saladworks franchisees spend anywhere between $247,000 and $475,000 to open each location. Stores average between 700 and 2,000 square feet.

The company touts the fact that it features an array of salads with fewer than 300 calories. The restaurant, which currently has one store in downtown Baltimore at Harborplace, also sells wraps, sandwiches, and soups.

Morrell says the targeted counties are an "untapped market" and there's "nothing like it" in Annapolis, where both he and Roudiez grew up.
The entrepreneurs are looking at mall food courts and retail strip centers along with other locations where there is good visibility and high traffic.

Saladworks operates over 100 franchise locations in 12 states. In addition to its existing stores, the chain currently has over 60 units in development across the country.

Based in Conshohocken, Pa., Saladworks recently signed deals in Delaware, Virginia, Texas and California, according to spokeswoman Erin Salvatore.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Sources: Derek Morrell and Nicole Roudiez, Saladworks; Erin Salvatore, Saladworks

Want a shot of espresso with your dozen roses?

Paula Maher is counting that you do. Last month the owner of the Dutch Connection, a flower shop in Harbor East, opened a caf� in the Bagby Building at 1008 Fleet St.

Called the Black Tulip, the caf� has boosted flower sales 10 percent as people come for the java and pick up a plant, Maher says.

"I always had a feeling that flowers and some coffee and food are a beautiful combination," Maher says. A native of the Netherlands, Maher
trained as a chef in Paris and moved to Baltimore with her husband in 1997.

"Now I have it all � flowers and a little bit of food."

The shop sells soups, quiches, pastries, and coffee drinks. The Black Tulip contains nine tables, plus outdoor seating, and takes up about half of the 1,700-square-foot store.

Maher likes the Harbor East neighborhood because she gets a mix of young residents and area office workers. She also likes that it is close to the waterfront.

A renovated former factory building, the Bagby's tenants include Bagby Pizza Co., Bikram Yoga, Vino Rosina, and PNC Bank.

"It's lively," Maher says of Harbor East. "I like the shops in the area. It's as close as we can come to New York. It's an interesting part of the city."

Maher also operates another Dutch Connection in Belvedere Square.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Paula Maher, Dutch Connection

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

Two technology research divisions of the University of Maryland Baltimore County have renewed their lease at the school's Catonsville campus.

The Goddard Earth Sciences and Technology Center (GEST) and the Joint Center for Earth Systems Technology (JCET) signed a five-year lease with Merritt Properties for a 5,000-square-foot space at UMBC's research and technology park.

The two centers employ 20 people who work at bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park and 200 overall, says Raymond Hoff, director of both centers.  

The centers run satellite missions in conjunction with NASA that observe everything from hurricanes to the melting of the ice cap in Antarctica to the amount of air pollution in space.

Center officials like the modern building at 5523 Research Park Dr., with its free parking and easy access to Interstate 95, Hoff says. It also contains plenty of meeting space, which is tough to find at the main campus during the school year as students and faculty members jockey for space.

Located at the edge of campus, the research park is still close enough to the school's faculty and students, says Hoff, who is also a UMBC physics professor.

The 71-acre bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology serves as an incubator for startup firms and a research center. Tenants include the Erickson School of Aging Studies, RWD Technologies, and Encore Path.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Raymond Hoff, GEST and JCET

Baltimore City officials hope to rehab more than 1,000 vacant buildings by providing more incentives to homebuyers and developers who build in distressed areas.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Baltimore Housing Commissioner Paul Graziano announced the "Vacants to Value" initiative Nov. 3.

The plan relies on six strategies:

• Disposing of vacant city-owned property. The mayor's office has restructured its land resources staff, hired a new team of real estate marketing professionals, and launched a new website to help sell vacant city properties.

• Fining landowners who abandon properties $900 instead of pursuing costly legal battles by taking each case to court. This will hopefully pressure absentee landowners and speculators to reinvest in their properties to avoid more fines, or sell them.

• Deploying code enforcement attorneys to encourage investment in emerging neighborhoods.

• Providing incentives for homebuyers and developers. This includes a $5,000, five-year forgivable loan for 100 police officers, firefighters, and teachers who purchase vacant property. Baltimore Housing has packaged four more home-buyer incentives, totaling roughly $1 million, for individuals who purchase vacant or newly rehabilitated homes. The department will also establish a new $1 million revolving loan fund to provide short-term cash for small developers and contractors who rehabilitate vacant properties.

• Supporting large-scale redevelopment efforts in distressed areas.

• In areas with significant urban blight, Baltimore Housing will focus on maintaining, clearing, and holding�or "land banking"�vacant property for future use. This involves demolishing and cleaning targeted areas and creating new green space.

Baltimore City contains 16,000 vacant buildings, of which 5,000 are located in what the city calls "transitional blocks" � areas that are largely occupied but challenged with a number of scattered vacant structures.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Baltimore City

Red Parrot Asian Bistro has signed a lease for its second location, a space in the upcoming Shoppes at McHenry Row, a mixed-use development in South Baltimore.

According to Jared Meier, retail strategist with Streetsense, the restaurant is one of two locally owned eateries included in the development. The 4140 sq. ft. space is part of a $117 million project being constructed at the former Chesapeake Paperboard Co. site at the intersection of Key Highway and Fort St. in Locust Point.

"We're excited to have them coming in. The addition of the Sushi, Thai, and Asian cuisines is a nice complement," says Meier. 

The site's 48,000 sq. ft. of main street retail space will include a Dunkin' Donuts, M&T Bank, PNC Bank, The Hair Cuttery, and The Green Turtle. It will also feature 80,000 square feet of office space, 250 rental apartments, and two parking garages.

"It'll be a mix of small shop boutiques, retail, and service users along with the restaurants," says Meier.

McHenry Row will also include a Harris Teeter grocery store. Meier expects the grocery store to help attract shoppers from around the area.

Source: Jared Meier, Streetsense
Writer: Walaika Haskins

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

A new restaurant serving comfort food and crab cakes is coming to the Bel-Air Edison neighborhood.

Kodi's will open by the end of the year at 3539 Belair Rd. The menu will include a house seafood soup, stuffed broccoli with cheese, mozzarella sticks, and crab cakes, co-owner Jacqueline Rinehart says.

Rinehart, who will run the business with her husband and daughter, says she hopes to create a neighborhood joint where you're "guaranteed a nice family environment."

"It's needed in the neighborhood," Rinehart says of the restaurant. "There's nowhere in the neighborhood to sit down and relax." Rinehart has applied for a live entertainment license with the Baltimore City liquor board so she can feature live jazz.

The area is full of carryout spots but is lacking in full-service restaurants, says Mary Warlow, director of programs and marketing for Belair-Edison Neighborhoods.

"It would be nice to have some variety," Warlow says. "It will be a good addition to Main Street."

Rinehart and her partners remodeled the whole building and installed five 42-inch flat-screen TVs. Rinehart declined to say how much they
are spending to open the restaurant and renovate the building.

"We're always glad when business owners invest in the buildings," Warlow says. "The nicer it is the more likely they'll survive as a restaurant."

Writer: Julekha Dash
Sources: Jacqueline Rinehart, Kodi's; Mary Warlow, Bel-Air Edison Neighborhoods

The owners of Pikesville's popular Mexican restaurant Mari Luna are bringing their food to city residents.

Mari Luna Mexican Bistro will open at 1225 Cathedral St. in Mount Vernon by mid-January. Located across from the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, the spot was formerly home to Robert Oliver Seafood and Spike & Charlie's.

The 200-seat restaurant will feature a guacamole bar and sangria bar, says Paul Bartlett, a restaurant consultant working with the Luna family on the opening. It will also focus on entertainment and culture, featuring a Mariachi band.

Featuring the food of central Mexico, Mari Luna will be less formal and less dependent on the symphony crowd that have opened there in the past.

"We're envisioning it as a community gathering place for musicians before and after their gigs," Bartlett says. "It's a beautiful, elegant space. We look forward to being there for quite a while."

Jaime Luna and his family, who own Mari Luna Mexican Grill and Mari Luna Latin Grille, are investing about $100,000 to open the new restaurant, Bartlett says. The restaurant consultant has worked on behalf of Caf� Hon, Donna's, and Phillips Seafood Restaurants.

Bartlett says he and the Luna family like the area because it has gotten some new developments, including the recently opened Fitzgerald apartments.

"I've always loved the restaurant" space, Bartlett says. "It's a social neighborhood and fun gathering place."

The restaurant will employ about 40.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source Paul Bartlett, restaurant consultant

A cyber security firm has moved out of the Emerging Technology Center incubator space to its own new digs in Canton as it grows its client base.

Lookingglass Cyber Solutions LLC moved last month to 1001 S. Kenwood Ave., on the second floor of a townhouse. After three years in Canton's ETC, the company thought it was time to get its own space where it can bring clients, Lookingglass CEO Derek Gabbard says.

The company's contract with the Department of Homeland Security will double this year, to $2 million.

"We've evolved to the point where you want to spread your wings and do your own thing," Gabbard says.

It also won a contract last month with an intelligence organization, which it can't name for security reasons. Two banks will also pilot their products next year.

The company expects to hire two employees by the end of the year and another three to four by next summer in the areas of software development and operational support.

The 2,000-square-foot office puts the seven-person firm two blocks closer to the bustling Canton Square, Gabbard says.

Working in the waterfront Canton neighborhood, chock full of bars and restaurants, is a good job perk for young new employees, Gabbard says.

"It's a great spot to move to if you're in your 20s," Gabbard says. Being in a "hip, young area" is good for a growing software company.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Derek Gabbard

A Bethesda communications firm has opened a Baltimore office as its leaders want to be closer to its nonprofit clients.

The Hatcher Group, whose clients include the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Open Society Institute, opened an office last month at 1501 St. Paul St.

The company employs 16 in Bethesda and three in its new Baltimore office, including two former Baltimore Sun reporters.

The number of clients in the Baltimore area has grown in the last few years to about 10, says Hatcher Group Senior Vice President Tom Waldron. The company has a total of about 50 clients.
 
"It seems the time was here to open the Baltimore office," Waldron says.

Waldron says the company sees its mission as more than PR, but rather helping clients effect social change and influence public policy.

"We're really excited about being in Baltimore full time," Waldron says. "We wanted to show that we care about the work we're doing in Baltimore" to clients.

Other Baltimore clients include the Family League of Baltimore City Inc. and the Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning.

The company shares the space with Web design firm Drexler.

The Hatcher Group selected the Mount Vernon neighborhood because it was looking for something that is reasonably close to downtown and its clients, says Waldron, a former Sun state house bureau chief. It's also close to Penn Station, making it convenient to reach clients in Washington, D.C., and New York.

"Plus it's a really cool space," with 17-foot ceilings, Waldron says.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Tom Waldron, Hatcher Group

A day care center is opening its 20th location in Severna Park next spring.

Celebree Learning Centers is opening a 9,142-square-foot location at the Robinson Crossing Shopping Center, its first in Anne Arundel County. The Forest Hill-based company is spending about $600,000 to open the new location at 450 Ritchie Hwy, Celebree Owner Richard Huffman says.

Construction will begin in November and the daycare and educational center will open in February.

"We believe it's an underserved market in Anne Arundel County," Huffman says of the new location.

It's the third lease that Celebree has signed with Continental Realty Corp. Its other centers with Continental are in Eldersburg and Perry Hall.
David Donato, a vice president at Baltimore's Continental, says Celebree should bring good traffic to the shopping center, especially the Food Lion supermarket.

"It's bringing parents five days a week to the center," Donato says.

The area is dense with parents working in either Baltimore or Washington, D.C., and limited space for other daycare centers to open nearby.

"There's not a ton of commercial spaces in that stretch of Ritchie Highway," Donato says.

Other tenants at the 114,000-square-foot shopping center include Dollar Tree, Quizno's, and Kids First Swim School.  

Open since 1994, Celebree employees 520 and has 2,000 children under its supervision. The Severna Park business will oversee as many as 150 kids and employ 30.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Sources: Richard Huffman, Celebree Learning Centers; David Donato, Continental Realty