Development News

A real estate firm that has plans to develop more shopping at Canton Crossing says it's in active discussions with as many as 20 prospective retailers, including Harris Teeter and Target.

Earlier this month, Chesapeake Real Estate Group and Birchwood Capital Partners said it had acquired a 31-acre parcel from Exxon Mobil Corp. with the goal of adding two new retail centers on the site. The first will break ground spring of next year, with 225,000 square feet of retail space. The second site, with 100,000 square feet, will break ground once Exxon Mobil fully leaves the property.

The site is adjacent to Edwin F. Hale Sr.'s First Mariner Tower and the Merritt Athletic Club.

Real estate brokers had been trying to woo Target and Harris Teeter to Canton Crossing to the site since at least 2008, but development stalled as the economy sputtered.

Chesapeake principal Neil Tucker says electronics, grocery, convenience stores would all be suitable for the area. The Baltimore firm is looking at tenants that would complement existing retail in the area, which includes Merritt Athletic Club and About Faces Day Spa and Salon.

A Baltimore nonprofit recently broke ground on a $9.2 million homeless shelter facing Patterson Park.

Dayspring Baltimore is constructing a 43,000-square foot building at 1125 N. Patterson Park Ave. that will house 22 families, four Head Start classrooms and offices for the nonprofit's 37 employees.

Funding for the facility comes from the New Market Tax Credit equity, city and state funds, the Weinberg and Abell Foundations and PNC Bank.  

Dayspring Programs Inc. provides housing, substance abuse treatment an support services to homeless families. It has an operating budget of around $4.4 million and serves 600 individuals.

The former owner of Fells Point megabar Bohager's is getting on the food truck bandwagon.

Damian Bohager and commercial real estate broker Clark Bowman launched the 30-foot-long Silver Platter food trailer earlier this month, serving up lobster rolls, firecracker shrimp, seared scallops with creamed corn and prosciutto and braised sweet onion brisket. Food items cost between $8 and $14.

The trailer is parked in a lot at the intersection of Central and Eastern Avenues in East Baltimore. Eventually, the pair will launch three more in the city, which will cost about $200,000, Bohager says.

Silver Platter joins the long list of Baltimore food trucks that includes Miss Shirley's, Kooper's Chowhound Burger, Iced Gems, Juana Burrito and Curbside Caf�. Earlier this month, the city created food truck zones and temporarily lifted some restrictions on the vehicles' operations.

Bohager hopes to get "thousands" of foodies and vendors to come to his July 8 food truck rally to show support for the businesses.

Cited by Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot for not paying nearly $600,000 in taxes in 2010, Bohager says he is negotiating with the state to pay off what is remaining of his debts. He also says he never had any intention of opening another bar, contrary to some media reports that ran earlier this year.

Bohager says he prefers operating a food truck, which he can operate with just two employees, rather than the nearly 200 he had to manage at Bohager's.

The trailer is equipped with a full restaurant kitchen, ice machine, four-burner stove and oven, griddle, refrigerator freezer and sandwich unit. It also holds a credit/debit machine.

Silver Platter's Executive Chef Christopher Cherry has worked for the former Polo Grill, Tabrizi's and the Crab Shanty Restaurant.

St. John Properties Inc. is on the hunt for retail and office tenants for a $25 million project in Carroll County.

The Baltimore developer completed construction this year on three buildings totaling 100,000 square feet as part of Liberty Exchange.

Its first tenant, Orthopaedic Associates of Central Maryland, will move into the Eldersburg property within the next 45 days, says Jerry Wit, St. John's senior vice president of marketing. The 11-physician practice has signed a lease for 12,240 square feet of space.

St. John Properties' first product in Carroll County, Liberty Exchange will eventually house 9 buildings totaling 225,000 square feet. The company will start construction on more buildings once the three existing ones are half leased, Wit says.

He's not sure when that will be as getting financing these days is tough, bringing many developments to a "screeching halt." Nonetheless, St. John executives are hopeful that they can attract office tenants who want to upgrade their suites to a shiny new business park as a lot of the buildings in the area are older.

"The Eldersburg market is tight. There's not a lot of space," Wit says.

St. John also hopes to sign up food and services, including a dry cleaner, day spa, convenience store and restaurants. Wit says he is talking to one local Carroll County resident who is interested in opening a wine bar. An Italian eatery, sandwich shop, and Chinese restaurant would also be ideal tenants.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Sources: Al Cunniff, Jerry Wit, St. John Properties

Get out the chopsticks. Manchurian Rice Co. will open in the former Harbor News spot this August at 1010 Aliceanna St.

The 75-seat restaurant will serve Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese cuisine, including made-to-order stir-fry, fried rice, pad Thai, soup, Kung Pao chicken, and traditional desserts. That is according to an investor in the Harbor East restaurant who wanted to remain anonymous.

Fast-casual Asian concepts are hot nowadays, with the expansion of P.F. Chang's China Bistro's Pei Wei Diner and Chipotle's announcement this year that it is launching an Asian concept called ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen, the first of which will open in Washington, D.C., this summer.

The investor says he and his partners will spend at least $500,000 to open the new restaurant. That's the amount of investment Baltimore City requires of restaurant owners gunning for a new Class B liquor license.

Some of that money will go toward outfitting the second mezzanine that will house the seating in the 1,600-square-foot restaurant.
Most dishes will cost between $6 and $8.

Harbor East is home to numerous restaurants and shops, including Charleston, Cinghiale, Arhaus Furniture, and White House|Black Market, which opened this month.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Manchurian Rice Co. investor

The Better Business Bureau of Greater Maryland is giving an A+ rating to the Federal Reserve Bank Building in Otterbein.

The agency moved into its new office last month at 502 S. Sharp St. after eights years at 1414 Key Hwy. in Federal Hill. The 4,300-square-foot space is slightly larger than its old one.

The bureau's lease was up and picked the bank building because it offers free parking, a cafeteria, and meeting space for its educational programs, BBB spokeswoman Jody Thomas says.

"We're getting all that we could for our monthly investment," she says. The building's rent costs about $18 per square foot.

BBB's 15-person staff like the location because it offers easy access to Interstate 95 and is easy to find as it is across the street from Camden Yards.

Terri Harrington, of MacKenzie Commercial Real Estate Services LLC, brokered the deal.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Jody Thomas, BBB of Greater Maryland

The food options keep growing for residents of the Hamilton/Lauraville neighborhood.

Clementine Owner Winston Blick is opening grocery store and caf� Green Onion at 5500 Harford Rd. in July. Rich Marsiglia, owner of Hamilton Vacuum & Janitorial Supply, and Baltimore Tattoo Museum's Bill Stevenson are Blick's partners on the new business. Located one block from Clementine, the store is a cross between Atwater's and Milk and Honey Market, Blick says.

Blick says a grocery store will hopefully bring more families to the area and make it a better place to live. He also wants to introduce shoppers to local farms that will supply the produce, meats, and cheeses. Sauces, charcuterie, dressings, and soups from Clementine will be sold at the store.

Green Onion is the latest food venture for the area. Hamilton Bakery opened at the end of April. The area is also home to top-rated restaurants Chameleon Caf�, Hamilton Tavern, and, of course, Clementine.

The store will sell 30 types of cheeses, along with olives, soups and sandwiches, and bulk laundry detergent supplied by local business Healing Fields Whole Body Care LLC. The grocer will focus more on fruits and vegetables rather than dry goods.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Winston Blick, Green Onion and Clementine

A Howard County developer will break ground next month on a green retail and apartment building along the Route 40 corridor in Ellicott City.

Built by Waverly Real Estate Group LLC, Forest Green will take between 12 and 18 months to complete, says Waverly's Donald Reuwer.

The site consists of three buildings totaling 85,000 square feet, with nearly two-thirds retail and one-third residential, with 38 apartments. A small portion, 1,500 square feet, will house offices, according to the Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning.

"It's one of the first of its kind on Route 40," says Jill Manion-Farrar, of Howard County planning. "It's a fairly new concept to bring retail and residential on the same site," in that area.

Forest Green will hopefully achieve a LEED Silver certification.

Reuwer wouldn't say how much it will cost to develop the project or what tenants it may get.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Sources: Jill Manion-Farrar, Howard County; Donald Reuwer, Waverly Real Estate Group

The University of Baltimore broke ground this month on an 11-story student apartment building to open by the fall 2012 semester.

The $24 million apartment at Maryland and West Biddle Street has been dubbed the Varsity, the same name that developer Potomac Holdings of Bethesda is using for a student-housing complex at College Park.

Potomac will own and operate the 124,000-square-foot housing unit. Apartments will be available to students at the Maryland Institute College of Art and other area schools.

The 323-bed building will house a green roof jointly designed by Baltimore's Floura Teeter Landscape Architects, Inc. and Colbert Matz Rosenfelt, Inc., a civil engineering, land planning, and surveying firm. Potomac was to include 5,000 square feet of retail space, but has backed away from that, says Principal Donnie Gross. The developer thought the space would be better used for amenities such as a gym and study area.

"The amenities are more important than having a Quiznos," Gross says.

Apartments like the Varsity will get people to live closer to campus at a school historically known as a commuter college, UB spokesman Chris Hart says.

"People are moving back into Midtown. It's becoming easier to live within steps of the school."


Writer: Julekha Dash
Sources: Chris Hart, University of Baltimore; Floura Teeter; Donnie Gross, Potomac Holdings

Before a girl paints the town red, she needs to pick the right shade of red, according to makeup artist Tiffany Jeffers.

Jeffers is opening a Federal Hill store in August where clients can get custom-blended eye shadow, foundation, lipstick, and skin care.

Sylk Cosmetics at 1049 S. Charles St. replaces kids clothing store Ladybugs and Fireflies, which closed in April.

Currently, Jeffers is offering makeup applications and hosting photo shoots in the space but will open the retail store in the summer.

Jeffers, who is doing the makeup for Baltimore Fashion Week, will spend about $100,000 on the store, which includes buying the inventory for the custom-blended makeup and skin care products.

Clients will pay $30 for an initial makeup consultation, and anywhere from $10 to $18 on lipstick and eye shadow and about $30 for foundation. Jeffers can add SPF protection or wrinkle-fighting serum to the blend.

The business owner says she chose Federal Hill because it is a "fun, hip, and eclectic area."


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Tiffany Jeffers, Sylk Cosmetics

A 29-year-old barbecue restaurant in Ellicott City is staking its claim in Federal Hill.

The Canopy, whose specialty is made-to-order pit beef, will open at 1134 S. Charles St. in July. Owner Kevin Cooney is hoping the restaurant's takeout pit beef and chicken barbecue sandwiches will appeal to folks craving comfort food after some late-night partying.

"Our restaurant goes perfect with the party atmosphere," Cooney says.

He also hopes to attract people coming into the city for a baseball game or one of the neighborhood's many festivals.

After a few months, he'll expand the business to include 1132 St. Charles St., which will give it the space to hold a few tables and another 600 square feet to a total of 1,600. 

Cooney says he and business partner Fern Kreis expect to spend about $200,000 in the restaurant. Kreis' stepson, Adam Kreis, will operate Federal Hill's Canopy.

Sandwiches cost between $6 and $9, while a slab of ribs costs $18. Customers can decide how they want their pit beef -- rare, medium, or well done. The restaurant doesn't sell alcohol.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Kevin Cooney, the Canopy

Infrastructure work has begun on Turf Valley Town Square, a retail and restaurant complex in Ellicott City anchored by a Harris Teeter grocery store to open next spring.

Developed by Greenberg Gibbons Commercial Corp., the open-air shopping center will contain features similar to the developer's Hunt Valley Towne Centre, with a "Main Street," landscaped gardens, piped-in music, and an outdoor fireplace.

Located near Route 70 and Marriottsville Road, the 150,000-square-foot shopping center is near Turf Valley resort and Turf Valley Overlook homes.

"We are absolutely looking forward to it being an important part of the Turf Valley community," says Gina Ellrich, a spokeswoman for Turf Valley owners Mangione Enterprises LLC. "It's an extension of what's there."

The grading and sewer installation has been completed and construction will begin in the fall, Ellrich says.

Turf Valley Town Square will contain a number of smaller specialty shops. Neither Ellrich nor Tom Fitzpatrick of Greenberg Gibbons would name other shops slated for the development.

Anchored by a Wegmans, Hunt Valley Towne Centre's shops include California Pizza Kitchen, Best Buy, Carraba's Italian Grill, White House/Black Market, and Ann Taylor Loft.

The Turf Valley site will also include a separate office complex, 160,000 square feet of office space and 150 townhomes and 192 condominiums built by the Keelty Co. of Stevenson.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Gina Ellrich, Ellrich Communications

The 114-year-old building that houses the Johns Hopkins University Press has a modern new look after a $4.1 million, two-year renovation.

The changes include new art and book displays, modern glass doors, a public space to hold author events, and infrastructure upgrades. Jack Holmes, director of development for JHU Press, says the building renovation gives the historic building a modern touch.

"It's a mix of old and new. It's just cool to see that."

Many of the office doors were replaced with frameless, frosted glass.

The 27,000-square-foot building, which dates to 1897, is a former church that went through a complete overhaul when the press moved in 1993.

The renovations also include an upgrade to its IT system and HVAC.

"There was a practical need to refresh the office after 15 years," Holmes says.   

Press officials also wanted to use the renovation as an opportunity to better display its work with modern shelves holding books it has published.

Billed as the nation's oldest university press, JHU Press publishes 60 scholarly journals and nearly 200 new books every year. Baltimore's Read & Co. Architects, which has spearheaded more than two-dozen Johns Hopkins projects, designed the renovation. Baltimore's Plano-Coudon LLC served as the general contractor.


Writer:Julekha Dash
Sources: Jack Holmes, JHU Press; Read & Co. Architects

Construction is underway at Morgan State University's $59 million architecture school, slated to open August 2012.

The Center for the Built Environment and Infrastructure Studies will bring Morgan's architecture, city and regional planning, construction management, and landscape architecture schools under one roof.

The center, expected to receive a silver or gold LEED certification, will also house research on green building technology, says MaryAnne Akers, dean of the school of architecture and planning. Researchers at the center will hopefully create and invent technology that help buildings use less energy. Kiosks will inform visitors to the center how much energy the building is saving.

"It will bring us more visibility for the architecture program," Akers says of the center.

The building, which broke ground last year, will be home to the school's civil engineering and transportation programs as well. The 126,000-square-foot school will contain four classrooms, 100 offices, conference rooms, an atrium with skylights, a green roof and 300 parking spaces.

The historically black college offers one of two architecture programs in the state. The other is offered at the University of Maryland College Park.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: MaryAnne Akers, Morgan State

Yerman Witman Gaines and Conklin Realty LLC is opening its eighth office in Severn, and plans to expand its presence in Bel Air, as company leaders hope to cash in on the residential growth expected from the Base Realignment and Closure.

Located at the Severn Square Shopping Center, the office will open May 18 with 12 agents staffing the firm, says William Yerman, CEO of parent company the Strata Group. The 3,000-square-foot office will employ 50 realtors within a year.

The office is across from Fort George G. Meade, where the federal government is transferring nearly 6,000 jobs from Fort Monmouth, N.J. by 2015.

"It's an underserved area in an important time," Yerman says of the Severn market.

Growth from BRAC is also the reason why the company wants to expand its 1,500-square-foot Bel Air office. By the end of summer, the company will open a satellite location in Fells Point or Canton to replace the Canton office whose lease expired earlier this month.

The real estate firm recently opened an office at McHenry Row, a residential, shopping and office complex in Baltimore City's Locust Point neighborhood.

Headquartered in Baltimore, the Strata group has offices in Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Anne Arundel Counties. Its businesses include a mortgage firm, a title company and a financial services firm. It was founded in 2007.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: William Yerman, the Strata Group