Development : Development News

A six-year-old technology consulting firm is moving from Howard County to the incubator at the University of Maryland Baltimore County as it wins more clients and hires more employees.

Audacious Inquiry LLC has outgrown its 1,450-square-foot space at Columbia's Center for Business and Technology Development, Managing Partner Christopher Brandt says.

The company, which employs 16, will move into the 2,650-square-foot office at bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park Aug. 14.
Brandt says he chose the research park at UMBC because it is convenient for employees and clients that live in either Baltimore or Washington, D.C. The Catonsville campus at 5523 Research Park Drive is located on the Interstate 95 corridor.

"Other than the logistics [of moving], we're excited about the new space," Brandt says.

Audacious Inquiry has carved a niche in the health care and Web application development arenas.

Its clients include the Maryland Hospital Association, Inova Health System and MedStar Health. It's also a subcontractor for the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. It recently picked up its first prime contract with the federal government, with the USGS Energy Resources Program.

Federal incentives for health care providers that move their paper patient records online is one reason Audacious Inquiry is growing.

The company has added half a dozen employees in the last 18 months and plans to hire several more in the next six to 12 months, Brandt says. These include subject matter experts in health information technology, software developers and technical project managers.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Christopher Brandt, Audacious Inquiry

Sinai Hospital has opened a $2.3 million pediatric cancer outpatient center to boost its reputation for delivering child health care services.
The center treats leukemia, anemia, sickle cell disease and other disorders.

It also provides pediatric residency training. The project is part of a $30 million inpatient facility that will take 16 to 20 months to complete.

The clinic moved from its ground floor location to a newly created space near the main hospital entrance, providing easier access and proximity to other hospital services as well as the Alvin & Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute.

The new space is above-ground with a lot of windows and lights. At 4,800 square feet, it contains five exam rooms, five private infusion rooms and large playrooms for kids.

The former pediatric center was located underground and was less than half the size.

There's a family refreshment area where patients can bring their lunches.

"It's a better atmosphere in every way, " says Dr. Joseph Wiley, chairman of the pediatrics department at the Herman & Walter Samuelson Children's Hospital at Sinai.

The new center contains larger exam rooms and is equipped with electronic health records.

A private family conference room is located next to the clinic and social worker offices which provide a space for learning resources as well as private family meetings.

Wiley says he likes the neighborhood because it's at the junction of Baltimore City and Baltimore County and can attract patients from both.

Sinai employs 4700. The Baltimore hospital is part of LifeBridge Health, which includes Northwest Hospital, Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital and Courtland Gardens Nursing & Rehabilitation Center.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Dr. Joseph Wiley, Sinai Hospital

A Washington, D.C., restaurant owner has taken her Southern-style cuisine to Baltimore's Charles Street. CR Lounge opened its doors July 31 at 518 N. Charles Street, formerly IXIA. The restaurant, which serves shrimp and grits and other Southern-style cuisine, celebrates its grand opening August 7.

Owner Tegist "Teggy" Ayalew, who also operates Cr�me Caf� and Lounge on U Street in D.C, spent about $50,000 to furnish the 3,700-square-foot restaurant. The kitchen equipment was already in place and the landlord held onto the former restaurant's liquor license,  making the initial investment relatively small.

"This was a very good opportunity. I know it's a bad economy but I'm excited about what I can offer," she says.

Ayalew describes the look and feel of the restaurant as "upscale casual," with the average dish costing around $14.

Initially, CR Lounge will seat 75 downstairs. But the business owner will eventually open the second floor and seat a total of 190 guests. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday and serves Saturday and Sunday brunch. 


She will continue to operate the restaurant in Washington, D.C., and is even looking for another site for a second location in the nation's capital. However, her long-term plan is to make Baltimore her home.

"The people are very pleasant and welcoming. The neighborhood is very supportive," she says of Mount Vernon.

She also likes the historic buildings on Mount Vernon's Charles Street and says she "fell in love with it" on her first day in town.
"That area is culturally rich and we love the arts and music. We were very interested in being part of that."

The restaurant will display art from Ethiopia, where Ayalew was born. CR Lounge will employ 20 people.

Read more about what's happening in Mt. Vernon.

Source: Tegist Ayalew, CR Lounge
Writer: Julekha Dash

Philadelphia's best loved food export is making its way to Annapolis. Philly Flash will sell Philadelphia-style cheesesteaks at the Annapolis Towne Centre beginning in mid-to-late August. Donna and Joseph DeCesaris are investing $500,000 to open their second store.

The 65-seat restaurant will add 11 jobs to the local economy. The menu will also serve subs, wings and pizza.Cheesesteaks start at $6.00 and pizza costs about $9.

The first Philly Flash opened in October 2008 at 1901 West Street, in downtown Annapolis. Last year, What's Up Annapolis magazine declared Philly Flash the best cheesesteak venue in town.

Joseph DeCesaris' parents are originally from Philadelphia and her husband developed the special Philly Flash spice blend, a mix of salt, paprika, garlic, black and red pepper that is sprinkled on cheesesteaks and fries.

The store will be outfitted with a drag racing theme because Joseph DeCesaris' family operated Cecil County Dragway in Rising Sun.

The couple chose Annapolis Towne Centre because they thought it was a good opportunity to get high visibility and foot traffic that co-tenants Target and Whole Foods Market attract, Donna DeCesaris says.

Located at 2505 Riva Road, Annapolis Towne Centre is a $500 million retail, office and residential complex that houses a Main Street-style town center. Developed by Greenberg Gibbons Commercial Corp., its other stores include Bed Bath & Beyond, Brio Tuscan Grill, Restoration Hardware and Sur La Table. The development has recently attracted new restaurants. Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar is set to open in September and Cadillac Ranch opened in June.

"It's a destination kind of place," DeCesaris says of Annapolis Towne Centre.

"It's a friendly town," Donna DeCesaris says of Annapolis, where her kids attended high school.


Source: Donna DeCesaris, Philly Flash
Writer: Julekha Dash

The University of Maryland Baltimore County has broken ground on a $170 million  performing arts and humanities building that will be the Catonsville school's largest building to date.

"We have vibrant arts and humanities [programs] here that don't have as high a visibility as science and engineering," UMBC spokesman Thomas Moore says.

"We're hoping this will provide an opportunity for people to get to know us better."

Known for its computer science and engineering programs, UMBC officials hope that the building will boost its reputation in these fields and get more locals involved with the school by showcasing performances and lectures.

The 167,000 square foot building will open in two phases. The first phase, the department of theater and English, will open in 2012.  It will also include the Dresher Center for the Humanities, which will host public lectures and events. The second phase, which houses the department of dance, music, philosophy and ancient studies, will open in 2016.

"We're confident that every student who begins here will end up taking classes in this building," Moore says. "It's a building that will touch of the lives of every student."

The bulk of the building's funding will come from the state's capital budget.

UMBC officials hope the Catonsville location will make it convenient for people from other areas to catch a performance or talk at the new building. The campus is close to Interstates 95 and 695 and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.

Boston's William Rawn Associates Inc. and Grimm + Parker Architects of Calverton designed the building. William Rawn's other projects include the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's Music Center at Strathmore and Seiji Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood.

Moore says the stainless steel and brick structure at 1000 Hilltop Circle will have a reflective quality that will display different hues at different times of the day.

"We hope it will be a very beautiful-looking building when it's done."

Source: Thomas Moore, UMBC
Writer: Julekha Dash

The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) is opening a community arts center in East Baltimore that will expand its graduate programs and hopefully boost its relationship with the community.

The school is spending $1.2 million to renovate the 24,000-square-foot building at 814 N. Collington Avenue, funding for which came from the Rouse Co. Foundation, the Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation and an anonymous trustee. MICA expects the center, the former St. Wenceslaus School, to open mid-September.

Called MICA Place, the space will host graduate courses in community arts and social design and community meetings. It will also contain art studios, a computer laboratory, exhibition space and graduate apartments.

The center will allow students to use their art in a way that engages the community, says Ray Allen vice president of academic affairs and provost.

For instance, students pursuing a Master's in Community Arts might work with youth in East Baltimore to learn photography and use the art as a medium for reflecting on the issues facing the neighborhood, Allen says.

"I had it in my head that art and design could be put at the service of increasing the quality of life in the community," Allen says. "We can engage the community is a much richer way."

MICA has had a stake in East Baltimore for a decade, as part of a collaboration called the MICA/JHU Design coalition. Johns Hopkins University researchers tap the design expertise of MICA students to create graphics to deliver public health messages.

MICA is leasing the building from nonprofit East Baltimore Development Inc., the nonprofit that oversees the massive biotechnology park and residential development near Johns Hopkins Hospital.

"It's a wonderful building in East Baltimore," Allen says. "It will be a great place where people in the community can brought in."

Having a physical presence in the community will give MICA visibility and credibility, Allen hopes.

"This will give us community trust, that we're not some elitist outside organization visiting," he says.  "At the end of the day, education is our mission. Art is our vehicle for doing it."

Read more of Bmore's education coverage.

Source: Ray Allen, Maryland Institute College of Art
Writer: Julekha Dash

Charles Street's restaurant offerings will soon include fish tacos and one-and-a-half-pound burritos. Ken Diaz will open Gordito's Caf� at 336 N. Charles Street, replacing Milton's Grill, by October. A former restaurant consultant who has worked for Edo Sushi, Mari Luna Mexican Grill and Lebanese Taverna, Diaz is spending $250,000 of his own money to start the 85-seat eatery.

Gordito's offerings will include traditional Mexican dishes, including a gordita, a corn cake stuffed with meat, and a torta, a sandwich with thinly sliced steak or chicken. Flour and corn tortillas will be homemade.

Smaller items will cost between $6 and $10 while the king-size burrito that can feed two will cost $14.  Lunch and dinner entrees will average around $15.

Authentic Mexican drinks will be on the menu as well at the 2,500-square-foot restaurant. Those include Mexican Bloody Marys, a Mexican black and tan (beer and brand) and, of course, margaritas.

Using the tagline cocina, cultura, historia for his new concept, Diaz wants to give diners a taste of Mexican culture and history and not just its flavorful spices. Gordito's will feature Mexican bingo and Mariachi bands every week and display photos of Aztec warriors and cinema stars.

Though some restaurants are struggling now in a down economy, Diaz isn't worried. With no other Mexican restaurants in the downtown area, he has little competition and hopes that if you offer good food and service at a reasonable price, the people will come.

In fact, if things go well, Diaz hopes to open five to seven additional locations in Greater Baltimore within a few years.
 
Diaz chose the Downtown area because he admired the neighborhood's eclectic mix of people and historic architecture. His own building includes an entire wall with exposed brick.

"I fell in love with the space," he says.

To read more about downtown, go here.


Source: Ken Diaz, Gordito's
Writer: Julekha Dash

What does the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing have in common with a new lounge in Fells Point called the Get Down? Both relied on Baltimore lighting designer Scott Chmielewski for illumination.

Bryan Burkert opened the Get Down at 701 S. Bond St. this month in the spot that once held Fletcher's. Burkert, who also owns Fells Point music shop the Sound Garden, gutted out the former space to open the 6,000-square-foot nightclub.

The LED lighting is a key component of the Get Down's design, Burkert says. "Everything glows and illuminates everything all of the time," he says. "I wanted a funky, cool place."

Burkert will rely on DJs from Washington, D.C., to play funk and soul music. But the biggest challenge will be to reach the right audience for the club. "Our fear is that we'd be pegged as the hottest new club which is not what we are trying to be," he says.

Wait, he doesn't want to be called the hottest new club?

His fear is that with a moniker like that, party-goers will assume that the Get Down plays all pop or all hip hop, as is the case at other nightclubs. Burkert wants to reach a more diverse, wider spectrum of the city.

Burkert sold Fletcher's two years ago, then bought it back. But he didn't feel like opening it as Fletcher's. So he remade the space into a venue where he can hold parties, feature live music or DJs.

The business owner says he likes the area for its mix of eclectic, independent restaurants and retail shops.

The club is open seven nights a week, from 7 p.m. until 2 a.m.

Source: Bryan Burkert, the Get Down
Writer: Julekha Dash

An artist-run gallery has moved into new space on the city's west side. Current Space opened its doors to the public at 421 N. Howard Street this month after nearly six years at 30 S. Calvert Street.

The new spot is conveniently located near the Light Rail, and restaurants in Mount Vernon, Current Co-director Monique Crabb says. "Downtown closed down at night. It's nice to be in an area where there's an audience around us."

It's also close to the Enoch Pratt Library and the artist warehouse the H&H building, the site of many art shows and music events.

"We're really excited about the location," Crabb says.

Current artists pay just utilities and property taxes �  about $6,000 a year � and is getting the space free of rent from the city. Downtown Partnership of Baltimore Inc. and the Baltimore Development Corporation helped the artists find the new space. The move highlights how the city is encouraging artists to move into areas with vacant buildings with the hopes that it will jumpstart development.

Eventually, the artists will have to move if a developer takes an interest in the area. "It's a win-win situation except we will be asked to leave," Crabb says.

Right now, the artists expect to stay in the space for at least a year and a half.

The gallery displays the work of photographers, printmakers and videographers whose work is not very commercial. Most of the work is not sellable, because the work includes videos and major installations.

"We don't target the audience looking to buy art work," Crabb says. "We wish we sold more stuff and make more money. It's more about including the artists' community but not so much in a commercial way."

Source: Monique Crabb, Current Space
Writer: Julekha Dash

Love Culture, a growing women's apparel company based in Los Angeles, has put Greater Baltimore on its expansion map. The chain, which offers stylish clothing at affordable prices, opened its 28th store July 14 at Towson Towson Center.

Located on the first floor of the mall near American Eagle Outfitters and Hollister, the 10,000-square foot store is the latest shop to come to the mall. Earlier this month, BmoreMedia reported that Tiffany, Michael Kors and True Religion Brand Jeans are opening shops at the mall this fall.

The retailer targets regional and enclosed shopping malls for new stores. The company chose Towson Towson Center because it has a strong retail mix whose customers will hopefully gravitate to Love Culture, says Bill Fowler, the company's executive vice president of real estate.

Love Culture's fashion concept is similar to Forever 21 and H&M. It's designs appeal to girls and women, aged 15 to 45, Fowler continues.

Each store has a slightly differently layout and look, employing dramatic design accessories, such as pink motorcycles or trees. Other design elements include etched glass and graphics on the windows and ceramic tile floors. 

Founded in 2007, Love Culture plans to open seven new stores this year and another 20 to 30 locations across the U.S.  next year, Fowler says.

Asked whether additional stores will open in Maryland, Fowler says that depends on how sales at the Towson store perform. The real estate team will examine each new prospective site on a case-by-case basis.

Love Culture also has stores in Arizona, Texas, California, Oregon, Washington, Michigan, New York and Florida.


Source: Bill Fowler, Love Culture
Writer: Julekha Dash

The owners of a family farm in Baltimore County have spent $2 million to open a store featuring oven-baked breads, produce, cheeses, meats and flowers as it transitions from the wholesale to the retail market.

Seven years in the making, Richardson Farms debuted the 17,000-square-foot food market and garden shop this month at 5828 Ebenezer Rd. in White Marsh.

The farm had operated a 500-square-foot shop that it soon outgrew, says John Richardson, one of the farm's owners.

"We were getting more products from local people and we ran out of room," he says.

Co-owner Les Richardson says the family wanted to transition from the wholesale to the retail business because the prices in the wholesale industry fluctuate a lot more, making it more difficult to predict sales.

"Retailers don't vary their prices as much," he says.

Producers can also make more money by selling items directly to the consumers, rather than to a middleman, Les Richardson says.

"Anything you can raise on the farm and sell yourself you're making a lot more money then sending it out to the wholesale market," he says.

The area is full of neighborhoods dense with housing developments, making it a good spot to attract Baltimore County residents who live in Middle River or Perry Hall, the Richardsons say. The 400-acre farm is also close to Interstate 95, making it a convenient site to attract drive-by traffic.

Designed as an Amish-style barn, the retail facility incorporates several environmentally friendly features, geothermal heating and air conditioning, efficient electric and motion sensor lighting, and a blast freezer for quickly cooling foods.

The garden center is filled with hanging flower baskets and plants which are grown onsite at the farm's five greenhouses.Rabbit meat is among the market's more unusual items.

The market employs about 20 people.


Source: John and Les Richardson, Richardson Farms
Writer: Julekha Dash

Women's fashion store Coldwater Creek will open its seventh Maryland store in mid-October at the Mall in Columbia. Known for its comfortable, outdoorsy clothes, the chain selects upscale locations that have a strong mix of retailers, says Erin Mullen, the Sandpoint, Idaho chain's catalog marketing manager.

"The center has the look and feel and the caliber of retailers we want to be among," Mullen says of the Mall in Columbia.

Other shops at the mall include Nordstrom, Macy's, H&M, Williams-Sonoma and Restoration Hardware. The 6,000-square-foot store will open on the first floor in the Nordstrom wing of the mall.

One of the wealthiest counties in the nation, Howard County's demographics appealed to the retailer as well, Mullen says. Howard County's median household income of $101,672 ranked third in the country, according to the Howard County Economic Development Authority.

"We consider ourselves an upscale retailer and we thought it was a good fit," Mullen says. "It's a great area that is diverse and central and our customers are there," she says of Columbia.

Coldwater Creek appeals to women over 35 with an average annual household incomes greater than $75,000.

The county's numerous parks and trails also make it a good location for Coldwater Creek.

"It's a brand that is rooted in nature and a comfortable way of approaching fashion," Mullen says.

Coldwater Creek operates 360 stores nationwide and has been expanding. The company plans to open approximately 20 new stores in fiscal 2010, which ends Jan. 31, 2011.

The company pulled in $1.04 billion in annual sales last year.

Source: Erin Mullen, Coldwater Creek
Writer: Julekha Dash

A 27-year-old Washington, D.C., area tile company is taking its stone, glass and ceramics designs to Baltimore's Canton neighborhood. Architectural Ceramics plans to open a 1,600-square-foot showroom at 3500 Boston St. by mid-August, according to Brooke Laura, an executive assistant at the company.

The firm has had an office in the building known as the Broom Factory for about two years. But the office was quickly growing out of space to store enough tiles to show clients, Laura says.

"Our tiles fills up our office pretty quickly," she says.

The showroom will serve mainly residential clients, though the company's Baltimore area clients also include hotels, designers, architects and other commercial business.

Architectural Ceramics' other showrooms are located in Rockville, Chevy Chase, Alexandria, Va., and Falls Church, Va.

The company settled on the location because it's convenient to Fells Point and downtown, and is visible from the road, Laura says.

"It's a prime location that we really like," Laura says. "We wanted to get it while we could. We've been doing well there for two years. We think it will be a great location."

Though the housing market continues to recover, the company hopes it can  fill a niche in the area as there aren't many tile companies in the area.

"We'll be filling a void in the Baltimore area," Laura says. "That's our hopes anyway. "

Source: Brooke Laura, Architectural Ceramics
Writer: Julekha Dash

A Florida golf store chain has taken its first swing in Maryland, opening two new retail businesses in Silver Spring and Columbia this month.

Edwin Watts Golf Shops opened the new outlets at the Mall in Columbia, at 10300 Little Patuxent Pkwy., and the White Oak Shopping Center at 11255 New Hampshire Ave.

Roughly 3,000 square feet, the two stores are the first two Edwin Watts Golf Shops to open in the mid-Atlantic region. Located within a Sears, they are two of a dozen new shops opening within the department store. The other stores will open in Texas, Utah, New York, Virginia, New Jersey and Florida.

The Fort Walton Beach, Fla., chain struck the partnership with Sears hoping to get foot traffic from a major department store chain that it wouldn't otherwise get, says Robert Anthony, Edwin Watts' vice president of marketing. The golf shop will be close to Sears items that attract the male shopper, including tools, electronics and automotive supplies.

If the partnership goes well, the company hopes to open in more Sears locations throughout the country, Anthony says. With 90 locations, Edwin Watts' biggest presence is in the Southeast. But the company's future plans could include more stores in the Northeast, including Maryland, where it gets a lot of business from catalog and online sales, Anthony says. The company is eyeing Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland for possible new sites.

The company chose the Maryland spots because the state is home to many golf enthusiasts, Anthony says. He describes the Mall of Columbia as a great "upscale" mall property that is close to several golf courses, including Fairway Hills Golf Club and Hobbit's Glen Golf Club.

Anthony declined to say how much the company is spending to open the new stores. Edwin Watts employs 700.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Robert Anthony, Edwin Watts

Outdoor enthusiasts in Howard County will get more choices for camping and climbing equipment in early November, when REI will open its fourth Maryland store at Columbia Crossing.

And more stores could be on the way as the company scouts other locations in the Northeast.

The 24,000-square-foot Columbia shop will also sell ski equipment, cycling, hiking and fitness gear. The store will employ about 50.

Recreational Equipment Inc. chose the location because the area is full of biking and hiking trails, says Angie Perez, REI's district outreach and events administrator.

The Seattle-based company also has 38,000 members in Greater Baltimore, though it has just one store in the area. REI's Maryland stores are located in Timonium, Silver Spring and College Park.

"Generating 38,000 from one store is huge," Perez says.

The Columbia store is also close to Ellicott City's Patapsco Valley State Park. That means more people in the county could be interested in the store's outdoor recreational classes on hiking, biking and other sports.

With 112 stores, REI sees its biggest opportunity for growth in the Northeast, between Washington, D.C., and New York, Perez says.

"When the right opportunity comes up we'll go for it," she says.

Other stores at Columbia Crossing include Old Navy, Borders Books & Music and Target. The site is close to Interstate 95 and MD 175, making it easily accessible, Perez says.

REI members pay a one-time $20 fee and receive a share of the company's profits, based on how much they purchase. The company generated $1.5 billion in sales last year and nearly $30 million in net income. The company counts nearly 4 million members, who receive discounts on gear rentals, classes and trips.

REI has granted more than $90,000 to 11 outdoor and conservation nonprofits in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., areas, including the Alice Ferguson Foundation, Appalachian Trail Conservancy and Mid-Atlantic Off Road Enthusiasts. The company plans to expand upon these efforts with the opening of the new store.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Angie Perez, REI