Commercial Real Estate : Development News

Two new businesses opened their doors Monday on Water Street in Downtown Baltimore. The aptly named Water Street Tavern and the Crepe Seller, located at 102 and 104 Water Street are the latest ventures from a local family that has owned several eateries in the Baltimore-Washington area.

"We've been in the restaurant business, combined with our family for over 50 years. It's a Mom and Pop and Son," says Vince Arosemena, owner.

While some may wonder why the Arosemenas opted to start a not one but two businesses given the current state of the economy, according to Arosemena "this is a great time to open something new."

"There's less competition, obviously and its more advantageous to get a good lease. The tavern business is what my family has always done and the with the Crepe Seller, we were looking for a new concept," he continues.

His parents found what they were looking for during a trip to a convention in Florida. While attending the event, the couple saw a food vendor with a huge line. "[My fahter] told my stepmother to 'go get me whatever they have, it must be good.' So, they fell in love with it and over the 3 days they were there, that's all they ate, three meals a day," says Arosemena.

The Crepe Seller, located on the bottom level at 104 Water Street is take-out only and offers a wide variety of savory and sweet crepes, including So Cal Chicken Crepe, with marinated chicken breast, roasted peppers, Gruyere cheese, pesto sauce, lettuce and tomato; a veggie crepe with artichoke hearts and hearts of palm, sauteed portobello mushrooms, roasted red peppers, alfalfa sprouts, baby leaf spinach, tomatos and smoked Gouda. There's a Chicken Cordon Bleu crepe as well as more standard wraps such as a Fajita Steak and Raspberry Chicken.

Dessert crepes take a more traditional tack filled with a variety of ingredients, including fresh fruit, Nutella, cinnamon, sugar. The Crepe Seller is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., however the kitchen remains open, serving diners at the Water Street Tavern.

The Tavern features a beautiful wooden bar and dining tables and offers a menu that includes crepes, panini and New York deli-style sandwiches.

Arosemana says the Tavern will have a third floor dining room that will open in a few weeks. That area will be available for private parties.

The family chose Water Street for their new businesses because they remember when the tiny little area was a central draw for people who came to Downtown.

"I'm from Bowie and I remember back into even the mid-90s this little area on Water Street was one of the premier places in the city to come. Itwas extremely well-known. My older sister would bring me to Water Street. And though it was little it was the place to be. Over the years, with Power Plant Live and other things that opened up in the city, things slowed down. We're sincerely trying to bring it back," he says.

Arosemana hopes to resurrect the Water Street block party next summer with neighbor Vellegio's Italian Restaurant.

"We're going to bring back that block party atmosphere," he says.

Source: Vince Arosemana, owner
Writer: Walaika Haskins

The AAA auto club has awarded 10 hotels and two restaurants in Maryland with its AAA Four Diamond rating for the year 2010. For the first time, the Hilton Baltimore Convention Center Hotel is the latest area hotel to be included among the club's top rated hotels.

Announced last Thursday at the Maryland Tourism and Travel Summit in Ocean City, the designation is given to restaurants and lodgings that must undergo a thorough inspection by one of AAA's 65 full-time, trained professional evaluators. These evaluators assess the cleanliness, ambiance, amenities, and service of some 60,000 hotels and restaurants throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

"AAA Four Diamond winners know the language of customer satisfaction as they consistently deliver premier experiences, complete with superior personal service, first-class amenities and impressive surroundings," says Ragina C. Averella, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic.

"Only establishments that meet the extensive quality criteria required to become AAA Approved receive a AAA Diamond rating. The two components work in sync � AAA Approved offers the stamp of quality and AAA Diamond ratings show where establishments fit in the spectrum from basic to luxury," Averella adds.

Also earning a spot on the 2010 list were the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel, which received the top rating for the eighth consecutive year, the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center on the Potomac, National Harbor and  Hilton Suites Ocean City Oceanfront, both making the list for the second straight time; the Hyatt Regency Baltimore, for the 29th year in a row; Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina, Cambridge, which made the grade for the seventh year; the InterContinental Harbor Court Baltimore for the 23rd time; Loews Annapolis Hotel for the fourth straight year; Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel, earning its 22^nd consecutive mention and Cumberland's Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort for the ninth year.

Baltimore's Charleston topped the list of Four Diamond restaurants making its seventh consecutive appearance on the list. Other area restaurants included Sherwood's Landing in St. Michaels.

"The AAA Diamond Awards represent the quality of Maryland's hospitality industry, and I could not be more proud of today's recipients," says Gov. Martin O'Malley. "In these historically challenging economic times, it's important that we maintain the highest standards of customer satisfaction, particularly in our tourism and hospitality sectors. While there is still much work to be done before our economic recovery transforms into prosperity, top quality hotels and restaurants are an essential ingredient to any economic turnaround."

"We are delighted that the AAA Four Diamond awards were presented to the 2010 winners at the Maryland Tourism and Travel Summit," says Mary Jo McCulloch, President of the Maryland Tourism Council. "The winners set the standard for the rest of the industry to follow. It is fitting that they were recognized in front of their peers in the hospitality and tourism industry at Maryland tourism's premier event. It is truly an honor for everyone involved."

Establishments and their ratings will be listed in the 2010 AAA TourBook® guides, in print, and on AAA's website, www.AAA.com. And in response to growing interest in green hotels, starting in 2010, AAA will highlight AAA Approved lodgings that have been eco-certified through a well-established government or private program.

"This recognition is especially important as many businesses, including hotels and restaurants strive to maintain their status of excellence, particularly during these challenging financial times. In many cases, most of us are often doing just as much or even more with fewer resources," Averella continues.

The current AAA Diamond Ratings® system was introduced in 1977 for hotels and 1989 for restaurants. It continues to be recognized as the most trusted rating process for North American restaurants and lodgings.

Source: AAA, automotive club
Writer: Walaika Haskins

 

When a friend offered Andrea Rani, the opportunity to open a restaurant in Fells Point the experienced restauranteur decided to open what she calls, "a pan-Asian tapas."

"I fell in love with Fells Point right away. The historic setting, cobblestones, brick walkways and the water. Then as I got to know the people in the neighborhood, they're really, really strong, and everyone knows each other. They're so helpful and friendly. It is nice. It's like being back home,' Rani continues.

"This is my fourth and hopefully my last [restaurant]. I have Thai food, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean...I have some sushi," she says. "I make a killer pot pie."

In addition to its small plates, Sam's Kid also offers larger plates including curry, an Asian-style chicken crepe, and all of the dishes include a vegetarian option.

Though the restaurant, currently in the soft opening phase is operating with a limited menu, Andrea says she hopes to eventually expand the menu and even offer diners an Asian breakfast on Saturday and Sunday.

Located at 811 S. Broadway, Sam's Kid takes it's name from Andrea's father Sam. "He passed away in '92. I learned cooking from him. I learned how to love from cooking from him. Although later on I went to cooking school and all that my first love of cooking I learned from him," says the Indonesian native.

Currently, the restaurant has just 12 tables, but as they get closer to the official grand opening in mid-November, Andrea says she will take full advantage of the building two floors with a minimum of 35 tables with seating on both floors.

"I'd like to do a lot of delivery to the offices in the area and catering. We are really good at that. We do take-out right now and have a delivery menu for lunch and dinner," she adds.

Source: Andrea Rani
Writer: Walaika Haskins

With one shoe boutique under her belt in Fells Point, Kelley Krohn Heuisler is ready to take her shoes down the road to Annapolis. The new location opens in mid-November in the Annapolis Towncenter at Parole.

"I think I have a successful business model that will work for women in Annapolis," Heuisler says.

Centered around the philosophy of providing quality, stylish shoes at multiple price points, the Fells Point store is a popular destination for shoe lovers whether they can spend $50 or $300. Heuisler says she selects her merchandise based on quality rather than brand names and would rather deal with smaller shoe manufacturers whose focus is on quality rather than quantity. The boutique also sells accessories at multiple price points including earrings, headbands and handbags.

Like the Baltimore store, the new location will include a variety of styles selected to appeal to Annapolis women. While shoppers may not be treated to some of the more fanciful styles available in Baltimore, they will still find classic and stylish shoes and accessorie at multiple price points.

Source: Kelley Krohn Heuisler, owner
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Located at 1400 Light Street, the Rowhouse Grille hopes it can attract Federal HIll residents and visitors to leave the beaten path around Cross Street Market and head further south for a unique dining experience.

"We like the location its far enough away from Cross Street but close enough that it's not like a destination. So we're just going for it," says  co-owner Patrick Dahlgreen

So far their hopes have been fulfilled. Although the restuarant has not begun serving food, business according to has been brisk since they opened last Thursday with naught but a liquor license and newly purchased booze.

"We had a very good turnout all weekend. So, we're very happy," he says.

The restaurant takes its name from its a location -- a Baltimore rowhouse -- and stretches the length of the building. The first floor includes a bar, HDTV and seating for 55 people with dining for around 32 people. The second floor will eventually feature a lounge bar with female servers dressed in black.

"Downstairs is more bar casual with hardwood everywhere a little upscale. Upstairs we have 24-foot ceilings and gas fireplace with a granite bar. It looks like a house but its an upscale bar. People can dress up for the lounge or go casual downstairs. We want to offer both choices," Dahlgren says.

The restaurants menus are seasonal and rotating featuring what Chef Damon Krauskauscus calls "fun bar food." "We'll have a small bar menu with wings with different sauces or you can get a burger and that will be on the four to seven item bar food menu. Our full menu is an eclectic version of a seasonal menu," Dahlgren says.

Once the restaurant completes its soft lauch phase, he says, there will be seating for about 100 diners.

Source: Patrick Dahlgren, co-owner
Writer: Walaika Haskins

If you live in Fells Point or the surrounding area and have wished that there was a bike shop nearby, you'l be happy to hear that Joe's Bike Shop, located in Mt. Washington,  has expanded opening a new location at 723-B South Broadway.

Ask Joe Traill why a bike shop and it seems it was always his destiny.

"I fell in love with bikes at a young age. I enjoyed riding them. Then I started working in a bike shop to feed the habit and then years after that moved onto owning a shop," he says.

Though the Mt. Vernon shop has been open since 1972, Traill says he has only owned it for the past 10 years. He chose Fells Point for his new location because its "a neat neighborhood and an exciting example of how people imagine city life. You could live down here without ever having to leave. You've got great restaurants. You've got great entertainment. You've got great living. You've got everything you would need and we felt that we wanted to be a part of that," Traill explains.

Joe's Bike Shop offers a range of bikes for novice to expert riders at reasonable prices. While the shop doesn't currently offer rentals, Traill says that's in the works for next spring.

Source: Joe Traill, Joe's Bike Shop
Writer: Walaika Haskins

There's a new place to stay in Hunt Valley. The Residence Inn at Hunt Valley is the sixth building at Schilling Road Corporate Campus. The building at 55 Schilling Road incorporates many green elements to further promote a healthy work environment and sustainable business practices.

"Companies at the Schilling Road Corporate Campus benefit from a vibrant business community, light rail service at their front door, and amenities including a new extended stay Residence Inn across the street and Hunt Valley Towne Centre," says Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith.

The 500,000 square foot corporate campus in Hunt Valley was developed by MacKenzie Companies. Major tenants include Black and Decker, Horich, Parks & Lebow Advertising, Bill Me Later, Inc., The Travelers Indemnity Company, Amtote International, FX Studios, The Forbush School, and L.H. Cranston.

Source: Jim Smith, Baltimore County
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Sitting on the border of Harbor East and Little Italy at 1002 Eastern Avenue, Milan is a new upscale restaurant scheduled to open in mid-November just before Thanksgiving.

According to Peter Mooridan, general manager, Milan "will be different than your typical Little Italy restaurant. Little Italy is very tradtional and a lot of these places have been around for many years. It will be more modern and cutting edge."

The restaurant will include dining on three different levels, with an outdoor heated patio on the lower level; a sushi bar and lounge on the main floor and private dining on the third level. The decor will have a loungy comfortable feel.

"I envision big martinis and really nice cocktails with a lot of fresh ingredients like fresh mint, cucumbers, mangoes and mojitoes, lychees and just really tasty drinks,"

Mooridan calls the cuisine Italian/Mediterranean but says it will be a lighter and more modern take than that found in traditional Italian restaurants and will continue the fresh ingredient theme. "We're offering a lot of fresh ingredients. A lot of people use dense sauces to create flavor and we have a cleaner way to eat and enjoy the natural flavor of the food."


Source: Peter Mooridan, Milan
Writer: Walaika Haskins

St. John Properties, Inc. has completed a comprehensive $3 million renovation and revitalization program of Lakeshore Plaza, a 161,000 square foot retail center located near the intersection of MD Route 100 and Magothy Beach Road in Pasadena, MD.

The center, which was constructed in the mid 1980s, is anchored by Safeway, Ace Hardware and Blockbuster Video and features a variety of national and locally-operated in-line and pad site merchants. A grand re-opening celebration will be held at the center on Saturday, October 24 from 11 am to 3 pm.

The long delayed Fells Point Recreation Pier could be back on track soon. The city's Board of Estimates on Wednesday approved a deal that will pay for the costs to move Moran Towing, which currently held a 20-year lease on the pier, to a new location in Canton.

Under the agreement, both the ciy and developers J. Joseph Clarke and H&S Properties, will be $300,000, respectively for the tugboat to move to its new location at 1820 S. Clinton Street.

The move should clear the way to renovate the rotting pier in preparation for the planned $50 million, 132-room Aloft hotel. The refurbishment and building has been held up since 2004 by a series of issues, not the least of which was moving Moran.


Source: J. Joseph Clarke
Writer: Walaika Haskins.

All Nations Restaurant is set to open at the end of October at 7 E. Lexington Street. The new downtown eatery will be open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, serving a melange of international dishes from around the globe, including pizza, overstuffed subs, sandwiches, pasta, and salad for eat in, carry-out or delivery.

"We will have foods from all over. We'll have chefs who have experience with Mexican foods, African foods, and American foods , says Felix Chikwere, owner All Nations.

A Baltimore resident for 16 years, Chikwere has owned several Subway franchises as well as an international food market.

"Since I have experience with international foods, I decided to open a restaurant that offers people a variety of foods. I'll have a little bit of something from different countries. I will mix it up so diners can have from another part of the world and not just what they're used to -- a hamburger and the french fries," he says.

The 70 table restaurant will hold approximately 280 guests and Chikwere also plans to include patio/sidewalk seating outdoors.

"Here in downtown, after four o' clock everything dies down. I want to have a place whereby the judges, lawyers and anyone else can have some fresh air before they go home," Chikwere explains.

The restaurant will be hiring front of the house and back of the house staff to cover three shifts.

Source: Felix Chikwere, All Nation's Restaurant
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Developers in Baltimore came together last Thursday to celebrate their own. The Baltimore District Council of The Urban Land Institute  hosted the first annual WaveMaker Awards event at the Legg Mason Tower in Inner Harbor East. The awards were given to developers whose local projects are unique, innovative, and visionary; the seven WaveMaker recipients were honored alongside the national ULI's Heritage Award Winner, Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

Earlier this year, ULI Headquarters honored Baltimore's Inner Harbor with its prestigious Heritage Award. The award is bestowed periodically on developments that have demonstrated industry excellence and made substantial contributions to their community's well-being for at least 25 years. Only eight developments have been selected to recieve the prestigious award in the past 35 years.

"Through the redevelopment of 192 acres of dilapidated and abandoned waterfront property, the Baltimore Inner Harbor catalyzed reinvestment in Baltimore -- supporting more than 50,000 new jobs, generating $60 million in new tax revenue, and generating a $4 billion tourism industry that was previously non-existent. The harbor now stands as the model for post-industrial waterfront redevelopment around the world," states the national selection

The ULI Baltimore also recognized the seven recent local projects that demonstrate industry excellence with the WaveMaker Award.

These projects are respectful of their surrounding neighborhood, economy, history, geography, and local government, and provide strong economic returns to stakeholders. The WaveMakers  were able to stretch the boundaries of what was considered possible and accelerate sustainable, prosperous development in Baltimore.

"ULI Baltimore is excited to build on the Heritage Award presented to Baltimore's Inner Harbor. The WaveMaker Award is an excellent opportunity to acknowledge the developers and projects that are shaping Baltimore's skyline," notes ULI Baltimore Chair, Caroline G. Moore.

The 2009 WaveMakers are:

Miller's Court, 2601 N. Howard St., Seawall Development Company

Silo Point, 1200 Steuart St., Turner Development Group

Legg Mason Tower, 100 International Dr., H&S Properties Development Corp.

Fairfield Inn by Marriott, 101 S. President St., Summit Associates LLC/A&R Development Corp.

Towns at Orchard Ridge, 4020 Maple Ridge Dr., Pennrose Properties/Doracon Development LLC

Baltimore Medical System's Highlandtown Healthy Living Center, 3700 Fleet Street, Highlandtown Development, LLC

American Brewery, 1701 N. Gay Street, Humanim

Federal Hill's Scarborough Fair Bed and Breakfast was named one of the country's top urban BnBs for 2009-2010 by Bedandbreakfast.com last week.

The award is based on both quantitative and qualitative analysis of the independently posted reviews on BedandBreakfast.com, according to the site.

"They read all the individual reviews that guests have left, star-ratings for different aspects of the inn rating system and using that somehow select the best inns in the country," explains Barry Werner, the inn's co-owner.

Owning a BnB in Baltimore is "pretty different," according to Werner.

"It's not what people traditionally think of when they think of a bed and breakfast experience. We have all of the normal comfort and luxuriousness, but there's, in my opinion, a heck of a lot more to do here than there is at BnBs in more traditional settings," he continues.

"You have all of the different things in the city to do. All of the festivals, tourist attractions and museums. You can do the normal thing, spending all day exploring the city and then come back to a very comfortable setting that's more like staying at your best friends house, except that its yours and its private," says Werner.

Werner was bitten by the BnB bug as a child, playing BnB with his grandmother "all the time."

"I'd design the rooms and pretend what they looked like. And grandma and I would make pretend menus and have pancakes. She's really the reason," Werner says.

Now, 76, his grandmother is an occasional honored guest at Scarborough Fair.

Werner says he hopes that the award will help travelers see that staying at a BnB is preferrable to to choosing a hotel.

"Hopefully it will help people see that a bed and breakfast is about more than where it's located but also about what it offers. You can find wonderful accomadations in BnB in almost any larger city nowadays and have a wonderful, personalized experience. Hotels tend to be too sterile where the shouldn't be and not sterile enough where they should be. This will hopefully help get the message across that there are many more options," he concludes.

Though the streets of Mt. Vernon offer a veritable cornucopia of dining options, the one thing the area has long lacked is a place students from nearby University of Baltimore and Maryland Institute College of Art could go grab a bite or check out the Orioles or Ravens and enjoy an ice cold brew.

Enter, Turp's Sports Bar and Restaurant, which replaced Neo Viccino at 1317 N. Charles Street. As Mount Vernon's newest and only sports bar, Turps offers a large menu of pub-style munchies and entrees, including burgers, subs, sandwiches, pasta, and pizza in a casual atmosphere.

"Right now, Turp's is just as a much a restaurant as it is a sports bar. It has delicious sports bar-type food, which we've labeled sports grub, but more importantly its abou the area. We have the University of Baltimore, which was a huge consideration for putting Turp's where it's at. There really wasn't a venue for students to go to hang out, see the game, hang out with friends in that type of sports oriented atmosphere," says Lee Morton, director of marketing and design at Jay's Restaurant Group

With Pennsylvania Station, just up Charles Street, unloading its trains packed with commuters and travelers as well as neighborhood residents eager for a bridge between the local carryout and more refined dining options, there was a gap for a sports bar in Mt. Vernon.

"We aren't some corner bar, but at the same time its casual. You don't have to worry about anything when you walk in," says Morton

One big draw for students and residents alike are Turp's 30 cent wing night.

Several months after it shut down following a bar fight that ended tragically, Kolper's is back up and running again thanks to new owners Lucky Singh and his wife.

Located at 1520 Clipper Mill Road, the Singh, owner of Hopkins Deli at University Parkway and 39th Street, says it was the neighborhood and the building itself that sold them.

"We liked the location and the building is beautiful with a lot of potential," Singh says.

Also working to its advantage, from Singhs perspective, was the fact that there wasn't another bar similar to Kolper's in Hampden.

"There aren't any sports bars with good food nearby. You have to go downtown or to Towson," he explains.

Sold on the location, the experienced restauranteur has created a restaurant and bar that offers upscale food including steaks and seafood, in a casual atmosphere.

"You don't need a suit and tie. People can come in with their families and have a good meal made from fresh ingredients. Nothing is frozen," he says.

Monday through Friday, Kolper's hosts several events such as the Monday night wing contest, kar"aoke on Tuesday, trivia on Wednesdays and Thursday, of course, is ladies' night. When the weekend comes, Kolper's undergoes a transformation after 10 p.m. into Club Kolper's with a DJ spinning out beats live.

"We push the tables back and make a dance floor. We have a bit of something for everyone," say Singh, adding that "people should give us a fair chance to prove ourselves."