Development News

Two Baltimore artists have found inspiration in Federal Hill.Abstract artist Mark Cottman will open a namesake gallery June 3 at 1014 S. Charles Street. Cottman follows Crystal Moll who opened a gallery at 1030 S. Charles Street in February. Moll is known for her brushstrokes of Federal Hill rowhomes.

Cottman says he chose Federal Hill because it is a short walk from the Inner Harbor and residents in the neighborhood are familiar with his work.
"It's always been receptive to art," Cottman says of Federal Hill. The neighborhood hosted one of his very first shows.  The 1,000-square-foot Mark Cottman Gallery will replace Artists & Framers Inc., which moved to Columbia.

Cottman couldn't say how much he will invest in the new store since he is not finished with the build out.
"I'm very much looking forward to it, he says of the store. "It's good to have a place where people can come in and get a feeling of the work."

He describes is art as "conscious art for a conscious mind." One piece is titled "Can't we all just swim along?," a painting that depicts colorful faces and stands for world peace.

Moll says the 500-square-foot store in the Federal Hill neighborhood suits her since she paints urban landscapes.

"My work is down in Federal Hill," Moll says. "It's the ideal location."


Sources: Mark Cottman, Mark Cottman Gallery; Crystal Moll, Crystal Moll Gallery
Writer:Julekha Dash

There are lots of places to grab a burger or a slice of pizza. But how many quick, casual places can serve up a flatbread?

That's why business owner Bassam Sares is opening Sandella's Flatbread Caf� this month in Charles Village � and not your local greasy spoon.

"I was looking for a healthy concept in that area," Sares says.

The franchise currently has 19 locations throughout the U.S. but the store at 3202 St. Paul Street will be the first one in Maryland. And Baltimore City could get a second Sandella's. Sares is eyeing the Mount Vernon neighborhood for another location.
 
Sares declined to say how much he is spending to open the store but franchisees pay between $150,000 to $250,000 in a new restaurant, according to the corporate office.

The 1,400-square-foot restaurant's flatbread includes the Brazilian Chicken Grilled Flatbread and the Pesto Chicken Grilled Flatbread. It also sells paninis, wraps and salads that cost around $7, with a side order and drink.

"It's something new and healthy," Sares says of the flatbreads. "There are too many pizza places and too many burger joints. We need something new and healthy. I think this is the new thing."

The neighborhood appealed to Sares because it holds a mix of residents and students. It's also been his home since 1993, when he moved to Baltimore from New York.

"It's a very nice neighborhood," Sares says. "It's a safe neighborhood. It's full of life and action."

Source: Bassam Sares, Sandella's Flatbread Cafe
Writer: Julekha Dash

Harbor East residents can say namaste to a new yoga studio. Bikram Yoga Baltimore opened at 1010 Fleet Street in Harbor East last month, the second yoga location for Eddie and Emily Garner. The couple has run a Bikram Yoga in Cockeysville since 2002.

The business owners sensed a business opportunity since there are no yoga studios downtown or in Harbor East, Emily Garner says. The couple invested about $100,000 to open the new store.

The pair thought Harbor East was a good spot since it is full of office workers and young professionals. It is also easy to get to from Federal Hill, Canton and Fells Point.

"We found Harbor East to be the best fit and the most centrally located," Garner says.

A lot of Bikram Yoga clients live in the county and wanted the Garners to open a location in Baltimore City.

The Garners decided to expand because their business in Cockeysville has grown. Though the economy has taken its toll on consumers' disposable income, clients are still coming in for Downward-Facing Dogs and Sun Salutations.

Revenue at the Cockeysville yoga studio has doubled since 2005 and the business is profitable, Garner says. 

Garner, a former ballet dancer, took a liking to yoga after a yoga instructor in New York took her under her wing.

"It's not just a business," Garner says. "We really believe in teaching yoga to help improve everyone's daily lives."

Source: Emily Garner, Bikram Yoga
Writer: Julekha Dash

Hello pepperoni. Inner Harbor East Delicatessen and Pizzeria is opening this month in the spot at 1001 Fleet Street that once held the short-lived Elevation Burger.
 
Alex Smith, a partner in both the old and new businesses, says he thought workers and residents in the neighborhood could use a deli and pizza place as a casual alternative to the fine-dining restaurants. Smith says he closed Elevation Burger franchise after running into issues with the corporate parent.

The 2,000-square-foot restaurant will seat 90 inside and 40 outside. The restaurant will serve salads, sandwiches, cheese steaks and brick-oven pizza for lunch and dinner and waffles and pancakes for breakfast. The restaurant will be outfitted with 10 plasma screens, showing ESPN, MSNBC and sports programs.

"I think it's a great concept," Smith says. "It's so different from anything else in the area. We hope it's different than what's going on now."

Smith says he chose Harbor East because he lives in the area and has been involved in other businesses, including the Haagen Dazs ice cream shop, which he owns.  His grandfather, bakery mogul John Paterakis Sr.,  is also one of the master developers of Harbor East.

He declined to say how much he and his two business partners invested in the new venture.  However, the Baltimore City liquor license board granted the business a new Class "B" liquor license that is available to business owners who invest at least $500,000 in a restaurant that seats at least 75. 



Source: Alex Smith, Harbor East Deli and Pizza
Writer: Julekha Dash

A four-year-old energy company that supplies wind and solar power has expanded to Baltimore County's Catonsville. Clean Currents LLC opened an office at 813 Frederick Road this month. 

Company execs chose Catonsville after holding a town hall meeting on green energy at the Catonsville library in 2007, Clean Currents President Gary Skulnik says. More than 300 households signed up for Clean Currents. Catonsville is a "green-minded community," Skulnik says. "It's great to be there. We have so much energy on that side."

After that meeting, Clean Currents started a residential program. "I thought, maybe we are onto something here," Skulnik says.  Today, it has 6,000 residential customers.

Based in Rockville, Clean Currents employs 20. It is starting out small at the Catonsville office, with just two workers and less than 1,000 square feet of space, but the company has ambitious goals. If all goes well, the business could add as many as 30 employees in the next 18 months as it adds more customers in Pennsylvania, Skulnik says. The firm wants to become the dominant green energy company in the mid-Atlantic region.

He says the company also chose Catonsville because because the downtown area contains numerous restaurants and services. It's also convenient to Interstate 95 and 695 and minutes from downtown Baltimore.

Skulnik declined to say how much the company spent on the move.

Source: Gary Skulnik, Clean Currents
Writer: Julekha Dash

A public relations firm whose clients include Ripken Baseball and Cal Ripken, Jr., hopes to hit a home run in its new office in Columbia.

The 10-person firm outgrew its space in Marriottsville and moved this month to a 3,200-square-foot office at the Columbia Corporate Park at 8825 Standford Blvd.

Maroon PR President John Maroon says he liked the location because there are plenty of restaurants and bars nearby to grab lunch or a drink after work. These include the Greene Turtle and Nottingham's Tavern.

The location is also more convenient for the staff to reach from Baltimore compared with Marriottsville, Maroon says. The Columbia office is about two-thirds bigger than the former space.
"The work space was getting cramped," Maroon says.

The four-year-old company is spending about $20,000 on the move and about $1,000 more each month on rent, he says.

Though a lot of marketing and PR firms have been struggling during the recession, Maroon PR says it has seen steady growth from existing clients and new nonprofit clients. The latter includes the American Cancer Society's South Atlantic division and Reading is Fundamental, a children's literacy program in Washington, D.C.

Maroon PR is looking to hire a few folks as well this year in the areas of public relations, business development and possibly a graphic designer.

Other Maroon PR clients include Sullivan's Steakhouse, the Babe Ruth Museum, Geier Financial Group and Pathfinders for Autism.

Source: John Maroon, Maroon PR
Writer: Julekha Dash

You could call David Shapiro a lawyer by day and falafel guru by night. The attorney recently opened Shapiro's Caf� at 7 W. Preston St. The 2,000-square-foot caf� features an eclectic menu, including falafel, schwarma, tuna and chicken salad, and corned beef sandwiches.

Shapiro is partial to the Mount Vernon neighborhood because that is where he operates his law practice. It is also the site of his alma mater, the University of Baltimore, where he attended law school. Shapiro expects to draw students from there, as well as Maryland Institute College of Art, to his restaurant.

By next month, when the caf� is open during the evening, Shapiro expects to draw patrons who attend performances at the Lyric Opera House and at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.

Though the corned beef comes all the way from New York, Shaipro says that his goal is to get about half of his products from local sources. Already, he gets his coffee from Baltimore's Zeke's Coffee and Taharka Bros. Ice Cream.

Shapiro spent $90,000 to open the 2,000-square-foot store. Though he has practiced law for the last 22 years, Shapiro is no stranger to the food industry. He worked for a Jewish catering company when he was 14.

"That was my first experience working in a kitchen," Shapiro says.

And now, he says he is Mount Vernon to serve the neighborhood and people employed in the area. But he hasn't given up his day job.

Source: David Shapiro, Shapiro's Cafe
Writer: Julekha Dash

Fells Point residents hungry for sushi and soba noodles will get a new dining option.

Sticky Rice will open in June at 1634 Aliceanna, formerly Friends bar. The Asian restaurant has two other locations, in Richmond, Va., and Washington D.C.

The 1,700 square foot restaurant will seat 90. In addition to Asian cuisine, the restaurant will sell hamburgers, hot wings and tater tots. Noodles and sushi will cost anywhere from $8 to $11.

Sticky Rice Partner Ronnie Pasztor says the partners chose Fells Point because the neighborhood has been gaining a number of new businesses, including Tapas Adela and fellow Asian restaurant Sam's Kid.
"Fells Point is on the upswing," Pasztor said. He also likes the historic feel of the neighborhood.

The restaurant, which Pasztor describes as "edgy," will employ about 50.

Though the economy has not been kind to some restaurants, Pasztor is confident Sticky Rice will win over diners since sales at the Washington, D.C. restaurant were up nearly 12 percent in January and February of this year compared with last year.

Pasztor declined to say how much the partners are spending to open the new restaurant.

Sticky Rice Partner Ronnie Pasztor recently moved from Santa Barbara to Baltimore after his wife got a job in Charm City. And the former accountant wound up entering the restaurant business by chance, thanks to his brother-in-law Joey Belcher. He is an owner at two Washington, D.C., restaurants: French bistro 1905 and Dangerously Delicious Pies, the Baltimore favorite pie place that recently opened in the nation's capitol.
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The other partners include Phil Rodriguez and Jason Martin. Rodriguez, Martin, and Belcher are all partners in the Sticky Rice in Washington, D.C., which opened in 2008. The original spot in Richmond, Va., opened 11 year ago under the direction of John Yamashita and Jason Henry, who provided staff training and branding for the Baltimore location.

Fells Point has got a new boss in town. Clothing boutique Kingpin Baltimore opened this month at 1924 Fleet St.

Co-owner Jennifer Wiseman thought the store name Kingpin � which means a group leader � was appropriate for the fashion-forward street wear clothes the store sells.

The 1,700-square-foot store also features a personal training studio operated by Charles Wiseman, co-owner and Jennifer's husband.

The store sells trendy activewear brands including Margarita, a brand from Israel and Psycho Bunny, a menswear brand from British designer Robert Godley who is engaged to "30 Rock's" Jane Krakowski.

Having worked in the fitness industry, the pair wanted to come up with fun fitness-related concepts. "I wanted something for people to feel better about themselves," Wiseman says.

After months of searching for the right space, the Wisemans found a "wonderful" landlord who would finally rent out a space to the first-time business owners, Wiseman says.

Wiseman declined to say how much the couple spent to open and design the store. The store is outfitted in black-and-white checkered gold-and-green walls and will feature a live DJs on the weekends.

The couple chose Fells Point it gets a lot of foot traffic and is easy to reach from downtown and other areas of the city.

"The location is perfect because everyone can get to it," Wiseman says.

Source: Jennifer Wiseman, Kingpin
Writer:Julekha Dash

A Timonium caterer is moving into bigger digs so it has more space to hold events -- and its owner is dreaming up a concept inspired by the Food Network's "Iron Chef."

Chef's Expressions is taking over 3,500 square feet of space from a former bakery adjacent to its office in the Timonium Commerce Park. The new space at 9524 Deereco Road will give it nearly 10,000 square feet by the end of the summer.
 
The expansion will allow Chef's Expression to host cooking classes, train staff and hold events in its current kitchen. These events would include cocktail parties and tastings for prospective clients.

Chef and owner Jerry Edwards also envisions using the space to hold an "Iron Chef"-style kitchen stadium outfitted with closed-circuit flat-screen televisions that will allow clients to see the chefs at work. The goal is to great a "high-tech fashionably designed catering space," he says.

What does Edwards like about the neighborhood? It's four minutes from his house and just 30 minutes from downtown, making it convenient for clients.

Edwards is also talking to an interior designer about making the Old World Tuscan-style event space look more contemporary. He plans to spend $150,000 on the move and renovation.

The 29-year-old company employs 14 full-time workers and up to 80 part-time workers. Edwards expects to pull in $3.2 million in revenue this year, with about two-thirds of the business coming from weddings and the remainder coming from corporate events.

Source: Jerry Edwards, Chef's Expressions
Writer: Julekha Dash

A furniture store has found a new home in Federal Hill.

Home on the Harbor opened a store at 1414 Key Highway April 3. The 4,400-square-foot space is four times the size of its former store in Mount Washington.

Though the economy has hammered the housing market and sales at some furniture stores, sales at Home on the Harbor have increased 25 percent in the last six months, Owner Karen Graveline says.

Whereas customers were once putting off big purchases, Graveline says she is now seeing stronger sales of sofas, rugs, and lounge chairs. Graveline says her $100,000 investment on the expansion is an "offensive move," that she hopes will help it prepare for an uptick in the economy.

"Now is a good time to get ready for the economy to pick back up," she says.

The move to Federal Hill is a homecoming of sorts. It started out in Federal Hill nearly 8 years ago before packing up for Mount Washington. The waterfront location was the inspiration for the store's name.

Graveline is returning to Baltimore City because it can attract shoppers coming the city for the museums and other waterfront attractions. The spot is also close to Interstate 95, making it a convenient location for shoppers who live in the counties, she says.  She also liked the warehouse space with its big windows and good visibility from the harbor.

The store specializes in mid-20th century-style furniture and its brands include Knoll, Gus Modern Blue Dot and Kartell.

"I feel like I know what the customer wants. I'm not really worried," Graveline says. "I'm confident we will succeed here."

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Karen Graveline, Home on the Harbor

A business owner is taking her sugary confections to Hunt Valley. Kim Rigby of Parfections LLC will open a 2,000-square-foot retail chocolate shop in June at 10768 York Rd.

She is now leasing a commercial kitchen in Columbia and is opening her first retail location where she can hold chocolate tastings, including wine and chocolate tastings.

She hopes the retail location will help her get more event and corporate business by giving her a space where prospective clients can taste her hand-made creations.

"We're really trying to sell the experience with the chocolates," says Rigby, who is investing $50,000 in the 2,000-square-foot space. "I will never be mass producing chocolates," says Rigby, who has run her own business for seven years.

She says the store will have the look and feel of a high-end wine shop. She likes the location because Parfections has a lot of clients in Baltimore County. The location is also convenient to Boordy Vineyards in Hydes and Calvert Wine and Spirits located at Hunt Valley Towne Centre.

Parfections sells more than 30 different truffles and eight kinds of chocolate bark.

Rigby infuses coffee, wine and even beer into her chocolates and relies on local suppliers. These include  High Grounds Coffee Roasters in Baltimore City ,Black Ankle Vineyards in Mount Airy, and Clipper City Brewing Co.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Kim Rigby, Parfections LLC

When Daniel Cherky and Errez Segman bought the building in the 1100 block of West Baltimore Street, the idea was to renovate it and sell it. When the economy took a nose a dive, however, Cherky says their plans changed and Back Alley Jazz was born.

"I figured that I would do something to help the neighborhood. We want to make [this part of] Baltimore live again and bring a little bit of the feel of New Orleans to the city," he explains.

Familiar with Baltimore's illustrious musical history, Cherky and Segman decided to do something to help restore the city's reputation as a major player in the world of jazz.

"I said let's create something like back in the '20s because Baltimore used to be a real swinging place," Cherky says.

Just a few blocks west of University of Maryland's Biopark, Cherky says the neighborhood needs some help. "I have done a lot of the work on the building myself and in the beginning I would put my tools down [and go do something in another part of the building]. Five minutes later, the tools would be gone and ten minutes after that someone would be there selling me back my own tools," he laughingly recalls.

So far, the pair have spent more than $400,000 rehabbing the building, painting the facade, adding a rooftop deck and creating three floors were jazz lovers will enjoy national, regional and local jazz artists as well as amateur acts.

With the backing of the the city, which changed the name of the alley next to the building to Back Alley Jazz, Cherky says the upscale club will take visitors back to the days when speakeasys were the place to be. The clubs entrance will be located at the back of the building that is adjacent to Hollins Street Market. Valets will park guests' cars while security guards will ensure that both remain safe.

The staff will be dressed in 1920's era-style clothing. In addition to a variety of cocktails, the club will offer a light menu of New Orleans-style cuisine that will also include an homage to its Maryland location with some local favorites.

Back Alley Jazz will open around the end of April or beginning of May. The hope, says Segman is that the club will attract guests from Virginia, DC and the Greater Baltimore area. According to Cherky, eventually, the club will host a variety of street festivals on its parking lot.

Sources: Daniel Cherky and Errez Segman, Back Alley Jazz
Writer: Walaika Haskins

When George Dailey, chef and owner of On the Hill Cafe in Bolton Hill, learned that the former home of The Bicycle at 1444 Light Street in Federal Hill was available for lease, he knew it was the opportunity he and his wife had been waiting for to open a second restaurant.

"The Bicycle was a very famous restaurant in Baltimore and a gorgeous spot. When we saw that the place was coming up for rent, we jumped at it. We'd been toying with the idea of opening a second restaurant for a while and couldn't find the right spot. We came, we looked at it and we knew it was the right time," he explains.

And so Centro Tapas Bar was born. The couple settled on a tapas bar, he says, because "we love that way of eating. You have a choice of ordering four or five dishes at a time and then you share. That family-style way of eating, sharing with friends is fun and a different way. Other restaurants that don't have that but have appetizers, we actually go for the appetizers."

And rather than being a potential hindrance, the economy proved to be a boon, according to Dailey. "That's the reason why we're here. The economy is giving people who wanted to do a restaurant or another business the opportunity to do it. In a good economy we wouldn't be able to do this because this place would not be available and [its leasea] would be stronomically priced."

Opening a tapas bar is smart business in the current economic climate says Yvonne Edwardsen, managing partner. "This is the perfect type of thing for people now. They can stop in get a glass of sangria and a few small plates and leave full at a reasonable price."

Dailey and Edwardsen say they've made only a few cosmetic changes to the space. Adding a gray monochrome color scheme that allows the food to take center stage. Other than that the restaurant's three dining rooms, open kitchen and enclosed garden remain pretty much the same with seating for about 100 people.

Centro Tapas serves a variety of tapas and big plate dishes, some classic Spanish dishes and others with a Latin American influence. "The Latin American are kind of a new tapas with things like Mexican dishes, Peruvian dishes and from all over Central and South America. We're trying to do a combination of the New and Old Worlds," Dailey explains.

As the weather becomes warmer, diners will be able to enjoy seating in the enclosed garden and Edwardsen says there are plans to start a Sunday brunch in a few months with traditional breakfast fare as well as some dishes from the tapas menu.

Sources: George Dailey, Yvonne Edwardsen, Centro Tapas Bar
Writer: Walaika Haskins

The Enoch Pratt Free Library unveiled its brand spanking new Mobile Library Monday outside St. Ambrose School in Park Heights. The bright red van is a  new addition to the library's Bookmobile fleet.

This 28-foot state-of-the-art bookmobile is quite literally a mobile library, offering Baltimore residents many of the services they'd find at a brick-and-mortar branch. Visitors will be able to surf the Web using the public access computer and, of course, check out audio visual materials, periodicals, large print materials, and current bestsellers. The bookmobile will also include a number of books available in Russian and Spanish.

The new Mobile Library will visit areas of Baltimore that are not geographically close to a library. It will also regularly service senior centers, schools, Latino Relocation Centers, municipal buildings and the communities along Edmondson Avenue and Reisterstown Road where Pratt branches are closed for renovation.

"The Pratt Library is at the heart of every community in Baltimore and this new Mobile Library will bring valuable resources to our patrons," says Carla Hayden, Pratt Library CEO. "The Mobile Library is a modern and dynamic information center for the 21^st century. Our bookmobile service serves people of all backgrounds, providing access almost every service that patrons find in Pratt branches."

The Enoch Pratt Free Library's bookmobile fleet has a long history of serving and providing free library materials and programming to the citizens of Baltimore. In 1943, the Pratt's horse drawn "Book Cart Service was established to serve areas of the city that were not within walking distance of a Pratt Branch. It was later replaced in 1949 when the first Bookmobile began services to Baltimore City neighborhoods.

The Mobile Services provided by the Pratt Bookmobile are as popular and vital today as it was in its inception. According to a recently released report, nearly one-third of Americans, about 77 million people, used a public library computer or wireless network to access the internet in the past year.

The report, Opportunity for All: How the American Public Benefits from Internet Access at U.S. Libraries, is based on the first, large-scale study examining who uses public computers and Internet access in public libraries, the way library patrons use this free technology service, why they use it, and how it affects their lives. The Enoch Pratt Free Library was part of this national study and Pratt patrons were even interviewed in-person for the report, which was conducted by the University of Washington Information School and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

"We discovered that 30 percent of people in Baltimorehave no access to the Internet. So they rely on the library system and we take that responsibility seriously. The mobile library is like an extension of the library system and now it's evolving like the main library has itself," says Roswell Encino, Enoch Pratt Library spokesperson.

The Mobile Library was funded by contributions of The Rouse Company Foundation and The Jean and Sidney Silber Foundation.

Source: Roswell Encino, Enoch Pratt Free Library
Writer: Walaika Haskins