Development News

The Center Club, located on the 15th and 16th floors of 100 Light Street formerly the Legg Mason headquarters, reopened this month after undergoing a $2.7 million renovation. 

Established in 1962, the private dining club now offers an open harbor-view dining room, a wine room, and bar area, as well as a dance floor.

Source: The Center Club
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Esquire Pub will be open next week at the new Quality Inn at 110 St. Paul St. The pub, which will offer light pub fare in a casual atmosphere will came about thanks in part to several legal orgs, including the Baltimore Bar Association.

"Originally when we finished the hotel, we wanted to lease out [the restaurant]. But many area attorneys said they needed a lounge where they could get together. We have at least five local businesses, a lot of them professional attorneys, that book for Happy Hour," says La Dinh Tran, manager of the Quality Inn.

The interest by local legal eagles also impacted the naming of the pub, he says. "Three different groups, including the Baltimore Bar Association, came to us."

The pub will feature live jazz and other music.It will also be available for private parties.

Source La Dinh Tran, Quality Inn
Writer: Walaika Haskins

There could be a new Lowe's store on the way for Baltimore. The hardware retailer detailed its expansion plans that it says will take it into high-density metropolitan markets iboth around the country and internationally. The box-store retailer will also renew its focus on lower to middle price points and make improvements to its internet site in the coming months.

The plans is open 62 to 66 new stores by the end of 2009. Another 35 to 45 new stores,10 of them in international markets, will open in 2010.

"We will focus in 2010 on high-volume, metro-market opportunities � high-density markets where we have minimal coverage, like Washington D.C., New York, Boston, San Francisco, San Jose, Denver and Baltimore," explains Gregory Bridgeford, executive vice president of Business Development. "We have far fewer stores in these markets than our major competitor."

No annoucements will be made about the exact location of the proposed stores until the company has completed its real estate survey.

Wherever the company settles on for its latest stores it will mean new jobs. According to Karen Coob, a Lowe's spokesperson, if the location is 116,000 square feet, then Lowe's will need to fill about 175 postions, the majority of which will be full-time. Slightly smaller stores measuring 94,000 square feet will provide employment for about 120 mostly full-time workers.

Source: Karen Cobb, Lowe's
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Whether you're a business owner, community organization or just a neighborhood regular, if you have a business opening or that has recently opened tell us about. You could find your new business featured in our development news section.

Baltimore's VIPs and wannabes welcomed a new club last weekend. Mist took over the Power Plant Live location vacated by the Iguana Cantina in July. Club owners are aiming to bring a bit of the glamor commonly associated with clubs in Miami, Las Vegas or Los Angeles to Baltimore.

"We are the largest upscale club in the area," says Bobby Dylan, owner Good Life Productions and Jetset Mafia.
 
The new upscale club caters to Baltimore's sporting elite and other area people-you-know and people-you-should-know. According to Dylan, Michael Phelps along with a few other sports notables attended the club's grand opening Saturday.

The club's decor, in shades of turquoise and blue, is meant to evoke a sense of water, leather ottomans make it easy to customize seating arrangements, while a giant 30-foot video screen and plasma TVs keep the party going showing videos as DJs spin tunes from dance, pop and hip-hop. Two "huge" bars also fill the space.

"We do mostly bottle service to tables. But we also have nearly every vodka made," Dylan says.

Only half of the club is currentlyopen, the other half, featuring a lounge, will open by New Years.

"We're open from 10 pm to 2 am, Friday and Saturday. Right now, we're just doing two nights a week, but later on we'll open on Thursday, but for now we're concentrating on Friday and Saturday," says Dylan.

Legg Mason, the Baltimore-based investment firm, has officially completed the move into its brand spanking new digs in Harbor East. Now, home to the bulk of the company's roughly 1,000-strong workforce, the new 24-story glass tower offers both eco- and employee-friendly amenities.

LEED-certified, the building includes many green features, according to Michael Beatty,  president H&S Properties Development.

"It's not just in the core and shell but in the interior build out of the Legg Mason space. All of the interior carpeting is non-emitting carpeting. The paint and material woods that were used are all LEED-certified, so they were sustainable products that were used in building it," he says.

On a larger scale, the buildings HVAC system is runs through a super high-efficiency heating and cooling plant. The windows are low-E glass making the whole building "incredibly energy efficient."

"There are other little things. LEED is not just about environmentally good for the earth, its also about good for the people," Beatty notes.

With its exterior made up entirely of glass, the potential for natural light to spread throughout Legg Mason's offices was expanded when designers chose to use glass wallls in the interior office space as well.

"The natural light is fantastic. Interior spaces have interior glass-walled offices and exterior open workspaces have the windows, so everyone appreciates the natural light. The natural sunlight lights most of the floors of the building. You do have lighting as well but you don't have a situation like in most office buildings where everything inside is lit with light bulbs," Beatty explains.

The building also has a higher than average air quality and higher ceilings. "It's just a great place to be," he says.

The Legg Mason build out also features a state-of-the-art cafeteria and community building spaces, he adds.

Legg Mason occupies 14-stories in the eco-friendly building. Investment firm Oppenheimer and international law firm Hogan & Hartson are scheduled to take up residence in the building in October.

Source: Michael Beatty, H&S Properties Development
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake (HHC) kicked off its largest project in Baltimore to date building nine homes for area residents. The nine modular (pre-fabricated) homes will occupy the 2400 block of Fayette Street, between N. Montford Avenue and N. Port Street.

"Building a community of Habitat families is what we seek to do. The empty lot gave us the opportunity to build with nine Habitat families right next to one another to help enhance the community on Fayette Street," says Mike Mitchell, HHC CEO.

It will take some 800 volunteers nine days to complete the new  two-story rowhomes. The speedy construction of these modular homes in Baltimore is a first for the nonprofit org, which helps provide affordable housing to low-income residents. The prefab housing costs the nonprofit some 25 percent less than building them the traditional way - from scratch. Volunteers that include Baltimore Gas & Electric and Constellation Energy employees will assist with and complete tasks including painting, fencing, siding, landscaping, carpentry, floor installation and other tasks.

Although the homes have been pre-fabricated in a factory, HHC was able to reclaim a lot that was pre-wired and with plumbing. There is a bus line right outside the door. And, the modular's are air-sealed which means no leaking of heat or air-conditioning

"They should be completed by early October. Then October 17, there will be a dedication ceremony and Rally Event at Patterson Park starting at 3:00 pm. The Rally will serve a dual purpose in formally announcing the merge of Arundel Habitat and Chesapeake Habitat to form Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake and the dedication of the nine new homes and the nine families receiving their keys to those homes," says Desiree Wingo, director of Community Engagement.

Once these homes have been completed, the organization has several other projects, though admittedly less ambitious, on its drawing board.

"One particular project starting around the first of the year is on Clay Street [in Annapolis] in a public housing complex. This housing complex has been demolished and will be re-built with 10-14 homes being built with Habitat volunteers and the future homeowners," explains Matt Metzger, construction director.


Source: Habitat for Humanity of the Cheasapeake
Writer: Walaika Haskins

The old Goucher Hall, the castle located at 2201 St. Paul Street, is officially the permanent home of the Baltimore Lab School. The school, which began renting the facility in 2004, completed its $1.5 million purchase of the historic building.

According to Richard Meltzer, school principal, the former home to Goucher College before its move to Towson, is a perfect fit for the school whose mission is to teach children with learning disabilities. Staying in Baltimore was also important, he says.

The circa 1887 edifice, whose 19th century interiors remain largely intact, has also housed the Red Cross and later was the home of the Hearing and Speech Agency's Gateway School.

Source: Richard Meltzer, Baltimore Lab School
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Unusual times call for unusual enterprises. That's the philosophy of Baltimore-based graphic designer and graffiti artist Adam Stab, whose boutique End Times Trading Post � a collaboration with Ginny Lawhorn � will bring a bounty of one-of-a-kind, custom-made merchandise to Fells Point starting in October.

"The name is basically my take on where we are on the timeline of the human experience," Stab says of End Times, located at 1709 Aliceanna Street. "There's kind of a put-up-or-shut-up desperation to how we're seeing humanity handle our own growth and technology. Are we on the precipice of doing ourselves in, or will we be forced to the point where things are so rough we're going to figure it out? Whatever direction we go, I feel like we're at the end of where things have being going and at the beginning of what's next."

Given Stab's worldview, it's no wonder End Times' merchandise will be a study in deconstruction. The boutique is guaranteed a home run with its couture clothing, designed in-house, made entirely of reused, donated clothing. A Tommy Hilfiger shirt could end up a pair of women's shorts; a dress might emerge from a DKNY skirt.

"Everything's a cultural web, a remix of the original. We respect the origin of the style, but we break it down in the studio and take it in different a direction," says Stab. But don't let the couture concept scare you: this proprietor's adamant that these one-of-a-kind garments be affordable. A one-piece dress could be as little as $55; tops and shorts sets around $80.

End Times, which opens Oct. 3 during the Fells Point Fun Festival, will also offer a wide array of highly stylized accessories. Stab and Lawhorn are partnering with a Philadelphia-based firm to offer custom-painted tennis and are bringing in jewelry from local artists, some of it "rough-and-tumble, gritty and urban" and some delicate and floral. All will be from small runs, which should ensure that patrons' purchases won't pop up on everyone else's necks, wrists and fingers like mass-marketed trinkets from H&M.

"We have a desire to run a boutique that will help recreate the atmosphere Fells Point used to have, when the stores were eclectic and it was easy to have a fun shopping day because prices were reasonable," say Stab, who moved with his family to Baltimore as a teenager and recalls riding his skateboard regularly to the neighborhood. ("It was my available getaway," he says.)

In the interest of providing gift options for its patrons, End Times will devote its wallspace to artwork from local artists and will also invite local artists to avail themselves of a vast quantity of 1950s and 1960s molds that Stab has inherited. Stab hopes the artwork they create from the molds, which of course will be for sale, will offer customers a fresh but equally quirky alternative to the plastic Japanese toys and tchotchkes that are now en vogue.

Source: Adam Stab, End Times Trading Post
Writer: Lucy Ament

The Maryland Energy Administration (MEA) launched a new initiative  last week that will explore the potential for developing wind energy resources off of the coast of Maryland. According to estimates from the U.S. Energy Department, Maryland has "outstanding" wind resources, rivaling or exceeding those of Midwestern land based wind resources. The agency plans to evaluate the potential of these resources for commercial development.
 
MEA's offshore wind initiative will include outreach to potential offshore wind developers, a technical evaluation of the wind resources off of Maryland's Atlantic coast and Outer Continental Shelf, and strong engagement with the local community.

"Offshore wind energy offers vast potential to create jobs for our workers and to help stabilize electric costs for our families while also increasing grid stability," says Gov. Martin O'Malley. "As we continue our commitment to promote a Smart, Green and Growing Maryland, the benefits of the clean energy generated from offshore wind may prove to be vital for our State's energy and environmental future."

The MEA, as part of the initiative, issued a Request for Expression of Information and Interest in order to bring business and industry leaders with expertise in the installation and development of offshore wind energy into the project. The request extends to U.S. and European developers interested in starting a constructive dialogue on strategies for facilitating a long-term offshore wind energy strategy for the state.

Meanwhile, the agency is also launching a study that will evaluate opportunities for offshore wind energy on Maryland's Atlantic coast and Outer Continental Shelf. The study will assess the viability of offshore wind energy generation and build on marine spatial planning work currently being developed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and The Nature Conservancy. The results will help guide the state, Maryland residents, and potential wind energy development partners, providing guidance on the physical characteristics of Maryland's offshore resources.

"Offshore wind has the potential to supply more renewable energy than any other resource in the region," noted MEA Director Malcolm Woolf. "If Maryland is able to successfully harness these resources in a cost-effective way, the State will be able to satisfy its Renewable Portfolio Standard of 20 percent by 2022 and benefit from the growing Renewable Energy Credit market."

Source: Gov. Martin O'Malley, MEA
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Toys R Us is hoping the recession will not be a Grinch and keep Santa from delivering his gifts this Christmas. Just in case, however, the toy store chain, plans to open some 350 so-called "express" stores across the country. The pop-up locations will include 80 standalone express shops in shopping centers and malls. The remaining stores will take up residence inside existing Babies R Us stores.

According to a Toys R Us spokesperon, two "express" stores -- one in White Marsh Mall and a second at the Mall in Columbia -- will open their doors temporarily by the end of October. The company may open other locations in and around Baltimore as well.

The toy retailer expects to hire about 1,000 workers to staff for the 4,000 square foot Holiday Express stores. Babies R Us express stores will occupy about 2,500 square feet, roughly three times the space normally set aside for toys in those stores.

The temporary locations will shut down by mid-January.

Source: Toys R Us
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Two Baltimore-based developers have recieved some $400,000 each in grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

HUD issued a$400,0000 grant to CSI Support and Development Services and another worth $393,150 to Associated Catholic Charities (ACC) to cover pre-development expenses. Developers have 18 months to use the funds.

According to Renee Johnson, director of Media and Public Relations at ACC the money will be used to help build a new senior living center.

Source: Renee Johnson, ACC
Writer: Walaika Haskins

The Baltimore-based Parks & People Foundation, is offering up to $1,000 for groups interested in greening their neighborhood. The monies, part of a partnership with the Baltimore Community Foundation and the Cleaner Greener Baltimore Initiative, provides up to $1,000 in Neighborhood Greening Grants for those planning projects that will plant trees, create community gardens, clean up and restore vacant lots, clean up neighborhoods, create green schoolyards, improve water quality improve and provide environmental education activities. Grant funds may also be used for tools, plant material, equipment and other needed supplies.

Are you a business owner launching a new business? Or a neighborhood resident jazzed about a new restaurant, cafe, or other local business setting up shop where you live?

We're looking for news about development in the greater Baltimore area. So, if you this sounds like you, then we want to hear from you. That new locally-owned business could be featured in our Development News section. All you have to do is send us an email

When Mindy Alezra and her family fell in love with a vacant building on the corner of S. Ann and Gough Streets in upper Fells Point, the juxtaposition of the two names brought to their minds the tormented, ear-bereft Dutch painter. It was only after they'd settled on the name Van Gough Caf� for a first-floor coffee shop that they discovered locals pronounce Gough "guff" and not "go." Oh well. They dig the name and they're sticking with it.

Alezra, who purchased the imposing three-story brick building at 300 S. Ann St. with her husband Max and daughter and son-in-law Loni and Nick Diamond, says she's wanted her entire life to open a cafe.

"This building was calling to me saying, ok this is it, this is your opportunity," she says. "I want to know people, so I always wanted a little coffee shop where regular customers would come in, like in the bar Cheers. A place where they would know who we were and we would know who they were."

Alezra and her team capitalized on the exposed brick, hardwood floors and massive, hardwood bar to establish a relaxed atmosphere for the 900-square-foot caf�, which opens next month. There will be the requisite wi-fi, couches, tables and bar stools, and also plenty of artwork by local artists on display in keeping with the caf�'s name. The cafe will offer standard coffee shop fare, including specialty coffees, smoothies, paninis, sandwiches, salads, and bagels from Goldberg's New York Bagels on Reisterstown Road.

But the quartet's contribution to Fells Point development doesn't stop there. They have also renovated the top two floors into an 1,800 square-foot single-family home boasting six bedrooms, six bathrooms, a whopping 24 windows, and a brand new electrical wiring throughout. The home will be available to rent in a few weeks, Alezra says.

Fells Point has not only proven the ideal neighborhood for a coffee shop, says Alezra, but exceedingly helpful to business owners. Support from the community facilitated the permits process, she says, and a grant from Fells Point Main Street has enabled the new owners to redo the building's 1920 fa�ade.

"We love Fells Point," says Alezra, who with her husband came to Baltimore six years ago from Milwaukee. "It's quaint, it has so much character. It's just a unique and amazing place."

Writer: Lucy Ament
Source: Mindy Alezra, Van Gough Caf�