Community : Development News

An $11 million apartment building will begin construction in the Station North Arts and Entertainment District this year, bringing more life to an area undergoing revitalization. 

The 74-unit Lillian Jones apartments will break ground at the end of the year and take about one year to complete, says Jim French, president of French Development Co. The Baltimore real estate firm, which specializes in nonprofit and community-sponsored projects, won the development rights after the Baltimore Housing department issued a bid.

The Station North district is home to the Charles Theatre, Tapas Teatro, and a number of galleries and theater troupes, including Single Carrot Theatre and Annex Theater and Gallery. It will lose one of its anchors, Everyman Theatre Co., when the group moves to Baltimore's west side next year.

Located at Greenmount Avenue and E. Hoffman Street, the apartments replace vacant land and homes.

"The idea is to provide better housing for people in the community and create more life on the street by having people living on Greenmount Avenue," French says. The economic conditions aren't strong enough to build market-rate housing, but hopefully in time they will be.

The apartments will include one, two, and three-bedroom units. They are available to individuals and families who pull in 50 percent below the Baltimore metro area media income, or around $41,000 for a family of four.

Designed by Cho Benn Holback+Associates Inc., the four-story building includes a courtyard and exterior made of brick, cement and glass.

Sources: Jim French, French Co.; David Benn, Cho Benn Holback+Associates
Writer: Julekha Dash

A $2 million downtown park will break ground next month, adding more green space and public art to the Inner Harbor.

Members of the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance and the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore Inc. hope that the park will enhance the area's appeal for families when it opens in the fall.

"There needed to be a better park this side of town," says Emily Hiller, a board member of the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance. "There's no outdoor space for children to play."

Baltimore artist David Hess has designed two sculptures on which children can climb. Located in front of the Columbus Center, Pierce's Park will contain a willow tunnel created by New York artist Bonnie Gale. The one-acre park will also feature a musical fence that plays different musical notes when struck.

Half the money for the park came from the state. The rest came from individuals, foundations, and corporations.

The park is named after Hiller's father, Pierce John Flanigan III, who died of a brain hemorrhage in 2008 at age 66. Flanigan was president of his family's transportation infrastructure business P. Flanigan & Sons Inc.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Emily Hiller

A nonprofit is building a center to treat homeless veterans with drug or alcohol addictions in the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood of West Baltimore.

The center at 1611 Baker St. will cost the Baltimore Station $2.3 million to build and acquire the property, executive director Michael Seipp says.

The west Baltimore site currently houses a former Catholic Rectory and two rowhomes. The 16,800-square-foot Baker Street Station will be the nonprofit's second treatment center.

Funding for the center comes from four sources: the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the Abell Foundation, and the France-Merrick Foundation.

The Baltimore Station is also hosting a fundraiser April 14 in Federal Hill's Cross Street Market to raise money for the new center.

Many military troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are being asked to serve multiple tours of duty, which puts them at a higher risk of getting post-traumatic stress disorder, Seipp says. And many of these men turn to alcohol or drugs, which, in turn, can lead to homelessness.

Veterans represent about one-quarter of all homeless people, twice that of the civilian population, according to the center's statistics.
The Baltimore Station employs 28 and has a $2 million annual operating budget.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Michael Seipp, Baltimore Station

Sinai Hospital's multimillion-dollar inpatient pediatric unit, which began in July, is expected to be finished in April 2012.

The expansion will give patients bigger rooms, more privacy and enhance patient safety that will hopefully reduce hospital readmissions, says

Dr. Joseph Wiley, chairman of the pediatrics department at the Herman & Walter Samuelson Children's Hospital at Sinai.

The new inpatient center is part of a $30 million pediatric expansion that included a $2.3 million outpatient center. It will also include a children's diagnostic center, to begin construction once the inpatient facility is completed next year.

The new inpatient center will contain 26 rooms, up from 16 rooms. Rooms will be about 50 percent larger, at 350 square feet, and contain pull out beds and tables where families can eat. Each room will be private, allowing caregivers to consult with patients' families in the privacy of their rooms, Dr. Wiley says.

"We're adding a lot of features will enhance the overall experience for families," Wiley says.

Each room will contain a pharmacy lockbox where medicine will be delivered personally, reducing the risk of medication errors.

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

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

The owners of Donna's Coffee Bar hope to reopen their Mount Vernon shop by the end of the year following a five-alarm fire that devastated the historic building at 800 N. Charles St.

And when it does reopen, diners can expect tapas and a wine bar on the menu, co-owner Alan Hirsch says.

He expects reconstruction work on the restaurant to begin in October and be completed in three months. With the inside totally gutted, the owners have to redesign the restaurant and go through the permitting process all over again.

"If you go to that corner, it's pretty depressing," since the Dec. 7 fire, Hirsch says. "Part of the community is gone."

Meanwhile, the business owner says he expects renovations on the building to begin as early as June, based on meetings he has had with the building's developer, Dominic Wiker. The former home of Indigma and MyThai restaurants now has no roof and requires extensive electrical and mechanical work, Hirsch says.

Wiker could not be reached for comment.

Hirsch says he does not yet have an estimate on the cost of the renovations.

Serving wine and high-end beer, along with small plates, will help Donna's keep up with current market trends for European-style restaurants, Hirsch says. The restaurant is known for its extensive coffee menu and Mediterranean fare, including a roasted vegetable salad and hummus and pita.

The motive behind the wine bar was not solely money, as the profit margins are higher in coffee drinks, Hirsch says. Rather, the owners felt they needed to refresh the restaurant concept.

"We needed to update Donna's and do more."

It has other locations at the University of Maryland Medical System, the Village of Cross Keys, Charles Village and Columbia.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Alan Hirsch, Donna's

The owners of Pazo, Cinghiale, Petit Louis Bistro, and Charleston restaurants could spend upwards of $1 million on their latest venture in Roland Park.

Tony Foreman and Cindy Wolf are negotiating to lease a space at 4800 Roland Ave. in the same shopping center as Petit Louis. Foreman says he expects they will finalize the deal in the next couple of months. The 100-seat restaurant would open in fall or winter.

Foreman wouldn't reveal the restaurant's name or dishes it would serve until they are closer to opening. The menu will be lower priced than that of Petit Louis, where entrees cost between $12 and $44. The idea, Foreman says, is to attract repeat customers in the neighborhood, as opposed to Petit Louis, which is more of a destination restaurant.

The investment in the new venue would be "nowhere near on the scale of Pazo and Cinghiale," which were much more expensive to build, Foreman says.

The restaurant will be located in two adjacent spots previously occupied by Roland Park Bakery and Deli and Long and Foster. A press release from Foreman Wolf says that a "casual, lively interior will take over the former deli space, with exposed beams and vaulted ceilings."

The sour real estate market has prompted some shop and restaurant owners to take the opportunity to snatch good deals. But Foreman says that's not the main reason he's opening the new spot.

"The reality is that I get itchy every couple of years. You have an idea and you want to express it."

The restaurant will employ 15.  

Foreman Wolf also owns wine stores Bin 604 in Baltimore and Bin 201 in Annapolis.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Tony Foreman

As part of its ongoing effort to reduce homelessness across the country, the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) agency has awarded more than $44.2 million in funding to keep the doors of 208 local homeless assistance programs in Maryland open and operating in 2011. The grants announced last week form a critical foundation for the Obama Administration's Opening Doors strategy, the nation's first comprehensive plan to prevent and end homelessness.

"There is a tremendous need on our streets and in our shelters among those experiencing both long-term homelessness as well as families confronting a sudden economic crisis," says HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "These grants are the life blood for thousands of local housing and service programs that are doing the heavy lifting to meet President Obama's goal of ending homelessness."

Last September, HUD announced that it would renew funding through HUD's Continuum of Care programs to existing local programs as quickly as possible to prevent any interruption in federal assistance. HUD will award funds to new projects later in the year.

HUD's Continuum of Care grants provide permanent and transitional housing to homeless persons as well as services including job training, health care, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment and child care. Continuum of Care grants are awarded competitively to local programs to meet the needs of their homeless clients. These grants fund a wide variety of programs from street outreach and assessment programs to transitional and permanent housing for homeless persons and families.

Source: U.S. Housing and Urban Development
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Devotees of Baltimore's Corned Beef Row will soon have a new reason to go to the Inner Harbor. Lenny's Delicatessen will open in the Pratt Street Pavilion of Harborplace, according to General Growth Properties, owners of Harborplace and The Gallery. The delicatessen will occupy approximately 3,100 sq. ft. It's scheduled to open Spring 2011. 

The Lenny's Deli Harborplace location will offer breakfast all day along with a full array of deli meats, fried chicken, wraps, salads, and baked goods for dining in, catering, and carry out. Owner Alan Smith and his father, Lenny Smith, recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of Lenny's in Owings Mills. The second location, on Baltimore's famed Corned Beef Row, opened in 1991. The Harborplace location will be the third in the Baltimore area.

"We felt the Inner Harbor area needed a place where tourists and business people could go for a good corned beef sandwich," says Alan Smith. "We are excited to be opening at Harborplace, where all visitors to Baltimore make sure to stop during their trip here. We look forward to serving the Baltimore business community and those who stop on their way to Orioles and Ravens games."

General Properties also revealed that Francesca's Collection, a boutique specializing in fashion forward women's clothing, accessories and gifts, will join the lineup of stores for spring 2011. The new store will be approximately 800 sq. ft. and will be located on the first floor of The Gallery. It will be the first Francesca's in the Baltimore area.

Source:General Growth Properties
Writer: Walaika Haskins

The Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC) has agreed to an Exclusive Negotiating Privilege (ENP) with Philadelphia-based Carmel Realty Associates for the redevelopment of properties in the 100 block of West Lexington Street (101, 103, 114, 116-120 and 124 N. Liberty Street) on Downtown Baltimore's west side. Carmel Realty, a current owner of properties on West Lexington Street, was the only respondent to a BDC Request for Proposals (RFP) for these three development sites, comprised of five vacant properties.

With the acquisition of the properties, Carmel Realty plans a mixed-use development of ground floor retail space with apartments on above floors.

"Carmel Realty Associates -- and particularly its CEO Jerald Goldfine -- has long been committed to the city's vision for the Westside revitalization," says BDC President M.J. "Jay" Brodie. "We look forward to our continued partnership as the improvement of the Westside moves ahead."

The development sites are part of the Market Center Urban Renewal Area:an area bounded by Madison Street to the north; Cathedral and Liberty Street to the east; Pratt Street to the south; and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to the west.

Source: Baltimore Development Corporation
Writer: Walaika Haskins

Baltimore City officials have created a new task force that will address the $2.8 billion shortfall for school construction and renovation projects.

The task force will explore alternative financing options, possible new legislation, and successful models used in other areas to come up with ways to raise money for construction. Appointed by Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Baltimore City Schools CEO Andres Alonso, the 10-person task force will make its recommendations by February.

The task force members are as follows:

• Sophie Dagenais, the mayor's chief of staff;
• Arlene Friner, CEO of Philadelphia financial consulting firm Vantage Point Associates;
• Mike Frist, chief financial officer of Baltimore City Public Schools;
• Edward Gallagher, Baltimore City finance director;
• Valerie Greene, associate general counsel of Baltimore City Public Schools;
• David Lever, executive director of the Public School Construction Program for the Maryland State Department of Education;
• George Nilson, Baltimore City solicitor;
• J. Keith Scroggins, chief operating officer, Baltimore City Public Schools;
• Thomas Stosur, Baltimore City planning director; and,
• Sabrina Sutton, the city's special assistant for youth and education.

The city says it needs to raise $1.5 billion for basic facilities maintenance and another $1.3 billion for major renovations and new school construction.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Baltimore City

Baltimore City officials hope to rehab more than 1,000 vacant buildings by providing more incentives to homebuyers and developers who build in distressed areas.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Baltimore Housing Commissioner Paul Graziano announced the "Vacants to Value" initiative Nov. 3.

The plan relies on six strategies:

• Disposing of vacant city-owned property. The mayor's office has restructured its land resources staff, hired a new team of real estate marketing professionals, and launched a new website to help sell vacant city properties.

• Fining landowners who abandon properties $900 instead of pursuing costly legal battles by taking each case to court. This will hopefully pressure absentee landowners and speculators to reinvest in their properties to avoid more fines, or sell them.

• Deploying code enforcement attorneys to encourage investment in emerging neighborhoods.

• Providing incentives for homebuyers and developers. This includes a $5,000, five-year forgivable loan for 100 police officers, firefighters, and teachers who purchase vacant property. Baltimore Housing has packaged four more home-buyer incentives, totaling roughly $1 million, for individuals who purchase vacant or newly rehabilitated homes. The department will also establish a new $1 million revolving loan fund to provide short-term cash for small developers and contractors who rehabilitate vacant properties.

• Supporting large-scale redevelopment efforts in distressed areas.

• In areas with significant urban blight, Baltimore Housing will focus on maintaining, clearing, and holding�or "land banking"�vacant property for future use. This involves demolishing and cleaning targeted areas and creating new green space.

Baltimore City contains 16,000 vacant buildings, of which 5,000 are located in what the city calls "transitional blocks" � areas that are largely occupied but challenged with a number of scattered vacant structures.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Baltimore City

A nonprofit is working with Baltimore City to preserve Baltimore's parks by allowing qualified land trusts to purchase city-owned land for $1 per lot.

There are 13,000 vacant lots in Baltimore City, about half of which are owned by the city, says Miriam Avins, founder of Baltimore Green Space.

The nonprofit's partnership with the city will allow Baltimore Green Space to take over two sites on behalf of community organizations. One is the horseshoe pit in Pigtown and the other is land at the intersection of North Avenue and Barclay, to be used as a sitting garden.

"We respond to what neighborhoods want to do," Avins says.

The system works by somebody in a neighborhood first submitting an application to preserve a piece of land and identifying a volunteer who can oversee the site. Baltimore Green Space then works with the volunteer to help the neighborhood preserve the land for, say, a garden or a park.

Baltimore Green Space's land transaction committee takes a first look at the property and does a due diligence screening. The land trust then acquires the land and connects the community organizations with the resources needed to preserve it.
 
For instance, an association in Upper Fells Point wanted to add some greenery in an alley behind a garden. If Baltimore Green Space didn't own it, the city would have repaved the alley.

"It helps make sure the decision reflects the desire of the neighborhood," Avins says.

The nonprofit is holding an informational session Oct. 26 at the Parks & People Foundation.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source Miriam Avins, Baltimore Green Space

Maryland Art Place is moving its office and gallery from Power Plant Live to Baltimore's west side as the nonprofit hopes to be an arts anchor for the neighborhood.

MAP has owned the 20,000-square-foot building at 218 W. Saratoga St. since 1988, but it has been renting out the space to other nonprofit tenants. Some of those will remain when MAP moves in January to the five-story building.

Eventually, leaders at the nonprofit would like to use the entire space for community arts projects, MAP Executive Director Cathy Byrd says. This could include artist studios, a dance studio and a small movie theater. To do that would take several years and require a thorough renovation of the building costing in the neighborhood of around $1.5 million, Byrd says.

The nonprofit is now applying for grants and planning a series of fundraisers to raise money for that effort. MAP plans to hold its fall fundraiser, Pop-Up Gala, Nov. 12 in the Saratoga St. building.

Byrd says the organization wanted to take part in what it sees as a burgeoning arts district on the west side. The area is home to the Hippodrome theater, the artist warehouse known as the H&H building, and Current Space art gallery, which recently moved to Howard St.

Next year, it will be home to Everyman Theatre once it moves from its Charles Street spot in the Station North Arts and Entertainment District.

The basement of the MAP building on Saratoga St. currently houses underground performance art series 14Karat Cabaret.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Cathy Byrd, Maryland Art Place

A Denver real estate investment trust has snatched up a Brewers Hill apartment complex for $46 million as it beefs up its portfolio in the Baltimore and Washington markets.

UDR Inc. bought the 180-unit building, called Domain Brewers Hill, as more people choose to rent versus buy property in the wake of the housing bust. Barron's forecasts that the percentage of households who own their own home will drop to 64 percent in 2015, down from its peak of 69 percent in 2004.

UDR likes to buy property in areas where there is limited land on which to develop more apartment units and where residents have a high propensity to rent versus own a home, says Andrew Cantor, UDR's vice president of investor relations.

It also invests in areas where there is job growth. Though Maryland's unemployment rate rose to 7.4 percent in August, the state has added 33,200 jobs since January, according to the state's department of labor, licensing and regulation.

Cantor says fewer people are leaving its apartment homes � a sign that rental demand is heating up. In August, just over half of its residents left their apartment homes, versus 61 percent during the second quarter of 2009.

"That's a huge improvement for us," Cantor says. With fewer people leaving, the company can charge higher rents.

With the Brewers Hill purchase, UDR now has 2,300 apartment units in Baltimore. It owns 50,000 apartment homes nationwide.

Average rent for the one-and-two-bedroom apartments at Domain Brewers Hill is $1,975. The apartments include high ceilings, hardwood floors, granite countertops, and stainless steel kitchen appliances. UDR added free wireless Internet access to the property.

Domain Brewers Hill was built in 2009 by the Hanover Co. of Houston.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Andrew Cantor, UDR