Development News

Cirque du Soleil will be hiring 150 to 200 folks in Baltimore to help it put on its latest show, "Totem."

Jobs will include ushers, box office attendants, technicians, and supervisors prior to its April 7 debut in Baltimore at the Westport waterfront development, says Alyson Ling, Cirque's ticketing and customer service manager.  

It will take a lot of people to support the 17-day show. It takes 80 people to raise the big top, or Grand Chapiteau, and between seven and 10 days to set up the site. It takes another two-and-a-half days to tear down the 66-foot high tent, Ling says.

It's the fifth time the Montreal-based circus has come to Baltimore. It's last show, "Kooza," sold 60,000 tickets in 2009.
"Totem" traces the journey of the human species from its original amphibian state to its ultimate desire to fly. Baltimore is one of the first cities to host Cirque's newest touring production. "Totem" has played in Montreal, Quebec City, Amsterdam and London. It is currently running in Charlotte.

So how did Cirque choose developer Patrick Turner's Westport development � a $1.2 billion project that will include homes, offices and restaurants at a former industrial site? Its previous Baltimore shows have landed at Harbor East and near M&T Bank Stadium.

Ling says parking, the size of the site, public access and cost all factor into Cirque's decision when selecting a location.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Alyson Ling, Cirque du Soleil

Greenberg Gibbons Commercial Corp. will break ground in the fall on a $2.5 million building that will bring eight to 10 new restaurants and service companies to Annapolis Towne Centre.

The 24,000-square-foot building will be located at the intersection of West Street and Summerville Road and be completed by fall 2012, says Greenberg Gibbons Chief Operating Officer Tom Fitzpatrick. The developer hasn't identified any specific tenants yet for that space.

The site will largely contain fast casual restaurants, or restaurants that offer quick service and higher quality ingredients than fast food. That's largely the type of tenant that's going into a separate $2 million building opening in May at Annapolis Towne Centre.

Greenberg Gibbons thought fast casual restaurants would be a good addition to Annapolis Towne Centre since it currently houses mostly full service restaurants. Those include Paladar Latin Kitchen & Rum Bar, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant and Brio Tuscan Grill.

Tenants opening in May are:

• Flat Top Grill, a create-your-own stir-fry restaurant;
• Fidelity;
• Jimmy Johns Gourmet Sandwich Shop;
• Qdoba Mexican Grill;
• Saladworks;
• Scottrade; and,
• Zoe's Kitchen, which serves kabobs, hummus and other Mediterranean foods.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Tom Fitzpatrick, Greenberg Gibbons

Officials at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport could get a new operator to man its duty-free concessions.

Sometime this year, the airport will issue a bid for its duty-free shop, BWI spokesman Jonathan Dean says. The shop is located in Concourse E, the airport's international terminal.

Duty Free Americas Inc. of Hollywood, Fla., has managed the shop since 2003. The company operates duty-free shops at 15 airports, including Dulles International Airport, Boston's International Airport, Miami International Airport and Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.

The contract was given a one-year extension, starting April 1, at the March 9 Board of Public Works meeting.

A new contract for a duty-free shop would likely begin April 2012.

The duty-free operator will pay the Maryland Aviation Administration an office space rental of $125,725 per year, or 15 percent of gross revenues up to $750,000 and 20 percent of gross revenues that exceed $750,000 � whichever is greater.

Nearly 22 million passengers flew through BWI last year, a 4.7 percent increase over 2009 and an all-time record for the airport.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Jonathan Dean, BWI

The hospitality management company recently launched by Michael Haynie is close to purchasing its first hotel, a Maryland property.

The former managing director of Baltimore's Tremont Suite Hotels, Haynie this month created Parkway Hospitality Management LLC. Haynie is leasing space at event firm P.W. Feats, at 3 East Read St. in Mount Vernon for himself and his three employees.

Haynie didn't want to lease his own office just yet as a startup and thought that by taking space in another office could help him keep costs low.

"You don't want to be overwhelmed with debt," he says. "It hurts the company's ability to be successful."

Parkway will initially focus on getting management contracts at distressed hotel properties and taking a partial or full ownership stake in these deals. A lot of banks have taken over financially troubled hotels, but lack the expertise to manage them. Haynie couldn't reveal the Maryland property his company is currently trying to purchase because the deal is not finalized.

Parkway isn't limiting its focus to hotels, however. The company is looking at prospective restaurants and retail shops to offer its consultation services. This includes providing customer service training and performing staff assessments. The company is eye properties along the East Coast, from Pennsylvania to North Carolina.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Michael Haynie, Parkway Hospitality Management

Friends and family used to ask Stephanie Bradshaw to help design their homes and go shopping with them. So she launched Bradshaw Styling in 2008 to "dress people, parties and places."

And recently, the designer opened her own studio at 211 Old Padonia Rd. in Cockeysville.

Bradshaw styles a lot of weddings in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., fashion magazines, homes and commercial spaces.

"If you're meeting a bride, you get tired of meeting at Starbucks," Bradshaw says.

The two-room space contains fabric samples, swatches and accessories.

Her clients include Baltimore Magazine, Six Mile Coffee in Catonsville, Carla David Design in Savage and Roland Park flower shop Crimson and Clover. Another growing client is Arsty Couture, which sells "gallery blocks," or photos affixed to a block that can be hung on a wall.

"A lot of things are in the works right now," Bradshaw says. "W are definitely growing," says Bradshaw, a former contestant on the HGTV reality show "Design Star."

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Stephanie Bradshaw, Bradshaw Styling

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

Building an original slice of the Bronx in Baltimore will cost as much as $3 million.

The owners of Aldo's Italian Restaurant in Little Italy are teaming up with Hollywood actor Chazz Palminteri to open a coal-fired pizza restaurant in Harbor East.

Much of that money will go in the restaurant's design, Aldo's Co-owner Alessandro Vitale says. The owners have hired Baltimore's Rita St. Clair, who has put her stamp on the Prime Rib and Aldo's.

"We're trying to capture old-school Bronx" circa 1950, Vitale says. (That's the same era depicted in Palminteri's movie and play "A Bronx Tale.")

You can expect to see a black-and-white checker floor, marble tops, and subway tiles behind the pizza oven. Diners will be able to watch the guys making pizza.

"We're trying to create an immersive experience," Vitale says, adding, "You can't fake it."

Partners in the venture include the Vitales, Palminteri and Kerry Kessel, an investor and friend of the actor.

Palminteri forged a friendship with the Vitale brothers after falling in love with Aldo's marinara sauce.

The 7,000-square-foot restaurant will employ more than 40.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Alessandro Vitale, Aldo's Italian Restaurant, Chazz: A Bronx Original

Ross Technologies Inc., a 14-year-old cyber security consulting firm, is moving its headquarters from Columbia to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County technology park.

The 11,425-square-foot office will open in the spring at 5520 Research Park Dr., bringing about 50 jobs to the new office. Ross' move highlights the research park's draw for cyber security firms, of which it now has about a dozen.

These include Telcordia Technologies Inc., a telecommunications company that is also opening at the research park this spring. The company works with Department of Defense agencies at Fort Meade and Aberdeen Proving Ground. It is opening the office as a result of the Base Realignment and Closure, expected to bring thousands of defense contracting jobs to Maryland.

Cyber security firms are a good fit for the research park given its proximity to Fort Meade, about 10 miles away, says Ellen Hemmerly, executive director of bwtech@UMBC Research and Technology Park.

The school is opening an incubator this week, the Northrup Grumman Cync program, that will help the next generation of tech firms combat online threats.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Ellen Hemmerly, UMBC

In less than a month, Baltimore Orioles' fans will hear the crack of the bat at Camden Yards.

In about seven months, more than 100,000 people are expected to visit Charm City for the Baltimore Grand Prix Race. And restaurant owners Justin Dvorkin and Donald Kelly hope their burritos and margaritas will feed and quench the thirst of these sports' enthusiasts � and put some change in their pocket.

The business partners will open Charm City Cantina at 200 W. Pratt St. April 4, just in time for Opening Day. The 220-seat restaurant will be located next door to their other venture, the Pratt Street Ale House.

Since taking over the Pratt Street Ale House two years ago, the owners have gotten steady traffic from sports fans, convention attendees, concert goers at First Mariner Arena, and tourists, Kelly says. When the opportunity came up to take over the restaurant next door, they felt they had to take it.

The pair will spend as much as $400,000 to open the 6,800-square-foot restaurant. Some of that money will be spent to hire a designer to create a look that is a cross between an American pub and a Mexican eatery.

With no other full-service Mexican restaurants downtown, Kelly and Dvorkin say they hope the investment pays off.

But opening a second establishment will be challenging as the price of food and other commodities climb higher, Kelly says.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Sources: Justin Dvorkin and Donald Kelly

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

Remember Nike's message to folks who put off getting in shape?

Live Baltimore, a nonprofit that promotes home buying in Baltimore City, doesn't want home buyers to procrastinate, either, in its newest ad campaign, which starts later this month.

The message is "buy now," Live Baltimore Executive Director Anna Custer says.

With interest rates low, a depressed housing market, and cash incentives for buying in the city, purchasing a Baltimore home has never been more affordable, she says.

"We want to give people a reason to get off their hind legs," Custer says. "Stop saying someday," I'll buy a house.

The $40,000 multimedia ad campaign will include ads in DC Metro stations, Google pay-per-click ads, Facebook, and other social media sites. You will also see a viral campaign involving "flash mobs," or the idea that random people gather at a public location to chant, cheer, dance, or perform some other predetermined act.

Live Baltimore's goal is to reach the creative class of young, hip professionals who will view home buying in Baltimore an investment in their future.

Still, getting people to buy a home in Baltimore is fraught with challenges given that perceptions of the city are mired in images of "the Wire," and the latest census data shows that the city lost residents over the last decade.

Custer says she hopes the campaign will challenge people's perceptions and stir up conversations on everything from neighborhoods to food in Baltimore.

One key component of the campaign includes taking iconic signs throughout the city and using them to form words. So, for instance, the "O" from the Domino Sugar sign might be used to spell Baltimore. Folks who can guess where the shots were taken get a prize.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Anna Custer, Live Baltimore

Baltimore City Community College is embarking on an $11 million renovation that will spruce up its aging Liberty Heights campus and build a new computer lab to support growing online enrollment.

College officials plan to upgrade the HVAC, fire, sprinkler, and other systems in the administrative offices of the main building, college spokesman Patrick Onley says. That building dates to 1965.

"It's long due for an overhaul," Onley says of the main building.

The new computer lab will support distance learning. Currently, 2,143 students take at least one online course. That represents about one third of its total enrollment of credit students and is an 11 percent increase over last year, Onley says.

"That's why it's important for us to have a new computer lab."

Construction on the renovations should begin in October, and January 2012 for the computer lab. Onley says he is not sure when the projects will be completed.

The college hopes to get $2.25 million from the state's 2012 budget and another $8 million from that of fiscal 2013 to go toward the renovation.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Patrick Onley, Baltimore City Community College

HomeGoods will offer Maryland shoppers another place to buy its discount furniture in May.

The 25,000-square-foot shop will replace a former A.J. Wright store at the Harundale Mall Shopping Center at 7736 Ritchie Hwy.

Last year, parent company TJX Cos. Inc. said it would shutter all A.J. Wright stores nationally. Now the Framingham, Mass., firm is in the process of converting some of them to its other brands, T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods.

HomeGoods opens in markets where shoppers want to buy home d�cor, including designer brands, at a discount, HomeGoods spokesman Philip Tracey says. Its other Maryland stores are located in Columbia, Gambrills, and Owings Mills.

The store will employ 60 full and part-time employees. Former A.J. Wright employees will be given the opportunity to work for the new
HomeGoods and get paid during the interim period when the store is closed for renovations, says TJX spokeswoman Doreen Thompson.

HomeGoods operates more than 330 stores across the country. The shops sell furniture, lighting, rugs, bedding, and bath decor.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Sources: Doreen Thompson, Philip Tracey, Robyn Arvedon, TJX Cos. Inc.

A 38-year-old health club in the Washington area wants to muscle its way to more Maryland locations.

After getting an undisclosed sum of cash last year from Capital One, Sport & Health Clubs is ready to expand, says Nancy Terry, the health club's senior vice president of marketing. That money comes on top of the $25 million the McLean, Va., company received from investors in 2009.

Sport & Health will open two to three new sites this year. Each location will be between 40,000 and 50,000 square feet. Terry wouldn't say exactly which towns or counties health club managers are eyeing because the leases have not been signed.

"There's lots of great opportunities throughout the Maryland area and we're exploring all of those options right now," Terry says.

The company is looking at both shopping centers and freestanding locations in high-income areas.

Sport & Health recently opened its 25th location in Frederick in a former Gold's Gym spot.

Describing the industry as somewhat "recession resilient," Sport & Health had a solid financial year last year, Terry says.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Nancy Terry, Sport & Health

Behold the power of pepperoni.

A two-year-old pizza restaurant in Harbor East is doubling its size in the next four months.

Bagby Pizza Co. at 1006 Fleet St. will add another 75 seats, a bar, and a small plate menu, say father-and-son co-owners David and Blake Smith. The expansion will give it 130 seats and another 1,800 square feet of space.

The pizza joint will take over the spot that held flower shop the Dutch Connection, which closed.

The Smiths say the new menu is still in the works. Perhaps American comfort food will be on tap, says David Smith, who also envisions a martini bar. He says he is spending "a few hundred thousand" on the expansion.

Sandwiched between Whole Foods and Little Italy, the Bagby Building has been a good location for the restaurant, Blake Smith says. It gets lunch traffic from office workers and nighttime customers from neighboring residents.

"It's been getting awfully busy around here," especially on Friday and Saturday nights," Smith says. 'It's a good problem to have."

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: David Smith, Blake Smith, Bagby Pizza Co.