The owner of an East Baltimore shopping center could spend as much as $5 million on renovations that will hopefully help it attract a restaurant, bank and other tenants.
The makeover is underway at the
Erdman Shopping Center in the
Belair-Edison neighborhood, says
Peter Grose, vice president of
Regional Management, Inc.
The Erdman Shopping Center, built in the early 1960s to accommodate an expanding suburban population moving into the
city's northern neighborhoods, sits north of Sinclair Lane between Edison Highway and Erdman Avenue.
Current tenants at the 120,000-square-foot center include Rite Aid, Save-A-Lot and various clothing, cosmetic, and carryout food businesses. The shopping center serves daily and weekly needs of the neighboring community, Grose says.
The company expects to invest between $1 million and $5 million on renovations, and plans to complete them between the next six to twelve months, Grose says.
The company plans to raze several buildings on-site, replacing them with a new 9,000-square-foot, multi-tenant space, as well as a stand-alone site that could house a restaurant or a bank.
"We have the financial ability to really lift this center, and provide a needed investment in a really solid neighborhood," Grose says.
The Erdland Co. took possession of the center in September 2011.
Regional Management, a property management company in Baltimore, is overseeing the renovations and on-going management for The Erdland Co.
No timelines have been set for the leasing of the new spaces, but Grose hopes to attract businesses that are consistent with current offerings in the center.
Grose says he hopes to attract a sit-down restaurant to the center, as local offerings are sparse.
Some of the completed renovations include painting, landscaping, removal of debris, old metal pipes and rusted fences, replacing curbs, and adding speed bumps, stop signs, and a new roof for the complex.
The majority of the renovations have yet to be completed and will include redoing the fronts and canopies of existing businesses, and a substantial redesign of the parking lot to include more green space and to soften the appearance of the center, Grose says.
The renovations are part of an effort to improve a run-down shopping center in a part of the city that has dealt with crime. Last summer, a man making a delivery to the center was
shot and killed in the center's parking lot.
Grose hopes that the renovations provide the community with an additional level of support and optimism.
"Someone came in with private money and really believes the community will come back and do their shopping and get services in this center. It just needs some investment," Grose says.