Baltimore Development News IV

[SoBoChris]

While were at it, we ought to prevail on the State to improve the appearence of the "newer" Hutzler's building. It's quite an attractive "modern" building but DHR has made it look like a hidden fortress. As is it almost looks abandoned. A pressure wash, street-front windows and opening up the sealed doors would help to improve the look of Howard St. With the Stewart's building finally finding a tenant, things will begin to look up along that block.

The newer Hutzler's building is actually the site of the old Hoschild Kohn building which was quite nice. A few years after Hoschild's closed in the late 70's or early 80's, the empty store burned to the ground. Hutzler's was still in business next door and took the oportunity to move in. Actually Hutzler's was looking to downsize and the new building contained much less space then the Palace building.

[SoBoChris]

We might be missing the boat here. Remember how JD Rockefeller's guys managed to convince Americans that Williamsburg Va in colonial times was a haven for luxury and good taste with air conditioned buildings, lots of boxwoods, clean food, no bugs, happy slaves, sewage disposal and no animal waste. If they could pull that off, we might be able to have a "old-timey" industrial theme park where tourists could sleep in little formstone rowhouses, eat crabs all the time, drink cheap but good beer, cheer for the Baltimore Colts and Johhny U, work in steel mills, iron foundries and car factories and learn to speak Bawlmerese. It just might catch on, a Baltimore Museum inside the real Baltimore.

Now that's a great idea! Imagine it, Baltimore, 1955. The re-enactors could be wearing poodle skirts, cat eye glasses, and three foot bee-hives with pill box hats perched way on top! I can see it all right now! If I had endless amounts of money, I'd start tomorrow!

[scando]

The newer Hutzler's building is actually the site of the old Hoschild Kohn building which was quite nice. A few years after Hoschild's closed in the late 70's or early 80's, the empty store burned to the ground. Hutzler's was still in business next door and took the oportunity to move in. Actually Hutzler's was looking to downsize and the new building contained much less space then the Palace building.

That was the newest Hutzler's, the one that was opened in the 80's. The one I speak of was not the Palace (large windowed brownstone) but the much taller Art Moderne building that they sold when they built the building on the Hoschild site. DHR moved in but the building looks so sad and neglected now. If the State owned a building like that in Annapolis they would have made it look better, but they seem almost complicit in the state of Howard St.

[SoBoChris]

That was the newest Hutzler's, the one that was opened in the 80's. The one I speak of was not the Palace (large windowed brownstone) but the much taller Art Moderne building that they sold when they built the building on the Hoschild site. DHR moved in but the building looks so sad and neglected now. If the State owned a building like that in Annapolis they would have made it look better, but they seem almost complicit in the state of Howard St.

Ohhh...Hutzler's Tower Building! Gotcha! I wonder if any developers have approached the state about acquiring the Hutzler's complex?

[StevenW]

Awesome! 800 Aliceanna is supposed to be 28 flrs right? I believe its suppose to be about the height of Marriot, correct me if I'm wrong. This will be the first tall tower in 5 yrs for Baltimore. The last one was the neighboring Marriott Waterfront tower which was completed in 2000. Man I loved getting out of school and seeing them building that tower across the harbor. :)

28 or 29 stories, I think.
But, the tower, I believe, will rise to either 320 ft. or 330 ft. at max. That's still not too bad. :)

[StevenW]

NAACP objects to plans for downtown hotel

Group 'strongly recommends' city find private investor to pay for project
Originally published July 26, 2005
The Baltimore City branch of the NAACP added its name yesterday to the growing list of people and organizations with objections to the city's convention center hotel plan.

The group's officers called a news conference to say that they could support a hotel - but only if city officials change significant aspects of the project, including how they plan to pay for it.

The City Council is considering a plan to build a $305 million hotel with revenue bonds. The city would develop and own the 752-room Hilton, which the Baltimore Development Corp. says will salvage business at the downtown Convention Center.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People opposes using entirely public money and "strongly recommends" the city find a private investor to pay for most of it.

NAACP officials, saying the group has been shut out of the process, also want to help search for such a developer.

The NAACP's list of what it wants the city to do before approving a hotel includes:


Create a panel, with an NAACP representative on it, to search for a developer who will build the hotel with mostly private money.


Get in writing that 80 percent of the hotel's employees would be city residents and then monitor the hotel annually to ensure compliance.


Use the hotel's occupancy tax for education, housing and economic development in neighborhoods outside of the Inner Harbor.

The demands echo protests by Baltimore's Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance and BUILD, a faith-based nonprofit organization. The groups say that if the city gets into the hotel business, it should increase its efforts to clear blight from Baltimore's depressed neighborhoods.

The Job Opportunities Task Force has also pressed city officials for a commitment that the hotel's jobs will go to Baltimore residents.

The City Council will hold a work session tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. to discuss the hotel.

- Jill Rosen

[StevenW]

Now that's a great idea! Imagine it, Baltimore, 1955. The re-enactors could be wearing poodle skirts, cat eye glasses, and three foot bee-hives with pill box hats perched way on top! I can see it all right now! If I had endless amounts of money, I'd start tomorrow!

LOL! :rofl:

[StevenW]

http://www.mddailyrecord.com/newspics/charlesplaza.jpg
Downtown Baltimore may be ready for wave of stores


With downtown Baltimore expected to reach a critical mass of 10,000 residents by year’s end, city planners are studying new ways to beef up the area’s shopping scene.

- JEN DEGREGORIO

[StevenW]

Great story:
http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2005/07/25/editorial1.html

Streetcar line can spur city economy

[PeterSmith]

NAACP objects to plans for downtown hotel
Group 'strongly recommends' city find private investor to pay for project
Originally published July 26, 2005
The Baltimore City branch of the NAACP added its name yesterday to the growing list of people and organizations with objections to the city's convention center hotel plan.

The group's officers called a news conference to say that they could support a hotel - but only if city officials change significant aspects of the project, including how they plan to pay for it.

The City Council is considering a plan to build a $305 million hotel with revenue bonds. The city would develop and own the 752-room Hilton, which the Baltimore Development Corp. says will salvage business at the downtown Convention Center.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People opposes using entirely public money and "strongly recommends" the city find a private investor to pay for most of it.

NAACP officials, saying the group has been shut out of the process, also want to help search for such a developer.

The NAACP's list of what it wants the city to do before approving a hotel includes:


Create a panel, with an NAACP representative on it, to search for a developer who will build the hotel with mostly private money.


Get in writing that 80 percent of the hotel's employees would be city residents and then monitor the hotel annually to ensure compliance.


Use the hotel's occupancy tax for education, housing and economic development in neighborhoods outside of the Inner Harbor.

The demands echo protests by Baltimore's Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance and BUILD, a faith-based nonprofit organization. The groups say that if the city gets into the hotel business, it should increase its efforts to clear blight from Baltimore's depressed neighborhoods.

The Job Opportunities Task Force has also pressed city officials for a commitment that the hotel's jobs will go to Baltimore residents.

The City Council will hold a work session tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. to discuss the hotel.

- Jill Rosen

[PeterSmith]

Yeah, I'm excited to see 800 Aliceanna go up. Hopefully it'll be well on its way in the air when I make my return to Baltimore next month. I bought my plane ticket - $146 out of Ft. Lauderdale, not bad. But yeah, it has been a while for Baltimore since our last reasonably tall one. 330 feet is kind of short for a 28 storey building, considering Canton Crossing is the same height at 17 storeys, but oh well, better than nothing at all.

[StevenW]

Residential linchpin of city's west side rehab nearly done
Heather Harlan
Staff
Centerpoint, a massive residential project that is a critical piece of the redevelopment of the city's west side, is already 60 percent leased -- before the project is complete.


Leasing for the one square-block apartment complex along Howard, Fayette, Eutaw and Baltimore streets began in April 2004, with the first renters taking occupancy last August, according to Bozzuto Management Co. of Greenbelt.

Spearheaded by financing provided by Bank of America, the 392-unit project is expected to be completed this fall. The last 105 units are under construction and attracting a lot of attention, said Joyce E. Moskovitz, senior vice president of Community Development Banking for Bank of America.

Graduate students, University of Maryland employees, young professionals and empty-nesters are among those most interested in the project, where rents range from $700 a month for a studio to as much as $2,400 a month for a two-bedroom apartment, Moskovitz said.

The penthouse -- with views of downtown Baltimore -- goes for $4,500 a month, according to Bozzuto Management.

Bank of America has invested $90 million in Centerpoint alone and another $60 million into other west side projects. It is the single-largest investment from a community development perspective that the bank has made anywhere in the country.

Ronald M. Kreitner, executive director of WestSide Renaissance Inc., a group of west side stakeholders, said the bank's major investment in Centerpoint is key in moving this section of downtown forward.

With residents returning to the neighborhood that spans from Martin Luther King Boulevard to Charles Street and Oriole Park to the state office complex on West Preston Street, the west side is gaining momentum and other businesses to service those who are living there, Kreitner said.

John Moore is launching one of those businesses. The Irishman has teamed up with some investors to purchase the former Eutaw Street Savings Bank Building on the west side. The entrepreneur is pouring about $2.5 million into what he believes is the perfect location for an Irish pub. Called Maggie Moore's, the bar and restaurant is expected to be open by the end of July.

When asked why he selected the west side, Moore said: "The redevelopment and Bank of America and Centerpoint and the University of Maryland has four of its grad school programs here. And, there's so much going on with the biotech park that's coming in here. You have Camden Yards, M&T, the football stadium. You've got just a fantastic revitalization of an area."

Overall, the government and private investors, including Bank of America, have pumped a total of $1 billion into the west side during the past five years, according to WestSide Renaissance.

Another $1 billion is needed, Kreitner said, to make certain the area can stand on its own and become a thriving neighborhood once again.



© 2005 American City Business Journals Inc.

[StevenW]

Yeah, I'm excited to see 800 Aliceanna go up. Hopefully it'll be well on its way in the air when I make my return to Baltimore next month. I bought my plane ticket - $146 out of Ft. Lauderdale, not bad. But yeah, it has been a while for Baltimore since our last reasonably tall one. 330 feet is kind of short for a 28 storey building, considering Canton Crossing is the same height at 17 storeys, but oh well, better than nothing at all.

One thing to keep in mind is that the Canton tower is an office tower and thus has, generally a higher floor to ceiling ratio. Probably around 14 ft. per floor. Aliceanna is a residential tower primarily, so it has a shorter floor to ceiling ratio per floor. Probably 10 to 11 ft. max. Now if the Aliceanna tower was an office tower at 29 stories then it could well have risen to about 420 ft. to 450 ft. tall not including if it had some type of crown. :)

[StevenW]

Isn't Harbor East great? I mean, just look what it used to look like not too long ago:
http://pages.towson.edu/crio/Graphics/2AerialBaltimore.jpg
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/education/growfromhere/LESSON5/images/l5p1.jpg

[MasonsInquiries]

[QUOTE=StevenW]Residential linchpin of city's west side rehab nearly done
Heather Harlan
Staff
Centerpoint, a massive residential project that is a critical piece of the redevelopment of the city's west side, is already 60 percent leased -- before the project is complete.


that's......wild!!! BEFORE the building's complete!!! wow.

:eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2: :eek2:

[PeterSmith]

Don't a lot of projects get fully or mostly leased before they are completed though? It's a good sign, but I didn't think it was that unusual.

[MasonsInquiries]

Don't a lot of projects get fully or mostly leased before they are completed though? It's a good sign, but I didn't think it was that unusual.


it doesn't (not in general)

[SoBoChris]

By the way, I had the great honor of meeting our good friend Jeff Ratnow AKA Jeffbaltimore at the Riverside Action Group's meeting last evening. He really knows his stuff, as if I even have to mention it! I figured with 28 new homes being proposed behind my house, I'd better find out what all was going on. I'm sure I'll be seeing him again this evening for the Key Hwy. meeting at the former Southern High School. If any of you have the time to spare, 6 o'clock @ 1100 Covington Street!

[SoBoChris]

Don't a lot of projects get fully or mostly leased before they are completed though? It's a good sign, but I didn't think it was that unusual.

It's definitely wise for a developer to have most if not all space leased beforehand. Take all the office construction downtown in the 80's. The occupancy rate was so low that we are now just catching up. This was true even for residences. Harborview is a prime example. For most of the 90's the tower had such low occupancy that all future projects (the other towers) were downsized or stalled for years.

[PeterSmith]

http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2005/07/25/daily9.html?jst=b_ln_hl

I'm not sure if this is the a new issue or the BBJ is simply late in putting this out. My dad sent me a AAA magazine a few weeks ago with Baltimore on the cover, bt that might have been a regional edition and this is the world edition...?? I don't know. Either way, it's more great news for Bmore.

[PeterSmith]

This leads me to my next question. Baltimore has been getting A LOT of publicity as a tourist destination. Or at least thats the way it seems. But does anybody here actually see Baltimore as becoming a major tourist spot? Maybe my view of tourist hotspots is limited or clouded, but I can't picture Baltimore having rows of highrise hotels, say lining the harbor, in a way that hotels line the shores of beach hotspots, or having hotels on every street like in Manhattan. It would definitely be great for Baltimore if all of this did transpire, but I'm having trouble picturing it. Does anybody here actually view Baltimore as the tourist destination it has been made out to be? I hope I'm the only one and that you guys can set me straight.

[SoBoChris]

This leads me to my next question. Baltimore has been getting A LOT of publicity as a tourist destination. Or at least thats the way it seems. But does anybody here actually see Baltimore as becoming a major tourist spot? Maybe my view of tourist hotspots is limited or clouded, but I can't picture Baltimore having rows of highrise hotels, say lining the harbor, in a way that hotels line the shores of beach hotspots, or having hotels on every street like in Manhattan. It would definitely be great for Baltimore if all of this did transpire, but I'm having trouble picturing it. Does anybody here actually view Baltimore as the tourist destination it has been made out to be? I hope I'm the only one and that you guys can set me straight.

Definitely! Now that the tourists are being moved beyond the Inner Harbor, I think Baltimore will become quite the hotspot. Add in Hackerman's convention hotel and the streetcar line and WOW, Baltimore will no longer be the pit stop on the way to DC!

[StevenW]

Yeah, I don't think we give Baltimore enough credit in the, "hot spot", area. :D ;)
I mean, Baltimore is basically in the middle of the USA east coast. Great access geographicaly from the south, north and west. :D There is a huge surrounding population. Add the other national and internation tourists and "Walla!"
\Being close to DC does give people an excuse to visit this nearby city called Baltimore. Ecspecially with all the development buzz going on all the time, now. :D

[PeterSmith]

I see what you guys are getting at. I guess I always wished Baltimore would become more young-hip-nightlife touristy rather than grab-the-family-and-lets-go-learn-about-our-roots touristy. Not that there is anything wrong with either, and you can certainly have both, i.e. every European city, but it is rare in the US. Usually its one or the other. But I guess Baltimore is too quirky and unique to make it with the trendy crowds.

[SoBoChris]

I see what you guys are getting at. I guess I always wished Baltimore would become more young-hip-nightlife touristy rather than grab-the-family-and-lets-go-learn-about-our-roots touristy. Not that there is anything wrong with either, and you can certainly have both, i.e. every European city, but it is rare in the US. Usually its one or the other. But I guess Baltimore is too quirky and unique to make it with the trendy crowds.

Well, Baltimore does have trendy bars with trendy people, but I still know a lot of people who would rather hit the clubs in DC, Philly and NYC. I can't see as many people from those places coming here for the same reason. Ram's Head Live might change that along with the other places in that area. Actually one of my personal favorites it Red Maple in Mt. Vernon. If you haven't gone, its definitely worth checking out. Here's their site:

http://www.930redmaple.com/redmaple.html

[PeterSmith]

Yeah, that is kind of what I was referring too. Having lived in Miami for the last three years, I think the Miami-type club scene appeals to tourists, especially international ones, more than Baltimore's laid back rock music and beer drinking oriented nightlife.

I had heard of Rams Head Live, it's mainly a live music venue, right? I had never heard of Red Maple, but after looking at the website it looks widdit. Its definitely the kind of place that would appeal more to tourists, I think, and Mt. Vernon is definitely the place to have it. I'll have to check it out.

EDIT: Baltimore also needs to do something about its 2am last call. It's way too early in my opinion. People on vacation want to drink until the sun comes up.

[MasonsInquiries]

Isn't Harbor East great? I mean, just look what it used to look like not too long ago:
http://pages.towson.edu/crio/Graphics/2AerialBaltimore.jpg
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/education/growfromhere/LESSON5/images/l5p1.jpg

i was looking again at the inner harbor pic here BEFORE inner harbor east was ever built. baltimore really needs to look into building a bridge of some type. possibly, a bridge that could stretch from harbor point (since it's the furthest out in the water) on to the key highway area. it would become a huge relief traffic-wise. excellent investment it would be.

[waj0527]

Traffic across the inner harbor?? Wasnt that advoided back in the 70s? I dont think that'd be a very good idea.

[SoBoChris]

i was looking again at the inner harbor pic here BEFORE inner harbor east was ever built. baltimore really needs to look into building a bridge of some type. possibly, a bridge that could stretch from harbor point (since it's the furthest out in the water) on to the key highway area. it would become a huge relief traffic-wise. excellent investment it would be.

*GASP!!* Maybe a tunnel, but never ever ever a bridge!

[SoBoChris]

EDIT: Baltimore also needs to do something about its 2am last call. It's way too early in my opinion. People on vacation want to drink until the sun comes up.

A couple of years ago there was talk of keeping the bars open till 4am, but I guess it got swept under the carpet.

[Hood]

By the way, I had the great honor of meeting our good friend Jeff Ratnow AKA Jeffbaltimore at the Riverside Action Group's meeting last evening. He really knows his stuff, as if I even have to mention it! I figured with 28 new homes being proposed behind my house, I'd better find out what all was going on. I'm sure I'll be seeing him again this evening for the Key Hwy. meeting at the former Southern High School. If any of you have the time to spare, 6 o'clock @ 1100 Covington Street!

The honor was all mine. I am glad you came out to the RAG meeting. I am sure I will see you many times in the future. Tonight will be interesting to say the least. I have already spoken with the owners of 2 properties who want to be part of the study, but the City is stonewalling – The General Ship Repair Property and also the Egan Marina Property. The City is essentially putting Little Havana’s out of business because the owner intended to move his restaurant to the Egan property he bought. This lease is up at the end of this year where he is at now. But, his property is in the Maritime Industrial Overlay District and the City won’t even entertain taking him out of it even though he has gotten the ok from his industrial neighbors. It’s a fallacy and a shame. I'll be heading on over straight from work, see you then.

[SoBoChris]

The honor was all mine. I am glad you came out to the RAG meeting. I am sure I will see you many times in the future. Tonight will be interesting to say the least. I have already spoken with the owners of 2 properties who want to be part of the study, but the City is stonewalling – The General Ship Repair Property and also the Egan Marina Property. The City is essentially putting Little Havana’s out of business because the owner intended to move his restaurant to the Egan property he bought. This lease is up at the end of this year where he is at now. But, his property is in the Maritime Industrial Overlay District and the City won’t even entertain taking him out of it even though he has gotten the ok from his industrial neighbors. It’s a fallacy and a shame. I'll be heading on over straight from work, see you then.

Sweet! I was hoping to be able to go on the little tour at 5, but there's no way I can get home in time.

[SoBoChris]

The Other Baltimore

Hardly Harborplace: A tour of Charm City's lurid, violent and scandalous past.

By John E. McIntyre
Sun Staff
Originally published July 24, 2005
Now that Frommer's has proclaimed Baltimore an international tourist destination, Baltimoreans can expect to introduce even more newcomers to the conventional visitor treats: crab cakes, the National Aquarium or the Cone sisters' Matisses at the BMA.

But behind and beyond the tourist's Baltimore lurks an older, quirkier city - less polished, less conventional, omitted from most tourist guidebooks: the Other Baltimore.

Some notable locations of the Other Baltimore:

Scott and Zelda

1307 Park Ave.

F. Scott Fitzgerald lived for a time in this Bolton Hill rowhouse with his daughter, Scottie. His wife, Zelda, had been treated for mental illness at the Phipps Clinic of Johns Hopkins Hospital and at Sheppard Pratt Hospital before being transferred to an institution in Asheville, N.C.

H.L. Mencken describes a dinner party with Scott and Zelda at their previous house in Rodgers Forge at which the hosts were both so drunk that they didn't notice that the courses were served in reverse order, the soup arriving last.

Of the Bolton Hill house, Mencken wrote, "I never saw him there, for I heard at once that he was drinking on a grand scale, and that the house was an almost incredible mess."

Forty-six ballots

5th Regiment Armory, 29th Division Street

The Democratic Party convened its presidential nominating convention in Baltimore on Tuesday, June 25, 1912. The weather was oppressively humid, the hall had no air conditioning, and the Democrats were hobbled by their requirement of a two-thirds majority for nomination - a rule not changed until 1936. Perspiring delegates voted inconclusively Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Many ran out of money and headed home, leaving their places to alternates.

The convention resumed balloting on Monday, and finally, on Tuesday afternoon, July 2, New Jersey Gov. Woodrow Wilson was nominated on the 46th ballot.

Actor and assassin

Green Mount Cemetery

While many respectable burghers lie beneath respectful monuments in Green Mount Cemetery, it is also the burial place of John Wilkes Booth, Maryland native, scion of a family of actors, assassin of Abraham Lincoln. Booth's remains were interred in the family plot, but the grave is unmarked.

The Great Fire

Hopkins Place and Baltimore Street

Here stood the John E. Hurst & Co. dry goods establishment. A fire started in the basement the morning of Feb. 7, 1904, a Sunday, and spread rapidly through the building until an explosion blew the roof off and spread the blaze through the business district. That was the starting point of the Great Fire of Baltimore, which destroyed 1,526 buildings and devastated 140 acres in the middle of the city.

Mrs. Simpson

Christ's Church

The former Episcopal church at St. Paul and Chase streets, now the New Refuge Deliverance Cathedral, is where Bessie Wallis Warfield married for the first time. She married Earl Winfield Spencer, a Navy lieutenant, in 1916 and divorced in 1927. In 1928, she married Ernest Aldrich Simpson; they divorced in 1936, at which point she was able to marry the man with whom she had been carrying on an affair, King Edward VIII, who abdicated the throne of England to be with her. She lived her remaining years as the Duchess of Windsor.

Nolo contendere

U.S. Post Office and Courthouse

The old federal courthouse at Calvert and Fayette streets is now the annex to the city's Clarence Mitchell Courthouse. It was here on Oct. 10, 1973, that Spiro T. Agnew, vice president of the United States and former governor of Maryland, pleaded no contest to federal charges of tax evasion stemming from his acceptance of bribes.

His resignation from the vice presidency was submitted the same day.

Burlesque queen

414 E. Baltimore St.

It was at the 2 O'Clock Club on The Block that Blaze Starr (nee Fannie Belle Fleming) shimmied her way to fame from 1950 to 1972. One of her notable exploits was a love affair with Gov. Earl K. Long of Louisiana (brother of the assassinated Huey) in the late 1950s.

Big Al

Union Memorial Hospital

Along 33rd Street next to Union Memorial Hospital stands a large weeping cherry tree.

The tree was a gift to the hospital in 1940 by a grateful patient, Al Capone, who was being treated there for syphilis. It flowers beautifully every spring.

A poet's end

Lombard Street

It was on East Lombard Street, between High and Exeter streets, not far from a saloon being used as a polling place, that Edgar Allan Poe, America's first great master of the macabre, was found wandering, disheveled and incoherent, on Oct. 3, 1849. He was taken to the Washington College Hospital on Broadway (which later became the Church Hospital) and died there four days later.

His grave, at the Westminster Hall and Burying Ground at Fayette and Greene streets, draws visitors every Halloween.

Guns over Baltimore

Federal Hill Park

Federal Hill got its name because, in 1788, Baltimoreans marched there to celebrate Maryland's ratification of the Constitution.

The site is also associated with a somewhat less glorious occasion.
On May 13, 1861, Brig. Gen. Benjamin F. Butler arrived in Baltimore with 1,000 Union troops and occupied Federal Hill, from which he trained artillery on the city of Baltimore by way of encouraging it to stay within the Union.

He succeeded.

"Patriotic gore"

Pratt Street between President Street Station and Camden Station

It was at the President Street Station that the 6th Massachusetts Regiment arrived on April 19, 1861, on its way to defend Washington at the opening of the Civil War. Because there was no direct rail line through the city, the soldiers were transferred to Camden Station, their cars drawn along Pratt Street by horses.

Baltimore was secesh, and the passage of the Union troops was blocked by a large crowd. The soldiers left the cars and marched on, at which point the mob attacked them. They returned fire, and by the time the 6th Massachusetts entrained for Washington, four soldiers and 12 civilians lay dead.

Thus, the first blood of the Civil War was shed on Pratt Street in Baltimore.

The riot was also the occasion of a poem by James Ryder Randall that later, set to the tune of "O Tannenbaum," became the state song: "The despot's heel is on thy shore, Maryland!/ His torch is at thy temple door, Maryland!/ Avenge the patriotic gore/ That flecked the streets of Baltimore. ..."

The "despot" of the state song - just to be clear about it - is the government of the United States.

Sources

Nearly 19 years ago, Don and Sarah Stevens-Rayburn of Original Northwood gave a couple of newcomers an account of an "anti-tour" that they themselves had been given on their arrival in town. Over the subsequent two decades, closer acquaintance with the city has only added to the richness and quirkiness of that initial account.

Material for this article was drawn from The Baltimore Sun, 1837-1987 by Harold A. Williams, My Life as Author and Editor by H.L. Mencken, Duchess by Stephen Birmingham and the archives of The Sun.

[Maudibjr]

i was looking again at the inner harbor pic here BEFORE inner harbor east was ever built. baltimore really needs to look into building a bridge of some type. possibly, a bridge that could stretch from harbor point (since it's the furthest out in the water) on to the key highway area. it would become a huge relief traffic-wise. excellent investment it would be.

Not a chance.

If you still want ships in the inner harbor the bridge approaches would have to start on eastern Ave. and tower over the middle branch. A drawbridge *could* work (like Hanover St.) but I find that HIGHLY unlikely.

They did propose a bridge over the Inner Harbor in the late 60's/70's.

[CU_rak]

^^Gotta love that state song, lol! It's too bad they don't sing the whole thing before the Preakness! There have actually been several legislative initiatives to change the words, but not many people pay attention to it anyways, so they all stalled and the song remains the same. Beautiful verse, just a shame that it calls for the overthrow of the U.S. government!

[jaysonjaz]

Definitely! Now that the tourists are being moved beyond the Inner Harbor, I think Baltimore will become quite the hotspot. Add in Hackerman's convention hotel and the streetcar line and WOW, Baltimore will no longer be the pit stop on the way to DC!

A few weeks ago the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/07/AR2005070700662.html?p=One+of+Waters's+favorite+haunts,+the+Club+Charles,+once+a+grungy,+dimly+lit+bar+and+now+a+centerpiece+of+the+gentrification+that's+spiffed+up+the+north+end+of+Charles+Street.&ei=UTF-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&u=www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/07/AR2005070700662_3.html&w=one+waters's+favorite+haunts+club+charles+once+grungy+dimly+lit+bar&d=E575904746&icp=1&.intl=us) ran a lengthy article about Baltimore. One of the people they talked to for the article was John Waters. I loved his idea for toursim.
A few years ago, Waters attended a Baltimore City Chamber of Commerce dinner, where he urged civic leaders to drop the usual boosterish slogans and focus on an alternative Baltimore. "This is the strangest, coolest, most peculiar city in America," Waters reminded them before pitching his own slogan: "Come to Baltimore and Be Shocked!" No one bought that pitch, but in 2002, it did become a visitors bureau-supported sticker that was included in a pink leopard print gift bag with information about Baltimore (as well as some Aqua Net hairspray); it was given to 1,400 celebrities and media hounds attending the "Hairspray" premiere in New York.

[BigBalto]

Maybe this will add to the nightlife
http://www.giannasca.com/project5.asp?p=5

[scando]

This leads me to my next question. Baltimore has been getting A LOT of publicity as a tourist destination. Or at least thats the way it seems. But does anybody here actually see Baltimore as becoming a major tourist spot? Maybe my view of tourist hotspots is limited or clouded, but I can't picture Baltimore having rows of highrise hotels, say lining the harbor, in a way that hotels line the shores of beach hotspots, or having hotels on every street like in Manhattan. It would definitely be great for Baltimore if all of this did transpire, but I'm having trouble picturing it. Does anybody here actually view Baltimore as the tourist destination it has been made out to be? I hope I'm the only one and that you guys can set me straight.

Baltimore is already a major tourist destination in a limited way. There aren't many people who sit in their living room in Oregon planning a Baltimore vacation but lots of people pass through on their way to and from DC or Philadelphia or beaches. Add to that the semi-local folks from around here who do a day trip. Add to that the school tours that pass through the Aquarium and Science Center (I'm always amazed when I see a tour bus from Idaho or Missouri, etc). People visit for meetings and business and special events (tall ships, Artscape), walk around Fells Point, poke into the Walters, ride the Water Taxis (each fare increase seems to increase the number of passengers). And... a few people do come for vacations in Baltimore.

None of those are huge tourist sectors, and many of them don't involve a lot of overnight stays, but when you add them all up, it ends up being a pretty large flow that is becoming year-round. It's hard to see where Baltimore would ever be a vacation destination, but if you'd asked anybody in 1970 whether people would visit B for anything other than Fort McHenry, they would have laughed. Truthfully, I'm not sure where it ends because each step is a surprise to me.

[scando]

Traffic across the inner harbor?? Wasnt that advoided back in the 70s? I dont think that'd be a very good idea.

It wasn't exactly abandoned, it was shot down by public protest. Most of the waterfront areas talked about on this forum would have been rubble and ramps if that thing had been built.

[SoBoChris]

It seems as though the city might be swaying some of the council towards the Hilton plan. GRRRRRRRR!!

Hotel plan support, aid funds seem tied

Some on council push aid to city neighborhoods; 'Opportunity ... for the community'

By Jill Rosen
Sun Staff
Originally published July 27, 2005

The City Council's support for the convention center hotel plan seems increasingly linked to the willingness of Mayor Martin O'Malley's administration to open its wallet to assist struggling neighborhoods.

With a vote to move the publicly funded hotel bill out of committee coming as early as this afternoon, and with a close vote expected, the plan's supporters have waged an intense campaign in recent days to win over the few still-undecided council members.

Siding with inner city clergy who have demanded that if the city supports the $305 million hotel it must invest equally in efforts to combat blight, some council members who have opposed the hotel now say they will support it in exchange for redevelopment dollars.

"I see it as an opportunity to go to bat for the community," said Councilwoman Helen L. Holton. "I've thought long and hard about this. If they think this is such a great idea, ... let's spread the wealth."

In the weeks since Baltimore church leaders rallied at City Hall, scolding city leaders for paying more attention to grooming downtown for tourists than to the city's low-income communities, the mayor's staff has realized that the trick to winning support for the hotel might be appeasing the clergy - and the council members who support them.

"We need to bring the hotel back to the neighborhoods," Clarence T. Bishop, the mayor's chief of staff said recently. "Perhaps then the hotel plan will meet with more receptivity overall."

The O'Malley administration is pushing the convention center hotel, which would be the city's costliest public project, as the only way to save the faltering downtown convention center.

The city would develop and own the 752-room Hilton and finance the project with revenue bonds. The goal, officials say, is for the hotel to be self-sustaining. But skeptics, including many on the council, question why the city is getting into the hotel business and whether the hotel will help lure more conventions.

To sway doubters, O'Malley, his key staff people, the Baltimore Development Corp., the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association, and union representatives have persistently lobbied council members one by one.

The cajoling calls and visits came even as more groups voiced their objections. Baltimore clergy, the local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Abell Foundation, Maryland Comptroller William Donald Schaefer and Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan have all voiced concerns about the project.

Bishop said O'Malley is considering several ideas to improve neighborhoods, such as using part of the planned hotel's occupancy tax to fix schools, pave streets or build community parks.

Council President Sheila Dixon said yesterday that she is also investigating using the hotel tax as well as other ways to devote "maybe $10 [million] to $15 million" to neighborhood redevelopment.

"Not $50 million," she cautioned, alluding to the amount the group BUILD, Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development, has demanded.

Dixon, who decides whether to bring legislation to a vote, said she thinks questions still surround the plan - but that "we're coming closer to it."

Holton said she told the mayor that to win her vote, she needs "at least" $50 million for neighborhood efforts - money she wants to come from the planned hotel's revenues.

Councilman Kenneth N. Harris Sr. told O'Malley he wants $50 million for neighborhoods and $10 million to start a recreation center revitalization fund. He also wants Hilton to take $10 million from the $25 million it is guaranteed to back the city's bond debt and offer it to the city upfront.

"The BDC mentioned there would be some complications in my $10 million from Hilton," Harris said. "But with the other two issues, they said they're gonna get back to me on that. The mayor said his staff is looking into it."

O'Malley spokesman Rick Abbruzzese declined to discuss the specifics of the mayor's negotiations, but he confirmed they are happening.

"The communities have made it clear they're interested in community development dollars," Abbruzzese said yesterday. "The process is ongoing, and he expects the bills to pass when they come up for a vote."

Some council members seemed disgusted with their peers' attitudes. Holton and Harris said previously that they would not support the hotel unless there was private investment in it.

"You don't have anything else in politics but your word," said Councilman James B. Kraft, who is firmly against the hotel. "If my colleagues change their position on public financing, I'll be surprised and disappointed."

Edward L. Reisinger said this month that before supporting the hotel he needed to have the mayor look him in the eye and tell him why the city is better off without private investment in the hotel.

Reisinger said a half-hour heart-to-heart discussion with O'Malley last week sold him on the city's public financing plan.

"If I didn't agree with this, if I didn't think it was a positive for the city, I wouldn't vote for it," Reisinger said. "No matter what he offered me."

[MasonsInquiries]

hmmmmmm, interesting. i learn something new everyday.

[MasonsInquiries]

i never knew about the bridge project getting shot down in the late 1960's/early 1970's. i thought that was very interesting. it was way before my time, so naturally i wouldn't have known. i guess when i thought of the bridge idea, i was thinking in terms of the proximity of where my relatives live down the harbor. I have a sister that lives in one of those new harbor view 3-story garage houses; i have another sister that lives in Henderson’s wharf. U can look right across the harbor & see the other destination. No matter which side of the harbor you're on. i figured since fells point/canton/harbor east (and let's not forget the future renderings in harbor point) were so close and are growing communities and with harbor view also becoming a growing community, a bridge could alleviate the congestion of having to drive completely around the harbor.

Needless to say, from two destinations that are clearly visible, it takes me normally 25-30 minutes to get from Henderson’s wharf to harbor view. It's so agonizing!! lol.

[MasonsInquiries]

It seems as though the city might be swaying some of the council towards the Hilton plan. GRRRRRRRR!!

Hotel plan support, aid funds seem tied

Some on council push aid to city neighborhoods; 'Opportunity ... for the community'

By Jill Rosen
Sun Staff
Originally published July 27, 2005

The City Council's support for the convention center hotel plan seems increasingly linked to the willingness of Mayor Martin O'Malley's administration to open its wallet to assist struggling neighborhoods.

With a vote to move the publicly funded hotel bill out of committee coming as early as this afternoon, and with a close vote expected, the plan's supporters have waged an intense campaign in recent days to win over the few still-undecided council members.

Siding with inner city clergy who have demanded that if the city supports the $305 million hotel it must invest equally in efforts to combat blight, some council members who have opposed the hotel now say they will support it in exchange for redevelopment dollars.

"I see it as an opportunity to go to bat for the community," said Councilwoman Helen L. Holton. "I've thought long and hard about this. If they think this is such a great idea, ... let's spread the wealth."

In the weeks since Baltimore church leaders rallied at City Hall, scolding city leaders for paying more attention to grooming downtown for tourists than to the city's low-income communities, the mayor's staff has realized that the trick to winning support for the hotel might be appeasing the clergy - and the council members who support them.

"We need to bring the hotel back to the neighborhoods," Clarence T. Bishop, the mayor's chief of staff said recently. "Perhaps then the hotel plan will meet with more receptivity overall."

The O'Malley administration is pushing the convention center hotel, which would be the city's costliest public project, as the only way to save the faltering downtown convention center.

The city would develop and own the 752-room Hilton and finance the project with revenue bonds. The goal, officials say, is for the hotel to be self-sustaining. But skeptics, including many on the council, question why the city is getting into the hotel business and whether the hotel will help lure more conventions.

To sway doubters, O'Malley, his key staff people, the Baltimore Development Corp., the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association, and union representatives have persistently lobbied council members one by one.

The cajoling calls and visits came even as more groups voiced their objections. Baltimore clergy, the local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the Abell Foundation, Maryland Comptroller William Donald Schaefer and Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan have all voiced concerns about the project.

Bishop said O'Malley is considering several ideas to improve neighborhoods, such as using part of the planned hotel's occupancy tax to fix schools, pave streets or build community parks.

Council President Sheila Dixon said yesterday that she is also investigating using the hotel tax as well as other ways to devote "maybe $10 [million] to $15 million" to neighborhood redevelopment.

"Not $50 million," she cautioned, alluding to the amount the group BUILD, Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development, has demanded.

Dixon, who decides whether to bring legislation to a vote, said she thinks questions still surround the plan - but that "we're coming closer to it."

Holton said she told the mayor that to win her vote, she needs "at least" $50 million for neighborhood efforts - money she wants to come from the planned hotel's revenues.

Councilman Kenneth N. Harris Sr. told O'Malley he wants $50 million for neighborhoods and $10 million to start a recreation center revitalization fund. He also wants Hilton to take $10 million from the $25 million it is guaranteed to back the city's bond debt and offer it to the city upfront.

"The BDC mentioned there would be some complications in my $10 million from Hilton," Harris said. "But with the other two issues, they said they're gonna get back to me on that. The mayor said his staff is looking into it."

O'Malley spokesman Rick Abbruzzese declined to discuss the specifics of the mayor's negotiations, but he confirmed they are happening.

"The communities have made it clear they're interested in community development dollars," Abbruzzese said yesterday. "The process is ongoing, and he expects the bills to pass when they come up for a vote."

Some council members seemed disgusted with their peers' attitudes. Holton and Harris said previously that they would not support the hotel unless there was private investment in it.

"You don't have anything else in politics but your word," said Councilman James B. Kraft, who is firmly against the hotel. "If my colleagues change their position on public financing, I'll be surprised and disappointed."

Edward L. Reisinger said this month that before supporting the hotel he needed to have the mayor look him in the eye and tell him why the city is better off without private investment in the hotel.

Reisinger said a half-hour heart-to-heart discussion with O'Malley last week sold him on the city's public financing plan.

"If I didn't agree with this, if I didn't think it was a positive for the city, I wouldn't vote for it," Reisinger said. "No matter what he offered me."


The City Council's gonna' regret this move for the rest of their lives. They'll see.

[SoBoChris]

i never knew about the bridge project getting shot down in the late 1960's/early 1970's. i thought that was very interesting. it was way before my time, so naturally i wouldn't have known. i guess when i thought of the bridge idea, i was thinking in terms of the proximity of where my relatives live down the harbor. I have a sister that lives in one of those new harbor view 3-story garage houses; i have another sister that lives in Henderson’s wharf. U can look right across the harbor & see the other destination. No matter which side of the harbor you're on. i figured since fells point/canton/harbor east (and let's not forget the future renderings in harbor point) were so close and are growing communities and with harbor view also becoming a growing community, a bridge could alleviate the congestion of having to drive completely around the harbor.

Needless to say, from two destinations that are clearly visible, it takes me normally 25-30 minutes to get from Henderson’s wharf to harbor view. It's so agonizing!! lol.

I completely agree with you. I hate having to deal with going all the way around the harbor just to get to the other side, but if you think the council going ahead with the Hilton proposal would be bad (as do I think all of us), imagine how awful it would have been to have so many neighborhoods demolished, including Federal Hill and even the hill itself. I guarantee you that the resurgence of the city wouldn't have occured if that plan had gone through.

http://www.roadstothefuture.com/EW_Expwy_Harbor_Route.jpg

[Gsol]

This was a bad scheme and looking worse all the time. Now communities want money thrown at them to buy their support for the project. Are any safe guards or program plan being asked for on how the community money is to be spent? Of course not, the $ will line the pockets of politicians with no community improvement to show. Thie city just wants to get the thing done at any cost.

If the city council goes along with this they should have community leaders responsible for spending the dough come up with specific proposals as to how the $ will be spent. They should also provide milestones as to when the various components of their proposal will be accomplished. Then an accounting and monitoring of the $ needs to be included. There must an accounting of how the money is spent and a showing of an accomplishment. If no success, the money flow ends.

The best use of the money would be spending it on people, not some dubious community project. Something like what Dan Rodricks has been advocating, getting people off drugs and into the workforce. Spend it on drug rehab and job training, not lining someones' pockets.

Of course if this thing is built, a majority of the jobs should go to inner city residents.

However, that being said this hotel plan is still bad from an aesthetic stand point. The building looks like a Rube Goldberg contraption with its ugly tenacles reaching across Howard Street to the Convention Center. It obstructs the view of the treasured Camden Yards and historic Old Camden Station. It will also impede the site-lines from the baseball stadium.

Put the thing at the Sheraton site that abuts the Convention Center. This is a much cleaner access.

If the exiting plan is approved by the City Council it won't take long before the Sun comes out with stories questioning how the community money was spent and into whose pocket it went. Give the money to rehab and job training.

[waj0527]

^Everytime I see that damn plan, I cringe. What a horrible, awful plan.

The traffic flow changes scheduled for Key Hwy, Light St. and Pratt St, should help with the commute issues. Imagine if that plan was actually implemented.

[SoBoChris]

What traffic flow changes??

[PeterSmith]

Actually, now that I look into it, you're right, Baltimore is already quite a tourist destination. I compared my two homes - Baltimore & Miami - and Baltimore receives 14 million tourists a year, while Miami and Miami Beach combined only receive 10-12 million. THAT is very surprising to me.

[StevenW]

Baltimore has "officially" made it!
Read: http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2005/07/25/daily17.html

So cool! :D

[MasonsInquiries]

I completely agree with you. I hate having to deal with going all the way around the harbor just to get to the other side, but if you think the council going ahead with the Hilton proposal would be bad (as do I think all of us), imagine how awful it would have been to have so many neighborhoods demolished, including Federal Hill and even the hill itself. I guarantee you that the resurgence of the city wouldn't have occured if that plan had gone through.

http://www.roadstothefuture.com/EW_Expwy_Harbor_Route.jpg

Oh, i see what u guys meant. But actually, the idea i had in mind wasn't an ENTIRE freeway with multiple exits, multiple turnoff ramps, etc. that engulfs the ENTIRE harbor like in this picture here. I had in mind one those up-to-date, small, pretty cable-stayed bridges that's really exciting to look at. Such as one of these in the following link.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/bridge/meetcable.html

a simple, small bridge from harbor point to key hwy that WOULD NOT take up the ENTIRE harbor and WOULD NOT require the demolition of federal hill's famous "HILL" or no part of that community alltogether. just something basic. no exits, no turnoffs.

[Hood]

Ed,

Well, last night you asked why I never email you anymore. Well, its your lucky day today!

I wanted to give you heads up that I am going to distribute this news story to RAG constituents and the other SOBO neighborhood presidents who you represent. This is not intended to “blindside” you, but I think if any feedback on this decision is out there, I know you would want to hear it.

That being said, I am going to put in my (Not RAG's) two cents.

1) In general, I am very much against the City getting into any business that is not directly associated with serving the public. The City Government is not in existence to make money. The City Government is in existence to provide services to the residents of the City that private entities can not provide and make profit from. Police and Fire, Public Works (Granted, I think we make some money here), Education etc. The means for raising funds for these services is tax collection. I do not understand why the City needs to become hotel operators to raise money. Why can’t we just tax a private entity who wants to build the hotel? Why do we need to add more levels of bureaucracy because now there will need to be someone to interface with the Hotel operator since no one in the City is adept at running hotels?

2) The Mayor wants us to believe that Baltimore is the Greatest City in America and that we have been selling ourselves short. If he truly believes this, then why do we need to build a hotel, when the private money should be lining up to be spent on a hotel in our great City? This goes against the bill of goods being sold by the Mayor, which I do believe in. I do think we are the greatest city in America and I do not understand why we feel that we have to subsidize/pay for private endeavors to lure them into our City? We are good enough now to play hard to get and we are giving it away for free.

3) Why do we need to pay Robert Johnson (a Washingtonian) a huge chunk of change to develop this hotel risk free for him? We have a valuable piece of property that needs to be auctioned off to the highest bidder if that site is indeed the convention center site. Let that be the money maker and then tax the hotel.

4) Why isn’t the believe proposal being looked at with more favor? It won’t be built on City owned land. That land in front of the stadium can be used for a more Civic purpose rather than a hotel. Plus the believe hotel is located next to the convention center (not across the street) and it will be a tall signature tower and will help brand the City by building on the downtown skyline. Perhaps that plan will work better than the City owned hotel option.

I know BDC is telling the City that they will make money off of this deal. But, is this really what the City has become: a business entity? I do not expect you to force the mayor to invest in our neighborhood to buy our approval for spending $305 million dollars. I expect the City to behave like a City and rely on tax as its revenue stream.

Please call me if you want to talk about this before the possible vote tonight. To the other neighborhood leaders, please feel free to distribute this to your constituents if you feel its worthy of their attention.

Thanks

Jeff

[waj0527]

What traffic flow changes??

The new Inner Harbor Redevlopment Plan or something like that was released a few months back. Im pretty sure it was released/designed by Hord Copland and Macht. They designed lots of changes to the west shore near the Science Center and they essentially made Key Hwy, Light St and Pratt one contigous blvd.

When I get more time to research it I will. Check the BDCs website and click on the link to the Harbor Master Plan PDF file.

[SoBoChris]

Jeff, you hit the nail right on the head! Although today's article in the sunpapers says that the mayor has won him over on the proposal, maybe, hopefully he can still be persuaded back to the right direction.

Wouldn't it be something if it came down to Reisinger's vote and Jeff's email helped him vote no??? That would just be too sweet!

[jaysonjaz]

I have a sister that lives in one of those new harbor view 3-story garage houses; i have another sister that lives in Henderson’s wharf. U can look right across the harbor & see the other destination.

Hmm Hendersons Wharf AND Harborview? With money like that why not buy a helicopter to go back and forth...
or at least maybe a jetski

j/k :)

[PeterSmith]

Ritz-Carlton developers fire, sue Giannasca
Heather Harlan
Staff
Midtown Baltimore LLC, developers of the planned Ritz-Carlton Residences Inner Harbor, have sued one of its partners, Ed Giannasca, for fraud and breach of contract.

The nine-count complaint, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court, is the latest twist in the controversial waterfront project that has been plagued with revolving developers, financial woes and delays.

Jack Cayre, senior vice president of Midtown Baltimore LLC, confirmed Wednesday that Giannasca has been terminated and is no longer involved with the Ritz Baltimore project. Giannasca could not be reached for comment.

On the lawsuit, Cayre said, "It speaks for itself.''
The complaint states that Giannasca used his work days with Midtown Baltimore to concentrate on an individual project in New Orleans.

"Rather than devote his full-time efforts to plaintiff's Inner Harbor project, Giannasca defrauded plaintiffs by diverting substantial energy and effort to a project in New Orleans in which Giannasca has a substantial interest,'' according to the filing.

Giannasca announced in March that he and former Baltimore Ravens player Michael McCrary were teaming up on a condominium project in New Orleans.

At the time, he said Giannasca Development Group LLC had purchased the historic Plaza Tower in downtown New Orleans and planned to convert the 45-story building into 350 condos.

It was a month before that announcement when problems started arising between Cayre and Giannasca, according to court documents.

Giannasca, who has been involved with the Baltimore project off Key Highway for more than five years, brought Cayre into the deal.

After an initial partnership went sour, Giannasca announced in 2004 that he was teaming with the Midtown Group, which includes Midtown Equities of New York and Samuels & Co. of Florida.

In December 2004, Kroll Associates Inc., a New York consulting firm, had filed suit against Giannasca. The complaint alleges the developer owed him almost $47,500 for past services dating back to 2002.

Cayre, whose Midtown Equities has developed successful projects across the country, said he will move ahead with the Ritz-Carlton Baltimore project without seeking another partner.

The suit, he said, will not jeopardize the development, which he said is ahead of its construction schedule. The Ritz-Carlton Residences will encompass almost 175 condo units, a restaurant, spa and marina. Total project costs are estimated above $155 million. Units range from $800,000 to $5 million.

[PeterSmith]

Lots of other news in the BBJ today. I won't post the articles but here are some highlights.

-Peter Angelos gave $500,000 towards the reconstruction of Center Plaza
-Inner Harbor is getting a $5 million facelift in preparation for the Volvo Ocean Race (article was down so I couldn't read exactly what improvements were being made)
-Washington-Baltimore is ranked 5th in Forbes's list of best metros for singles. (Is it just me or does Forbes magazine do this list a little too often?)

[StevenW]

First of all, "Way to go, Jeff!" :)
Hope your letter helps! :)

Now this Next, I love this news:

25 years later, harbor park materializes
Officials expect $5 million waterside project to be completed by next April
By Doug Donovan
Sun Staff
Originally published July 27, 2005, 2:15 PM EDT
When Baltimore voters approved plans more than 25 years ago that eventually transformed the Inner Harbor from an industrial backwater into a top tourist site, they also wanted to ensure that a waterside park remained a priority.


It didn't.

While Harborplace delivered on spurring development, plans for a public park on the Inner Harbor's western shore were relegated to the shadows of buildings rising all around.



Until today.



The city's Board of Estimates unanimously approved a $5 million deal to finally build the park. The spending board hired Allied Contractors Inc. today to erect -- in nine months, no less -- a 3.2-acre, high-tech open space between the new Baltimore Visitor Center and the Maryland Science Center.



For years the spot has been used as a temporary parking lot and as space for temporarily parked trailers, including one that sells tickets for Harbor Cruises.



"This is our attempt to finally, once and for all, finish the west shore" of the Inner Harbor, said Paul Dombrowski, director of planning and design for the Baltimore Development Corp. "The Visitors Center is in place, the Science Center has expanded. Now we're going to finish this as a final park space."



Improving the west shore was one of the recommendations made in 2003 by designers hired to update the city's master plan to guide harbor redevelopment.



By April, the park is slated to be ready to open to the public, offering both a space for festivals and recreation. The city wants to make the tight deadline because the Volvo Ocean Race, an around-the-world sailing competition, is returning to Baltimore and Annapolis in the spring.



"We have a very tight time schedule," Dombrowski said. "Brutally tight."



The city is confident that Allied Contractors Inc. of Baltimore, which is also rebuilding War Memorial Plaza, can get the job done on a site that provides stunning views of downtown.



"It's probably the most prominent part of the harbor," said M.J. "Jay" Brodie, president of the Baltimore Development Corp.



The park is planned to rise up from the pedestrian pavilion that borders the harbor by about two feet, allowing for the creation of terrace-step walls to provide a plethora of perches for people-watching and skyline gawking.



The large central lawn, surrounded by trees and islands of Free State flora, will stretch the length of a football field and connect to tree-shaded paths lined with benches and wall seating.



The park will be built to accommodate a water fountain and a performance pavilion, but those amenities are not expected to be completed by April, Dombrowski said. The West Shore Park will, however, be wired with outlets to assist in delivering electricity to shows without having to sully the views with hanging wires.



"It's a truly multipurpose park," Dombrowski said.



City Council President Sheila Dixon raised concerns today about the relocation plans for the ticket booth of Harbor Cruises, a police substation and the city's dockmaster office.



City officials said the police and dockmaster would be placed in the first floor of the Rusty Scupper and that they would find a location for the cruise company, which generates about $400,000 in annual taxes to the city.

"Everyone will benefit from the park," said Andrew B. Frank, executive vice president of BDC.
--------------------------------------------------------------

I think this is great news! :D

[SoBoChris]

I agree Steven. I'd love to see a rendering of it!

[MasonsInquiries]

Hmm Hendersons Wharf AND Harborview? With money like that why not buy a helicopter to go back and forth...
or at least maybe a jetski

j/k :)

not a bad idea!!!!........lol. it'll definitely save me some gas money :) :laugh: :righton: :D :tongue2: m)) :hahano:

[MasonsInquiries]

I agree Steven. I'd love to see a rendering of it!

Baltimore Harbor Redevelopment. i believe this is it here. I hope it is. I still haven't learned how to post a pic yet...lol. It'll come to me one day.



http://www.designcollective.com/Architecture/Cultural%20-%20Tourism/Baltimore%20Harbor%20Redevelopment/

[PeterSmith]

This is the Harborview rendering off Design Collective's website. Anybody know anything about these other towers that appear in the second picture down?

http://www.designcollective.com/_internal/cimg!0/18zextwtch

[waj0527]

First of all, "Way to go, Jeff!" :)
Hope your letter helps! :)

Now this Next, I love this news:

25 years later, harbor park materializes
Officials expect $5 million waterside project to be completed by next April
By Doug Donovan
Sun Staff
Originally published July 27, 2005, 2:15 PM EDT
When Baltimore voters approved plans more than 25 years ago that eventually transformed the Inner Harbor from an industrial backwater into a top tourist site, they also wanted to ensure that a waterside park remained a priority.


It didn't.

While Harborplace delivered on spurring development, plans for a public park on the Inner Harbor's western shore were relegated to the shadows of buildings rising all around.



Until today.



The city's Board of Estimates unanimously approved a $5 million deal to finally build the park. The spending board hired Allied Contractors Inc. today to erect -- in nine months, no less -- a 3.2-acre, high-tech open space between the new Baltimore Visitor Center and the Maryland Science Center.



For years the spot has been used as a temporary parking lot and as space for temporarily parked trailers, including one that sells tickets for Harbor Cruises.



"This is our attempt to finally, once and for all, finish the west shore" of the Inner Harbor, said Paul Dombrowski, director of planning and design for the Baltimore Development Corp. "The Visitors Center is in place, the Science Center has expanded. Now we're going to finish this as a final park space."



Improving the west shore was one of the recommendations made in 2003 by designers hired to update the city's master plan to guide harbor redevelopment.



By April, the park is slated to be ready to open to the public, offering both a space for festivals and recreation. The city wants to make the tight deadline because the Volvo Ocean Race, an around-the-world sailing competition, is returning to Baltimore and Annapolis in the spring.



"We have a very tight time schedule," Dombrowski said. "Brutally tight."



The city is confident that Allied Contractors Inc. of Baltimore, which is also rebuilding War Memorial Plaza, can get the job done on a site that provides stunning views of downtown.



"It's probably the most prominent part of the harbor," said M.J. "Jay" Brodie, president of the Baltimore Development Corp.



The park is planned to rise up from the pedestrian pavilion that borders the harbor by about two feet, allowing for the creation of terrace-step walls to provide a plethora of perches for people-watching and skyline gawking.



The large central lawn, surrounded by trees and islands of Free State flora, will stretch the length of a football field and connect to tree-shaded paths lined with benches and wall seating.



The park will be built to accommodate a water fountain and a performance pavilion, but those amenities are not expected to be completed by April, Dombrowski said. The West Shore Park will, however, be wired with outlets to assist in delivering electricity to shows without having to sully the views with hanging wires.



"It's a truly multipurpose park," Dombrowski said.



City Council President Sheila Dixon raised concerns today about the relocation plans for the ticket booth of Harbor Cruises, a police substation and the city's dockmaster office.



City officials said the police and dockmaster would be placed in the first floor of the Rusty Scupper and that they would find a location for the cruise company, which generates about $400,000 in annual taxes to the city.

"Everyone will benefit from the park," said Andrew B. Frank, executive vice president of BDC.
--------------------------------------------------------------

I think this is great news! :D

Funny....we were just talking about this earlier today. Its great news.

[SoBoChris]

Baltimore Harbor Redevelopment. i believe this is it here. I hope it is. I still haven't learned how to post a pic yet...lol. It'll come to me one day.



http://www.designcollective.com/Architecture/Cultural%20-%20Tourism/Baltimore%20Harbor%20Redevelopment/

Oh right, I remember seeing that months ago. I hope that's still the current design. I really like it, especially the fountain by the Science Center.

[SoBoChris]

This is the Harborview rendering off Design Collective's website. Anybody know anything about these other towers that appear in the second picture down?

http://www.designcollective.com/_internal/cimg!0/18zextwtch

Those were probably the towers originally proposed when the first Harborview Tower was built in the early 90's.

BTW, the meeting that Jeff and I (and a few dozen others) went to last night focused on the development of five parcels on Key Hwy from Little Havana to the Museum of Industry. They broke us up into 10 groups and each of the groups had to put their vision for the site. I believe nearly everyone constructed tall, slender towers. Many, including my group included a waterfront park, not unlike the one in Canton.

We'll see what effect if any last night's meeting made on the powers that be.

[StevenW]

Those were probably the towers originally proposed when the first Harborview Tower was built in the early 90's.

BTW, the meeting that Jeff and I (and a few dozen others) went to last night focused on the development of five parcels on Key Hwy from Little Havana to the Museum of Industry. They broke us up into 10 groups and each of the groups had to put their vision for the site. I believe nearly everyone constructed tall, slender towers. Many, including my group included a waterfront park, not unlike the one in Canton.

We'll see what effect if any last night's meeting made on the powers that be.

Wow! That's great! :D
How tall and slender were these rendered towers? :)

[SoBoChris]

Wow! That's great! :D
How tall and slender were these rendered towers? :)

Well, everyone had their own ideas, but the max height for the parcels is the same as the first Harborview Tower, 290'.

They used some towers in Vancouver as a visual reference for tall and slender towers that maximize a waterfront view corridor.

[waj0527]

------------------------------------------
This is gonna be great for the Edmondson Ave. corridor. It was propsed a few months ago and was passed yesterday.
------------------------------------------

maryland news
Metro Digest
Originally published July 28, 2005
Board of Estimates approves land deal with New Psalmist

The Board of Estimates approved without discussion yesterday a $16.6 million land deal with the New Psalmist Baptist Church, part of the Uplands project in Southwest Baltimore that officials say will create the city's largest new residential development in decades.

Under the agreement, announced in September, the city will take title to two parcels totaling about 50 acres where the 7,000-member church and several related buildings stand off Edmondson Avenue, near the Baltimore County line.

In return, New Psalmist will receive city-owned property worth $2.4 million in Seton Business Park, where it will move by 2010. It will also get $14.1 million, to be paid in installments over the next five years.

One appraisal of the church property valued the parcels at $16.1 million. A second appraisal put the value at $19.4 million, documents showed.

Plans call for the construction of about 450 market-rate homes. Another nearly 700 units - condominiums, apartments and detached homes - are to be developed on the 52-acre site of the vacant Uplands Apartments.

Redevelopment of the apartment site has been stalled by a lawsuit filed by former tenants of the low-income rental complex who contend that the housing proposed for the site is too expensive to give them the opportunity to return. The city, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and attorneys for the tenants have been negotiating a settlement in the case for months, with the latest session of talks held this month, court records show.

A separate lawsuit filed by business owners - whose properties next to the apartment site would be acquired as part of the redevelopment plan - is pending in Baltimore Circuit Court.

- Eric Siegel

[waj0527]

Baltimore Council Doesn't Vote On Hotel Project
Administration Accuses Opponents Of Blocking Development

POSTED: 7:11 pm EDT July 27, 2005
UPDATED: 8:32 pm EDT July 27, 2005

BALTIMORE -- Some may have expected Baltimore's City Council to vote on the $305 million publicly financed convention center hotel proposal -- but they didn't.

Instead, the mayor's chief of staff, Clarence Bishop, delivered the O'Malley administration's strongest approach to pass the proposal yet.

WBAL-TV 11 News I-Team lead investigative reporter Jayne Miller reported Bishop suggested to the City Council that the project's opponents stand in the way of the city's economic development.

"Those who oppose (the) hotel have not offered an idea of scale and potential benefit to the city of Baltimore," Bishop said. "If we stand still we go backwards. The arguments against the hotel are arguments in favor of standing still."

The mayor, with the backing of the Baltimore Development Corp., is pushing a proposal to sell $305 million worth of the city's revenue bonds to build and own a new convention center hotel.

Miller said those comments drew pointed response from the project's biggest critics on the council.

"This is the first time this council has actually raised its level to challenge this administration on an issue like this. This council has been very good to this administration with an increase in taxes," said Baltimore City Councilman Keiffer Mitchell, D-District 11.

"Because we oppose the project doesn't mean that we want the city to stand still," Mitchell added.

Baltimore City Councilman Jim Kraft, D-District 1, added: "This is not a development contest. We are not debating development plans and proposals. What we are talking is a convention center hotel. So, to come in here and say that we're opposed to this and we don't have alternate plans is really a spacious argument."

Baltimore City Council President Sheila Dixon told Bishop that she continues to investigate a possible privately funded deal that would coast $100 million less.

"Those numbers are being looked because I believe that this proposal could be a legitimate private deal," she said.

Dixon plans to meet on Friday with Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development (BUILD), a community organization, to discuss demands that the hotel deal be tied to more money for neighborhood development.

[jaysonjaz]

That article makes it sound like she may be considering the Believe team's proposal. They are the proposal that will cost $100 million less in public financing.
What annoys me is that if we build the $350 million dollar hotel, it could cost us twice as much because some people feel the need to throw an equal amount money at the poor. If anyone like that showed up at my office demanding money, I'd tell them to F-off, but thats probably why I'm not in politics :)

[MasonsInquiries]

That article makes it sound like she may be considering the Believe team's proposal. They are the proposal that will cost $100 million less in public financing.
What annoys me is that if we build the $350 million dollar hotel, it could cost us twice as much because some people feel the need to throw an equal amount money at the poor. If anyone like that showed up at my office demanding money, I'd tell them to F-off, but thats probably why I'm not in politics :)

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) yep, i agree

[MasonsInquiries]

That article makes it sound like she may be considering the Believe team's proposal. They are the proposal that will cost $100 million less in public financing.
What annoys me is that if we build the $350 million dollar hotel, it could cost us twice as much because some people feel the need to throw an equal amount money at the poor. If anyone like that showed up at my office demanding money, I'd tell them to F-off, but thats probably why I'm not in politics :)

i couldn't agree with u more. u hit it dead on the head. can u say "HACKERMAN?" lol

:laugh: :righton: :D :applause:

again, if the BCC has to debate this much about a hotel, don''t build THAT particular hotel. at this point, they need to go with the alternative. i agree that atleast 50 million should go to fixing up abandoned homes around the city. it's an extremely wise investment. it's only fair.

$305 million is ALOT of money. even worse, $305 million dollars into ONE building; or $305 into one project i should say. it's very risky. baltimore's going way outta' it's league in chosing this route. i agree with u, jaysonjaz.

[Brian21]

Jasysonjaz, I was going to say the same thing. I hope Sheila Dixon really looks into the Hackerman project. They've been debating RLJ's Hotel far too long.

[SoBoChris]

I need a new roof on my house and want to do a few other things. If the city gives me money for that, maybe I'll change my mind about the CCH....nah, I'll still always hate that proposal, and I don't think its necessary to spout off the reasons why that is to you guys!

[SoBoChris]

City hotel plan sweetened by millions

Dixon adds $59 million for neighborhood projects

By Jill Rosen
Sun Staff
Originally published July 28, 2005

With an all-but-deadlocked Baltimore City Council poised for its first crucial vote on a convention center hotel, Council President Sheila Dixon revealed a multimillion-dollar community redevelopment plan yesterday that she hopes will seal the deal.

After the council spent three more hours haggling over the hotel proposal, Dixon said in an interview that she will introduce a bill to create a housing trust fund, providing as much as $59 million in five years that community groups could apply for to aid blighted neighborhoods.

The idea - which Dixon said was cemented in conversations with Mayor Martin O'Malley - could assuage those who feel the city should fix its broken neighborhoods before building a $305 million downtown hotel.

And it could give O'Malley's administration the community leverage it believes it needs to get the publicly financed Hilton past the skeptical City Council.

"I think it's an avenue - if that's what it's going to take to get the council confident on moving forward with the hotel," Dixon said after the council work session.

The mayor's spokeswoman, Raquel Guillory, said yesterday that O'Malley is working on a deal that involves making sure money is set aside for community development.

"Discussions are taking place on the plan," she said.

The council's committee of the whole, which has been considering the hotel proposal for more than a month, is scheduled to vote Monday to move the bills to the council floor - where their fate will be decided.

Council split

With the 15-member council essentially split down the middle on the hotel, the O'Malley administration seems to have realized the need to link the downtown project with something to benefit the rest of the city.

And at least two council members who have been forcefully opposed to the hotel said this week that they would support the hotel in exchange for neighborhood redevelopment funds.

Inner-city clergy groups and the local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People have pressured the council not to support the convention hotel without equally investing in wiping out blight.

At yesterday's work session, members of the clergy group BUILD, Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development, sat in the audience, not speaking to the council but hoping their presence would remind the officials of their demand for a $50 million bond for rebuilding neighborhoods.

Talking to Councilman Kenneth N. Harris Sr. outside council chambers, BUILD members urged him to "be strong."

Conditions for vote

Harris said he has told the mayor that he would support the hotel if he gets $50 million for neighborhoods and $10 million to start a recreation center revitalization fund, and if Hilton offers the city upfront a portion of the money it has pledged to guarantee Baltimore's bond debt.

Harris said yesterday that he isn't sure whether Dixon's plan offers what he is looking for.

"I would like to look into the details," he said. "I really don't know."

Dixon said she plans to introduce her bill at the council's next regular meeting, Aug. 15.

To create the housing trust fund, Dixon said, the city would use part of its revenue stream from the downtown Hyatt.

When that hotel was built nearly 20 years ago, in exchange for its seed money, the city was promised a share of the profit. Baltimore has earned $35 million.

Additionally, some Community Development Block Grant funds could go into the pot, Dixon said, as could some revenue from the convention hotel - if it gets built.

The trust would start with about $10 million, she said, and grow to as much as $59 million in five years.

Grants from trust

Community groups with ideas for redevelopment projects would be able to apply to the trust for grants.

Harris said the application makes him uneasy. He said he is afraid that a needy neighborhood with a weak community association might not be able to come up with a proposal as strong as a wealthier neighborhood.

"I don't want the haves to get what the have-nots haven't," Harris said.

Councilwoman Helen L. Holton said she told the mayor that to win her vote, she needs "at least" $50 million for neighborhood efforts - money she wants to come from the convention hotel's revenue.

Like Harris, Holton said she's not sure whether Dixon's plan is the answer.

"That's something we probably should be doing anyway," she said of the trust.

"I don't know. That's something I will have to think about. ... I'm waiting to hear from the mayor."

Hotel measures

O'Malley and the Baltimore Development Corp. say the convention hotel, which would be the city's costliest public project, would save the faltering downtown Convention Center. And they say that by developing and owning the 752-room Hilton, the city is getting the best deal possible.

At the work session, the mayor's chief of staff, Clarence T. Bishop, reiterated his optimism that the hotel bills will pass.

"We continue to be confident that this proposal will more forward," he said, offering a pep talk of sorts for the project, painting its skeptics as anti-progress.

Objections

A couple of those skeptics, including Councilman Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr., objected to Bishop's statements.

"You make it sound like those in opposition are in favor of the city standing still," Mitchell said. "That's not the case. This is the first time this council has challenged the administration on an issue like this."

Council Vice President Stephanie C. Rawlings Blake, who supports the hotel, said the controversy over it reminds her of Harborplace, when community furor forced the issue to a referendum.

"I remember the stickers. I remember the buttons. I remember the fights." she said.

"But after the dust settled, what I grew up with is something that put Baltimore on the map. ... We deserve to continue to move forward, and that's why I'm supporting this."

[StevenW]

What??? :? :? :?
Comparing harbor place to this hilton convention hotel????? :? :? :?
How disgusting!
I think I'm going to be even more sick...... :puke:

[MasonsInquiries]

What would be extremely embarrassing is if the hotel doesn't generate the money that it's supposed to and sheila dixon's "housing trust fund" goes belly up. Their really pushing it now!!

They're putting too much at stake on this hotel. Going with the Hackerman plan would alleviate all of this. I bet at the end of the workday, ALL members of the BCC go home stressed & pulling their hairs out over this. And it doesn't have to be this way. create less stress as possible. it's common sense.

[Brian21]

^my point exactly.

[SoBoChris]

Council Vice President Stephanie C. Rawlings Blake, who supports the hotel, said the controversy over it reminds her of Harborplace, when community furor forced the issue to a referendum.

"I remember the stickers. I remember the buttons. I remember the fights." she said.

"But after the dust settled, what I grew up with is something that put Baltimore on the map. ... We deserve to continue to move forward, and that's why I'm supporting this."

She could be right. This hotel could put the city on the map. Unfortunately it would be to demonstrate one of the biggest blunders any city has ever made.

[PeterSmith]

I think on of the council's biggest fears is that if it doesn't get done know, it never will. If they have to start from scratch with the Hackerman proposal, they're gonna have to go through with this all over again. Hackerman proposal may not face the same problems as the RLJ proposal, but be certain that someone will find some problem to have with it and slow it down. Also, perhaps we're not looking at it from a convention point of view. BACVA cares less about how it looks and how it gets built, and more about getting it built ASAP and becoming competitive in the convention industry.

I think Shiela Dixon feels very much this way. I e-mailed her a week or so ago expressing my thoughts on the hotel circus, and all she kept repeating in her response to me was, "I truly feel this is the right time to build this hotel." She didn't say why, but many of the reasons are pretty obvious.

I trust she will come through with what is best for the city though. She did raise Juan, afterall.......

[PeterSmith]

I also find it ignorant and repulsive what these organizations such as BUILD are asking for here. Of course they have a right to ask for money to help blighted neighborhoods. The city council has a responsibility to help blighted neighborhoods. And I don't even have much of a problem with the fact that BUILD doesn't even have a plan on how to spend this $50 million to fix up these neighborhoods. Afterall, the city council should be the ones comig up with a plan - not an independent organization. But to portray the convention hotel as the folley of a few council members who don't have the interest of the city and its people in mind is, in my opinion, completely inaccurate. The convention center hotel stands to bring unforeseeable gains to the city - regardless of whether it's city-owned or not. Both projects are pluses to the city, but to debate their relative benefits is pointless. Pumping $50 million into blighted neighborhoods is just as risky as spending the money for the hotel.

Again, I'm all for putting money towards both. But I wish people would be rational about it. I hate it when people get so caught up in one cause that they fail to see the good in another.

[SoBoChris]

Until someone gives me a reason why it makes more sense to back a plan where the city must front the bill instead of one that is privately financed, I will never be for this hotel. If RLJ, a Washingtonian can privately finance DC's convention hotel, why can't he do the same for Baltimore?? It will always be Hackerman for me!

Also, I highly doubt that this much fuss would have happened if the right developer had been picked originally. Hell, by now there may have been a crane erected with lots of construction below.

It wouldn't be any different for the city to start over with another proposal. They are still stuck at square one and will be for at the minimum one more month.

[MasonsInquiries]

Until someone gives me a reason why it makes more sense to back a plan where the city must front the bill instead of one that is privately financed, I will never be for this hotel. If RLJ, a Washingtonian can privately finance DC's convention hotel, why can't he do the same for Baltimore?? It will always be Hackerman for me!

Also, I highly doubt that this much fuss would have happened if the right developer had been picked originally. Hell, by now there may have been a crane erected with lots of construction below.

It wouldn't be any different for the city to start over with another proposal. They are still stuck at square one and will be for at the minimum one more month.

"If RLJ, a Washingtonian can privately finance DC's convention hotel, why can't he do the same for Baltimore??"

THAT statement right there is what became the turning point in my views about the RLJ project. somethng just sounds bias about the whole thing. it's time-consuming & frankly, it's sickning. i don't want to have to go back to square one, but i've always been one that's in favor for routing for the best direction of this city. go HACKERMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PeterSmith]

Whatever happened to the third proposal? Is there chance of that coming back? What was it again?

[PeterSmith]

"If RLJ, a Washingtonian can privately finance DC's convention hotel, why can't he do the same for Baltimore??"

THAT statement right there is what became the turning point in my views about the RLJ project. somethng just sounds bias about the whole thing. it's time-consuming & frankly, it's sickning. i don't want to have to go back to square one, but i've always bee one that's in favor for routing for the best route of this city. go HACKERMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Yeah, something about this whole situation just hurts the pride of Baltimore. It just makes Baltimore seem like its a peg lower than DC and that no one would ever want to build a hotel in Baltimore, or come stay in a hotel in Baltimore. It makes us look bad, for sure. I say scrap the proposal based on this alone. Get someone who cares about the city and isn't gonna be a little bitch about the whole thing (hint hint - Hackerman).

[MasonsInquiries]

Whatever happened to the third proposal? Is there chance of that coming back? What was it again?


here WAS the third proposal.


The proposal would be paid for with tax-exempt bonds that require public ownership of the hotel.

* An 869-room hotel with 592 parking spaces, 55,000 ft&sup2 (5,100 m&sup2) of meeting and ballroom space, a 36,000 square foot (3,300 m²) soundstage and recording studio -- as well as a wellness clinic and spa.

The plan was presented by Atlanta-based Portman Holdings LP, one of the nation's largest developers of convention hotels. The team also includes Treyball Development Inc., a company based in Beverly Hills, Calif., that is owned by the actor Will Smith and his brother, Harry. No brand name was included in the proposal.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore_Convention_Center_Hotel_Project



http://www.treyballdevelopment.com/convention.htm

[BigBalto]

Maybe I missed something, the last time I checked this city's local government was poor but now it seems as if they can find great effort to spend hundreds of millions on a hotel. They didn't think of using that money to fund the city's school system or the blighted neighborhoods, or crime( I hope the BCC brings that up). The fact that there is an equally or more valuable privately funded hotel on the table just juct confuses me. Why not just take the $305 million and fix blight, crime, and schools. Maybe they think the hotel is more important.

[SoBoChris]

I still say its a big political back scratching.

[MasonsInquiries]

so true

[Balmurfan]

Proposals made for Pier Six pavilion:

Two development teams have made a play for the renovation of the Pier Six Concert Pavilion in Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

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The proposals were made in response to a request from the Baltimore Development Corporation and the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts, which want to upgrade the concert pavilion's architecture and provide a revenue stream to Baltimore City and job training for residents. The city, which owns the facility and the land, also wants retailers, hotels and other attractions to involve the concert pavilion in cross-promotional efforts.

The two proposals include:

The Cordish Co., Infinity Broadcasting Corp. and the Rams Head Tavern want to make improvements to aesthetics, food and beverage operations and acoustics. The group plans to increase the number of concerts and add smaller events and fund-raisers on non-concert dates.
H&S Properties Development Corp., Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse Inc. and Doracon Contracting Inc. want to replace Pier Six Concert Pavilion with a new multi-purpose entertainment facility, while redeveloping the site into a mixed-use residential/retail development.
Officials at BDC and BOPA solicited proposals in order to provide a wider range of entertainment events, said Kim Clark, director of development at BDC. With only eight concerts scheduled this summer, "more life can be brought to the pavilion," Clark said. BDC and BOPA will make a decision within the next 30 to 45 days.

Built in 1981, the Pier Six Concert Pavilion was last renovated 14 years ago and is operated by Clear Channel Communications.

[waj0527]

Hmmm...I wonder how SBER plans to have a concert facility AND residential/retail on that small parcel.

[robert parsons]

I ALSO LIKED THE ANGELOS PROPOSAL FOR THE HOTEL. MUCH MORE THAN THE CURRENT ONE. AT LEAST HE WOULD ALSO FORK OVER SOME OF THE BILL!!!!!!!!!!!

[Balmurfan]

A developer's vision for energizing Canton's waterfront includes changing a sleepy shopping area into a full-blown destination with hip restaurants, a hotel and condos - all punctuated by a landmark high-rise that would jut 295 feet above Boston Street, a height along the harbor now reached only by South Baltimore's HarborView tower.

But where the developer sees signature architecture, a soaring edifice that will make people think "Baltimore," residents only see a looming threat to their neighborhood's character and too much density for the increasingly desirable community to handle.

"This development is just overwhelming," Cindy Ordes, vice president of Canton Square Homeowners Association, said this week. Her group has already voted to oppose the project.

Adds Steven Strohl, president of the Canton Community Association: "It's going to be completely out of place."

Cignal Corp., a Maryland firm that has made its mark in Southeast Baltimore with upscale residential projects like the tony North Shore pier homes, has turned its sites on Lighthouse Point, a nondescript retail nook sandwiched between waterfront apartment buildings. It bought an interest earlier this year in the development, which sits across the street from the busy Can Company plaza.

On land used as a parking lot, Cignal, as part of Harbor Marine Center LLC, wants to build a 30-story high-rise to house luxury condominiums. In front of the tower would be a 15-story hotel.

Both the tower and the hotel would be built atop levels of parking and a row of street-level shops and restaurants.

Finally, on the water behind both of those buildings, the developer would construct about 50 townhouses. The nearby Bo Brooks crab restaurant would remain.

"We're trying to raise the quality of the development at Lighthouse Point, which was developed before Canton was cool," said Marco Greenberg, vice president of Cignal.

Before any of this could happen, the developer would have to convince Mayor Martin O'Malley and the Baltimore City Council to allow what's called a "major amendment" to Lighthouse Point's "planned unit development," or PUD.

The amendment would allow Harbor Marine Center to build more on the property than what the city permitted for the original developer.

Baltimore Planning Director Otis Rolley III said he thinks the plan has potential.

Rolley, an advocate of using density to revitalize urban areas, has no objections to high-rises. Though residents don't generally panic over townhouses the way they do skyscrapers, Rolley thinks the low-slung buildings steal more views.

"I'm open to something that's well-designed," Rolley said of the plans. "I would hope that what's designed is not something townhouse-esque that cuts the community off from the waterfront."

Rolley said that if Harbor Marine Center keeps the 50 townhouses in its plan, his department would probably oppose that aspect of it.

The Lighthouse Point project is designed to complement work that Harbor Marine Center has already started on the property and nearby, Greenberg said.

The firm recently won city approval to make major changes to the adjacent "boat hotel" building, a four-level structure now used for boat storage, apartments and a handful of shops including a bagel restaurant and a Blockbuster video.

They're replacing the boat storage with 57 condos and parking. And they're dressing up the building's warehouse-like exterior.

At Lighthouse Point, between the boat hotel renovations and the proposed new construction, Greenberg's goal is to change the area from a forgettable errand stop to a shopping and dining hot spot anchored by a building "that Canton will be known for."

City planner Laurie Feinberg said the project, particularly its promised enticing eateries and stores, could be what Baltimore needs to keep its harbor promenade interesting for strollers as it winds from Federal Hill past downtown and Fells Point and into Canton.

"Tree-lined shops to take you from Boston Street to the water - that would really go a long way," she said.

While Canton residents might like the idea of fancy retail, they're having a hard time getting past the height of the tower and worrying about the extra traffic and parking hassles it might bring.

Carolyn Boitnott, the leader of the Waterfront Coalition, a watchdog group that has fought intense harbor development for years, calls the Lighthouse Point proposal just the latest round in a battle she's finding ever harder to win.

"To my knowledge, no one in the community who's seen this thinks it's a good idea," she said. "We've been very concerned over the years at the cumulative effect of all the traffic and density. This is just another example."

[PeterSmith]

Haha. For once I would love to see people say, "Yes, please build skyscrapers in our neighborhood."

[SoBoChris]

Hecht's stores to vanish after nearly 150 years

Name changing to Macy's; 3 area mall anchors to shut

By Andrea K. Walker
Sun Staff
Originally published July 29, 2005

The 148-year-old Hecht's name will disappear next year, and anchor stores in three Baltimore-area malls will close under Federated Department Stores Inc.'s plan to convert most of the stores it is acquiring from May Department Stores Co. to the Macy's nameplate.

In addition to Hecht's, which grew from a Baltimore furniture store started by Samuel Hecht in 1857, the Filene's, Famous-Barr and Kaufmann's names will disappear. In all, 330 stores around the country will change their names to Macy's.

Federated also said it will close 68 stores in malls where it and May overlap. In the Baltimore area, Macy's stores at White Marsh Mall, Owings Mills Mall and Marley Station Mall in Glen Burnie will close by next fall, and Hecht's stores there will be renamed Macy's. The stores to be closed accounted for about $2 billion of the companies' combined sales of $30 billion in 2004.

Most employees will be reassigned to surviving Macy's stores. The company said it eventually expects to reduce employment in the Macy's stores through attrition.

While the move had been expected for months, it is still expected to have a wide impact, sending mall owners scrambling to fill vacant space, reducing advertising revenue at newspapers and television stations, and changing shopping customs for millions.

Hecht's and the other department stores will keep their names at least through the Christmas shopping season. Federated will begin shutting stores next year.

Shareholders approved Federated's $11 billion takeover of May this month, creating the nation's largest department store owner. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter, pending regulatory approval.

The name conversion is part of a strategy by Cincinnati-based Federated to make Macy's a national brand. This year, the company converted Rich's in the Atlanta area, Burdines in Florida, Bon in the Northwest, Lazarus in the Midwest and Goldsmiths in Tennessee to Macy's.

Like many department stores, Hecht's has struggled in recent years to find its identity between high-end stores such as Nordstrom, discount stores like Target and specialty stores such as Gap and Old Navy.

Federated said Macy's has a more recognizable name than the regional stores and that research showed customers reacted favorably to the name.

"The Macy's name is an iconic brand," said Carol Sanger, a Federated spokeswoman. "People know the name Macy's. People who live in a city without a Macy's know it because of the Thanksgiving Day parade and Miracle on 34th Street."

Cathy Bonney, a New Jersey native going into the Hecht's at Marley Station Mall yesterday, registered for her wedding at Macy's because she knew her family could shop there.

"If anything, I'm pleasantly surprised" about the name change, she said. "It seems to make sense."

The company expects the conversions to give Macy's more marketing clout, and more leverage in negotiating ad rates and deals with vendors.

"If you have more stores, you can spread the advertising costs over a bigger base," said Richard E. Jaffe, a retail analyst with Legg Mason. "If you're bigger, it's better. You can do more on a national basis than you could afford to do if you were only based on the East Coast."

Others say the Federated merger is the latest in a string of retail consolidations over the past decade that is creating a homogenized shopping experience.

"They claim there are efficiencies, and I'm sure there are, but I'm sure you lose more when you wipe out a trusted and often revered local retailer and replace it with a faceless national monolith," said Adam Hanft, CEO of Hanft Unlimited, a marketing and branding company.

Even as Hecht's has struggled with stale inventory and a lackluster mall environment, the department store still evokes nostalgia for people who have shopped there for years.

Naomi Jessop went to Hecht's at Marley Station yesterday to pick up a shirt on sale. She said the loss of the name would be a blow to shoppers in the region.

"Hecht's is a giant here," said Jessop, who has shopped at the department store for 50 years. "I'm sad to see it go."

Hecht's shopper Kathy O'Roark said she never shops at Macy's and isn't going to start once Hecht's is gone.

"It's terrible," she said as she entered the Marley Station Hecht's. "This is going to hurt Marley Station more than it will help it. The mall will lose business."

But Hecht's isn't the first department store to get swallowed up by a competitor. Storied regional sellers such as Hutzler's in Baltimore, Garfinckel's in Washington, Wanamaker's in Philadelphia and Davisons in Atlanta have disappeared in the past 20 years. In those cases the nostalgia wasn't long-lasting.

"You always get customers who will send you their cut-up credit card and say they'll never shop in your store again. But there aren't too many of them, and, realistically speaking, it does not tip the scale," Sanger said. "It's a different world today, and people are used to name changes in the business."

Yesterday's announcement left mall owners wondering how they would fill the space the Macy's closings will leave.

General Growth Properties, owner of the malls in White Marsh and Owings Mills, said it was too early to tell.

"There's not a lot of information that we have or that we can even talk about at this time," said spokesman David Keating.

At Marley Station Mall, there had been rumors about Hecht's name change and closings, but the announcement still caught mall manager Charmaine Lawrence by surprise.

"It's a great opportunity to bring in new tenants to further our offerings," Lawrence said. "We always look for the opportunity."

But malls in recent years have had a harder time keeping customers and tenants as they've faced more competition from Main Street-style centers and the return of some retailers to urban cores. Fewer expanding department stores are left to fill large spaces.

"This is not good for malls," said Erik Gordon, a marketing professor at the Johns Hopkins University. "There aren't a lot of people banging on doors to get in a space that big."

Area brokers said mall owners will need to look past traditional department stores as anchors.

Some have turned to big-box retailers such as Target while others have divided up large anchor spaces into smaller stores. At Security Square Mall in Woodlawn, an Asian mall and grocery serves as an anchor.

"In the short term, it will be a challenge. In the long term, it will be an opportunity," said Thomas H. Maddux, president of KLNB Retail. "I think getting this space back gives these centers an opportunity to reinvent themselves."

The Macy's conversion will likely cut ad revenues of media outlets across the country. Federated and May combined were the nation's 10th largest advertiser in 2004, spending about $1.3 billion on radio, television and newspaper advertising, according to TNS Media Intelligence, a New York firm that tracks media spending.

TNS predicts the companies will spend a little more to promote the conversion to the Macy's name in 2006, but that by the next year Federated will spend 5 percent to 10 percent less on advertising than it and May have spent.

Local newspapers, which now get two-thirds of the companies' advertising spending, likely will be the hardest hit. Hecht's is The Sun's largest advertiser.

"Since the landscape seems to make Macy's a national brand, it now creates an opportunity for the company to make use of national media, whether it be network television, cable television or national newspapers," said Jon Swallen, director of research for T&S Media. "If local newspapers are already getting every two out of three dollars, they're at greatest risk for the greatest cutbacks."

Sun staff writer Lizzie Newland contributed to this article

[PeterSmith]

Billions for state roads, transit appear near
House plan would help fund 6 years of projects
By Gwyneth K. Shaw
Sun National Staff
Originally published July 29, 2005
WASHINGTON -- A huge $286 billion plan for the nation's highways and transit systems is likely to win final congressional approval today, after a last-minute snag delayed a House vote last night.

A provision -- inserted by a senator during negotiations between the House and Senate -- to try to reopen a runway at a Montana military base drew the ire of House leaders, who decided to put off a planned late-night vote and try to force the Senate to back down.

Both chambers are trying to complete work today, in order to begin a recess that will last until after Labor Day.

Maryland would receive $2.9 billion in federal highway funds and more than $900 million for mass transit over the six-year period covered by the bill.

The measure is a blueprint for transportation spending, and the annual budget process will determine exactly how much federal money gets parceled out.

Among Maryland projects in the measure are several aimed at preparing the Baltimore region for an anticipated influx of thousands of new government workers at Aberdeen Proving Ground and Fort Meade.

It would authorize $12.5 million to help ease congestion on state Route 175, between Route 170 and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, in Anne Arundel County. The area around Aberdeen would be in line for $8 million for an interchange linking eastbound U.S. 40 to northbound Route 715. Edgewood's MARC station could get a $1.5 million upgrade, including more parking and better lighting.

Across the city

A number of projects for Baltimore are included. The bill authorizes continued development of proposed Red Line commuter service, which would run, possibly as light rail or rapid bus service, from Woodlawn to downtown Baltimore, and an extension of the subway's Green Line to Morgan State University. The bill also would set $12.5 million to help finish double-tracking the light rail system.

According to Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes, a Maryland Democrat, the state's share of federal transit funding would rise by about $275 million over the six years -- to $846 million from $571 million. The state's annual share of federal highway spending is also expected to grow, from about $443 million to roughly $583 million by 2009.

The federal dollars represent only a portion of project costs, which are also shared, in most cases, by state and local governments.

Also included in the measure are plans to spend $3.2 million for the second phase of the Jones Falls Trail, running from Penn Station to the Maryland Science Center, and $9 million for projects around a planned East Baltimore biotechnology park, just north of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The money would help pay for a traffic circle, new street and park areas, and the purchase of right-of-way for a future rail corridor.

Some of the city's drawbridges would be rehabilitated under the measure, including $7.5 million for the Pennington Avenue span. Also, $3.5 million is planned for widening the southwest side of the Baltimore Beltway, and $1.2 million would go toward a project to widen a segment of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway as part of an effort to improve access to Baltimore-Washington International Airport.

Projects elsewhere

Other federal spending on Maryland projects would include $15 million for Interstate 70 in the Frederick area, $5 million toward a bus facility in Howard County and $16 million for an interchange where Route 5, Route 373 and Brandywine Road meet in Southern Maryland.

Two roads in Howard County also are designated for federal aid: $3 million for Route 32 between Route 108 and I-70, and $5.4 million for expansion of U.S. 29.

The measure calls for federal planning funds for the Inter-County Connector, a proposed road linking Gaithersburg and Interstate 95. Some of the proposed spending remained sketchy as lawmakers put finishing touches on the bill.

The highway bill has been held up for nearly two years as House, Senate and White House negotiators sparred over how much would be spent and where the money would go. The measure is retroactive to 2004, meaning that, in some cases, it would authorize federal reimbursement for money that has already been spent.

"These dollars will affect just about every person in our region, in one way or another," said Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, a Baltimore Democrat and one of the negotiators on the final version of the bill.

'Good for Maryland'

Sarbanes said a small increase in the amount each state is guaranteed to receive as its share of federal highway spending -- a key sticking point -- would benefit Maryland. Lawmakers agreed during final negotiations to reimburse states for at least 92 percent of what they send to the federal highway trust fund each year by 2008. The current figure is 90.5 percent.

"I think it's good for Maryland," said Sarbanes, another negotiator on the final bill. "We strengthened the formula, which sends us more money."

The measure is packed with local projects that represent political payback for members eager to spread federal dollars to all 50 states and most, if not all, of the nation's 435 congressional districts.

[Baltimoreguy]

The tower crane is up for the 28 story apartment tower at Inner Harbor East. The Ist mariner building is huge and can be seen from the 395 I-95 Interchange.

[robert parsons]

:soapbox: :soapbox: :soapbox: i am so sick and tied of people complaining about tall buildings in cities and not getting built . if you want to live near the water or away from city life move to the county or the sticks!!!! and leave the people who dont care or even like the fact that there city is getting better and bigger. :bash: :bash: :bash: :wtf: nobody even looks twice when a building goes up in new york because, it is the way of the city , a way of life!!!

[robert parsons]

sorry just had to get that off my chest! is it true that water tower has the green light!

[Brian21]

^yup very true.

should start construction this fall sometime.

[MasonsInquiries]

A developer's vision for energizing Canton's waterfront includes changing a sleepy shopping area into a full-blown destination with hip restaurants, a hotel and condos - all punctuated by a landmark high-rise that would jut 295 feet above Boston Street, a height along the harbor now reached only by South Baltimore's HarborView tower.

But where the developer sees signature architecture, a soaring edifice that will make people think "Baltimore," residents only see a looming threat to their neighborhood's character and too much density for the increasingly desirable community to handle.

"This development is just overwhelming," Cindy Ordes, vice president of Canton Square Homeowners Association, said this week. Her group has already voted to oppose the project.

Adds Steven Strohl, president of the Canton Community Association: "It's going to be completely out of place."

Cignal Corp., a Maryland firm that has made its mark in Southeast Baltimore with upscale residential projects like the tony North Shore pier homes, has turned its sites on Lighthouse Point, a nondescript retail nook sandwiched between waterfront apartment buildings. It bought an interest earlier this year in the development, which sits across the street from the busy Can Company plaza.

On land used as a parking lot, Cignal, as part of Harbor Marine Center LLC, wants to build a 30-story high-rise to house luxury condominiums. In front of the tower would be a 15-story hotel.

Both the tower and the hotel would be built atop levels of parking and a row of street-level shops and restaurants.

Finally, on the water behind both of those buildings, the developer would construct about 50 townhouses. The nearby Bo Brooks crab restaurant would remain.

"We're trying to raise the quality of the development at Lighthouse Point, which was developed before Canton was cool," said Marco Greenberg, vice president of Cignal.

Before any of this could happen, the developer would have to convince Mayor Martin O'Malley and the Baltimore City Council to allow what's called a "major amendment" to Lighthouse Point's "planned unit development," or PUD.

The amendment would allow Harbor Marine Center to build more on the property than what the city permitted for the original developer.

Baltimore Planning Director Otis Rolley III said he thinks the plan has potential.

Rolley, an advocate of using density to revitalize urban areas, has no objections to high-rises. Though residents don't generally panic over townhouses the way they do skyscrapers, Rolley thinks the low-slung buildings steal more views.

"I'm open to something that's well-designed," Rolley said of the plans. "I would hope that what's designed is not something townhouse-esque that cuts the community off from the waterfront."

Rolley said that if Harbor Marine Center keeps the 50 townhouses in its plan, his department would probably oppose that aspect of it.

The Lighthouse Point project is designed to complement work that Harbor Marine Center has already started on the property and nearby, Greenberg said.

The firm recently won city approval to make major changes to the adjacent "boat hotel" building, a four-level structure now used for boat storage, apartments and a handful of shops including a bagel restaurant and a Blockbuster video.

They're replacing the boat storage with 57 condos and parking. And they're dressing up the building's warehouse-like exterior.

At Lighthouse Point, between the boat hotel renovations and the proposed new construction, Greenberg's goal is to change the area from a forgettable errand stop to a shopping and dining hot spot anchored by a building "that Canton will be known for."

City planner Laurie Feinberg said the project, particularly its promised enticing eateries and stores, could be what Baltimore needs to keep its harbor promenade interesting for strollers as it winds from Federal Hill past downtown and Fells Point and into Canton.

"Tree-lined shops to take you from Boston Street to the water - that would really go a long way," she said.

While Canton residents might like the idea of fancy retail, they're having a hard time getting past the height of the tower and worrying about the extra traffic and parking hassles it might bring.

Carolyn Boitnott, the leader of the Waterfront Coalition, a watchdog group that has fought intense harbor development for years, calls the Lighthouse Point proposal just the latest round in a battle she's finding ever harder to win.

"To my knowledge, no one in the community who's seen this thinks it's a good idea," she said. "We've been very concerned over the years at the cumulative effect of all the traffic and density. This is just another example."

wow, 30 floors in canton. now that would be something

[MasonsInquiries]

A developer's vision for energizing Canton's waterfront includes changing a sleepy shopping area into a full-blown destination with hip restaurants, a hotel and condos - all punctuated by a landmark high-rise that would jut 295 feet above Boston Street, a height along the harbor now reached only by South Baltimore's HarborView tower.

But where the developer sees signature architecture, a soaring edifice that will make people think "Baltimore," residents only see a looming threat to their neighborhood's character and too much density for the increasingly desirable community to handle.

"This development is just overwhelming," Cindy Ordes, vice president of Canton Square Homeowners Association, said this week. Her group has already voted to oppose the project.

Adds Steven Strohl, president of the Canton Community Association: "It's going to be completely out of place."

Cignal Corp., a Maryland firm that has made its mark in Southeast Baltimore with upscale residential projects like the tony North Shore pier homes, has turned its sites on Lighthouse Point, a nondescript retail nook sandwiched between waterfront apartment buildings. It bought an interest earlier this year in the development, which sits across the street from the busy Can Company plaza.

On land used as a parking lot, Cignal, as part of Harbor Marine Center LLC, wants to build a 30-story high-rise to house luxury condominiums. In front of the tower would be a 15-story hotel.

Both the tower and the hotel would be built atop levels of parking and a row of street-level shops and restaurants.

Finally, on the water behind both of those buildings, the developer would construct about 50 townhouses. The nearby Bo Brooks crab restaurant would remain.

"We're trying to raise the quality of the development at Lighthouse Point, which was developed before Canton was cool," said Marco Greenberg, vice president of Cignal.

Before any of this could happen, the developer would have to convince Mayor Martin O'Malley and the Baltimore City Council to allow what's called a "major amendment" to Lighthouse Point's "planned unit development," or PUD.

The amendment would allow Harbor Marine Center to build more on the property than what the city permitted for the original developer.

Baltimore Planning Director Otis Rolley III said he thinks the plan has potential.

Rolley, an advocate of using density to revitalize urban areas, has no objections to high-rises. Though residents don't generally panic over townhouses the way they do skyscrapers, Rolley thinks the low-slung buildings steal more views.

"I'm open to something that's well-designed," Rolley said of the plans. "I would hope that what's designed is not something townhouse-esque that cuts the community off from the waterfront."

Rolley said that if Harbor Marine Center keeps the 50 townhouses in its plan, his department would probably oppose that aspect of it.

The Lighthouse Point project is designed to complement work that Harbor Marine Center has already started on the property and nearby, Greenberg said.

The firm recently won city approval to make major changes to the adjacent "boat hotel" building, a four-level structure now used for boat storage, apartments and a handful of shops including a bagel restaurant and a Blockbuster video.

They're replacing the boat storage with 57 condos and parking. And they're dressing up the building's warehouse-like exterior.

At Lighthouse Point, between the boat hotel renovations and the proposed new construction, Greenberg's goal is to change the area from a forgettable errand stop to a shopping and dining hot spot anchored by a building "that Canton will be known for."

City planner Laurie Feinberg said the project, particularly its promised enticing eateries and stores, could be what Baltimore needs to keep its harbor promenade interesting for strollers as it winds from Federal Hill past downtown and Fells Point and into Canton.

"Tree-lined shops to take you from Boston Street to the water - that would really go a long way," she said.

While Canton residents might like the idea of fancy retail, they're having a hard time getting past the height of the tower and worrying about the extra traffic and parking hassles it might bring.

Carolyn Boitnott, the leader of the Waterfront Coalition, a watchdog group that has fought intense harbor development for years, calls the Lighthouse Point proposal just the latest round in a battle she's finding ever harder to win.

"To my knowledge, no one in the community who's seen this thinks it's a good idea," she said. "We've been very concerned over the years at the cumulative effect of all the traffic and density. This is just another example."


wow, 30-floor condo? 15-floor hotel? i live in canton currently & i didn't hear anything about this project. and as to Carolyn Boitnott's comments relating to how the people in the community feel about this, she truly doesn't speak for all the people in canton. i'm all for it!! i say BUILD THE DAMN THING!!! lol. again, i didn't hear anything about this, so PLEASE keep us posted on the developments of this project. this could get very interesting.
:) :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :eek2:

[MasonsInquiries]

wow, 30-floor condo? 15-floor hotel? i live in canton currently & i didn't hear anything about this project. and as to Carolyn Boitnott's comments relating to how the people in the community feel about this, she truly doesn't speak for all the people in canton. i'm all for it!! i say BUILD THE DAMN THING!!! lol. again, i didn't hear anything about this, so PLEASE keep us posted on the developments of this project. this could get very interesting.
:) :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :eek2:

http://www.nationalbohemian.com/archives/sign/NattyBoh020705.jpg

[MasonsInquiries]

wow, 30-floor condo? 15-floor hotel? i live in canton currently & i didn't hear anything about this project. and as to Carolyn Boitnott's comments relating to how the people in the community feel about this, she truly doesn't speak for all the people in canton. i'm all for it!! i say BUILD THE DAMN THING!!! lol. again, i didn't hear anything about this, so PLEASE keep us posted on the developments of this project. this could get very interesting.
:) :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :eek2:

woops, sorry!!! i'm still pretty new @ this. i'm trying to get an image up for the 1st time. u guys may be witnessing history in the making!!!...lol.

[MasonsInquiries]

wow, 30-floor condo? 15-floor hotel? i live in canton currently & i didn't hear anything about this project. and as to Carolyn Boitnott's comments relating to how the people in the community feel about this, she truly doesn't speak for all the people in canton. i'm all for it!! i say BUILD THE DAMN THING!!! lol. again, i didn't hear anything about this, so PLEASE keep us posted on the developments of this project. this could get very interesting.
:) :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :eek2:

http://espn-i.starwave.com/media/apphoto/BAB10407300336.jpeg

hooray!!!! there it is!!! thanks alot, SteveW!!!! i did it!!!!
miguel tejada goes 4-4 in the o's 7-2 loss to the ChiSox. o's fall to .500 :moods: :moods: :moods: :moods: :moods: :moods: :moods: :moods:

[jaysonjaz]

http://www.nationalbohemian.com/archives/sign/NattyBoh020705.jpg


you almost had it.. you want to put the URL between the tags

like this:


http://www.nationalbohemian.com/archives/sign/NattyBoh020705.jpg

Also you will be better off if you don't link directly to the site. For example if SBER changes up their website, you may lose your picture in the future. If you use a picture hosting company then you don't have to worry about that.

I use http://www.imageshack.us/
If you go to their tools section, they have a few instant upload utilities where you don't even have to go to their webpage to upload the image.
Hope that helps

[Furiine]

That Lighthouse Project sounds like it's going to have some great potential. Being as the same guys planning this one did the Pier Homes, I think the architecture will live up to its hype.

[fanofterps]

What is the hold up? I thought there financing was approved last year.





That Lighthouse Project sounds like it's going to have some great potential. Being as the same guys planning this one did the Pier Homes, I think the architecture will live up to its hype.

[Brian21]

^ I have no idea. :dunno:

from the looks of the site it looks like it could break ground any day. I'm very excited about the Aliceanna Tower though. The tower crane is huge, and I can see it from my house in northeast Baltimore, plus I can see Canton tower and the two bayview towers. :)

[StevenW]

Hey guys. I've been busy lately and just got back in town. Allot of stuff going on in Baltimore. That's great! :)
Can't wait for August. That's when there is supposed to be great news concerning the ST. Regis Proposal, cityscape and MAYBE, MAYBE 300 east pratt street. :D

[fanofterps]

If the Water Tower, Zenith and 300 East Pratt are break ground by fall 2005 to spring 2006, It would be fantastic.

Also, buy the August edition of Baltimore Magazine. There is a large article on Harbor East and Harbor Point. Said whole project would take another 5 to 10 years to complete. Article also mentions an interest to develop area's of Eastern Avenue and Fleet on the other side of Fells Point.



Hey guys. I've been busy lately and just got back in town. Allot of stuff going on in Baltimore. That's great! :)
Can't wait for August. That's when there is supposed to be great news concerning the ST. Regis Proposal, cityscape and MAYBE, MAYBE 300 east pratt street. :D

[StevenW]

If the Water Tower, Zenith and 300 East Pratt are break ground by fall 2005 to spring 2006, It would be fantastic.

Also, buy the August edition of Baltimore Magazine. There is a large article on Harbor East and Harbor Point. Said whole project would take another 5 to 10 years to complete. Article also mentions an interest to develop area's of Eastern Avenue and Fleet on the other side of Fells Point.

Wow! I'm VERY interested in that! Eastern Ave? :? :? :?
Awesome! That would be great! What about a light rail/subway line running on Eastern Ave.? Ever thought of that route? All the way to Essex. ;) :D

[Hood]

:soapbox: :soapbox: :soapbox: i am so sick and tied of people complaining about tall buildings in cities and not getting built . if you want to live near the water or away from city life move to the county or the sticks!!!! and leave the people who dont care or even like the fact that there city is getting better and bigger. :bash: :bash: :bash: :wtf: nobody even looks twice when a building goes up in new york because, it is the way of the city , a way of life!!!

I am sick of heaving the complaint about the hights as well, but there is more too it than that. The real issue is density. Density is good as long at there is infrastructure in place to handle that density. Canton and The Key Highway corridor do not have the transportation infrastructure in place to move all the new people who will use and occupy these dense developments. There are no bus lines on key highway and very few if any bus lines along the water in canton. So, that means the developments will be served by cars. That puts more strain on the parking infrastructure. There is a shortage of parking in our neighborhoods and all of these new cars will eat up those spaces that we use now.

I don't mean to sound like a NIMBY, but the City and State need to make sure that they do their part to make sure these developments do not impact the services we have now. I lay alot of the blame on the poor mass transit system, the inability of the City to cap real estate taxes on the people who currently live adjacent to these developments, and the heavy handedness with wich the city is pushing the development on people who do not want it. It creates adversarial relationships. And, yes there are fanatics who will fight development in any form, but they are in the minority and the City needs to nurture those of us who are pro development, but who want the development to be done sensibly and not take away from what we already have. And, no, I do not feel that people own their views, so that will never be a vaild reason for me to fight a development.

Regarnding MasonsInquiries comments about "Carolyn Boitnott's not speaking for all of Canton" you are correct in a sense, but wrong from a practical standpoint. The City council and planning department listen to the neighborhood leaders, not the individuals. Its the only practical way for them. That is why it is so important to get involved with your neighborhood group. Yes, it is political, but then again so is all of this and the only way to make change is to make change at the ground floor.

[SoBoChris]

City hotel proposal gains late support

Fund to help neighborhoods may help chances in 1st key vote

By Jill Rosen
Sun Staff
Originally published July 31, 2005

With only hours left before the first key vote on Baltimore's proposed publicly financed convention center hotel, a whirlwind weekend of dealing and strategizing appeared late yesterday to have built enough support for the project to advance.

And a major labor union is throwing its weight and possibly its money behind the idea of an affordable housing trust fund - a compromise hotel advocates hope will soften City Council opposition by linking the downtown hotel with neighborhood needs.

Councilwoman Helen L. Holton, who has opposed the idea of the city developing and owning a $305 million Hilton, said yesterday that she is willing to vote tomorrow to move the hotel bills out of committee.

But, she said, she won't ultimately support the proposal unless some of its profits help struggling neighborhoods.

"I've never not voted a bill out of committee - a bill deserves to be voted up or voted down," she said. "But that doesn't mean I'm a 'yes' to pass the bill. Those are two different things.

"I do believe we need a convention center hotel. But I'm not willing to support it without it being able to deliver something for communities."

The council is to vote tomorrow on whether to free the hotel package from the committee of the whole, where the council has debated it for more than a month. With Holton's support, the plan appears to be headed for the council floor and a second vote Aug. 15.

But that didn't stop the weekend frenzy.

To lock in support and tilt the expected close vote their way, advocates and opponents spent recent days with ears pressed to receivers, talking offers, gossip and the latest head counts of who's "yes" and who's "no."

"At the last minute things are gonna be coming out of the woodwork," said Councilman Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr.

Mayor Martin O'Malley is pushing the hotel, which would be the city's costliest public project, as the only way to save the faltering downtown convention center.

Although speculation about whether the mayor would succeed has been serious City Hall sport for a while, with the first vote looming, the intensity kicked up a notch.

"The phone has been ringing off the hook," said Councilman Kenneth N. Harris Sr., a vocal hotel opponent who said last week that he could be persuaded to support it under certain conditions. "I don't feel pressured, but I've got people pulling me on both sides."

At the center of the eleventh-hour blitz is a plan by O'Malley and City Council President Sheila Dixon, which aims to mollify community groups that have demanded the city invest in blighted neighborhoods and win last-minute support on the council.

Dixon hinted about the deal Wednesday. Yesterday her chief of staff revealed more details.

Dixon and O'Malley would create a trust fund to provide $59 million over five years to prepare sites for affordable housing. Dixon will ask the Board of Estimates on Wednesday to start the fund with $10 million from the city's budget reserve, said Beatrice L. Tripps.

Over the next four years, Baltimore would expand the pot with money from Community Development Block Grant cash and its income from the Inner Harbor Hyatt. In the second and third years, the city would tap general obligation bonds for $5 million each year.

The city would use the fund to acquire properties and clear sites. When it comes to building new affordable homes, organized labor might lend a hand.

On Friday, officials with the Washington-based AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust expressed interest in helping, according to Tripps and Ron DeJuliis, president of the Baltimore Building and Construction Trades Council.

Tripps said officials are committed to working on the housing program regardless of whether the convention center hotel is approved. Yet she hopes the plan will convince hotel skeptics that the Hilton won't rise at the expense of neighborhoods.

"What this does is demonstrate that the city is not only focusing on the downtown area," Tripps said. "If this is an issue, it's a possibility they will change their vote."

The need for neighborhood redevelopment is just one reason that many on the 15-member council object to the hotel plan.

Many of them balk at Baltimore getting into the hotel business, wishing the city would instead consider a deal with private investment.

The Baltimore Development Corp., the city's economic development arm, says the all-public financing model is the only viable way to build a hotel. Although the city has had offers to build the hotel with private money - one as recently as last week - BDC officials call the $305 million public scenario superior because Baltimore could keep all of the profits. And BDC officials say the hotel's revenue will easily pay off the city's bond debt.

Portman Holdings, an Atlanta firm that previously bid for the hotel deal, submitted an offer to Dixon last week saying the company could build Baltimore a 750-room convention center hotel for $214 million - with about $50 million in city tax breaks.

"It's misinformation from the BDC that there never was a viable private proposal - that's just not true," said Roger Zampell, Portman's senior vice president of development. "You can make the numbers say whatever you want, depending on what side of the fence you're on.

"If the council is willing to sit down and listen, [a private deal] should be able to be accomplished."

Dixon gave Portman's proposal to the city's finance department for analysis, said Chris Williams, Dixon's spokesman.

Harris, who says he won't support the proposal unless Hilton offers the city upfront a portion of the money it has pledged to guarantee Baltimore's bond debt, said Portman's offer probably comes too late.

"What it's gonna do though, definitely," he said, "is validate people who are 'no' votes."

[StevenW]

You know what, as long as we get the St. Regis, water tower, 300 east pratt street, one light street and cityscape, I'll be happy. Let the others come and go. It's not like we would ever be getting any real tall buildings, much less a new tallest, from these other disputed developments. Maybe if the other high-rise projects don't get done there that the others, (mentioned above), will go up. :) "Compromise" :D :|

[MasonsInquiries]

I am sick of heaving the complaint about the hights as well, but there is more too it than that. The real issue is density. Density is good as long at there is infrastructure in place to handle that density. Canton and The Key Highway corridor do not have the transportation infrastructure in place to move all the new people who will use and occupy these dense developments. There are no bus lines on key highway and very few if any bus lines along the water in canton. So, that means the developments will be served by cars. That puts more strain on the parking infrastructure. There is a shortage of parking in our neighborhoods and all of these new cars will eat up those spaces that we use now.

I don't mean to sound like a NIMBY, but the City and State need to make sure that they do their part to make sure these developments do not impact the services we have now. I lay alot of the blame on the poor mass transit system, the inability of the City to cap real estate taxes on the people who currently live adjacent to these developments, and the heavy handedness with wich the city is pushing the development on people who do not want it. It creates adversarial relationships. And, yes there are fanatics who will fight development in any form, but they are in the minority and the City needs to nurture those of us who are pro development, but who want the development to be done sensibly and not take away from what we already have. And, no, I do not feel that people own their views, so that will never be a vaild reason for me to fight a development.

Regarnding MasonsInquiries comments about "Carolyn Boitnott's not speaking for all of Canton" you are correct in a sense, but wrong from a practical standpoint. The City council and planning department listen to the neighborhood leaders, not the individuals. Its the only practical way for them. That is why it is so important to get involved with your neighborhood group. Yes, it is political, but then again so is all of this and the only way to make change is to make change at the ground floor.


good point. but again, being that i live in canton, i have never encountered a massive amount of traffic along the narrow "one-way each way" boston street corridor. so i was under the mere impression that if anything, the canton area as a whole was being UNDERutilized and that this new proposed 30-floor tower nor the 15-floor tower wouldn't create any problems at all. but that's a good point u made also, jeffbaltimore.

[MasonsInquiries]

City hotel proposal gains late support

Fund to help neighborhoods may help chances in 1st key vote

By Jill Rosen
Sun Staff
Originally published July 31, 2005

With only hours left before the first key vote on Baltimore's proposed publicly financed convention center hotel, a whirlwind weekend of dealing and strategizing appeared late yesterday to have built enough support for the project to advance.

And a major labor union is throwing its weight and possibly its money behind the idea of an affordable housing trust fund - a compromise hotel advocates hope will soften City Council opposition by linking the downtown hotel with neighborhood needs.

Councilwoman Helen L. Holton, who has opposed the idea of the city developing and owning a $305 million Hilton, said yesterday that she is willing to vote tomorrow to move the hotel bills out of committee.

But, she said, she won't ultimately support the proposal unless some of its profits help struggling neighborhoods.

"I've never not voted a bill out of committee - a bill deserves to be voted up or voted down," she said. "But that doesn't mean I'm a 'yes' to pass the bill. Those are two different things.

"I do believe we need a convention center hotel. But I'm not willing to support it without it being able to deliver something for communities."

The council is to vote tomorrow on whether to free the hotel package from the committee of the whole, where the council has debated it for more than a month. With Holton's support, the plan appears to be headed for the council floor and a second vote Aug. 15.

But that didn't stop the weekend frenzy.

To lock in support and tilt the expected close vote their way, advocates and opponents spent recent days with ears pressed to receivers, talking offers, gossip and the latest head counts of who's "yes" and who's "no."

"At the last minute things are gonna be coming out of the woodwork," said Councilman Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr.

Mayor Martin O'Malley is pushing the hotel, which would be the city's costliest public project, as the only way to save the faltering downtown convention center.

Although speculation about whether the mayor would succeed has been serious City Hall sport for a while, with the first vote looming, the intensity kicked up a notch.

"The phone has been ringing off the hook," said Councilman Kenneth N. Harris Sr., a vocal hotel opponent who said last week that he could be persuaded to support it under certain conditions. "I don't feel pressured, but I've got people pulling me on both sides."

At the center of the eleventh-hour blitz is a plan by O'Malley and City Council President Sheila Dixon, which aims to mollify community groups that have demanded the city invest in blighted neighborhoods and win last-minute support on the council.

Dixon hinted about the deal Wednesday. Yesterday her chief of staff revealed more details.

Dixon and O'Malley would create a trust fund to provide $59 million over five years to prepare sites for affordable housing. Dixon will ask the Board of Estimates on Wednesday to start the fund with $10 million from the city's budget reserve, said Beatrice L. Tripps.

Over the next four years, Baltimore would expand the pot with money from Community Development Block Grant cash and its income from the Inner Harbor Hyatt. In the second and third years, the city would tap general obligation bonds for $5 million each year.

The city would use the fund to acquire properties and clear sites. When it comes to building new affordable homes, organized labor might lend a hand.

On Friday, officials with the Washington-based AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust expressed interest in helping, according to Tripps and Ron DeJuliis, president of the Baltimore Building and Construction Trades Council.

Tripps said officials are committed to working on the housing program regardless of whether the convention center hotel is approved. Yet she hopes the plan will convince hotel skeptics that the Hilton won't rise at the expense of neighborhoods.

"What this does is demonstrate that the city is not only focusing on the downtown area," Tripps said. "If this is an issue, it's a possibility they will change their vote."

The need for neighborhood redevelopment is just one reason that many on the 15-member council object to the hotel plan.

Many of them balk at Baltimore getting into the hotel business, wishing the city would instead consider a deal with private investment.

The Baltimore Development Corp., the city's economic development arm, says the all-public financing model is the only viable way to build a hotel. Although the city has had offers to build the hotel with private money - one as recently as last week - BDC officials call the $305 million public scenario superior because Baltimore could keep all of the profits. And BDC officials say the hotel's revenue will easily pay off the city's bond debt.

Portman Holdings, an Atlanta firm that previously bid for the hotel deal, submitted an offer to Dixon last week saying the company could build Baltimore a 750-room convention center hotel for $214 million - with about $50 million in city tax breaks.

"It's misinformation from the BDC that there never was a viable private proposal - that's just not true," said Roger Zampell, Portman's senior vice president of development. "You can make the numbers say whatever you want, depending on what side of the fence you're on.

"If the council is willing to sit down and listen, [a private deal] should be able to be accomplished."

Dixon gave Portman's proposal to the city's finance department for analysis, said Chris Williams, Dixon's spokesman.

Harris, who says he won't support the proposal unless Hilton offers the city upfront a portion of the money it has pledged to guarantee Baltimore's bond debt, said Portman's offer probably comes too late.

"What it's gonna do though, definitely," he said, "is validate people who are 'no' votes."


i'm so sick of this 3-ring convention center hotel circus, it makes me wanna' PUKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Portsman-Holdings should stay away from this ordeal. it'll be in their best interests.

:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

[StevenW]

I say just erect one tower in Baltimore and everything else just build little mid-rises or houses. But make that one tower 2,000 feet tall at about 150 stories. :D
That's a good compromise, right? :dunno: ;) :D

[StevenW]

BTW, has anyone taken any new pics lately of Baltimore? Canton Crossing? Harbor East? Anywhere? :D

[robert parsons]

YES I HAVE A COUPLE OF NEW ONES HOPE TO GET THEM POSTED ASAP

[StevenW]

Great. Can't wait to see 'em. :D

[NewBaltimore1980]

good point. but again, being that i live in canton, i have never encountered a massive amount of traffic along the narrow "one-way each way" boston street corridor. so i was under the mere impression that if anything, the canton area as a whole was being UNDERutilized and that this new proposed 30-floor tower nor the 15-floor tower wouldn't create any problems at all. but that's a good point u made also, jeffbaltimore.

The Canton community group is a NIMBY group who opposes development. The good thing is that this developer has a great record of following through and this is a HUGE investment for the city and Canton. I think it will go through but I am sure the NIMBY (Canton Community Association) will get the tower removed and we will have more townhomes.

[MasonsInquiries]

The Canton community group is a NIMBY group who opposes development. The good thing is that this developer has a great record of following through and this is a HUGE investment for the city and Canton. I think it will go through but I am sure the NIMBY (Canton Community Association) will get the tower removed and we will have more townhomes.

I think the people "behind the scenes" (people like myself) should be included in the voting of canton projects. i bet you that if the ENTIRE community of canton got together & voted on this project and was presented with a common-sense proposal, they would see that this project wouldn't become an inconvenience at all. like one writer said in this thread not too long ago, ANY BUILDING in the city of baltimore that's proposed over a certain height in the end eventually gets shot down in some way shape or form. it just doesn't seem fair.

[NewBaltimore1980]

I think the people "behind the scenes" (people like myself) should be included in the voting of canton projects. i bet you that if the ENTIRE community of canton got together & voted on this project and was presented with a common-sense proposal, they would see that this project wouldn't become an inconvenience at all. like one writer said in this thread not too long ago, ANY BUILDING in the city of baltimore that's proposed over a certain height in the end eventually gets shot down in some way shape or form. it's just doesn't seem fair.

Well what we have to do is get people like yourself elected and remove people like Steven Strohl from these socialist groups. If I got elected I would weaken the neighborhood groups substantially to make them almost irrelevant. When you only have 5% of a community involved in these groups then you are going to get these ridiculous people making statements like 'there is not one person in agreement with this'.

Neighborhood associations shoudl worry about volunteer work, working together, cleanups, cutting the grass, etc. They should not be another city council. That is why we elect the dummies downtown.

[MasonsInquiries]

Well what we have to do is get people like yourself elected and remove people like Steven Strohl from these socialist groups. If I got elected I would weaken the neighborhood groups substantially to make them almost irrelevant. When you only have 5% of a community involved in these groups then you are going to get these ridiculous people making statements like 'there is not one person in agreement with this'.

Neighborhood associations shoudl worry about volunteer work, working together, cleanups, cutting the grass, etc. They should not be another city council. That is why we elect the dummies downtown.


LOL........well said.

:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:

[PeterSmith]

Yeah, this is definitely an issue that needs to be resolved with compromise. On the one hand, if a community doesn't want huge developments being built next door, there should be a way to stop such development. However, it's not like neighborhood councils are constantly dealing with big issues like this. There is NO excuse as to why MasonsInquiries, a resident of Canton and someone who is obviously on the ball when it comes to development, had not even heard about this issue affecting Canton much less given an opportunity to express his opinion (as far as we know). I find that far too often neighborhood associations make decisions on issues that the neighborhood doesn't even know there is an issue about. In my neighborhoods association I can't even remember the last time I voted on council members, even though they somehow seem to change annually. Neighborhood councils should have a say in the affairs of the neighborhood, but they should also function correctly. But at the same time, there should be a way to omit stupid things like people who like the small town feel but choose to live in a metro of 8 million people. There are so many factors that go into it that compromise is the only solution. I think for the most part, however, people will choose to go against big development for the reason that it causes temporary slowed traffic or increased noise or whatever, but they will probably enjoy the area more AFTER the development has occurred rather than before. People have a hard time grasping the benefits of development, but no trouble at all understanding the disadvantages of it.

[Hood]

I am not sure how Canton Neighborhood Associations work, but I am sure there is a newsletter that makes it to each and every one of their association member’s homes. They have a website I saw. They have monthly meetings. This is the gripe that I get from my constituents and it is disheartening to the leaders of the group. “I was not informed. I did not know.” The fact that you know who your community leaders are and that a neighborhood group exists makes it your own fault is you do not know what is gong on.

The people who get out and speak the loudest are the ones who get their way. I know you are sick of hearing about the way my neighborhood group is run, but we have a track record of approving far more developments then we shoot down. The reason? More people who go to our meeting are pro development than anti. That has come from an influx of younger members who have become active and become the voices for the masses.

If you want this development to go through, you have to take matters into your own hands. First of all, when the developer presents at the community meeting, go to the meeting and get up and tell the neighborhood why you like this project. Go to the developer before and during the meeting and tell him you like the project. You may be surprised that there are more people out there like you who are just intimidated into silence by the vocal opponents. This last meeting we had a presenter. One of our members said “What are the heights of these homes? Oh they will block my view?” one of our south baltimre natives got up and said “You don’t own your view, so don’t think that I am going to feel bad for you at all because most of us don’t even have a view to begin with.” It was perfect, old Baltimore telling new Baltimore to quit being selfish. Change can happen, its takes a lot of time and a lot of hard work.

[jaysonjaz]

Jeff,
what is the deal with the buildings being renovated across the RR track from the Center for the Blind? Are they going to be condos or appartment? Is there a website for the project?

[Hood]

They will be market rate apartments. the company is philadelphia management company. Its a great project as they are keeping the building as is. That area is also riddled with crime and break ins so it will bring life down there to deter crime.

[MasonsInquiries]

this may sound like an old question (and if it is, i'm sorry), but what's the deal with Union Wharf? Does anybody know what's the holdup with that project? If i'm right, i believe it's going to be right next to those luxury apartments called 951 Fells St ("The Crescent at Fells Point" i believe it's going to be called) is going to be. I've been waiting for the union wharf project to emerge for so long. i'm about to give up on it.

[fanofterps]

Projects like Union Wharf, 1 Light St, Zenith, 300 east pratt and the Water Tower have draged on for 5 to 10 years. Both the developers of Zenith and 300 East Pratt said they were going to break ground in the spring. Neither of these projects have started.


this may sound like an old question (and if it is, i'm sorry), but what's the deal with Union Wharf? Does anybody know what's the holdup in that project? If i'm right, i believe it's going to be right next to those luxury apartments called 951 Fells St ("The Crescent at Fells Point" i believe it's going to be called) is going to be. I've been waiting for the union wharf project to emerge for so long. i'm about to give up on it.

[NewBaltimore1980]

I am not sure how Canton Neighborhood Associations work, but I am sure there is a newsletter that makes it to each and every one of their association member’s homes. They have a website I saw. They have monthly meetings. This is the gripe that I get from my constituents and it is disheartening to the leaders of the group. “I was not informed. I did not know.” The fact that you know who your community leaders are and that a neighborhood group exists makes it your own fault is you do not know what is gong on.

The people who get out and speak the loudest are the ones who get their way. I know you are sick of hearing about the way my neighborhood group is run, but we have a track record of approving far more developments then we shoot down. The reason? More people who go to our meeting are pro development than anti. That has come from an influx of younger members who have become active and become the voices for the masses.

If you want this development to go through, you have to take matters into your own hands. First of all, when the developer presents at the community meeting, go to the meeting and get up and tell the neighborhood why you like this project. Go to the developer before and during the meeting and tell him you like the project. You may be surprised that there are more people out there like you who are just intimidated into silence by the vocal opponents. This last meeting we had a presenter. One of our members said “What are the heights of these homes? Oh they will block my view?” one of our south baltimre natives got up and said “You don’t own your view, so don’t think that I am going to feel bad for you at all because most of us don’t even have a view to begin with.” It was perfect, old Baltimore telling new Baltimore to quit being selfish. Change can happen, its takes a lot of time and a lot of hard work.

Jeff, the problem is people don't speak up. They are either shy or dont want to cause a controversy. That is why we elect a city council in a FAIR election that is well announced. These neighborhood associations are not getting quorum to elect people. Half the people in the neighborhood probably know nothing about what they do. Then they are given this power that is not given to them by any local, state or federal laws. What is to stop anyone from making their own association for their block for the purpose of stopping a project. The issue is that we have organized democratic elections to vote people into the city council and mayor's office to do the work of the city. The elections held in these groups are not fair, they are not well represented and they should not be given any power (as I am sure the courts would agree if they were sued by these developers.)

[PeterSmith]

I also think one of the problems is the way that news of a proposal is portrayed. When a developer announces that he has plans to build a development, he says it in a manner as though it will be done. Once this news has been made public, it leaves plenty of room open for an opposition cause, but not so much room open for advocates of the said development. What I mean is that it is more common, and seemingly more logical, to jump on a cause to oppose something that is going to happen, rather than jump on a cause that only supports something that will happen with or without your support. I'm not suggesting that the portrayal be changed, I'm just suggesting that it is for reasons such as this that opposition voices tend to be more vocal, and why, as all have said before me, those in favor or development need to raise their voice, even though it may seem unnecessary.

[NewBaltimore1980]

I also think one of the problems is the way that news of a proposal is portrayed. When a developer announces that he has plans to build a development, he says it in a manner as though it will be done. Once this news has been made public, it leaves plenty of room open for an opposition cause, but not so much room open for advocates of the said development. What I mean is that it is more common, and seemingly more logical, to jump on a cause to oppose something that is going to happen, rather than jump on a cause that only supports something that will happen with or without your support. I'm not suggesting that the portrayal be changed, I'm just suggesting that it is for reasons such as this that opposition voices tend to be more vocal, and why, as all have said before me, those in favor or development need to raise their voice, even though it may seem unnecessary.

I think if a developer wants to build a building they should submit their plans to the BDC and PLanning Dept. If zoning changes are required then the Planning Dept will hold a hearing and decide if they will grant the changes. THe public is invited to those meetings. If it passes, then its done. There is no need for these people who have no elected authority to get involved. Most of these people are 'busy-bodies' who just want to get involved in other people's business. I propose that not only are these neighborhood associations irrelvant, but they are illegally taking power not granted to them by the government.

[MasonsInquiries]

I think if a developer wants to build a building they should submit their plans to the BDC and PLanning Dept. If zoning changes are required then the Planning Dept will hold a hearing and decide if they will grant the changes. THe public is invited to those meetings. If it passes, then its done. There is no need for these people who have no elected authority to get involved. Most of these people are 'busy-bodies' who just want to get involved in other people's business. I propose that not only are these neighborhood associations irrelvant, but they are illegally taking power not granted to them by the government.






well said also :)

[PeterSmith]

If a neighborhood association blocks a development is it usually because they say no to it even though the BDC or whoever supports it, or is it because they protest until the BDC reverses its decision? If it is the former, why would the city council or whoever let the neighborhood association to do that? It's not like the city government is a pushover who can't say no to people. They say no all the time.

[PeterSmith]

Hotel passes first round in council by tight 8-7
Support in future votes still shaky; housing fund doesn't boost backing
By Jill Rosen
Sun Staff
Originally published August 2, 2005
After weeks of intense negotiating, months of tedious and testy work sessions, and lobbying by Mayor Martin O'Malley, a publicly financed convention center hotel plan barely withstood its first political test yesterday.

The hotel, which at $305 million would be Baltimore's costliest public project, squeaked past the City Council in an 8-7 vote. The creation of a $59 million affordable housing fund, a move hotel advocates crafted to win the project more support from the council, apparently failed to influence the vote.

The five-year plan to prime blighted areas for redevelopment did delight community and clergy groups that have pressured city leaders to invest in struggling neighborhoods before supporting the downtown hotel.

But not one of the 15 council members changed votes because of it. Before the vote, some of the elected officials said spending more money on affordable housing initiatives is something Baltimore should have been doing -- with or without a hotel hanging in the balance.

"Funds for neighborhoods in need should not be held hostage in exchange for support," Councilman Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr. said before casting a "no" vote.

With yesterday's approval of the bills by the committee of the whole, the hotel bills now move to the council floor, where a vote is expected Aug. 15. If the project is approved then, it would take one more round of voting for the hotel to ultimately succeed.

'A major risk'

The council is bitterly divided over the hotel proposal. As of yesterday, despite a weekend deal-making blitz, the plan still appeared to have more enemies on the council than friends. Councilwoman, Helen L. Holton, who voted for the plan yesterday, said her "yes" vote was only a procedural move to free the package from committee, and that she remains skeptical.

City Council President Sheila Dixon yesterday pledged her support for the hotel for the first time.

"This is a major risk for the city," she said. "But I feel confident that public financing is the way to go."

Dixon was less confident about whether a majority of her colleagues would join her in that support by Aug. 15.

"Who knows?" she said with frustration. "The problem is there is no consistency with them. ... They have five other reasons [to say no] once their other 20 questions are cleared up."

The O'Malley administration, backed by city economic development and tourism officials, has pushed the hotel as the salvation for the underperforming convention center. Without the 752-room Hilton and its ability to offer room-block agreements, they say, Baltimore will never be able to compete in the meetings industry.

Under the plan, Baltimore would issue revenue bonds to finance the hotel. If the hotel fails, the city would use tax income from the hotel -- and possibly the occupancy tax from all Baltimore hotels -- to pay off its debt. Though Baltimore Development Corp. officials insist the hotel would pay for itself, skeptics call the risk too high and question whether the hotel would actually bring more conventions to town.

"I hope I'm wrong, but it's gonna end up in a fire-sale type of thing," Councilman Nicholas C. D'Adamo Jr. said about the hotel as he cast a "no" vote.

But Councilman Robert W. Curran predicted its success.

"The return on the city's money will be historic," Curran said. "I do believe that."

Many council members have asked for alternatives to public financing, even as the BDC has repeatedly told them that a viable private deal was all but fantasy.

Last week, an Atlanta firm that previously bid to develop the hotel sent Dixon an unsolicited proposal outlining how it could build the hotel for $214 million with about $50 million in tax breaks.

Some council members took Dixon to task for not sharing Portman Holdings' proposal until minutes before the vote.

"We should have had an opportunity to review all of the details of their proposal just like we did with the public financing," said Councilwoman Belinda Conaway.

But like all the other deals that involve substantial subsidies, city budget officials said, Portman's offer isn't worthwhile. Stanley Milesky, chief of the Bureau of Treasury Management, said the tax breaks the company wants would cost the city much more in the long run.

"We cannot determine in any way this is a private investment deal," Milesky told the council.

'Fulfillment of a dream'

Before the vote, Dixon gathered with community, religious and union leaders to celebrate the creation of the $59 million affordable-housing trust fund.

In June, irate clergy and members of BUILD -- Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development -- descended on City Hall to demand an end to the "two Baltimores": the Inner Harbor area where investment abounds and the crime-ridden, crumbling neighborhoods.

Bishop Douglas I. Miles berated Dixon in particular for neglecting a campaign promise to find $50 million for redevelopment efforts.

Yesterday, Miles commended Dixon for her "citywide vision."

"This is the fulfillment of a dream of BUILD," he said.

The money, to be used to assemble large tracts for affordable housing, comes from Community Development Block Grant cash, income from the Inner Harbor Hyatt and general obligation bonds.

The block grant funds make up most of the pot -- $29 million. Though the federal government intends sharp cutbacks of the block grant program, housing officials said they weren't worried about the fund's security.

"We are pretty confident we'll have that money," said Housing Commissioner Paul T. Graziano.

Despite claims from critics that much of the money in the housing fund was already going toward neighborhoods, Graziano said that was untrue.

"Every single penny is new," he said. "I'm elated -- it's a huge investment of money for us."

With the unions strongly backing the hotel as a way to secure hundreds more city jobs, the president of the Baltimore Metropolitan AFL-CIO applauded the housing fund.

"We hope this will help get another project we're very much interested in," said Ernie Grecco -- "the convention center hotel."

But council members, while supportive of the investment fund, seemed cynical about the timing of it.

Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke alluded to BUILD's allegations of unkept campaign promises to help neighborhoods. "It appears a hotel has given birth to the honoring of that commitment," she said before voting "no."

Even hotel supporters such as Curran said: "We shouldn't have had to wait to invest in communities."

Council Vice President Stephanie C. Rawlings Blake said only sore losers could grouse about the good news of the fund.

"It's very sour grapes," she said, "because they were unsuccessful in their bid to topple [the hotel] proposal."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The vote

The Baltimore City Council voted 8-7 yesterday to move bills to fund a convention center hotel with $305 million in city revenue bonds to the council floor. Here's how members voted:

Voting yes:

President Sheila Dixon, Vice President Stephanie C. Rawlings Blake, Paula Johnson Branch, Robert W. Curran, Helen L. Holton, Edward L. Reisinger, Rochelle "Rikki" Spector, Agnes Welch

Voting no:

Mary Pat Clarke, Belinda Conaway, Nicholas C. D'Adamo Jr., Kenneth N. Harris Sr., James B. Kraft, Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr., Bernard C. "Jack" Young

[MasonsInquiries]

well said also :)

Support in future votes still shaky; housing fund doesn't boost backing
By Jill Rosen
Sun Staff
Originally published August 2, 2005
After weeks of intense negotiating, months of tedious and testy work sessions, and lobbying by Mayor Martin O'Malley, a publicly financed convention center hotel plan barely withstood its first political test yesterday.

The hotel, which at $305 million would be Baltimore's costliest public project, squeaked past the City Council in an 8-7 vote. The creation of a $59 million affordable housing fund, a move hotel advocates crafted to win the project more support from the council, apparently failed to influence the vote.

The five-year plan to prime blighted areas for redevelopment did delight community and clergy groups that have pressured city leaders to invest in struggling neighborhoods before supporting the downtown hotel.

But not one of the 15 council members changed votes because of it. Before the vote, some of the elected officials said spending more money on affordable housing initiatives is something Baltimore should have been doing -- with or without a hotel hanging in the balance.

"Funds for neighborhoods in need should not be held hostage in exchange for support," Councilman Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr. said before casting a "no" vote.

With yesterday's approval of the bills by the committee of the whole, the hotel bills now move to the council floor, where a vote is expected Aug. 15. If the project is approved then, it would take one more round of voting for the hotel to ultimately succeed.

'A major risk'

The council is bitterly divided over the hotel proposal. As of yesterday, despite a weekend deal-making blitz, the plan still appeared to have more enemies on the council than friends. Councilwoman, Helen L. Holton, who voted for the plan yesterday, said her "yes" vote was only a procedural move to free the package from committee, and that she remains skeptical.

City Council President Sheila Dixon yesterday pledged her support for the hotel for the first time.

"This is a major risk for the city," she said. "But I feel confident that public financing is the way to go."

Dixon was less confident about whether a majority of her colleagues would join her in that support by Aug. 15.

"Who knows?" she said with frustration. "The problem is there is no consistency with them. ... They have five other reasons [to say no] once their other 20 questions are cleared up."

The O'Malley administration, backed by city economic development and tourism officials, has pushed the hotel as the salvation for the underperforming convention center. Without the 752-room Hilton and its ability to offer room-block agreements, they say, Baltimore will never be able to compete in the meetings industry.

Under the plan, Baltimore would issue revenue bonds to finance the hotel. If the hotel fails, the city would use tax income from the hotel -- and possibly the occupancy tax from all Baltimore hotels -- to pay off its debt. Though Baltimore Development Corp. officials insist the hotel would pay for itself, skeptics call the risk too high and question whether the hotel would actually bring more conventions to town.

"I hope I'm wrong, but it's gonna end up in a fire-sale type of thing," Councilman Nicholas C. D'Adamo Jr. said about the hotel as he cast a "no" vote.

But Councilman Robert W. Curran predicted its success.

"The return on the city's money will be historic," Curran said. "I do believe that."

Many council members have asked for alternatives to public financing, even as the BDC has repeatedly told them that a viable private deal was all but fantasy.

Last week, an Atlanta firm that previously bid to develop the hotel sent Dixon an unsolicited proposal outlining how it could build the hotel for $214 million with about $50 million in tax breaks.

Some council members took Dixon to task for not sharing Portman Holdings' proposal until minutes before the vote.

:bash: :wallbash: :wallbash: :wallbash: :wallbash: :wallbash: :wallbash: :bash: :bash: :bash: :bash: :bash:

[MasonsInquiries]

sorry, PeterSmith. didn't know u were posting the same story.

[PeterSmith]

No worries. Your version adds a much needed anger element at the end.

[PeterSmith]

To me, I'm getting to the point where I don't even care if it gets passed or not, I just want it out of the news. I can't stand how Jill Rosen, the reporter for the Sun covering the Hilton proposal, starts every article off with the same sentence: "The convention center headquarter hotel, the city's costliest project...." Annoys me. My biggest beef with the proposal is Johnson's other proposal in Washington. Just bad taste. But I don't want to hate it too much because if it does get built, I would like to enjoy it somewhat.

[MasonsInquiries]

To me, I'm getting to the point where I don't even care if it gets passed or not, I just want it out of the news. I can't stand how Jill Rosen, the reporter for the Sun covering the Hilton proposal, starts every article off with the same sentence: "The convention center headquarter hotel, the city's costliest project...." Annoys me. My biggest beef with the proposal is Johnson's other proposal in Washington. Just bad taste. But I don't want to hate it too much because if it does get built, I would like to enjoy it somewhat.

so much craziness in one project. i've never seen anything like this before in my life.

[MasonsInquiries]

To me, I'm getting to the point where I don't even care if it gets passed or not, I just want it out of the news. I can't stand how Jill Rosen, the reporter for the Sun covering the Hilton proposal, starts every article off with the same sentence: "The convention center headquarter hotel, the city's costliest project...." Annoys me. My biggest beef with the proposal is Johnson's other proposal in Washington. Just bad taste. But I don't want to hate it too much because if it does get built, I would like to enjoy it somewhat.

Jill Rosen is gonna' feel really stupid if in 5 years or so, the articles reads "The convention center headquarter hotel, the city's MOST SUCCESSFUL project"

[PeterSmith]

This is way off topic, but I am curious about it. Have there ever been any proposals for any kind of statues or monuments or anything to rise out of the harbor? I think that would look pretty cool. Or would it block all boat traffic?

[SoBoChris]

This is way off topic, but I am curious about it. Have there ever been any proposals for any kind of statues or monuments or anything to rise out of the harbor? I think that would look pretty cool. Or would it block all boat traffic?

About ten years ago or so they were going to put a colossal statue of Christopher Columbus somewhere in the harbor, but it never happened. I think it ended up somewhere in like Puerto Rico. Other than that, I haven't heard of anything new planned for the "Monumental City".

[PeterSmith]

Damn, that would have been pretty cool. I'm a big fan of Baltimore's monuments. I think the Washington Monument is, in my opinion, the most beautiful place/structure in the entire city. Battle Monument is cool too.

[scando]

Damn, that would have been pretty cool. I'm a big fan of Baltimore's monuments. I think the Washington Monument is, in my opinion, the most beautiful place/structure in the entire city. Battle Monument is cool too.

That Columbus thing would not have been cool. It was the worst looking monstosity I ever saw masquerading as sculpture. The creator had been trying to sell the thing to lots of places but, until it found a home in PR, everybody had looked at the renderings and gasped in horror. It was to be bigger than the Statue of Liberty by about 50 feet and was available for free if some unfortunate city would donate a platform. Take all of the negative comments you have ever heard about the Penn Station man-woman, the Polish soldier's monument and any other misconceived public art you have ever seen, combine them and make it 300 feet tall. That's what we would have had.

[PeterSmith]

Ah I see. Well, then let me change my statement. I think it would be cool to have a monument in the harbor. But maybe not that particular Columbus monument.

[scando]

so much craziness in one project. i've never seen anything like this before in my life.

There was this much craziness about Harborplace. It even came to a public referendum that only won by about a 1% margin. On the other hand, there was less craziness about the first several versions of what is now the Power Plant. One hopes that the convention center hotel doesn't combine the craziness of Harborplace with the success of Phineas Fogg's tour of technology. It seems that the powers-that-be are falling into place to find a way to make this happen, but is this something that could or should be petitioned to a ballot? That seems to be the only thing missing here.

[PeterSmith]

EDIT

[scando]

Ah I see. Well, then let me change my statement. I think it would be cool to have a monument in the harbor. But maybe not that particular Columbus monument.

I'd hope that we could find something as enduringly elegant as the St Lous arch or Baltimore or DC's Washington Monuments. The arch alone gives St Louis a skyline presence that the rest of the city lacks. I don't know whether past eras generated as much bad art as this era (maybe all their bad attempts were erased) but the past 100 years has been tough on public sculpture.

[PeterSmith]

I'd hope that we could find something as enduringly elegant as the St Lous arch or Baltimore or DC's Washington Monuments. The arch alone gives St Louis a skyline presence that the rest of the city lacks. I don't know whether past eras generated as much bad art as this era (maybe all their bad attempts were erased) but the past 100 years has been tough on public sculpture.

I agree. Perhaps Baltimore could get an arch of its own to straddle the harbor, but I'd prefer something more original. I just feel like Baltimore has so many great architectural monuments, but they're all hidden within the city, which is great. But it would also be great to have one right out in the open for everyone to see.

[SoBoChris]

I agree. Perhaps Baltimore could get an arch of its own to straddle the harbor, but I'd prefer something more original. I just feel like Baltimore has so many great architectural monuments, but they're all hidden within the city, which is great. But it would also be great to have one right out in the open for everyone to see.

I think it would be nice to have some sort of monument/museum to immigration. Afterall, Baltimore was only second to New York in immigation in the 19th and 20th centuries. They have the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Maybe it's time the city with the second largest influx of immigrants paid tribute, and in a big way like NYC.

[PeterSmith]

I think it would be nice to have some sort of monument/museum to immigration. Afterall, Baltimore was only second to New York in immigation in the 19th and 20th centuries. They have the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Maybe it's time the city with the second largest influx of immigrants paid tribute, and in a big way like NYC.

Actually Baltimore will. They are turning Locust Point (Baltimore's largest point of immigration) into a memorial area. I believe there will be a museum, but I don't know if anything will be of the same gradeur as the Statue of Liberty. To me, one of the biggest draws of Ellis Island is the book where you can look up your ancestor's immigration records. I hope Locust Point has a similar directory.

[PeterSmith]

http://www.immigrationbaltimore.com/index.htm

That is the link to the Baltimore Immigration Project at Locust Point

[MasonsInquiries]

http://www.immigrationbaltimore.com/index.htm

That is the link to the Baltimore Immigration Project at Locust Point

wow, great website. looks like there's gonna' be alot more people with roots to baltimore than they could've ever imagined. i think O'Malley's concept in doing this is a good one as well (trying to attract and assist more immigrants to baltimore). it's gonna' be great :) :) :) :) :)

[SoBoChris]

http://www.immigrationbaltimore.com/index.htm

That is the link to the Baltimore Immigration Project at Locust Point

That's a great link Peter. I knew of the original plan at the warehouse on Fort Avenue in Locust Point. I remembered when it bured to the ground. It was quite a fire! Anyway, after that, I never heard of anything else on the project.

BTW, it doesn't look as though the site has been updated in a few years. Do you know of any recent developments on the project?

[PeterSmith]

Yeah, that website is a bit outdated though. It says 2002, but I knowthe project is not dead, as I hear it mentioned quite often. Hopefully it has taken a more spectacular turn since that website was updated.

I don't like them referring to it as the Ellis Island of Baltimore though. Just call it Locust Point. Give it its own identity.

Also, I would definitely like to see Baltimore return to being a immigration point. It would serve to replenish lost population, rejuvenate many parts of the city and add a new chapter in Baltimore history and culture. Plus it could give more life to some of Baltimore's ethnic enclaves, which are by no means dead, but have certainly quieted down in recent decades.

[MasonsInquiries]

sounds like a winner project to me. most definitely.

[StevenW]

I like it. :)

[StevenW]

I was just thinking what Baltimore's St. Regis might look like, so I looked around the web checking out a couple of designs. Here they are:
The first three are in Shanghai, China.
That last one is in Beautiful San francisco. :D

http://www.asiahotels.com/images/hotels/9449-cn-h.jpg

http://images.worldres.com/property/a35500/35667/hotel.jpg

http://www.orientaltravel.com/hotelimage/sh_regis03.jpg

http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2004_4th/StRegisSanFranciscoRendering.jpeg

[StevenW]

http://www.arcwheeler.com/projects/414lightstreet.php

[Hugh Jaramillo]

Thank You StevenW

Steven, as always I want to thank you for subtly or not pointing out that the purpose of this web site (or at least the reason that I am interested in it) is to highlight and discuss developments in the Baltimore region.

I have noticed that rececntly there have been a lot of posts that are highly opinionated and really to my mind are tangential to the true purpose of this site. There have not been enough postings which are about particular projects with pics like yours for example.

That being said, I want to share a hands on experience that I had last Sunday with the new Struver project that is going up in the Charles Village on St. Paul St. between 32nd & 33rd Sts. I went into the trailer and they have a model of what that development will look like and it is truely awsome! What I particularly liked was the retail component. I was told by the sales agent that the ground floor is being built for retail and that so far they have several signed leases for the spaces there. Furthermore she told me that 1/3 of the condos in that developement have already been sold, even before the brochures have been assembled. This is an encouraging sign but hardly surprising given that JHU is building a $75 M south quadrangle and that the BMA is planning on expanding too.

Let's try and focus on this type of development as opposed to ranting about pie in the sky developments that people have a bug up their ass about!

[jaysonjaz]

Its about time they get moving on this thing.. hopefully things will now get underway shortly

Ehrlich to announce tax credits for Recreation Pier
Heather Harlan
Staff

The controversial Recreation Pier project in Fells Point is expected to get a boost on Thursday, when Gov. Robert Ehrlich announces the planned boutique hotel will receive state historic tax credits.

Ehrlich is scheduled to unveil the list of historic tax credit recipients during his early morning press conference, sources said.

J. Joseph Clarke, the local developer behind the proposed Recreation Pier transformation, said he was aware of the Thursday press conference.

"It would be a little strange to have a press conference in Fells Point and not announce we had received the tax credits,'' Clarke quipped on Tuesday.

Although Clarke is unsure how much his development team will garner, the businessman said, "I am encouraged.''

Clarke told the Baltimore Business Journal in April that he needs state and federal tax credits to make his redevelopment project work. The developer and his partner, Historic Restoration Inc. of New Orleans, hope to land $3 million in state historic tax credits.

Despite a promised July 1 release, the list of historic tax credit recipients has been guarded closely. Without tax credits, many developers continue to argue that they simply cannot complete redevelopment projects.

But some recent changes in the law -- preventing any one jurisdiction in the state from landing any more than 50 percent of the total -- are likely to hurt Baltimore, in particular. About 91 commercial projects are competing for a piece of this year's $20 million pie. About 50 of those are located within Baltimore City.

In a previous interview, M.J. "Jay'' Brodie, president of the Baltimore Development Corp., and executive president Andrew B. Frank, said many projects need the tax credits to survive.

They expect this year's list to be unfavorable to Baltimore -- a decision that many historic preservation activists hope will ignite activists to fight for a better historic tax credit program.

The state initially changed the law -- after some argued that profitable developers were using the state as a crutch to do business.

[StevenW]

In today's www.mddailyrecord.com news:

"Canton tower plan stopped"
-----------------------------


Neighborhood opposition has apparently toppled a developer’s plan to build a 30-story condominium tower, hotel and townhouses at Lighthouse Point in Baltimore’s Canton neighborhood.

- JEN DEGREGORIO

Some more good news. :rolleyes:

[StevenW]

Thank You StevenW

Steven, as always I want to thank you for subtly or not pointing out that the purpose of this web site (or at least the reason that I am interested in it) is to highlight and discuss developments in the Baltimore region.

I have noticed that rececntly there have been a lot of posts that are highly opinionated and really to my mind are tangential to the true purpose of this site. There have not been enough postings which are about particular projects with pics like yours for example.

That being said, I want to share a hands on experience that I had last Sunday with the new Struver project that is going up in the Charles Village on St. Paul St. between 32nd & 33rd Sts. I went into the trailer and they have a model of what that development will look like and it is truely awsome! What I particularly liked was the retail component. I was told by the sales agent that the ground floor is being built for retail and that so far they have several signed leases for the spaces there. Furthermore she told me that 1/3 of the condos in that developement have already been sold, even before the brochures have been assembled. This is an encouraging sign but hardly surprising given that JHU is building a $75 M south quadrangle and that the BMA is planning on expanding too.

Let's try and focus on this type of development as opposed to ranting about pie in the sky developments that people have a bug up their ass about!

Thanks, Hugh.
Although I enjoy allot of the very interesting comments pertaining to these different topics, I really enjoy when the specific projects are discussed and studied. As for the project you're talking about, I'd love to know more description about it. :)
How large is this project?

[NewBaltimore1980]

In today's www.mddailyrecord.com news:

"Canton tower plan stopped"
-----------------------------


Neighborhood opposition has apparently toppled a developer’s plan to build a 30-story condominium tower, hotel and townhouses at Lighthouse Point in Baltimore’s Canton neighborhood.

- JEN DEGREGORIO

Some more good news. :rolleyes:

Yeah looks like Steven Strohl is on his quest to try and take Canton back in time to when no one wanted to develop. He is one of the most shortsighted people I have ever met.

[MasonsInquiries]

In today's www.mddailyrecord.com news:

"Canton tower plan stopped"
-----------------------------


Neighborhood opposition has apparently toppled a developer’s plan to build a 30-story condominium tower, hotel and townhouses at Lighthouse Point in Baltimore’s Canton neighborhood.

- JEN DEGREGORIO

Some more good news. :rolleyes:


damn, that was quick.....lol. canton's neighborhood opposition doesn't play around. the project hasn't been proposed an entire week & it's already shot down.

[PeterSmith]

damn, that was quick.....lol. canton's neighborhood opposition doesn't play around. the project hasn't been proposed an entire week & it's already shot down.

This is exactly why I can't respect his decision. I don't agree with building development if it's not fit for its location either, but whether it is or not should take more than a few days to figure out. Usually in cases like this, the kind of opinion and decision that the Canton Neighborhood Association has just made occurs after some sort of DEIS report, which typically take a few months minimum. Granted the Canton Neighborhood Association doesn't have the means to perform a DEIS, but they should still look at it a little bit more in depth - or just not get involved at all.

Hopefully the developer will try to appeal this decision or look for a new location for the tower.

[Hugh Jaramillo]

Charles Village Project

StevenW, unfortunately at this time the developers (Struver) of that project that I described that is going up on St. Paul St. between 33rd and 32nd Sts. do not have much public information on it. I can only say that looking at the detailed scale model that is in the sales trailer, it is very well thought out and high quality construction. The sales agent whom I talked to told me that the first unites to be built will be the duplex loft style condos which will be 4 or 5 stories with balconies and retail at the ground level. They will be built of brick and they will sit over a large parking garage that will be accessed through the side. Then directly across the street will be a much larger builidng also brick, that will be 8 or 9 stories tall and also with retail at the ground level. These will be more luxurious with penthouses that will go for $800,000 on the top floors. Directly across 33rd Street from this second phase will be the new dorms that are being build by Stuver for JHU as well as more retail including the new Barnes and Nobel bookstore with a Starbucks. When everything is completed this area around the university will be totally transformed. There will be more life on the streets including people going to the new restaurants and cafes that will be going in there.

If I can find any renderings other than those that are already on the Struver web site, I will post the links on this forum. But at this point the sales agent told me that they are just getting ready to tear down the old tatty row houses on that block and the garages in back. One of those row houses went for $1.5 as the person that owned it was holding out for the highest price!

[PeterSmith]

One of the websites for the project you're speaking about is www.village-lofts.com but this again is only a piece of a much larger project. I remember reading in an article and seeing in a rendering that one of the corner plots of the development would rise to 13 or so stories. You're right though, it is a very high-quality project and definitely an exciting thing for Charles Village.

[PeterSmith]

http://webapps.jhu.edu/fm/webcams/CCwebcam.html

Here is a webcam of the Charles Commons construction in Charles Village.

[PeterSmith]

And here is an article with a rendering that was just published today in the JHU Gazette.

http://www.jhu.edu/~gazette/2004/30aug04/30common.html

[PeterSmith]

And yet one more site with even more renderings!

http://webhost5.nts.jhu.edu/rab/vb/groundbreaking2k4-1.html

[MasonsInquiries]

And yet one more site with even more renderings!

http://webhost5.nts.jhu.edu/rab/vb/groundbreaking2k4-1.html

i'm impressed by the entire project. it's mixing alot of the new with a little bit of the old (as far as the buildings that are used). very nice.

aww man!!!!!! housing for 618 students? yeah, they're gonna' love it. it's really gonna create a new, upbeat college atmosphere in that area that i think has been lacking for quite some time now. it's gonna' be really interesting.

[PeterSmith]

i'm impressed by the entire project. it's mixing alot of the new with a little bit of the old (as far as the buildings that are used). very nice.

aww man!!!!!! housing for 618 students? yeah, they're gonna' love it. it's really gonna create a new, upbeat college atmosphere in that area that i think has been lacking for quite some time now. it's gonna' be really interesting.

Yeah, Charles Village is gonna be even more upbeat and hip than it already is. It is one of the few Baltimore neighborhoods that doesn't get its coolness from being near the waterfront. It's just got a lot going on. I guess that's why the gays love it.....

[waj0527]

I guess that's why the gays love it.....

Thats awfully random. Plus I thought Mt. Vernon was more gay friendly than Charles Village anyway.

[PeterSmith]

Thats awfully random. Plus I thought Mt. Vernon was more gay friendly than Charles Village anyway.

I don't know. I always thought that Charles Village was the gay mecca of Baltimore. In fact, the reason I mentioned it in the first place was because I had come across an article about how they played a substantial role in the area's revival.

[Hugh Jaramillo]

Charles Commons

Thanks Peter for posting those links to the Charles Commons project. However all the ones that you posted dealt with the student dormitory that is being built for JHU north of 33rd St. The model for the building that I saw on Sunday at the sales trailer was for the 10-13 floor building that will be built across the street from the Village Lofts and south of the dormitories on 33d St. That will be a truely handsome building but other than seeing the model, I haven't seen any renderings online.

I also visited the sales center for another Struever project Clipper Mill over in Woodberry. They are about 1/3 finished and I must say it was interesting because it is a mix of new buildings and old factory buildings that are being renovated for housing. There are also some brand new townhouses with red brick facades that are being built by Ryland Homes. In addition there are spaces that are occupied by artisans that work in various media like glass, wood and metal. The entrance is just steps away from the Woodberry Light Rail stop which is handy.

I can't wait for them to tear down those ugly dilapidated row homes on either side of St. Paul St. between 33rd and 32nd and also those ugly old apartment buildings at the southwest corner of 33rd and St. Paul St.!

[StevenW]

Great Projects! :)
Love those links, too. :D

[StevenW]

Do you guys know of any more good links to more live cam footage in Baltimore?

[StevenW]

42-plus projects missing out on historic tax credits
Heather Harlan
Staff
Only eight out of more than 50 planned redevelopment projects in Baltimore City are slated to receive state historic tax credits, sources familiar with the final list said this week.


The Baltimore Business Journal first reported Tuesday that J. Joseph Clarke's redevelopment of Recreation Pier is one of the winners in this year's competition for the public subsidies.

Gov. Robert Ehrlich is expected to unveil the final list of recipients Thursday morning during a press conference at the Recreation Pier.

A fresh change in the law prevents any jurisdiction throughout the state from landing more than 50 percent of the historic tax credit funding. That means that Baltimore projects are limited to a total of $10 million in this round.

Some projects that fail to qualify for the tax credits may be placed on hold. Often, losing the tax credits can kill a deal.

Andrew B. Frank, executive vice president of the Baltimore Development Corp., said he has not yet seen the list of recipients. "Recreation Pier would be at the very top of the city's list,'' he said.

Projects that can create the most jobs and impact, he said, should be likely winners.

[StevenW]

GREAT NEWS!

I e-mailed a representative at arcwheeler the other day. here it is: (short and sweet)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello.
When will the big announcement be concerning the 414 Light Street project in Baltimore?
I hope it will be a great design and that it will be very tall, personally. Perhaps a new "tallest" for Baltimore.

Thanks,
Steve Wyatt

-------------------------

Here is the responce I got back today:

----------------------------------------

Steve:

Thanks for the inquiry. You can count on the design being all of the above. An announcement in September.

Thanks

Hal Wheeler

------------------------------

:eek2: Help me understand this...... :eek2: Is he saying this might be a "new tallest"?

[PeterSmith]

That's great news, Steven, thanks for sharing it. How come developers get back to you so quickly, but it takes them forever to get back to me??? I must have lost my charm city charm...

Anyhow, I guess technically he is saying it will be a new tallest, but I think more realistically he was referring to the "great design" and "very tall" part of your letter. That's not to say it won't be a new tallest, but it just seems as though he was ignoring the part of your letter that said "new tallest". That would be amazing if it was though. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. How awesome would it be if one day we all opened the paper and read something about it being 700 or 800 feet or more? It would be a whole new era for Baltimore.

[StevenW]

I would probably have a heart attack.......... jk. ;)
Yeah, I'd love to see a new tallest in the headlines. Hey, I'd be satisfied if it were in the 600 foot realm. :D

[PeterSmith]

If I owned and were good with Photoshop, I'd do it for you, but you'll have to use your imaginations on this one. Look at the picture below and imagine the St. Regis and the Convention Hotel (hopefully the Westin) in there. If you sprinkled a few more high-rises on the western end of the Inner Harbor it'd be a whole new skyline - definitely world class.

http://www.worldcityphotos.org/USA-DM/USA-MD-Baltimore-Airphotographics1.jpg

[Hood]

Here are some random baltimore shots I took this week.

Lancaster street Condo almost done. Short but nice:
http://www.pbase.com/jeffbaltimore/image/47157036.jpg


Federal Hill
http://www.pbase.com/jeffbaltimore/image/47157035.jpg

Riverside Community
http://www.pbase.com/jeffbaltimore/image/47157037.jpg
Riverside Community
http://www.pbase.com/jeffbaltimore/image/47157038.jpg

Boston Street with Canton crossing going up
http://www.pbase.com/jeffbaltimore/image/47157039.jpg

Silo Point Grain Elevator
http://www.pbase.com/jeffbaltimore/image/47157040.jpg

Butt ugly high rise on the water
http://www.pbase.com/jeffbaltimore/image/47157042.jpg

Marina and silo point
http://www.pbase.com/jeffbaltimore/image/47157043.jpg

Canton crossing rising up above lighthouse pont
http://www.pbase.com/jeffbaltimore/image/47157044.jpg

[StevenW]

Great pics, Jeff! :)
BTW, I like the Lancaster condo. :)

[Furiine]

GREAT NEWS!

I e-mailed a representative at arcwheeler the other day. here it is: (short and sweet)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello.
When will the big announcement be concerning the 414 Light Street project in Baltimore?
I hope it will be a great design and that it will be very tall, personally. Perhaps a new "tallest" for Baltimore.

Thanks,
Steve Wyatt

-------------------------

Here is the responce I got back today:

----------------------------------------

Steve:

Thanks for the inquiry. You can count on the design being all of the above. An announcement in September.

Thanks

Hal Wheeler

------------------------------

:eek2: Help me understand this...... :eek2: Is he saying this might be a "new tallest"?

"All of the above??" :runaway: Holy cow, that's a big promise! Let's hope no one poo-poo's this plan (like always, because, well, this is Baltimore.)

[MasonsInquiries]

yeah, i'm hoping that it's 41 floors atleast. that would be beautiful.

[StevenW]

I was thinking 50 stories........... ;)

[StevenW]

Good article: http://www.citypaper.com/news/story.asp?id=10358

[StevenW]

Officials scrap Canton high-rise plan
Proposed 295-foot condo tower elicited strong opposition from residents
By Jill Rosen
Sun Staff
Originally published August 3, 2005
After protests from Canton residents, plans to build a 295-foot high-rise on a Lighthouse Point parking lot are off.

Councilman James B. Kraft, who represents the waterfront neighborhood, said that with so much community opposition, he would not introduce a bill that the project needed to proceed.

"It's dead," Kraft said.

Cignal Corp., a Maryland firm known in Southeast Baltimore for upscale residential projects such as the North Shore pier homes, bought an interest this year in Lighthouse Point, a nondescript retail nook sandwiched between Boston Street apartment buildings.

As part of Harbor Marine Center LLC, Cignal wanted to use the site to build a 30-story luxury condominium tower, a 15-story hotel, about 50 townhouses, shops and parking.

To develop the site that heavily, Cignal would have needed a "major amendment" to Lighthouse Point's "planned unit development" - a change granted only by the mayor and City Council.

To place the measure before the council, the bill needed a sponsor. Kraft and Council President Sheila Dixon refused, effectively stymieing the project.

Marco Greenberg, vice president of Cignal, did not return calls yesterday.

Steven Strohl, president of the Canton Community Association, who thought the tower would be out of place in Canton, said yesterday that he and his neighbors are pleased that Kraft heard their objections.

Last week, when Kraft held a community meeting for the developer to discuss the project, none of the 75 or so attendees liked the idea, Strohl said.

"There was not a person in that room supporting that, and it was rather remarkable," said Strohl, who hopes that if the developer comes back with a new proposal it will be smaller, both in height and density.

Baltimore Planning Director Otis Rolley III said that except for townhouses, he thought the proposal sounded like a good move for the area. He said the developer has not mentioned any alternatives.

[Brian21]

How about 60flrs ;)

[SoBoChris]

GREAT NEWS!

I e-mailed a representative at arcwheeler the other day. here it is: (short and sweet)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hello.
When will the big announcement be concerning the 414 Light Street project in Baltimore?
I hope it will be a great design and that it will be very tall, personally. Perhaps a new "tallest" for Baltimore.

Thanks,
Steve Wyatt

-------------------------

Here is the responce I got back today:

----------------------------------------

Steve:

Thanks for the inquiry. You can count on the design being all of the above. An announcement in September.

Thanks

Hal Wheeler

------------------------------

:eek2: Help me understand this...... :eek2: Is he saying this might be a "new tallest"?

Holy cow! Come on September!!

[MasonsInquiries]

How about 60flrs ;)


speaking of which is my next question. like washington d.c., i know that baltimore also has the "height restriction" as far as the tallest ANY building in the city can be. what exactly is the MAXIMUM height? how many floors? how many feet? :? :? :? :?

[SoBoChris]

I don't think there's a height restriction like the one in DC, I think here a building has to be "set back" from the street. I don't know what the exact dimentions a set back has to be, but I'm sure someone here does.

[PeterSmith]

I do believe Baltimore has height restriction, but you're right in that they're not like the ones in DC. DC doesn't allow buildings over a certain height, period. Baltimore's is more complex. There are different height restrictions for different areas. I think most buildings in downtown are restricted to a certain height because taller buildings would block flight paths from helicopters entering the shock trauma center. I always thought that height limit was around 550 feet, just because no building is taller than that, but I think I was just making that up. I've searched for years trying to find exact limits on building heights and have never been successful. My guess is that there is no set limit in many areas, but once a building is proposed, it's height is then critiqued against a number of factors, including proximity to shock trauma, flight paths, and the historical fabric of the area. But that might not be true at all. It's just what I have come to guess to be the process.

[waj0527]

According to the Inner Harbor Master Plan, the tower portions of buildings along the Pratt Street and parts of the Light Street corridor between Key Hwy and Pratt have to sit back. I think Pratt Street (and parts of Light Street) are the only downtown blvds with such requirements. As to the height restrictions, I think the closer a building is to the Westside and the University of Maryland, the shorter it has to be. Other than that I dont think there's much of a restriction other than the fact that any project with significant height gets shot down in Baltimore for some odd reason.

[Brian21]

Man I can't wait to see some kind of rendering. This could be Big :) Baltimore is way past due for another really tall tower, whether its a new tallest or not. However I do hope that this may be a new tallest.

I wish someone would get back to us that fast and straightforward regarding 300 E. Pratt, One Light street, Cityscape Tower, etc... In the meantime we watch the Aliceanna Tower rise ;)

[Eerik]

Height limits along Pratt and Light Streets were once (unofficially) dictated by the cornice-façade of the old McCormick spice plant, roughly ten stories. With setbacks stepping away from that cornice-line, the sky was pretty much the limit, although not encouraged by the harbor master plan.

The Gallery at Harborplace was the first harbor structure to challenge that building envelope, followed by 100 E. Pratt Street, and later by 300 E. Pratt Street (when it was presented as a 36-storey office tower).

With the McCormick facility long demolished, the planned 414 Light Street site would be an appropriate challenge (symbolically) to its predecessor building.

However in the end, I predict a proposal with a massing similar to that of the Harbor Court Hotel and Condominiums next door. Maximum storey-height: 27 floors with 11-floor setback.

[MasonsInquiries]

Man I can't wait to see some kind of rendering. This could be Big :) Baltimore is way past due for another really tall tower, whether its a new tallest or not. However I do hope that this may be a new tallest.

I wish someone would get back to us that fast and straightforward regarding 300 E. Pratt, One Light street, Cityscape Tower, etc... In the meantime we watch the Aliceanna Tower rise ;)


The Aliceanna Tower looks like it's gonna' be pretty high i must say.

[PeterSmith]

Does anyone have a good skyline shot of what Harbor East will look like as opposed to the aerial view we always keep posting? I'm curious as to how dense it will look from the harbor.

[Brian21]

Its suppose to be somewhere between 300-350 ft I believe. So thats fairly tall. The neighboring Marriot is 432 ft. but I don't think the Aliceanna tower is going to break the 400 ft mark.

[Eerik]

Does anyone have a good skyline shot of what Harbor East will look like as opposed to the aerial view we always keep posting? I'm curious as to how dense it will look from the harbor.
Baltimore Magazine (as cited earlier) in the current issue has a close-up shot of the area from the harbor (south looking north) that really gives a sense of the development density. I don't have an online subscription, but I might be able to get a copy of the photo from someone I know definitely has it...

[StevenW]

Here's an answer to an e-mail I had sent along time ago. Hope this helps everyone:


Mr Wyatt:

To answer your questions:

1. There is no formal building height restriction in downtown Baltimore that says "any building shalt not be taller than X."

2. Building heights are governed by Floor to Area Ratios (FAR) that are base line established in the City zoning code and restricted/modified through specific Urban Renewal Plans. All of downtown Baltimore either lies in a B-4-2 or B-5-2 zoning classification. The B-4 and B-5 designations govern the land use (retail, office, hotel, etc.). Bulk, setbacks and height restrictions are governed by the third stringer. (Either no string (such as B-3), -1, or -2. Permissible FAR in a -2 zone is 14. Meaning, if a land owner had 1/2 acre site in a B-5-2 zone, with no setbacks they could build a structure that has nearly 300,000 square feet (1/2 acre=21,290 square feet, times 14 is equal to 298,060 square feet developable)

Parking facilities and mechanical penthouses are considered ancillary uses and are not included in FAR calculations. So given the above, a developer has a 298,000 envelope in which to work. Say the design has 15,000 square foot floors, so the developer could build a 19-20 story building, on top of structured parking and one additional floor for mechanical. (298,000 divided by 15,000= 19.87) A rule of thumb says parking structures should be no more than 8 levels, so this example could yield a 26 to 29 story building depending on how much parking goes below grade. Deck to deck heights depend on the use, assuming everything is above grade, this example would yield a building that is somewhere between 270 and 300 feet above grade.

If they has 20,000 square foot floor plated, the height would reduce, if they went to 12,000, the height could increase.

3. Height restrictions in the various Urban Renewal Plans allow for view corridors, and police and medivac helicopter glide paths.

4. On the 300 E. Pratt Street site, there is no height limit. It is only restricted by FAR.

5. The rumor you've heard about the 300 E. Pratt building being the tallest in Baltimore is false. The renderings circulated are deceiving. The actual planned building is on par with the adjacent Inner Harbor Tower (111 S, Calvert) and the IBM Building. Both are in the 350 to 400 foot range. To the best of my knowledge, the final design is still in the works and the exact height has not been determined.

The tallest building by FAR standards now is the Legg Mason Tower (100 Light Street) at 515 feet. The tallest overall building is the William Donald Shaffer Tower (6 St. Paul) which is slightly taller when you throw in the spire and flag pole.

Hope this helps. If you need actual calculations, please contact Tom Stossur in the City Planning Department.

Robert M. Aydukovic
Director - Downtown Housing Council
Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, Inc.
217 N. Charles Street, Suite 100
Baltimore, MD 21201
410-528-7718 (direct)
410-244-1030 (main)
410-234-2733 (fax)
baydukovic@dpob.org

[StevenW]

Baltimore Magazine (as cited earlier) in the current issue has a close-up shot of the area from the harbor (south looking north) that really gives a sense of the development density. I don't have an online subscription, but I might be able to get a copy of the photo from someone I know definitely has it...

I'd love to see that picture.

[Baltimoreguy]

The Waterfront Marriott is no where near 432 feet tall. It is 365 Feet tall. The 432 is when the building was supposed to be 41 floors. It went from 51 floors thru a number of changes to the final 32 floors. The new apartment tower will only be about 315 feet tall.

[Brian21]

"The tallest building by FAR standards now is the Legg Mason Tower (100 Light Street) at 515 feet."

the Legg Mason tower is only 515 ft tall? I thought it was like 538 ft. Baltimoreguy I guess thats another error by the emporis site. They have the Marriot waterfront as being 432 ft.








Here's an answer to an e-mail I had sent along time ago. Hope this helps everyone:


Mr Wyatt:

To answer your questions:

1. There is no formal building height restriction in downtown Baltimore that says "any building shalt not be taller than X."

2. Building heights are governed by Floor to Area Ratios (FAR) that are base line established in the City zoning code and restricted/modified through specific Urban Renewal Plans. All of downtown Baltimore either lies in a B-4-2 or B-5-2 zoning classification. The B-4 and B-5 designations govern the land use (retail, office, hotel, etc.). Bulk, setbacks and height restrictions are governed by the third stringer. (Either no string (such as B-3), -1, or -2. Permissible FAR in a -2 zone is 14. Meaning, if a land owner had 1/2 acre site in a B-5-2 zone, with no setbacks they could build a structure that has nearly 300,000 square feet (1/2 acre=21,290 square feet, times 14 is equal to 298,060 square feet developable)

Parking facilities and mechanical penthouses are considered ancillary uses and are not included in FAR calculations. So given the above, a developer has a 298,000 envelope in which to work. Say the design has 15,000 square foot floors, so the developer could build a 19-20 story building, on top of structured parking and one additional floor for mechanical. (298,000 divided by 15,000= 19.87) A rule of thumb says parking structures should be no more than 8 levels, so this example could yield a 26 to 29 story building depending on how much parking goes below grade. Deck to deck heights depend on the use, assuming everything is above grade, this example would yield a building that is somewhere between 270 and 300 feet above grade.

If they has 20,000 square foot floor plated, the height would reduce, if they went to 12,000, the height could increase.

3. Height restrictions in the various Urban Renewal Plans allow for view corridors, and police and medivac helicopter glide paths.

4. On the 300 E. Pratt Street site, there is no height limit. It is only restricted by FAR.

5. The rumor you've heard about the 300 E. Pratt building being the tallest in Baltimore is false. The renderings circulated are deceiving. The actual planned building is on par with the adjacent Inner Harbor Tower (111 S, Calvert) and the IBM Building. Both are in the 350 to 400 foot range. To the best of my knowledge, the final design is still in the works and the exact height has not been determined.

The tallest building by FAR standards now is the Legg Mason Tower (100 Light Street) at 515 feet. The tallest overall building is the William Donald Shaffer Tower (6 St. Paul) which is slightly taller when you throw in the spire and flag pole.

Hope this helps. If you need actual calculations, please contact Tom Stossur in the City Planning Department.

Robert M. Aydukovic
Director - Downtown Housing Council
Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, Inc.
217 N. Charles Street, Suite 100
Baltimore, MD 21201
410-528-7718 (direct)
410-244-1030 (main)
410-234-2733 (fax)
baydukovic@dpob.org

[StevenW]

The Legg Mason Tower is listed at 529 ft. tall.
Mr. Aydukovic made a mistake when he said 515 ft. He was refering to the Inner Harbor Marriott at it's original 51 floors. He told me this in a later e-mail. The 538 ft. number comes from the actual height of the tower, but the tower sits lower than the average sidewalk surrounding it. I was told the heights are measured from the sidewalk of the street all the way up to the top of the tower's fixed crown/roof.
I've got a BUNCH of these conversations/e-mails from allot of the city people.

[StevenW]

The Waterfront Marriott is no where near 432 feet tall. It is 365 Feet tall. The 432 is when the building was supposed to be 41 floors. It went from 51 floors thru a number of changes to the final 32 floors. The new apartment tower will only be about 315 feet tall.

I've often wondered about the final (REAL) height of the Inner Harbor Marriott.
Some pictures make it look over 400 ft. tall. Other pics show it to be real squatty around 300 ft. tall. If you think about it, it does make sence for it being around 365 ft. tall. That would be an average floor height of about 11 1/2 ft. per floor, (comparable hotel floor height), verses a 13 1/2 ft. per floor height if it was 432 ft. tall. That height of 32 floors and 432 ft. tall is borderline "office" height which is normally around 14 ft. to 16 ft. per floor.
But after having said all that, it does make me upset that it is only 365 ft. tall. Another thing to consider too is that IF the Aliceanna Tower does rise to over 315 ft. tall, then there really should NOT be a really big difference in the heights between it and the Inner Harbor Marriott. (50 ft.) :D

[StevenW]

Great link to the "CityScape" tower. No renderings , yet. But good info: http://www.thesheltergroup.com/news/insights/InsightsWinter2005final.pdf

[StevenW]

http://www.imagicdigital.com/images_p/aerial/aerial_19.jpg

[StevenW]

Great article on Baltimore's future light-rail expansion......

http://www.gbc.org/news/August05/080105-BTA-DiegoBecklund.html

[fanofterps]

Great Steve. With 2,000 homes, movie theater, 50 or more upscale stores, 7 hotels, and over 1 milion sq ft of office space going up in Harbor East/Point, Baltimore is really going to need a light rail system from Camden Yards to Patterson Park/Canton.

I hope and gets built soon to compliment all the great things Paterakis/Struever are building.


Great article on Baltimore's future light-rail expansion......

http://www.gbc.org/news/August05/080105-BTA-DiegoBecklund.html

[jaysonjaz]

8 city projects due state tax credits
They were among 51 seeking funds from $10 million awarded for historic redevelopment; $10 million also allotted beyond Baltimore
By Lorraine Mirabella
Sun Staff
Originally published August 5, 2005

Eight redevelopment projects in Baltimore will get $10 million in Maryland historic tax credits this fiscal year, marking the first time the state program has pitted developers against one another in competition and limited the number of city projects.

The eight Baltimore projects, including conversions of historic buildings to hotels and apartments, were chosen from among 51 city projects that applied to the Heritage Preservation Tax Credit Program for fiscal 2006.

Tax-credit winners in the city included the redevelopment of the Maryland Trust Building at Calvert and Redwood streets, a survivor of the Great Fire of 1904, into a 97-room Marriott Springhill Suites; the conversion of the Jefferson Building on North Charles Street into apartments; and the redevelopment of the Fells Point Recreation Pier into a three-story, European-style boutique hotel.

Developers and preservationists widely credit the tax program with helping to preserve and revitalize city neighborhoods and downtown by making possible projects such as the redeveloped Tide Point office complex in Locust Point and the refurbished Hippodrome Theater on the city's west side.

But many remain critical of changes approved by state lawmakers in 2004, which capped the total tax credit awards at $20 million and set limits on the number of projects from Baltimore by stipulating that no jurisdiction can receive more than half the allotment.

Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., who had proposed continuing the program that was set to expire in 2004, announced the winners yesterday during a news conference, a total of 36 historic redevelopment projects getting the $20 million in credits statewide.

"It is an incredible development tool, and secondly, it preserves our incredibly rich heritage in the city and state," Ehrlich said. But he said the law should make the credits more widely available. "We can improve it if we change the statute. Baltimore should be leading the charge to improve the bill."

Comptroller William Donald Schaefer, who joined the governor at yesterday's news conference, put it more bluntly, saying an effective tool for preservation had been watered down.

"It's a dumb law, and it has to be changed," Schaefer said. "It limits the money spent and where it's spent."

The city was the only jurisdiction to have qualified projects go unfunded. The program received 28 applications from outside Baltimore and funded all of them, said J. Rodney Little, director of the Maryland Historical Trust, an organization of the state Department of Housing and Community Development that administers the tax-credit program. Those 28 applications did not use up the entire $10 million available to them, leaving about $500,000 on the table.

While the law is intended to promote private commercial investment, "the consequence of the way this law is written is that, in effect, it singles out one jurisdiction where such investment is stifled," said Donald C. Fry, president of the Greater Baltimore Committee.

Baltimore projects that were denied credits include the Stafford Hotel on Mount Vernon Place, planned for redevelopment into apartments, and the rehabilitation of the Henry Louis Mencken House museum on Hollins Street and the Garrett Jacobs Mansion, also on Mount Vernon Place, the landmark headquarters of the Engineering Society.

"Baltimore City has the lion's share of commercial buildings that are eligible for the tax credits, and yet we're capped at a level that doesn't allow us anywhere near what we could be using," said Johns Hopkins, executive director of Baltimore Heritage. "The state is sitting there with extra money they can't give out because of an artificial cap on Baltimore City. I'm frustrated as a Baltimore City advocate."

Under the state program, applicants can get credits equal to 20 percent of the qualified capital costs of rehabilitating a certified heritage structure.

"That's often an amount that makes or breaks a project," Hopkins said. "There are projects in the past that would not have gone forward."

Among the Baltimore projects awarded yesterday, the Fells Point Recreation Pier was one of two statewide to receive the maximum dollar amount of $3 million.

"All of these kinds of projects, by the nature of the additional work to keep the historical significance and historical accuracy, end up costing more," said J. Joseph Clarke, developer of the Fells Point Recreation Pier. "What attracts [developers] to do them is the availability of the credits."

Clarke said the award of tax credits will allow him and his partner, New Orleans-based HRI Properties, to move ahead with plans to redevelop the landmark pier, an early-20th-century port of entry for immigrants that was later used for city recreation programs. The developers plan a 145-room hotel managed by Kimpton Group, a hotel chain that operates boutique hotels such as the Hotel Monaco in Washington and the Hotel Monaco San Francisco.

Steven Bloom of PMC Property Group said $703,607 in tax credits will help with the $20 million cost of redeveloping the NESCO complex, a 19th-century warehouse on Light Street in South Baltimore, into 190 market-rate apartments. The project received only a partial tax credit, rather than 20 percent of the project cost, because the of the project's ranking at a point where Baltimore City's allocation was mostly used up.

Still, Bloom said, "without the federal and state tax credits, these projects are difficult to do."

For most developers, state historic tax incentives remain a significant incentive, said Cindy Hamilton, a senior associate with Portland, Ore.-based Heritage Consulting Group, a consultant on historic redevelopment projects around the country and on the Maryland Trust Building hotel project in Baltimore.

"In the states where there is a state tax credit, there's so much more rehab activity," Hamilton said.

OTO Development, based in Spartanburg, S.C., is buying the Maryland Trust Building and plans to own and operate the hotel, a 97-room Marriott Springhill Suites the company hopes to start building in November.

"These projects can't ever depend on getting the credits because the credits are so competitive," Hamilton said. "You can't bank on them, but it makes all the difference in the world to turn these buildings around."

[scando]

Great Steve. With 2,000 homes, movie theater, 50 or more upscale stores, 7 hotels, and over 1 milion sq ft of office space going up in Harbor East/Point, Baltimore is really going to need a light rail system from Camden Yards to Patterson Park/Canton.

I hope and gets built soon to compliment all the great things Paterakis/Struever are building.

It won't be real soon, but at least it's moving; nothing ever happens fast when federal money is involved. This year's State budget contained money for planning and construction start and the Federal tranportation budget passed last week also contained Federal money for the project. While none of this means that they will start digging next week (maybe the end of the decade is more likely), once money is committed by the state and the feds, that generally means that they are both serious about it. If you happen to be in the Charles Center subway station, there are some big drawings of the possible routes depending on whether they go with light rail or BRT. Judging by Secretary Flannagan's recent poses in front of Boston's new silver line BRT, you might read the tea leaves that he is leaning that way. Seems that someday you will be able to ride from the Social Security complex, across W Baltimore, through downtown, to somewhere near Patterson Park.

[fanofterps]

Open house today at Water Tower for selling condo's. Looking forward to construction starting. Also, the Vue Condo's at Harboreast(Parcel B) began their ad campaign today in the Sun. The web site is vueharboreastcondos.com. Lets add the Zenith, 300 East Pratt, 414 Light St., and Cityscape over the next 18 to 24 months!!!

All these residential buildings would add about 1,500 units.

[MasonsInquiries]

Open house today at Water Tower for selling condo's. Looking forward to construction starting. Also, the Vue Condo's at Harboreast(Parcel B) began their ad campaign today in the Sun. The web site is vueharboreastcondos.com. Lets add the Zenith, 300 East Pratt, 414 Light St., and Cityscape over the next 18 to 24 months!!!

All these residential buildings would add about 1,500 units.


Open house at WATER TOWER? :eek2:






Finally!!! It's about time. I didn't think that project would ever get off the ground.

[StevenW]

http://www.vueharboreastcondos.com/images/homepage/printv.flatw.jpg

http://www.harboreast.com/images/aerial_1.jpg

http://www.harboreast.com/images/aerial_2.jpg

http://www.harboreast.com/images/street.jpg

http://www.harboreast.com/images/watercolor.jpg

http://www.bozzuto.com/index.asp?bhcp=1

[StevenW]

http://www.414waterstreet.com/images/lg_rend/ren_top.jpg
http://www.414waterstreet.com/images/lg_rend/ren_mid.jpg
http://www.414waterstreet.com/images/lg_rend/ren_bot.jpg

This tower looks to rise to just a little bit above 300 ft. or so. I'll say, ....
.... 335 to 340 ft. tall. Anybody else have a guess as to the final height? :D

[MasonsInquiries]

http://www.414waterstreet.com/images/lg_rend/ren_top.jpg
http://www.414waterstreet.com/images/lg_rend/ren_mid.jpg
http://www.414waterstreet.com/images/lg_rend/ren_bot.jpg

This tower looks to rise to just a little bit above 300 ft. or so. I'll say, ....
.... 335 to 340 ft. tall. Anybody else have a guess as to the final height? :D


hmmmm. wow, should be interesting. i'd say more in the 340 ft. range. it's going to do absolute wonders for the skyline. :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

[StevenW]

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?threadid=83567

PLEASE, CLICK on the above link and ..... ENJOY. :)

[MasonsInquiries]

414 water street. wow!!!! now that's a very beautiful-looking tower.

but i must admit though, i won't be happy fully until new york-architects give us a final rendering of 300 east pratt street. it's gonna' be a huge edition to the skyline. when it's all said & done, i truly think that project's gonna' have some great height to it as well. i'm thinking atleast 300 ft., but we'll see. it should be interesting.

[MasonsInquiries]

Great link to the "CityScape" tower. No renderings , yet. But good info: http://www.thesheltergroup.com/news/insights/InsightsWinter2005final.pdf


wow, great website!!!! 300 units? my mere image of CitysScape is visioning something similar to 414WaterStreet, but alot jazzier. It's gonna' block most of the view of the Bank Of America building and 100 east pratt street's gonna take most of CityScape's view, but i can live with it. it should be nice!!

[StevenW]

414 water street. wow!!!! now that's a very beautiful-looking tower.

but i must admit though, i won't be happy fully until new york-architects give us a final rendering of 300 east pratt street. it's gonna' be a huge edition to the skyline. when it's all said & done, i truly think that project's gonna' have some great height to it as well. i'm thinking atleast 300 ft., but we'll see. it should be interesting.

Actually, I was really thinking that the 300 east pratt tower has a very strong chance at breaking the 400 ft. mark. :) really, I do. :)

[fanofterps]

If these projects happen, it will really change the image of downtown Baltimore even more. 600 high end apartments in 2 30 story buildings.

It would add 1,000 people living on Lombard St and create a real 24 hour enviroment to downtown.




wow, great website!!!! 300 units? my mere image of CitysScape is visioning something similar to 414WaterStreet, but alot jazzier. It's gonna' block most of the view of the Bank Of America building and 100 east pratt street's gonna take most of CityScape's view, but i can live with it. it should be nice!!

[StevenW]

wow, great website!!!! 300 units? my mere image of CitysScape is visioning something similar to 414WaterStreet, but alot jazzier. It's gonna' block most of the view of the Bank Of America building and 100 east pratt street's gonna take most of CityScape's view, but i can live with it. it should be nice!!

Yeah, I think it will be another major addition to the skyline and it's tall density. Not to mention a quality project that'll add much needed units. :D

[Furiine]

Great article about the housing boom in Baltimore. :)
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/realestate/bal-te.bz.residential07aug07,1,4821277.story?page=1&coll=bal-realestate-headlines-1

http://www.baltimoresun.com/media/graphic/2005-08/18855916.gif

[StevenW]

Yeah, and that's not even including the one light street, 300 east pratt and 414 light street projects. AND the Four Seasons condos.

[MasonsInquiries]

Yeah, and that's not even including the one light street, 300 east pratt and 414 light street projects. AND the Four Seasons condos.

......and the ritz-carlton condos, the fort mchenry homes, and cityscape. b'more's gonna' be BOOMIN' in 2-3 years!!!!!!! man o man!!!! :eek2: :eek2:

[StevenW]

yep, in another two to three years from now, Baltimore will be a nice looking 24 hour city. :D

[MasonsInquiries]

does anyone know if victor's cafe will remain after Four Seasons is built?

[StevenW]

Not sure.

[scando]

does anyone know if victor's cafe will remain after Four Seasons is built?

I have not heard anything recent, but when the FS was originally announced the plan was that Victor's would not be there. According the the designers at that time, the building's beachy look was not consistent with the big design.

[PeterSmith]

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?threadid=83567

PLEASE, CLICK on the above link and ..... ENJOY. :)

Great link Steven. Baltimore is crazy dense. They don't make them like this anymore.

[PeterSmith]

Great article about the housing boom in Baltimore. :)
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/realestate/bal-te.bz.residential07aug07,1,4821277.story?page=1&coll=bal-realestate-headlines-1

http://www.baltimoresun.com/media/graphic/2005-08/18855916.gif

They mention the Zenith. Does this mean that the Zenith has a good chance of rising soon? I know a lot of people on this forum had expressed concerns that it was nearly dead. Also, when was the last new info on 300 East Pratt released and what was it?

[PeterSmith]

Also I really like this picture from the article I commented on above. I'm glad that architecture appears to be very in sync with the surrounding community. Those houses look like they belong alongside a canal in Europe somewhere. Very nicely done in my opinion. (Course they're not done yet, so let's hope they turn out okay.)

http://www.baltimoresun.com/media/photo/2005-08/18827461.jpg

[PeterSmith]

yep, in another two to three years from now, Baltimore will be a nice looking 24 hour city. :D

I always pictured Baltimore as being a 24 hour downtown already. The last time I came to Baltimore I drove all the way up from Miami. I arrived to the city at about 2am and it was freezing cold outside. But the streets of downtown were packed. I remember being stopped at the intersection of Howard and Baltimore Streets. The lightrail was passing by and the billboards were all lit up along Baltimore Street. The streets were backed up with cars and all kinds of people were walking in between the cars all bundled up from the cold. I think it snowed that night too. All I remember thinking was, "It's good to be home." But I was surprised that it was so packed at 2am, and not just with drunks and college students, but all kinds of people.

[MasonsInquiries]

They mention the Zenith. Does this mean that the Zenith has a good chance of rising soon? I know a lot of people on this forum had expressed concerns that it was nearly dead. Also, when was the last new info on 300 East Pratt released and what was it?

if i'm not mistaken, Legacy Harrison Development, LLC is developing BOTH 414WaterStreet and the Zenith. I was under the assumption that both projects would go up about the same time, but Harrison's website doesn't tell alot about the current developments. But I think that the Zenith's gonna' go up pretty soon. say within' the next 3 weeks to a month or so.

[SoBoChris]

if i'm not mistaken, Legacy Harrison Development, LLC is developing BOTH 414WaterStreet and the Zenith. I was under the assumption that both projects would go up about the same time, but Harrison's website doesn't tell alot about the current developments. But I think that the Zenith's gonna' go up pretty soon. say within' the next 3 weeks to a month or so.

That would be nice. According to the sunpaper article on Water Tower from a few weeks ago, it should be starting construction also in September.

[StevenW]

Won't those cranes in the sky look so beautiful?! :D

[StevenW]

BTW, when the cranes start rising, I want pix..... ;) :D Pleeeeaasee! :D

[PeterSmith]

BTW, when the cranes start rising, I want pix..... ;) :D Pleeeeaasee! :D

I'm returning to Baltimore in two weeks and I'm gonna be there for two weeks - from August 22 until September 5. I just bought a new camera, so you can be sure I'm gonna get the entire METRO on film.

[SoBoChris]

BTW, when the cranes start rising, I want pix..... ;) :D Pleeeeaasee! :D

BTW Steven, did you take notice that in a couple of the pics from that link you gave us the other day showed Canton Crossing rising in the distance?

[StevenW]

BTW Steven, did you take notice that in a couple of the pics from that link you gave us the other day showed Canton Crossing rising in the distance?

Yes I did. And, I like it ALLOT! ;)

[StevenW]

I'm returning to Baltimore in two weeks and I'm gonna be there for two weeks - from August 22 until September 5. I just bought a new camera, so you can be sure I'm gonna get the entire METRO on film.

That's great! Can't wait to see your pix. :)

[StevenW]

http://www.pbase.com/rclick/image/46912754.jpg
Absolutely B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L! :D

Man! Just imagine what this place is going to look like in a few years! :)
http://www.pbase.com/rclick/image/46912712.jpg

[MasonsInquiries]

simply beautiful photos, SteveW. i was down fells point this morning with my mom because she was doing the "manic monday" song with rom matz and the channel 13 news crew and the fells point/canton area's even more beautiful at sunrise.

my grandmom used to tell me stories how back say around between 1945 or so, the ENTIRE inner harbor used to be loading dock where ships used to come in and drop off orders of fish, crabs, eels etc. she said it made the entire harbor look and smell hideous. grandma' said that baltimore was nothing more than an ugly view from I-95 for passengers going from washington, dc to philly.

and NOW?????? to see all of this? wow. it truly puts an into-depth perspective on exactly how far baltimore has come. i think by say 2015, baltimore's gonna be viewed as the absolute TOP destination (biggest little city maybe) in the eastern U.S. baltimore's gonna' generate so much revenue, it's not going to even be funny! i only wished that grandma' could be alive today to witness this. talk about a TOTAL transformation!!!!

:lovethem:

[waj0527]

I-395 into downtown gives WONDERFUL views of the skyline. I'd like to see more steel and glass talls go up downtown. Towers like Water Tower and the Four Seasons, etc add to density and liveliness, but I'd love to see fewer brick and concrete towers going up too.

The Zenith would set a good precident.

[StevenW]

Yes, steel and glass is so sweet, clean, sharp and mean! :)