Baltimore Development News 14 [Archive]

Eerik

May 3rd, 2006, 08:33 AM

I think that spotlight lighting scheme would look awesome on the Legg Mason Tower. :)
It’s a pity the lighting system for the Baltimore World Trade Center was abandoned. Looking back at some old articles about the lighting (I can’t believe it’s been more than a decade since they lit the tower!?!), quoting an article from the Baltimore Sun of October 21, 1994:

"Starting New Year's Eve, the World Trade Center in Baltimore will become a 28-story light show, casting rays of bluish white xenon rays in all directions. Maryland's Board of Public Works approved spending $341,000 in public funds to turn the state owned building into a lighthouse with these spotlights that will shine every evening, in an effort to "Brighten Baltimore" by illuminating the tops and sides of key buildings to make the downtown area appear more secure and inviting for visitors and residents. It's going to be very much a landmark."

"Brighten Baltimore" was an initiative of the Schmoke administration and produced by (surprise!) Baltimore Gas & Electric (Marketing and Energy Services Department). The study included lots of "hoopla", including endorsements from (then) Baltimore Police Department Commissioner Thomas Frazier; Peter Martin, Board Chairman of the Downtown Partnership; Grant Hathaway, Board President o the Downtown Management Authority; Donald Hutchinson, President of the Greater Baltimore Committee; and Wayne Chappell, Executive Director of the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association.

As page two of the study cites, "The Lighting Study identified over 100 buildings in the downtown area that would benefit from illumination. Of that number, 33 would have the greatest visual impact on the nighttime image of the city."

The study included two books; one of the "vision", the other for specific guidelines of lighting types, maps of streets and districts in the downtown area with the enhanced lighting techniques. Interestingly, besides a wide variety of lighting techniques for downtown buildings, according to the study, there are 13 different types of street lighting used downtown. (Although last weekend I noticed since, at least one new type employed on Pier Three around the Aquarium, in addition to the standard "Sugarcube" used at the Inner Harbor and at Lexington Market.)

As for the World Trade Center, in the "vision" booklet the study stated that:

"While the World Trade Center has initiated its own lighting plan, a movement is now underway to "internationalize" the building as well as to re-establish its prominence on the Inner Harbor. Recognized as one of Baltimore’s most important buildings and highly visible from most directions, the center will act as a lighthouse to those who traverse and circumvent the city."

As a means of rectifying a design flaw of the original Pei building design (the five corner shafts only included floodlights which illuminated the first five or six floors), the study suggested a "lighthouse concept [that] evolves from the intrinsic architectural form of the building and its location on the harbor. By uplifting the five corners, the World Trade Center becomes a connection between the harbor and sky. Light reflected outwards from the top of each of the five shafts will become beacons, visible for over ten miles."

The [then] USF&G building included the following plan:

"The building’s four facades will be washed from pole mounted floodlights, which will express its simplicity of form and richness of color in a manner similar to the current lighting system, but at a fraction of the cost. The rail system outlining the plaza, which houses the current lighting system, can be illuminated using diffusion media and fluorescent strips. This modified rail system will further define the plaza area and eliminate the glare from the current fixtures."

The World Trade Center plan was achieved. Since the USF&G plan was so similar to the existing plan, I can’t say for certain what happened.

Another detail to recall about the World Trade Center lighting plan is that environmentalists were in an uproar: they were concerned the new lighting would confound migratory birds. There were other organizations as well which asked why would man want to add more light pollution to the nighttime sky.

It was great while it lasted: the lights were on for some six years before they were extinguished. I’m not sure how many birds saw their fate, and I can’t tell if the lights were visible for ten miles, but whenever there was either humidity, or better yet low clouds or fog...the WTC was spectacular! The light beamed from the mirrors at the top looked like something from a Sci-Fi movie!

Eerik

May 3rd, 2006, 08:46 AM

100 E. Pratt burns off nice little glow on its crown, even if it's not as spectacular as the BoA or WTC.
I don’t know if anyone remembers, or was “there” at Hopkins Plaza for the event, but once Bank of America (then Nations Bank) had finally acquired the Maryland National Bank building, and finished with the removal of the old and beloved “MN” letters from the roof, and reguilding the roof-ribbing with gold leaf, they hosted a spectacular “lighting ceremony” to show-off the results.

It was spectacular! For the event, the tower was clad in an amazing diversity of light: it was a combination of bright yellow (sodium) vapor light as well as white (mercury and halide) along with accents of blue and red.

A week later, driving back home to Baltimore I was disappointed to see it only flooded in yellow-sodium light as it is today.

I guess I should be happy to see it illuminated at all since more often than not, several of the flood lamps are either defective or bulbs are malfunctioning, leaving only dark shadows and corners.

StevenW

May 3rd, 2006, 11:38 AM

^^ Awesome info. Thanks for sharing that, Eerik. :)

In other news:

Westport catches developer's eye
Builder of Locust Point project shows interest in 'Harbor West'
By Lorraine Mirabella
Sun reporter
Originally published May 3, 2006

One of the first national builders to make a foray into Baltimore in years with a project in Locust Point is pursuing another new townhouse development in the city - on the industrial shoreline of Westport along the Middle Branch.

Pulte Homes, which has traditionally built in suburbia but began looking at urban markets about four years ago, could build 400 to 700 townhouses and condominiums in what has been dubbed "Harbor West," a Pulte representative said during a business forum yesterday. But any plans hinge on Pulte finalizing an agreement with the developer of a proposed mixed-use community in Westport, Patrick Turner of Henrietta Development Corp.

The Westport project would extend a wave of redevelopment around Baltimore's waterfront, with pricey condos, shops and offices transforming formerly industrial land extending from Canton to Locust Point.

Yesterday's comments from Pulte offered a preliminary peek at Turner's plans for a 28-acre waterfront parcel he began assembling in 2004 from former industrial sites along Kloman Street. The developer has long talked of creating a mix of housing, retail and offices but has not disclosed details and has not filed plans with the city. Turner could not be reached yesterday for comment.

At the same time, investors have been buying up Westport rowhouses in anticipation that the demand for housing on or near the waterfront would extend to the long-struggling neighborhood.

Pulte's interest in Westport isn't surprising, given the homebuilder's shift into urban markets four years ago as land has become more scarce and its success with its first Baltimore venture, said John McIlwain, a senior fellow for housing with the Urban Land Institute in Washington.

"What you're seeing is that Pulte, having made the decision to go into cities and having decided to give Baltimore a try, they've invested a whole lot of time and effort in learning how to operate in Baltimore and decided that for the right property, there's a market," McIlwain said. "If you find land at the right time and the right place on waterfront that's about to be redeveloped, that could easily be a home run. They're saying housing bubble or no housing bubble, long term, urban housing is going to be strong and Baltimore housing, in the right area, is going to be strong."

Pulte views Baltimore as a strong residential market because of the city's development boom, its anticipated job growth and its pro-growth attitude toward developers, Rod Hart, vice president of operations for Pulte's Maryland division said yesterday at a breakfast event sponsored by the Downtown Partnership.

"Pulte wants to continue participating in this renaissance," said Hart, who was a panel member in a program focused on national businesses' attraction to Baltimore.

The builder's McHenry Pointe project is more than half sold, with 97 homes either sold or under contract, for prices that started in the low- to mid-$500,000 range, said Michael J. McCann, the builder's Maryland division's director of land engineering and entitlements.

The townhouse community near Fort McHenry in Locust Point forms the gateway to Silo Point, a $400 million conversion of a 1920s-vintage grain terminal into 221 luxury waterfront condos that is also under development by Turner. The McHenry Pointe townhouses - which promote rear-entry, two-car garages, rooftop decks and views of the water or the city skyline as selling points - have been snapped up by empty-nesters and young professionals, Hart said. But the urban landscape hasn't come without its challenges, he said, including working around aging infrastructure and the difficulty in attracting families with children.

In Westport, Pulte would also work with Turner, who is planning the mixed--use development. The traditionally blue-collar residential community of narrow rowhouses has struggled with vacancies, housing code violations and declining home ownership. But Hart told the business group yesterday that the waterfront site offers a prime opportunity to be part of a well-planned transit-oriented development centered on a light rail stop.

Turner controls more than half of the 50 acres of Westport shoreline that the city wants to see redeveloped. Last summer, Turner's Inner Harbor West LLC signed a contract to buy the 12-acre site of a shuttered BGE power plant from Constellation Energy Group. In November 2004, Inner Harbor West bought the former Carr-Lowrey glass manufacturing plant on 16 acres on Kloman Street - next to the BGE plant - at auction for $6.82 million.

Residents of neighboring communities of Westport, Mount Winans and Lakeland are hopeful a waterfront redevelopment would offer access to a the waterfront, with a promenade and access to Middle Branch Park.

"We had asked that whatever company comes in, they would work with the older community so there's some kind of connection, rather than you all are over here and the older communities are somewhere else, so that's one of the big concerns," said Linda Towe, executive director of TOOUR (Teaching our Own Understanding and Responsibility) an umbrella group of Westport, Mount Winans and Lakeland. She said plans to develop a "Main Street" from Annapolis Road to Kloman Street and the waterfront would help rid the area of blighted properties, but at the same time she wants to make sure homeowners don't get displaced.

A final draft of an urban renewal plan for Westport's waterfront, which should be finished by the end of the month, would set guidelines for development such as building heights, setbacks, streetscapes and the treatment of the water's edge, said Gary Cole, chief of the land-use and urban design division for the city's Department of Planning. Planners are trying to balance protection of environmentally sensitive areas of the shoreline with commercial and residential development.

Within the next few months, planners hope to submit the renewal plan for City Council approval. At that point Turner would have to submit preliminary plans outlining details of development. The Turner-controlled properties have been rezoned for mixed-use development - including townhouses and condos in midrise and high-rise buildings, retail, offices and parking - Cole said.

"The goal is to get the best possible development of waterfront property," Cole said. "We have the Inner Harbor, and the promenade along Fells Point and Canton, but there is a limit to waterfront property, and this may be close to the last opportunity to really do high-quality development on the waterfront and connect the waterfront with the surrounding communities."

lorraine.mirabella@baltsun.com

StevenW

May 3rd, 2006, 11:46 AM

BALTIMORE - A year after opening the 15-mile Gwynn Falls Trail linking parks in the western half of the city and on the heels of completing the first phase of the 10-mile Jones Fall Trail, Baltimore is expected to officially adopt its first Bicycle Master Plan in more than 20 years Thursday.

“It’s really exciting to be finally moving forward with the project after so much discussion,” said Stacey Mink, executive director of One Less Car, a Maryland bicycling and pedestrian advocacy organization. “The money is allocated and we’re going to be able to make this happen.”

The plan, if approved, will allocate $3.5 million over the next three years as part of the introductory phase of the long-term project, and connect 150 miles of city streets, bike lanes, paths, trails and assigned routes.

The capital improvement budget money will be spent on resurfacing roads, replacing hazardous metal grating, adding signs, lining bike lanes, building paths and increasing the availability of bicycle parking at city institutions, universities and major employers.

“Most of the changes are pretty basic,” said Bob Patton, an engineering consultant on the project with the Toole Design Group. “Baltimore has lagged behind many cities on this issue and this is like playing catch-up.”

The plan also calls for the hiring of a full-time city bicycle coordinator and includes funding for education, safety and outreach programs. More than 100 people showed up to participate in the January planning meetings, and the proposal has solid support among recreational and commuter bicyclists.

“Cities like Davis and Palo Alto, Calif., have 6 percent of the work force commuting by bike,” said Greg Cantori, a bicycle commuter and Baltimore Bicycling Club member. “In Maryland, it’s about 1.5 percent. So we can do a lot better. This is a start, but we need to change the culture, too.”

Cantori would like the city to close some streets on Sundays as well, as is done in Rock Creek Park in Washington and other major cities worldwide, to encourage riders and families to get out on their bikes.

Approximately 325,788 Baltimore residents either live in households without an automobile or are too young for a driver’s license.

Final Baltimore City Bicycle Master Plan documents and maps are available on the Comprehensive Master Plan Web site: www.liveearnplaylearn.com/Publications/BaltimoreCityBicycleMasterPlan.

rcassie@baltimoreexaminer.com

Examiner

wada_guy

May 3rd, 2006, 01:48 PM

AND FROM THE BOSTON GLOBE
A read on Baltimore
A literary trailworth the legwork
By Kathy Shorr, Globe Correspondent | May 3, 2006

BALTIMORE -- Edgar Allan Poe, H.L. Mencken, Gertrude Stein, F. Scott Fitzgerald, John Dos Passos, Ogden Nash, Lewis Thomas, Anne Tyler, Russell Baker, and Edith Hamilton are just a few of the writers who have called this city home for part of their lives and, in many cases, written about it.

''The literary tradition is one of the fine aspects of Baltimore," says Frank R. Shivers Jr., author of several Baltimore-related books, including ''Maryland Wits and Baltimore Bards." If there's a literary style that exemplifies the city, Shivers says, ''It's H.L. Mencken's tradition. It's urban, gritty at times." One of the most influential social critics and editors of his time, Mencken lived for most of his life in the Baltimore row house where he was born.

The city's rich literary ancestry isn't something the casual visitor is likely to spot. ''Baltimore is not trying to impress or toot its own horn," says Shivers. ''You up in Boston had a tourist trail for decades. People come here looking for sites, they're not going to get much help."

Shivers says the city is developing a literary trail for visitors -- ''In three years, you'll have an easier time" -- but in the meantime, with a little digging, you can find several interesting spots.

Mencken We had to search the Web to find the location of his grave in Loudon Park Cemetery west of downtown. And though Henry Louis Mencken's house is a National Historic Landmark, it's been closed to the public since 1997 for lack of money. There's a Mencken Room at the nearby Enoch Pratt Free Library, open to the public only one day a year: the Saturday closest to his birthday, Sept. 12.

Fitzgerald, Hamilton, Baker, Stein The historic district of Bolton Hill, just northwest of downtown and within walking distance of the train station and many of the city's cultural sites, has been home to a Who's Who of writers. It's a beautiful neighborhood, with graceful 19th-century Baltimore architecture and tree-lined streets. The former homes of several writers are identified with round, blue markers. The pale gray house at 1307 Park Ave. is the last place Fitzgerald and his wife, Zelda, lived together in the early 1930s and where he is thought to have had the breakdown detailed in ''The Crack-Up." Directly across the street was the home of Hamilton, whose book ''Mythology" is still the standard text on the subject after 60 years. Others from Park Avenue include journalist, humorist, and Pulitzer Prize winner Baker (1501 Park) and ''The Lives of a Cell" physician and essayist Thomas (1819 Park). Houses in the neighborhood include that of Stein (2408 Linden Ave.).

Dorothy Parker Her ashes are buried at the national NAACP headquarters. It seems an unlikely spot for Parker, who is so associated with the Algonquin Round Table and New York literary scene, and who never lived in Baltimore. How did she wind up being buried here? According to the Dorothy Parker Society, Parker left her literary estate to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who was assassinated less than a year after her death. The estate was then left to the NAACP. Lillian Hellman, the executor of Parker's will, never gave instructions on what to do with her ashes. They remained at the crematory for six years, then at her lawyer's office for 15 years. When the story surfaced in the late 1980s, the NAACP built a small memorial in back of their office for the ashes. It's not easy to find, but at the back of the suburban building at 4805 Mount Hope Drive, you find a bowed brick and glass memorial.

Many places have strong ties to Poe. Baltimore's claim includes the house on North Amity Street where he lived for three years in the 1830s with his aunt and her daughter (who at age 14 became his wife). The tiny, three-story brick row house, where he wrote his first published horror story, is now a museum. Downtown markers lead you to the street, but you have to look carefully to spot the house. Once inside, visitors can find some artifacts from Poe's era, such as reprints of his obituary, his telescope, and a lap desk. But the most interesting draw is Jeff Jerome, the curator who has worked at the museum for 30 years and says he first got hooked on Poe ''sneaking in underage" to those early '60s Roger Corman-Vincent Price fright films.

Jerome says Poe gets a bad rap for being abnormally morbid. ''Horror stories were just a small portion of his literary output," he says. ''He was also capitalizing on the current fears of the time -- most people had a fear of being buried alive -- because he wanted his stories to sell."

There's a big annual event to commemorate Poe's birthday on Jan. 19. The ''Poe Toaster" has been showing up every year since 1949 on that date to lay three roses and a partly full bottle of cognac at the Poe memorial in Westminster Burying Grounds. (Poe was originally buried in an unmarked grave in 1849. In 1875 a monument to him was dedicated, paid for in large part by money collected from Baltimore schoolchildren and teachers.) Jerome began watching for the Poe Toaster in 1977 and knows the identity of the man. But he's not telling, except to say, ''It was a father, and now his son."

If you want a taste of contemporary literary life, check out Hampden, a working-class-turning-artsy neighborhood north of Bolton Hill. It's a great spot to find up-and-coming writers and keep track of local talent. The Minas Gallery hosts regular poetry readings and stocks lots of books by Baltimore-based writers, as does Atomic Books, a few blocks away. ''We carry everything from Edgar Allan Poe to [mystery writer] Laura Lippman," says Rachel Whang, the bookstore's co-owner. The store's specialty, though, is ''lots of zines by local zinesters, and graphic novels," Whang says, among them works by graphic novelist Brian Ralph, who lives in Baltimore.

sdeclue

May 3rd, 2006, 05:57 PM

I'm very much looking forward to that first plan for the Westport area due out in the next few months. Looks like some type of design will be in place by the end of the summer.

Gsol

May 3rd, 2006, 06:44 PM

Eerik

May 3rd, 2006, 09:33 PM

Not sure if you guys already saw this or not, but the new Pinnacle project within HarborView is being advertised in The Sun as well as other publications.

More information about the project (albeit minimal) is available at http://www.harborviewcommunity.com.

http://www.dcestonian.com/baltimore/innerharbor/harborview/pinnacle/view_sm_2006a.jpg

waj0527

May 3rd, 2006, 09:48 PM

Im glad you found that rendering Eerik. I saw it advertised in this month's Urbanite Baltimore magazine. I tried to scan it at work, but our scanner fuction on the copier was acting up and Advanced Business Systems took their time getting here to fix it..lol.

its a nice looking tower. Although I wich it were taller and had a nice crown, but given its location...its only gonna be so tall.

Brian21

May 3rd, 2006, 10:09 PM

Eerik

May 3rd, 2006, 10:09 PM

I was just wandering why nothing has been done to re-open the Mencken House. He is probably one of the best known literary figures identified with Baltimore. His house is located in an up-and-coming area that is an attraction in its own right.

Is anything being done or proposed? Why not make his house part of the Urban Museum group? Isn't that still in operation? If not there must be some preservation group or museum group that could piggy-back this project. Perhaps even the Babe Ruth museum could take it on. Mencken is truly one of Baltimore's treasures, and nearly fifty years since his death is still a universally recognized figure.
Unfortunately, with the exception of The Walters, Baltimore Museum of Art and (I believe) the Visionary Arts Museum, most of the museums in Baltimore are financially strapped: they rarely meet attendance requirements and rarely break even. The Babe Ruth Museum was projected to reap huge benefits once Camden Yards opened; it didn't. Don't forget the financial fiasco of opening a museum in the Camden Yards train station. Last week there was another article about the new African-American museum having difficulty meeting attendance/financial projections.

The problem is that of supply: there are way too many museums for a city the size of Baltimore. While getting existing tourists to visit these attractions is key, there still needs to be a significant increase in overall tourism numbers. The museums operate like the rest of us: in a market system. A few years back during the BACVA tug-of-war over its leadership, a report was released estimating Baltimore would need to increase their overall visitors by some 61% in order to provide financial security to all of the existing museums (at the time). Likewise, if the museums are deemed significant as far as contributing to the culture/history of Baltimore (and Maryland) then a stronger case needs to be made to city/State government for additional funding.

While not up to their ears in cash, a good example of a successful museum is the Baltimore Streetcar Museum: in 30+ years of operation, they have achieved incredible results via huge investments of voluntarism and care from its members.

MasonsInquiries

May 3rd, 2006, 10:18 PM

^^ excellent point.

MasonsInquiries

May 3rd, 2006, 10:19 PM

Is it going to be the height of harbor view tower?
it's only going to be 17 stories, unless they miraculously decided to add some more floors.

Eerik

May 3rd, 2006, 10:24 PM

Is it going to be the height of harbor view tower?
No...slightly less than half the height of the current tower. (Remember, someone posted a massing pic of the site?)

Last weekend my wife "made me go" and participate in some of the Volvo Ocean Race activities up in Baltimore. On Saturday night at the B&O Railroad museum they had a big gala dinner, and at our table sat a real estate "observer/analyst" (actually he was a regional VP for a large RE company) who provided incredible perspective into the HarborView development. He felt HarborView was going to have a difficult time getting the project built.

We all know market-watchers expect the building-boom to cool in the downtown area, and many are now beginning to scratch-off projects altogether, such as Pinnacle, the Cordish apartment tower on Baltimore Street, and others...as probably not happening for anytime soon. As with any building project, "you're guilty" until proven innocent; across the board, all of the developers are beginning to feel more of a squeeze again...

sdeclue

May 3rd, 2006, 10:36 PM

MasonsInquiries

May 3rd, 2006, 10:39 PM

No...slightly less than half the height of the current tower. ...
i wish it was a little bit higher. i think we all wish it was higher.

http://www.lubertadler.com/uploads/HarborviewPinnaclesmall.jpg http://www.dcestonian.com/baltimore/innerharbor/harborview/pinnacle/view_sm_2006a.jpg
http://www.harborviewcommunity.com/pinnacle/images/pinnacle_13.jpg

waj0527

May 3rd, 2006, 11:25 PM

Wow not very encouraging news there. Waj, why is there only a certain amount of height for towers in Harborview? Also, if they are advertising the Pinnacle project, I have a hard time believing it's not going to happen. I hope Harborview is developed properly.

The folks who live atop Federal Hill arent too keen on height. This is actually one of the few situations in Baltimore in which I even remotely empathize with NIMBYs. It just would be cool to have a huge tower rise, for example, on Rash Field as someone suggested a few days ago. It just totally screws with the vistas and all that good stuff.

I doubt they'll have any problem at all with selling this building. People are buying their other units like hotcakes. Seriously...even before the Pierhomes were finished 70 of the 88 multi-million dollar units were sold. Everyone seems to think that the Baltimore bubble is poised to burst. Perhaps a soft deflation of the bubble is possible, but I just dont see downtown Baltimore having tons of new empy developments.

jpreston02

May 4th, 2006, 01:05 AM

No...slightly less than half the height of the current tower. (Remember, someone posted a massing pic of the site?)

Last weekend my wife "made me go" and participate in some of the Volvo Ocean Race activities up in Baltimore. On Saturday night at the B&O Railroad museum they had a big gala dinner, and at our table sat a real estate "observer/analyst" (actually he was a regional VP for a large RE company) who provided incredible perspective into the HarborView development. He felt HarborView was going to have a difficult time getting the project built.

We all know market-watchers expect the building-boom to cool in the downtown area, and many are now beginning to scratch-off projects altogether, such as Pinnacle, the Cordish apartment tower on Baltimore Street, and others...as probably not happening for anytime soon. As with any building project, "you're guilty" until proven innocent; across the board, all of the developers are beginning to feel more of a squeeze again...

Eerik,

Thanks for the perspective. You seem well connected, what is your opinion on the short term feasibility of the 10 Inner Harbor project?

I would generally agree that a slowdown was inevitible and that these projects will just have to take longer to build out. Harborview has been building for 20 something years, and it will probably be at least another 10 before they finish. So while the two new Harborview towers probably won't happen as quickly as we all would like, I think eventually they will get built, along with more towers along Key Highway thanks to the new urban renewal plan governing land use in South Baltimore. It's all about riding the market through its ups and downs. Downtown urban living is a reality now and I don't see any substantial shifts in that paradigm over the course of the next couple of decades.

wada_guy

May 4th, 2006, 02:22 AM

EVERYTHING'S COMING UP ROSES!

I believe that significant macro forces are working in favor of city living and that they will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Specifically:

1. The continuing huge increases in the cost of energy. This is great for urban dwellers, especially those who work and live in the city. We are all bitching at $3 a gallon gas, but if a terrorist event happens or another conflict breaks out that effects supply (and the odds are that something will in the next 5 years), gas will double or triple in cost and we'll be waiting in lines. That is why a decent transit system is absolutely essential to the area. Also, city housing is so much more energy efficient because there are usually party walls between units vs. all exterior walls being exposed to the elements. To live in suburbia and pay that much for energy, you can live in the city and afford private schools.

2. The reinstatement of slow growth policies at a state level. There was a referendum in Mt. Airy this week on annexing land for 300 houses. They had the largest turnout ever and the proposal was resoundly defeated. Why? Because of water, traffic and school problems. The Sun predicted that this will be the future for most areas of the state and it should be an eye opener for state politicians. Glendening put the policies in place and Ehrlich has weakened them significantly. Hopefully, the next governor will make them stronger than ever.

3. The city has turned the corner. There is a significant mass of residents in many areas of the city and the services that had left in the 60's are returning. Retail, doctor's offices, other professional services, as well as very nice places to live are now the norm rather than the exception. It will only get better as critical mass is achieved. Also, living in the city is hip again!

4. And lastly, and probably the most important but least talked about force, is that the Archie Bunker mentality of the 60's and 70's has passed. The white middle class kids who had parents like Archie don't share his views on race. Instead of race as an issue, for them it is more about class. We can thank integration and the rise of the black middle class for that. Of course, I'm speaking in generalities. There are always exceptions to everything.

Having said all this, I believe Baltimore has a very bright future indeed. As such, I see a lot of housing units being sold. What the city leaders need to do is not just concentrate on building super expensive units. We need middle class condos and houses too.

sdeclue

May 4th, 2006, 02:51 AM

StevenW

May 4th, 2006, 04:44 AM

I'm just happy about 10 Inner Harbor. You know, it wasn't too long ago that we all were just "wishing" and "hoping" for a new tallest one day in Baltimore. Now we GOT one. I LOVE 10 Inner Harbor! And I can't wait until the final designs are released and the ground-breaking starts. :) Anything else that happens will just be icing on the cake. :)

sdeclue

May 4th, 2006, 05:05 AM

scando

May 4th, 2006, 05:27 AM

Waj, I sorta agree with the people in Federal Hill, although I would still like to see towers on rash field like you said. I mean, how cool would it be to have towers surround the harbor? Anyway, I can at least understand where those people are coming from. Those in Mount Vernon who complain and have put in those weak height restrictions bother me to no end.

The idea of not allowing tall buildings along the waterfront in places like Rash Field was to preserve open space and view so that somebody other than the people who own condos could enjoy that view and people have a reason to come there. If you wall the entire thing in, then there IS no view and no reason to come to the Inner Harbor except for the water quality. All you need to do is set them back, they get their view by virtue of height but the view and space is preserved. People have enjoyed the view from Federal Hill for 300 years and it would be a travesty to wall that in now. You might just as well put a Burger King in Mt Vernon place.

SoBoChris

May 4th, 2006, 05:30 AM

Waj, I sorta agree with the people in Federal Hill, although I would still like to see towers on rash field like you said. I mean, how cool would it be to have towers surround the harbor?.

You've got to be kidding! Having towers on Rash Field would be almost as bad as the proposed demolition of Federal Hill back in the 60's! Though we locals don't necessarily think that the view from Federal Hill is the greatest, that is the view that every tourist knows. I mean, you block the view of the harbor in every direction and what's the use of even having a harbor?? Sorry, JMO.

BTW, the Pinnacle and the other tower at Harborview yet to be officially proposed, don't have to be subjected to NIMBY's. The original plan for that site, which includes the present Harborview tower have been approved for 15+ years.

scando

May 4th, 2006, 05:39 AM

I'm still slightly concerned that these projects won't get off the ground, especially 10 Inner Harbor. The longer they stall and wait it seems like they get chopped down (The Icon) or scrapped completely (300 E Pratt and 1 Light St.).

You can always count on some projects not happening. That gets more frequent when the economy and real estate markets get weird. We've done pretty well the past few years, but if interest rates tick up a couple points or sales fall, then the party will be over for a while.

sdeclue

May 4th, 2006, 06:09 AM

jpreston02

May 4th, 2006, 06:31 AM

I'm still slightly concerned that these projects won't get off the ground, especially 10 Inner Harbor.

To play the role of the pessemist, I would tend to agree. While it has been received well by city government, the bottom line is that they need to obtain financing for the project before they can even talk about breaking ground. Until I hear that ArcWheeler has secured financing, 10 Inner Harbor has just as much likelihood of going up as so many other "proposed" developments. As such a massive project, financing is paramount and with a figure in the hundreds of millions, that's no easy task.

Here's hoping we hear some good news regarding a deal between ArcWheeler and a major bank. But until then, 10 Inner Harbor will hold the title of Baltimore's tallest proposed skyscraper, nothing more.

scando

May 4th, 2006, 06:42 AM

I still think you can't leave such a nice piece of real estate barren like rash field is. It's awful. And I have no problem with setting some towers back from the water to allow others a full view of the harbor, but I don't think that's going to happen either because then they will be in the middle of neighborhoods and people will complain. Plus, if they are set too far off the water, few people will be interested in buying.

In regard to Rash, the urban renewal plan that created the Inner Harbor mandated that it be there. It can't be built on unless somebody can do eminent domain on the city. It could defintely be better used, but nobody has ever proposed it as a building site and personally, if they did allow a developer to buy that view and take it away from us, I'd have to take up the black flag of rebellion.

Eerik

May 4th, 2006, 10:21 AM

Harborview has been building for 20 something years, and it will probably be at least another 10 before they finish. So while the two new Harborview towers probably won't happen as quickly as we all would like, I think eventually they will get built, along with more towers along Key Highway thanks to the new urban renewal plan governing land use in South Baltimore.

I totally agree with "jpreston02" that until 10 Light Street gets funding, it only remains a "proposed" building. However, sooner or later, something will get built on the site. A 59-storey building might be a stretch. But I appreciate the bullish attitude of the developer. Even if it gets downsized, there is a good chance we'll still see a 25-35 storey building...

As for the Pinnacle at HarborView, check out some of these old pictures and drawings. Most of these are from the mid-1980s. Note how HarborView burst onto the scene in 1984 with grand plans. By the early 90s the entire project almost went belly-up. Today it is a far smaller project than originally envisioned, although if you look close, you'll find many elements from the original concept:

http://www.dcestonian.com/baltimore/innerharbor/harborview/grand_plan_comp.jpg

The initial proposal for high-rises along the waterfront called for towers up to 40-stories. Federal Hill went ballistic. There were (I believe) several major lawsuits filed. One article at the time suggested the scale was similar to plopping down six USF&G buildings on the former shipyard.
http://www.dcestonian.com/baltimore/innerharbor/harborview/planning/april%206_1986_the%20sun_smallvs.jpg

Various studies were commissioned, and ultimately the scale (height) was reduced substantially. Even then, renderings suggested a mini-city along Key Highway. (Of note, the complex initially called for a major retail component.)
http://www.dcestonian.com/baltimore/innerharbor/harborview/planning/mon_jan11_1988_thesun_smal.jpg

Aerial view of the proposal after the buildings were reduced in height. Federal Hill still protested that while the towers were now shorter, there were less view corridors to the water since the developer started to max-out the building envelope on the 42-acres, hence walling-off Key Highway from the harbor.
http://www.dcestonian.com/baltimore/innerharbor/harborview/planning/oct14_1987_thesun_small.jpg

One of thousands of shadow studies (in the pre-computer age) created to render how the buildings would look in the environment. For the most part, this is the version Federal Hill finally accepted. I recall various ammendments were made to zoning, but with the real-esate crash in 1989-1993, I am under the presumption most assumed the HarborView project was dead.
http://www.dcestonian.com/baltimore/innerharbor/harborview/planning/plan_w_shadowstudy_late80s_smll.jpg

While the first tower did get built (at a greatly reduced height) it ended up being the only one. There were several attempts at constructing the second building (as seen in the drawing below). In general, the Pinnacle represents the fourth attempt in the last sixteen years...
http://www.dcestonian.com/baltimore/innerharbor/harborview/planning/sunday0ct22_1989_the%20sun_small.jpg

One general note is that first and only high-rise to be constructed was designed by Columbia Design Collective. Richard Burns was the lead architect. For those who follow architecture in the region, Columbia Design Collective at or about the time of construction at HarborView decided to move their firm downtown. They were renamed Design Collective, and in some ways, represented a sort of coup for Baltimore: a business that decided to move into the city. Another coup was Sylvan, who also moved into what is today known as Harbor East, helping spark a building boom.

Hood

May 4th, 2006, 01:50 PM

Great harborview history lesson. where did you c ome up with all of those newspaper clippings?

wada_guy

May 4th, 2006, 02:12 PM

You've got to be kidding! Having towers on Rash Field would be almost as bad as the proposed demolition of Federal Hill back in the 60's! Though we locals don't necessarily think that the view from Federal Hill is the greatest, that is the view that every tourist knows. I mean, you block the view of the harbor in every direction and what's the use of even having a harbor?? Sorry, JMO.
Ditto Chris. I've had the pleasure of traveling to every major city in this county. When I spent time in one of them, I always found the best place to get a picture of myself with the skyline of the city I was visiting behind me. I have many of them and one day I will throw them up on my web site (though it does scare me how I have changed physically over the years)!

Anyhow, that view of Baltimore from Federal Hill is one of the best vantage points of a city skyline found anyplace in America, bar none. Some things in life are worth saving and are sacred. This is one of them. As much as I like development and high rise buildings, to block that view would be a crime.

Scando, I'll be right behind you and your flag.

Wadaguy I have to disagree with you on the Glendening/Ehrlich issue. Ehrlich has done a tremendous job and I think its good that he is fostering development around the state. Glendening was awful and really screwed Ehrlich over. :soapbox:
We shall just have to politely disagree on this one. I think Ehrlich is the most anti-Baltimore governor Maryland has had in years. His idea of growth control is to have none. He is all for the proposal to build 3,000 homes next to Backwater Wildlife Refuge on the Eastern Shore. He is all for the proposal to build 3,000 homes next to the largest state forest in Maryland located in Allegheny County. I hardly think that is planning and it cetrainly isn't smart growth. And who will pay for the schools, roads, and other services for these 6,000 homes? The state of Maryland of course through grants to the counties.

And let us not forget his proposal to sell 800 acres of park land in Charles County to Willard Hackerman a couple of years ago. And his proposal to auction for development numerous small parks and state lands located around the state before that. I can back up everything I say with facts, and as ugly as they are, that is what these are. They are all on the record and verifiable.

We get excited about the 1,000 homes being built downtown. These two projects alone represent 6,000 residences in some of the most beautiful and most RURAL areas of the state. Smart Growth huh? Glendening had NOTHING to do with any of the above. All this has happened well past his term.

Still, we are all entitled to our opinions and I do respect yours. I simply don't agree with it! :cheers1:

wada_guy

May 4th, 2006, 02:35 PM

THERE IS A GOD!
Utility Strikes Deal To Fix Baltimore Streets
Trigen To Spend $10 Million Over Two Years For Repairs
POSTED: 5:12 pm EDT May 3, 2006
UPDATED: 8:16 pm EDT May 3, 2006

BALTIMORE -- An area utility struck a deal with Baltimore City to smoothen out its roads just before state lawmakers passed a bill addressing the issue. Trigen Energy provides steam heat to buildings citywide, but some of the steam pipes are leaking so close to the surface, melting some roadways.

WBAL-TV 11 News reporter Kate Amara reported Trigen operates 16 miles of old underground steam pipes. New management has agreed to a $10 million, two-year fix, which puts Baltimore Street on the list for the first repairs. "It's a $2.2 million fix for Baltimore Street this summer," said John Gibson, Trigen's vice president and general manager for the Baltimore division. "Next summer, it's six blocks of Saratoga Street at a cost of $3.5 million."

Five other trouble spots on the list include the 400 block of East Cross Street where Trigen services Southern High School. Steam pipes there run so close to the water main that residents get hot water instead of cold. The city will keep tabs on Trigen's promise and coordinate with work crews to save time and money. "The impact, I think, will be millions because we'll be able to get much more service life out of the streets," Baltimore Department of Transportation representative Leif Dormsjo said.

In some cases, roadways have lasted only one or two years. But under the new efforts, officials anticipate the streets will last 20 years. Trigen has a 25-year franchise agreement with the city, comparable to agreements inked with cable companies. The Trigen agreement expires in 2009.

sdeclue

May 4th, 2006, 03:48 PM

Wow, I'm sure I will catch a lot of crap for this but I love the old plan for Harborview. Those towers would have been something special, and there still would have been places on Federal Hill open enough to view the skyline. Oh well.

sdeclue

May 4th, 2006, 03:53 PM

Wadaguy, I do understand your points about Ehrlich and Bmore and I agree. He hasn't been very friendly and helpful to the city at all. I do think he has done a tremendous job with the state as a whole.

waj0527

May 4th, 2006, 04:12 PM

BDC seeking developer for Acme site in Rosemont
Baltimore Business Journal - 2:04 PM EDT Wednesday
by Heather HarlanStaff

The Baltimore Development Corp. is soliciting redevelopment proposals for the Acme Business Center at Lafayette Avenue and Bentalou Street in the Rosemont community of west Baltimore.

The economic development agency's receipt of an unsolicited plan for the city-owned site triggered the request. Under city law, the Baltimore Development Corp. must initiate public bidding when one proposal for a municipal property is submitted.

The Acme Business Center includes three parcels that are zoned for light manufacturing and industrial development. All told, the site encompasses three industrial buildings.

The Baltimore Development Corp. is seeking rehabilitation or new construction for the property. A mixed-use development that would create quality jobs and stabilize the community is preferred.

The deadline for submission of proposals is June 2.

seanlax5

May 4th, 2006, 04:33 PM

Did anyone else hear about william Donald Schafer running for mayor AGAIN???

Is this a bad rumor, or is this for real?

What do u guys thank of all this.

wada_guy

May 4th, 2006, 04:47 PM

Opps, double post.

Huck

May 4th, 2006, 04:54 PM

Did anyone else hear about william Donald Schafer running for mayor AGAIN???

Is this a bad rumor, or is this for real?

What do u guys thank of all this.

I only glanced at the headline before leaving for work, but I think he is running for State Comptroller again.

Molo

May 4th, 2006, 05:48 PM

I'm with sdeclue.
I would love to see 6 USF&G towers like that anywhere in the city.

However, if Harborview stuck with its plan, it would be the current Harbor East. And BTW, I was at Harbor East yesterday. Let me say that new stores are all over the place, but not heavily advertised.

There's a new shoe store, womens bag store, book store opening up, City Sports, and bar.

Plus, the buildings look very Bethesda-ish, but the foot traffic was like being in the CBD.

jaysonjaz

May 4th, 2006, 08:04 PM

Plus, the buildings look very Bethesda-ish, but the foot traffic was like being in the CBD.

Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Clarkycat

May 4th, 2006, 08:19 PM

Huck

May 4th, 2006, 08:46 PM

Even worse than Harbor East by far, though, is the new huge redbrick apartment building by the BSO, which looks like it was designed in 1985.

I agree whole heartedly. That building is an eyesore. From every angle, it looks like you are looking at the back of the building.

On Federal Hill: The view is essential. When I first visited Baltimore, that was one of the first places I was taken. And where do a lot of people go on July 4th?

I'm with you guys on this one too. While I think Rash Field needs to be "re-thought," they should never do anything to mess with the views from Federal Hill. That would be a travesty. I like the idea of open space. Maybe they should make a real park there, you know ... to make up for the less than stellar addition to the west shore that was recently installed.

jaysonjaz

May 4th, 2006, 08:51 PM

A quick and entertaining link is found here

http://www.godowntownbaltimore.com/publications/Short_Reports/May_ShortReport.pdf

waj0527

May 4th, 2006, 09:23 PM

Clarkycat

May 4th, 2006, 10:10 PM

Or perhaps the problem is the converse. Suburbs like Bethesda, Towson, SIlver Spring, etc are providing a city-like atmosphere in the suburbs. I'll agree that none of the buildings are marvels, but nothing in Harbor East is bad for the city.

I don't agree that Bethesda, Towson et al provide a city-like setting in the suburbs. They are suburbs that are pale imitations of city life. That, to me, is why it is so depressing that this "city-lite" view of development is taking over in the city itself, even if it is the only way to entice suburbanites to move there. We all know that Baltimore has its problems, but we also know that there is something intangible about city life that makes us want to live there rather than Towson.

Silver Springer

May 4th, 2006, 10:48 PM

For Immediate Release

Gateway’s Heliport Art Gallery

Gallery Talk - featuring Rebecca Hoffberger/ Founder/Director American Visionary Art Museum, Baltimore, MD

Title: Out of Your Frame

Re-Framing Notions of Mental Health and Wellness - Healing Aspects of Art

Date: May 11 2006, 6-8 pm

Location: Gateway's Heliport Gallery

Attendance is free and open to the general public. A suggested donation of $10- is requested to help Studio Downstairs scholarship fund. Studio Downstairs is a non-profit Arts and Mental Health Program for Adults at CREATE Arts Center, Silver Spring, Maryland.

RSVP by May 5th, COB as space is limited

email: David@gatewaycdc.com

Tel: 301.562.1400

Gateway’s Heliport Art Gallery

Gateway’s Heliport Gallery, located at 8001 Kennett St. Suite 3 in the Gramax building, has been in operation since April 2005 and is a part of Gateway Georgia Avenue Revitalization Corporation’s efforts to cultivate and nurture the creative infrastructure in South Silver Spring (SoPo). It’s tagline, a launch pad for the arts and community, is in reference to the gallery’s vision as a place for under represented artists from many background to get the chance to have their work exhibited in a professional environment as well as a place for the community to see, learn about and experience wonderful fine art.

Gallery hours are Tue – Fri., 4 – 7pm or by appointment.

For more information, contact David Fogel: David@gatewaycdc.com or 301.562.1400

Silver Springer

May 4th, 2006, 10:50 PM

Where is the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore? Any details?

sdeclue

May 4th, 2006, 11:07 PM

I think we can all agree that rash field shouldn't be what it is right now.

waj0527

May 4th, 2006, 11:32 PM

Where is the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore? Any details?

AVAM is at the base of Federal Hill in downtown Baltimore. Its sits directly across from the Ritz-Carlton Residences and Rusty Scupper resturant on Key Hwy. Its a wonderful museum and def. worth a visit.

sdeclue

May 4th, 2006, 11:44 PM

I definitely think Key Highway needs some serious development. It's so empty over there. I think they could do a lot to get that area up and running, considering its proximity to the Harbor.

Silver Springer

May 4th, 2006, 11:51 PM

AVAM is at the base of Federal Hill in downtown Baltimore. Its sits directly across from the Ritz-Carlton Residences and Rusty Scupper resturant on Key Hwy. Its a wonderful museum and def. worth a visit.

Thanks, passed through B'more on my way to NY. The Canton crossing was a lot further away from the Harbor than I thought. In other words...THAT SKYLINE IS HUGE! I would love to see some skyscrapers filling up that open space b\w the CBD and canton. I also enjoy seeing B'more from the highway I think it has one of the grandest intro views and that BoA building is so elegant.

As for skyscrapers, I really think we will see most of them set back from the water like on the plots of land immediately after where the four seasons\vue is but not right up next to the water front.

sdeclue

May 5th, 2006, 12:11 AM

Yeah, Baltimore has the potential for a massive skyline. Canton Crossing really adds to it, especially if they throw another 3 or 4 towers into the development. Then if you fill in between Canton and the CBD, its very impressive. I can only hope!

waj0527

May 5th, 2006, 12:32 AM

Canton crossing could create a little skyline east of the CBD, but I doubt we'll ever see one contiguous skyline starting in Canton and ending near Camden Yards. Between Canton and Harbor East are Littly Italy and Fells Point....in other words..NIMBYs abound.

I do think, however, that there's a great chance that with the addition of a few buildings, we'll have a pretty decent skyline from Harbor East to the Zenith. Water Street and the tower over Market Place metro stop should help with that.

1 Light and 300 Pratt would too.

sdeclue

May 5th, 2006, 12:46 AM

StevenW

May 5th, 2006, 12:50 AM

NewBaltimore1980

May 5th, 2006, 12:51 AM

StevenW

May 5th, 2006, 12:59 AM

Of course Waj has to come in and be the voice of reason. But yeah, I completely agree that there is no way any towers will ever find their way to Fells Point/Little Italy area. Water Tower will be huge for downtown and the Zenith and Hilton should help the Westside a bit. I'm very interested to see what the view from inside Camden Yards will look like once the Hilton and Zenith are up and then how 10 Inner Harbor might rise up as well.
Well, according to some realestate experts, we will be lucky if we see another midrise, let alone another highrise, after 414 Water Street is built. The bubble is about to burst.
All these proposals are nothing more than a daydream some developers "wished" they could build. They get everybody excited about these grand plans and then the Baltimore Reality hits us again. Downsized, shrunkdown and scaled back, (just be glad Baltimore is getting something), projects. It's the "Baltimore Way". Accept the table scraps. Crumbs from an unrealistic fantasy and delusions of grandeur. So let us feast upon the "What could have beens" one more time!

sdeclue

May 5th, 2006, 01:02 AM

StevenW

May 5th, 2006, 01:34 AM

fanofterps

May 5th, 2006, 02:15 AM

Remember the 4 Seasons was proposed 4 years ago and it is going to break ground this summer. It took 7-10 years for the Ritz to get started. The Zenith took 2-3 years to get started. I have confidence in Cordish. His proposal will happen. 10 Inner Harbor is tough to gauge since we do not know the developers history in getting things done.

Ed Hale has also been talking about his 500 condo's for over a year.

^^ I e-mailed ARCWheeler, for the last time, asking them if they would please give us an update. If there is no answer then I'll leave the e-mailing to you guys from now on.
I, too, am tired of the silence. Attitudes are shifting towards negative thinking regarding 10 Inner Harbor and other high-rise projects through out the city. Eerik's example of the Harbor development that didn't happen, (excelent photos btw), shows me and all of us that Baltimore really should create another museum.

One that showcases the Baltimore projects that never came to be. IT will be called the, "Pipe Dreams Museum". Come one, come all! New additions to the museum are added daily!!!

sdeclue

May 5th, 2006, 02:19 AM

Haha that would be quite the museum, unfortunately. It is very upsetting and I'm definitely concerned about 10 Inner Harbor. All those photos of 6 skyscrapers that weren't built in that one area make me so frustrated.

wada_guy

May 5th, 2006, 02:34 AM

^^ I e-mailed ARCWheeler, for the last time, asking them if they would please give us an update. If there is no answer then I'll leave the e-mailing to you guys from now on.
I, too, am tired of the silence. Attitudes are shifting towards negative thinking regarding 10 Inner Harbor and other high-rise projects through out the city. Eerik's example of the Harbor development that didn't happen, (excelent photos btw), shows me and all of us that Baltimore really should create another museum.

One that showcases the Baltimore projects that never came to be. IT will be called the, "Pipe Dreams Museum". Come one, come all! New additions to the museum are added daily!!!
What's up Steven buddy? Don't become manic depressive on us now. I've never heard you be so negative. You, of all people, know that developing anything in a city usually takes two to three years. Things are announced in every city that never get constructed. It's part of life. I think we do better than most other places.

With regard to 10 IH, they have been moving quite fast I think. They should be gaining control of the property just about now. Remember, the settlement for the purchase of the site was scheduled for May. So all the work they have been doing up to now was for something they didn't even own! That's a big gamble. We know they have spent money on travel, architectural fees, and design work. We know the price has gone up to $400 Million. And we know that to the Sun they said they expected no problems arranging financing because they have already talked to lenders. So far, I see nothing with regard to this project that is out of the ordinary. Cheer up and get a good night's sleep. I promise it will be better in the morning or when the next big B-More project is announced. Don't make me take up a collection from the formers to get you meds!

In the mean while everyone should remember that the Preakness is coming and there will be lot's of activities downtown to keep us all busy. I'll be staking my parade spot out in front of Maggie Moore's. I just hope they are open when the parade passes by!

» May 12, the Preakness Celebration starts with a free concert at the “And They’re Off” Kickoff at Harbor East.

» May 13, the annual Preakness 5K race (the third leg of the 2006 Triple Crown 5K Challenge) will start and end at Pimlico, and the 33rd annual Westside Preakness Parade will start on Martin Luther King Boulevard and follow Eutaw Street, ending at Lombard.

» May 16, the Pee Wee Preakness will be held in Federal Hill.

» May 17, will start out with the Sunrise at Old Hill Top. The Preakness Frog Hop will be held at noon in War Memorial Plaza and in the evening, Power Plant Live will kick off three nights of live music.

» May 18, Lexington Market will host the 16th annual Lexington Market Crab Derby and the Preakness Balloon Fest will be held at Oregon Ridge Park.

» May 19, Preakness Eve at Pimlico starts in the morning and at night Belvedere Square will host the “Twas the Night before Preakness” concert. Following the concert, there will be a fireworks show near the National Aquarium in the Inner Harbor.

;)

Silver Springer

May 5th, 2006, 03:17 AM

I just don't understand how that happens here and yet plenty of other cities have tons of stuff going on. It doesn't make any sense to me. I really hope 10 Inner Harbor gets built. At least the Zenith, Hilton, Water Street, a few midrise towers in Harbor East and probably a bunch of stuff in Canton Crossing will be definitely happening.

You are not alone; it seems to be the Maryland way "good intentions at first but lousy execution in the end". You should have seen the renderings for the Silver Spring Transit Center a few years ago, grand is the only way i can describe it, now it is nothing more than a three level bus garage. National Harbor would have had a 50 story building as the center piece when it was proposed close to 20 years ago.

I see better projects in other states so I guess that is why I have hope but at the same time it boggles my mind, I can't figure it out! Why does Maryland always have to put up a fight, when it seems to fall into another states lap?

We are the third wealthiest state in the nation with a very educated workforce. Why is office space so difficult to construct here even though we have one of the lowest vacancy rates in the nation, while other states build them speculatively? Even though we are in the top three as a Biotech market we are dead last in venture capital, most of them are small while even the biggest (Medimmune) is struggling to survive.

Are we just too cautious here? Do are developers really suck (although some of the Baltimore ones top the ones in the MD\D.C. area)? Do we need to vacate all politicians out of Annapolis? Do the residents just don't give a damn? Too many NIMBYs? Are we complacent?

Maybe we are dumb and just don’t have any business sense. They don't say Maryland is not business friendly for nothing.

sdeclue

May 5th, 2006, 03:26 AM

bmore87

May 5th, 2006, 04:42 AM

scando

May 5th, 2006, 05:24 AM

Weinberg Foundation looks to trim portfolio

The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation plans to auction this month eight properties it owns on the West Side of Baltimore City, an event city leaders hope will revitalize the depressed area.

- JEN DEGREGORIO

I'm happy to see that they are getting rid of those properties. Between the foundation and Harry himself, they have held onto westside properties for much too long. Their neglect has been a major factor in the decline of the area.

StevenW

May 5th, 2006, 05:26 AM

I've been reading through several threads on the "construction boom" in Baltimore for two days now, and let me tell you I am all around impressed with the unity that you all have on this subject. As an "architectural geek" I think I would like to enter conversation as well.
Welcome, bmore87! Please contribute as much as you'd like. The more the marrier, I say. :)
Yes, for the most part, we are a pretty tight unit who have very similar urban expectations. :)

scando

May 5th, 2006, 05:33 AM

Huck

May 5th, 2006, 05:34 AM

What's up Steven buddy? Don't become manic depressive on us now. I've never heard you be so negative. You, of all people, know that developing anything in a city usually takes two to three years. Things are announced in every city that never get constructed. It's part of life. I think we do better than most other places.

With regard to 10 IH, they have been moving quite fast I think. They should be gaining control of the property just about now. Remember, the settlement for the purchase of the site was scheduled for May. So all the work they have been doing up to now was for something they didn't even own! That's a big gamble. We know they have spent money on travel, architectural fees, and design work. We know the price has gone up to $400 Million. And we know that to the Sun they said they expected no problems arranging financing because they have already talked to lenders. So far, I see nothing with regard to this project that is out of the ordinary. Cheer up and get a good night's sleep. I promise it will be better in the morning or when the next big B-More project is announced. Don't make me take up a collection from the formers to get you meds!

In the mean while everyone should remember that the Preakness is coming and there will be lot's of activities downtown to keep us all busy. I'll be staking my parade spot out in front of Maggie Moore's. I just hope they are open when the parade passes by!

;)

As usual, I agree with everything wadaguy has said! Steven, you are the most optimistic guy on this forum, don't go sour on us now. :master:

While I do believe that things can't go on booming like this forever, I'm very optimistic about some projects... like 10 IH. From what I gather ArcWheeler is well regarded on the Philadelphia forum (maybe their version of SBER or Cordish?). The ArcWheeler website takes great pride in their "10" brand (ala "10 Rittenhouse Square"). 10 IH is far bigger than anything they have built in Philly. They are very active in updating their website about 10 IH (if only about cost). They also have been answering e-mails consistently with very optomistic responses... i.e. maybe building higher. While there are naysayers out there and everything proposed for our beloved Bawlmer may not be built, there has been nothing from Arcwheeler that has given me pause!

Be positive! Keep the optimistic mojo going. We need it now more than ever! :okay:

P.S. Cordish delivers! He built casinos for native Americans and has deep pockets. That nice slender tower with the horseshoe crammed into its crown will be built too!

Huck

May 5th, 2006, 05:37 AM

I'm happy to see that they are getting rid of those properties. Between the foundation and Harry himself, they have held onto westside properties for much too long. Their neglect has been a major factor in the decline of the area.

Amen! Honolulu Harry = bad for Baltimore! AMEN!

StevenW

May 5th, 2006, 05:37 AM

What's up Steven buddy? Don't become manic depressive on us now. I've never heard you be so negative. You, of all people, know that developing anything in a city usually takes two to three years. Things are announced in every city that never get constructed. It's part of life. I think we do better than most other places.

With regard to 10 IH, they have been moving quite fast I think. They should be gaining control of the property just about now. Remember, the settlement for the purchase of the site was scheduled for May. So all the work they have been doing up to now was for something they didn't even own! That's a big gamble. We know they have spent money on travel, architectural fees, and design work. We know the price has gone up to $400 Million. And we know that to the Sun they said they expected no problems arranging financing because they have already talked to lenders. So far, I see nothing with regard to this project that is out of the ordinary. Cheer up and get a good night's sleep. I promise it will be better in the morning or when the next big B-More project is announced. Don't make me take up a collection from the formers to get you meds!;)

LOL! I know I could count on you for cheering me up, wada guy! :D
I don't know. I guess with so much news of new this and new that, I am getting spoiled to hearing (new) news. With that and other negative comments posted, I guess I had to vent a bit.
You know, honestly, I'll be happy if 10 Inner Harbor gets built. If all the other projects don't materialize, then so be it. I just want 10 Inner Harbor really bad to go up to it's 59 stories and 717 ft. Yeah, sure, who wouldn't want to see the other developments too? But if that happens, well, that's a big bonus. I WANT 10 Inner Harbor. :)
I, too, think that it is way too early for feeling negative on the development phase of 10 Inner Harbor. From all the e-mails I recieved about it, they keep reiterating the same message to me: THINGS ARE PROGRESSING. 10 INNER HARBOR WILL HAPPEN.
I hope so. :)

scando

May 5th, 2006, 05:38 AM

I think office buildings are tough for baltimore because taxes are so high on businesses. I think that we need to be more business friendly and get big businesses to come to baltimore. i can understand the struggles for towers for offices. I cannot understand it for simply hotels and condos, especially the later.

Downtown office towers aren't doing that well in mid size cities these days. Lots of businesses want to be near highways, have big-footprint, low buildings with lots of parking. Taxes are only part of the picture. Transportation, convenience, airports and perceptions about cities all get into the picture too. That's why it's so important to ride the residential wave as long as it lasts. Get feet on the street, a better perception and a buzz and the businesses will come back.

StevenW

May 5th, 2006, 05:41 AM

As usual, I agree with everything wadaguy has said! Steven, you are the most optimistic guy on this forum, don't go sour on us now. :master:

While I do believe that things can't go on booming like this forever, I'm very optimistic about some projects... like 10 IH. From what I gather ArcWheeler is well regarded on the Philadelphia forum (maybe their version of SBER or Cordish?). The ArcWheeler website takes great pride in their "10" brand (ala "10 Rittenhouse Square"). 10 IH is far bigger than anything they have built in Philly. They are very active in updating their website about 10 IH (if only about cost). They also have been answering e-mails consistently with very optomistic responses... i.e. maybe building higher. While there are naysayers out there and everything proposed for our beloved Bawlmer may not be built, there has been nothing from Arcwheeler that has given me pause!

Be positive! Keep the optimistic mojo going. We need it now more than ever! :okay:

P.S. Cordish delivers! He built casinos for native Americans and has deep pockets. That nice slender tower with the horseshoe crammed into its crown will be built too!
Everything's ok, Huck. :) Thanks. I was just venting a bit. :D
I'm still optimistic. :D ;)

bmore87

May 5th, 2006, 05:45 AM

Well said scando, well said

NewBaltimore1980

May 5th, 2006, 07:20 AM

Eerik

May 5th, 2006, 07:44 AM

But if we lower taxes who will pay for all the welfare for those who don't want to work?
Baltimore has been like the New York City of the 1970s for quite some time – where people were leaving in droves. In part what changed perceptions about New York was a zero-tolerance for crime and a pro-business attitude. Baltimore, and the state of Maryland could use some of that right now…

It really is embarrassing to see the growth in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington. I am convinced a large part of that growth has been fueled by the anti-business climate in Maryland. Perhaps too proud of its “traditions”, Maryland is simply too stodgy. While I lean to the left on most issues, I believe more legislators that lean to the right would be of benefit to us. What we have in Maryland right now (even with Ehrlich) is like a monopoly, where one party controls; where the challenge for innovative thinking is non-existent.

Recently I was in conversation with an executive from MacKenzie Real Estate about the regional (Washington DC/Baltimore) commercial market. He said in the last ten years, the commercial real estate market in the Baltimore and Suburban-Maryland (Prince Georges and Montgomery Counties) submarkets has underperformed in comparison to Northern Virginia. With the construction of every square foot of new commercial space in Maryland, Virginia has been building nearly seven times that amount. We’re talking about one region, a line that is clearly defined.

This has to be due in part to the political climate in Annapolis. Maryland state government has, and apparently continues to project an anti-business vibe. While some might argue from a social perspective, Maryland is being progressive. In economic circles, this leads to a perception of regression.

The question I have is when did Maryland, and as it pertains to our interest…Baltimore, become to be viewed so backward? In the nineteenth century, nationally, we definitely led the pack; by the twenty-first century, we became a backwater. So my question is, when in the 1900s did we pass from being viewed as progressive, to regressive? The 1950s? Was it after the civil rights movement? Is it somehow pegged to the population of the city? What can be done to change this perception? How can we encourage change to our benefit?

Eerik

May 5th, 2006, 07:51 AM

I think we can all agree that rash field shouldn't be what it is right now.
As I recall, Rash Field was built for Southern High School. In part, it was intended to serve as their athletic field.

After so many years of serving as the winter venue for ice-skating, and then as a memorial for the first Pride of Baltimore, I agree something should be done to improve the space.

I never cared for the park idea they proposed, however with all the new development along Key Highway, maybe a garage would better serve the area? The city could build a large one or two story parking garage right at or slightly below grade. Similar to Center Plaza, they could make the roof-level a landscaped park. The garage would be unobtrusive; the floodplain wouldn’t be an issue; the city could generate revenue; improved green space would serve the neighborhood.

But by all means, keep the Federal Hill vista open...

sdeclue

May 5th, 2006, 03:23 PM

wada_guy

May 5th, 2006, 03:30 PM

I think what might have been a better idea was to put a tower in where the current west shore park is going and then maybe create the park where rash field is. That way Federal Hill gets what they want and space is still used wisely. Maybe the science center eventually expands and goes there? I would just like for one day probably 15 years or so from now for you to be able to walk all around the harbor and there be a nice paved pathway to do so with plenty of foot traffic and things going on the entire walk. Right now, it's mainly the immediate inner harbor area by harborplace that has that element to it. Canton Crossing could really help further that, and I think the Ritz carlton homes could help to, although I'm very disappointed how low density that project is.
Neither the west shore or rash field will ever have commercial buildings placed on them. They are city park land and that was part of the deal struck when the referendum that allowed Harborplace to be constructed was passed (barely) by the city voters in the 1970's. Those of you who are old (like me) remember this very well I suspect. So really, all of this discussion is a moot point. We all know laws can be changed, but I doubt very much that this one will.

Silver Springer

May 5th, 2006, 04:00 PM

Baltimore has been like the New York City of the 1970s for quite some time – where people were leaving in droves. In part what changed perceptions about New York was a zero-tolerance for crime and a pro-business attitude. Baltimore, and the state of Maryland could use some of that right now…

It really is embarrassing to see the growth in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington. I am convinced a large part of that growth has been fueled by the anti-business climate in Maryland. Perhaps too proud of its “traditions”, Maryland is simply too stodgy. While I lean to the left on most issues, I believe more legislators that lean to the right would be of benefit to us. What we have in Maryland right now (even with Ehrlich) is like a monopoly, where one party controls; where the challenge for innovative thinking is non-existent.

Recently I was in conversation with an executive from MacKenzie Real Estate about the regional (Washington DC/Baltimore) commercial market. He said in the last ten years, the commercial real estate market in the Baltimore and Suburban-Maryland (Prince Georges and Montgomery Counties) submarkets has underperformed in comparison to Northern Virginia. With the construction of every square foot of new commercial space in Maryland, Virginia has been building nearly seven times that amount. We’re talking about one region, a line that is clearly defined.

This has to be due in part to the political climate in Annapolis. Maryland state government has, and apparently continues to project an anti-business vibe. While some might argue from a social perspective, Maryland is being progressive. In economic circles, this leads to a perception of regression.

The question I have is when did Maryland, and as it pertains to our interest…Baltimore, become to be viewed so backward? In the nineteenth century, nationally, we definitely led the pack; by the twenty-first century, we became a backwater. So my question is, when in the 1900s did we pass from being viewed as progressive, to regressive? The 1950s? Was it after the civil rights movement? Is it somehow pegged to the population of the city? What can be done to change this perception? How can we encourage change to our benefit?

I think lowering the corporate tax rate in designated places like Baltimore to 5.5% might help, the Enterprise Zone designations just didn't work. Va has a tax rate of 6% while Maryland is 7% but I don't think our underperformance is all due to that. I wouldn't blame it on the civil rights movement either since that happened everywhere and D.C. is doing so much better than Nova in office space construction even with its high rents and small geographical size. I do think demographics play a part though. Montgomery County's land use decisions walks all over Fairfax's but every official and resident I speak to thinks that we have enough office space and are employment situation is just fine but it is more important than that IMO and they just don't know what’s happening on the other side of the river. I also think the construction of the Pentagon in Va played a major role in their high office construction as you see the bulk of their jobs relate to defense and it was built around the 1940's. Even with a slightly higher vacancy rate in Va they have no problem absorbing it and when their is a down turn Maryland feels the bite not as bad as Va but the benefit to that doesn't outweigh the cost in the lack of office space construction.

Prince Georges has totally different issues all together and is the where the true problem lies but their projects are encouraging and give great hope for an undervalued county. PG and Baltimore need to take the bulk of Office construction and try hardest to encourage and lure it in.

Anyways I am very impressed by Baltimore's economic development agency. They seem to have the passion but better yet know that this about survival and a last chance. They want Baltimore to be world class city and know the importance of image (with the enthusiasm for height and density like with 10 Inner Harbor). I think the Bioparks by John Hopkins and UMB are the key but it would be in their best interest to pursue other industries heavily like Nanotech and more computer high tech. Baltimore should be outdoing Boston.

I think Maryland has a problem taking advantage of their assets. FedEx Field, Baltimore, D.C., Chesapeake, Potomac, NIH, FDA, University of Maryland etc, it is getting better but they need to work harder. Va learned to do so greatly with the Pentagon. Maybe the BRAC will be the turn of the tide; Va may hurt badly from that movement.

Maybe when all the complacent old heads are gone things will get better.

Silver Springer

May 5th, 2006, 04:09 PM

I'm just glad 10 Inner Harbor was not proposed by a developer from Maryland. They most always scale back a project, dragging their feet or never build it. The developers from outside the state usually increase the projects size and get the job done.

sdeclue

May 5th, 2006, 04:12 PM

wada_guy

May 5th, 2006, 04:23 PM

See a youngin like me didn't know about that city deal that was made. Still, I am quite surprised they would do that to one of the most valuable pieces of land in the city. Does that mean they couldn't even add another harborplace pavilion on later?
Correct. The entire waterfront on Light and Pratt Streets was "originally" supposed to be park land. When Rouse proposed harborplace, all hell broke loose. If I remember correctly, the first Rouse/Schaefer proposal contained 2 pavilions on Light Street. It was so controversial at the time, that City Hall agreed to place the entire issue on a referendum that was presented to the voters it and barely passed.

Schaefer lobbied hard for Harborplace and the Aquarium. One of the "sweeteners" put forth to get is passed was that the city committed to keeping the remaining land as a park forever. Harborplace, and the Aquarium bond issue, passed by the skin of thier teeth! Help me out here fellow formers! I don't remember all the details but I do remember 3 pavilions in the proposal.

Personally, I'd like to see another pavilion on Light Street. But I'll be dead long before that ever occurs.

robert parsons

May 5th, 2006, 04:31 PM

i was transfered to whitemarsh and have been traveling up 95 everyday. they have been doing a lot of test boring where the new interchange is going in. rossville blvd bridge at the site is moving along very fast. also i drove through canton last night and the surface lots for brewers hill are almost done. cant wait to see the finished project . the demolition of the gm plant is going along ok they started tareing down the back end of the building and the weat side of it, its almost sad to see a landmark of so many years go. progress must go on though!!!!!!!

Silver Springer

May 5th, 2006, 04:48 PM

BDC picks four teams for Gateway South project

A development team backed by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis is still in the game. Cormony Development LLC, which includes Lewis as an equity partner, was one of four teams selected by the Baltimore Development Corp. to compete for the Gateway South project on the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River.

bmore87

May 5th, 2006, 05:24 PM

Speaking of development, wasn't there a proposal to give Old Town Mall a facelift? That was in the news a couple of years ago but the movement died down significantly.

21230

May 5th, 2006, 05:24 PM

The trouble with Harbor East is that it is too much like Bethesda. It's suburbia in the city. Granted, it's good that there's development down there, but it's not exactly awe-inspiring.

The problem may be that Baltimore is so thirsty for development that it is too easy on developers. Some of the new buildings downtown (Marriott residence hotel, and Camden Courts) aren't that interesting either.

Even worse than Harbor East by far, though, is the new huge redbrick apartment building by the BSO, which looks like it was designed in 1985.

On Federal Hill: The view is essential. When I first visited Baltimore, that was one of the first places I was taken. And where do a lot of people go on July 4th?

I completely agree about Harbor East. And the condos at BSO are even more awful. I went to "Illuminate" there a couple nights ago. They had different restaurants and artists displaying in apartments to try to promote rentals. The places were unbelievably sterile. It feels like a retirement community.

The same almost goes for 1209 Charles. They had an event a week or two ago and the designs for the condos are quite bland. You can do a more creative job shopping at Home Depot.

And as far as the view from Federal Hill, much of it is already lost. Even the 4 story buildings at Harbor View eliminate many views east of Riverside Ave (down the hill). There's a whole stretch of fairly new townhomes on Covington which are quickly going from water view to no view.

Silver Springer

May 5th, 2006, 05:42 PM

FULL ARTICLE

http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2006/05/01/daily26.html?jst=b_ln_hl

BDC picks four teams for Gateway South project

Baltimore Business Journal - 9:46 AM EDT Thursdayby Heather HarlanStaff
Print this Article Email this Article Reprints RSS Feeds Most Viewed Most Emailed
A development team backed by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis is still in the game.

Cormony Development LLC, which includes Lewis as an equity partner, was one of four teams selected by the Baltimore Development Corp. to compete for the Gateway South project on the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River.

Brought to you by Cingular The redevelopment opportunity is south of M&T Bank Stadium, north of Interstate 295 and I-95 and east of the Carroll Camden Industrial Park in southwest Baltimore.

Other groups that qualified to submit revitalization plans for the 11-acre waterfront site include Henrietta Development Corp. headed by local developer Patrick Turner; Himmelrich Associates Inc. & Doracon Development LLC; and Stadium Shore Walk LLC, which lists Banks Contracting Co. Inc. as a player.

The Baltimore Development Corp., the city's economic development agency, narrowed the initial list of competitors from six to four groups.

Manekin LLC, a Columbia commercial real estate and development firm, and the Benade Group Inc. were eliminated.

sdeclue

May 5th, 2006, 05:57 PM

It'll be interesting to see what they try to do with that area. I've always wondered if they couldn't build a new arena down in that area since it sits near the two current stadiums. I also believe awhile back there was talk of putting a horse track down there when Ehrlich was pushing slots. If you put an arena and a track down there....ohhh I can only imagine the possibilities.

Silver Springer

May 5th, 2006, 07:04 PM

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/bal-ed.sprawl04may04,0,3892055.story?coll=bal-pe-opinion

opinion

Sprawl moves far west

Originally published May 4, 2006
Maryland's latest poster child for sprawl is called Terrapin Run, and its fate is now before an Allegany County Circuit Court judge - a review that we hope that it does not survive. The project is a natural but terrible product of cheap mountain land and the growing willingness of Washington-area workers to commute as far as 100 miles away in their desperate search for more-affordable housing.
Right next to Green Ridge State Forest 50 miles west of Hagerstown along Interstate 68, Terrapin Run ultimately would put 4,300 homes and a shopping plaza on 900 acres of land originally zoned for agriculture and conservation. There are questions about the tract's water and septic capacities. It is 30 miles to the nearest middle or high school. It would send thousands of additional cars each day onto a stretch of U.S. 40 that's been designated one of seven "last-chance scenic places" in Maryland. And it received approval as an exemption to Allegany's land-use restrictions by a 2-1 vote of the county's Board of Zoning Appeals.

We do not oppose growth, but the costs of this sort of sprawl - economic, social and environmental - are much too high. It strains limited government resources, potentially pollutes public lands, creates more traffic and leaves behind much closer-in communities in need of redevelopment. We strongly suspect that Allegany's two largest towns, Cumberland and Frostburg, abound with redevelopment opportunities. In that same vein, we welcome news that national suburban developer Pulte Homes may build 400 to 700 housing units along Baltimore's formerly industrial Westport waterfront - only, say, an hour's commute by train from Washington.

Ironically, growth controls in many of Maryland's developed areas - in tandem with the cost of new infrastructure to support higher-density redevelopment - are among the forces pushing such projects as Terrapin Run so far out, according to a new study by the University of Maryland's National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education. We understand that this is a tricky political proposition; witness the rejection by Mount Airy voters this week of town plans to annex an adjacent part of Carroll County to accommodate a new development. There's little doubt that the expense of providing infrastructure to properly accommodate higher densities within or near developed areas is great. But the overall costs cannot match the toll from a growth pattern represented by the likes of Terrapin Run.

Copyright © 2006, The Baltimore Sun | Get Sun home delivery

sdeclue

May 5th, 2006, 07:14 PM

Hood

May 5th, 2006, 07:56 PM

waj0527

May 5th, 2006, 10:34 PM

I understand the problems it could create, although I don't have a problem with sprawl. A major problem I have is how people will criticize this when the reason these people want to move out there is become everything is so expensive around here. If costs of homes, condos etc came down, this wouldn't be an issue. That's why I always wonder why some towers can't be built in Baltimore that are for the middle class. I'm sure there is plenty of demand. It wouldn't be public housing, it would be for the middle class who can't afford 400,000 homes but maybe 200,000-250,000 is their price range.

You dont have a problem with sprawl?!?!?! I certainly do. Sprawl is wasteful and irresponsible. I really hope the Baltimore/Washington metro doesnt take on a L.A. state of mind e.g. I dont care if I have to commute 2-3 hours to work because the real estate is cheaper there.

The author brings up a good point. Its takes roughly the same amount of time to get to Baltimore from Washington as it does to get to the Frostburg/Cumberland area. Housing in Baltimore is plentiful and there are affordable options. There are plenty of alternatives to tearing down undeveloped land.

sdeclue

May 5th, 2006, 10:43 PM

Yeah, hopefully Baltimore is the beneficiary of all this, and it means lots of towers and a beautiful skyline.

Furiine

May 5th, 2006, 10:53 PM

You dont have a problem with sprawl?!?!?! I certainly do. Sprawl is wasteful and irresponsible. I really hope the Baltimore/Washington metro doesnt take on a L.A. state of mind e.g. I dont care if I have to commute 2-3 hours to work because the real estate is cheaper there.

The author brings up a good point. Its takes roughly the same amount of time to get to Baltimore from Washington as it does to get to the Frostburg/Cumberland area. Housing in Baltimore is plentiful and there are affordable options. There are plenty of alternatives to tearing down undeveloped land.

Not to mention that sprawl facilitates the concentration of poverty in the city center. The houses in suburbia are usually cheap enough for the middle-class to afford and too expensive for the poor. There are tons of social problems linked to sprawl besides the tangibles like pollution and traffic clogging. Sprawl has done irreversible damage to the United States.

Silver Springer

May 6th, 2006, 12:08 AM

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.sapperstein04may04,0,1470776.story?coll=bal-pe-maryland

City, scheme figure do business
Sapperstein, convicted in bilking of school system, sells Pigtown buildings for $260,700
By Lynn Anderson
sun reporter
Originally published May 4, 2006

He has been convicted of conspiracy, bribery and theft, but Gilbert Sapperstein, a former boiler company owner and longtime liquor license broker who participated in a scheme to steal nearly $3.3 million from the Baltimore school system, is still doing business with the city.

The Board of Estimates yesterday approved a payment of $260,700 to Sapperstein for properties he owns in the 900 block of Washington Blvd. in the Pigtown neighborhood.

The board's action sealed a real estate deal that city officials say was in the works long before Sapperstein was convicted for his role in bilking the school system. The city had little choice but to deal with Sapperstein, said Mayor Martin O'Malley, a member of the Board of Estimates, the body that holds the city's purse strings.

O'Malley appeared puzzled when a reporter asked him about Sapperstein but commented after being reminded about his past.

"We weren't doing it because we wanted to help him out," O'Malley said of the deal. "We were doing it because we wanted to get the properties fixed up, keep them from being neighborhood blights and get them back on the tax rolls."

Sapperstein's properties -- a bar called Cammie's Place and a rowhouse -- have been widely viewed as impediments to redeveloping Pigtown. Neighbors have complained to the city liquor board about the bar, which has been closed for nearly three years, and had asked that its liquor license be voided under a state law that requires inactive licenses to expire after 180 days, or 360 days in the case of financial or personal hardship.

"[Sapperstein] had a proven history of failing to meet the neighborhood's needs," said Jack Danna, manager of the Washington Boulevard Main Street Program.

Officials with the Baltimore Development Corp., the city's economic development arm, said a check could be prepared for Sapperstein as soon as next week. He has controlled dozens of liquor licenses and taverns over the years and runs a bar vending machine business called Star Coin Machine Co.

Sapperstein, 74, of Green Spring Valley, is perhaps best known for his role in a scheme to steal more than $3 million from the city school system. As part of a plea deal worked out with the state prosecutor's office, Sapperstein, the former owner of All-State Boiler Services Inc., pleaded guilty last year to working with Rajiv Dixit, the school system's former facilities manager, to submit fraudulent work invoices that netted him and Dixit millions of dollars over a dozen years.

Dixit was sentenced to five years in prison. Sapperstein, who repaid $3.3 million to the school system plus $200,000 in interest, was sentenced to 18 months in prison in August but was released on home detention about a month later. He was paroled Feb. 23.

"I am sorry that he did that to the school system, don't get me wrong," said Mary Pat Fannon, director of the BDC's Baltimore Main Streets Program, which is working with Pigtown residents to rebuild the neighborhood. "But it doesn't change what we do legally."

BDC officials say they sought two appraisals on the properties and threatened to seize them through eminent domain if Sapperstein refused to sell. He didn't. And, according to Fannon, he was extremely accommodating.

"He was the most cooperative property owner that we had," Fannon said. "He's been very pleasant. It was really a breath of fresh air."

lynn.anderson@baltsun.com
Sun reporter John Fritze contributed to this article.

StevenW

May 6th, 2006, 12:47 AM

Attention one and all! ARCWheeler have something to say!

Here it is:

"Dear Steve,

10 Inner Harbor will be built.

ARCWheeler has already spent several million dollars and we, the partners who make up ARCWheeler's management, are careful about how and where we allocate funds. We believe in Baltimore. It is true that Baltimore City is an emerging often untested residential market; but all market studies recognize its potential. It is estimated, in the next 15-20 years, for example, 175,000 people and families will choose downtown Baltimore as their home. Many of these residences will be condominiums. The best of these will overlook the Inner Harbor.

This project is a giant undertaking. The Comcast Tower in Philadelphia, now rising in center city Philadelphia, was three years in planning. 10 Inner Harbor is the biggest mixed-use residential undertaking in Maryland - probably one of the 10 largest in the US. Preparing the site for construction is a year off and everyone will need to work hard simply to achieve this goal. 10 Rittenhouse Square, our 33 story mixed-use residential tower in Philadelphia, was in process for six years prior to ground breaking. Baltimore fortunately will be much quicker.

Just remember that right now much of the work is behind the scene. Comments about funding are correct. 10 Inner Harbor is a huge underwriting assignment but ARCWheeler has successfully put together equivalent packages for our various other projects. Here to, the key is judicious planning and careful management of development.

Baltimore is a city that seeks and disserves a building like 10 Inner Harbor. Everyone associated with city government as well as most citizens, like you, have been supportive in all ways. You can be assured that Baltimore will have its new tallest building and ARCWheeler will build it.

Sincerely,

John

John Voneiff
ARCWheeler

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Hal Wheeler
Sent: Fri 5/5/2006 10:11 AM
To: John Voneiff
Subject: FW: concerned"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, does anyone have a comment that they would like to make regarding this news??? I'm all ears.Naysayers and doubters BEWARE! ARCWheeler is WATCHING!!!

Silver Springer

May 6th, 2006, 01:00 AM

StevenW

May 6th, 2006, 01:42 AM

^^ Yes, I always write....

Silver Springer

May 6th, 2006, 02:22 AM

^^ Yes, I always write....

Sorry...in my frantic typing I missed a few words. In a joking way what I was trying to say is did you write that letter above yourself? What was the original letter you sent? Like I said it seems to take a developer from the outside to realize Maryland's true potential. On a side note, does anyone have concrete plans on how Baltimore plans to revitalize its school system? If they expect 175,000 in 15-20 years with an abundance of families then something must be brewing.

bmore87

May 6th, 2006, 02:31 AM

Silver Springer

May 6th, 2006, 02:38 AM

What a joyous day it is now.

10 Inner Harbor has only 192 units right? That isn't a lot and they should be able to sell them easily. The units must be huge too. The Nashville tower is over 1000 ft and has over 400 units and they ar almost sold out!

fanofterps

May 6th, 2006, 03:29 AM

Not that many. Also, I think this will be very popular with the Washington D.C wealthy people.

Editorial in this weeks Baltimore Business Journal about the need for a private school downtown. Could draw more families.

10 Inner Harbor has only 192 units right? That isn't a lot and they should be able to sell them easily. The units must be huge too. The Nashville tower is over 1000 ft and has over 400 units and they ar almost sold out!

vivo

May 6th, 2006, 04:51 AM

scando

May 6th, 2006, 08:04 AM

Correct. The entire waterfront on Light and Pratt Streets was "originally" supposed to be park land. When Rouse proposed harborplace, all hell broke loose. If I remember correctly, the first Rouse/Schaefer proposal contained 2 pavilions on Light Street. It was so controversial at the time, that City Hall agreed to place the entire issue on a referendum that was presented to the voters it and barely passed.

Schaefer lobbied hard for Harborplace and the Aquarium. One of the "sweeteners" put forth to get is passed was that the city committed to keeping the remaining land as a park forever. Harborplace, and the Aquarium bond issue, passed by the skin of thier teeth! Help me out here fellow formers! I don't remember all the details but I do remember 3 pavilions in the proposal.

Personally, I'd like to see another pavilion on Light Street. But I'll be dead long before that ever occurs.

I dimly recall that the referendum on Harborplace passed by something like 600 votes. The "against" lobby had no particular plan except grass and frisbees but was quite righteous about it. We sorta got the third pavilion but it was the 4 level mall in the Gallery, which is billed as part of Harborplace in spite of the fact that it doesn't look like it, is inside a hotel and is on the other side of Pratt St.

scando

May 6th, 2006, 08:12 AM

scando

May 6th, 2006, 08:29 AM

....On a side note, does anyone have concrete plans on how Baltimore plans to revitalize its school system? If they expect 175,000 in 15-20 years with an abundance of families then something must be brewing.

Concrete plans for the schools? What? Given that they have one year to fix that bunch of schools that the State was going to take over, it might even be hard to get an exact count on the number of schools. Sarcasm aside, there is a long standing tradition in affluent parts of the city (especially in the northern tier of neighborhoods) that you have to afford private or parochial schools if you're going to have kids in the city. Otherwise, it can be pretty dicey.

A few public schools are OK but you really have to consider this when you decide where to live. There is a very stark racial and economic divide in the Baltimore school situation and the entire world looks very different when you go to Boy's Latin or Bryn Mawr as opposed to Dunbar or Western. The school situation, in my opinion, drives the outcome of city neighborhoods more strongly than any other factor. All the other things we think about in the city are secondary to the fact that middle class people who can't afford $15,000 per year per kid have to move when wife starts to feel funny in the morning. It wil be interesting to see how in influx of population effects this.

scando

May 6th, 2006, 08:36 AM

.... Like I said it seems to take a developer from the outside to realize Maryland's true potential. On a side note, does anyone have concrete plans on how Baltimore plans to revitalize its school system?....

Hey. We do have local developers that appreciate us. Specifically, Streuver Bros, Ed Hale and J Pederakis are doing really good things. Hale and Pederakis were born here and Streuver moved here but has become local. We would be lost if we didn't have those folks.

Eerik

May 6th, 2006, 09:49 AM

The terrapin development is a bad idea. Is there really a market out that far west? Would you really spend 5 hours a day in a car to work 8 hours? that is insane. There is affordable housing in washington, its just not in desireable places. So, that is what needs to be weighed. The drive vs. the risk of buying somewhere not desireable hoping that the trends will improve those areas. I am betting on it for ba ltiore,
Even the undesirable places are expensive. In the (Washington) City Paper they run a weekly real estate listing of a property in the District. I am amazed at how anyone could list a typical DC two-story town home in the worst of neighborhoods, with no amenities…for more than $650,000. Those making less than $225,000 a year wanting to move to the District need to settle for a condo. Anything better is out of their price range. And those high prices spill over into the inner DC suburbs as well. No wonder Baltimore is viewed as reasonable by so many Washingtonians…

Eerik

May 6th, 2006, 11:45 AM

I dimly recall that the referendum on Harborplace passed by something like 600 votes. The "against" lobby had no particular plan except grass and frisbees but was quite righteous about it. We sorta got the third pavilion but it was the 4 level mall in the Gallery, which is billed as part of Harborplace in spite of the fact that it doesn't look like it, is inside a hotel and is on the other side of Pratt St.
Original harbor plans did not include commercial development in the form of shopping; nor did the original harbor plan foresee a tourism component.

One beauty of the experience of Baltimore planning was its openness to new ideas. The city was always weighing ideas that worked elsewhere, and sought way to implement those ideas and improve upon them. Therefore in 1977, the Rouse Company was approached by Charles Center-Inner Harbor Management Inc. (BDC predecessor) with the idea of attempting a project similar to Faneuil Hall in Boston.

What made Harborplace different from its predecessor is that there were no existing buildings to redevelop, as with Faneuil Hall. Baltimore planners originally wanted Rouse to redevelop the Pier Four power plant, or Camden Station. To his credit, Rouse objected, stating both were too far removed from the city-centre. His proposal was a location at the intersection of Pratt and Light Streets.

Rouse teamed-up with Benjamin Thompson & Associates to develop the marketplace. As originally conceived, the promenade complemented the shoreline and park. The space was used for ethnic festivals, the yearly City Fair, outdoor concerts, and in general, a sort of “breathing space” by the city. People liked the open space. Likewise, restauranteurs in Little Italy and South Baltimore merchants felt threatened by competition from a Harborplace and voiced significant opposition.

Debate ensued. In 1978 the anti-Harborplace voice succeeded in getting its 12,000 signatures to place the issue on the ballot. In November of that year, 99,703 voters had the question placed before them. Known as “Question K”, a total of 59,045 voted for Harborplace, while 42,728 voted against. Amazingly a scant 16,317 people made a significant choice in regard to future Baltimore development.

However there were stipulations. The city administration proposed, on the same ballot, a charter provision limiting private commercial development to two specific sites totaling 3.1 acres and committing approximately 29 acres around the Inner Harbor to public park use. The provision was placed in the city charter and can only be changed with a future vote by the electorate and not by actions of either the mayor or city council. This in part scrapped the original Thompson-Rouse proposal for three pavilions, as noted earlier, a third structure south of the Light Street pavilion.

Much of Baltimore’s success with the Inner Harbor as modeled is owed to Boston. While the development of Charles Center was largely modeled on Pittsburgh, it is the Inner Harbor where two key elements were “borrowed” from Boston: the “festival marketplace” and the aquarium. Both were hard fought efforts to continue redevelopment at the harbor.

fanofterps

May 6th, 2006, 01:46 PM

suggust in Baltimore Business Journal this week that Baltimore build a private school downtown similar to Philly and New York to attract more families. I am told the city schools are poor in Philly and New York also but parents have more options in private schools.

Hey. We do have local developers that appreciate us. Specifically, Streuver Bros, Ed Hale and J Pederakis are doing really good things. Hale and Pederakis were born here and Streuver moved here but has become local. We would be lost if we didn't have those folks.

fanofterps

May 6th, 2006, 01:51 PM

Hood

May 6th, 2006, 03:36 PM

Have you guys seen this site?

http://local.live.com/

Its sweet.

Camden Yards

http://local.live.com/?v=2&sp=aN.39.284439_-76.621424_Camden%20Yards_

waj0527

May 6th, 2006, 03:52 PM

A few things:

Great news about 10 IH...I never doubted ARC's commitment to this project or the city of Baltimore. Like John said....they had already poured a shitload of money into the project and are thirsy to successfully develop their young brand. When the Sun article accompanying the inital renderings mentioned that groundbreaking could occur as early as this summer, I scoffed at the idea. There was no way that a building of that magnitude would get stated that quickly in Baltimore (or any city for that matter).

Also, Baltimore certainly could benefit from a quality private or public school in its city center. Ive always thought that. Education will HAVE to be addressed soon. There's no doubt about it. Charter schools...private schools outside of the Roland Park/Falls Road/Towson area...new public schools mimicking City, Poly, BSA...something.

Finally, Im really not found of the Harry and Jeanette Foundation and here's YET ANOTHER REASON TO DISLIKE THE WHINEBERG'S. They sat on those properties for years, let them decay, caused all sorts of delays on the Westside, passed on opportunities to sell the properties to the developer that the city had chosen for the other projects in that area and now they're flipping them. They know the potential of the Lexington pedistrian mall area and they held on as long as they could until the BDC had enough and really put pressure on them. The Sun alluded to this happening months ago and it finally did. Good riddens. I think peopke are really sleeping on the potential for this neighborhood and the area in general. The city is committed to this. They recognize the importance of this area. The disconnect between the CBD, the westside, and the waterfront will soon no longer exist. Im calling it right now.

Honestly, reading that the Weinberg Foundation is no longer involved with the westside is better news to me than is the email Steve got from ARCWheeler.

StevenW

May 6th, 2006, 04:08 PM

Have you guys seen this site?

http://local.live.com/

Its sweet.

Camden Yards

http://local.live.com/?v=2&sp=aN.39.284439_-76.621424_Camden%20Yards_
Yes, Jeff, I've been there before. It's a great site. Thanks for bringing it to my attention again. :)

StevenW

May 6th, 2006, 04:09 PM

In other news: NAACP MAY be leaving Baltimore! (http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.naacp06may06,0,1999475.story?coll=bal-local-headlines)
:bash:

StevenW

May 6th, 2006, 04:11 PM

sdeclue

May 6th, 2006, 04:11 PM

Great news on 10 Inner Harbor. Definitely a morale boost for those on the board who thought it might not happen, including me.

As for city schools, building a few nice public schools around the downtown area is critical. I would guess that schools are the number one reason people don't live in the city, followed closely by crime.

175,000 more people in the downtown area alone? Baltimore could be approaching 800-900,000 people if that happens. Could the city get to a million with all the other projects like Canton Crossing, Westport, Harbor East, Harbor Pointe, Mount Vernon Development as well as all the new townhouses popping up all over the place?

Huck

May 6th, 2006, 04:15 PM

Honestly, reading that the Weinberg Foundation is no longer involved with the westside is better news to me than is the email Steve got from ARCWheeler.

Again I have to agree with you. "Honolulu" Harry Weinberg single handedly held up development on the west side for over twenty years (In life, and through the foundation, in death I might add). The fact that the Weinberg foundation is out of west side development is the best possile news we could have for that area.

P.S. Great news about 10 IH. Steven must have gotten his positive mojo working again! :)

StevenW

May 6th, 2006, 04:23 PM

^^ A very good question. It depends on a day-to-day check on the local and National and International market stability. So many variables. Forecasting can only go so far. Perhaps, given the current trends, those #s were given. It's probable. Nobody can really say for SURE that it will happen downtown or anywhere. However, there are a lot of reasons to be optimistic about the future of Baltimore and it's resident base. Does Baltimore have a list of reasons to hinder potential future growth? Absolutely. But, IMO, strides are being made in the city in many areas to help change those hinderences, and Baltimore has a lot more to boast about to help offset the negative.

ChuckScraperMiami#1

May 6th, 2006, 05:35 PM

Again I have to agree with you.

Great news about 10 IH. Steven must have gotten his positive mojo working again! :)

Huck :cool: , your right, Just like the captain Tom Hanks in " Saving Private Ryan :okay: "

Steve :bowtie: is like Tom Hanks :righton: ,

" He's good, you gotta love him " as they were walking the warpath telling stories about their mothers in the movie :applause: .

StevenW

May 6th, 2006, 06:02 PM

:lol: :hahaha:

sdeclue

May 6th, 2006, 09:07 PM

I was hoping they could get construction of 10 Inner Harbor underway in the fall but the spring seems much more likely.

fanofterps

May 6th, 2006, 10:02 PM

10 Inner Harbor starts in 2007 or at the latest 2008. These projects often take 2 to 21/2 years to get started.

I was hoping they could get construction of 10 Inner Harbor underway in the fall but the spring seems much more likely.

NewBaltimore1980

May 6th, 2006, 10:44 PM

[QUOTE=sdeclue]
As for city schools, building a few nice public schools around the downtown area is critical. I would guess that schools are the number one reason people don't live in the city, followed closely by crime.
QUOTE]

Private schools will help, additional public schools will not. Even if they build a new public school they are going to put into that same failing system and no one is going to send their kids there. Would you risk your child's education on a test of a NEW Baltimore City Public School? I wouldnt.

My kids will either go to private school or we will go to Montomery/Howard Counties, but no matter what the city tries to do for the public schools, the stigma is there and I'd rather them get a good education from a private school and risk them becoming snobs. Snobby people are usually more successful anyway.

sdeclue

May 6th, 2006, 11:04 PM

I see your point, but much of the problem with the system is the disruptive behavior of students from bad neighborhoods and then no good teachers wanting to be teaching in those schools.

seanlax5

May 7th, 2006, 02:33 AM

about all his Baltimore projects. Said Brewers Hill will include new townhomes and condo's. Anyone know how many?

Also, said that he wants to expand Tide Point for a condo building, offices and more townhomes.

Paterakis and Struever are really changing Baltimore. I believe they have almost 1,000 residential units under construction with plans for 2,000 more.

I threw out the latest SUN article on it, the one w/ a pic of Brewer's Hill & Tide Point, but I belive it was 3. Brewer's hill shouldn't be too large, but around 100-200 units sounds right to me. Maybe I'm high, or low.

lee1957

May 7th, 2006, 02:45 AM

lee1957

May 7th, 2006, 02:57 AM

sorry I didn't look back far enough to see all the posts on the schools
About weinberg foundation I still don't believe they will sell those properties until it actually happens. I thought I once heard when Harry Weinberg died he stipulated in his will that the property can not be sold but I might be wrong. Harry Weinberg was a real pain in the you know where to Baltimore and even in death he haunts the west side. I think the foundation would like to develope the properties but doesn't want to spend the money

StevenW

May 7th, 2006, 04:35 AM

The school system and crime are the major reasons people will not move into the city. Private schools are a good idea but how do you establish them. In other cities, the urban private schools have long histories and established reputations. Catholic schools use to be the answer but the church has been closing many of the urban schools. High schools are extremely expensive to establish but lower and middle schools might be possible, but it takes alot of money. Now most of the private schools are located north baltimore near Gilman and Friends. Private schools would be an incredible inducement for actually families to move though
I say, start a private school associated with one of Baltimore's top colleges. K-12. Make it top teacher to student friendly. Make it hi-tech. Make it unique and interesting for the students. Give parents hope of better incentives for their children. Make the school very attractive with access to better ameneties for students and teachers. A "pro" active environment. Give wide freedom of creative teaching styles and not just mundane ways that are not working. Create a strict code of conduct/respect for all people, student and teacher. Challenge often and reward often. Well groomed landscaping throughout the school, inside and out. Plenty of Security in "friendly" apparel.
Just thought I'd throw a few things out there. :D

sdeclue

May 7th, 2006, 06:19 AM

Good ideas StevenW.

scando

May 7th, 2006, 07:55 AM

I say, start a private school associated with one of Baltimore's top colleges. K-12. Make it top teacher to student friendly. Make it hi-tech. Make it unique and interesting for the students. Give parents hope of better incentives for their children. Make the school very attractive with access to better ameneties for students and teachers. A "pro" active environment. Give wide freedom of creative teaching styles and not just mundane ways that are not working. Create a strict code of conduct/respect for all people, student and teacher. Challenge often and reward often. Well groomed landscaping throughout the school, inside and out. Plenty of Security in "friendly" apparel.
Just thought I'd throw a few things out there. :D

What you're describing sounds like the private schools in north Baltimore. Unfortunately, I don't think there has been a one of any size founded since shorty after the signing of the Magna Carta. In addition, the most exclusive of them only accepts 1 of 5 applicants. With that sort of selection ratio, they also don't have to stick with students who have problems, so you screw up once, you're out, which really tightens the thumbscrews on the kids. The private shool connections seem to be pretty much in equilibrium with the demand in neighborhoods like Guilford, Roland Park, Homeland, The Orchards, etc but it isn't very helpful for the middling masses. At 15K per year, they're just too elite and expensive for most Baltimoreans. Not only do parents have to afford the tuition, but you can't send kids to those schools and not be able to also afford a ski trip to Switzerland or whatever unless you want you kid to look like a pauper.

scando

May 7th, 2006, 08:13 AM

I see your point, but much of the problem with the system is the disruptive behavior of students from bad neighborhoods and then no good teachers wanting to be teaching in those schools.

Having known a number of people who tried to teach in city public schools, I can vouch for what you're saying. It's a vicious cycle. The kid's behavior discourages and saps the energy of teachers. Once they have done a couple years of "combat duty", they take their "dues" to a suburban county where they get a comparatively easy job that pays better, puts them in a building that works and doesn't bleed their spirits so quickly. The teachers who stay either have an incredible level of committment or just can't find another job. The kids know this so you end up with this polarity of a few great teachers and a bunch of other ones who are just doing dues paying. Unfortunately, the kids are expert in upturning the weakness of teachers and respond in kind. Not a good situation.

bmore87

May 7th, 2006, 10:36 AM

I have been a product of city schools having graduated from Dunbar last year. I have seen the good and bad of city schools. I was one of the lucky ones to have graduated from a good city school with great traditions. But, there are students at all city schools that feel that they aren't worthy of a good education because they are simply using the same textbooks that their parents used. It is a shame how underfunded city schools are. There are many students with great potential at all city schools, and there are many who are bright but don't have the resources to bring out such talents. Believe me when I say that the students of Baltimore City care about their education and they want better. Dunbar was supposed to be remodeled into a state-of-the-art health magnet school because of its partnership with Hopkins, but such plans are at a stand still because of "lack of funds." What I'm saying is in order for parents to allow their kids to come to city schools there have to be a change in the city and state school board. If not, I agree that a private school should be built downtown. I mean, I feel bad for saying such a thing but nothing is being done to change the problems of failing schools. Parents of city students need to also get involved in the PTA and academic assemblies. It is they who are the driving force of their children's behavior.

StevenW

May 7th, 2006, 03:04 PM

Here is a great link: Harbor East Projects! (http://www.bha-architects.com/markets/hosp.html)

seanlax5

May 7th, 2006, 04:04 PM

You know who knows more in schools as an adult than anyone??

Janitors. Get them to talk.

sdeclue

May 7th, 2006, 04:32 PM

Silver Springer

May 7th, 2006, 06:32 PM

Hey. We do have local developers that appreciate us. Specifically, Streuver Bros, Ed Hale and J Pederakis are doing really good things. Hale and Pederakis were born here and Streuver moved here but has become local. We would be lost if we didn't have those folks.

Like I said in my previous posts Streuver Bros, Cornish etc are the exception to the rule, they are not the norm. For the most part developers based in Maryland who build larger more urban projects are so wishy-washy. They will always propose a project then scale back units, height, office space, retail space etc then drag their feet for 3 years or more. The project ends up being weaker than the original and the architecture is really bad. They are simply impassionate. Maybe they don't have the skills to get the financing and are too scared. On the other hand developers from other states have a tendency to actually INCREASE a projects size from the original and stick to the mix of uses without constantly changing it or scaling back. They push the boundaries.

P.S. I just realized Streuver Bros is doing some renovation work on some old apartments in Silver Spring.

Silver Springer

May 7th, 2006, 06:43 PM

Thanks for the site StevenW. It's really good. It gives a much better looks of Harbor East and you can really tell it's like a Bethesda or Silver Spring. Not sure that I like it, although I'm happy that the Four Seasons construction is ready to begin and two more towers will be added to the city skyline!

Speaking of those suburban areas, I always find it interesting how different Baltimore and Washington are. Washington has a ton of those small cities in the suburbs that are built up whereas Baltimore has Towson and every other suburban town is pretty small with little or no mainstreet and certainly no hotels and office buildings.

Why because it is new or master planned project? The only thing like that we have in Silver Spring is the "Downtown Silver Spring" mixed use project and Bethesda row in Bethesda. Everything else are individual projects from different developers and their are over 20 in Silver Spring. Check out my thread http://skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=321968 if you haven't seen it.

lee1957

May 7th, 2006, 08:27 PM

The Baltimore City Scool system receives huge amounts of money especially from the state but the bureaucracy and waste that has developed is astronomical. The voucher system is the biggest threat to this system so the chances of that occurring are about zero. but think about a church or even a community of taking the voucher money and establishing their own schools without the massive school administration. The Catholic school system runs on a very low budget yet the schools are superior to the city's schools. The problem is that those who remain in the public school system will probably be the worst of the worst. The school tenure situation is another disaster where I believe if you work 2 years you are given tenure and cannot be fired only transferred from one school to another. By the way we never really found out where those millions of dollars disappeared in the Baltimore City Schools.

sdeclue

May 7th, 2006, 08:44 PM

Silver Springer

May 7th, 2006, 09:30 PM

I think that the Bethesda and Silver Spring is great for the suburbs. I wish more suburbs in Baltimore had the "newness" look to them that many of those big suburbs of DC have. Towson is the closest Baltimore comes to having one. Columbia is more of a suburb of baltimore than dc so I guess that counts too.

I just don't prefer that look inside of Baltimore City. I'd rather have more interesting architechture that sorta builds off of the kind the city already has.

I think Bethesda, Silver Spring and Towson are different from the typical "suburb" or however they are called. I wouldn't put Columbia in the same category though.

While Harbor East could have been more creative in architecture, I'm sure glad it didn't take a page from the book of Legg Mason or WTC. I guess some people will argue that the Neo-Traditional look has been over done to the point of nauseating but I will take it any day over blank monotone walls and the crap that was built in the 60's and 70's.

I would like to see better architecture too but this problem is not limited to these urban districts like Silver Spring and Bethesda, in fact you will find some very expressive architecture there. Major cities have some really bad stuff too. Ironic enough harbor east seems to be giving the nod to the architecture from the Baltimore’s Art Deco and Classical age that you seem to prefer.

PeterSmith

May 7th, 2006, 09:43 PM

Not sure if anyone has brought this to our attention before, but I remember a debate earlier in the thread about whether the increase of $60 million to the price of 10 Inner Harbor was due to and increase in the size of the building to due to an increase in the price of materials. I just visited the ARCWheeler site for the first time in a long time and it states that 10 Inner Harbor will be 1.3 million aquare feet. Wasn't it only 1.2 million when it was announced?

sdeclue

May 7th, 2006, 11:56 PM

bmore87

May 8th, 2006, 02:41 AM

I agree sdeclue. With the development of new skyscrappers everyday don't be surprised in the future to see a new building that holds the name of being the world's tallest even-sided pentagonal structure.

sdeclue

May 8th, 2006, 04:16 AM

I can't wait to for the middle of the summer when things really get rolling in Baltimore. The Hilton should start to really get going. The Vue, Zenith and Boutique Hotels will be very far along. The Ritz Carlton homes should showing serious progress and the Four Seasons Hotels will be underway. Exciting time for the city.

scando

May 8th, 2006, 05:43 AM

Yeah, I wish the World Trade Center was a lot more appealing. I feel like it's name is too grand for an ugly penagonal shaped building thats only 28 stories or whatever it is. I would expect it to be a nicely designed 50 story building. I actually like the pentagon shape because it is different, but you are right about how bland it looks.

As for 10 Inner Harbor, my favorite topic of convo, I don't remember if it was 1.2 or 1.3 from before. I think I might email them at the end of the month to see what's going on.

The WTC is a product of it's time. When it was built, whoever held the rights in New York was selling what is now called "branding" to other places, one of which was Baltimore. At that time the Inner Harbor was pretty barren and the idea of building the world's tallest pentagon and naming the "World Trade Center" seemed pretty far reaching. Unfortunately, after a few years it became a "Trade Center" in name only and now it seems like the entire concept is pretty dated.

scando

May 8th, 2006, 05:58 AM

I think that the Bethesda and Silver Spring is great for the suburbs. I wish more suburbs in Baltimore had the "newness" look to them that many of those big suburbs of DC have. Towson is the closest Baltimore comes to having one.....

Towson never seems to know where it wants to be. While it has a bunch of tall buildings and lots of dense-packed retail, there always is a NIMBY factor that wants to keep the small town atmosphere (in my opinion that is long gone) and they fight all development. On the other hand, you have these occasional urban outbreaks of largeness and the constant slow creep of density. Furthermore, it has one of the best collections of really bad architecture I have ever seen in a relatively small area. Just look at the top-heavy "Penthouse" condos, the brutalist library and its main entrance as a metal door on the 3rd floor of a parking garage or the Stalinist-looking residential highrises on the TU campus or the weird concrete "new" courthouse and contrast them to gems like the old, ante-bellum courthouse, some of the old stone houses east of York Rd and some of the surrounding residential area. Somehow, though, the place keeps getting busier all the time and has days like today's festival, with streets jammed with people.

BigBalto1

May 8th, 2006, 09:13 AM

Just a small update:
Parcel B at harbor East lost one its cranes and the Cantons Craossing tower crane is shrinking.

StevenW

May 8th, 2006, 11:35 AM

Developer reworks carriage house plan
Less demolition proposed at city site
By Jill Rosen
Sun reporter
Originally published May 8, 2006

The developer who attempted last year to raze four historic carriage houses in Mount Vernon to make way for condominiums is back with new ideas for Morton Street.

Developer Howard Chambers would still demolish one of the four diminutive buildings he owns along the alley, and the rear portions of two others. But, acknowledging the overwhelming public criticism of his initial plan, he would save all of a fourth structure and build about 30 condos above it all.

"I would call it a preservation project with a residential addition," Chambers said. "We took what the neighborhood has been saying, about the height and historic preservation" and came up with this plan.

Chambers sought city approval last fall to raze the former carriage houses, garages and stables at 1012 to 1020 Morton St. On the cleared site, he hoped to build a 50- to 60-unit condominium building with a parking garage and ground-level retail shops.

He floated the plans just weeks after Baltimore's historic preservation board approved a list of Mount Vernon properties deserving of protection. All four Morton Street properties were on the list.

Mayor Martin O'Malley, City Councilman Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr. and Baltimore's planning director Otis Rolley III supported the demolition. They encouraged the construction of the new tax-base enhancing homes, which they said would help get more people on the streets of Mount Vernon - one of Rolley's long-standing goals.

At the time, Rolley said razing the carriage houses wouldn't hurt Mount Vernon's historic feel. But now he says the revised plan would be better for the neighborhood.

The new plan not only limits the demolition and scales back the number of condos, it also cuts more than half of the parking - from 100 spots down to about 44. Chambers said the highest point of the condo building would be under 100 feet.

"I think it works a heck of a lot better than the old one did," Rolley said. "It seems to be a lot more respectful of the historic character and nature of Morton Street."

Chambers' revision, however, still involves demolishing a building on the protected list - and tearing down parts of two others.

Being on the list does not preclude a building's demolition; it only makes it more difficult. Chambers would have to prove to the city's Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation that the buildings he wants to raze are an economic hardship to maintain.

Complicating things further, to make tearing down protected buildings less attractive to developers, the city prohibits the replacement of the razed structures with bigger, ostensibly more profitable buildings.

Because Chambers wants to do just that, CHAP would potentially have to remove at least one of the buildings from the months-old protected list.

CHAP is slated to review the plans tomorrow.

"He still has a lot to prove to the commission," Rolley said of Chambers.

Fred Shoken, who compiled the preservation list for CHAP, said the building Chambers would take down is "the least valuable of all the buildings." Yet he still thought it belonged there.

"It was always borderline," Shoken said. "And now I guess it's going to come to the hard decision."

Though Baltimore Heritage and other preservationists were poised to protest the more extensive demolition plan before Chambers withdrew it at the last minute, this time the developer's strategy seems to be getting a better reception.

Walter Schamu, an architect who not only helped renovate the Morton Street carriage houses but based his firm in one of them, applauds the new plan.

"That's probably a very reasonable solution to the problem," he said. "That would save the best parts of the block."

Chambers hopes the board will be just as accepting.

"I think we've hit everything that everyone wants, which is nice," he said. "Especially with all the stuff we went through last year."

jill.rosen@baltsun.com

StevenW

May 8th, 2006, 11:43 AM

Learning from out-of-town developers
Baltimore Business Journal - May 5, 2006

Sometimes you learn more from outsiders. They see things differently. And even if they don't, they are more likely to offer honest criticism and praise.

So it was refreshing to hear what the panelists had to say at the Downtown Partnership's Business Over Breakfast meeting on May 2. Representatives from three companies, all out-of-town developers and real estate firms, talked about why they are investing in downtown Baltimore. The reasons were all practical and no-nonsense.

They're not from here, so these weren't the usual boosters. They see Baltimore as a vehicle to make money.

Rod Hart, of Pulte Homes, said his company is so pleased with its Locust Point townhome development -- its first urban project -- that it was now setting its sights to the city's Westport neighborhood.

Roger Friedman, of Philadelphia's ARC Wheeler, discussed why his company is building Baltimore's largest building -- a combination of condos, a hotel and retail shops -- on Light Street. He said the city is only about four years behind Philadelphia, which already has a booming downtown residential life.

In fact, they seem a little disappointed that the "secret" of Baltimore, mainly its affordability amidst a very pricey East Coast, is getting out.

Yes, they all praised the Inner Harbor and the city's cultural attractions. But they also had some practical advice on how to make it even more attractive to investors. These ideas shouldn't be new. They have long been pinpointed as ways to bring even more life to the city.

Friedman said downtown's easy access to Amtrak and the commuter Marc trains were crucial to the company's decision to build the tower. But he stressed more must be done to improve mass transit to capitalize on the city's convenience factor.

And more importantly, they spoke about the need for good schools. Friedman brought up an idea that definitely requires some thought. Why not build a private school downtown?

Friedman is onto something. Better yet, the downtown could be the perfect spot for the city's next public charter school.

StevenW

May 8th, 2006, 11:47 AM

http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2006/05/08/newscolumn2.html

and...

Fed agencies put kibosh on 'pier' buildings at Harbor Pt.
Baltimore Business Journal - May 5, 2006by Heather HarlanStaff

Objections from three federal environmental groups to building plans at the former AlliedSignal Inc. site have delayed development at the largest piece of raw land along Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently "expressed concerns" about a proposal from Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse Inc. and H&S Properties Development Corp. that included constructing on piers, said Julianne A. Oberg, communications director for the Maryland Department of the Environment.

That opposition prompted the Army Corps of Engineers to prohibit any type of pier building around the vacant Fells Point site, which was once home to a chromium manufacturing plant, according to the Baltimore City Department of Planning.

The ruling has sent the two developers back to the drawing board to complete a redesign for the property that they have controlled for about four years through a ground lease.

Robert Quilter, an architect for the Baltimore City Department of Planning, said Struever Bros. and H&S are scheduled to appear before the Planning Commission on May 18 for a new round of approvals. The developers are seeking a minor amendment to the planned unit development, revised final design approval and several street closings, he said.

"The amendment is needed to shift the development that was to be on piers -- or partially on piers -- to all being on land because of that Army Corps ruling," Quilter said. Struever and H&S were planning to reconstruct piers that no longer exist along the raw land.

Securing Planning Commission approval is the last hurdle the developers must clear before beginning long-awaited construction on the highly visible harbor site. Economic development leaders are eager for the 27-acre peninsula, once considered contaminated, to be redeveloped.

Although the new design for the site was unclear this week, initial plans showed a mixed-use development that includes at least one hotel and several office buildings. The Baltimore Business Journal first reported in 2003 that residential development is prohibited on the land once controlled by AlliedSignal Inc. and now owned by Honeywell International Inc.

Bob Rubenkonig, a spokesman for Struever Bros., said the firm is tweaking the design for the site that has become known as Harbor Point. Groundbreaking is anticipated later this summer, he said.

The project could be more costly and complicated because of past environmental issues at the site. In 1999, AlliedSignal and Honeywell spent about $100 million demolishing the chrome factory there and covering the waste with a clay cap. The site was home to a chrome plant for more than a century.

sdeclue

May 8th, 2006, 05:48 PM

Does anyone know exactly what is going on the Pier mentioned in the above article?

Silver Springer

May 8th, 2006, 07:35 PM

Silver Springer

May 8th, 2006, 07:40 PM

MasonsInquiries

May 8th, 2006, 07:50 PM

seanlax5

May 8th, 2006, 08:29 PM

Yes, I don't think Northern is as good as some schools, but better than many.
Dunbar is a great school.
Parents need to not only get involved with school, but they need to give a shit, and at least amke sure HW is done, ask about their day, and even realize they are going to school. Some of my friend's parents think that the school is just a daycare for 1/2 the year, for free. My parents are good, and actually care. But much of the school system's problems lie in lack of funding (you have no idea) and parents.

wada_guy

May 8th, 2006, 08:40 PM

A few things:

....... Finally, Im really not found of the Harry and Jeanette Foundation and here's YET ANOTHER REASON TO DISLIKE THE WHINEBERG'S. They sat on those properties for years, let them decay, caused all sorts of delays on the Westside, passed on opportunities to sell the properties to the developer that the city had chosen for the other projects in that area and now they're flipping them. They know the potential of the Lexington pedistrian mall area and they held on as long as they could until the BDC had enough and really put pressure on them. The Sun alluded to this happening months ago and it finally did. Good riddens. I think peopke are really sleeping on the potential for this neighborhood and the area in general. The city is committed to this. They recognize the importance of this area. The disconnect between the CBD, the westside, and the waterfront will soon no longer exist. Im calling it right now.

Honestly, reading that the Weinberg Foundation is no longer involved with the westside is better news to me than is the email Steve got from ARCWheeler.
I couldn't agree more. That man made his money on the backs of the poor. At one time, he was the largest slum lord in the state and he did the least amount of repairs necessary to his properties.

In addition, he is the person most responsible for the decline of Howard and Lexington Streets as a shopping destination in Baltimore. He would purchase structure after structure and let them deteriorate while he collected the rents from an office in Honolulu.

Now that he is dead, I suppose his foundation is trying to redeem his name by giving away hundreds of millions of dollars to charity. Well, they can give all they want, but to me his money is dirty and he will never be anything more than a cheap slum lord with no conscience.

BTW, where did you read this? If it's about the auction in the Daily Record, they are only selling 8 properties that are in the 300 block of N. Howard. They still own many, many, more. I thought they were trying to get Cordish involved with them.

Thanks Eerik for the overview of the Harborplace/Rash Field mess. I remember the big points but not the details. Hence, I knew it had to be parkland but didn't remember the charter change.

You must have a mind like a steel trap. They don't make "Cliff Notes For Baltimore Development" yet do they? ;)

Steven - ArcWheeler must have thought you were having a breakdown or something. God bless them. :cheers:

StevenW

May 8th, 2006, 11:27 PM

^^ LOL! :lol: :hahaha: :hilarious:

sdeclue

May 8th, 2006, 11:37 PM

Wada guy, I love keeping up with the changes from week to week with your pictures. They are awesome. The Vue is looking great and really coming along as is your future home. Harbor East really does resemble a place like Bethesda. You can really tell from some of these pictures. I hope they try to move away from that a bit.

Maudibjr

May 8th, 2006, 11:39 PM

Speaking of those suburban areas, I always find it interesting how different Baltimore and Washington are. Washington has a ton of those small cities in the suburbs that are built up whereas Baltimore has Towson and every other suburban town is pretty small with little or no mainstreet and certainly no hotels and office buildings.

In Baltimore County at least, I think this can be traced to the fact that there are no incorporated towns in Baltimore County. No area in Balt Co really develepoed enough (except for, I believe Catonsville, which was incorporated, had some kind of shenanigans, and was unincorporated) to merit incorporation before the suburban growth post WW2. This limited the development of focused 'main' streets with hotels and office development.

Towson, as the government center, gradually developed into this role.

AAnd I will hardily agree that '70's architecture was not kind to Towson at all. Although the library is not nearly so bad since its make over and paint job.

wada_guy

May 8th, 2006, 11:53 PM

LIKE A REOCCURRING CANCER, THEY ARE STILL THERE
Weinberg Foundation looks to trim portfolio

Looks like they are still battling for control of the Super Block. The last I heard, they and Cordish wanted to team up. These properties are a few blocks away.

By JEN DEGREGORIO
Daily Record Business Writer

Shale Stiller, president of the Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Foundation, said he has been re-evaluating the foundation’s $2 billion in assets. Several of its Howard Street properties in Baltimore are on the auction block. The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation plans to auction this month eight properties it owns on the West Side of Baltimore City, an event city leaders hope will revitalize the depressed area.

Located on the 300 block of North Howard Street, the buildings are part of a real estate portfolio amassed during the lifetime of foundation’s creator, Harry Weinberg, said Shale Stiller, the foundation’s president. Grime and disrepair have overtaken the properties (NOT LANDLORD NEGLECT), which range in age from about 36 to 86 years old and from about 6,200 to 26,000 square feet in size, according to the State Department of Assessments and Taxation.

The buildings are mostly vacant, aside from a few street-level vendors of electronics, jewelry and other goods. But the buildings’ handsome facades hint at more productive pasts and potential for new users interested in historic rehabilitation. “We’ve received numerous inquiries about that block from many small groups hoping to bring an international flair to the area,” said J. Kirby Fowler, president of the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore Inc., which has for years been promoting revitalization of the city’s West Side. “They are interested in rehabbing.”

Proposals came from groups that wanted to bring an Ethiopian restaurant and an Islamic-themed shop and eatery, Fowler said. But since the Weinberg Foundation controlled most of the block, movement on such ventures depended on the foundation’s plans. Stiller, who became president of the Weinberg Foundation in early 2005, said he has been re-evaluating the $2 billion foundation’s assets. “These are just isolated properties that we own,” Stiller said of the Howard Street buildings. “They had become expensive to hold on to.”

Stiller said he plans to take the cash from the property auction and use it for other income-producing investments. The Weinberg Foundation is no stranger to development. It invested more than $25 million to renovate the historic Stewart’s building on the city’s West Side, which Catholic Relief Services last year announced will house its new offices. The foundation has also been lobbying with partner The Cordish Co. to redevelop the superblock, a five-block retail area bordered roughly by Clay, Liberty, Fayette and Howard streets, also on the West Side.

However, the foundation did not want to try its hand at the 300 block of North Howard Street. “Why spend a lot of money to rehabilitate properties in a block where you can’t be sure if the other owners will rehab their properties?” Stiller said. “That’s an economic gamble.” (SPOKEN LIKE A TRUE SLUM LORD!)

Plenty of other investors are willing to bet on the block, said Paul R. Cooper, vice president of Alex Cooper Auctioneers Inc. Calls have already been coming in about the Weinberg properties since the auctioneer began advertising the sale three days ago, he said. With the light rail and bus lines running down North Howard Street, store owners can rely on foot traffic. The city has also committed funds to beautifying the street by removing outdated lighting and constructing new bus shelters, Fowler said.

The West Side also has more full-time residents, with new projects such as the Centerpoint apartment complex moving in, he said. The real detriment to business on North Howard Street has been the blighted Weinberg properties, said Adel Afi, who owns 323 N. Howard St. and NS Communications, an electronics store on the ground floor of the building.
“They leave the buildings to rot,” Afi said. “That hurts us as merchants.”

Fowler declined to comment on whether the Weinberg Foundation has been a good steward of its West Side properties. “I think it’s a positive step forward for the Weinberg Foundation,” Fowler said of the auction, which is set for May 25. “The buildings haven’t seen significant life in them for quite some time.” “It’s good news to me, I’ll tell you that much,” Afi said. “Business is very bad, but real estate is booming.”

AS AN ASIDE, I WENT PHOTOING THIS WEEKEND. TEST YOUR BALTIMORE KNOWLEDGE. GUESS WHAT LANDMARK IS PICTURED HERE (THE PHOTO IS TAKEN LOOKING UP)
http://www.baltimoreguy.com/images/Photographs%20Balto%202006%20Page%2010%2022.jpg

wada_guy

May 9th, 2006, 12:00 AM

sdeclue

May 9th, 2006, 12:01 AM

I'm from Catonsville, and it definitely resembles nothing like Bethesda. There is a plan to put more shops and some other stuff like a hotel in the main street area, but I have no idea where they will fit that. All of the Baltimore suburbs are very new, much like I think Philly is. I've never been to a city with suburbs so wealthy and built up and developed the way DC's suburbs are.

sdeclue

May 9th, 2006, 12:03 AM

Belvedere Square boasts a full house
Baltimore Business Journal - May 5, 2006by Julekha DashStaff

A new furniture store will occupy Belvedere Square's last remaining retail space May 8, marking a major milestone for the redeveloped shopping center in North Baltimore.

Stephanie Gamble was approached by developer Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse Inc. three years ago, shortly after opening her store the House Downtown in Havre de Grace. But her answer then was "no way."

It was too soon to start thinking about a second store. But three years later, when the developer asked again this year, it was now or never as there was just one space remaining. "The time was right," she said. With a bank loan, Gamble is investing $150,000 to open the 4,000-square-foot store, which will employ seven. The House Downtown sells custom furniture, home accessories and bath products.

Once considered a market in serious decline, Belvedere Square underwent a $14 million redevelopment in 2002. Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse Inc., the Hawkins Development Group, Manekin Corp. and Williams Jackson Ewing took on the project. The center got its biggest retail tenant in January, with the opening of a 9,000-square-foot Daedalus Books & Music. Shortly thereafter, the center's first national tenant, Starbucks, opened.

Other Belvedere Square tenants include Cloud 9 Clothing, Lynne Brick's Health and Fitness Club, and Grand Cru, a wine store and bar. The House Downtown will be Belvedere Square's second furniture store. In late 2004, Nouveau Contemporary Goods moved Charles Street store to open a 5,400-square-foot store in Belvedere Square. Gamble said she wanted to open in a center with another furniture store as having more choices makes it easier to attract customers -- just as car dealers cluster near one another.

When Grand Cru opened in November 2003, the square was just 60 percent leased, Owner Nelson Carey said. Business at Grand Cru has improved over the years. "It's gotten a lot busier with each space filling up."

Carey and other tenants attribute the center's growth to better security, improved signage and landscaping, and Friday night summer outdoor festivals. "Buyer behavior is a tough thing to change, but people have finally figured out that there's a real reason to come here," Carey said.

Having the shopping center fully leased is good news for the other retail tenants, said Leslie Kamali, owner of Raw Sugar, a children's boutique store that opened in December 2002. "We've been looking forward to that for a while."

Earlier this year, Raw Sugar moved to a smaller space on the other side of the market to make room for the House Downtown. Kamali said she didn't mind moving as it offered a chance to experience another side of the center, next to florist Dutch Connection.

And yes, I am disqualified because I know exactly what that landmark is.

sdeclue

May 9th, 2006, 12:05 AM

Feds to auction Middle River warehouse property
Baltimore Business Journal - 5:15 PM EDT Mondayby Heather HarlanStaff

The federal government plans to sell Middle River Station, a historic 1.9 million-square-foot complex on 50 acres in eastern Baltimore County.

The site, which served as Martin Aircraft Manufacturing Plant during World War II, will be offered in an online auction beginning June 28, according to the U.S. General Services Administration.

The redevelopment of the warehouse property is expected to play a significant role in the continued revitalization of the eastern portion of Baltimore County.

Already, the area is undergoing residential and commercial growth with the injection of $800 million of private and public funds.

Baltimore County leaders have pledged to work with developers on permitting, financing, tax incentives and the possible inclusion in the North Point Enterprise Zone.

The site, 13 miles northeast of Baltimore City, is on the Baltimore County Landmark Buildings List and the Maryland Historical Trust's Inventory of Historic Properties.

bmore87

May 9th, 2006, 01:48 AM

Is that the B&O Railroad dome, Wada guy?

bmore87

May 9th, 2006, 01:52 AM

Okay, I see stairs so I may be wrong.

southbalto

May 9th, 2006, 02:13 AM

SoBoChris

May 9th, 2006, 03:29 AM

Is it the stairs at Peabody?

StevenW

May 9th, 2006, 03:32 AM

Is that the B&O Railroad dome, Wada guy?
I was thinking the exact same thing. :)

Eerik

May 9th, 2006, 04:24 AM

Eerik

May 9th, 2006, 04:33 AM

More great pictures of the pagoda can be found on a website (http://aaubreybodine.com/page/default.asp?tag=PattPark) by the great A. Aubrey Bodine...truely a master of his craft.

SoBoChris

May 9th, 2006, 05:12 AM

Congrats Eerik! I stand corrected.

fluffyhorse

May 9th, 2006, 05:21 AM

I just found this link to the Weinberg Howard Street Auction. I only wish they would be willing to finially relinquish their holdings on the superblock.
Hopefully something better will come from these properties now that they will be out of the hands of a bad landlord :)

Weinberg Foundation Auction (http://alexcooper.com/realestateauctions/howard052506.html)

scando

May 9th, 2006, 05:29 AM

micrip

May 9th, 2006, 10:48 AM

Not only did those lights work, but they was apart of the WTC lighting scheme until 9/11. The Maryland Port Authority didnt want to draw any extra attention to the building following the attacks in New York and DC, so they shut the lights off. That building has been dark ever since...on the outside at least.

Here's a pre-9/11 photo of the CBD w/ the WTC lights on:
http://gregpeasephoto.com/albums/baltimore/Inner_Harbor_at_Night.sized.jpg
I for one think it's time we stop running scared. Bring back the lights.

On some nights, under the right conditions, the beams of light were visible high in the sky from my home in Brooklyn Park. I still miss them.

wada_guy

May 9th, 2006, 01:13 PM

Congrats to Eerik!

http://www.baltimoreguy.com/images/Photographs%20Balto%202006%20Page%2010%2023.jpg

LOOKING DOWN
http://www.baltimoreguy.com/images/Photographs%20Balto%202006%20Page%2010%2024.jpg

http://www.baltimoreguy.com/images/Photographs%20Balto%202006%20Page%2010%2021.jpg

I am wondering if the auction of the Wineberg properties is part of a behind the scenes deal to give them control of the Superblock - i.e. you get the superblock, but you have to divest yourself of some other properties so that this area can really get cooking.

To the best of my knowledge, the Wineberg foundation has never sold ANYTHING. This is a highly unusual move. The reason can't just be "grime and disrepair have overtaken the properties" because almost all of their properties (except Stewart's) are grimmy and in disrepair.

waj0527

May 9th, 2006, 04:03 PM

I for one think it's time we stop running scared. Bring back the lights.

On some nights, under the right conditions, the beams of light were visible high in the sky from my home in Brooklyn Park. I still miss them.
Soon the state is going to sell this building. It'll probably become condos or a hotel or something. Without the state controlling the building, I think our chances of getting this building lit again increase significantly.

PeterSmith

May 9th, 2006, 04:07 PM

I'm so glad to see this. I was in the neighborhood when Belvedere Sq originally opened and it was a huge success for several years. Things seemed to go bad between the landlord and tenants until there was almost nothing left except a few valiant stalwarts who stuck out the lean years (Egyptian Pizza, Greg's Bagels). Now, the success seems to be spreading. I like the bookstore and its cheap books and music, apparently the owner of Cafe Zen is considering a Mex restaurant where Gator's (college frat bar) used to be, Saigon Remembered is still excellent and the Senator is still showing movies. Friday nights outdoors are an excellent new institution and York Road is being repaved. What a turnaround.

Belvedere Square is really an example of what needs to happen in other areas of the city. Like most of the city, it isn't automatically considered worthwhile because of its adjacency to the waterfront. Instead, it relies on strong neighborhoods, historic structures and smart planning to stay afloat. Granted, it is close enough to the county line to draw suburbanite patrons, but you have to give it credit for even bringing people into the city in the first place. The Senator has always been the cornerstone of that area. It was named a few years ago by USA Today as the third best place in the United States to watch a film. The two ahead of it were LA theatres frequented by celebrities. Nevertheless, it's easy to forget how parts of Belvedere Square were able to decline so quickly. Anybody remember the Chili's Restaurant that used to be there? For quite a while it was the highest grossing and busiest Chili's in the world, until one night, in true Baltimore fashion, somebody was shot in the parking lot. It went out of business not too long after.

jeremai

May 9th, 2006, 05:41 PM

Does anyone have any pictures of Belvedere Square before the redevelopment?

wada_guy

May 9th, 2006, 05:44 PM

For the ex-pats (Peter and Steven)

HARBOR EAST FROM THE EDGE OF FELL'S POINT EARLY IN THE MORN.
http://www.baltimoreguy.com/images/Photographs%20Balto%202006%20Page%2010%2007.jpg

DOWNTOWN FROM BRAOADWAY (THE OLD CHURCH HOME AND HOSPITAL SITE)
http://www.baltimoreguy.com/images/Photographs%20Balto%202006%20Page%2010%2002.jpg

waj0527

May 9th, 2006, 06:03 PM

Speaking of Harbor East, does anyone know when H&S plans to vacate those warehouse properties along Aliceanna Street? I know retail is planned for those buildings, but I havent heard much in the way of details.

Gsol

May 9th, 2006, 07:41 PM

waj0527

May 9th, 2006, 07:46 PM

^All of that is in the works. Streescaping will mimick the other parts of Harbor East. Notice the street was recently repaved. Sidewalks and lighting are next up. Its coming.

southbalto

May 9th, 2006, 07:51 PM

Wada Guy's photo of Aliceanna St. illustrates a problem endemic to that immediate area and along Central Ave. - the lack of sidewalks for pedestrain traffic. I realize it was an industrial area, but time has come for making the area pedestrian friendly. After all The Harbor east is evolving into a residential - retail mix.

I know from personal experience while walking in that area you are directly competing with motorists. Cars parked in loading areas completely block the space that could loosely be considered a sidewalk. Its very unsafe and unwelcoming to those who want to venture there.

Totally agree. They need to loose the street parking and expand the sidewalk.

So anyone know what the hold up is on the Ritz. Seems there has been virtually no progress in the last 4 months. Few people on the job site and a crane foundation thats sitting idle.....

It seems like it was months ago that WADA took that picture of the begining of the construction crane.....

Hood

May 9th, 2006, 11:11 PM

Belvedere Square is really an example of what needs to happen in other areas of the city. Like most of the city, it isn't automatically considered worthwhile because of its adjacency to the waterfront. Instead, it relies on strong neighborhoods, historic structures and smart planning to stay afloat. Granted, it is close enough to the county line to draw suburbanite patrons, but you have to give it credit for even bringing people into the city in the first place. The Senator has always been the cornerstone of that area. It was named a few years ago by USA Today as the third best place in the United States to watch a film. The two ahead of it were LA theatres frequented by celebrities. Nevertheless, it's easy to forget how parts of Belvedere Square were able to decline so quickly. Anybody remember the Chili's Restaurant that used to be there? For quite a while it was the highest grossing and busiest Chili's in the world, until one night, in true Baltimore fashion, somebody was shot in the parking lot. It went out of business not too long after.

Ahh belvedere square holds a place near and dear to my heart. I had my first real date with my wife at that Chilis. Then we went to the senator. We saw Frankenstein with Robert Dinero. It was horrible…. But the start of something great. I am glad that place has made a comeback.

MasonsInquiries

May 9th, 2006, 11:30 PM

Ahh belvedere square holds a place near and dear to my heart. I had my first real date with my wife at that Chilis. Then we went to the senator. We saw Frankenstein with Robert Dinero. It was horrible…. But the start of something great. I am glad that place has made a comeback.
beautiful place indeed. I love it.

waj0527

May 10th, 2006, 12:12 AM

fanofterps

May 10th, 2006, 01:33 AM

I get the impression that the Four Seasons and Harbor Point are the next phase which will begin construction this summer/fall. I'm guessing the the warehouse properties are a 2008/2009 project. They seem to start a new phase every 1 1/2 to 2 years.

The warehouse properties are suppose to house another 30-40 retail stores. Allicienna St. will hopefully be the shopping district that we have all been waiting for in downtown Baltimore.

Speaking of Harbor East, does anyone know when H&S plans to vacate those warehouse properties along Aliceanna Street? I know retail is planned for those buildings, but I havent heard much in the way of details.

Nino_B

May 10th, 2006, 02:48 AM

I for one think it's time we stop running scared. Bring back the lights.

On some nights, under the right conditions, the beams of light were visible high in the sky from my home in Brooklyn Park. I still miss them.

I agree. I remember after September 11th, O'Malley stating that they were worried the Baltimore WTC might be a target because the NYC trade center was. Then they put up those waterfront barricades because they were worried about a seaborne attack. It was rediculous to assume they were going to attack that specific building because it had "WTC" in the name as opposed to any other building in Baltimore, and a stretch to assume that Baltimore was a target. Its time to turn the lights back on.

On another note, did someone say that they were going to extend the DC Metro to BWI but there were no plans to extend the Baltimore metro to BWI? Hard to believe that another city has subway service to our airport before we do, but not surprising.

Sorry, I couldn't find the "soapbox" Icon to post with these.

sdeclue

May 10th, 2006, 03:40 AM

I thought the light rail already ran to BWI, or am I wrong about that?

Huck

May 10th, 2006, 04:03 AM

As I was driving home from work today, I noticed that they were finally raising a crane at the Ritz/Carlton site. I guess they are ready to really start moving now!

seanlax5

May 10th, 2006, 04:14 AM

I really would have a lot of you guessing if I had a digital camera! There are so many mystery spots around Lake Montabello. Try heading up around Falls road/Druid park, you'll find some nice skyline shots just by venturing through some woods. If my parents would just let me. . .

sdeclue

May 10th, 2006, 04:14 AM

That's great news. It seems like that project is taking forever, especially when you compare it to the camden boutique hotel, the zenith and the vue.

scando

May 10th, 2006, 05:08 AM

I for one think it's time we stop running scared. Bring back the lights.

On some nights, under the right conditions, the beams of light were visible high in the sky from my home in Brooklyn Park. I still miss them.

I don't get the security angle. It's not like you can't see the harbor or the building without the lights. As I recall, in the days after 9/11, there was a story that there was a list of targets that included our WTC. It turned out that the list was made up by a local who thought it was a prank.

robert parsons

May 10th, 2006, 05:20 AM

On another note, did someone say that they were going to extend the DC Metro to BWI but there were no plans to extend the Baltimore metro to BWI? Hard to believe that another city has subway service to our airport before we do, but not surprising.

Sorry, I couldn't find the "soapbox" Icon to post with these.

the baltimore light rail services bwi very well since it was put in years ago. also the tracks do end in glen burnie but , they are set up to further extend it to annappolis along the baltimore annapolis trail

scando

May 10th, 2006, 05:22 AM

Belvedere Square is really an example of what needs to happen in other areas of the city. Like most of the city, it isn't automatically considered worthwhile because of its adjacency to the waterfront. Instead, it relies on strong neighborhoods, historic structures and smart planning to stay afloat. Granted, it is close enough to the county line to draw suburbanite patrons, but you have to give it credit for even bringing people into the city in the first place. The Senator has always been the cornerstone of that area. It was named a few years ago by USA Today as the third best place in the United States to watch a film. The two ahead of it were LA theatres frequented by celebrities. Nevertheless, it's easy to forget how parts of Belvedere Square were able to decline so quickly. Anybody remember the Chili's Restaurant that used to be there? For quite a while it was the highest grossing and busiest Chili's in the world, until one night, in true Baltimore fashion, somebody was shot in the parking lot. It went out of business not too long after.

One of my pet peeves is that much of the buzz about the city is that is way to harbor-centric. There are a lot of places around the city that have a lot of potential like Belvedere and there used to be lot of theaters like the Senator. In the area, there also is The Avenue in Hampden and it appears that the Rotunda is poised for a comeback when it gets redeveloped (next year?) Charles Village is being re-centered with the new Streuver development and I would like to see something similar happen in Waverly (which used to be pretty nice) or Hamilton (which still has some nice businesses). Personally, I think these sort of places are more important that the waterfront areas, which seem to have enough momentum to keep moving on their own. The more neigborhood businesses there are, the more people will want to be there, it's a positive cycle.

scando

May 10th, 2006, 05:26 AM

Belveder Square is really coming along. The only thing thats really vacant is that resturant space diagonally opposite the bookstore and Starbucks.

When that gets up and running, it'll be even better.

A couple months ago, there was a story that the owner of Cafe Zen will open a family style Tex Mex place in what was Gator's.

scando

May 10th, 2006, 05:28 AM

Does anyone have any pictures of Belvedere Square before the redevelopment?

Actually it didn't look much different from now except that it was empty, forlorn, lonely and dirty. It was almost a latch-key rehab, mainly superficial. They cleaned it up, put in new interior work, repaved and put in new lights but no big additions. The old Belvedere Square wasn't old enough to need much work.

scando

May 10th, 2006, 05:35 AM

As I was driving home from work today, I noticed that they were finally raising a crane at the Ritz/Carlton site. I guess they are ready to really start moving now!

I saw it at lunch today and after a year of pile driving and dirt pushing, I couldn't believe that they seem to be ready to get serious.

bmore87

May 10th, 2006, 06:09 AM

I envy you guys down there. I'm here in Frostburg away from all the sights and sounds. Can't wait till the last day of exams so I can come home!

StevenW

May 10th, 2006, 01:08 PM

Baltimore ranks 7th on magazine’s list of ‘Top 25 Arts Destinations’
PDF | Email
Emily Campbell, The Examiner
May 10, 2006 7:00 AM (52 mins ago)

BALTIMORE - AmericanStyle magazine’s ninth annual “Top 25 Arts Destinations” list came out recently, giving Baltimore its highest spot on the list since the list’s debut — No. 7.

Ranking 11th last year, Baltimore first appeared on AmericanStyle’s list in 2002. Not surprisingly, New York City, Chicago and Washington took the top three spots on the list. Readers voted for the best art destinations based on city size. Baltimore was seventh in the “Big Cities” category.

“It’s great news for Baltimore,” Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association Vice President of Public Affairs Nancy Hines said. “It shows that travelers who are interested in arts and culture are recognizing Baltimore as a destination city rich in culture.”

Baltimore was also listed as one of the top 10 up-and-coming destinations for summer travel in Frommer’s Travel Guides last year.

For more information, visit www.AmericanStyle.com.

ecampbell@baltimoreexaminer.com

NewBaltimore1980

May 10th, 2006, 02:35 PM

One of my pet peeves is that much of the buzz about the city is that is way to harbor-centric. There are a lot of places around the city that have a lot of potential like Belvedere and there used to be lot of theaters like the Senator. In the area, there also is The Avenue in Hampden and it appears that the Rotunda is poised for a comeback when it gets redeveloped (next year?) Charles Village is being re-centered with the new Streuver development and I would like to see something similar happen in Waverly (which used to be pretty nice) or Hamilton (which still has some nice businesses). Personally, I think these sort of places are more important that the waterfront areas, which seem to have enough momentum to keep moving on their own. The more neigborhood businesses there are, the more people will want to be there, it's a positive cycle.

I still think the new Arena should be placed on the parking lot of Mondawmin Mall. The new Arena can create a whole new area that can be redeveloped. The site is close to the booming neighborhoods of Resovoir Hill, the State Center Project, Druid Hill Park, and the Zoo. Imagine the potential if people were drawn to that area with those beautiful park front houses once again becoming a desireable location. Not to mention that the Metro stop there and it would be a great way to handle the crowds like the light rail help the downtown stadiums.

Hopefully one day when slots are put at Pimlico you would have easy access to that area from Mondawmin as well. Northwest Baltimore could be completely changed if our government had some vision and stopped putting all the eggs in one basket (waterfront).

southbalto

May 10th, 2006, 03:59 PM

I saw it at lunch today and after a year of pile driving and dirt pushing, I couldn't believe that they seem to be ready to get serious.

Yep, 2 hours after i first posted, I saw the crane on my way home. Looks like it will be the first of a few???

anyway, i'm glad to see this project finally going up.

sdeclue

May 10th, 2006, 05:18 PM

I think building an arena in the Mondawmin Mall area is a bad idea. You could fit an arena down by the other two stadiums to create an amazing sports complex rivaled only by Philly. I'm sure there are plenty of warehouses down there that are abandoned that you could knock down. Arena's don't take up nearly the space that stadiums do anyway.

If we get slots, I also wouldn't be surprised if a horse track ends up being built down by the stadiums, something state-of-the-art. I actually think that's much more likely than a new arena. There was a lot of talk about that a few years ago. What would become of Pimlico I'm not sure. It would be a shame to get rid of Pimlico but a new racetrack might be special to the area.

PeterSmith

May 10th, 2006, 05:27 PM

southbalto

May 10th, 2006, 05:39 PM

Does the idea of grouping so many sports complexes together work? Does it make the area desolate when there are no events taking place, or is it easy to incorporate enough mixed-use to make the area lively all the time?

I think it's important to spread them throughout the city. So many people in the burbs only know downtown baltimore. Wherever it goes, it has to be serviced by mass transit.

As far as a downtown track...well, i'd be for it. Pimlico has to either be rebuilt or relocated. It's so depressing...........

sdeclue

May 10th, 2006, 05:42 PM

I think in a way it's fairly desolate. In philly it's really desolate because the stadiums are so far from downtown. They are really far south. Baltimore's are very close to downtown.

waj0527

May 10th, 2006, 05:45 PM

I think if its done right, then it'll work. The worse thing cities can do is to simply put stadia together and think thats all that has to be done. Although its not apart of a sports complex a la Camden Yards, Washington's MCI/Verizon Center is a great example of how great an area can become when you provide an anchor like a mahor sports venue.

Perhaps with the development of Middle Branch it'll see more action, but as of right now, Camden Yards (and environs) isnt nearly as lively and active as it probably should be on non-game days. The retail and residential units included in Gateway South/Middle Branch development projects should probably help with that.

I still think the city would be much better served if it built a new arena on the current site of 1st Mariner Bank Arena. Yeah, you probably will piss of Ed Hale and all 1,000 of his Baltimore Blast fans, but a new arena is VITAL to this city's growth. Again....look at Chinatown in DC. Pre-Verizon Center, its was a shitty neighborhood with a Metro stop, now look at it. A new arena would be the perfect anchor for the Westside.

Forget attempting to lure a NBA/NHL team to the city...a new arena would allow this city to reap the economic benefits of so many events that we are currently unable to host. Large conferences, NCAA Women's Final Fours, major concerts, local basketball tournaments/classics i.e. BB&T Classic in Washington, etc. The city is really missing out by allowing that POS to still stand at Baltimore and Howard streets.