Baltimore Development News 15 [Archive] - Page 11

wada_guy

October 12th, 2006, 01:36 PM

Congrats on the 10IH info Steve. I vote they give Light Street from Federal Hill to Lombard Street a face lift too because it suffers from the exact same problems that Pratt Street does! Why do one and not the other?:scouserd: :toilet: :dj:

I noticed that the apartment conversion of the Jefferson is progressing nicely. That project, and the Fidelity Building and BG&E conversions near there, should make the Super Fresh under the Charles Towers quite a happening place.

http://www.baltimoreguy.com/photogallery/01%20My%20New%20Home%20414%20Water%20Street!/04%20From%20Lombard%20St/slides/414%20Lombard%2039.html

Pratt Street scheduled for face lift

(Jessie Webb/ Examiner)
Downtown East Pratt Street near South Street in Baltimore on Tuesday.
Kelly Carson, The Examiner
Oct 12, 2006 5:00 AM (2 hrs 30 mins ago)
Current rank: # 96 of 6,145 articles

BALTIMORE - The Baltimore Development Corp. is looking for a few good designers who want to remake Pratt Street into a pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare.

Pratt Street, from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to President Street, is scheduled for upgrading and paving in 2007, making now the time for the city to come up with streetscape improvement proposals, BDC President Jay Brody said. “We want to revisit the design with outside objective eyes looking at Pratt Street and with an openness to creative ideas,” Brody said.

The BDC has launched a call-for-ideas competition, where design consultants are invited to submit a letter of interest and show their qualifications. The lead designer and team members need to be named, and a portfolio of work from the past 10 years should be submitted. All submissions are due by 4 p.m. Nov. 13 to Paul Dombrowski, director of planning and design for the BDC.

Six design consultant teams will be chosen for interviews by the BDC’s review panel. Four design consultants will be chosen after the interviews to submit conceptual designs of their plans. The winning design consultant will be named in 2007, Brody said, and work should begin about 18 months from now.

The design consultant will work under the direction of the BDC with the help of partner agencies, public and private groups and residents interested in the project. The winning concept will be used to generate public and private support for the project and to identify necessary funding needed to complete the project.

The current streetscape along Pratt Street is 10 years old, Brody said, and is “lacking.” For Martha Lucius, owner of Boheme Cafe on Pratt Street, green space “is the way to go.” She also would like to see more seasonal flowers planted, especially during the spring. “Planters would be awesome, and get rid of the trash that’s floating in the water,” she suggested.

But one thing can be done immediately to help the flow of tourist and business traffic along Pratt Street. “We really have to do something with the homeless,” Lucius said. “That is the real streetscape problem.” Baltimore’s homeless population should be encouraged to use the services and programs already in place, she said.

MasonsInquiries

October 12th, 2006, 02:21 PM

Thanks, Peter. :)
It's just being respectful/nice to people along with direct questions with a touch of patience and a tad bit of perseverance. :D

I'd like to see a mixed use of office space with residential. What John told us sounds very good to me. I believe the tower will be around the 750' range.
As for the crown, I'm not exactly sure that a very distinguished crown will be noticed if the tower won't be over 800'. I would love to see one though. :yes: :)

a prediction of 750' also sounds good to me. it's much better than the 717' that we were going to get in the original rendering. whatever we wound up with, it's definitely going to sore. can you imagine how it's going to look from the view from federal hill??? it's going to look COLOSSAL.

Brian21

October 12th, 2006, 03:17 PM

^^I agree...The 750ft range sounds good to me, besides when 300 East Pratt gets rolling it may exceed that height. But yeah 10 IH will soar. It will dwarf the Intercontinental Hotel...Hell its going to dwarf all the towers downtown. I mean originally it was going to be almost 200 ft taller than the Legg Mason tower, and if its 750-800 ft then thats over 250ft taller than legg mason...WOW:)

I would like to see it as a mixed used tower as well, but with more residential than office. Also a nice shopping mall on the lower few floors. I wonder if the Tower's exterior will be changed? I would be happy with the original exterior. We need more glass in our skyline!!

bmore87

October 12th, 2006, 04:18 PM

What he said...lol.:)

StevenW

October 12th, 2006, 10:25 PM

StevenW

October 12th, 2006, 10:27 PM

a prediction of 750' also sounds good to me. it's much better than the 717' that we were going to get in the original rendering. whatever we wound up with, it's definitely going to sore. can you imagine how it's going to look from the view from federal hill??? it's going to look COLOSSAL.

Just imagine the level of pride we will all feel when gazing at this most awesome tower. :yes: I can't wait! :D

sdeclue

October 12th, 2006, 11:51 PM

I can't wait either. I want them to get on with these projects already!!!

PeterSmith

October 13th, 2006, 12:09 AM

PeterSmith

October 13th, 2006, 12:12 AM

Do any of our more creative forumers have any ideas of what they'd like to see done on Pratt St.?
How big of a change do you think the city is looking to make?

I agree, though, Wada Guy, the city should do something about Light St. as well. Light St. is even more desolate that Pratt St. Fixing up Light St. between Pratt/Lombard and Federal Hill would also do wonders for the struggling Federal Hill main street.

fanofterps

October 13th, 2006, 01:06 AM

Hugh Jaramillo

October 13th, 2006, 01:57 AM

StevenW

October 13th, 2006, 02:07 AM

^^ Thanks. :)
Hope it breaks ground next year sometime.

Peter, I'd like to see some unique art pieces up and down the street with other types of retail/service kiosks. Maybe a "Baltimore Stars Walk of Fame" of some sort on the north side of Pratt Street so as people walk to see the art and visit the many little kiosks, they can look down on the sidewalk to see whose "Star" they are steping on. Allot like Hollywoods Stars that have the hand prints and signatures. As for the Street and other infrustructure changes, I'm not exactly sure just yet what I'd want to see.

StevenW

October 13th, 2006, 02:33 AM

Greetings Y'all

It's been a challenge trying to access this forum since ealy last month when the "troubles" began with the web site. Anyway, I'm glad to see that Wada Guy is back and posting. Spent some time in Charleston, Folly Beach and Savannah in late September. It really is like a walk back in time and a pleasent one at that! Catching up with the back issues of the Sun it was so depressing to read of all of the murders in just that short week that I was away and now all the violence in the public schools. As much as I would like to think otherwise, I think we are a long long way to ever solving these problems. And what's worse is that it's the symptoms that are being treated not the causes of the problems, while huge sections of the city of Baltimore continue to rot!

I found this announcement on the Urbanite web site that I thought would be of interest since it has to do with 10 Inner Harbour. I am definately planning on attending the lecture. http://www.aiabalt.com/
Tuesday, October 24
Robert A.M. stern, Architect
First Annual Robert E. Lewis Memorial Lecture
Presented by: Baltimore Architecture Foundation through a gift from the family of architect Robert E. Lewis.
Time: 6:30 – 8 p.m. with reception to follow.
Location: Graham Auditorium, Walters Art Museum.
Cost: FREE, courtesy of Free Fall Baltimore.
Contact: Nancy Hurth, 410-547-9000 ext. 236, nhurth@thewalters.org.
Description: Designed by the New York firm of Robert A.M. Stern FAIA, 10 Inner Harbor soon will be by far the tallest building in Baltimore. Mr. Stern, founder and senior of the 170-person firm, will discuss his work and this new addition of the Baltimore skyline. Currently serving as dean of the Yale School of Architecture Mr. Stern has also lectured extensively in the United States and abroad on both historical and contemporary topics in architecture and is the author and co-author of several books on architecture.

GREAT stuff, Hugh.
Wish I could go. :(

bmorescottamanda

October 13th, 2006, 02:57 AM

Does 14-16 months until groundbreaking seem more or less on target, or does it seem rather long to anyone? Or rather aggressive? I was hoping for a mid-2007 groundbreaking. Does anybody know if there is a timeline on Westport yet?

It seems like to me it keeps getting push back month by month. But I still think it will be built it will just take awhile.

bmore87

October 13th, 2006, 03:39 AM

It seems like to me it keeps getting push back month by month. But I still think it will be built it will just take awhile.

Hey Bmore!...What happened to our avatars?:dunno:

robert parsons

October 13th, 2006, 04:37 AM

there is some activity going on at westport. there is a lot of land being cleared next to the old power plant. you can see it from 95

quabex

October 13th, 2006, 05:07 AM

as for light street...i think the working factors will probably take care of itself. by this, i mean that the eastern side is already taken by the service lane (which i love to ride my bike in), and the western side is strucured by the church apartments/intercontinental/ soon to be 10IH (hooray!)/ Hyatt. I think if the environmental architects of 10IH take care of thier due diligence, we'll have a fairly pedestrian friendly west side of light street. considering the amount of retail they want to put in that building, comfortable pedestrian access should be a priority for them. perhaps a skybridge over lee street connecting from the hyatt garage which also connects to harborplace?

for the record, w. sondheim wanted the intersection of light/pratt/calvert to be tunneled underground to allow for better pedestrian access away from the waterfront in order to allow tourists to filter into town. what a great forsight!

getontrac

October 13th, 2006, 05:48 AM

>>> baltimoredevelopment.com> 10/12/2006 12:52
PM >>>
Very slow to come given the hike in construction cost. We are still
very optimistic, keep nagging me for updates.

________________________________

From: Fan of Terps
Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2006 12:45 PM
To: baltimoredevelopment.com
Subject: Any progress on the Cordish Balloon Proposal

Any news on a possible ground breaking for this apartment highrise?

_________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

I think that to a degree, this project was proposed to make the Feds appear as though we are utilizes our transit assets and making a good return on investment. The FTA looks at how well we've develeped our land with regards to transit when considering New Starts projects (re: Red Line). Just look at the Owings Mills, Reisterstown Plaza (or Rogers Ave?), Mondawmin, and State Center plans recently.

I think the project is quite valid and logical and there is or at least will be a market for it at some point, but I'll bet that project sits longer than the rest of them.

Remember, everything with this development market is about timing. Unless your growth rate exceeds the rate you can construct, developers always try to time their projects accordingly. That's why you don't see large simoultaneous housing construction occuring downtown. E.g. the Water Tower is condos, the Zenith is apartments.

Nate

micrip

October 13th, 2006, 06:48 AM

Well, after a good while of waiting, I finally got the e-mail I've been waiting for.

Here was my e-mail to Arcwheeler:

Sent: Fri 9/15/2006 5:58 PM
To: John Voneiff
Subject: hi

Hi John,
Hope you're having a good day.
I just read the news on the land Acquisition of 414 Light Street in Baltimore.
That's great news.
Can we expect an update on the project? New renderings?
Hope to hear something soon.

Thanks for your time.

Steve Wyatt
----------------------

After a long wait I finally got his answer:

Steve,

As you know, ARCWheeler has closed on 414 Light Street. It will be operated as a parking lot, managed by Central Parking, until we finished our pre-construction work and complete the UDARP and approval possesses. Expect construction to begin in about 14-16 month toward a completion in early 2011. The mixed-use make-up of the building is not finalized. It will have about 75,000 SF of Retail, 2 great restaurants, a gourmet food store, a destination spa and workout facility, an approximate 225 key well known brand hotel, some small office-residential suites, about 50 lofts in the building's plinth - 4-6 stories up, approximately 125 residential condominiums and either office for a blue-chip tenant or luxury apartments plus about 1000 parking stalls. The building will exceed 700 feet but be below 800 feet. Views from 500 feet are approximately 15 miles in any direction. Any of the mixed use components might change over the next six-months. The Design Architect is Robert A.M. Stern, STV is the likely Architect of Record and Whiting-Turner Contracting Company will be the builder. The project is estimated to be 1,000,000 +/- SF plus parking.

Best

John

John Voneiff
ARCWheeler

-------------------

Well, we wanted specifics. Other than updated renderings, I'd say this bit of information is pretty specific and should answer allot of our questions. :yes:

Thank you, John. :)

This is great news. And a key point is that Whiting-Turner will be the builder. They are the major leagues in my book. WT is the lead contractor on the Westfield Annapolis Mall project ($100 million +), and I have a front row seat as the project rises. You can tell they have their act together. I'll take some shots and post them over the next few days.

StevenW

October 13th, 2006, 09:28 PM

there is some activity going on at westport. there is a lot of land being cleared next to the old power plant. you can see it from 95

Sounds interesting. :yes:

BTW, if anyone goes to the Oct. 24th ARCWheeler meeting at the Walter's Art Gallery, will you get some pictures/video footage? :?
Perhaps there will be more models/skyline shots. More specific numbers.
If there is a recording of this seminar I would love to have a copy to see it myself. If it's not too expensive I'd be willing to pay to hear and see what goes on at this exciting meeting. :yes:

:)

PeterSmith

October 14th, 2006, 01:40 AM

southbalto

October 14th, 2006, 02:05 AM

PeterSmith

October 14th, 2006, 02:22 AM

lee1957

October 14th, 2006, 03:21 AM

Pigtown property owner fights city on condemnation

Daily Record, The (Baltimore), Oct 2, 2006 by Jen DeGregorio

A Pigtown property owner last week filed suit in Baltimore City Circuit Court to stop the city from seizing its properties via eminent domain, calling the action an unconstitutional attempt to benefit a private developer.

The properties at 929-937 Washington Blvd. were slated for condemnation in 2004 as part of an urban renewal plan in Southwest Baltimore's Pigtown neighborhood. Last month, the Baltimore Development Corp., the city's economic development arm, awarded those and other properties in the 900 block of Washington Blvd. to a developer, Historic Pigtown Development LLC, to create apartments and retail space.

According to the complaint, plaintiff and owner 937 Washington Boulevard LLC negotiated a contract in November 2005 to sell the properties to Land Research Associates LLC for $340,000.

The BDC tried to convince the plaintiff to revoke its contract with Land Research and sell to the city, the complaint said. In December, the city offered $165,000 for the properties and, a few days later, Land Research backed out of the deal.

Despite losing the contract, the plaintiff declined the city's offer, saying fair market value was $340,000. The city then upped its offer to $220,000, which the plaintiff declined again.

The complaint seeks preliminary and permanent injunctive relief and declaratory judgment, citing the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

The complaint said "the threatened taking of the Plaintiff's Properties by the Defendants is an unlawful one, as it is not being taken for 'public use' ... and is meant to confer a private benefit on a particular private party, namely Historic Pigtown Development LLC."

The plaintiff asked the court to prohibit the city from taking its properties and to grant compensation, such as attorney's fees.

Last week's complaint is the latest in a series of challenges to the city's eminent domain authority.

In May, a Baltimore judge stopped the city from condemning 1924 N. Charles St., home to the Magnet Bar, saying the city did not provide a convincing argument that it needed the property. That case is being appealed.

Last year, Baltimore lawyer Robert A. Sapero sued when the city tried to condemn properties he owned on North Charles Street, including the Chesapeake Restaurant, after he had a contract to sell them to private investors for $2 million. In March, the Baltimore City Circuit Court ruled in favor of the city. The decision is also on appeal.

Also in March, the Court of Special Appeals ruled that the BDC should be considered a public body and erred when it did not reveal information about how it chose a developer for a renewal project on the city's west side. That case, too, is being appealed.

John C. Murphy, the attorney who sued the city in the west side case, said he expects to see more disputes over the city's right to take private property.

"The city is doing eminent domain in areas where the private market is thriving and offers are being made," he said. "The number one question is: Why is eminent domain going on when the properties are being bought and sold privately?"

Lesley Smith, executive director of the Washington Village/ Pigtown Neighborhood Planning Council, supports the BDC's efforts to assemble properties to revitalize Washington Boulevard.

"Any time properties sit and languish, it doesn't help spark any development in the neighborhood and prohibits other development from happening," Smith said.

BDC President M.J. "Jay" Brodie declined to comment for this article.

Copyright 2006 Dolan Media Newswires

k25150

October 14th, 2006, 04:38 AM

I'll probably go to 10IH meeting at the Walters. I'll get pics and updates.

quabex

October 14th, 2006, 04:46 AM

There is currently retail at the street level of the Intercontinental, no? If I remember correctly it is nothing majorly interesting. I wonder if they will seek different tenants once 10IH moves in. If the Intercontinental is able to accomodate it (I'm not sure how retail friendly its ground floor is), I see no reason why that property can't play off the high-end tenants at 10IH and acquire some interesting occupants of their own.

As for a pedestrian skybridge, I would be against that idea. In my experience they isolate pedestrians too much. I would prefer to keep people on the sidewalks. But nevertheless, I hope that Pratt St./Light St. area undergoes a few changes in the near future. I find it very unwelcoming.

yeah...you're right. there is some retail at the intercontinental. you're also right that its nothing memorable! i don't even know if they have entrances from the sidewalk. they may just be offices or "service" companies (travel/message/buisiness services) for guests and tennents of the building. i honestly can't remember if you can get to them without going through the building. as for the skybridge, i guess i'm assuming that there would be more than just ground level retail. i think a second or third floor bridge would be an asset if there were second or third floor retail in the building. if there were (multi storied retail), that may be the impotus that that stretch of light street needs!

getontrac

October 14th, 2006, 05:59 AM

#

75-unit condo building planned for parcels on N. Howard St.
# A developer is planning to build a seven-story condominium building on North Howard Street in downtown Baltimore, adding to a flurry of private investment this year on the city’s West Side.

- JEN DeGREGORIO

Which block!?!?! Which block!?!?!

It this where they just demolished a the corner buildings at the SW corner of Howard and Madison?

Nate

scando

October 14th, 2006, 06:13 AM

There is currently retail at the street level of the Intercontinental, no? If I remember correctly it is nothing majorly interesting. I wonder if they will seek different tenants once 10IH moves in. If the Intercontinental is able to accomodate it (I'm not sure how retail friendly its ground floor is), I see no reason why that property can't play off the high-end tenants at 10IH and acquire some interesting occupants of their own.

As for a pedestrian skybridge, I would be against that idea. In my experience they isolate pedestrians too much. I would prefer to keep people on the sidewalks. But nevertheless, I hope that Pratt St./Light St. area undergoes a few changes in the near future. I find it very unwelcoming.

If there is retail in the Interc, it is pretty inconspicuous. That building is already pretty high-end, but I have never thought much of it. It looks like a building with a bunch of zippers running up the sides. I don't know that you can change any of that but some inviting retail at street level would be an improvement.

As for pedestrian bridges, those have never been a success. At one time, planners envisioned having them stretch from Saratoga St down to the harbor, but several in Charles Center were removed when the started to fall apart. They were hardly ever used and didn't seem worth repairing. Even the ones that cross Pratt and Light into Harborplace are not used very much today. When there is a event in the convention center, most people heading for the Light St pavilion for lunch use the sidewalk rather than the bridges that are there. They seem to be an idea whose time is past.

StevenW

October 14th, 2006, 01:08 PM

I'll probably go to 10IH meeting at the Walters. I'll get pics and updates.

I'm glad you're going, k25150. :yes: Wish I could be there. Should be a question/answer part to the evening I'm hoping. :)

StevenW

October 14th, 2006, 01:09 PM

Harbor of dreams
The man behind Key Highway’s growth says he never expected to succeed when he started

Baltimore developer Richard Swirnow controls one of the city’s most valuable pieces of real estate, the 14.5-acre swath of Inner Harbor shoreline where he built his upscale HarborView housing complex.

- JEN DeGREGORIO

fanofterps

October 14th, 2006, 06:51 PM

and 300 East Pratt are my dream projects right now. 10 Inner Harbor and 300 East Pratt combine height, retail shopping and residential living which Baltimore needs more of.

I'm glad you're going, k25150. :yes: Wish I could be there. Should be a question/answer part to the evening I'm hoping. :)

BigBalto1

October 14th, 2006, 08:51 PM

A tower crane is going up at the Johns Hopkins Bio Park site. I don't know if I was seeing things but facade pieces were going up on the Zenith tower.

PeterSmith

October 14th, 2006, 10:08 PM

Which block!?!?! Which block!?!?!

It this where they just demolished a the corner buildings at the SW corner of Howard and Madison?

Nate

Not sure which block this is. The information I posted is all that is available on the Daily Record website for non-subscribers. I know we have at least one subscriber on the forum, perhaps someone could find some more information on this. I haven't been to the West Side in a few months. How is the area looking? Is that Billiards place that opened up having much success? What's the status of the Abell building?

getontrac

October 14th, 2006, 11:51 PM

Pictures of buildings demolished at SW corner of Howard and Madison....

This had better not become a parking lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!>(

http://www.alexcooper.com/realestateauctions/howardstreet040606.html

I hope this is the site. If these new condos are truly new construction that don't require other demolition on Howard St, this only one of 3 possible locations for it.

Nate

getontrac

October 14th, 2006, 11:55 PM

The Abell building seems to be coming along, but how far along I just can't tell--this tends to be the case with rehabs vs new construction.

Indeed, the lower garage facade has been up on part of the Zenith for over a week now, at least. The Water Tower now has some siding, also.

Nate

MasonsInquiries

October 15th, 2006, 03:14 AM

maybe this has been mentioned, but does anyone know what the constuction that's going on at the corner at orleans street and central avenue is? it's right across from dunbar high school.

StevenW

October 15th, 2006, 04:47 AM

good updates, guys. :yes:

bmore87

October 15th, 2006, 07:00 AM

maybe this has been mentioned, but does anyone know what the constuction that's going on at the corner at orleans street and central avenue is? it's right across from dunbar high school.

Mason, I believe the Enoch Pratt Library on Broadway and Fayette is being moved to that location. Don't quote me on it. I'm about 94% sure however.

Dunbar "05" lol.

MasonsInquiries

October 15th, 2006, 07:19 AM

Mason, I believe the Enoch Pratt Library on Broadway and Fayette is being moved to that location. Don't quote me on it. I'm about 94% sure however.

Dunbar "05" lol.

^^^^^^^^according to this article below, it sounds like you're probably right. they're a little behind with the dates as you can see (lol), but it's all good.

Libraries: Johns Hopkins to Build Pratt Library Branch in East Baltimore (MD): "Counter to the trend of city library branch closures, an Enoch Pratt Free Library branch will be built in East Baltimore, compliments of a wealthy neighbor. Johns Hopkins Medicine plans to acquire the neighboring site of the Broadway branch for expansion and, in exchange, build a branch roughly the same size as the existing library by late 2004, Pratt and Hopkins officials said. This is the first time since 1977 that a new free-standing library branch would become part of the system. Library officials estimate that Hopkins would spend $4 million to build the 14,000-square-foot replacement for the Broadway branch, completed in 1970."

southbalto

October 15th, 2006, 06:21 PM

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-te.lab15oct15,0,5809862.story?coll=bal-home-headlines

New lab built for NIH vibrates
Bayview building may be unsuited for sensitive equipment
By Jonathan Rockoff
sun reporter
Originally published October 15, 2006
WASHINGTON // Portions of a $250 million federal laboratory under construction in Southeast Baltimore cannot be used as intended because excessive vibration in the building would compromise test results of highly sensitive research instruments.

Now researchers, who were supposed to move into the new facility this fall, are waiting to hear whether they will be able to, government scientists said.

Advertisement
Click here to find out more!
The Biomedical Research Center, being built on the Johns Hopkins Bayview campus by the National Institutes of Health, has been promoted as a state-of-the-art facility for research programs on aging and drug abuse, and it is a cornerstone for redevelopment in the neighborhood.

But internal records obtained by The Sun spanning more than two years document the concerns of scientists who have complained that the building has fallen victim to cost-cutting, fails to meet NIH guidelines and could severely impede their research.

"A substantial number of instruments and various types of experiments are at risk," according to a February document relating scientists' concerns about the vibration problems.

Last week, NIH officials refused requests for interviews about the project and declined to answer written questions submitted by The Sun. Instead, NIH spokesman John T. Burklow issued a brief statement that acknowledged some of the problems.

"The NIH is aware of the vibration issues in the Bayview building that would affect certain types of highly specialized research instrumentation," Burklow said. "We are identifying the specific areas of the building that will not accommodate such research. Given NIH's critical need for biomedical research space, we will be able to make full use of the building with other types of science."

Burklow would not say how much of the building is now considered unsuitable for the research originally intended there. Neither did he identify the source of the vibrations. But vibrations caused by anything from elevators to a structure's height to people walking can be a serious threat to cutting-edge scientific research when it relies on supersensitive instruments and is not accounted for in building plans.

Mark P. Mattson, chief of the neurosciences laboratory, said scientists were given the impression that the open design of the building may have contributed to the vibration problems. "It's like a trampoline. If you don't have a lot of internal walls, then a given amount of vibration will be more of a problem," he said. Mattson said he was waiting to hear whether his lab, which investigates Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, will move into the new building as planned.

An internal review, prepared in advance of meetings about the project in March, suggested that a "forensic" analysis should be performed on the building's mechanical systems to assess "vibration isolation" measures. It noted similar problems at another new NIH building, the Porter Neuroscience Research Center on the agency's campus in Bethesda, and said that shortcomings between the building plans and actual construction "had a large role in creating the vibrations that caused so much trouble in that building."

"There's no reason to believe the same, or worse, is not happening" during construction of the Biomedical Research Center, it concluded.

The 10-story building overlooking Interstate 895 was designed to replace NIH's nearby Gerontology Research Center. Besides taking in government scientists studying the aging process, the new building is also to house their NIH colleagues who study drug abuse and addiction. The original plan called for 500,000 square feet of research and office space to support the work of nearly 1,000 scientists and their staff.

A $166 million construction management contract was awarded in September 2004 to Skanska USA Building Inc., an international contracting firm with U.S. offices in Parsippany, N.J. The architect was listed as CUH2A, an Atlanta-based firm specializing in buildings for science and technology organizations. Officials from those firms were not immediately available for comment yesterday.

Local supporters cheered the project early on, saying it would generate demand in the neighborhood for new homes, condos and townhouses for the hundreds of workers. At the groundbreaking in October 2004, Dr. Elias A. Zerhouni, the NIH director, also emphasized its significance to research.

Discoveries made in the new building could have "major implications" for Americans addicted to drugs and those suffering from age-related diseases and disabilities, he said.

"We anticipate that it will be a dynamic environment which will foster significant basic and clinical research into the many conditions associated with aging," Dr. Richard J. Hodes, director of the National Institute on Aging, said at the time.

The building was supposed to be completed this fall. Now, according to the NIH Web site, its opening has been delayed until early next year.

Concerns about the project are outlined in memoranda, presentations and other materials dating back to before groundbreaking for the building in October 2004. Many of them focus on questions about vibration problems.

For their work investigating the aging process, scientists rely on complex, finely tuned microscopes incapable of tolerating even the smallest vibrations, said Michael Nymick, Mid-Atlantic regional sales manager for Carl Zeiss MicroImaging Inc., which has sold microscopes to the Gerontology Research Center.

Some of the microscopes, costing as much as $500,000, use pinpoint lasers to create three-dimensional images at a thousand times magnification, Nymick said. Most of the microscopes used by the researchers are so sensitive that slight changes in temperature and humidity affect their integrity, he added. They can't be located too close to elevators or air vents because the vibrations may disrupt the research. Even foot traffic may create harmful vibrations.

southbalto

October 15th, 2006, 06:24 PM

Mason, I believe the Enoch Pratt Library on Broadway and Fayette is being moved to that location. Don't quote me on it. I'm about 94% sure however.

Dunbar "05" lol.

post of the month!

getontrac

October 15th, 2006, 07:02 PM

^^Again, I will repeat my mantra---

Don't build crap, ever; that way you won't have to rebuild.

When will this country learn? It's all about spending as little as possible now to make the most money in the short run and forget about the long-run, because we'll be off making money on the next project, leaving everyone else to pick up the pieces of maintainence (higher taxes or decay).

To further my rant on this general topic of cost-cutting....many suburbanites remark with much hostility at the condition of our 100-200 year old buildings. I'd like to see what their 10-year old single-family plywood, wood-frame house with vinyl siding will look like in 20 years!! Then the differnence would not be so stark!

It's really a regressive tax, in a way, when governments allow dedicated neighborhoods of public or low income housing. (To be fair, they've started to get away from this in recent years with higher [relative term] quality contruction, mixed-income developments where 10% of the stock is either low- or affordable, like Montgomery Co.) For when governments subsidize to developers to give them incentive to create the low income housing, they then still have to figure out how to make the houses profitable. So they build it as cheaply as building codes allow. But this perpetuates the problem, for the lower quality houses require more maintainence sooner, and more often--forced on the people who can least afford it!! Then the neighborhood spirals into decline as deffered maintainence withers the housing stock into a neighborhood toward irreversible decline, until someone decides to demolish the whole thing again.

(BTW, a good example of the housing stock I'm talking about is Riverview in Lansdowne, and Highland Village in Baltimore Highlands in southern Balto. Co. They weren't built for the poor originally, but basically "work-force housing"--which it was for a number of years. My parents and relatives and friends once lived there. Now they are rivaling the slums of Westport and Cherry Hill.)

This is again why DENSITY is a (the?) key to our construction quality issues and affordable housing issues.....Yes I know I diverged from the NIH topic but still....

Nate

jaysonjaz

October 16th, 2006, 06:08 AM

Pigtown property owner fights city on condemnation

This Bastard has allowed the building to deteriorate to the point where it looks like it may fall down any day or so. This guy is the epitome of a city slum lord.

StevenW

October 16th, 2006, 10:54 AM

Planning process begins around West Baltimore MARC station

The proposed Red Line could provide a jolt of energy to some neighborhoods in West Baltimore, and residents this week will get their say on how it should happen.

- DORI BERMAN

rxsoccer

October 16th, 2006, 07:01 PM

Just wanted to introduce myself onto the boards. I've been following the posts on and off for a few months and finally took the time to setup a profile.
Been living and working in the baltimore city for 4 years and love following the development news and hope a lot of these projects come to fruition.

btw, my office overlooks water st condos so whenever you need an update on that I can pretty much give you up to the minute information! lol

MasonsInquiries

October 16th, 2006, 07:07 PM

bmore87

October 16th, 2006, 07:25 PM

I would also like to welcome you to the forum, rxsoccer.:)

Hey Mason! I remember you saying you were a teacher. Where do you teach and what subject?

rxsoccer

October 16th, 2006, 07:30 PM

Just want to see if I can figure out how to post pics on here.... these are 2 shots of the die hard filming downtown a couple weeks ago. If it works, I'll try to post more... If it doesn't work (which I'm pretty sure it won't!), feel free to coach me along...

http://picasaweb.google.com/obadawi/DieHardPictures/photo#4981729354970038290

http://picasaweb.google.com/obadawi/DieHardPictures/photo#4981729183770411026

StevenW

October 16th, 2006, 08:03 PM

^^ Welcome, rxsoccer! :yes: Glad to have you here! Please update us as much as you'd like. :)

sdeclue

October 16th, 2006, 09:51 PM

Good news on both the Zenith and Water Tower. I'd love to see some progress on the Red Line in the near future.

Brian21

October 16th, 2006, 10:48 PM

Speaking of the Zenith, it looks like it has topped out. Water Tower looks like it will top out soon too.:)

PeterSmith

October 16th, 2006, 11:11 PM

StevenW

October 16th, 2006, 11:43 PM

StevenW

October 16th, 2006, 11:49 PM

http://lh3.google.com/obadawi/RSKodDogABI/AAAAAAAAAQk/p257HQIUZzE/movie_copter2.jpg?imgmax=576

getontrac

October 17th, 2006, 12:39 AM

Is this a new West Baltimore MARC station or is the one that currently exists getting a face lift? What kind of input are they seeking? I really hope they can make a station that incorpates the Red Line and MARC well. Transfers haven't really been the city's storng point in the past.

West Baltimore MARC charette is about transit-oriented development. This would all be well and good if it was TOD for WB only as a MARC station, but its also for the Red Line. It appears more important to the state, (and even the City) to plan around the area before we figure out how the Red Line will be built--there are MANY variables and alternatives that could be precluded by the decisions regarding the design of the development. Not to mention track capacity issues with Amtrak and the possible entire re-alignment of the Amtrak (Northeast Corridor [NEC]) line for a "Great Circle" route that will happen in the not too distant future. Much of this is detailed in the Federal Railroad Admins (FRA) Report from last December regarding Baltimore's train tunnels and frieght.

skwilson, you've attended some of this, care to chime in?

Nate

MasonsInquiries

October 17th, 2006, 04:02 AM

I would also like to welcome you to the forum, rxsoccer.:)

Hey Mason! I remember you saying you were a teacher. Where do you teach and what subject?
Augusta Fells Savage Institute of Visual Arts (Southwester High School campus). I teach math (geometry, algebra I, and algebra II).

scando

October 17th, 2006, 05:21 AM

[QUOTE=rxsoccer;10130169]Just want to see if I can figure out how to post pics on here.... these are 2 shots of the die hard filming downtown a couple weeks ago. If it works, I'll try to post more... If it doesn't work (which I'm pretty sure it won't!), feel free to coach me along...

The link that you post in your message has to be to the graphic itself. I pasted your URL into a browser window and it brings up a page on Google. If you browse to that page, right click on the picture on that page and "copy image location" then paste that URL into the image container that you get from the little picture icon above the message area it will work (see below). The link needs to be to the image rather than the page.

I like the helicopter flying past the building; quick finger on the camera button.

When they were filming here I walked past this police car that had some sort of big gadget on the front. Looking at it I realized that it was a screen and projector so when they were filming in the car, the view through the windshield would be whatever was projected. You could have the car in a warehouse and it would look like you were driving anywhere. Cool gadget.

http://lh4.google.com/obadawi/RSKoTF3VABI/AAAAAAAAAQU/rmRGIzMR0Og/Bruce2.jpg?imgmax=576

http://lh3.google.com/obadawi/RSKodDogABI/AAAAAAAAAQk/p257HQIUZzE/movie_copter2.jpg?imgmax=576

scando

October 17th, 2006, 05:25 AM

Good news on both the Zenith and Water Tower. I'd love to see some progress on the Red Line in the near future.

The MTA web site is showing more detail on the possible alternatives now. They have 8 possibilities. Unfotrunately the schedule is a glacial as it always has been. If all goes well we might be riding as soon as 2014. Hope you're not in a hurry.

getontrac

October 17th, 2006, 06:01 AM

^Those alternatives are the ones they had out it May, but took them months to get them to the open access part of their website. They are barely different then what was shown last November. It's always basically been one alternative.

The project is a farce. In my opinion, it's the worst transit project plan in the history of the world (perhaps not an exagerration).

Nate

wada_guy

October 17th, 2006, 01:20 PM

SPROUTING
http://www.baltimoreguy.com/photogallery/02%20Baltimore%20Buildings/05%20Downtown%20Southside/Locust%20Point%2004.jpg

STILL GROWING
http://www.baltimoreguy.com/photogallery/01%20My%20New%20Home%20414%20Water%20Street!/03%20From%20%20Lockwood%20Garage/414%20Lockwood%2040.jpg

ALL TOPPED OUT
http://www.baltimoreguy.com/photogallery/02%20Baltimore%20Buildings/06%20Downtown%20Westside/Zenith%2006.jpg

http://www.baltimoreguy.com/photogallery/02%20Baltimore%20Buildings/01%20Baltimore%20Skyline/East%20Boat%2019.jpg

waj0527

October 17th, 2006, 02:48 PM

Thanks for those Wada...and I know you've been back for a few weeks now, but welcome back. I certainly missed your pisture updates.

I wish The Zenith was just a little taller, but hey....at least its not brick and mortor. Also, the Vue looks pretty dame tall from that perspective.

Maudibjr

October 17th, 2006, 03:26 PM

Not to mention track capacity issues with Amtrak and the possible entire re-alignment of the Amtrak (Northeast Corridor [NEC]) line for a "Great Circle" route that will happen in the not too distant future. Much of this is detailed in the Federal Railroad Admins (FRA) Report from last December regarding Baltimore's train tunnels and frieght.

I would put emphesis on the word possible. I don't think that this will ever happen, ever. The only way this could get built is as a massive tunnel, and at that point what are you gaining?

Great pics as always Wada!

sdeclue

October 17th, 2006, 07:35 PM

Great pictures Wada. How many more floors until your soon to be home tops out?

Also, I'm really intrigued by Silo's Point. Looking at that building in the picture, I can't imagine who would want to live there. How are they going to fix it up and what is the timetable for this? Does anyone have renderings for this project?

StevenW

October 17th, 2006, 09:37 PM

Excelent pix, wada guy! :yes: As always. :)

sdeclue,
Yes, the Silo Point Project will look very nice when finished. :yes:

Don't have any renderings that I can pull up right now though.

ANyone else? :?

jeremai

October 17th, 2006, 09:40 PM

Thanks for the amazing pics wada; they helped a little with my Baltimore homesickness now I'm in the UK! It's great to see the cranes up at Silo Point. Please keep updating us. :)

jeremai

October 17th, 2006, 10:06 PM

Yes, the Silo Point Project will look very nice when finished. :yes:

Don't have any renderings that I can pull up right now though.

ANyone else? :?

The only one I know of is on the homepage at http://www.parameterinc.com/. I wish they would update their web site. It has been "temporarily shut down" for over a year.

Perhaps you should send them one of your emails, Steve. ;)

http://www.parameterinc.com/param_splash.jpg

tonyBmore

October 17th, 2006, 11:40 PM

Hey everyone...Long time no post. I saw someone ask about the grain elevator (Silo Point) and wanted to share an email correspondence I received some time ago from someone at Parameterinc. Great pics as always WG.

Hello,

As a resident of Locust Point (Beason St. to be exact), I'd first like to say that I am extremely excited about the transformation of the grain elevator. It is fun to sit on my roof and watch the progress. Anywho, I just have a couple of questions concerning the project.

What is the projected completion date? What materials will be used on the exterior of the building? Is there a retail/restaurant component in the project, and if so, any word on who the tenants may be? Will there be a public open space in front of/around the building?

Thank you in advance for your time and answers. Keep up the good work.

Best regards,

Tony

tony,

I am on vacation but would love to respond to your kind email.

the completion date is estimated to be spring of 08
the exterior will be a combination of glass, the concrete you see, and various metals to match the existing metal top , that you see as well.
yes, we are planning for ground floor retail at the base of the building, no word on the tenants.
the site will be part of the neighborhod and will contain interesting public spaces for all.

chris

rockj410

October 18th, 2006, 12:16 AM

What is Silo Point supposed to be? Is it a mixed use area?

bmorescottamanda

October 18th, 2006, 02:57 AM

The only one I know of is on the homepage at http://www.parameterinc.com/. I wish they would update their web site. It has been "temporarily shut down" for over a year.

Perhaps you should send them one of your emails, Steve. ;)

http://www.parameterinc.com/param_splash.jpg

That is unbelievable it looks great. I was wondering how they where going to make that old concrete thing look nice.

Gsol

October 18th, 2006, 03:50 AM

Does anyone get the BBJ? Their Website only provides a tease of each story. I am concerned about the blurb I read in the current issue mentioning the developer of upscale townhouses at the Johns Hopkins research center is pulling out of the deal. Aparently this is going to kill the project. Its a shame because this project would have started turning the area around. Anyone know more details on this?

StevenW

October 18th, 2006, 04:06 AM

^^ Yeah, I know. I would love to read the rest of that article, too.

fluffyhorse

October 18th, 2006, 04:56 AM

Double Post

fluffyhorse

October 18th, 2006, 05:00 AM

75-unit condo building planned for parcels on N. Howard St. in Baltimore

By Jen Degregorio
Daily Record, The (Baltimore, MD); 10/13/2006

A developer is planning to build a seven-story condominium building on North Howard Street in downtown Baltimore, adding to a flurry of private investment this year on the city's West Side. The 75-unit project by Oak Street Developers will replace a parking lot and three empty parcels at 712-730 N. Howard St., said John Fangley, an architect with Peter Fillat Architects, the firm designing the building. About 2,000 square feet of the structure would be reserved for ground-floor retail, he said. "It's a very interesting scheme, and it's a very healthy sign for the West Side," said M.J. "Jay" Brodie, president of the Baltimore Development Corp., the city's economic development arm.

The proposal follows news of similar projects proposed for North Howard Street, which Brodie said could revitalize the now-troubled corridor just northwest of downtown's business district. Three blocks south of the Oak Street project, Baltimore developer Blair McDaniels LLC — a joint venture between W.L. Blair Development LLC and D.A. McDaniels Inc. — announced it would move forward on its long-stalled St. James Place development. The project consists of 25 market-rate apartments, 2,000 square feet of retail space and parking. Plans for St. James Place date to 2000, but developer Wendy Blair told The Daily Record in June that she had difficulty financing the project.

The same month, the city Board of Estimates approved funds to assist the team. The award comprised $1.25 million in a loan and a grant, as well as a 15-year incremental tax rebate called a payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, worth about $1 million. The project would cost $7.3 million to complete, Blair told The Daily Record.

The combined developments "create a compelling story for the future of Howard Street," said J. Kirby Fowler, president of the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore. In May, eight properties on the 300 block of North Howard Street were auctioned off for more than $5 million. Buyers included local businesses looking to expand as well as out-of-state investors. Baltimore attorney John C. Murphy told The Daily Record in May that the sales proved the city no longer needed to use its eminent domain powers to get rid of neglected properties. The tactic caught the city in a quagmire over control of the superblock, a blighted, West Side shopping district planned for rehabilitation.

The Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, a $2 billion charity, owns most of the superblock properties but does not want to sell to the city. The foundation has been lobbying to develop the properties with partner The Cordish Co., a Baltimore-based developer. But the city already awarded the superblock project to a team led by a group of New York developers and has threatened, so far ineffectively, to seize them via eminent domain. Murphy represented superblock merchants in a lawsuit against the BDC for failing to release information about the way it chose developers for the project. The suit has been appealed twice and is still pending. "I think it shows that the market today is very strong and that basically the West Side should be really wound up and the urban renewal plan repealed so that the market can take over," Murphy told The Daily Record in May.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
You can read the Daily Record on the Enoch Pratt website databases or from one of the county library sites with a valid library card. That's where I found this article.

getontrac

October 18th, 2006, 06:09 AM

^Yup, it looks like this is going where those three demolished buidings are lying in a pile of rubble right now are.

This is good news. No parking lot. :)

Nate

StevenW

October 18th, 2006, 10:50 AM

Charity, city try to solve standoff
'Superblock' dispute halts west-side plan
By Lorraine Mirabella
Sun reporter
Originally published October 18, 2006

The city and the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation are in talks to resolve a standoff over the long-stalled "superblock," a six-block area critical to west-side redevelopment, a city official confirmed yesterday.

A deal would avert a court fight over the city's planned condemnation of property owned by one of its largest charitable foundations.

City Solicitor Ralph S. Tyler said he has been leading negotiations with the Baltimore nonprofit over its properties in the superblock and moving ahead with the project, viewed as a key link between Charles Center to the east and the University of Maryland complex to the west.

"We have been in discussions with the Weinberg Foundation, and we'll see where they end up. We're moving as quickly as we can to get it resolved. We want to get moving on the superblock," Tyler said. He would not discuss the substance of the negotiations.

An agreement would end a bitter dispute, which erupted into public view in May, between the city and the wealthy and influential nonprofit that is a major benefactor in the area.

In July, the city took the first step toward condemnation, giving the foundation 30 days to accept its offer to buy the properties. The foundation owns more than half the land in the six-block area, which is bounded by Howard, West Clay, Liberty and West Fayette streets.

When the foundation rejected the city's offer in August, the city said it would file within a matter of months to seize the holdings through eminent domain.

Baltimore Development Corp., the city's economic development arm, selected New York developer Chera Feil Goldman Group last year to develop the 3.6-acre parcel with 225 apartments and 64,500 square feet in retail space. The group's exclusive negotiating privilege with the city to develop the project expires at year's end.

The developer did not return phone calls yesterday.

Shale Stiller, the Weinberg Foundation's president and chief executive, declined this week to comment on the status of the dispute with the city and could not be reached yesterday.

Rival proposal
In July, hoping to avert the city's threatened seizure of its properties, the nonprofit unveiled a proposal to work with Baltimore developer Cordish Co. to build a dense mix of housing, offices and shops totaling more than 2 million square feet.
The foundation had presented its plans to the board of the Downtown Partnership in an effort to persuade the BDC to rethink its choice of developer.

The city has not ruled out seizing the Weinberg property, Tyler said yesterday.

The city would halt plans to resort to eminent domain "only if we're able to resolve getting control of the site," he said. "In the end, the city will get control of the site and move forward with this important project."

Tyler said he expects to reach some resolution before the end of the year.

Kirby Fowler, president of the Downtown Partnership, said yesterday that he thinks the two sides are moving closer to an agreement.

Possible terms
He said he has not seen terms of an agreement but thinks a resolution might include some combination of a sale of some of the Weinberg properties, a possible development role for the foundation and benchmarks for the redevelopment of certain properties.
The group has been pushing for an agreement that will allow redevelopment to start quickly.

In an e-mail response from Denver yesterday, BDC President M.J. "Jay" Brodie suggested that the city and the foundation have ground left to cover.

"We continue to talk and exchange drafts with the Weinberg Foundation but still have unresolved matters," Brodie said.

lorraine.mirabella@baltsun.com

StevenW

October 18th, 2006, 10:52 AM

Flanagan: BRAC impact hyped
Growth will fall short of predictions, official says
Baltimore Business Journal - October 13, 2006by Daniel J. SernovitzStaff
Print this Article Email this Article Reprints RSS Feeds Most Viewed Most Emailed
Nicholas Griner | Staff
Real estate agent Lance Bowen doubts Anne Arundel will benefit from BRAC.
View Larger The state's top transportation official says Maryland counties are overstating the number of people who may move here as part of the Pentagon's reshuffling of military base jobs, possibly to capture more state money for road projects.

Transportation Secretary Robert L. Flanagan said through 2011, Maryland's population will not have seen any more significant a bounce than normal. In fact, the percentage of new residents will be less than during the height of the housing boom just a few years ago.

Flanagan's words are in sharp contrast to what county and economic development officials have been saying about the so-called Base Realignment and Closure Plan, or BRAC, how many jobs it will bring to the region, and how much money it will generate for the local economy.

"BRAC is just one factor in a very large set of factors that affect population growth; it is, relatively speaking, significant, but not dominant," Flanagan said in a recent interview. "The numbers don't match the way BRAC growth was being promoted in the newspapers as sort of overwhelming the state's growth."

Figures compiled by the state Capital Debt Affordability Committee indicate Maryland's population growth through 2011, when the federal BRAC plan will go into full effect, will be on par with previous years and less than the population increase from 2001 through 2003.

The state gained 132,000 residents in the three years from 2001 to 2003, increasing from about 5.38 million residents in 2001 to 5.51 million in 2003. The state's population increased by more than 1.15 percent during each of those years.

By contrast, the projected population gains from 2009 through 2011 are expected to be less than 1 percent annually, and the number of new residents will likely climb by only 99,000 after BRAC has been put into place, according to state figures.

"The growth that we will receive, and experience, and have to respond to, will be more than 40 percent less [than from 2001-2003]," Flanagan said at a Maryland Military Installation Council Meeting on Sept. 29, at which he presented the document. "You will always have growth that will be uneven."

Not all the details of the BRAC plan have been established, and depending on who has offered them, the number of jobs to be created has varied, often wildly. A source familiar with the process who declined to be identified said that while he believes Flanagan's figures are premature and unrealistic, he accepts that some officials are piling on their requests and that not all are directly related to BRAC.

J. Thomas Sadowski, executive vice president of the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore, said he thinks most communities are still struggling to get a better idea of how much impact they will see as a result of BRAC, and that if they are overstating that impact, it is only because the process is still in its early stages.

"I think that there is a good, healthy discussion that's ensuing in all these areas," he said. "You can point the fingers on both sides of the issue."

While not placing blame squarely on any one municipality, Flanagan said he thinks some government officials might be exploiting BRAC to gain funding or be placed higher up on the transportation department's list of road and infrastructure improvement projects.

Their efforts, he said, are understandable but in vain because the state has only a limited budget and a large number of real problems it must deal with long before the effects of BRAC are felt.

"I think, what you do see, is communities being advocates for their [projects]," he said in an interview.

Vernon Thompson, economic development director for Cecil County, said that while some communities might be overestimating their BRAC impact, he said he believes Flanagan is underestimating it because the state's infrastructure budget is limited and its priorities, at this point, might not mesh completely with those of government leaders making requests to the transportation department.

"I think, quite frankly, that the secretary may very well be trying to downplay the overall impact of BRAC by the use of those figures, and I can't say I agree with how valid those numbers are," Thompson said. "I agree with him that there are some people, and this is human nature, who will take a look at their needs and kind of attach them to BRAC."

'Jobs, not people'
Congress approved the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission's recommendations last November. J.M. "Mike" Hayes, director of military and federal affairs for the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, estimates the plan could generate between 40,000 and 60,000 new jobs across the state, including several thousand at Fort George G. Meade in Anne Arundel County and the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Harford County. Those are, as Hayes said at a recent Maryland Business Council panel discussion, "jobs, not people."

"We're not necessarily changing gears because of BRAC, but we're keeping our eyes on it," said Seema Iyer, division chief for research and strategic planning with Baltimore City. "It could be something with 10,000 jobs and a couple of households move."

A recent study at Fort Monmouth, in New Jersey, indicated just 30 percent of workers there expect to move to Maryland once their jobs are transferred to the Aberdeen Proving Ground. Monmouth is slated to close by 2011, and as many as 5,000 jobs could transfer to the proving ground, according to information from Fort Monmouth.

Tim Rider, a spokesman for Fort Monmouth, said the base began hiring interns not long after BRAC was adopted by Congress in anticipation that some workers would not opt to move and still others will retire by the time their jobs are sent to Maryland. The base is predicting a "high number of personnel" will retire before their jobs move and the base closes.

James C. Richardson, director of the Harford County Office of Economic Development, said he does not expect the percentage of workers planning to relocate will change much by 2011, but that the county's roads and infrastructure will still be impacted by Aberdeen Proving Ground workers. He said the county's roads will be even more congested if those residents decide to commute than if they live close to the base.

The situation is the same at Fort Meade, which will gain about 5,300 jobs from BRAC. Most of those jobs will come from Northern Virginia, a distance close enough that many sources believe workers will commute to work instead of relocating.

Housing needs
Anirban Basu, chairman and CEO of Sage Policy Group Inc., said Anne Arundel, Cecil and Prince George's counties each have issues that are blocking residential growth. Some of those issues, he said, include a shrinking pool of available land, a political bias in favor of commercial development, and outdated infrastructure that cannot support more residents.

Pam Rau, Anne Arundel County BRAC liaison, said the county has about 5,100 homes in the development pipeline, and she does not expect housing availability will be an issue when the jobs start to come. She did not say the county is actively seeking new residents, but rather that it is preparing to absorb those residents who decide to move to Anne Arundel County. She said she expects the bulk of the Northern Virginia workers will not move until sometime after they start working at Fort Meade.

"There are homes, as far as we are concerned, at this point," she said. "We are certainly offering them all of the resources they would need to make that move."

Lance Bowen, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Residential-BWI, said he doubts more than 20 percent of the workers coming to Fort Meade will decide to resettle in Anne Arundel, though he is seeing an increase in the number of people contacting his office after listing their homes in Northern Virginia for sale.

Many of those referrals, Bowen said, come through Coldwell Banker's relocation arm, which puts people selling their homes in contact with real estate brokers in the communities where they want to move. He did not dismiss the possibility that the increase is due to a softening in the housing market, rather than tied to BRAC.

Iyer, Baltimore City's division chief for research and strategic planning, said she questions whether neighboring municipalities will be resistant to new residential growth, mainly because new residents mean the potential for more transportation dollars from the state.

"I know that the jurisdictions would love to see the city be an anchor for regional growth, but I think it's hard to gauge because when we talk about commuting patterns, all of the projections about household growth kind of affect transit dollars," she said. "How much we will capture through the benevolence of our neighbors is kind of questionable."

--------------------------

Well, is he for real or not? :? Guys? :?

waj0527

October 18th, 2006, 02:54 PM

Silver Springer

October 18th, 2006, 03:04 PM

Gsol

October 18th, 2006, 03:17 PM

I get it, but I didnt see the article when I skimmed the front page. If you or someone else post the link, I'll post the article.

Here is the BBJ link:

http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/baltimore/

skwilson

October 18th, 2006, 03:20 PM

West Baltimore MARC charette is about transit-oriented development. This would all be well and good if it was TOD for WB only as a MARC station, but its also for the Red Line. It appears more important to the state, (and even the City) to plan around the area before we figure out how the Red Line will be built--there are MANY variables and alternatives that could be precluded by the decisions regarding the design of the development. Not to mention track capacity issues with Amtrak and the possible entire re-alignment of the Amtrak (Northeast Corridor [NEC]) line for a "Great Circle" route that will happen in the not too distant future. Much of this is detailed in the Federal Railroad Admins (FRA) Report from last December regarding Baltimore's train tunnels and frieght.

skwilson, you've attended some of this, care to chime in?

Nate

The State actually seems to be handling the West Baltimore MARC process very professionally - comendably so. The process has been wholly tranparent and highly participatory, and the staff is handling the community with impeccable respect. It is a sight to see.

The Great Circle passenger route would not actually affect the location of the alignment around the West Baltimore MARC Station, so that proposal has rightly been ignored during this process. The largest problem arises when it comes to building around the MARC Station and Red Line alignments: the MARC Station may well have to be moved so as to put it on a straighter section of track (a full-length high-level platform, as may be required by the feds, is difficult to place on a curve), and some of the Red Line alignments are really outlandish (going straight through the Ice House, for example), but still must not be precluded for principles' sake.

The staff seeem to have a healthy respect for the Red Line's supremacy over their project, but also for the ambiguity surrounding the Red Line - (I've never before seen some of these people say that, "The Red Line may never actually be built..."). Nevertheless, they are operating under the flawed belief that community transit planning should drive regional transit planning (so they've said), but they also conceeded that this project in particular does not involve such backward thinking.

West Baltimore Red Line MARC Station Weeklong Workshop
Mon., Oct. 16 – Thurs., Oct. 19, 2006 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Lockerman Bundy Elementary School 301 West Pulaski Street in gymnasium

Hope to see you there!

Saul

Gsol

October 18th, 2006, 03:21 PM

You can either look at the glass half empty or half full, Flanagan is looking at it half empty. Whether BRAC is successful depends on whether the state of Maryland tries hard enough to take advantage of it.

You know the implications of what he is saying? Baltimore will not increase its population in any significant way and the State of Maryland is a lost and hopeless cause. Who is he working for? He fights every transportation project outside the ICC, if he is going to have such a pessimistic view about the state he is working in then someone needs to show him the door. That goes for Aris Melissaratos too, he is practically giving our Biotech industry away. Why do we have officials that lack such confidence in the state of Maryland running the show?

I wish Ehrlich and the rest of his cronies get the hell out of state because they certainly aren’t fighting for it.

If the poll numbers hold these guys will be history after Jan 1. Recent polling shows O'Malley up by 7 - 9 points. I hope he has a better vision for the future of the state and city. You can check all the races on "realclearpolitics.com". They compile an average of all recent polling data.

rxsoccer

October 18th, 2006, 03:26 PM

http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/realestate/bal-bz.superblock18oct18,0,7180583.story?coll=bal-home-headlines

From the Baltimore Sun
Charity, city try to solve standoff
'Superblock' dispute halts west-side plan

Click here to find out more!
By Lorraine Mirabella
Sun reporter

October 18, 2006

The city and the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation are in talks to resolve a standoff over the long-stalled "superblock," a six-block area critical to west-side redevelopment, a city official confirmed yesterday.

A deal would avert a court fight over the city's planned condemnation of property owned by one of its largest charitable foundations.

City Solicitor Ralph S. Tyler said he has been leading negotiations with the Baltimore nonprofit over its properties in the superblock and moving ahead with the project, viewed as a key link between Charles Center to the east and the University of Maryland complex to the west.

"We have been in discussions with the Weinberg Foundation, and we'll see where they end up. We're moving as quickly as we can to get it resolved. We want to get moving on the superblock," Tyler said. He would not discuss the substance of the negotiations.

An agreement would end a bitter dispute, which erupted into public view in May, between the city and the wealthy and influential nonprofit that is a major benefactor in the area.

In July, the city took the first step toward condemnation, giving the foundation 30 days to accept its offer to buy the properties. The foundation owns more than half the land in the six-block area, which is bounded by Howard, West Clay, Liberty and West Fayette streets.

When the foundation rejected the city's offer in August, the city said it would file within a matter of months to seize the holdings through eminent domain.

Baltimore Development Corp., the city's economic development arm, selected New York developer Chera Feil Goldman Group last year to develop the 3.6-acre parcel with 225 apartments and 64,500 square feet in retail space. The group's exclusive negotiating privilege with the city to develop the project expires at year's end.

The developer did not return phone calls yesterday.

Shale Stiller, the Weinberg Foundation's president and chief executive, declined this week to comment on the status of the dispute with the city and could not be reached yesterday.

Rival proposal
In July, hoping to avert the city's threatened seizure of its properties, the nonprofit unveiled a proposal to work with Baltimore developer Cordish Co. to build a dense mix of housing, offices and shops totaling more than 2 million square feet.

The foundation had presented its plans to the board of the Downtown Partnership in an effort to persuade the BDC to rethink its choice of developer.

The city has not ruled out seizing the Weinberg property, Tyler said yesterday.

The city would halt plans to resort to eminent domain "only if we're able to resolve getting control of the site," he said. "In the end, the city will get control of the site and move forward with this important project."

Tyler said he expects to reach some resolution before the end of the year.

Kirby Fowler, president of the Downtown Partnership, said yesterday that he thinks the two sides are moving closer to an agreement.

Possible terms
He said he has not seen terms of an agreement but thinks a resolution might include some combination of a sale of some of the Weinberg properties, a possible development role for the foundation and benchmarks for the redevelopment of certain properties.

The group has been pushing for an agreement that will allow redevelopment to start quickly.

In an e-mail response from Denver yesterday, BDC President M.J. "Jay" Brodie suggested that the city and the foundation have ground left to cover.

"We continue to talk and exchange drafts with the Weinberg Foundation but still have unresolved matters," Brodie said.

MasonsInquiries

October 18th, 2006, 07:29 PM

In about ten to fifteen years or so, this is going to definitely become something big, everyone!!!

Sun follow-up
City moves to get 200 properties
Target parcels surround vacant American Brewery
By Eric Siegel
Sun reporter
Originally published October 18, 2006
Hoping to set the stage for the future renewal of one of the city's most distressed areas, officials are moving to acquire about 200 abandoned properties around the historic American Brewery building in a long-neglected corner of East Baltimore.

The 30-odd properties closest to the brewery - which has been vacant for more than three decades but is slated to be renovated as the local headquarters of a nonprofit social services agency - will be shored up to prevent further deterioration, while the rest will be held until the city decides what to do with them.

"Over the long term, it gives us the ability to assemble enough property to create redevelopment opportunities," said Michael Bainum, the city's assistant housing commissioner for land resources. "Right now, ownership is so diffuse and the condition of the properties is such that private development is not going to come in in a significant way."

The acquisition plans, which could take as long as a year, represent the city's second major step in recent months to address the decay around the brewery.

This summer, the city applied for a state grant to help acquire and demolish one of the most decayed blocks in the area, saying the demolition would create a cleared site that could attract developers while enhancing the desirability of the brewery and two vacant school buildings nearby.

The area was the subject of a two-part series published earlier this year in The Sun, "A Neighborhood Abandoned." The series described life in a community that had lost 60 percent of its population, leaving behind a landscape where about half the properties were vacant buildings and empty lots, and that had been largely bypassed for years by efforts at renewal.

The city says there are no immediate plans about what to do with the properties once they're acquired.

Yesterday, residents on blocks surrounding the city-owned brewery complex - which includes the five-story, 19th-century brewhouse and a vacant former bottling plant - expressed a mixture of satisfaction and skepticism at the city's intention to begin accumulating abandoned properties on their blocks.

'A good idea'
"It would be a good idea, so people won't be going up in them and starting fires," said Milton Hawkins, who rents a house next door to two boarded-up buildings in the 1600 block of N. Patterson Park Ave.

A 47-year-old house painter who lives with his fiancee and his two daughters, Hawkins bought a shell last year for $5,500 five blocks away, which he is renovating for his future home. He said he would be interested in working on some of the properties the city is acquiring as well.

"I would like to buy some myself if the city would let them go," he said. "I would fix them up myself."

Around the corner on the 2200 block of E. Lanvale St. - a street that faces the bottling plant and where two-thirds of the rowhouses are boarded up - Tyrone Berrain echoes Hawkins' assessment.

"I think it's a good idea," said Berrain, 50, a retired city sanitation worker who rents a rowhouse with his wife and four children. "They can renovate them. Even if they don't, tear them down. They're not doing any good standing there."

Down the block, Eva Walker said she has heard talk about plans for the brewery complex and the area in the past but has seen little action. Walker, who has lived in her house since the early 1950s, doubts things are going to be different this time.

"I don't think they're going to do anything anyway," said Walker, 96, a retired schoolteacher.

Two weeks ago, a rental property on the block attracted about half a dozen bidders for an auction, eventually selling for $24,500. Paul Sobwick, an auctioneer with Auction Brokers who had presided over auctions in the area with few, if any, bidders, said the house "went for a very good price."

"Once you start to see improvement on the street, you're going to see a slow turnaround in people saying, 'I feel comfortable putting my money here,'" he said.

Yesterday, the only visible sign of activity in the area was a work crew putting boards up in the vacant and broken windows of the brewhouse and bottling plant.

Workers had received permission to stabilize the structure pending final agreement to turn the property over to a group led by developer Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse. The group, American Brewery LLC, plans to transform the American Brewery into the Baltimore headquarters of Humanim Inc., a nonprofit that specializes in vocational training and support services for people with disabilities.

Humanim, which will own the American Brewery building once renovations are completed, is marketing federal tax credits to defray the anticipated $17 million cost of renovations, according to Henry E. Posko Jr., the nonprofit's president and CEO.

The bottling plant, which is expected to cost an additional $16 million to rehab and is still seeking tenants, will be financed separately, he said.

Critical mass
Posko said he is "encouraged" by the city's plans to acquire properties around the brewery complex.

"To the extent the city recognizes that you want critical mass around the building to support the project, that makes sense to us," he said.

The 200 properties around the brewery that the city is looking to acquire are in addition to the roughly 100 parcels - empty lots and vacant buildings - it already owns.

Of the 200, about 180 have tax liens that exceed the value of the land and/or buildings.

The city already owns the tax certificates, giving it the right to take title to the properties, and has begun ordering research on their ownership, according to Bainum, the assistant city housing commissioner.

"It is our aim to file [legal papers] on at least half the properties by the end of the year," he said.

The other 20 are on blocks around the brewery that are vacant but are not in tax arrears, Bainum said. The city has ordered appraisals for those properties and has set aside $360,000 to pay for acquisitions and related costs.

If the owners refuse to negotiate a sale with the city, "then we'll pursue eminent domain through abandoned property quick-take authority," Bainum said.

Besides supporting and leveraging the planned investment in the American Brewery complex, Bainum said, the city hopes its acquisitions will help quell speculation in the area.

"We worry about people just buying properties and sitting on them without making an investment in them," he said.

Unpaid taxes
In addition to the blocks immediately surrounding the brewery, the city plans to acquire tax-delinquent properties on East North Avenue and along a five-block stretch of North Gay Street. The latter acquisitions would pick up where the second phase of the east-side biotech redevelopment north of the Johns Hopkins medical complex ends.

It recalls a late 1980s plan to reinvigorate the area by redeveloping North Gay Street from East Biddle Street to East North Avenue. That plan was eventually abandoned, in large part because at the time no one could be found to renovate the American Brewery - one of a series of plans that did little to stem the deterioration of the area or excluded the blocks around the brewery.

Bainum stressed that the city's acquisition of the properties was an initial step and that much additional work needed to be done.

"At some point, we need to make some hard decisions about whether we try to relocate some folks," he said. "Right now, we're just moving forward on acquiring the vacants."

sdeclue

October 18th, 2006, 08:59 PM

Beltway Improvements Announced
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
WBAL Radio as reported by John Patti

WBAL's John Patti reports from the beltway and Charles Street

Governor Robert L. Ehrlich has announced improvements at two busy Baltimore beltway interchanges. The governor has announced $6.8 million in funding to design improvements to the Charles Street interchange along the Baltimore Beltway in Lutherville. Maryland Transportation Secretary Robert Flanagan says the new interchange will improve safety and include a longer bridge to accommodate future widening of the Baltimore Beltway.

Design features also will provide an aesthetic gateway to the Lutherville community and the Charles Street corridor. "As Baltimore County continues to grow and prosper it is important that our roads be able to support the increased traffic," said Governor Ehrlich. "Our primary goal with this project is to improve safety at this busy interchange while making this key gateway an asset to the community. Projects like this one make Baltimore County a better, safer place to live."

Presently, the Baltimore Beltway in the area of Charles Street carries nearly 180,000 vehicles each day. This number is expected to increase by 25 percent to 225,000 by the year 2030. The Charles Street interchange handles about 53,000 vehicles daily.

To improve traffic operations at the interchange, approach and exit ramps will be realigned. The 51-year old Charles Street Bridge will be replaced on its existing alignment. Additional safety improvements incorporated in the new bridge will include ADA-compatible ramps, new sidewalks and the addition of turn lanes along Charles Street.

The new bridge and retaining walls will be designed to accommodate future beltway widening.

Ehrlich says the completed project will create a scenic vista as motorists from Charles Street and Bellona Avenue enter the Baltimore Beltway's outer loop. Continuing the gateway theme seen on neighboring bridges at York and Dulaney Valley roads over the beltway, the new bridge will incorporate design features that will include distinctive brick patterns and decorative lighting.

The governor has also announced that the state will commit $4.3 million to continue widening of the west side of the Baltimore beltway. The new funding will be used for design and the acquisition of right-of-way that will lead to the addition of a fourth lane along the outer loop of the beltway between Ingleside Avenue and Frederick Road.

"All those who drive the Baltimore Beltway know that major bottlenecks still exist on the west side,” said Governor Ehrlich. “The Beltway widening project we completed last year in Arbutus has made a substantial difference. With this funding we can continue our progress by tackling the next phase of the widening program and break another bottleneck in the Catonsville area.”

The one-mile section of I-695 between Ingleside Avenue and Frederick Road carries more than 190,000 vehicles per day. Motorists routinely experience travel delays along this stretch of the outer loop, particularly during the morning rush hours as motorists travel south toward I-95. As part of the project, three bridges, including the Frederick Road Bridge over I-695, will be replaced.

sdeclue

October 18th, 2006, 09:55 PM

skwilson

October 19th, 2006, 12:17 AM

You can either look at the glass half empty or half full, Flanagan is looking at it half empty. Whether BRAC is successful depends on whether the state of Maryland tries hard enough to take advantage of it.

You know the implications of what he is saying? Baltimore will not increase its population in any significant way and the State of Maryland is a lost and hopeless cause. Who is he working for? He fights every transportation project outside the ICC, if he is going to have such a pessimistic view about the state he is working in then someone needs to show him the door. That goes for Aris Melissaratos too, he is practically giving our Biotech industry away. Why do we have officials that lack such confidence in the state of Maryland running the show?

I wish Ehrlich and the rest of his cronies get the hell out of state because they certainly aren’t fighting for it.

Flanagan is not so wrong here as you may want to believe. BRAC's effect on the state's population growth will barely be noticeable, as the article acknowledges. However, BRAC's specific effect on Harford, Cecil, Anne Arundel, and Prince George's Counties will be large. Also, many projects are undoubtedly being sold under the BRAC banner although they don't belong there. Nevertheless, BRAC does require a real plan to manage it.

getontrac

October 19th, 2006, 01:13 AM

^Remember, the effects of BRAC are significant in all the areas between those juristictions as well, simply due to travel and mobility and other uses of public works and infrastructure--that means Baltimore City, too.

Nate

getontrac

October 19th, 2006, 01:16 AM

It seems like the Hilton Hotel is taking forever. The Zenith has already topped out (unfortunately bc it would have been a really special addition had it been taller) but the Hilton isn't even rising out of the ground yet. I don't think there is any way it is open in 2008.

Remember, the Hilton has to excavate a large foundation for its underground garage, which I believe to be 2 levels. I think it will yield about 1000 spaces, replacing about 500 spaces from the previous surface lots. At least it's not taking as long as the Ritz! They started on the foundation of that in the spring of 2004!

Nate

StevenW

October 19th, 2006, 03:40 AM

bmorescottamanda

October 19th, 2006, 03:45 AM

If the poll numbers hold these guys will be history after Jan 1. Recent polling shows O'Malley up by 7 - 9 points. I hope he has a better vision for the future of the state and city. You can check all the races on "realclearpolitics.com". They compile an average of all recent polling data.

More than that in the most recent poll I know about. (12 points)
USA TODAY/Gallup October 6, 2006 O'Malley 53% Ehrlich 41%

jpreston02

October 19th, 2006, 05:49 AM

Hey everybody, don't forget about the 24th of this month at thw Walter's Gallery. ARCWheeler reps will be speaking on the 10 IH project.
I wish I could make it, but it just isn't going to be possible.
I hope allot of us here on the Forum get to make this meeting. :yes:
I think it's from 6:30 pm. until 8:00 pm. :)

To my knowledge, the event at The Walters will not involve any ArcWheeler representatives. According to someone I know who works there, the event, which is sold out, is a lecture by Robert AM Stern on his work, including a discussion on 10 Inner Harbor. Though I'm sure what he has to say will be very interesting, especially to those who enjoy architecture, I don't expect any substantial news regarding the project to be unveiled during his discussion. Now if I'm wrong, and ArcWheeler reprentatives will be there, than all bets are off...

Here is the link to the Walters:
http://www.thewalters.org/eventscalendar/eventdetails.aspx?e=77

Silver Springer

October 19th, 2006, 07:14 AM

Flanagan is not so wrong here as you may want to believe. BRAC's effect on the state's population growth will barely be noticeable, as the article acknowledges. However, BRAC's specific effect on Harford, Cecil, Anne Arundel, and Prince George's Counties will be large. Also, many projects are undoubtedly being sold under the BRAC banner although they don't belong there. Nevertheless, BRAC does require a real plan to manage it.

This kind of shit is why Maryland never gets past the turning point. If the state officials (and residents) don't believe in the state who will? The blight will simply spread.

I do not expect to read such degradation of the state from the Secretary of Transportion for Maryland. He is derailing the efforts of what could take the Baltimore-Washington corridor to the next level.

What was the point of him saying what he did? What did he accomplish? Was it really neccessary? Did he do more harm than good? His "facts" are baseless. You were hired to defend the State of Maryland not hinder its success! BRAC (especially with the defense information technology department moving) could very well possibly bring the kind of growth reported by many other publications. It could be just what the state (and in particular Baltimore City) needs to take economic growth to the next level. Since he does not have any hard evidence (or seen the results), Flanagin should not be planting the seed of doubt.

Population aside the biggest benefit of BRAC is the commercial office development potential. You already have close to 10 million square feet planned all because of BRAC. This in itself would have huge multiplier effect on the population and bring many civilian jobs to Baltimore which is ever more becoming a Branch only town. It's even forcing Booz Allen to open up shop in Maryland.

Harford, Cecil, Anne Arundel, and Prince George's Counties (you forgot Howard, Baltimore County and City and even Montgomery) are basically over 80% of the states population! So in affect it is virtually impacting the entire state. Prince George's does not want any more residential development and they are focusing on the office space development so even more people will be pushed towards Baltimore.

You know how may potential investors read that article? It was on every Biz Journal city page that they do business in. Flanagin is a fool!

bmore87

October 19th, 2006, 08:20 AM

This kind of shit is why Maryland never gets past the turning point. If the state officials (and residents) don't believe in the state who will? The blight will simply spread.

I do not expect to read such degradation of the state from the Secretary of Transportion for Maryland. He is derailing the efforts of what could take the Baltimore-Washington corridor to the next level.

What was the point of him saying what he did? What did he accomplish? Was it really neccessary? Did he do more harm than good? His "facts" are baseless. You were hired to defend the State of Maryland not hinder its success! BRAC (especially with the defense information technology department moving) could very well possibly bring the kind of growth reported by many other publications. It could be just what the state (and in particular Baltimore City) needs to take economic growth to the next level. Since he does not have any hard evidence (or seen the results), Flanagin should not be planting the seed of doubt.

Population aside the biggest benefit of BRAC is the commercial office development potential. You already have close to 10 million square feet planned all because of BRAC. This in itself would have huge multiplier effect on the population and bring many civilian jobs to Baltimore which is ever more becoming a Branch only town. It's even forcing Booz Allen to open up shop in Maryland.

Harford, Cecil, Anne Arundel, and Prince George's Counties (you forgot Howard, Baltimore County and City and even Montgomery) are basically over 80% of the states population! So in affect it is virtually impacting the entire state. Prince George's does not want any more residential development and they are focusing on the office space development so even more people will be pushed towards Baltimore.

You know how may potential investors read that article? It was on every Biz Journal city page that they do business in. Flanagin is a fool!

Don't worry Silver Springer. He'll be gone after Nov. 7th.:)

micrip

October 19th, 2006, 09:37 AM

http://www.baltimoreguy.com/photogallery/02%20Baltimore%20Buildings/01%20Baltimore%20Skyline/East%20Boat%2019.jpg[/img]

If my granddad woke up from the dead and saw this shot, he would not recognize this as Baltimore. The Bank of America bldg is the only one someone alive in the '60's would recognize.

rxsoccer

October 19th, 2006, 05:04 PM

Any of you guys going to the Flugtag event this weekend at the harbor? Just heard about it from a friend... seems pretty cool! Reminds me of the kinetic sculpture race except its on more of an int'l scale...

http://www.redbullflugtagusa.com/Baltimore/default.aspx

StevenW

October 19th, 2006, 10:11 PM

To my knowledge, the event at The Walters will not involve any ArcWheeler representatives. According to someone I know who works there, the event, which is sold out, is a lecture by Robert AM Stern on his work, including a discussion on 10 Inner Harbor. Though I'm sure what he has to say will be very interesting, especially to those who enjoy architecture, I don't expect any substantial news regarding the project to be unveiled during his discussion. Now if I'm wrong, and ArcWheeler reprentatives will be there, than all bets are off...

Here is the link to the Walters:
http://www.thewalters.org/eventscalendar/eventdetails.aspx?e=77

You are correct. :yes: I was mistaken about ARCWheeler reps at this meeting. Was thinking of something else probably when I originally wrote that. Thanks for the correction. :)

MasonsInquiries

October 19th, 2006, 11:01 PM

This kind of shit is why Maryland never gets past the turning point. If the state officials (and residents) don't believe in the state who will? The blight will simply spread.

I do not expect to read such degradation of the state from the Secretary of Transportion for Maryland. He is derailing the efforts of what could take the Baltimore-Washington corridor to the next level.

What was the point of him saying what he did? What did he accomplish? Was it really neccessary? Did he do more harm than good? His "facts" are baseless. You were hired to defend the State of Maryland not hinder its success! BRAC (especially with the defense information technology department moving) could very well possibly bring the kind of growth reported by many other publications. It could be just what the state (and in particular Baltimore City) needs to take economic growth to the next level. Since he does not have any hard evidence (or seen the results), Flanagin should not be planting the seed of doubt.

Population aside the biggest benefit of BRAC is the commercial office development potential. You already have close to 10 million square feet planned all because of BRAC. This in itself would have huge multiplier effect on the population and bring many civilian jobs to Baltimore which is ever more becoming a Branch only town. It's even forcing Booz Allen to open up shop in Maryland.

Harford, Cecil, Anne Arundel, and Prince George's Counties (you forgot Howard, Baltimore County and City and even Montgomery) are basically over 80% of the states population! So in affect it is virtually impacting the entire state. Prince George's does not want any more residential development and they are focusing on the office space development so even more people will be pushed towards Baltimore.

You know how may potential investors read that article? It was on every Biz Journal city page that they do business in. Flanagin is a fool!
well-said, SS. we need a supporter in office, not a doubter.

MasonsInquiries

October 19th, 2006, 11:03 PM

Don't worry Silver Springer. He'll be gone after Nov. 7th.:)
yep, no doubt. i'm truly banking on this to happen. it's almost eminent.

MasonsInquiries

October 19th, 2006, 11:08 PM

Residents' unity stands as complex is set to fall
Claremont Homes to make way for $118 million project
By Brent Jones
sun reporter
Originally published October 19, 2006
It was a tradition that began many years ago. About 50 Claremont Homes residents would gather every three months at the complex's auditorium for an extended family dinner.

"The parents would have to come with their children and serve them," said Anna Warren, who has lived at the East Baltimore public housing development for 47 years. "We tried to show kids a different part of life. And they used to love it. We'd make chicken, roast beef, string beans, everything."

It is one of the fondest memories of the community for Warren, who will be on hand today for the start of demolition on the 292-unit complex near Erdman Avenue and Sinclair Lane.

Developers are scheduled to raze Claremont Homes to make way for Orchard Ridge, a $118 million, 470-unit mixed income development. Freedom Villlage, another complex that shared the 60-acre site, was torn down two years ago. Orchard Ridge is expected to be completed by the end of 2010, developers say.

Orchard Ridge will consist of two- and three-story townhouses for rental and ownership. Plans call for a new community center/clubhouse, recreational open space and wooded area at the center of the site.

Claremont Homes opened as a whites-only complex in the 1950s when racial segregation was legal. Over the past decade, it became a virtually all-black community, former residents said.

The strong sense of togetherness felt by Claremont Homes residents persists. Lillian Easley has lived in the high-rise apartment building in the 4300 block of Clareway for 18 years. Many of the residents living in the soon-to-be-demolished homes moved into the high-rise within the complex, which will remain but could be torn down and replaced once the project is complete. Other former Claremont residents have moved to neighboring public housing developments.

"I miss them. We had just a happy feeling around here," said Easley, 71.

The Orchard Ridge project is one of the city's most extensive undertakings, said housing Commissioner Paul T. Graziano, who likened it to the Uplands and Barclay redevelopments. Graziano said the razing of the homes was necessary, and the community had been dealing with gas problems and similar issues that occur that decrepit homes.

"It was unlivable," Graziano said. "It was one of our oldest developments, and it was in serious need of redevelopment. ... It's going to be a massive shot in the arm to the Bel-Air/Edison neighborhood across the street."

The relocated residents of Claremont will get first crack at moving back into their old community and reuniting with neighbors, many of whom have known each other for decades.

For some, that day cannot arrive soon enough.

Margaret McDanielf had been a Claremont resident for 48 years before moving to O'Donnell Heights more than a year ago. Her assessment?

"I hate it," McDanielf said. "They're not together like we were in Claremont. They don't have activities."

McDanielf said she will be one of the first residents to sign a lease in Orchard Ridge in the winter of next year. Tenants are expected to move in around the middle of the summer.

Demolition is expected to be complete by the end of this year, developers said. Patrick Wagner, the development officer for Pennrose Properties, says his company has finished asbestos abatement and will do everything possible to keep dust down for the residents living in the apartment building.

"The only stated concern from the residents is the rodents," Wagner said. "But we've already done rat abatement."

Doors on the units at Claremont are boarded up, and windows are filled with cinderblock instead of glass. Furniture, clothes and trash litter the grassy areas, while the streets remain relatively quiet. Yellow police tape cordons off many of the units, one of which had "This use to be a happy home" spray-painted on the outside.

Warren, who serves as the tenant council president of Claremont, is eagerly awaiting the day when her old neighborhood no longer resembles a ghost town.

She expects most of her former neighbors who did not use certificates to buy houses in surrounding counties to move into the new complex. Once that happens, Warren expects life, and the Claremont spirit, to return to normal.

"We did a lot of things back then," Warren said. "We had Christmas parties. We gave food away. Claremont was very different from others. We all worked together.

"This was a happy place. And it's going to be a happy place once we get everybody back."

sdeclue

October 20th, 2006, 12:15 AM

bmorescottamanda

October 20th, 2006, 01:21 AM

Ehrlich has done a pretty good job considering everything he does is blocked by all the Democrats and he had a huge deficit coming into office because Glendening was awful and he fixed that. O' Malley will just be a big spender and put our state back into debt.

The only reason he fix the deficit is because of the crazy rise in real estate.
And it really doesn't matter because O'Malley is going to win. Ehrlich has not even taking the lead in one poll in the hole 2006.

PeterSmith

October 20th, 2006, 01:24 AM

FelixJP

October 20th, 2006, 02:42 AM

StevenW

October 20th, 2006, 03:07 AM

Very interesting. :yes: ^^

StevenW

October 20th, 2006, 03:09 AM

I have been on the lookout for information about Silo Point, since I live right next to it, in McHenry Pointe. I found this rendering online - the caption reads "Renovation and Adaptive Reuse of the Locust Point Grain Elevator in Baltimore, MD. This is a night shot of the main piazza."

http://gallery.mcneel.com/fullsize/21405.jpg

Welcome to the Forum, FelixJP. Nice rendering. Thanks for sharing. :)

bmore87

October 20th, 2006, 03:11 AM

Erhlich hasn't been all bad, but he has taken some irrational, blatant shots at Baltimore. Nevertheless, the fact is that anytime you have a divided government, more time is going to wasted on party bickering. Given that, and given that Baltimore has historically always been a Democratic city, I think Baltimore would be better off with a Democratic government in Maryland, assuming they're competent, which I think O'Malley is.

Are there any indications who might be the Secretary of Transportation under O'Malley if he is elected? If so, what is their track record like?

Well, I lost all respect for Ehrlich when he said to O'Malley, "Without us you are done." The "us" in that sentence is referred to as the state of Maryland, while the "you" is Baltimore. We need a governor who is willing to work with all juresdictions no matter who is its executive. But, I would answer your question by saying that Doug Duncan's name have been floating around ever since he backed out of the gubernatorial race. If you all didn't know, Duncan is a major supporter of mass transportation in Maryland, and he had great ideas while on the campaign trail concerning the ICC and the increasing sprawl in and around Baltimore. I know the next Transportation Secretary, (whomever it may be) couldn't be any worse than Flannagan.

Where's my manners? Welcome FelixJP!!

MasonsInquiries

October 20th, 2006, 03:28 AM

Well, I lost all respect for Ehrlich when he said to O'Malley, "Without us you are done." The "us" in that sentence is referred to as the state of Maryland, while the "you" is Baltimore. We need a governor who is willing to work with all juresdictions no matter who is its executive. But, I would answer your question by saying that Doug Duncan's name have been floating around ever since he backed out of the gubernatorial race. If you all didn't know, Duncan is a major supporter of mass transportation in Maryland, and he had great ideas while on the campaign trail concerning the ICC and the increasing sprawl in and around Baltimore. I know the next Transportation Secretary, (whomever it may be) couldn't be any worse than Flannagan.

Where's my manners? Welcome FelixJP!!

First & foremost, welcome aboard, Felix!!!!!!!!!!!!!

bmore87, i saw the debate as well and enjoyed every minute of it. i agree with you that the last thing we need is a governor that's not willing to work with EVERY jurisdiction in the state. i also thought that the "without us you are done" statement was rather shady to make on ehrlich's part. he really made himself look self-centered; flat out, 100% self-centered.

throughout the debate, you could often see the frustration in ehrlich's face after some of o'malley's comments. i thought it was rather funny the way o'malley kept including the "two bob ehrlichs" speeches in his statements in describing to marylanders the bob ehrlich "before" the 2002 election and the one "after". i also liked o'malley's closing speech in reference to the talk he had with his son about rosa parks. in a nutshell, his speech was saying that, in no way, baltimore is seperated from maryland. his speech was saying that we're all in this together. there's ONE maryland. i just wished that mr. ehrlich would learn to come to grips with that fact.

jaysonjaz

October 20th, 2006, 03:36 AM

If the poll numbers hold these guys will be history after Jan 1. Recent polling shows O'Malley up by 7 - 9 points. I hope he has a better vision for the future of the state and city. You can check all the races on "realclearpolitics.com". They compile an average of all recent polling data.

I don't really know what O'Malley is standing for.. all you get from his ads are that Ehrlich is bad and O'malley is good. He's very sketchy on the details of what he wants to do for the state

bmore87

October 20th, 2006, 04:03 AM

I don't really know what O'Malley is standing for.. all you get from his ads are that Ehrlich is bad and O'malley is good. He's very sketchy on the details of what he wants to do for the state

I really respect your opinion. Besides being a architectural buff, I'm a devoted political junkie. lol. There's some things you don't like about my candidate and there's some things I don't like about yours. What influenced me to make my decision about who to support came down to who I think would do a better job of leading Maryland into the future. I wouldn't let a campaign ad determine my choice for governor and I hope you wouldn't do the same. I'm not ashamed to admit that there's lies on both sides of the isle. As a matter of fact, I mute the television whenever one comes on. Go out and hear the candidate speak or log on to their campaign sites and see if their priorities match yours. O'Malley is coming to speak to the student body at Frostburg on Nov. 1st. That would be my 8th time seeing him speak since announcing his candidacy. Overall, I believe that the current governor is attacking the mayor and Baltimore without discussing how he would make Maryland even better in the next 4 years. Like O'Malley said at Monday's debate, "This is an election for governor of Maryland, not Baltimore City Council."

Mason, I agree wholeheartedly. The Rosa Parks analogy helped wrapped up this election.

scando

October 20th, 2006, 04:20 AM

scando

October 20th, 2006, 04:27 AM

I have been on the lookout for information about Silo Point, since I live right next to it, in McHenry Pointe. I found this rendering online - the caption reads "Renovation and Adaptive Reuse of the Locust Point Grain Elevator in Baltimore, MD. This is a night shot of the main piazza."

http://gallery.mcneel.com/fullsize/21405.jpg

It's interesting but I hope that it's a little warmer in real life. In this view the colors, lighting and dark atmosphere remind me of the Witch King's lair, Minas Morgul, in Lord of the Rings. Kinda creepy.

Silver Springer

October 20th, 2006, 04:53 AM

Could someone please post what O’Malley’s specific plans are for economic development in the state? In particular job development? He was being interviewed on a show called “In the Know” in the D.C. area and I still feel his answers were still quite vague from the last time I heard him speak. He did say he wants the same impact of economic development in Baltimore to likewise be seen in the rest of the state but I need to hear specifics.

When Doug Duncan was interviewed (on that same show) he specifically talked about connecting the Biotech industry in Montgomery County with the one in Baltimore and creating a Research triangle like in North Carolina.

The greatest positive to O’Malley being governor is that the Democrats will actually accomplish things besides the republican governor and democrats fighting it out.

All in all if the progress in Baltimore represents what he can do for the rest of the state, we may be in good hands.

Silver Springer

October 20th, 2006, 05:06 AM

Unfortunately that sentiment is not lost on his core supporters, who view Baltimore as a hopeless colony within the MD suburbs. It may offend us but it plays well in the hinterlands. Ehrlich probably realizes that his vote total in the city won't amount to much so he plays to where the votes are. The voters out there want roads and that's what he will give them. I guess we will see how that all adds up in less than a month.

As one who lives in the "suburbs and hinterlands", I can tell you now that you have to look at it on a county by county basis. Montgomery wants the purple line and is tired of traffic and growth (not me as far as commercial growth goes and neither Germantown). Prince George's is tired of being a bedroom community and wants more commercial office growth so that 60% plus of all residents don't have to drive to another state or somewhere out of the county to get to work. Frederick and Charles want a job base too. Anne Arundel, Harford, Ceceil and Howard are preparing for BRAC although Howard seems content that 95% of Columbia residents drive to work.

Of course the slow growth advocates\NIMBY's don't really understand the big picture or what can be done to mitigate traffic problems (or even what is causing them). They should be focusing on a particular type of development instead of writing it off.

Kal_A

October 20th, 2006, 05:40 AM

[QUOTE=Silver Springer;10169283]Could someone please post what O’Malley’s specific plans are for economic development in the state? In particular job development? QUOTE]

Could everyone please NOT post anything about either candidate, this is not the place for your political bickering. Lets keep the discussion relevant to the forum.

bmore87

October 20th, 2006, 07:15 AM

Could everyone please NOT post anything about either candidate, this is not the place for your political bickering. Lets keep the discussion relevant to the forum.

You know, it's easy to get thrown off topic especially when development news is low. However, the result of next month's election has much to do with the future economic plans of our state. How can slots effect Maryland business? Who could respond to the increasing population of Maryland by investing in better forms of transportation? These are some of the political aspects that could determine what we post on this forum. While I understand your motives, I have to say that the discussion thus far have been very civil and informative. When it comes down to posters attacking other posters on their political thought, a line would have to be drawn and the subject should be squashed. I appreciate everyone's input on all subjects today. I am anxious to come back to Baltimore this Thanksgiving to see the dramatic changes around town.

wada_guy

October 20th, 2006, 12:00 PM

AND FROM THE BUILDER OF 414 WATER STREET, I GIVE YOU THIS - (AS I WAIT IN AN AIRPORT TO FLY HOME).:scouserd:

I have to say, the Bush Co. has been very good to me in my dealings with them. When I asked, they provided me with full sized (3x4 feet) architectural elevations and a 30th floor plan of 414 Water at no charge.

I think they will move fast and I look for 1 tower to start next year. I doubt they will have all 3 28 story towers UC at the same time. I suspect it will just be a continuous construction zone down there that will last for 5 or 6 years. As they finish 1 tower they will start another!

With regard to Water St, I met with them and selected my options last month. At that meeting I was told that the exact same unit as mine directly above me is going for $200,000 more than what I paid. When I was told that, my response was "Well, I hope the State taxes my unit at what I paid for it and not at what I paid + 200 K." We shall see. So anyone thinking of moving to Canton Crossing, I suggest you "BUY AT PRE-CONSTRUCTION PRICES" as soon as they open a sales office.

Canton Crossing’s residential developer unveils condo plan
By JEN DEGREGORIO
Daily Record Business Writer
The Bush Cos. revealed this week it plans to build 500 condominiums that will comprise the residential portion of developer Edwin F. Hale Sr.’s mixed-use Canton Crossing project.

The Virginia-based developer expects to build three 28-story towers on 65 acres along the Southeast Baltimore waterfront, a project Hale describes as “the city within a city.” “It’s a wonderful big development they have there,” said Andrew Viola, vice president of the Bush Cos. “I think it could be a very interesting project. It would have views from Fort McHenry to the city skyline.”

In addition to the homes, Canton Crossing will ultimately include 1 million square feet of office space, 250,000 square feet of retail space and a 450-room luxury hotel. The 1st Mariner Bank office tower, located at the corner of Boston and South Clinton streets, was the first building Hale Properties LLC delivered at the complex. Tenants in the 17-story building include 1st Mariner Bank, of which Hale is chief executive, and health insurer CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. A second, 500,000-square-foot office tower is currently being planned.

Duane Rhine, vice president of Hale Properties, said it is too early to tell when Bush might break ground on the condominiums. Both Rhine and Viola declined to say how much the residential project would cost. KSI Services Inc., also a Virginia-based development company, was originally partnered with Hale Properties on the residential and retail components of Canton Crossing, Viola said. That partnership ended months ago, he said. KSI is now working with Hale on a different project in Greektown, which calls for more than 1,000 homes.

Viola is excited to begin another residential development in Baltimore. His company’s 414 Water St. condominium tower is now under construction downtown and shaping up to be a huge success. Viola said the company has sold 270 of the 350 units, at an average price of about $375 per square foot.

Canton residents are not exactly thrilled to see Canton Crossing moving ahead. The project was initially supposed to have only 100 residential units but now calls for 500, according to newspaper reports. Traffic is already a problem on narrow Boston Street, and Canton Crossing’s completion will only exacerbate that problem, said Cathi Webster, vice president of the Canton Community Association.

“The feeling in Canton is pretty much mixed about the project,” Webster said. “I don’t think anyone thinks that it’s a bad thing, but they worry about … traffic and the density levels.”

Balmurfan

October 20th, 2006, 02:45 PM

Bmore87 I agree when you say "We need a governor who is willing to work with all juresdictions no matter who is its executive.". I can tell you being from western maryland (republican counties) most people republican & democrat felt until the current administration was elected we were not even noticed and that most of the attention went to the democratic strong holds in the state. So we (western maryland) understand how it is to be the red headed step child in the state. Unfortunatly the reality is whatever party is elected they will focus the most attention to their political base and not the state as a whole. Because the O'Malley camp believes they can not win in western maryland they have focused little resources to this part of the state ie commercials on LOCAL TV stations. That makes me wonder if O'Malley gets elected will western maryland be forgotten about again? You would think O'Malley would want to spend more time and money trying to get his message across to people that are not so familiar with him and his record
instead of the places he is guarenteed to win. I am a republican who votes democrat when I believe he/she is the better person and have done so many times. I like O'Malley and believe he can do good things for the state, but it's not easy for others to see that when you don't get much face time with him.

PeterSmith

October 20th, 2006, 05:07 PM

I've never really been all that excited about the Canton Crossing project for a number of reasons. The idea of a "city within a city" bothers me. I appreciate Baltimore's diverse neighborhoods, but I also appreciate a city to have a seamless urban fabric. Canton Crossing gives the impression of walling itself off from the rest of the city. Canton already has a minor surperiority complex, I would hate for that to grow any further. Second, the architectural feel of the project has an all too suburban influence. The renderings have shown the towers to be all made of the same materials and all relatively similar, if not identical, in design. The renderings also gave me the impression that the project didn't blend well with the street level. In this manner as well it resembled a suburban office park rather than an urban neighborhood, much less a "city within a city."

That being said, I am grateful for all that Ed Hale has done and continues to do for the city, and I look forward to this project moving forward, hopefull with a few tweaks along the way. Has there been any discussion of what kind of retail the project will include?

Perhaps if these projects all turn a substantial profit, a big name developer will emerge in the aftermath. Baltimore could use another "home grown" development tycoon.

PeterSmith

October 20th, 2006, 05:09 PM

Also, the mention of the Greektown projects is the first i've heard of that in a while. I'm glad to hear that it's still in the works. Perhaps once the condos plans get off the ground, planning will pick up speed on the Greektown project. Am I correct in saying that we heard earlier that Ed Hale was off those projects though? I guess he is back on.....

PeterSmith

October 20th, 2006, 05:13 PM

My last point concerns Silo Point. Whoever designed the renderings of that project did a disappointing job, in my opinion. Aside from the fact that none of the renderings give a clear view of what the actual project will look like, or how it will relate to its surroundings, all the renderings, as scando pointed out, give it a dark and gloomy appearance, not the type of appearance you want for any project, much less a grain silo conversion.

PeterSmith

October 20th, 2006, 05:16 PM

One more thing about Canton Crossing - does anyone know if the current plans include any accommodation for the Red Line? Do the current Red Line plans call for underground or above ground transit through Canton?

rxsoccer

October 20th, 2006, 05:56 PM

FYI, (if this hasn't been posted) for those interested/curious about the traffic and lane closures around Calvert/lombard. The city started Phase I of their streetscape project 2 weeks ago there. They are currently digging up the right lane of calvert from lombard to baltimore st. Of course, not without their glitches... the whole area was blocked off to traffic for a few hours yesterday due to a gas leak....

MasonsInquiries

October 20th, 2006, 07:19 PM

[KSI Services Inc., also a Virginia-based development company, was originally partnered with Hale Properties on the residential and retail components of Canton Crossing, Viola said. That partnership ended months ago, he said. KSI is now working with Hale on a different project in Greektown, which calls for more than 1,000 homes.

i thought ksi was working individually on this project (greektown project). the last time i heard the canton crossing project mentioned, ksi & hale had parted ways on the condo part of the development, and then ksi took hold of the greektown project as the ONLY developer of this project. oh well, i guess we'll find out the truth of this matter in due time.

RockvilleRaven

October 20th, 2006, 08:13 PM

Canton Crossing is a very nice project that will create thousands of jobs and perhaps thousands of new residents to the city. To me I love the idea that Canton will try to become the different kind of city from the current downtown. I hope more and more people from the suburbs will move to the city and Canton will be the ideal place for them. My new house will be in Canton and I'm moving next week!

As for the red line I wholeheartedly support it to be 'underground'. I know Flanagan's trying to block the idea for years and even had on the MTA website that the options will be bus, BRT, Light rail or no build. I really don't mind BRT or LR if they keep it in the tunnel or build a skytrain like in some Asian countries. There's no secret that Flanagan will try to do everything cheap or not doing anything at all for Maryland.

I agree with you guys, Flanagan must go. I think Ehrlich has done an excellent job as a governor. I support Ehrlich but Flanagan really got on my nerve.

- He's against heavy rail Red line (Balto).
- He's against heavy rail Purple line (Mont co.)
- He's not excited about building Maglev train that links Washington/Baltimore
- He's not excited about connecting Washington's Green line to BWI.
- He blocked Ed Hale's cruiseship terminal proposal. (Here's my turning point. I had a dream about Baltimore to become a truly worldclass city. Imagine seeing a postcard of a cruiseship with Baltimore downtown in the background. That would be awesome.)
- He hates Baltimore. Baltimore needs better transits and he doesn't care.
- He's shortsighted. He's never seen the potentials of better transits. He hates it when people talking about the potentials of BRAC to Maryland.

O'Malley isn't my ideal candidate but I appreciate the fact that he has the passion for Baltimore city. I hope to keep him as the mayor because I believe he really cares for the city. But without Flanagan gone, I don't see Maryland making a big progress. An unlike other democratic candidates, O'malley seems to be welcomed by business people. At this point it seems to me if I want a better transit, I may have to support O'Malley instead.

MasonsInquiries

October 20th, 2006, 08:21 PM

RockvilleRaven

October 20th, 2006, 08:52 PM

Thanks!! sorry about my rants folks.

I got an incredible deal on my rehabbed home (buyers market). Good enough for me to turn down a newly built condo in Fells Point. My house will have the total of 3 decks with the views of downtown, marinas, and the pagoda!! Now I hope one of those buildings Ed Hale's going to build will not obstruct the view of the marinas from my deck!!

Maudibjr

October 20th, 2006, 09:15 PM

Excellecnt news on Canton crossing. I'm a little confused by the whole KSI/Hale and which projects they are working on or not, maybe the reporter used old info.

Charles St. is the last orginal overhed bridge in the Towson area that will need to be replaced before a beltway widening could occur. I can't figure out if they are planning on a reconstruction of the 83/695 interchange to accomadate a future widening, if not the beltway will be able to widened from Fall Rd. to Loch Raven Blvd.

Normally I am opposed to politicial comments in this thread, but as we are approaching an election which will absolutely affect development, I'll bend my rule. I am undecided on Earlich/O'Mally. O'Malley has seemed to me vague on his proposals for the state. As for Earlich, there is something to be said for the parties splitting power, but I have personally detested him since his campaign to win the 3rd district (my district) in '94, and I'm a registered republican. As far as the senate goes, you have a career politician vs. politicial machine hack, ugg. I deduct a bonus point from Steele for using his name as a pun :) .

Maudibjr

October 20th, 2006, 09:15 PM

Oh I forgot WADA, your new sig. line gave me a laugh.

StevenW

October 20th, 2006, 09:42 PM

http://www.examiner.com/images/newsroom/20_flight.jpg
Anyone going? :D

BTW, great updates about Canton Crossing, wada guy! :yes:

rxsoccer

October 20th, 2006, 09:48 PM

http://www.examiner.com/images/newsroom/20_flight.jpg
Anyone going? :D

I'm definitely planning on going... I asked the same question a couple of days ago and nobody else replied.... but how anybody could miss FlugTag is beyond me! :)

PeterSmith

October 20th, 2006, 11:02 PM

I have a question to pose that I think is quite interesting. In trying to answer my own question about how the Red Line will operate in Canton, I was looking at the Red Line alternatives in a fair amount of detail. I noticed that if the Red Line goes underground into Canton it will head east from downtown and stop just east of Patterson Park near Claremont. If the Red Line travels on a dedicated surface route, then the line will travel east to Claremont then south to the water, then hug the harbor looping back around towards downtown. In all the surface line would include, I think, three more stations in the area east of the harbor than the underground tunnel and provide easier access to transit for much of Harbor East, Fells Point and Canton.

So, the question is, knowing that all things being equal the majority of us prefer an underground tunnel, but now knowing that all things are not equal, which do you prefer? An underground tunnel terminating in Claremont, or a surface line wrapping around the waterfront neighborhoods?

MasonsInquiries

October 21st, 2006, 12:27 AM

sdeclue

October 21st, 2006, 01:40 AM

Good news on Canton Crossing. I definitely don't want it becoming its own city but I'm excited with all the projects planned there. The goal should be to eventually wrap the skyline into one from Canton Crossing to Westport to the West Side to Downtown and then all the way to Harbor Point.

sdeclue

October 21st, 2006, 01:41 AM

The widening of the Beltway still has some serious problems, particularly the triple bridges at I-70. They need to just commit the money to this and do it the right way and try and expand the entire Beltway as much as possible. Transit needs to become a major priority in the coming years because the population is growing too quickly for our roads. That's why I think mass transit is so important.

getontrac

October 21st, 2006, 05:02 AM

[LOUD BOOMING VOICE]

Any and all questions regarding the Red Line can and will be answered at TRAC's next general membership meeting on Monday, November 13 at 6PM at Baltimore City Community College in the Harbor Park Garage Building.

[/LOUD BOOMING VOICE]

A lot of good questions and discussion here in reference to the Red Line and the Amtrak line and West Baltimore MARC station and B&P tunnel, I'll try to respond to some when I get back from my micro-vacation Sunday night.

(We at TRAC spend FAR too much time researching, analyzing, and keeping abreast on this topic, but then again everyone here spends a WHOLE LOTTA time talking about buildings that don't exist!!)

Nate

SoBoChris

October 21st, 2006, 05:39 AM

Okay, its time I mentioned this, do the (MIH) and the Vue appear very simular in height or is it just me? The Mariott is suppose to be 430' and the Vue 306'. Is the Vue on a hill, or has someone screwed up the heights?

getontrac

October 21st, 2006, 05:58 AM

^Well, I seriously doubt the Marriott on the Waterfront, which is what I think you're reffering to (the Marriott Inner Harbor is at Pratt and Eutaw), is over 400 feet tall. It's only about 32 floors, which are not as tall as office floors, meaning the average height of a Marriott floor would be around 13 feet. I suspect it's closer to 10 or 11 feet.

Just a thought.

Nate

StevenW

October 21st, 2006, 03:51 PM

southbalto

October 22nd, 2006, 12:54 AM

Anyone make it to flutgag 2006.

It went off really well. The stands/piers/streets were packed today!

The watertower is looking more and more impressive each day and the exterior of the Vue is about 75% done (at least the masonry). The first building of the Ritz is about 3 floors up.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/0403/7631520e0b2cb0f2dbb8.jpeg

StevenW

October 22nd, 2006, 02:42 AM

^^ That can't be Baltimore. :no:
I'd say, San Francisco, probably. :yes:

:D

MasonsInquiries

October 22nd, 2006, 03:05 AM

The University of Maryland Medical System's $400 Million expansion looks like it's about to start. There's a concrete barrier around Pratt, Lombard, Greene, and Paca streets.

UMMS plans $400M expansion
Hospital asks regulators for outpatient center downtown
Baltimore Business Journal - by Alan Zibel, Staff

The University of Maryland Medical System is planning a $400 million expansion of its Baltimore campus that would make the hospital easier to navigate for patients who aren't staying overnight.

Currently, university clinics for such services as diagnostic imaging and chemotherapy are scattered around 13 buildings throughout the downtown campus. That makes it difficult for elderly patients and people with chronic health problems to figure out where to go.

The hospital on May 6 filed with state regulators detailed plans for a nine-story construction project at Lombard and Greene streets downtown. But hospital officials said it could very well be built somewhere else. [See related story, Page 45.]

Ellen Beth Levitt, a hospital spokeswoman, said the application was "very preliminary" and emphasized that there could still be major changes in the hospital's plan. "Things are still very much in flux," she said.

The hospital filed its application with the Maryland Health Care Commission, which oversees hospital construction and expansion projects statewide.

Joan Shnipper, who heads corporate communications for the medical system, said in an e-mail message that hospital officials plan to revise that application and file it again in July. She declined to comment further.

Ronald M. Kreitner, executive director of WestSide Renaissance Inc., which promotes growth on the city's west side, was enthusiastic about the plan, calling the hospital area a "premier location" near highways and public transportation.

"It's a very clear sign of economic strength and the economic importance of health care both for the west side and the city," Kreitner said.

The hospital's application details plans to build an L-shaped building on a block bounded by Greene, Lombard, Paca and Pratt streets. That block contains the University of Maryland, Baltimore's administrative offices, a building owned by the medical system, two parking lots and a historic building at the corner of Pratt and Paca streets used by M&T Bank and the medical system.

The plans include a bridge over Greene Street to the university's health sciences library.

micrip

October 22nd, 2006, 08:31 AM

southbalto

October 22nd, 2006, 02:48 PM

My Federal Hill sure has gotten big!!

I don't think this is Frisco...could be someplace else in California or maybe even Hawaii.

Yea, i'm not sure where it was taken. Google images didnt have any of baltimores event up yet.

OH and the MC kept referring to my neighborhood as Federation Hill hahahah

StevenW

October 22nd, 2006, 03:20 PM

I do hope someone did get some Baltimore event pix, though. :yes:

Baltimoreborn1

October 22nd, 2006, 04:41 PM

StevenW

October 22nd, 2006, 08:10 PM

^^ Great find! :yes: :)

micrip

October 23rd, 2006, 08:33 AM

The sight of those bleachers around the Inner Harbor is amazing. What a great venue.

That 2nd shot is great!!! One question though...I don't see any life jackets in evidence. That woman in the air at the end of the ramp has about a 30 foot drop into chilly water around 40 feet deep. I assume no one drowned..I would have heard about it on the news.

StevenW

October 23rd, 2006, 10:44 AM

Concern over condos
Federal Hill residents nervous about height, style
By Jill Rosen
Sun reporter
Originally published October 23, 2006

Though hundreds of Federal Hill residents are alarmed about a plan to build modern-looking condominiums in the midst of the neighborhood's historic main street, there might not be much they can do about it.

More than 200 people have signed a petition against the plan, which involves razing two storefront rowhouses on Charles Street, not far from the Cross Street Market, and building a luxury condo building. At five stories, the building would be about twice as tall as the rest of the block.

"My concern is, this building is going to go up and people are going to say, 'How in the heck could this have happened?' " said Julie Tice, past president of the South Baltimore Improvement Committee.

"What would this neighborhood look like if everything was maximized? It's not downtown, and it's not Inner Harbor East. It's a neighborhood."

The developers of the Views at Federal Hill, however, say their building won't threaten the neighborhood's character.

"We feel we're creating a very good building in the city, a cornerstone for what Federal Hill could be," said Chris Rachuba, who is working on the project with two other first-time city developers, Adam Smolen and Steven Alms.

"It's development," Rachuba added. "If you build a single house in the middle of nowhere you get opposition."

The Views, at 1201 S. Charles St., are slated to include 12 exclusive condominiums of up to 1,700 square feet apiece. There will be a garage on the ground floor along with some retail space and roof decks atop the fifth floor.

The design is a modern amalgamation of brick, metal and glass.

The project's critics fear its scale and aesthetic will diminish the charm of Charles Street, where trendy restaurants, bars and boutiques have moved into century-old, three-story storefronts.

Similar concerns have also emerged in several of Baltimore's other older neighborhoods like Fells Point and Mount Vernon, where residents and preservationists worry that developers seeking to get the most out of their investment by building bigger are doing so at the expense of the historic fabric.

But those charged with luring investment to the city say projects like the Views are just what Baltimore needs.

Bonnie Crockett, executive director of Federal Hill's Main Street program, which has given the Views its seal of approval, said preserving the neighborhood's historic feel is important, but that there's more to commercial revitalization.

"You have to keep all factors into consideration, including economic development in the neighborhood," she said.

The South Baltimore residents behind the petition are dismayed that Crockett's group, a subsidiary of the Baltimore Development Corp. with a business bent, is the only community organization that had a chance to review the Views plans.

Unlike some of the city's other historic neighborhoods like Mount Vernon or Bolton Hill, this area is not a district subject to the city's preservation board. And because the project's scope falls within zoning parameters, it doesn't need approval from either the Planning Commission or the City Council.

Yet as a courtesy, developers typically present their plans to nearby neighborhood groups - a number of them if need be. The city encourages the community involvement.

"The developer should have been responsive to that, or at least sensitive," said Paul Quinn, president of the nearby Federal Hill Neighborhood Association. "My take on it is that they wanted to get as much out of the lot as they could without regard for the neighborhood."

Added Tice: "We, as residents, should have been able to say, 'Your right to do this thing is infringing on my right to maintain a cohesive pedestrian streetscape.'"

Rachuba insists the development team has done what it needs to do, saying, "We absolutely feel we've covered our bases."

Jack Chaffin, chairman of the Main Street organization's design committee that approved the project, said the developers were willing to rework the plan a bit after his group found "it looked just huge - kind of like a big block."

Chaffin, who's also an architect, thinks the condos will benefit Federal Hill's business district, saying, "The buildings being replaced are eyesores in the community. What's replacing them is 100 times better."

The buildings to be demolished are vacant and abut an empty lot.

Baltimore's architectural review board did consider the design at a meeting this month, but it can only make recommendations, which the developer is free to disregard.

The Urban Design and Architecture Review Panel had little positive to say about the design but didn't fault its scale.

Architects on the panel recommended the developers take the plan back to the drawing board to work on ways it could fit better on the block.

"Maybe give some of that a bit more thought so you could be the good neighbor you're trying to be," panelist Mark Cameron told the developers.

jill.rosen@baltsun.com

StevenW

October 23rd, 2006, 10:46 AM

StevenW

October 23rd, 2006, 10:50 AM

wada_guy

October 23rd, 2006, 12:20 PM

Hmm:|

After cool down, city skyscrapers’ future uncertain
By JEN DeGREGORIO
Daily Record Business Writer

A downturn in Baltimore’s residential real estate market has cast doubt on the fate of two prominent downtown condominium projects. In June, ARC Wheeler LLC proposed building a 59-story condominium tower at 414 Light St., complete with a hotel, spa and retail space. Months later, UrbanAmerica LP and Doracon LLC announced similar plans for a 50-story skyscraper at 300 E. Pratt St.

The proposals met with cheers from city real estate observers, who want to see the long-vacant properties near the Inner Harbor finally put to good use. But that was before the city’s real estate market faltered, with home sales down more than 30 percent since last September.

The same people who at first cheered ARC Wheeler’s and UrbanAmerica’s plans now question whether the projects even stand a chance. Two city condominium projects have already fallen through this year. Developers of downtown’s Redwood building scrapped condominiums in favor of a hotel project, according to Delta Associates, a Virginia-based research firm. A condominium-conversion of The Halstead apartments in Charles Village was also halted due to slow sales.

“Clearly, the condo market nationally … has softened, and adding major projects with new units anytime soon in my opinion would not be all that brilliant,” said Tom Bozzuto, chief executive of The Bozzuto Group, a Greenbelt-based development company. Last year, Bozzuto completed Spinnaker Bay, an upscale apartment and condominium complex overlooking the water between the city’s Little Italy and Fells Point neighborhoods. That project came on line during the city’s real estate boom, and its 32 units have since sold out.

But even in the boom years, Bozzuto said, it would be difficult to sell out two projects as huge as ARC Wheeler’s and UrbanAmerica’s. ARC Wheeler’s building would contain 285 condominiums, along with hotel rooms and retail space. UrbanAmerica has not yet finalized its plans. “The whole complexion of the market has changed, and the cost of money has gone up,” said Dennis Malone, executive vice president of commercial real estate firm Colliers Pinkard. “I would be very reluctant to do condominium projects of that size in this housing market.”

Richmond S. McCoy, president and chief executive of UrbanAmerica, though, is not concerned about demand for condominiums. His company is still designing its project and does not expect to break ground for another year. “We think the market is going to improve over the next 12 to 18 months,” McCoy said. “We’re proceeding full-steam ahead, and we’re keeping an eye on the market.”

Jon Laria, whose law firm Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll LLP represents ARC Wheeler, said his client feels similarly confident. “Our position in our market studies indicates that demand remains extremely strong, particularly for this kind of mixed-use project,” Laria said.

ARC Wheeler and UrbanAmerica expect to break ground by the end of 2007, officials of the company said. But William Rich, an analyst with Delta Associates, would not be surprised if both projects take longer to come on line than projected. “The projects could probably happen not as soon as the developers would like,” he said. “The timetable might be pushed back because the pipeline is quite large in Baltimore City.”

About 2,700 condominium units are expected to come on line in the next 36 months, Rich said. ARC Wheeler and UrbanAmerica are not the only ones who remain undaunted by news of a softened market coupled with an abundant supply of condominiums. Developer Richard W. Naing has been buying up properties just north of City Hall with the intention of building two 60-story condominium towers. J. Joseph Clarke expects One Light Street, a long-vacant lot near the Inner Harbor, to be under contract by the end of the year. (Yea, Right - My Odds Are 100 To 1 - AGAINST That Happening)

“The property is being considered by a group that has not determined all the uses that would go there, but it would probably be for more than one single use, maybe for a condo and hotel,” said Clarke, whose company, J.J. Clarke Enterprises, serves as the resident agent of the property. Asked about the wisdom of building a similar project so close to the other proposed buildings, Clarke said he was not worried. “I think the Light Street site enjoys an advantage by being in the middle of the financial district, and it’s very convenient for a lot of downtown work places,” he said.

Race to finish

The planned skyscrapers on Light and Pratt streets will also have to compete with a slew of other residential products already underway. The Bush Cos.’ 414 Water St. condominium tower is under construction just blocks from 414 Light St. and 300 E. Pratt St., once home to a McCormick spice plant and the offices of the defunct News American newspaper, respectively. Meanwhile, the Ritz Carlton Residences and HarborView Properties Development Co.’s pier homes are under construction in Federal Hill.

Andrew Viola, vice president of the Bush Cos., is glad he began his 31-story condominium building before ARC Wheeler or UrbanAmerica could break ground on their projects. He has already pre-sold 270 units for an average price of $375 per square foot, he said. “The question remains to be seen, ‘Will they be built or developed any time soon?’” Viola asked of the ARC Wheeler and UrbanAmerica projects.

If both were built at the same time, Malone fears one would suffer from slow sales — which could mean an economic disaster for downtown Baltimore. “It took them a long time to get investment interest in here, but it will take them no time at all to destroy that investor confidence,” Malone said. “It’s okay for these properties to sit for a while longer.”

So far, only ARC Wheeler has actually submitted plans to the city. Whether UrbanAmerica and Doracon will submit plans — or One Light Street will sell — remains to be seen. “Any failure ultimately can have a negative impact on a community,” Bozzuto said, echoing Malone. “But that’s not a reason to discourage the projects from going ahead,” he added. “If someone is willing to take that kind of risk, I say, ‘God bless them, and good luck to them.’”

Hood

October 23rd, 2006, 01:13 PM

I dont know where the last photo was taken, but im pretty sure this one is in Baltimore.

http://media.marketwire.com/attachments/200610/MOD-291027_JumpTheShark_RedBullFlugtag_CPondella.jpg

http://media.marketwire.com/attachments/200610/MOD-291025_BoosterShot_RedBullFlugtag_CPondella.jpg

More picture can be found Here (http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=175239) under the Article "New U.S. Record Set at Red Bull Flugtag Baltimore!!!!!"

Flugtag was awesome. We were down there for a few hours, near the "hangar" area. We got to see the lplans roll out to the platform. The whole production was amusing, from the pre flight dancing, costumes, presentation. What a treat for baltimore.

MasonsInquiries

October 23rd, 2006, 02:31 PM

wada_guy

October 23rd, 2006, 03:32 PM

Some observations

1. How ironic is it that as the Sun guts its foreign and national news operations because they want to focus on "Local Issues", they let their Architecture Critic take a "sabbatical" during the biggest construction boom Baltimore has seen since the 1904 Great Fire. If he can't do the job replace him for god's sake. :doh:

2. Downtown was PACKED and very active this weekend. There was a visiting frigate docked in Fells Point, the Race For the Cure, a parade of 50 tug boats, and the Flying Day aka the Flugtag.

3. The Flugtag was a hoot. My favorite part was the 4 skydivers who jumped out of a helicopter a mile above the harbor and made a perfect landing on the "Flight Deck". To see 30 of my Flugtag/Tug Boat photos, click on the below link: (YES, THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE PICTURES! I couldn't avoid them. Damn.)

http://www.baltimoreguy.com/photogallery/03%20Baltimore%20Events/04%202006%20Flugtag/Photo%20Album.html

http://www.baltimoreguy.com/photogallery/03%20Baltimore%20Events/04%202006%20Flugtag/Flugtag%2008.jpg

http://www.baltimoreguy.com/photogallery/03%20Baltimore%20Events/04%202006%20Flugtag/Flugtag%2032.jpg

http://www.baltimoreguy.com/photogallery/03%20Baltimore%20Events/04%202006%20Flugtag/Flugtag%2004.jpg

StevenW

October 23rd, 2006, 09:11 PM

Great pix, wada guy! :yes:
I can't help but cringe a little each time I read one of these reports that speak about the realestate market waning and efecting our beautiful big projects. :(

I hope some positive report comes out to counter it. :D ;)

StevenW

October 23rd, 2006, 09:22 PM

Remember this? :D

FROM: UrbanAmerica, L.P.
30 Broad Street, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10004
www.urbanamerica.com
CONTACT: Diane Gonzalez
Tel. 212-612-9100
dgonzalez@urbanamerica.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
UrbanAmerica and Doracon Acquire Prestigious Site on Baltimore’s Coveted Waterfront!
NEW YORK, NY Aug. 8, 2006 – UrbanAmerica, a national real estate private equity firm, and Doracon, a Baltimore-based developer, are pleased to announce the acquisition of what many consider the most coveted undeveloped property remaining on Baltimore’s expanding waterfront. The acquisition marks the first step toward completion of a $250 million dollar mixed-use project anticipated to become the city’s signature landmark property.
Richmond McCoy, President and CEO of UrbanAmerica expressed, “I am very pleased to announce this joint venture acquisition and to work with Ron Lipscomb, Owner & President of Doracon. We are excited to participate in Baltimore’s renaissance. Our partnership is committed to bringing the highest quality of mixed-use development to Baltimore.”
The property is located at 300 East Pratt Street. And as planned, it will change the skyline in the Inner Harbor Community. The mixed-use project’s many offerings will include retail, hi-rise residential market-rate condominiums, a luxury hotel and structured parking. It consists of over 1 million sq. ft. of prime inner harbor direct water views, and is situated on the last downtown core premier parcel of land in the City of Baltimore. A high-end full service hotel is likely to boost appeal of the residential condominiums by offering shared amenities, including a concierge, room service, swimming pools and spa services. The partnership is in discussion with several hotel investors that can meet the needs of this proposed plan of the pedestrian-friendly Inner Harbor Community.
Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley and co-developer Ronald Lipscomb are both pleased with the promise the project holds and what it means for Baltimore.
“This is an extremely important development for Baltimore on many levels,” said Mayor O’Malley. “Beyond the scale of this landmark project and what it says about the steady progression of our economic expansion, it is a powerful statement about the growth and potential for minority business here in our city. It also says a great deal about Ronald Lipscomb in particular. He is a man of vision, talent and commitment to the greater good. The citizens of Baltimore are very proud and appreciative of what he is accomplishing through this exciting project with our new friends at UrbanAmerica.”
Ronald Lipscomb went on to say, “We are confident that the Pratt Street project will be a major addition to the growing inventory of special projects here in Baltimore. We recognize that we are
very fortunate to have acquired this site and intend to erect a structure that becomes synonymous with the very best Baltimore has to offer. I look forward to doing more development with UrbanAmerica. They appreciate the value of revitalization of our urban centers and have the courage, experience and insight to make their investments successful.”
UrbanAmerica is a national real estate private equity firm with $500 million under management and a $5 billion pipeline of for-sale residential, retail and office opportunities. A minority-controlled registered investment advisor founded in 1998, the Company established an urban investment niche targeting properties in healthcare, government and academic spheres, along with mixed use residential condominiums and retail markets. Currently, it owns and operates a portfolio of properties representing 3.6 million sq. ft. including a large portfolio in the DC Metro area.
Doracon, LLC is a Maryland-based development company with a growing portfolio of residential, commercial and mixed use projects. With over 20 years in the construction business, Doracon is currently involved in a number of waterfront and other high profile projects in Baltimore and other cities throughout the United States.
:)
Ah..... that's much better to read..... ;) :yes:

PeterSmith

October 23rd, 2006, 11:10 PM

I'm still a little sketchy as to what Flugtag actually is? Is it a competition? A show? An exhibition?

Either way, great pics. The harbor looks great.

jeremai

October 23rd, 2006, 11:14 PM

Great pictures, Wada! Flugtag looks awesome; the Inner Harbor looks so alive. Is that stadium seating on top of West Shore Park? I can't believe I missed it!!

jeremai

October 23rd, 2006, 11:17 PM

Clarke boots Rec Pier equity partner
Baltimore Business Journal - October 20, 2006by Daniel J. SernovitzStaff

Nicholas Griner | Staff
The redevelopment of Rec Pier could cost more than $50 million.
View Larger
J.J. Clarke Enterprises Inc. has dismissed the equity partner that saved it from losing the multimillion-dollar Fells Point Recreation Pier redevelopment project to another developer.

The move leaves the nearly $50 million waterfront project without a financial backer once again and local merchants frustrated by its lack of progress.

http://cll.bizjournals.com/story_image/59684-400-0.jpg?rev=2

Here we go again...................... :no:

Thanks for posting that, Steve. I still get the BBJ electronically thanks to my ex-boss's paper subscription (until she tries to log in online and realises!). However, they don't let you copy and paste test from the PDF, and I couldn't find this article on the web site to post it here, so I completely forgot about it.

The full article said he lined up the equity partner quickly when the city set a deadline. Makes you wonder if he really planned to stick with them at all.

PeterSmith

October 23rd, 2006, 11:42 PM

I wonder what ARCWheeler reps would have to say about Jen DeGregorio's article. I'm sure they've seen it, but someone should send it to them and see how they reply.

Perhaps there is some truth to that article. Afterall, we all know that the real estate market is full of ups and downs, and I'm not claiming to be an expert, but it seems like the ideas put forth in this article are not full representations of the sentiments in the industry. 10IH and 300 East Pratt Street, as well as all the other towers, were proposed either during the economic slowdown, or at a point where the economic slowdown was imminent. Projects of this size take months, even years, to produce. A developer can't expect to propose and construct a tower during the course of most real estate booms. I think ARCWheeler and UrbanAmerica are seeing the big picture, and that's why they are successful with proven track records. Developers like Clarke are probably unsuccessful because the second they see the market hit a bump, they hesitate and think twice.

What's interesting is that while this article has hit the press, condos are still being proposed (eg. the Federal Hill condos above). All things considered, I don't see how a city of 650,000, in a metro of 8 million, is incapable of supporting a few tower projects.

StevenW

October 23rd, 2006, 11:54 PM

^^ Great idea, Peter. :yes:
Plus add your comments you've just made above. :)
I'm sure they'd like a little boost of support. :yes:

:D

rxsoccer

October 24th, 2006, 12:00 AM

^^ It was thought that the MIH actually is around 360 ft. tall and not 430 ft. tall as advertized everywhere in stat publications.
With the very "similar" height of it and the Vue, I would highly suspect that that's correct. :yes:

If you drive on I-95 just south of the harbor tunnel you get a great view of the MIH and the VUE and can see that the MIH is definitely a bit taller than the VUE. Its not a lot taller, but definitely a difference... just eyeballing it while driving (and trying not to get in an accident) I would say it looked like about 30-50 ft taller...

PeterSmith

October 24th, 2006, 12:14 AM

When is the Vue expected to be ready for occupation? How is the retail at Harbor East now? Have most of the retailers opened shop yet?

getontrac

October 24th, 2006, 12:47 AM

It appears as though the new Barnes and Noble on 33rd St at Charles Commons may be open for business.

On a quick drive-by, I saw the lights on and the shelves stacked. :)

Nate

sdeclue

October 24th, 2006, 01:14 AM

Ahh this news scares me but my thoughts are that all big skyscraper projects should be moving forward right now because by the time they are actually built the market should be full steam ahead again and BRAC will only help.

fanofterps

October 24th, 2006, 01:39 AM

Filene's Basement to open Inner Harbor location
Baltimore Business Journal - 5:26 PM EDT Mondayby Julekha DashStaff
Print this Article Email this Article Reprints RSS Feeds Most Viewed Most Emailed
Discount retailer Filene's Basement has signed a lease for a new store at downtown's Lockwood Place, the company's fourth Maryland location.

Construction for the 31,000-square-foot shop will begin in the next several weeks, said Adam Miller, a retail broker at KLNB Retail in Towson. Miller did not know when the store will open.

Known for selling designer brands at bargain prices, the Burlington, Mass. retailer joins Best Buy, which is located on the third floor of the three-story retail tower located at the corner of Pratt and Market Place.

P.F. Chang's China Bistro Inc. is also slated to come to the downtown retail center, the Baltimore Business Journal first reported last month.

Miller said the project's developer, Arthur S. Brown Enterprises Ltd. of Owings Mills and retail brokers are talking to other retailers and restaurants to fill the remaining space on the building's first floor.

"This sends a signal to other retail stores that downtown is viable and exciting," said Mike Evitts, a spokesman for Downtown Partnership.

Filene's Basement appeals to a wide demographic, and not just residents living in high-end condominiums, said Nan Rohrer, director of retail development at Downtown Partnership.

Filene's Basement has stores in nine states.

Hugh Jaramillo

October 24th, 2006, 01:58 AM

It appears as though the new Barnes and Noble on 33rd St at Charles Commons may be open for business.

On a quick drive-by, I saw the lights on and the shelves stacked. :)

Nate

Barnes & Noble

It opened on Friday but the official opening was on Saturday the 21st. Being a librarian, I have a soft spot for books and it will be was nice to have a full service book store close to where I live. Although I do prefer Borders because I think they have a better selection of books. Anyway, there was a huge que of people waiting to purchase things but most of the merchandise seemed to be JHU related, I guess because it was parents week. I did walk up to the second level and it is very impressive. There is a large cafeteria which overlooks 33rd Street and there are a slue of common areas for the students. It will be even better when the shops open accross the street at the Charles Commons Lofts. It will give that area a college town feel which it has never had before. And then of course the Olmstead will really give that entire area a big boost. I noticed that the Safeway on 25th St. has been renovated and it reopened on Saturday as well. I haven't been inside to see what they have done.

PeterSmith

October 24th, 2006, 02:11 AM

getontrac

October 24th, 2006, 02:44 AM

^Big enough.

The main store of Filene's was (is) a staple of Boston. It is (was) the equivalent of Hecht's in the May Co. The traditional department store sector has taken a hit recently, but I think this is a good addition considering the size available and I'm glad it's more middle-road, not just high-end. Unfortunately, almost all of Baltimore is high-end and low-end and nothing in the middle.

Good News!! Really, more retail now and street level activity does more for downtowns than all the skyscraper proposals in the far future. A great cause to celebrate for downtown!:cheers2:

Nate

PeterSmith

October 24th, 2006, 03:29 AM

To be honest, as excited as I am to have 60 story towers rising in the skyline, the more I read about each project, the more I get excited about the prospects of the restaurants, retail, five-star hotels, and other amenities that are going to make the city much more exciting than it already is. As far as improving Baltimore's downtown, there really is almost no down-side to these major projects.

PeterSmith

October 24th, 2006, 03:45 AM

I found these pictures of Harbor Point and I was wondering if anyone knew if they were the most recent, or if others had replaced them

http://63.240.68.122/FirmFiles/8/images/43024-Aerial-Rendering-larg.jpg

http://63.240.68.122/FirmFiles/8/images/43024-Plan-large.jpg

I wonder what they have planned at "The Five Corners"....
http://63.240.68.122/FirmFiles/8/images/43024-Diagram-large.jpg

http://63.240.68.122/FirmFiles/8/images/43024-Model-large.jpg

http://63.240.68.122/FirmFiles/8/images/43024-Wills-l3.jpg

fanofterps

October 24th, 2006, 04:09 AM

Wheeler said in the e-mail to Steve that 10 Inner Harbor will likely be 125 condo's and not 250-300 like orginally planned. They were going to use the remaining space for rental apartments or offices. I really believe Baltimore can support 2 to 3 more condo/apartment/hotel buildings in the Harbor over the next 5 years. Hopefully, Four Seasons, 10 Inner Harbor and 300 East Pratt or the Cordish Tower. 10 Inner Harbor will not even open until 2011 per Wheeler's e-mail.

To be honest, as excited as I am to have 60 story towers rising in the skyline, the more I read about each project, the more I get excited about the prospects of the restaurants, retail, five-star hotels, and other amenities that are going to make the city much more exciting than it already is. As far as improving Baltimore's downtown, there really is almost no down-side to these major projects.

getontrac

October 24th, 2006, 04:27 AM

Street level and the lower 3 or 4 floors is where its at when in comes to lively, attractive cities. Having a few really tall buildings with great architecture is great, but block after block of bustling retail and storefronts and pedestrian friendly designs at the base is what really matters.

Sure, Legg Mason is a good example of moderism at the time, but it's a waste of space and it doesn't add much of a dynamic to downtown as a place, only to itself as downtown Class A office space.

There are lots of cities in this country that have way more highrises with great height, but I wouldn't trade it. Do you want us to be like Houston. Tall high-rises and parking garages? I think not.

The Best Buy, the Superfresh, and now Filene's Basement (in addition to the Office Depot) are the types of establishments I've been wanting in downtown forever. RETAIL!!!! A place to shop instead of having to drive to the beltway.

These type of developments are the positive feedbacks that lead to more development and more interest in downtown as a place to be. Someone said it last week--the Superfresh is worth 2 or 3 high-rises! If anything the Superfresh will help justify the existance of those new high-rises.

Nate

(Now if we could just get some retail where it REALLY needs to be--the Westside!!!!)

scando

October 24th, 2006, 04:33 AM

It appears as though the new Barnes and Noble on 33rd St at Charles Commons may be open for business.

On a quick drive-by, I saw the lights on and the shelves stacked. :)

Nate

I stopped in there Saturday. It's open, although not entirely ready or stocked. The downstairs is cafe and regular books and the upstairs is text books. Something I've never seen and a BN though is that they have cosmetics and sweatshirts. No music or videos though. I guess they must have realized that the Record and Tape Collector next door beats BN's awful music prices by about $5 on CDs. In truth while I lke it being there, it's not that great of a BN. It's small and doesn't appear to have anything like the shelf space of the one in Towson or in the Power Plant. The cafe space is also pretty small. They were giving away coffee and sodas on Saturday but didn't have any food yet.

scando

October 24th, 2006, 04:48 AM

Didn't the developers of Lockwood Place state a few weeks back that they were holding out on retailers to fill their space because they knew they could attract a major big-name tenant? Does Filene's Basement fit that description? Personally, I've never heard of it before.

Filene's Basement would seem to be a pretty good addition. It has name brand clothes discounted. From what I read somewhere the Basement brand is not associated with the regular Filene's but separated from them some years ago. I believe that the one in Boston is actually the basement of Filene's. Now that it's been digested by Macy's I guess it's all moot though. I hope they make it a little more visually appealing than the one in Towson, which is just a big box full of clothes.

Eerik

October 24th, 2006, 09:19 AM

Having a Filene's in Baltimore is definitely a coup. While considered a discount retailer, it definitely offers plenty of "high class appeal" to the average shopper. Their stores here in Washington are often packed with shoppers of all classes and economic backgrounds. My only concern for the Baltimore store is that of location: I wonder if it isn't too seperated from the downtown area?

fanofterps

October 24th, 2006, 12:16 PM

This is what makes Inner Harbor East so exciting because it has street level retail. 10 Inner Harbor will also have 75,000 sq ft of street level retail and 300 East Pratt will have about 40,000. Four Seasons will have about 25,000 sq ft of street level retail.

The Legg Mason building does nothing to make Baltimore a 24 hour city.

Street level and the lower 3 or 4 floors is where its at when in comes to lively, attractive cities. Having a few really tall buildings with great architecture is great, but block after block of bustling retail and storefronts and pedestrian friendly designs at the base is what really matters.

Sure, Legg Mason is a good example of moderism at the time, but it's a waste of space and it doesn't add much of a dynamic to downtown as a place, only to itself as downtown Class A office space.

There are lots of cities in this country that have way more highrises with great height, but I wouldn't trade it. Do you want us to be like Houston. Tall high-rises and parking garages? I think not.

The Best Buy, the Superfresh, and now Filene's Basement (in addition to the Office Depot) are the types of establishments I've been wanting in downtown forever. RETAIL!!!! A place to shop instead of having to drive to the beltway.

These type of developments are the positive feedbacks that lead to more development and more interest in downtown as a place to be. Someone said it last week--the Superfresh is worth 2 or 3 high-rises! If anything the Superfresh will help justify the existance of those new high-rises.

Nate

(Now if we could just get some retail where it REALLY needs to be--the Westside!!!!)

getontrac

October 24th, 2006, 03:32 PM

Brian21

October 24th, 2006, 04:17 PM

Weren't they talking about putting some major retail chains at the Mechanic Theatre site? That would be a perfect location for some big time store chains.

quabex

October 24th, 2006, 04:28 PM

Weren't they talking about putting some major retail chains at the Mechanic Theatre site? That would be a perfect location for some big time store chains.

the mechanic would be a great site for a 'target'. i inevitably spend a hundred bucks in that store every time i go...even if i'm just going for an iron and dog food...there's always something else to buy! as for the location of filine's, i don't think it will be a problem. it sits 2 blocks from 300 pratt which will (god willing) be full of residents sooner than later. and its also walking distance from the vue/spinnaker bay/little italy and the rest of harbor east as well as the water street tower. its a longer walk for the folks in charles towers and park charles but not out of the question. its a short bike ride from fells, canton, and fed hill. if you look at the location of the residents rather than the office workers, i think its in a great location. thats not to say that the west side (and other parts of the city) couldn't use more retail, but i don't think lockwood is a bad move for filines or best buy.

Silver Springer

October 24th, 2006, 04:42 PM

These type of developments are the positive feedbacks that lead to more development and more interest in downtown as a place to be. Someone said it last week--the Superfresh is worth 2 or 3 high-rises! If anything the Superfresh will help justify the existance of those new high-rises.

Let's not go nuts, the Legg Mason is a rare example of non-mixed use building. Most high-rises are mixed use with ground floor retail.

If the superfresh is a one story structure with no use above then it is an inefficient use of space for such a service in an urban area as well as encourages sprawl and makes Baltimore look suburban.

I guess I simply don't understand why you are seperating the two. High-rise\skyscrapers are the stucture, they do not belong in the same sub category of retail, office, residential etc. A building HOLDS retail, residential and office that will activate the street. 10 IH is now proposed to hold all three and at the same time give a positive perception of Baltimore to all passers by and TV viewers, that is something the superfresh can never do. That in it's self is worth 10 billion times the superfresh.

Are you implying that skyscrapers can only hold one form of use or basically a pretty shell?

Hugh Jaramillo

October 24th, 2006, 05:51 PM

I stopped in there Saturday. It's open, although not entirely ready or stocked. The downstairs is cafe and regular books and the upstairs is text books. Something I've never seen and a BN though is that they have cosmetics and sweatshirts. No music or videos though. I guess they must have realized that the Record and Tape Collector next door beats BN's awful music prices by about $5 on CDs. In truth while I lke it being there, it's not that great of a BN. It's small and doesn't appear to have anything like the shelf space of the one in Towson or in the Power Plant. The cafe space is also pretty small. They were giving away coffee and sodas on Saturday but didn't have any food yet.

Barnes & Noble

Scando, I agree with your critique of the new JHU Barnes & Noble store in the Charles Commons. The periodical section is tiny by comparison with most of their other stores too. One thing that is unique about it is that it has a seperate section for JHU Press publications which are difficult to find at other bookstores. Here's a link to a descriptive article about the new Barnes & Noble. Did you make it to the second level when you where there on Saturday? I did and was very impressed with what I saw.

http://www.jhu.edu/~gazette/2006/16oct06/16books.html

folsomfanatic

October 24th, 2006, 06:40 PM

the filene's may be far, but it's the type of retail store that people travel to go to. it's a draw in itself so it'll be just fine.

i'm more worried about baltimore's current tallest. a birdie that works at legg told me they had an internal meeting regarding their office space:

in 3 years it's highly likely that they will move their entire downtown operation to a new campus in owings mills (they currently own the land) or they will roll those same operations up into NYC.

Legg is still trying to figure out who they are...small fish in NY or big fish in Baltimore. in any case, they are getting to a point where if they are paying big $$$ for space in NYC that they wouldn't need to pay top $$$ to be down in Baltimore.

they supposedly had looked at building a new headquarters on the harbor point site, but management refused to be located on a fomerly polluted piece of ground. they could build a new tower, but it'd be cheaper to expand in the OM area.

my guess is that they'll threaten to leave and then reap the benefits the city and state will throw at them.

southbalto

October 24th, 2006, 06:50 PM

Eerik

October 24th, 2006, 09:01 PM

I'll move my account from legg to T row if they do. Its amazing these baltimore institutions don't seem to have any true loyality to the city.

Allfirst, Merc, AlexBrown and Legg hunh.....

It's business: there is no loyalty to the hometown, only shareholders.

Eerik

October 24th, 2006, 09:16 PM

^I echo the notion that the Filene's (Lockwood) location may be too far from downtown's core to be ideal. That's the problem with Harborplace and Inner Harbor East. They really do not work well as locations for retail outside of the tourism industry or specialty/high-end sector. Why?--?

--Because they are cut-off by the water on one side. Everyone working downtown has to go to the edge of downtown to do shopping. A centralized location would be more convenient: hence, that is why Howard and Lexington worked so well. There's PLENTY of vacant lots on the Westside with large footprints for one floor to have 20,000 to 40,000 feet worth of space--with better transit, too.

That said, Baltimore is so starved for retail, Filene's will work fine. Everytime I've been in that BestBuy, it's swarming.

Nate

As to Filene's and it's location in downtown Baltimore: I'm not sure if Howard and Lexington is any closer to "downtown" than the Lockwood site. They are both near the edge. If anything (currently) 500 E. Pratt Street seems closer to a "heart" of the city since it yields a much higher visibility than Howard and Lex, even though it too is at the edge of the traditional central business district.

As to Harborplace being at the edge of downtown, keep in mind that one intentional paradigm that was incorporated into the Harborplace design was that it -- as an event -- occurs literally at the heart of downtown Baltimore. The city seems to wrap around Harborplace and the Inner Harbor. This feature is what makes the Baltimore experience so unique from other similar projects: that it literally occurs at the intersection of the heart of downtown. (Originally the city wanted to locate the "festival marketplace" along the west shore closer to the Science Center...) So today, the city has two crossroads: Charles and Baltimore Streets, and Light and Pratt Streets -- two downtowns that are sort of at odds with each other.

But as for Filene's, I believe they'll (initially) do well. Retailing today no longer moves at the snails pace of yesteryear: once if deemed the new Filene's space isn't profitable, they will move out as quickly as they came in, and something new will take its space.

StevenW

October 24th, 2006, 09:18 PM

Allot of good conversation going on here. :) :yes:

It's good to see.

I like the new retail coming to Baltimore as well.

wada_guy

October 24th, 2006, 09:21 PM

Well I guess I better start planning for bankruptcy. For 5 years my office was directly over the Filene's Basement at the Shops at National Place in Washington. I spent so much money there because they do offer bargains on shoes, clothes, and housewares. Now I'll be living 1 block from one. My Water Street condo will be 1200 square feet of Filene's bags. I see financial ruin on the horizon. :hilarious

Has anyone realized that the Best Buy, Filene's Basement, Barnes and Noble (on the other side of Pratt St.) and Changs, when taken together = one big department store? True department stores, like Hutzler's and Stewarts, simply don't exist anymore. Now, if we could only get a Marshall's, Target, and a Crate and Barrel downtown and I'd be happy. At one time, I wanted a Tower or Virgin record store too, but they are quickly going the way of the traditional department store - extinct. Tower is having their national going out of business sale as I write this.

The front page article in the Sun today hinted that there are more big retail announcemts to come!

I'm very surprised that no one here mentioned that J.J. Clark's Light Street property will be "Under contract by the end of the year." (I forgot if they specified what THE YEAR was - 2006, 2050, etc.)

With regard to the BIG BOYS, I think it's now a race to see who breaks ground first - 10 IH or the News American site. The developer with the most experience will most likely have the easiest job of arranging financing. Once one of these projects is UC, I think the other one may be put on hold or change from condo's to some other use. Personally, I would rather see the New American site developed first. It would present the skyline in the best light.

How is England treating you and your's jeremai? Miss your pictures. Let us know if you post any from the UK.

pepperjack

October 24th, 2006, 10:24 PM

I went to the Tower down here in Lincolnia on my lunch hour. Their everything must go 20% off on CDs didn't even lower the price to the level of a non-chain store like the Soundgarden. Might have something to do with why they are going out-of-business.

getontrac

October 25th, 2006, 12:25 AM

As to Filene's and it's location in downtown Baltimore: I'm not sure if Howard and Lexington is any closer to "downtown" than the Lockwood site. They are both near the edge. If anything (currently) 500 E. Pratt Street seems closer to a "heart" of the city since it yields a much higher visibility than Howard and Lex, even though it too is at the edge of the traditional central business district.

As to Harborplace being at the edge of downtown, keep in mind that one intentional paradigm that was incorporated into the Harborplace design was that it -- as an event -- occurs literally at the heart of downtown Baltimore. The city seems to wrap around Harborplace and the Inner Harbor. This feature is what makes the Baltimore experience so unique from other similar projects: that it literally occurs at the intersection of the heart of downtown. (Originally the city wanted to locate the "festival marketplace" along the west shore closer to the Science Center...) So today, the city has two crossroads: Charles and Baltimore Streets, and Light and Pratt Streets -- two downtowns that are sort of at odds with each other.

But as for Filene's, I believe they'll (initially) do well. Retailing today no longer moves at the snails pace of yesteryear: once if deemed the new Filene's space isn't profitable, they will move out as quickly as they came in, and something new will take its space.

The westside is simply closer to more people--the area has more apartments and is closer to the subway and light rail and the buses. Market Place isn't bad, it is just that, in the long run, the westside is better. It is 1.5 blocks past the edge of Charles Center and the old CBD, but on the opposite side is the UMB. The westside is also closer to Mt. Vernon and Bolton Hill. There are more opportunities to build a higher concentration of retailers than what remains on the northern waterfront--though at least Lockwood is close to the Metro.

Nate

getontrac

October 25th, 2006, 12:32 AM

Let's not go nuts, the Legg Mason is a rare example of non-mixed use building. Most high-rises are mixed use with ground floor retail.

If the superfresh is a one story structure with no use above then it is an inefficient use of space for such a service in an urban area as well as encourages sprawl and makes Baltimore look suburban.

I guess I simply don't understand why you are seperating the two. High-rise\skyscrapers are the stucture, they do not belong in the same sub category of retail, office, residential etc. A building HOLDS retail, residential and office that will activate the street. 10 IH is now proposed to hold all three and at the same time give a positive perception of Baltimore to all passers by and TV viewers, that is something the superfresh can never do. That in it's self is worth 10 billion times the superfresh.

Are you implying that skyscrapers can only hold one form of use or basically a pretty shell?

I don't think that Legg Mason is a rare example of a non mixed use building. I would say about HALF of the high-rises in downtown constructed since the 50's have little or no retail, or if so, it is not streetfront.

I think you're miscontructing my sentiment. Charles Plaza already is what it is. The existance of a SuperFresh NOW changes the dynamic of downtown immediately--more so than the construction of many high-rises, for if you don't work or live there, there is no significance. But everyone needs food. The high-rise plans are great, but they are far in the future and uncertain, and could be bad architecture that the city will scorn, but grocery stores and mainstream retail can fundamentally change how a visitor, resident, or office worker operates from day to day with those amenities.

Nate

Silver Springer

October 25th, 2006, 01:56 AM

I don't think that Legg Mason is a rare example of a non mixed use building. I would say about HALF of the high-rises in downtown constructed since the 50's have little or no retail, or if so, it is not streetfront.

I think you're miscontructing my sentiment. Charles Plaza already is what it is. The existance of a SuperFresh NOW changes the dynamic of downtown immediately--more so than the construction of many high-rises, for if you don't work or live there, there is no significance. But everyone needs food. The high-rise plans are great, but they are far in the future and uncertain, and could be bad architecture that the city will scorn, but grocery stores and mainstream retail can fundamentally change how a visitor, resident, or office worker operates from day to day with those amenities.

Nate

Again, it isn't a choice bewtween highrises or superfresh. My point is that yours is a comparison between apples and oranges. It's like comparing a car with and without antilock brakes and side air bags. The problem isn't the concept of a car but that partcular cars configuration, blame or praise the automaker (developer) or buyer(residents) for making and demanding those choices. "Higrise buildings are bad, superfresh is good" doesn't seem to have a strong correlation that flies.

In this case you CAN have your cake an eat it too. Infact this is the way it SHOULD be and mixed-use projects are increasingly becoming the norm. Why don't you wish for that highrise building ONTOP with the superfresh at the ground floor instead of forcing your self to choose between the two? Doesn't seem like you would be asking for much. In effect you could get more residents and/or office workers to support the superfresh.

You can also put a negative spin on anything. The service at the superfresh could be terrible pushing residents away while affecting other retail in the area, especially in an area with just that store and nothing else down the road. If it is overrun with bad news people will avoid and drive away regardless of people needing food. It could become illmaintained with Baltimore and Washington already winning the slowest service award. I still stand that a mixed use skyscraper can do A LOT more than one grocery store can do alone which includes holding a grocery store and then some. Anyways, the comparison doesn't really make any sense.

getontrac

October 25th, 2006, 02:08 AM

^Silver Springer, you're overinterpretting my comments. At no time did I think high-rise development bad. Nor did I suggest that a downtown superfresh should be a one-story buiding--that's just how it worked out.

I'm suggesting that developments like a downtown grocery store becoming a reality (as it is now) CAN be more significant than another apartment, office or condo buiding insofar as qualifying the operational and dynamic nature of activity and life downtown. I was also making a temporal argument: that the Superfresh and the Filene's ARE realities and the skyscrapers are a long way off. The retail additions now can quickly change and improve downtown, whereas discussions of future skyscrapers sometimes border on the academic.

Nate

Silver Springer

October 25th, 2006, 02:40 AM

PeterSmith

October 25th, 2006, 02:48 AM

From GBC.org

Community leaders tour subway, light rail stations; gauge development opportunities
10/18/2006

On a rainy Saturday in late September community leaders and elected officials took time to explore both realized and unrealized development opportunities around Metro Subway and Light Rail stations in Baltimore.

The tour, organized by the Citizens Planning and Housing Association, the Baltimore Neighborhood Collaborative, and the Greater Baltimore Committee, included projects at differing scales and stages of development. Participants saw garages under construction at Owings Mills, soon-to-be-developed parking lots at State Center, the completed Symphony Center, and nearly complete Clipper Mill.

At each stop local developers, community representatives, or public officials offered insights about the projects and how to best realize their full potential. Elected official participants included Senator Lisa Gladden, Delegate Sandy Rosenberg, Delegate Adrienne Jones, as well as representatives of Baltimore City Council President Sheila Dixon and Councilwoman Helen Holton.

PeterSmith

October 25th, 2006, 02:49 AM

Also from GBC.org

O’Malley, Ehrlich support transit, but agree that funding will be a challenge
10/23/2006

As both major gubernatorial candidates voice support for the Greater Baltimore Committee’s priorities for strengthening transit in the region and Maryland’s transportation resources in general, they also agree that finding ways to fund future transportation projects will be difficult.

“We think more people would ride the Baltimore subway if one could go from east to west on it, instead of just from north to south. The ‘how to’ of how you pay for that is going to be a real challenge,” Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley told the GBC board of directors on October 13.

Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. has budgeted more than $242 million in funding to pay for planning the new Red Line from Woodlawn to East Baltimore. He has pledged to the GBC that he will ensure that planning and environmental impact work will be completed “so that construction can begin by 2010.”

Beyond that, however, neither candidate has put forth a specific proposal for funding increasing transportation needs beyond Maryland’s current six-year Consolidated Transportation Budget.

“The challenges to future transportation funding in Maryland are substantial,” says GBC President Donald C. Fry. “They include anticipated diminishing federal funding for transportation projects coupled with the increasing inability of the gas tax – Maryland’s primary mechanism for generating transportation funding – to keep up with inflation.”

In his response to a Baltimore Transit Alliance/GBC questionnaire to candidates, Governor Ehrlich noted that General Assembly legislation passed this year, which he signed into law, requires the Maryland Department of Transportation to conduct an analysis of transit funding needs, to identify strategies for leveraging federal funding, and to review how transit is funded in other states. That report is expected before the General Assembly convenes in January 2007.

A successful transportation funding strategy will have to overcome the political challenge of gaining General Assembly approval. “A delegate or senator from western Maryland isn’t very likely to vote for investments in transportation if none for them are coming back to his or her district,” Mayor O’Malley said. Nevertheless, “we need a statewide vision for transportation that has to include mass transit,” he said.

To view text of Governor Ehrlich’s and Mayor O’Malley’s responses to the Baltimore Transit Alliance/GBC transit questionnaire to candidates, click here.

To view Governor Ehrlich’s list of transportation accomplishments from his campaign web site, click here.

To view Mayor O’Malley’s transportation platform on his campaign site, click here.

MasonsInquiries

October 25th, 2006, 03:08 AM

Every component whether residential, retail or office has their strengths and weaknesses but comparing them to the physical structure seems mute. Time (as we have learned) is at the discretion of the developer. By the way how long is that Whole Foods taking or is it done yet?

it's been open a good 2 years, i think.

scando

October 25th, 2006, 04:39 AM

Barnes & Noble

Scando, I agree with your critique of the new JHU Barnes & Noble store in the Charles Commons. The periodical section is tiny by comparison with most of their other stores too. One thing that is unique about it is that it has a seperate section for JHU Press publications which are difficult to find at other bookstores. Here's a link to a descriptive article about the new Barnes & Noble. Did you make it to the second level when you where there on Saturday? I did and was very impressed with what I saw.

http://www.jhu.edu/~gazette/2006/16oct06/16books.html

The store is pretty small by megastore standards. I looked at the article and it said "the entire store, which will stock close to 500,000 books and magazine titles" - I can't see how they will get 1/2 million in there unless they get it to where it's like the Strand in NYC where they have aisles 2 feet wide and books up to the ceiling. Maybe it's not really finished yet.

FelixJP

October 25th, 2006, 07:02 AM

I have to disagree somewhat with the critique of the Barnes & Noble at Charles Commons. I am a grad student(in real estate, of course) at Hopkins and the bookstore on the Homewood campus is a cramped dungeon in the dark basement of a building. So when you compare that to the new store, it makes for an incredible improvement. That being said, I will continue to go to the Barnes & Noble at the Inner Harbor when I want to browse for personal items. I'll buy my JHU sweatshirts at the new store though!

Also the news about Filene's Basement is fantastic. It's at least a start to getting some larger retail stores downtown.

Silver Springer

October 25th, 2006, 12:33 PM

it's been open a good 2 years, i think.

Is that the same Whole Foods that is still under construction and was being discussed some posts back?

getontrac

October 25th, 2006, 12:51 PM

Silver Springer

October 25th, 2006, 01:08 PM

^We were discussing the Superfresh at Charles Plaza a few posts back....is that what you were referring to? That is under construction.

The Whole Foods is at Inner Harbor East, on the outer fringe of downtown.

Nate

Ok I guess so, sorry. My point being it still took a while.

People on this forum are always complaining about how Baltimore doesn't get any skyscrapers but when it could finally become a reality and several are proposed, grocery stores supersede them (and I still don't understand comparing them in the same sentence). Do you want them or not?

I really hope ARC Wheeler and the rest aren't reading this.

jeremai

October 25th, 2006, 03:06 PM

How is England treating you and your's jeremai? Miss your pictures. Let us know if you post any from the UK.

Thanks for asking! I love being back in the UK, although I look forward to being more settled than we are right now. I had a job for two weeks which I left because it didn't feel right, so now I'm back to square one. I think I am having a bit of homesickness for Baltimore: I had a dream the other night that the town we're considering buying a house in was full of decaying rowhouses! Couldn't decide if that was a good or a bad sign. ;)

Actually, I have made a couple of UK photo threads already:
Windsor (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=395475)
London (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=397179)

wada_guy

October 25th, 2006, 03:44 PM

YEA! Mayo Shattuck's bid to loot Baltimore of another company and line his pockets - again - FAILS!

FPL, Constellation Energy call off $12.5B merger

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- FPL Group (FPL) and Constellation Energy Group (CEG) called off their $12.5 billion merger Wednesday, as state regulators' concerns about rising power prices scuttled another major utility deal.
The decision follows Exelon Corp.'s (EXC) decision Sept. 14 to scrap its $17 billion acquisition of Public Service Enterprise Group (PEG) for similar reasons. The cancellations make clear dealmaking in the sector faces a high hurdle while regulators grapple with soaring power prices as multiyear rate freezes end in many states.

Baltimore-based Constellation's shares plunged 5.7% to $58.98 in premarket trading after the announcement. Florida-based FPL's shares rose 2.0% to $49.17.

Constellation, the company being acquired in the transaction, asked to call it off due to uncertainty over whether the deal could win regulatory approval in Maryland, the companies said in a release. "As we considered the situation in Maryland, we determined the risks and uncertainties were too significant to overcome," Constellation Chief Executive Mayo A. Shattuck III said in a statement.

The companies both said they have strong prospects as separate operations.
The merger, announced in December, would have created a large utility with traditional, state-regulated operations in Florida and Maryland and a power generation and supply business operating in deregulated wholesale markets around the country. The combined companies would have had some 25,000 megawatts of merchant generating capacity - more than enough to supply all of New York state on most fall days - and another 17,000 megawatts of state-regulated plants.

The deal faltered after being caught up in partisan battles between Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich and the Democrat-controlled state legislature. In June, state lawmakers passed a law that disbanded the Ehrlich-appointed Maryland Public Service Commission after the commission approved a 72% rate hike for Constellation's utility subsidiary, Baltimore Gas & Electric.

In September, the Maryland Court of Appeals ruled that the legislature couldn't fire the commissioners. But the court left intact a provision of the law that prevents the commission from ruling on the FPL-Constellation deal until its members are replaced, leaving regulatory review of the merger uncertain.

Constellation ultimately decided the uncertainty risked "a protracted and open-ended merger review process," according to the release.
Investment bankers and utilities expected a series of mergers in the fragmented industry, after a depression-era law limiting utility mergers was repealed last year. The biggest obstacle to deals getting done, however, has proved to be state officials seeking large concessions from utilities over concerns about record-high electricity rates.

Several states implemented initial rate freezes when they deregulated their power industries in the late 1990s. Power prices have since risen sharply, as demand growth has outstripped new supply and as the price of natural gas, a key power-plant fuel, has shot higher.

Some observers are also concerned that power markets aren't sufficiently competitive, giving big generators the ability to push prices higher than they would otherwise be. Those concerns have also influenced consideration of mergers like Exelon-PSEG and FPL-Constellation that would further concentrate generating capacity.

cgunna

October 25th, 2006, 05:29 PM

I truly emjoy lurking on this forum. For some reason, the spirit moved me to post. I'll offer a few thoughts on some of the recent topics sround here.

1. Didn't get to attend the Fugtag event. In fact I had never heard of it before last week. Great to see it here in the city. (although jumping into the harbor water is a bit unsettling to me......)

2. I am really looking forward to the Urban Outfitters opening in the Light Street PAvillion. I'm interested in seeing how well it does in that location. Traditionally, its not been a place locals go to shop. Could be a great change for the area.

3. The Pf Chang's and Filene's announcements are fantastic news. I think that the actual location of the stores is not as big of a deal as some think. Frankly, our CBD is TINY. I like the idea that it helps elongate the 'Pratt street experience' the city is aiming for. It also creates a nice shopping hub there. However, I HATE the parking situation as it exists now. I can only see it getting worse. Shucks.

4. The berms along Pratt are disgusting. The rodent infestation is almost disgraceful. yuck.

5. How are the Station Arts North townhomes doing? Anyone know if sales are still strong? (and by sales I mean to folks who actually want to live there. not investors looking to flip)

6. I'm elated the transportation issue if finally being talked about. Whether or not we get the type of usuable mass transit we all covet, is up in the air. I just want it to be underground. If not heavy rail, maybe light rail. but some kind of rail.

7. The fountain at Pratt and Charles is a shame. FIX IT ALREADY. either that or scrap it.

8. Whats going on with the Redwood Trust? I heard a club was coming there but I haven't heard anything recently. The city needs more (nice)clubs. Espicially with the demise (again) of Hammerjacks.

9. The recently built park at the Harbor is a bit uninspiring. Maybe it will look nicer in the spring when the flowers bloom. I am a bit disappointed with the rather unimpressive look of the whole harbor walk over there. All the way to Rusty Scupper its, well, blah. With these Ritz residences, maybe the city will spruce things up a bit.

10. my rambling and disjointed thoughts are over. thanks for reading.