Vol: 3 No: 61 Updated: September 12, 2002

TOP STORIES

City garage proposed
A block of mostly vacant downtown Baltimore buildings will be razed to make way for a parking garage on top of which an office tower might be constructed, an economic development official said yesterday.

http://www.mddailyrecord.com/newspics/waterst.jpg

:cool:

BTW, I'm "baltimore" from the old "worldskyscrapers" forum.
Just so there is no confusion.
PedroSmith, feel free to find out as much info as you can.

Thanks.

City to pay cost to move salon across Water Street
Relocation deal OK'd as site eyed for parking
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Laura Vozzella
Sun Staff
Originally published September 12, 2002


The city plans to spend $186,000 to move a downtown hair salon across the street from its current location, a city-owned building that will be torn down for a parking garage.
The Board of Estimates approved the relocation deal for Monica's Spa Salon yesterday after City Council President Sheila Dixon raised concerns about the cost.


"It just seems like a lot of money," she said.

However, Dixon and the rest of the board approved the deal after an official with the Baltimore Development Corp. explained that moving a salon is more complicated than packing up an office.

Substantial plumbing and electrical work will have to be done to install about 10 sinks and a tanning bed, said Andrew B. Frank, executive vice president of the BDC, the city's economic development arm.

"When I started getting quotes from general contractors, the city was shocked and so was I," said Monica Carney, owner of the salon.

For 17 years, Carney has operated the salon at 117 Water St., which the city bought about two years ago with a parking garage in mind.

The city might not build the garage for five years, Frank said, but it has notified tenants that they need to move. Carney plans to relocate to 106 Water St.

The city has moved three or four other tenants out of the nine-story building, and at least two besides the salon remain, Frank said. The amount spent on the previous relocations was not available yesterday, he said.

All of the $186,000 will be paid directly to movers, except for $10,000 that will go to the salon to cover "re-establishment costs."

"We really don't want to move," said Carney, who said rent at the new location will be about $1,000 more a month. "But we don't want to be in the way of city progress."



Copyright © 2002, The Baltimore Sun

:cool:

http://www.sunspot.net/media/photo/2002-09/4590157.jpg

City's 1st skyscraper changes hands
Rockville firm buys Bank of America tower; 34 stories of history on Light St.; Nellis Corp., purchaser, plans no changes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Meredith Cohn
Sun Staff
Originally published September 13, 2002



The Bank of America building, Baltimore's first skyscraper and an art deco icon downtown, has been sold to a private Rockville company, the buyer confirmed yesterday.

The 34-story gold-crowned tower at 10 Light St. opened in 1929 just before the stock market crash ended the boom of the 1920s and heralded the Great Depression. It was the city's tallest building for 44 years, until the Legg Mason tower edged it out by 20 feet.


The Nellis Corp., which invests in commercial properties across the country, bought the land and building from New York-based Equitable Life Assurance Society for an undisclosed sum.

According to state land records, Equitable had owned the building since 1955. No previous owners or sale prices were recorded. The land and building are now assessed at $19.65 million.

Randall Levitt, Nellis' president, said the company is "delighted to be associated with such a unique asset."

While the building is no longer at the epicenter of downtown's financial district, the buyer as well as local historians consider it one of the grandest of Baltimore's office towers. It is still among the largest in the city.

The exterior is red brick and limestone. The top is 23-karat gold leaf. Built by the J. Henry Miller Co., its lobby has 45-foot elaborately carved wood ceilings, inlaid mosaic floors, and huge Greco-Roman style columns. Nellis said Maryland attributes include exterior carvings around the doors depicting the Great Fire of 1904 and the penning of "The Star-Spangled Banner." Bronze window grates are adorned with crabs.

The building is a holdover from the era when the area around Light and Redwood streets was known as the Wall Street of the South. From its windows, tenants have witnessed sweeping change as the city's financial district shifted to the modern offices that now ring the Inner Harbor and claim as tenants many of the city's most prestigious companies. Now, its occupants look out across Light Street and see two fenced-off pits, cleared of their structures beginning three years ago for developments that are stalled.

Civic leader Walter Sondheim Jr., who was 21 when the building opened, said he remembered it as "an exceptional thing in Baltimore. There was no building like it. There's been no building since like it. People admired it tremendously."

Sondheim said he worked on the top floors for a time early in World War II.

Bank of America holds a master lease on the building, which allows the Charlotte, N.C.-based bank to operate it as if it owns it. The bank, which occupies much of the 362,000 square feet of office space, sublets and collects rent from other tenants. It pays one fee to the building's owner. Nellis will not control the building until 2020, when the master lease expires.

Miles & Stockbridge, a regional law firm, is the next-largest tenant. The building is nearly full.

That probably helped sell the building. During the lackluster economy, vacancies in some downtown buildings have inched up while rents have dipped. Real estate brokers say that makes office buildings unappealing targets for acquisition. Major downtown office buildings have not changed hands for several years. One of the last was 250 W. Pratt, which sold in 1998.

The fortunes of the Bank of America building have, in some cases, been better than those of its tenants. The building has changed names a number of times over its 73 years as local companies vanished.

The building was originally called the Baltimore Trust Building, but that bank did not survive the Depression. The building has also been called the O'Sullivan Building and the Mathieson Building, depending on the largest tenant of the day.

It became the headquarters of Maryland National Bank in 1962. But the bank's holding company, expansion-minded MNC Financial Inc., began to run into trouble in the early 1990s. After nearly failing, it was taken over by NationsBank Corp. in 1993.

That year, about $900,000 in renovations began, including the removal of the prominent Maryland National "MN" logo that also told the weather by changing colors.

Terri Bolling, a Bank of America spokeswoman, said the company has no plans for change.


Copyright © 2002, The Baltimore Sun

:cheers:

:mad: I got some news on the heights of two Baltimore apartment towers that are going up. According to persons working at the Baltimore Development Team:


The "Zenith", a 21 storey tower will only rise to 214 ft. in the air.
The "Centerpoint" tower will rise 200 ft. tall.
I will have info on a much more exciting tower for Baltimore, tommorrow, the "Water Tower" luxury residential tower.This tower may hit 400 ft.
We'll see. :mad:

No news yet on the Water Tower stats.

Stay Tuned! :guns1: :rant: :bash:

http://www.mddailyrecord.com/newspics/Officerender.jpg
Vol: 3 No: 68 Updated: September 20, 2002

TOP STORIES

Inner Harbor East tower in trouble?
A lack of commitment from tenants will delay and potentially cancel construction of the 18-story office tower planned for Inner Harbor East, according to a report from the city’s economic development agency. But a partner in the project said the 330,000-square-foot office building is proceeding as planned.



:? :baaa:

Ooops, I am back. Sorry for not participating a lot lately but the move (and the new job) has taken quite a bit of time. On top of that, Verizon must be the worst telecommunications company in the history of mankind. Two weeks and we still don't have phone service. So here I am with a half hour at the Enoch Pratt getting registered for this hopefully great "new" forum.

Steven, a couple of projects that I have seen around where I live but that I have very little info on, maybe you can help me?
First, the Mercy hospital is building a new wing at St. Paul's Plaza. The building is a low-rise (but quite a handsome little thing) designed by RTKL.
Across the street, next to Tremont Plaza Hotel there is also something happening. They are still working on the foundation so it is really hard to tell what it is going to be. The footprint is miniscule and the site is sandwiched between two fairly high buildings so I suspect that it might be something of decent height.
Just south of the One Light Street site (that hole in the ground is one of the biggest disgraces I have seen) there is a smaller site that has a rendering of a Radisson (13 floors or so). Do you have any info on that project or is it part of the sleeping project to the north?

Hopefully I will have Internet sevice here soon again and then I will do some research on my own. Until then, please fill in the gaps if you can.

Ciao!

:D Ground broken on city waterfront development
Heather Harlan

Defying a shaky economy and uncertain real estate market, ground was broken Tuesday on Baltimore City's latest residential development: The $90 million Spinnaker Bay at Inner Harbor East.

The planned waterfront complex, which will feature 316 luxury apartments, 32 condominiums, 428 parking spaces and retail space, is expected to be completed within 24 months.

Developed by the Bozzuto Group of Greenbelt and H&S Properties Development Corp. of Baltimore, the residential project off President Street will add to the 760 new apartments that have sprouted up around the city in the last year.

Discussing what he called a "building boom'' and the public's appetite to live downtown, Mayor Martin O'Malley said, "Baltimore is actually thriving. Baltimore is actually moving ahead.''

He pointed to John Paterakis, the baking mogul behind H&S Properties Development Corp., as the impetus behind a lot of the building.

During the last several years, Paterakis has invested millions of dollars into a wave of development at Inner Harbor East, including the Marriott Waterfront Hotel.

"I think we're going to make a lot of people happy,'' Paterakis said of Spinnaker Bay following the groundbreaking ceremony.

The development — designed with the help of SKG Architects, Beatty Harvey Fillat Architects and engineering firm Morris & Ritchie Associates Inc. — will be constructed on what is now a parking lot.

© 2002 American City Business Journals

Hi Erik.

Glad to hear from you.
I've been pretty busy myself. I have found out some new things and am waiting on some more.
I hope it comes this week.
I have not heard from PedroSmith lately, either. Hope he gets to get back on the forum.

The Radisson is going there, I think.
That building you're talking about between the two tall buildings is the "Atrium Tower" I believe. I might be wrong on that though.
I'm not too sure about the other places you mentioned.
When I hear more news, I'll post it here.
I'm looking forward to your future posts, Erik.


:guns1: :booze: :okay:

"Ground broken on city waterfront development"

Hey, that's great news! I wonder if anything is going on in Fells Point? I really liked that neighborhood, seems like it would be a great place to build some classy residential twrs. Any info?

I am pretty sure I know what is going up at the site next to Tremont Plaza. The sign at the construction says that the architects are Murphy & Dittenhafer. They won an AIA Baltimore award 2001 for this unbuilt (then) design for a parking structure at St. Paul Place.

http://www.aiabalt.com/0_images/0_awards/0_daw2001/stpaul_murph.jpg

Across the street, the RTKL structure for Mercy hospital will look something like this. They got two floors of steel up so far.

http://www.mdmercy.com/news/images/asc_building_lr_1.gif

I'll tell you more when I know more.

OK, this post will include several projects that are far from being realized. It is, however, pretty nice to see that there are people in Baltimore that are trying to make the city better and that is fairly successful in their visions I think. These are proposals that I have pulled from the website of Design Collective (a pretty active architecture firm down in the Inner Harbour) that I found when I looked for info on the Centerpoint apartments.

I was down to the city's animal shelter today (to register our cats) and while walking past the Raven's Stadium and through the industrial park surrounding it I thought that the area had a lot of potential for becoming a new neighbourhood in the city. They've got masstransit running through, several old buildings that would be cool as lofts/offices, proximity to the water and plenty of vacant parking lots to build on. I was pleased to see that the folks at Design Collective has seen the potential of this area too. Below is a master plan they did for a mixed-use development in that part of town.

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

The next project is along Light Street as it passes the Harbour on the way down to Federal Hill. The location is prime but the current situation is so sad I'm not sure I even want to talk about it. Anyway, the area has potential to be Baltimore's own (very short) Promenade des Anglais and apparently there has been an international competition to redevelop the strip. Design Collective won and I think their proposal has a lot going for it. I read somewhere that this project is an actual go as it has backing from the city. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

http://www.designcollective.com/_internal/cimg!0/18zextmz6c

Within that very area, DC is working on an addition to the Maryland Science Center. Last thing I heard this project is also happening.

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

The firm is also involved in the West Side redevelopment. There is a lot of work going on in the area but it has a long way to go. The only project completed to date is the Atrium apartments, and they are nice, but the area is really gritty. It is a real shame, though, since it is an area with lots of interesting architecture and since it has potential to be more like a European style shopping district than most American cities can dream of. With the Atrium, the Hippodrome Performing Arts Center, Centerpoint Apartments and some big office/retail projects and renovations I really hope there will be a renewed interest in the area. There are plenty of boarded up, run down, empty (but architecturally wonderful) old buildings to renovate.

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

Up at Penn Station there are plans for a busterminal that would create a Intermodal Transportation Center. The project is in the works but has met some (considerable) resistance from the NIMBYs. It seems like a sensible project to me though, it would connect the city's local and long distance rail, bus and light rail services. Besides, the backyard some people are trying to save is a not so savory surface parking lot. The city seems to be trying to bribe the community up there by designating them a Maryland Cultural District, but it is unclear if they are buying it yet.

http://www.designcollective.com/_internal/cimg!0/18zextod5d

Design Collective also has something going on for the Charles & Reed intersection (that I could not find any info on) that should be interesting. There is currently a big surface parking lot on the SW corner of that intersection, in an otherwise vibrant and very nice part of the town. I will try to find more info on this.

And yes, I did not find any images of the Zenith project. Maybe another day.

Allez hop!

In my last post I forgot the most interesting part (at least from a high-rise perspective). In the plan for Harborview, just south east of Federal Hill parl, there are several more towers than the one that has been built so far. In the second rendering I count as many as four future towers, somewhat smaller than the existing tower but it would sure alter the skyline of the city.

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

Hi Erik,
I like those renderings.
Here is some new info:


Less ‘NYC’ for Pratt tower
When plans for the luxury apartment building at 300 E. Pratt St. were presented last year, the sleek design and unprecedented height wowed Baltimore officials. More than a year later, with construction yet to commence, sources close to the situation say the New York-based developer, which has local ties, is redesigning the building.

Can you find out some more specific information on this for me?
I'm trying my best to get some answers.
:?

Payment in Liew of Taxes - Water Tower Apartments
Sponsors: Council Pres.-Admin.
Requester: Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, Inc..
MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL RES. - FOR the purpose of authorizing an economic development project, to be known as the Water Tower Apartments, in order that the Board of Estimates may enter into a Payment in Lieu of Taxes Agreement with LH Water Tower, LLC, for a project encompassing approximately 325-375 market-rate rental units; generally relating to payments in lieu of taxes for the project; and providing for a special effective date. - FINANCE COMMITTEE (020697)


02-0883 Franchise - Architectural Cornice at 750 East Pratt Street
Sponsors: Council Pres.-Admin.
Requester: Dept. of Public Works.
ORDINANCE - FOR the purpose of granting a franchise to 750 East Pratt Street, LLC, to construct, use, and maintain a non-functional architectural cornice on the multi-story office building located at 750 East Pratt Street, subject to certain terms, conditions, and reservations; and providing for a special effective date. - HIGHWAYS AND FRANCHISES SUBCOMMITTEE (020698)


02-0884 Partial Release of Easement - 600 East Pratt Street
Sponsors: Council Pres.-Admin.
Requester: Baltimore Development Corporation.
ORDINANCE - FOR the purpose of authorizing the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore to partially release an easement relating to certain property located at 600 East Pratt Street, the released easement being no longer needed for public use; and providing for a special effective date. - HIGHWAYS AND FRANCHISES SUBCOMMITTEE (020699)



Plus this news:

Clarke to give city plan for long-delayed downtown hotel
Heather Harlan Staff

Baltimore developer J. Joseph Clarke is expected to present a revised concept for his planned downtown Embassy Suites hotel and garage on Thursday at the city's Design Advisory Panel meeting.

The project's spot on the meeting agenda gives rise to speculation that Clarke will move forward with development at One Light Street after nearly a decade of failed plans and delays.

Clarke, president of J.J. Clarke Enterprises Inc., could not be reached for comment.

In June, the city gave the developer one last chance to transform the aging rubble at the corner of Light and Redwood streets into a hotel before paving over the site and sending him the bill.

Under an agreement struck in May, Clarke has been required to adhere to an ambitious construction schedule for a revived Embassy Suites and garage or face expensive cleanup costs.


So, what do you think?

:guns1: :cheers: :baaa:

Does anybody else have any new info concerning the 300 East Pratt tower or any other projects in Baltimore?

Deal near to build an Embassy Suites at Light, Redwood
A hotel would again stand where Southern long did
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Meredith Cohn
Sun Staff
Originally published October 3, 2002



For an enthusiastic time in the 1980s, the site of the old Southern Hotel was going to become a trophy office tower for downtown Baltimore. In a more sober moment this year, it looked as though it would become a parking lot.

But the central business district's most prominent dirt pit, which has drawn the ire of business and government leaders, may finally overcome its economic troubles. Developer J. Joseph Clarke says he's close to a deal to build an Embassy Suites hotel, parking garage and shops at Light and Redwood streets.

Clarke plans to present his $55 million-$60 million vision to the city's design panel today, an important step in the process of approvals he needs to begin work. Hilton Hotels Corp. and FelCor Lodging Trust, a Dallas-based hotel owner, say they're in final negotiations to buy the hotel.

"We've been baby-sitting this project for quite a long time," said Clarke, president of J.J. Clarke Enterprises Inc. Clarke still has some obstacles to overcome, and several factors could derail the project as they have others around the city. Clarke has not come to a final agreement on a sale price with FelCor and Hilton, which will manage the 311-room hotel. Once that is done, he can seek a lender to finance construction.

Clarke said he is negotiating with a local company to buy the 411-space garage. Clarke's company and partner Capital Guidance of Washington, which has invested about $20 million in the development, will end up owning only the 15,000-square-foot retail portion. Construction should take about two years.

Between 1987 and 1988, Trammell Crow Co. bought a half-dozen buildings on the block for an office skyscraper, but there was little demand. Trammell Crow, hurting from the real estate crash of the late 1980s, turned the project over to Clarke. He began clearing the site, which sits fenced and empty, in 1999.

Clarke plans to build around the one building owner that didn't sell to Trammell Crow - McDonald's Corp. Peter Fillat Architects incorporated the fast-food company's historic Thomas Building into the rendering that is to be presented today to the city's Design Advisory Panel.

FelCor, which owns hotels under brands such as Sheraton, Westin and Crowne Plaza, has been negotiating with Clarke since 1997. FelCor owns one other Embassy Suites hotel in Maryland, near Baltimore-Washington International Airport.

"We've pursued this for quite some time," said Bill Stuckeman, who heads FelCor's development program. "We've seen the market go up and down. ... This is the closet we've gotten."

FelCor has continued with acquisitions despite the dismal hotel market, which was made worse by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Occupancy and room rates have dipped nationally. Business travelers, the mainstay of many hotels, have not returned in great numbers.

Baltimore, with a relatively low number of hotel rooms, has been able to keep room rates high, Stuckeman said. Despite a location off the Inner Harbor, the two-room layout of an Embassy Suites, along with two ballrooms and some meeting space, should attract business people during the week and families on the weekends, he said.

He expects room rates to be lower than the prime hotels downtown but occupancy rates to be higher at about 70 percent to 72 percent.

There are two other hotels planned downtown on Redwood Street. A 176-room Marriott Residence Inn proposed for across the street by Donald J. Urgo and Associates has been awaiting final approval from the city for a tax break. A block east, a 171-room Hampton Inn and Suites has stalled.

The Baltimore City Council approved two PILOTs, or payment in lieu of taxes, for Clarke's project in 1999. The numbers will have to be refigured for this new proposal and then taken to the city's Board of Estimates, according to the Baltimore Development Corp., which negotiated the deal.

As currently structured, the hotel PILOT would save its owner $4.6 million in real estate taxes over 10 years while the garage PILOT would save its owner $3.3 million over 25 years.

The city, which collects an array of taxes from conventioneers and tourists, supports hotel development.

"I can think of no downside to having three hotels on Redwood Street, which is at the center of the old central business district," said Andrew Frank, the BDC's executive vice president.

"As development is drawn to the waterfront, the central business district must continue to diversify its economy and reinvent itself by finding new uses for old buildings and in-fill development sites."


Copyright © 2002, The Baltimore Sun

I don't know about you, but, this does not sound good for the "Tower" we thought one light street was going to be.
The office portion of the project is not mentioned or even talked about in the slightest. :mad:

Well, at least it is moving forward. I don't know if they have cut out the office part, it seemed as a pretty integral part of the design. Peter Fillat's website still shows the tower.

http://www.pfarc.com/97003/day.jpg

http://www.pfarc.com/97003/05.jpg

http://www.pfarc.com/97003/section.jpg

http://www.pfarc.com/97003/atrium.jpg

http://www.pfarc.com/97003/02.jpg

http://www.pfarc.com/97003/01.jpg

Anyway, I tend to think that anything will be better than the current situation. At least it is moving forward.

I have no clue what is going on with the 300 E. Pratt tower. It is a great site and I really hopes that it is moving forward. The architects does not seem to have a website but they are listed on www.newyork-architects.com and one of their listed "current projects" is this one in Baltimore.

It sure would be a shame not to build that tower.
Anything less, IMO, would be a let down, considering it's location.
That site just 'screams' "Trophy Tower"!
There are only a few really good sites left in that area.
Pratt Street still has few left. These sites should be only for 'major' developments.
I e-mailed SCLE Architectual firm, in charge of the 300 East Pratt development, last night to find out some up-to-date information on this project.
This project really excites me the most in Baltimore, followed by the "Water Tower" apartment tower, "One Light Street", and the "Inner Harbor East" towers.
If the #s are correct on the "Zenith", (214 ft.), then that will be a major let-down to me. I was hoping for, at least, 300 ft.
Why does everybody think so 'small' when it comes to high-rise development projects?

I'll let you know more info on 300 East Pratt when I get word from SCLE.

:cheers:

This pic is cool.
Just imagine One Light Street just across the street....

http://www.btco.net/ghosts/Buildings/baltotrust/fullshot.jpg

Concerning 300 East Pratt proposal from SCLE:

Thank you for your interest in the above referenced project.
At present, due to the early stages of this project, we are
not ready nor are we released by our client to reveal any
data on this most exciting project. We hope you retain your
interest in this site and more information shall be forthcoming
in the next few months.


So, we'll haveto wait for at least 2 or 3 months...... :wallbash:

Figures.......:bash:

I wonder if J. Paul Beitler would want to develop a tower in Baltimore. "?"
That would be SWEEEEET! :D :) :D :guns1:

This is a quoted responce from Mr. Beitler himself:


"Steve,

Of course I would like to build a tall building in Baltimore. It is a beautiful city and the view of the harbor would be a huge plus.

But as with any stew you have to first have the rabbit. That is the first ingredient.

So until we can find a tenant who would anchor such a building I am at the mercy of the market place.

J. Paul"

Delayed Pratt Street tower back on track
Heather Harlan Staff

After nearly three years of delays, the Kravco Co. of Pennsylvania plans to move forward with the office and retail portions of its downtown development, the company's CEO confirmed this week.

Wayne L. Snyder said construction on the office tower and retail center at Lockwood Place is expected to start by February — with building on the one block site bordered by Market Place, Pratt, Gay and Lombard streets progressing simultaneously.

The chairman's comments represent a renewed interest in the city, which has seen commercial development — especially by out-of-town investors — nearly slow to a crawl in the past year.

"It shows continued confidence by a number of people in the city," said M.J. "Jay" Brodie, president of the Baltimore Development Corp. "Clearly the continuation of Lockwood Place has had a lot of doubters. This should send a message to the doubters."

Snyder said the office portion is likely to be started first, with construction on the tower expected to proceed without a lead tenant, he said.

T. Courtenay Jenkins III, a senior vice president for the Trammell Crow Co. (http://www.trammellcrow.com), declined to comment on the 12-story, 290,000-square-foot office building that his firm is helping to develop.

"I cannot comment," he said. "There's nothing to report at this time."

While the office tower will front Pratt Street, the side of the building will face Gay Street. The retail center will also front Pratt Street, with the side facing Market Place.

The Kravco Co. (http://www.kravco.com) of King of Prussia, Pa., has secured "several" tenants for the retail center, Snyder said. "There are more restaurants than any," said the development company's chairman before declining to name the eateries.

The commercial project has gotten a sluggish start since the Kravco Co. and A&R Development Corp. of Baltimore signed a ground lease with Baltimore City Community College for the Kravco site in 1999.

At the time, the Kravco Co. vowed to build shops, restaurants, a hotel, office building and parking garage — all as part of the $110 million complex.

But in the last three years, the developers have scaled back the project, relinquishing the idea of the hotel, putting the retail portion on hold and beginning only the garage. Construction on the garage at Market Place and Lombard Street is slated for completion by year's end.

The Baltimore City Community College initially selected the Kravco Co.'s proposal for the Lockwood site for a number of reasons, including the notion that it "planned to be completed in one phase," according to a December 1999 press release from the school.

The Cordish Co., a Baltimore-based developer, was among the other bidders who unsuccessfully competed for the site. Cordish has since redeveloped the former Brokerage complex — nearby along Market Place — into a mix of nightclubs, restaurants and bars.

Cordish had planned to build the new headquarters for Baltimore law firm Piper & Marbury. The firm, now Piper Rudnick LLP, moved to Mt. Washington after the deal failed.




© 2002 American City Business Journals Inc.:guns1:

I don't know if this is good news or not."?"


Rouse to sell city property
Heather Harlan Staff

The Rouse Co. has transferred its downtown land at the corner of Light and Conway streets to a trust, signaling a pending sale of the site where McCormick spices were once manufactured.

Now a surface parking lot next to the Harbor Court Hotel, the property — once controlled by Orioles owner Peter G. Angelos — is considered a gem because of its proximity to the Inner Harbor, the Baltimore Convention Center and Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

Nancy Tucker, a spokeswoman for the Rouse Co., said the Rouse Co. shifted the land to the Spice Lot Business Trust "in order for us to affect the sale."

Although the trust has a post office box address in Columbia, its principal office matches that of the Rouse Co., according to state property records. Baltimore City property tax records list the same Columbia post office box.

"I know that we are getting ready to sell that," Tucker said. She declined further comment, including the name of the buyer, saying she did not have any more information.

Werner Kunz, managing director of the Harbor Court Hotel, said his company has no intentions of buying the adjacent site.

"We don't want a lot that's that expensive," he said. "We don't have any interest in that lot."

Although state property records show the land is valued at $10.6 million, real estate experts have said that site could be worth nearly double that amount.

Despite the prime location, Kunz said there could be design restrictions on potential development there. In the past, hotels and buildings along Light Street have been limited to eight stories, Kunz said.

"Today is a new administration, though," said Kunz, referring to Baltimore City Mayor Martin O'Malley. "With a new administration, I don't know if it would be the same."

Land records on file in Baltimore City also show that air rights issues could prevent extensive development on the site.

Commercial real estate experts question whether design restrictions and possible air rights complications may have prompted Angelos to let his option on the Rouse site lapse.

In 2000, Angelos secured an option on the land from the Rouse Co. of Columbia and pledged to build a convention-headquarters hotel there.

It was unclear this week whether another hotel is planned for the site. Sharon Grinnell, chief operating officer of the Baltimore Development Corp., said she was unaware of future plans for the Rouse land.

M.J. "Jay" Brodie, president of the Baltimore Development Corp., could not be reached for comment.

Although the hospitality industry is beginning to recover from the effects of the September 2001 terrorist attacks, competing hotel plans in other parts of the city could deter a new rival.

In July, H&S Properties Development Corp., headed by John Paterakis, announced plans to build a Four Seasons hotel and condominiums at Inner Harbor East. And last month, developer J. Joseph Clarke presented plans for a revised Embassy Suites hotel for Light Street.


Heather Harlan can be reached at hharlan@bizjournals.com.





:guns1: :rant: :bash: :guns1:

I don't think we can expect to see any development on that site in the near future. However, it is a good location and I can't see why the city would not allow a tower there. If nothing else to cut off views of the monstrous brick hotel on the neighboring site.

Also in the news: The National Aquarium is planning an expansion on the middle branch of Patapsco River. The facility would house the Animal Care and breeding operations (that are currently located in a warehouse in Fells Point) and would be built on brownfields just north of Hanover Bridge. The building would not be public but the area surrounding it would be restored into wetlands and serve as a new, interactive urban park. Hord Coplan Macht has sketched on a preliminary design and it looks promising to me.

http://www.hcm2.com/graphics/naib%20perspective1.jpg

It's good to hear from you again, ErikW.
I thought you had left for good.

Anyway, yes, I think that site would be great for a MAJOR tower.
And I do think that the Aquarium in Baltimore is doing alot of good things, yes.

Have you heard any more news on any developments going on?

A number of developers have put in proposals for a 5 acre lot with across from Camdem Yards and the Expanded Convention Center(now 1,400,000 square ft) They range from 750 to 869 rooms in the first phase and up to a total of 1,150 hotel room in the second phase. Parking for between 600 and 1,000 space, and lot of meeeting space, plus an office building for the World Relief Headquaters for the Catholic Church One also includes a 19000 seat arena as well. Across the street from this development, there are plans for a 24 story apartment building called the Zentih. The developers are headed by Robert L Johnson(Former Owner BET/Viacom) and is competing against Will Smith(Actor) for the right to develop the site. Two of the three proposals listed a Hilton or A Westin Hotel as the chain to run the Hotel. The the third did not list it. The RLJ proposal is a 24 stroy hotel,a 8 story office building and another addtiona to the hotel of around 15 floors in the future. The other two proposals hopefully will be taller buildings. The one with the arena underneath will probably be at 35 stories.. No pics have been released yet for the two new proposals.

First of all, I'd like to say, "Welcome to the forum", it's good to have another Baltimore person on board.

Where did you here about the arena being, 'underneath', and the hotel being 35 storeys?

I try to keep up with the latest Baltimore development news.
I like the arena/hotel proposal. It would give Baltimore a new BIGGER arena for the city and would probably be a taller hotel than the other proposals.
Baltimore needs a new tallest. I wish THIS hotel would be it.
I'm very disapointed about One Light Street. It was chopped by 11 storeys.
I'm very curious and excited about the "Water Tower" apartment project and 300 East Pratt. If built, these two towers will have a significant impact on the skyline.


Do you live in Baltimore?

<table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">The Zenith I belive wa going to be around 245 to 265 ft tall. Yes a disappointment. It is because of a height limit around the shock trama center
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by StevenW </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>It sure would be a shame not to build that tower.
Anything less, IMO, would be a let down, considering it's location.
That site just 'screams' "Trophy Tower"!
There are only a few really good sites left in that area.
Pratt Street still has few left. These sites should be only for 'major' developments.
I e-mailed SCLE Architectual firm, in charge of the 300 East Pratt development, last night to find out some up-to-date information on this project.
This project really excites me the most in Baltimore, followed by the "Water Tower" apartment tower, "One Light Street", and the "Inner Harbor East" towers.
If the #s are correct on the "Zenith", (214 ft.), then that will be a major let-down to me. I was hoping for, at least, 300 ft.
Why does everybody think so 'small' when it comes to high-rise development projects?

I'll let you know more info on 300 East Pratt when I get word from SCLE.

:cheers:</td></tr>
</table>

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/518/6camden_view.jpg

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/518/6corner_view.jpg

Thanks to Design Collective, Inc. in Baltimore, MD.

The Zenith is 67 meters high, or 220 feet high to us Americans. ;)

Wow, the design of that Zenith building is stunning, too bad it was never built! I'm sure when the economy picks up again it will finally be built, it'll be a shame if it isn't. I just love buildings with that greenish glass, it gives them a modern tropical look that I really like.

BG918, I believe this building will probably break ground sometime this year from what I gather.
It is nice looking. I would have liked it more if it was 100 or 200 feet taller, though.
Ah well, it's still pretty nice.

Where did you find the Pics? The Water Tower Apartments are being built by the same development team I understand as well. It is kewl looking just wish it were taller. Has anyone found any pics of the Water Tower or 300 east Pratt Street

Design Collective, Inc.
Courtesy of a Mr. Michael S. Goodwin, AIA associate

I have older pics/renderings of both "Water Tower" and 300 East Pratt Tower.

could you post the older pics of 300 east and water tower apts thanks

300 East Pratt
http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/500/6300_e__pratt.jpg

Water Tower
http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/500/6waterst.jpg

Water Tower in the skyline
http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/500/6wlapts.jpg

These designs have probably changed, though.

The tremendous snowfall in the baltimore area has caused the roof of the B & O Roundhouse Musuem to collaspe. Only 1/3 of the roof is left.

That's terrible.

Morgan Stanley may be moving into a new office building at the Allied Signal Plant site. Rumor has it that they will be a major tenant in a 250,000 sq ft office building on the site. The site is 25 acres or so. The total development will be around 1.5 billion dollars. This may be the biggest development in Baltimore history. The site is surrounded by water on three sides. Morgan Stanley has already moved about 150 employees into a new Office building in Fells Point. The Morgan Stanley lease would be a great assest to Baltimore as more companies are decentralizing away from NYC.

I read that same article. It's great news for Baltimore.
A while back there was talk of maybe erecting a new court house building for the city.
I think that site will very exciting to follow. Some good things should happen on that prime land.

Vol: 3 No: 198 Updated: February 28, 2003

COVER STORIES

Paterakis Rises to Role of Developer
On a nippy February day, John Paterakis Sr. — who inherited H&S Bakery at the age of 23 and kneaded it into an international success — is flanked by his chief of development Michael S. Beatty and Baltimore developer Bill Struever. During the past two decades the three men have acquired control of the some of Baltimore’s most prized land. In one of the nation’s largest urban development projects, the joint venture between Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse Inc. and H&S Properties Development Corp. is molding a small city within the city.


I would love to see what this area of Baltimore is going to look like in about 10 to 20 years from now.


http://www.mddailyrecord.com/newspics/patercover.jpg

City reveals 5 plans submitted for Fells Point's Recreation Pier
Most include a berth for 'Pride of Baltimore II'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Jamie Stiehm
Sun Staff
Originally published March 1, 2003



Recreation Pier -- once the place to go in Baltimore for music, dancing and fun -- could reclaim that status under a development proposal that calls for a waterfront Ferris wheel, miniature golf course, and a tugboat museum.
That is one of five concepts submitted to the city for redeveloping Fells Point's signature structure that were released yesterday.


Other ideas include a 12-story condominium tower, a hotel, and a mixture of offices and retail shops.

Most of the proposals include making the pier the permanent berth of the clipper ship Pride of Baltimore II. The Pride has no permanent year-round berth in its home port.

The red brick building, which sits on a pier fronting Thames Street, is shuttered. Built in 1914, it was once a social and an educational hub for the thousands of immigrants who came to Baltimore in the early 20th century.

It once housed the harbormaster's office. Families gathered on the pier for swimming and sunbathing. More recently, it was the set of an NBC police drama.

Key to many of the proposals are historic tax credits, a program which lawmakers have suggested abolishing in the current General Assembly session.

"It would be devastating to lose access to that [tax credit] resource," said Robert F. Pipik, director of asset management for the city's Department of Housing and Community Development. "It would be a lot more difficult if not impossible to do this building. ... It's core for us."

Each of the five teams has at least one Baltimore-based developer.

Brian D. Morris, chief executive officer of Baltimore-based Legacy Harrison Development LLC, led the team that proposed a $10 million outdoor amusement park. The ballroom over the waterfront would become a public atrium.

Yeni Wong of Washington teamed with the Baltimore firms RTKL and Whiting Turner to propose a public promenade on the pier alongside 85 low-rise housing units. Wong is planning to build a complex of lofts near Pennsylvania Station in the city's newly designated arts district.

Lambda Development LLC, Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse, and H&S properties submitted a proposal to build 28 luxury homes, along with office or commercial space, and to provide a permanent berth for the Pride of Baltimore II to celebrate the city's maritime history. Other public uses could include a dance or catering hall.

Joshua E. Neiman, a development director at Struever Bros. said he anticipated changes as the Fells Point community evaluates the proposals. "I expect a detailed dialogue with the community," Neiman said.

Local banker and maritime executive Edwin F. Hale Sr. also put in a housing proposal, for a 12-story building of waterfront condominiums.

J. Joseph Clarke and the New Orleans-based Historic Restoration Inc. proposed a $29.5 million hotel project with 145 rooms for a new Doubletree Club Hotel aimed at couples or families visiting the city for short stays. The ballroom would be preserved, Clarke said.

Hale and Clarke also included a permanent berth for the Pride of Baltimore II in their plans -- something the Pride's caretakers applauded yesterday. The ship needs a more prominent place in its home port, said Linda Christenson, head of the nonprofit Pride of Baltimore Inc.

"We hope the Pride will be a public use since it's a natural fit," Christenson said.

The documents revealed yesterday were "requests for qualifications" -- the first step in the process. The city will choose the winning proposal in two or three months, Pipik said, after seeking community comment.

One idea appears to be a crowd-pleaser in Fells Point: having the Pride in its midst.

Lori Guess, head of the Fells Point community task force for the Recreation Pier, said, "I was hoping they would include the Pride because that is something the community has talked a lot about. ... It's so much about the maritime feel."



Copyright © 2003, The Baltimore Sun

I woundering what some of these developers were thinking. :) A high rise in Fells Point. I don't think that we ever happen. This part of the city was first setle in the 1600's. The entire area is a national historic district. It would ruin Thames Street to have a high rise built on it. Fells Point still has cobblestone streets and many of its homes have been renovated. It is like a a 19th century town.

No, I don't think it will either. I kinda like the idea of the little amusement park area with ferriswheel and all. It would be something different for the whole harbor area.

BTW, did you hear about the Cordish Copany's new entertainment attraction coming to it's peir 4, I believe, area?
It's called, "PasssPort". A 10,000 sq. ft. virtual reality experience that at least 40 or 50 people at once can enjoy. A huge screen will let you "travel" through ocean life experiences with surround sound and seats that 'move' with the screen's motion. It is to open this summer.
A larger version is scheduled to open in Atlantic City, too, at 14,000 sq. ft.

Today an 80 million tower at the East Baltimore Hospital/University Campus was broken ground. Not sure about the details

I think it's the 12 storey tower that's been palnned for some time now.
That's good to hear.

Any news on any central business district development?

Designer believed
Koubek's vision brought tower to Inner Harbor
Architecture: Edward Gunts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally published Feb 24, 2003

One of Baltimore's tallest buildings bears a black and white sign above its lobby that features Mayor Martin O'Malley's favorite message for the city: BELIEVE.
But there was a time when the 40-story building, the former USF&G Corp. headquarters, didn't need a sign to send that message.

In 1968, when USF&G pledged to build a new headquarters near Baltimore's Inner Harbor, it was the first company to make that commitment since then-Mayor Theodore McKeldin launched an effort to rejuvenate the waterfront five years earlier.

The company followed through on its pledge despite riots that drove many residents and businesses from the city. Its 529-foot-tall headquarters, completed six years later, was a symbol of faith in downtown Baltimore at a time when few others were showing any.

Its rapid construction in the early 1970s - rising a story a day at one point - provided tangible evidence that the city's grand plans for the Inner Harbor could be realized.

"It made believers out of a lot of people who didn't think the Inner Harbor plan would go anywhere," said Martin Millspaugh, former president and chief executive officer of Charles Center-Inner Harbor Management Inc., now the Baltimore Development Corp.

This enduring symbol of belief in Baltimore is one of several city buildings designed by Vlastimil Koubek, a Washington-based architect who died of cancer Feb. 15 at his home in Arlington, Va. He was 75.

In a 1995 interview, Koubek said he set out to create a tower that would be a source of pride to the company's employees as well as to the city itself.

"USF&G said, 'We want a signature building that will be recognized around the world as our home offices in Baltimore, so magnificent that even our agencies in Australia will know it when they see it,'" he recalled.

Last week, Koubek was praised by colleagues and friends as the right architect for a commission that turned out to be so critical to reshaping Baltimore's skyline - and image.

"Vlastimil Koubek was a profilic classic modernist, an architect's architect," said Richard Burns, a principal of Design Collective Inc. "In my opinion, his USF&G tower, now Legg Mason, is one of the best if not the best office buildings in downtown Baltimore. It is simple, direct and honest, just like Vlastimil."

"You wouldn't think of him as starting a trend or breaking new ground in design," Millspaugh said. "His forte was doing quality buildings on time and on budget. The USF&G building was a perfect example of a quality building for its time - and it still is."

The Legg Mason tower is one of more than 100 buildings that Koubek designed during a career that lasted from the 1950s to the present.

His other Baltimore buildings include the 26-story Central Savings Bank building downtown, the Horizon House apartments near Mount Vernon, and the garage at 414 Water St. Along with Design Collective, he was part of the team that designed the high-rise condominium tower at 100 HarborView Drive. Before stadiums rose in Camden Yards, he designed a master plan for the area that called for the preservation of historic Camden Station and the long B & O warehouse.

Born and educated in Czechoslovakia, Koubek came to the United States in 1952. After working for others for five years, he established his own office in 1957. Since then, he had been responsible for the design of office buildings, hotels and institutitional structures representing a combined investment of more than $2 billion

In 1985, Washingtonian magazine named him one of 20 Washingtonians "who in the past 20 years had the greatest impact on the way we live and who forever altered the look of Washington."

"He was good," said Oliver T. Carr, chairman emeritus of CarrAmerica, a real estate development firm that hired Koubek for many of its projects. "He was different from so many architects of that time. His buildings had clean architectural lines, and yet they were functional and practical and offered good work space. For that period of time, he was a perfect fit."

Peggy Koubek, the architect's wife of 19 years, said a memorial service for her husband will be held in several weeks, but arrangements have not been set. Her husband was a strong believer in Baltimore, she added.

"Vlasta and I were both very fond of Baltimore, and he was very proud of the work he had done in the city," she said.

USF&G's leaders did not originally want to build their tower on the block bounded by Pratt, Charles, Lombard and Light streets, where it stands.

They originally wanted to build it one block closer to the waterfront, where the IBM building later rose. But city officials said that block was reserved for a mid-rise building.

"We had to tell them that our plan called for a frame of buildings around the harbor and there couldn't be a tower there," Millspaugh said. "They thought about it and decided to move their building" one block west.

Koubek designed a tall, slender building made with the finest finishes, including Spanish pink granite on the exterior and rosewood and English brown oak inside. Four levels of parking were buried underground to preserve the tower's slender proportions. A Henry Moore sculpture was commissioned for the base, but later had to be moved indoors.

Koubek's building was designed with a concrete core that contained the elevators and lavatories, and two paired columns at each of the four corners. Each floor was otherwise column-free.

Ground was broken in June 1970. Contractors built the 36-story-tall core in just six weeks. The frame was topped out in April 1971 and the building opened in 1974.

Today, Koubek's building is considered as critical to the success of the 250-acre Inner Harbor renewal area as was Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's office tower at 1 N. Charles St. to the 33-acre Charles Center renewal area.

From an urban design point of view, "it's a linchpin for the Inner Harbor," said David Wallace, former partner of Wallace Roberts and Todd, the Philadelphia-based firm that designed the master plan for the Inner Harbor. "If you look at it from a boat, it's a punctuation point at one corner of the Inner Harbor, signifying where the central business district meets the waterfront."

The harbor's urban design guidelines dictated that buildings framing the west and north shores have a continuous cornice line, Wallace said.

"This is the point where they come together, the confluence of the two sides," he said. "As architecture, it's one of the more handsome buildings in the Inner Harbor. As a piece of urban design ... it's spectacular."



Architects chosen

Two local architects have been hired to design the commercial and residential development that the Johns Hopkins University plans to build on the north side of 33rd Street between Charles and St. Paul streets in Charles Village.

Ayers Saint Gross and Design Collective have been hired to create a mixed-use development that will include a bookstore for the campus and other retailers, parking and housing for students. Construction is tentatively expected to begin in 2004 and be complete by mid-2005.



Copyright © 2003, The Baltimore Sun


:guns1:

http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2003/03/10/daily34.html

Yeah, I read that. I hope Baltimore get's some FED money.
PLEASE!!!
;)

The EPA today gave the go ahead for the waterfront development on a former industrial site of Allied Signal Corp. The 1.5 billion development with be on 20 acres of waterfront between Fells Point and the Inner Harbor. The site is surrounded by water on three sides. The first development with by an office building for Morgan Stanley. Morga Stanley also leased a new office building a few blocks away on Thames street on the water also. The Signal Site will include Offices Retail and residential. It will be a joint development. One of the Developers is currently building Inner Harbor East which includes Three hotels, tow or three residential towers, retail space, lots of parking,and tons of office space. Inner Harbor East is going up with a price tag of $500,000,000+

Yeah, I read that too. That is great news. I hope they get started soon.
Have you heard any more news on the 300 east pratt project or the "Water Tower" project? Any news of any kind? Things have been pretty low key on the convention hotel proposals, as of late.

http://www.mddailyrecord.com/newspics/Harbpoint.jpg

Here's a picture of the site with the skyline backdrop.

Where di you find the picture. Was there an article in the Sun Papers about the development.

http://www.sunspot.net/business/realestate/bal-bohagers0404,0,3350596.photo?coll=bal%2Drealestate%2Dheadlines%2D1 [IMG]

Yeah, I seen that the other day. It's short, but I like the roofing.

The picture came from the Maryland Daily Record.
Every day, except Sunday, it has new info/articles of Baltimore/Maryland business news.

www.mddailyrecord.com , check it out sometime.
By the way, if you want ALL the info on any of the articles, you have to pay a $.

Cool site though.

There was a story in the sun papers that no decision has been made of the hotel proposals.

http://www.sunspot.net/media/photo/2003-04/7439607.jpg

Work begins on shops at Lockwood Place
Delayed project to add an office tower to skyline
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Meredith Cohn
Sun Staff
Originally published April 17, 2003



A gap in the skyline along Baltimore's main street of commerce will be filled with a 13-story, blue-tinted glass and metal building and a neighboring shopping mall in just over a year, according to developers who recently began construction.

The work on Lockwood Place was put off more than a year because of the sagging economy, but the developers expect that shops and businesses will again be ready to move and expand next year - especially to space that offers harbor views, parking and modern amenities.


Champps Americana sports bar and restaurant, Chevy's Fresh Mex, Olive Garden and the Baltimore Chocolate Factory and Museum are to occupy more than 60 percent of the three-story retail complex that broke ground this week and will run along Pratt Street and Market Place, according to King of Prussia, Pa.-based Kravco Co., the lead developer.

The remainder of the 105,000-square-foot space is unleased.

"We really wanted to start in '01," Timothy S. Herb, Kravco's development director, said yesterday. "We've had a couple of really tough years in the retail market, but hopefully things will start to get better."

The mall is part of a $100 million project, including the office building and a recently completed parking garage, commissioned by Baltimore City Community College on its downtown property as a means of adding to the school's income.

The project was proposed in 1998 and requires the developers to pay rent and build on a specific schedule, which has been amended because of economic conditions. The city offered tax breaks for the offices and garage to help get the project going.

The 275,000-square-foot office building has no tenants, but work on its foundation commenced over the winter and steel will rise in the next couple of weeks, said its developer, Trammell Crow Co.

"This will fill in the last major office development site on the harbor," said T. Courtenay Jenkins III, a senior vice president of Trammell Crow. "It will be the corporate address for companies that need the image of Pratt Street."

The developers say they know the office project is a gamble. The economic malaise continues, neighboring office buildings have significant unleased space, and brokers say activity is slow. The vacancy rate in the Baltimore office market is about 13.5 percent and goes up to 14.6 percent in the central business district when offices for sublet are included, according to commercial real estate company MacKenzie/Oncor Intl.

Two other buildings have been constructed downtown recently: Dugan's Wharf, a 172,000-square-foot building developed by the Cordish Co. on Pier 4 that is nearly full, and a 338,700-square-foot building at 750 E. Pratt St. that is about one-third leased.

The downtown vacancy rate drops some when only the top-tier office buildings on Pratt Street are counted, said James R. Grieves Jr., a vice president at MacKenzie.

"They're betting on the market correcting itself in the next 12 to 24 months and there will be pent-up demand for space, and that's probably a pretty good guess," he said. "It might take a while to lease up, but if those other buildings are fully leased, then they'll have first dibs on anyone looking for new space."

New buildings, however, tend to take some tenants from older downtown buildings, Grieves noted.

Daniel S. Hudson, managing director for Trammell Crow, said some local businesses have expressed interest in his building because they need more space or want to be in the newest harbor building.

"The owners are very excited about the opportunities presented by this asset in particular and Baltimore in general," Hudson said. "It's a downtown, urban location with harbor views and parking."

The office building owner and equity investor is Multi-Employer Property Trust, a pool of corporate and public pension money. Trammell Crow has developed other office projects in the region for the trust.

The office tower shell and mall are to be completed by May 2004. The 940-space garage opened in February.


Copyright © 2003, The Baltimore Sun

Also see




Photos

Lockwood Place (Sun photo by Doug Kapustin)
Apr 15, 2003

The Ritz Carlton Luxury Hotel at the Key Highway Shipyard in the Inner Harbor is still on track. A 20 year agreement has been signed for the development. The land deal will be completed within weeks. The hotel will have 225 room and 100 condominiums. I think the project is around $175,000,000. The four Seasons Hotel on the other shoreline in the Inner Harbor East will start before the end of the year. The $75,000,000 200 room hotel will be the third hotel built in Inner Harbor East. The BG&E Headquaters is being sold to Southern Management as well. The BGE Building is 22 floors and built in 1916 and well be converted in 200 to 300 luxury apartments. BGE moved its executives to the new tower at 750 East Pratt. The Annex building of the BGE Headquaters will be retained continued to be used as BGE Offices. The Southern Management Company will have over 1,100 apartments in a one block area with four towers, 28 floors, 31 floors, 29 floors, and 22 floors. Southern Management also recently renovated the Old Hecht Company Flag Ship Store into 170 Apartments a couple of blocks away for $20,000,000.

It was announced today that Interstate 95/895 split on the Baltimore City Line to Rt 24 in Harford County will be widen by two lanes in each direction bringing the roads to 6 lanes in each direction. WOW. Then one lane to be added from rt 24 to the delaware line for a total of four lanes in each direction. Total cost 2 Billion dollars. Unreal. No taxes money to biuld the project. All from tolls:cool:

That's good news.
:cool:

The Baltimore Ravens Stadium has been renamed to M&T Bank Stadium. A 15 year deal was signed for $5,000,000 a year. The Baltimore Stadium is also 165 foot tall

Design Collective has finally posted some images of Zenith on their website. It is going to be nice to see a residential building with a modern design rise in the city again.

http://www.designcollective.com/_internal/cimg!0/18zextekd9

The Ritz Carlton Project is waiting on the land purchase that they agreed to paif 5.4 Million dollars for the property plus 2.5 million to JOhn Hopkins in a 1999 agreement. The Owner of the Land (HarborView) is not abiding by the price and now want 16.50 million for the 5.6 acre waterfront site.

The MTA Today announced it is proceeding with two new subway lines. One From Woodlawn to Fells Point(12 Miles) and from the Johns Hopkins Hospital Subway Stop to Good Sam Hospital about 4.5 miles.

http://www.gbc.org/news/Dec01/harborcommittee.html

Can anyone find out what the deal is with the 300 east pratt tower situation? That and Water Tower at 414 Water Street.
I've been asking around, but nobody is saying anything.:?

As Far as I know both pojects are still schedule to begin this year Both 300 East Pratt and 414 Water Street are still going to go up. The Ritz Carlton Hotel is still fighting with the Harborview Development over the price for the land. Which Harborview now want more than double the money fo the site. As to the Harborview Development Townhomes are easily selling for 750,000 and 850,000 and these are not even waterfront. The next phase of the Development is Waterfront Townhomes $1,000,000 PLus each

City Councilman fighting tall buildings near Fells Point
John Cribbs
Staff

Baltimore City Councilman John L. Cain is introducing a bill that could wipe out a controversial proposal to erect 120-foot buildings in Fells Point.




Fells Point residents complained to Cain after they were told about the Baltimore Development Corp.'s plan to put six blocks of land -- the former site of Bohager's -- under the Inner Harbor East Urban Renewal Plan, which would allow buildings up to 120 feet high to be built next to the historic community, Cain said.



Both Cain and Baltimore Development Corp. introduced their bills Monday, Cain said.



"The Fells Point community has been concerned with that intensity being right smack up to Fells Point," Cain said.



He said his bill will allow development in those six blocks to be 80 feet at the highest, which is more "compatible with Fells Point," he said.



For about two years, the six blocks have been seen as a "transitional zone" since residents knew the Inner Harbor would be expanding to its current density, Cain said.




© 2003 American City Business Journals Inc.

A 12 or 13 story Apartment Building and Condo is proposed for the site with almost 400 very pricey apartments. I don't they will be able to block it in time. I hope not. The city needs as much residential development as possible.

I agree.
I think when the "Centerpoint" apartment tower and the "Zenith" apartment tower are built, it will help the city's residential need, some.
Now, if they only go ahead and build 300 east pratt AND Water Tower, then we will have a nice surplus of residences. :D

Centerpoint is well underway and a 350 ft tall tower crane is already up. An 18 story apartment tower is also under construction at Inner Harbor East.

That's great news! :)
Do you have any recent pictures of these developments? I'd love to see them!

There is fighting going on against new development in Locust Point near Historic Fort Mc Henry. (Birthplace of the National Anthem. Plans for hotels, shopping new housings, and a cruise ship terminal are some fo the proposed developments. The Old Grain Elevator Site is the prime concern because of it size and waterfront site and long pier. A large office complex was completed last year at the P&G Plant now known as Tide Point. About 400,000 SQ FT.

Hi Guys I'm new to this forum but like you I'm very interested in the development of my hometown. On Peter Fillat's site there is a proposal for a 43- 45 story hotel tower, not sure if they'll go through with it though. I hope so because this will definitely be baltimore's new tallest. I'll try to find out more info on it.

Hi Brian21.
Welcome to the forum. It's good to see another Baltimore person on this site. Do you live in the city?
If you find out any information on any Baltimore projects, please feel free and post away.
I'll help in any way I can.

As for the convention hotel proposal that's on Peter Filliat's site, I did some checking on it and, even though it may reach 45 storeys, it will only rise to about 440 feet in the air. The Legg Mason Tower is 529 feet tall. I still hope the proposal wins over the other one's though. Who knows, the city may ask for 1,000 rooms or more to see what the proposal might look like then. Then, I'm sure it would be a new tallest. Somewhere around 560 feet. And that's not a stretch either. I talked to Mr. Filliat via e-mail about this probability and he liked the idea.
Although, sad to say, Robert Johnson's hotel proposal is probably the politicaly favored one, at this point. It will be at least two to three more months before any decision is made, so I hear.

I am more curious about the 300 east pratt street proposal and the 414 Water Street, "Water Tower", proposal, more than anything else.
If you could find any up-to-date info on those two projects, that would be GREAT! ;)

By the way, www.skyscraperpage.com is another cool site/forum to check out, too!

Anyway, WELCOME, again!
:cool:

I hope Robert Johnson does not get the site. Baltimore needs a new arena and a world class hotel. The Belive is much better and does not Block the views from Camdem Yards. I don't think an arena will ever be built on the Present site of the 1st Mariner Arena becuase they would have to tear it down first and Baltimore would have no arena while construction would take place. The Belive team makes the Most Sense. If the Belive team increased the size of the hotel to 1,000 rooms and the building height to like 55 floors that would be awesome.

I agree, 100%
:guns1:

Hey guys
I found a most recent rendering of 300 light street. Its alot different from the older proposal. Its on a webiste called cosentini.com once you get there click on current projects and then click on Westin Hotels&resorts but the completion date says 2001 so maybe that was the first proposal but anyway Its a pretty cool rendering to me, alot better then the other rendering, and I think its still gonna be 34 stories, and will definitely be noticeable in the skyline!

Haven't heard anything on the Water Tower yet.

Hey Brian,

I was refering to the 300 EAST PRATT street residential project done by SCLE architects. But, hey, that was a nice rendering of the Westin proposal back a few years ago, before the Marriott Waterfront Hotel went up. I'd never seen it till now. Thanks. :)
The Westin proposal would have been right directly in front of the "Water Tower" project at 414 Water Street.

By the way, did you check out the www.skyscraperpage.com web site yet?
It's cool too.

Also see if you can maybe find out what the newly , shorter, 1 LIGHT Street tower will look like. I have not seen the new design yet. That's such a shame about 1 Light Street. I was hoping it would have gone up as the 496 foot tower it was going to be. Now, I think it might only reach 300 feet, if that. :(

Does SCLE architects have a website? I cant seem to find it.:?

Hi Brian,
Hey, I messed up the letters. Sorry. It's SLCE, not SCLE.
www.SLCE.com should be the site.
Brian, I've been to the site quite a few times and it lists "300 East Pratt Street" as one of their "current projects". However, I e-mailed them and asked of the project's progress, and they said, "They were not at liberty to disclose any information on that project yet."

How in the world did you come up with consentini website to find out about the old Westin proposal?

Here are the projects I am interested in:
1. 300 East Pratt
2. Water Tower
3. One Light Street
4. Centerpoint tower
5. Zenith
6. "Westin" proposal at the center site for convention hotel.
7. Inner Harbor East high-rise projects
8. Lockwood Place
9. Other high-rise construction going on in Baltimore.
10. Bridge, tunnel and other new structures in Baltimore. (Transportation)
11. Metro area high-rise construction.
12. All other Maryland high-rise construction.
;)

Hi Steve
are you sure thats the right website? I went to it and it brings up some kind of computer exchange website.

http://www.newyork-architects.com/content/profiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=profile&architect=2059&lang=e

Sorry, Try this link.

Steve

Here is the link for the centerpoint tower in Market Center
http://www.hadcoinc.com/centerp.html

Thanks, Baltimoreguy.
Cool rendering. I saw an earlier rendering and it did not look like this one. This one is much better. The other one looked real skinny.
Anymore other cool links?

http://www.hadcoinc.com/centerp.gif
Centerpoint looks GOOD! ;)

Updates on construction etc in downtown
http://www.godowntownbaltimore.com/publications/Publication%20Archives/pdfs02/State%20of%20Downtown2.pdf

The Zenith Apartments
http://www.beyonddc.com/images/photos/baltimore_area/baltimore/buildings/zenith02-rendering.jpg

http://www.sber.com/project/project_detail.asp?ProjectPropertyID=121

Great! Thanks.
Anytime you find out any new info on anything, please post away.
Have you taken any recent pics of any of the construction going on?
That would be good to see. :)

Lockwood Place currently under construction
http://www.kravco.com/portfolio/lockwood_img.htm

The Believe Team for the Westin Hotel
http://www.pfarc.com/03001/BELIEVE.html

The New Dental school in Baltimore
http://134.192.179.40/mainview1.html

Hey man,
The first two links came up nice, but the last one, the dental school building, is not coming through.
Can you post the rendering?
Thanks again.

Steve

The renovated Munsey Building
http://www.skyscrapers.com/re/en/wm/bu/118957/

Happy 4th of July!:)

Thanks for the links. I've seen some. The www.skyscrapers.com Baltimore page is nice, but, there are alot of inconsistancies with the info on the buildings. It seems that the same buildings are being represented twice in some cases. And, the height stats change from time to time on certain towers. 100 Light Street, for example, is listed at 370 ft. tall, now. Awhile ago it was consistantly given a 400 ft. tall stat. :rant:
I wish there was some thorough way to go through every high-rise building in Baltimore and get the exact height of the structures. Then updated info wouldn't be that confusing anymore, or as hard.

Ah well.......:?

Hey Guys
As you all know One Light Street was originally supposed to be 35 stories, with two 100ft spires on top which would have put it well over 500 ft, and would have probably become baltimore's signature tower, but now it has been reduced to 24 floors which is kind of tall but not tall enough to make an impact on the skyline. Well I read in the Baltimore Sun's Sunspot that the reason why one light street is now gonna be 24 floors instead of 35 is because of the Mcdonald's that sits on the corner of baltimore st & light st. Peter Fillat needs more land in that area in order to make it that tall but mcdonalds refuses to leave simply because the building that mcdonalds occupies is considered a landmark building. I think that J.J. Clarke is working on some kind of deal with mcdonalds to pay them to relocate. It certainly wouldn't look right with a 5 star 35 story Embassy Suites hotel and a mcdonalds sitting right beneath it. I hope that mcdonalds leave so that they can raise the height again:baaa: One Light Street would be a really cool building.

Hey Brian,
When did you read that article? Recently?

Heard any other news concerning development?

Thanks. :)

Hey Steve

I read that in the baltimore sun online about a month ago. The Zenith has begun construction I believe, and Lockwood place has begun also, but I still haven't heard anything on any other projects but I sure do see alot cranes over the baltimore skyline so construction is definitely going on but not sure which projects. I hope they put water tower and 300 East Pratt up soon.
:?

I hope they put Water Tower and 300 east pratt street up, too! ;)
"PLEASE" Inform us as soon as you find anything on those two projects. By the way, did you ever get to that SLCE website?

July 7, 2003 | Vol. 4 No. 5_monday

Hotel deal approved
A Baltimore judge cleared the way for the construction of a Marriott Residence Inn last week, siding with the city in a challenge to the legality of a tax break given to the hotel’s developers.

That's great news. Do you know how many floors high it will be? Any renderings? Where will it rise?

Hey Steve
yeah I got to the SLCE site but I didn't see any renderings of 300 East Pratt though but I did see where it said that its one of their current projects. I heard that the architect changed the design of the building? and I think that marriot residence inn is supposed to go up somewhere near where one light street is supposed to go up. Man I hope that they raise the height of one light street again, that would be a cool building. And I think one light street is supposed to be owned by pete angelos the orioles owner, and if thats true then pete is gonna make it as tall as he wants it. The man is the Donald Trump of Baltimore:D

Hey guys if you would like to see a rendering of the water tower appartments go to lessard architects.com they have a rendering of it. It looks like a nice building and will probably be noticable in the skyline, well at 31 stories it should.

when you get to the site click on portfolio, then go to midrise/highrise, and you'll see water tower apartments as one of the projects.

Oh and does anyone know if 300 East pratt is still gonna be 34 floors?

http://www.lessardgroup.com/mid-water.html

The Water Tower Apartments looks like the tower it will be about 400 feet.

I think its gonna be the same height as the Commerce Tower if not a little taller because Commerce tower is also 31 stories, but then again Commerce Tower has that pointy pyramid crown on top.

I emailed LessardGroup to find out when construction is supposed to begin so I'll post when I get more info.

That's great reporting guys.
http://www.lessardgroup.com/images/mid-water1.jpg
It does look a bit different than the first rendering.
I'll try to get it posted soon.

Thanks again, guys.
Keep up the great reporting! ;)

By the Way, I would guess, from this rendering, that height will probably be around 340 ft. tall. That's my guess. The first rendering had a bigger/taller pointed crown.
I'll show it soon as I can.

Here are the older renderings of Water Tower.
And an old rendering of what 300 east pratt street was going to look like. It would probably rose close to 450 ft. or more. :)

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/500/6waterst.jpg

And...

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/500/6wlapts.jpg

And...

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/500/6300_e__pratt.jpg

Won't these two towers look so good in the skyline?!

Lookin good Baltimore! When is construction going to start on Water Tower and 300 East Pratt? Those look like some great projects, keep us posted. Also, did construction ever start on Zenith? I really liked the look of that building.

Water Tower and 300 east pratt are kinda hush hush right now. But they probably will be built.
The Zenith is in pre-construction fazes I believe.
Thanks for the interest in Baltimore. :D

Hey I think that they should also build the Zenith on top of a garage. That would be cool, the zenith is only gonna be 21 floors, that building is too nice to not be noticed in the skyline.

Hey guys
Lessard group contacted me back, and they said to call or email Bush Construction to find out when construction begins on water tower, so it sounds like water tower is still a go. I'll try to contact them but u guys are welcome to try as well

phone # (703) 812-3800

Thanks, Brian.
I'll e-mail Bush Construction right away.

As for the Zenith, It was going to be at least 10 storeys higher, before, but, the height restriction had to be enforced because of the Trama Center helicopter flight path would not be obstructed.

I agree though, that tower would have been WAY MORE impressive if taller.

Thanks, again and keep up the good work.

Brian, do you know their e-mail address?

Hey Steve
no I don't have their email address, I tried looking for it online but its hard to find. I'm gonna try an call them this weekend and see what I can come up with.

http://www.legacyunlimited.com/legacy.php?location=harrison Here is the company building the Zenith and I also think they are the developers of the Water Tower

I drove thru the City on 95 today. Wow lots of cranes all over the place.

I think Legacy Harrison were the developers before giving it up to Bush Construction.
I would love to get a picture of that skyline full of cranes! ;)

Brian, If you ever do get the e-mail address, please post it for me so I can ask some questions too.
Thanks.

http://www.cantoncrossing.com/index.html This development seems to be progessing. The Merrit Athletic Club is now open

Hey guys
I wasn't able to get through to Bush Construction, I'll try to search and get a email address. Has anyone else had any luck?

Yeah there are cranes up all over the place, I wonder what projects they are?

The cranes are on Centerpoint, Spinnaker bay, Lockwood Place, Three towers at the University of Maryland, The addition to the Power Plant, A garage on St Paul Place, An addition to Mercy Hospital, Also numerous buildings at the John Hopkins Campus, plus someothers I not sure becuase I wasn't close enough to see what building they were for

I wonder what the hold up is on water tower and 300 East Pratt? I'm still not able to get in touch with Bush Construction, I wonder if LessardGroup gave me the right #.:? I'll keep trying.

Hey that project thats going on in between the two tall buildings behind where the expansion of mercy medical center is being built how tall is that supposed to be? I think its called the Atrium Tower? It looks like its gonna be kinda tall, probably not as tall as the buildings around it though.

I'll try an get a rendering of the "Atrium" and post it.
If anyone has a camara, please take a picture or 10 of the crane filled skyline. ;)

It is expected that over 6,000 people will move into Downtown Baltimore this year alone. About 1,200 apartments are under construction plus renovations. This was reported in the BBJ. Safeway is also looking for new sites to building in Baltimore City and a New Outback Steak House is also being built in Canton. Canton is unreal where 2 and three bedroom 150 year old rowhouse are going for $300,000. There is a new development in Canton for townhomes from the 600's. There are also some condo's under construction in Inner Harbor East as well

http://www.spaceimaging.com/newsroom/photos/2002/baltimore_600.jpg

http://www.hfurrer.com/images/fullsize/centerpoint1.jpg
Updated rendering of Baltimore's new, "Centerpoint" apartment tower.

BTW, AWESOME overhead of Baltimore! :D

This Actually looks a little taller than the orginal

Has anyone heard anything on 300 East Pratt or Water Tower yet?

Anyone had any luck with contacting Bush Construction?:?

No luck yet, Brian.
Don't give up though.

The "Atrium" will be around 10 or 11 storeys, I think.
At the "West-side" project portion of the www.Baltimoredevelopment.com website, it talks about it some. I think there is a link to a rendering there as well.

Believe me, 300 east Pratt and Water Tower are my two biggest concerns for Baltimore's development scene. The convention hotel is pretty important too.

Keep probing as much as you can! Whoever breaks any sure info on these projects, should winn a prize! ;) :D :cool: :guns1:

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?dtype=a&mapdata=5%2b8Zmnm7bJzYcJEB5Jo%2b%2bJ8WRx239n8KmPBMJgoydEEfr3UYlDWiUlEfQRHPg3wrZRP0wkUU2wNM6WimMg%2fznPiMEJLRRrWe2FSG0bW%2f%2fUjWFVoz5b3DOCnINnWge2Qf%2bdex4tN6EO28qUwanOomyleahpCi9Ggz39tLMQMU62H4KorkqztfM5cQ4DSsgFkZO5hRVViXShUv1a5jJevpb%2f49gnyKVgPX7f0epU%2f%2fhexZ9hedRy0z4bQoVjMPDV0wc7oHg1DhbNr0alIbv2BW617Dzc9acdzTZcUeVMJyTIqOAuSPrDabdgO26CZOjUBK7hpjIAjSNGH6s%2fn902GPpaNjDKef42uMhetePVyuEcrtl07r01YzrZzmUkt8Zsx14e7y72vTlXAafh0vG3wo5grz9BYNdSnyeQ%2fv7pYmVhU%3d

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?dtype=a&mapdata=5%2b8Zmnm7bJzYcJEB5Jo%2b%2bJ8WRx239n8KmPBMJgoydEEfr3UYlDWiUlEfQRHPg3wrZRP0wkUU2wNM6WimMg%2fznPiMEJLRRrWe2FSG0bW%2f%2fUjWFVoz5b3DOCnINnWge2Qf%2bdex4tN6EO28qUwanOomyleahpCi9Ggz39tLMQMU62H4KorkqztfM5cQ4DSsgFkZO5hRVViXShUv1a5jJevpb%2f49gnyKVgPX7f0epU%2f%2fhexZ9hedRy0z4bQoVjMPDV0wc7oHg1DhbNr0alIbv2BW617Dzc9acdzTZcUeVMJyTIqOAuSPrDabdgO26CZOjUBK7hpjIAjSNGH6s%2fn902GPpaNjDKef42uMhetePVyuEcrtl07r01YzrZzmUkt8Zsx14e7y72vTlXAafh0vG3wo5grz9BYNdSnyeQ%2fv7pYmVhU%3d

Hey guys
I went to the skyscraper page and they don't have anything listed as being under construction, approved, proposed, or even on hold for baltimore. I wonder what that is all about? They have all the other building that are already completed but not the ones that are gonna be built soon. They don't even have one light street or the zenith on there and they both are approved.:baaa:

Brian,
you have to take www.skyscrapers.com info with a grain of salt, so to speak.
Updated info is rare, few times and far between. ;)

However, if you go to the site, you can e-mail the "editors" for Baltimore to let them know. I have, in the past. If you look at the Baltimore page, it lists "Water Tower" as "Never Built". So, they are way off on their updated info. Maybe, suggest to them to go the website that talks about Water Tower, and they will find out the rest, ussually.

Keep up the good work. :)

I like that MapQuest site, Baltimoreguy. :)

Hello everyone
On the skyscraper.com website it lists that "Schuman, Lichtenstein, Claman&Efron" are the architects for 300 East Pratt. I'm not sure if thats up to date or not.

Brian,
SLCE is still the developer, yes.
Check the acronym.

Steve ;)

Where are the photos of construction?

Hello everyone
Has anyone heard anything new on any of the projects 300 East Pratt, Water Tower? I'm still searching and trying to find any info I can but I'm coming up with zip. :? I'll be driving through downtown today so I'll see whats going on down there.

Hello everyone
I drove through downtown the other day and sadly to say there isn't really anything going on at 300 East pratt or water tower, at least not yet but lockwood place is coming along very well, and also the atrium tower is coming along ok. I'll keep trying to get more info on Water tower and 300 East pratt.

Where is the Atrium tower and how tall is it going to be. It is a pic of it

Hey baltimoreguy, the atrium tower is in between the tremont plaza hotel and that other tall building right across the street from mercy medical center. I think its supposed to be 14-15 stories I think, which is not that tall but when you're up close it it does look tall. I don't have a rendering of it yet.

There a couple of cranes in different locations near the University of Maryland complex downtown with cranes around 300 or taller does anyone no what they are building. I already know about the centerpoint tower to the east. these are rigth near or on Campus

hmm I'm not sure, I'll look into it. Centerpoint is coming along well. They may be finished with it ahead of schedule. Has anyone heard from steve lately?

Give me more news of Baltimore development, Please.... :)

Hi everybody,
I have been on vacation in Myrtle Beach, SC. I just got back yesterday.
I have not been posting lately because, honestly, I have not had any new info or pics to post for you.
I still have the rest of this week off, so I'll try to get in touch with someone at Baltimore Develpment Corp. to ask them about a number of projects.
Wish me luck. And, I would love to see some up-close shots of the Centerpoint construction. ;)
Untill then, check out these cool pics I copied from the www.skyscraperpage.com forum.

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/500/67cy18dt.jpg

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/500/67dt09a.jpg

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/500/67train02.jpg

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/500/67dt02.jpg

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/500/67pan13.jpg

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/500/67pan12.jpg

Thanks to "snuggles".

Notice the cranes in the pics. I wonder what they are building? ;)

Hey Steve
Welcome back!! thats soo funny because my family was just in myrtle beach a few weeks ago on vacation. Hey thank for those pics they are cool shots of Baltimore. I'm still trying to find out more info on 300 E. Pratt and water tower, it seems like both of those projects are still a go but there's some kind of delay, maybe they need money.

HI Brian,
Myrtle Beach is cool. So much to see and do. I had a great time. We stayed at the 402 room Radisson convention hotel. It was nice.

Yeah, I hope to hear from someone from the Baltimore Development Corp. today about several of these projects such as 300 east pratt and water tower. I hope they are still a go too. And I hope they are designed to be taller/more rooms. And I hope the new designs are better than the old ones.

Keep trying to find out whatever you can though.
As soon as I find out anything new, I'll let you know! ;)

Brian, do you have a digital camara? I was wondering. If you did, you might be able to get some coveted construction pics of all the new projects going up in the city. Plus some great new downtown density pics as well. ;)
I live so far away, or I would shoot all I could.

Hey steve
I don't have a digital camera, I am getting one soon though. I'm very eager to see how 300 east pratt will look, the architects from new york that are supposed to be designing and building have built hundreds of towers in new york, plus they are known for building tall slender buildings. They can make a 20 story tower look like a 40 story tower, and 300 East pratt is supposed to be 34 stories! so I'm excited to see how it will look, may be the second or third tallest which will be cool. Check out some of the other buildings built by SLCE on the Skyscraper.com site. I'll continue to find out more info on the other projects.

City approves tax break for $38M project
Heather Harlan
Staff
The Baltimore City Board of Estimates approved a land agreement and tax break for LH Zenith LLC, clearing the way for a $38 million, mixed-use project on the west side of downtown.


Under the terms of the agreement, LH Zenith will acquire the site at Paca and Pratt streets -- now operating as a surface parking lot -- for $750,000.

And the minority-owned company will receive a 15-year tax break, or payment in lieu of taxes, which applies only to the incremental real property taxes resulting from the project, according to the Baltimore Development Corp.

The planned development will include 200-market rate housing units, a 257-space parking garage and 5,000 square feet of retail space.

Construction of "the Zenith,'' as the project is called, is expected to begin this fall and take 20 months to complete. LH Zenith is controlled by Brian Morris and Dean Harrison.

:cool:

Hey thats great news, I just wish it were at least 10 stories taller:)

@ Baltimoreguy

There are indeed a lot of cranes over by UMB. The tallest structure that is going up is a 17 story building with student housing (it should be around 172' high) designed by the fine people at Marks, Thomas & Associates.

http://www.housing.umaryland.edu/images/fayettedrawing.jpg

It is located on Green and Fayette Streets, right across from Edgar Allen Poe's grave.

Erik, havn't heard from you in a while. Good to see you're still with us. :)
I talked with a Mr. Frank at the Baltimore Development Corp. and asked him about 5 different projects for Baltimore and how
these projects were doing.

Here is his answer in an e-mail I sent him earlier.



The projects:
1. 300 East Pratt Street, what is the status of this project? Interested info for this project would be: it's latest design, if any, the height/stories proposed, up-dated renderings, if any, and website/e-mail addresses to investigate this project further.

[Frank, Andrew]- Developer is Harvey Schulweiss. Call Tom Brodie at Schuweiss Realty for more details His number is 212-407-2161. The last approved plan is for an $88 million, 275 unit luxury apartments building. We're told by the developer that the design has changed.

2. "Water Tower" at 414 Water Street, what is the latest on this project? The interest in this project is the same as previously mentioned.
[Frank, Andrew]- No change.

3. "One Light Street", what are the latest bits of info on this, and, are there any new renderings of this project?

[Frank, Andrew]- There is a new approved design, but we don't have an electronic copy of it. Contact Joe Clarke, the developer, at 410-962-0241. New plan is for a parking garage and Embassy Suites hotel; no office space. Financing is not yet lined up.

4. "The Zenith", with the same interest as above.

[Frank, Andrew] - No change.

I am curious, as well, about the any up-dated info on the convention hotel proposals and any idea as to when an "official" announcement may be made concerning these proposals.

[Frank, Andrew]- Probably sometime in October.
I thank you very much for your time, Mr. Frank.[Frank, Andrew] My pleasure.
This information will be very helpful. This information gives Baltimore a positive image and helps market/sell people on the idea and reality of future visits and business for the city.

Thanks again.

Sincerely,
Steven K. Wyatt


Maybe you guys can call Mr. Brodie and Mr. Clark also so we can narrow down some specific info and maybe a rendering or two. ;)

Hey thanks for the info Steve, As far as One Light Street is concerned is it still gonna be 35 floors or 24? because since the office space will not be there all they have to do is build more hotel rooms in the space that the offices were going to be that way it can still be 35 stories, and when they say that there's "no change" to the water tower does that mean that its the same design as the older rendering or the most recent one?

I'll try to get in touch with someone about new rendering on some of the projects.

Hey guys
I contacted J.J. Clarke about getting an updated rendering of One Light Street and he emailed me back and said "Not Yet", So I guess that they are not ready to disclose any new info on it yet. I'm still trying to get information on 300 East Pratt.:baaa:

Hey Brian,
Good to hear you are actually getting through to somebody.
Try Mr. Brodie about 300 East Pratt Tower if you can.
I've left 2 messages on his voicemail for two days now, he has not got back with me yet. Maybe you'll have better luck. So far, Mr. Frank has been the best help. The Mayor has helped allot too, I must say.
Keep up the good work, man. Who knows, we may just find out soon what will become of 300 east pratt.
As for Water Tower, I think it will go up at 32 storeys.
One Light Street will be at 24 storeys, I believe.
:cool:

Are there any new pictures of the Water Street Apartments at 32 floors?

Does anyone have any pics of the Spinnaker Bay at Inner Harbor East It is 18 floors Underconstruction. Also Westin and Hilton have signed an agreement to build two hotels At Canton Crossing at Clinton and Boston Street Somewhere around 300 Hotel Rooms.

Baltimoreguy,
This is the latest rendering of Water Tower.

http://www.lessardgroup.com/images/mid-water1.jpg

Not sure about any renderings of Spinnaker Bay or the two hotels. Sorry.
:guns1:

Hello everyone
Has anyone heard anything about 300 East pratt? Perhaps an updated rendering? I wasn't able to contact Mr. Brodie concerning this.

Hey thats cool that they pushed the water tower up to 32 stories thats means that it will be taller than Commerce Place, maybe they'll go up a couple more floors:)

Hey Brian,
no word on 300 east pratt yet, either.
Will you still try and contact him?
I've left two messages on his voicemail, but no answers back.

All I know is that they have re-designed the 300 east pratt tower. I hope it's for the better/taller. ;)
Keep on keeping on! :)

I can't wait when news breaks of either 300 east pratt, Water Tower, one light street or the winning convention hotel proposal.
:D

I would guess the Water Tower Apartments would be close to 410Ft Tall. Still a welcome addition to the Skyline. Commerce Place is 465ft Tall.

Hi everybody. I just got off the phone with a representative for the 300 East Pratt Street Tower, and he said the tower will start construction within the next 6 months.
It will be 34 storeys tall, around 375 ft. tall, maybe taller. It has not been re-designed as some publications have rumored about.
It is real! It will be built! It will look great in the Baltimore skyline!
He also told me to give him a call when ever I needed any more info.
I'll be reporting this to www.skyscrapers.com ASAP!

Baltimoreguy, how did you get the info on the Commerce Building being 465 ft. tall? I always thought it was 454 ft. tall.

:cheers: Here's to 300 East Pratt!!!:D

Yup your right. It was 454 not 465 for the Commerce Place Height. I can't wait to see a pic of 300 East Pratt

Hey Guys

Wow that is awesome news Steve, I'm soo excited to see how it will look, or since it hasn't been redesigned that means that the most recent rendering will be the official design right? Man this is great. Did the guy say that it will be 375 ft? I think it may break the 400 ft mark, will definitely be noticed in the skyline and will be Baltimore's newest skyscraper! So it looks like 300 E. Pratt will probably be built before Water Tower huh.

Now I can't wait till news breaks about the Water Tower and the Convention Hotel hopefully Peter Fillat's design:D

If it an average of 12 feet per floors 300 East Pratt would be 408 Ft Tall. Most residential buildings are around 11.50 to 12.5 average height per floor.

Brian,
If I'm not mistaken, I believe Water Tower will start construction around the same time. I'll try to find out more on it.
Yes, I too want Peter Fillat's "scenario 2" proposal to win. That would be awesome. It would be at least 450 ft. tall, and, fill in a major gap in the skyline. The other proposals are tame/lame/boring/so-so/pitifull at best.

Baltimoreguy,
that's good figuring. I think he was just giving me an "at least as tall of 375 ft." figure. We'll see. By the way, why not call Mr. Brodie again. The number is on the previous page. Tell him your interested in this info for web-site statistical purposes. Maybe he could e-mail/fax you a rendering so we can know for sure what it may look like. When I talked to him he said something about at least a 10 ft. ratio per floor. But I don't think he new exactly off hand. Maybe he could send you specific info/rendering to you by e-mail. I'll try to find out more on Water Tower and One Light Street.

Thanks, guys, for your help on this stuff. :cool: :guns1: :D

I also think that they should build a skyscraper on the Western edge of town also, that would extend the skyline. They had a good opportunity with the Zenith, but then it would interfere with the flight path of the trauma copter. Well actually at 21 floors it will be kinda noticable in the skyline because alot of the buildings around there are shorter. So we'll see.

Hey on the Skyscraper.com page theres a building in Cleveland that looks similar to how the Zenith will look, similar meaning the shape of it and it looks pretty tall but its only 23 floors and the Zenith is going to be 21 floors. Check it out and see the similarity its called the "Carl B. Stokes Federal Court House" Seems like the wrong name for a building like that.

Yeah, I've seen that building. It's cool. However, it's got a huge floor to ceiling height ratio. The Zenith is only around 10 ft. per floor, making the building a little over 200 ft. tall. If I'm correct, I think the court building in Cleavland is well over 400 ft. tall. The Zenith should have been that tall too.
IMO, don't build at all if it's going to be a small scale project. Sure, it's growth, and well needed residences, but, land/space to develop in the city is so precious that it should be developed as big and grand as possible. Just like 500 East Pratt Street. Don't get me wrong, I like development for Baltimore, but in that location, why not build tall/grand/magnificent?!! You know? Instead, we get "LockWood Place". The only thing I like about that project is the fact that it will have a huge candy plant/museum as part of the retail portion of the building. It's supposed to be huge for the city in terms of tourism and business. Far more so than the small scale office portion. Just emagine if there was going to be a 50 to 60 storey tower built there, instead of a boring 12 floor space-waster of a building.
Anyway, what really makes me mad more than that is the fact that "One Light Street" won't be the original 35 storey tower, just a little hotel/parking place. How sad. What a waste of space right in the smack-dab-in-the-middle of the CBD. That space should be reserved for Baltimore's new tallest. A 750 footer or something. What a perfect place that would make.
I also am very interested to see what is finally developed on the old Mc Corrmick site. :rant: :bash: :D

By This Time next year we should see a big diference in the Skyline. With the Zenith(21 floors) and CenterPoint(19) on the West Side and Water Tower(32 floors) and 300 east Pratt(34 floors), Spinnaker Bay (18 floors) on the East side, and the Possiblity of the Westin Hotel (43 floors) on the South Side, it should really have a huge Impact on the Outer Skyline. Now the Planners need to focus on the McCormack Spice lot which is up for sale to developers. It is zoned for a I believe for a 1.7 million square building in a deal when the Rouse Company owed the building and lot. There was a large donation to the City made of $500,000 and mysteriously two week later the zoning board allowed the site to have a building 500,000 larger than usual

Yeah I agree "One Light Sreet" is a big let down:mad: The only reason they can't make it 35 floors is because the McDonalds doesn't want to move, they need more space to build higher. Other then that they can make it as tall as they want. One light street would have probably become baltimore's trophy tower it would have been over 500 ft! and the spires on top of it may have surpassed the Legg Mason tower, man just imagine our skyline with One Light Street in it, plus it was a good looking building but oh well at least we still have 2 new taller towers to look forward to in about a year or so:D

I also think that lockwood place is a waste of space, that 12 story so called tower is a joke, There should of been another skyscraper on that site, man baltimore is wasting valuable space:mad: The retail part is fine but they should have at least built a 30 or more floor tower next to it instead of that 12 story building, but all is well I still love my hometown:cool:

hOW ABOUT THIS.... "wHY CAN'T THE DEVELOPERS OF ONE LIGHT STREET AND mCdONALDS WORK TOGETHER BY PUTTING A NEW, NICER mCdONALDS IN THE one light street BUILDING!?

There's an idea! ;):bash: :guns1: :rant: :cheers: :? :) :D :cool:

I think the real Problem with One Light Street is not the Mc Donalds but a weaker Office Market and that is why the Office Tower was cut out.

http://www.sunspot.net/business/realestate/bal-md.saratoga23aug23,0,2817235.story?coll=bal-local-headlines

Hey Baltimoreguy,
I agree about the office market, but just imagine if the developers of Lockwood Place wouldn't have built their office portion. Just think about that space on top of One Light Street instead of the 500 East Pratt 12 storey joke. Or even 750 East Pratt. Nice building, but, still a SHORT building/waste of space.
CONSOLIDATE!!!;):bash: :? :rant: :D

Here are some great tips on Where to take good skyline shot/pics of Baltimore.


Sky-high views of Baltimore

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Lisa Wiseman
Special To The Sun
Originally published November 1, 2001



Sometimes the view from the ground just isn't enough. You feel a need to go up on high and see the world stretch endlessly away. Or at least a couple of miles away.

There's an indescribable feeling of awe that you get from seeing buildings, bodies of water, automobiles, monuments, parks and even people from a vantage point of hundreds of feet above land.

In Baltimore, some of the best aerial views are from skyscrapers that are owned by private companies, such as the big banks and brokerage houses.

Unless you work at these places or happen to have business on an upper floor there, you have to go elsewhere to get a towering vista of the town.

Fortunately, there are plenty of sky-high views from places that the public has regular access to.

As to be expected, many are clustered around the Inner Harbor, but as the following roundup of best aerial sites to see the sights reveals, there are some surprisingly lofty views of Baltimore outside the city's center.

The Hi-Flyer at Port Discovery, 35 Market Place
Perhaps you've seen what looks like a huge white ball in the sky hovering over the Inner Harbor. At night, it glows like a low full moon. It's the Hi-Flyer hot-air balloon at the Port Discovery children's museum, and it's the newest and most innovative way to see the city.

Tethered by a steel cable, the balloon floats up 450 feet above the city, offering the highest public observation area in town. The enclosed gondola holds 25 to 30 people. The ride lasts a full 15 minutes.

It's an enchanting and beautiful way to see the city. And if you're with your significant other, it can be a very romantic trip, too.

But call before you go: The ride will not operate when helicopters are in the area or when the wind is faster than 26 knots (about 30 mph).

Tickets can be bought in advance at the museum's toy store (open beyond the regular museum hours) or through Ticketmaster. Nov. 1 through Dec. 31, hours are noon to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $12 for adults and $8.50 for children (3-12).

On nice days in January and February, call or check the Web site to see if the balloon will be going up. Full operation will resume in the spring. For more information, call 410-949-2FLY or go to www.portdiscovery.org.

Moorish Tower, Druid Hill Park
Next time you're running or walking along the oval trail around Druid Lake reservoir in Baltimore's best-known park, stop when you reach the Moorish-looking tower with the club-shaped windows. Or make a trip there even if you have no plans to ever work out along the lake. Located on the south end of the park near 28th Street, the tower site offers a stunning north-to-south panoramic view of the city from the near-center point of town.

13th floor at the Belvedere, 1 E. Chase St.
When the Belvedere Hotel was built in 1902, it was the tallest building in midtown Baltimore. It's no longer a hotel -- all the rooms have been converted to condos -- but its restaurants and bars are still open to the public. And that's good news for nonsuperstitious fans of high-rise views.

Unlike many high-rise buildings, the Belvedere has a 13th floor. The bar located on the top floor, Club 13, offers a marvelous view of midtown that patrons of the Belvedere have been admiring for years.

Inside the posh bar, with its leopard-print rugs and black-lacquer tables, are windows that surround you.

At night, the interior lights are kept down low. The glass seems invisible, and the lights of the city shine all around, giving you the feeling of floating high above Charles Street and beyond.

Besides the view, the bar offers live entertainment. So if you like a little jazz, pop or rock music with your skyline view and your Skyy Vodka martini, this is definitely the place for you. Call 410-783-1332 for more information.

Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel, 700 Aliceanna St.
The 32-story Marriott, Baltimore's newest and tallest Inner Harbor hotel, offers a "quality room" with a water view and a king-size bed starting at $279. For the best views, you'll want an odd-numbered room from the 10th floor on up.

What's that? You don't have that much cash to blow on a big bed with big view? Well, you can always just ride the elevator to the 32nd floor and take a look from the window at the end of the hall. It looks out at the harbor near Pier 6, and you can see the lighthouse of Pier 5, Harborplace and beyond.

From all the way up there, the boats in the harbor look like children's toys in a bathtub.

For hotel reservations, call 410-385-3000.

Washington Monument, North Charles Street at Mount Vernon Place
It's 228 steps to the top of Baltimore's Washington Monument. If you're not in the best of shape, or a little claustrophobic, this isn't the observation site for you.

With no windows along the circular stairway and no indication of how far you have climbed or how far it is to the top, ascending the narrow, marble steps can be dizzying. However, once you reach the top, the rewards are great. There you'll find four windows -- one north, one south, one east and one west. The view is mildly obstructed by the bars on the windows, but you still can see for miles in all directions.

There is a $1 donation to climb the monument. Hours are Tuesdays to Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 410-396-0929.

Hyatt Hotel, 300 Light St.
When the Hyatt at the Inner Harbor first opened, the fun thing to do was ride the glass elevators to the top floor and look out at the Inner Harbor. Well, that's still a lot of fun.

On the top floor is Pisces restaurant and bar. Windows line the entire harbor side of the place, giving it a great view of the water that you can enjoy with your Chilean sea bass or evening cocktail. Call 410-605-2835.

PSINet Stadium, Hamburg and Russell streets
Some of the worst seats in the Ravens' stadium offer some of the nicest views in town. Sure, from the uppermost seats, gigantic Tony Siragusa looks downright tiny on the football field, but look behind you. There's Baltimore! Not only can you probably see where you parked your car, no matter how far away you had to park, but you can also see all around town. Especially captivating is the view of the arcing, curving, twisting ramps of Interstates 95 and 395 leading into and out of the city.

Likewise, the adjacent Oriole Park at Camden Yards offers great views of the city from the nosebleed sections. You'll just have to wait till next April to check them out.

By the way, for the sake of those outside the stadiums, please resist the urge to pour beer from the top row of seats down onto the people standing on the pavement below. That is not funny. (Message to the guy at PSINet who thought this was hilarious a few weeks ago: I will find you.)

Orleans Street Bridge
The next time you're using this byway to enter or leave downtown, park your car at either end and walk along the sidewalk and take a look. It doesn't seem as if you are that high up, but a great view can be had.

The skyline to the north is dominated by the city jail/state pen complex, but looking southward, you get a surprising perspective on downtown. You almost feel as if you're at eye level with many of the buildings' rooftops.

At night, look toward Eutaw Street, and the Utz Potato Chip girl will flash you a smile in purple and red neon. And keep the bridge in mind next July 4. It's a pretty good spot from which to see the Inner Harbor fireworks away from the crowd.

Pleasant View Restaurant, 3838 Roland Ave.
Pleasant View bills itself as the "best-kept secret" in Baltimore. This rooftop restaurant above a senior-citizen apartment building in Hampden does indeed offer a pleasant view of Baltimore.

Windows line three walls and, off to the side, there is an elevated room with floor-to-ceiling windows. On a clear day, one can see the remnants of Memorial Stadium and, much farther, the glistening gold dome of the sewage-treatment plant in Dundalk.

Take in the view and then tuck into some good, cheap eats here. If you like "grandma" food -- fried baloney, grilled cheese and bacon sandwiches, chicken and dumplings and the like (all for around five bucks -- this is your kind of place. Call 410-366-6474.

New Cathedral Cemetery, 4300 Old Frederick Road
If you find yourself in New Cathedral Cemetery paying your respects, take a little walk when you're done to the highest point on the grounds. From this spot, you have an amazing vista all the way to the Key Bridge.

You don't have to be bereaved, of course, to visit the West Baltimore cemetery -- just respectful of those there who are grieving.

To reach the high point, enter the cemetery from Old Frederick Road and immediately take the path at the far right. Follow to the top of the hill, near a small utility shed. Call 410-566-7770 for hours.

Holiday Inn, 301 W. Lombard St.
There used to be a revolving restaurant at the top of the Holiday Inn downtown, but unfortunately the revolving mechanism broke more than 20 years ago and was never repaired.

The rooftop restaurant is closed, but the top floor is still open. The space is now used as a banquet hall for private parties, but you can ride the elevator to the top floor and step out into the reception area to take a look outside. From the north side of the hotel, you come face to face with the Bromo Seltzer tower clock.

Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 N. Wolfe St.
A hospital can sometimes be scary, stressful place, whether you're waiting for your own lab results or visiting an ailing loved one. When at Johns Hopkins' main building, do yourself a favor -- take a little break and walk across the street to the School of Public Health. The Wolfe Street Cafe, located on the ninth floor, is open to the public. It offers strictly cafeteria food, but the view of Canton's harbor can't be beat.

World Trade Center, 401 E. Pratt St.
One day, life will return to normal and we'll be able to go back to the Top of the World at Baltimore's World Trade Center. It's been closed since shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Our WTC may not be the tallest building in town, but at 423 feet, it is the tallest pentagonal building in the world, and that is something. The building's unique shape allows for a fantastic 360-degree view of the city.

For general WTC information, call 410-837-8439.
Copyright © 2003, The Baltimore Sun | Get home delivery






:cool:

Hey thanks for those good vantage points Steve! I've never been to the top of the WTC before but will soon. Hey baltimoreguy in the that sunspot article it says that the Zenith will be 23 floors, is that official? If their going to start construction this fall then it must be huh. Well 23 floors is still not that tall but its a little better then 21.:)

Oh and steve thats a good idea about mcdonalds being inside one light street:D

The Zenith is still ago, as well as Water Tower and 300 East Pratt, They are goiung wild with residential towers in Downtown. I hope it keeps up.

Hey Guys
I was just thinking of something when I went on the skyscraper.com site, correct me if I'm wrong but I think that Baltimore and San Diego have alot in common as far as the skylines are concerned. Its just that San Diego's skyline is a little more spread out and Baltimore's is more dense and will be more dense with two new towers in our skyline, plus our city is larger alot larger, and both of our downtown's are located around a harbor, and we have hotels and residential towers positioned around our harbor and so do they.

Anyone agree?

http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2003/08/25/daily15.html

Sorry if this is disappointing. I just thought you'd be interested in seeing the new rendering of Baltimore's SHORTER, LESS APPEALING, FILLER BUILDING called One Light Street.

Here it is...
http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/500/6full_rendering_email__1_.jpg
:bash: :rant: :bleep: :mad: >( :baaa: :? :moods:

Booooo!

From this...
http://www.onelightstreet.com/images/page2.jpg

to this...
http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/500/6full_rendering_email__1_.jpg

AGHHHH!!!
:bash: :rant: >(

Very Disappointing
That is nuts!! and a waste of space. What could have been the site of a signature tower for Baltimore is now going to be the site of an ordinary Hotel:mad: Booooooo!

Oh well so when is construction supposed to start. Any new updated renderings on 300 E. Pratt tower? At least we have something exciting to look forward to.

As to 300 east Pratt construction is still supposed to start within 6 months and has not been redesigned. As to One Light street, it is in an area where no real sizable office space has been built for years and the old financial district is changing to residential buildings, so I don't see any large signatures towers to ever be built near that site

I agree about, what used to be the CBD, there not being any signature towers because it's turning, slowly, into a residential area.
Most of the office space created is going to the East Side in small/short warehouse/old factory buildings.

If it were me, I would put retail/residences/tourism stuff in those squaty buildings, and save the office space for TALL TOWERS DOWNTOWN!!!!!!!:bash: :? :rant: :bleep: :mad: >( :baaa:

There is a crain at the U of Maryland next to the construction site for the 17 story U housing tower. The Crain is over 300 ft tall and the building being built there is alreay almost as tall as Howard Hall (290 ft) already. Does anyone know what is being built next to the U of Maryland Housing tower(17 floors).. By The way I drove on 95 today and you can hardly even see the Centerpoint Tower on the skyline at 17 floors.

I think that our next good opportunity to get a 600 ft tower will come with the Convention Center Hotel. Thats if they choose peter fillat's design, if they go ahead with his design there is a possibility that it will have 1000+ rooms and if thats the case Baltimore will have its first 600+ ft tower which will be an awesome addition to our skyline, and the thing is if they build that tower then maybe that will be the start to something great for Baltimore and then maybe we will start seeing taller towers being built here. Baltimore definitely needs a change in its skyline which will occur within the next year, with two new towers going up, don't get me wrong we have a beautiful skyline and I love it but we need something that gives it more ummpphh. What I don't understand though is that Robert L. Johnson wanted to build a smaller hotel on the convention center site but he already has a 24 story "Baltimore Hilton" thats been proposed near Camden Yards so why does he also want to build a hotel at the convention center

We need a tall tower that is at least 600 ft. Other cities that are smaller then us have 600+ ft towers but our tallest building is 529 ft which is the Legg Mason tower. But we'll see, I'll just cross my fingers and hope that peter fillat's design is chosen. A decision is supposed to be made by october. Man just think of how our already awesome skyline would look with a 600+ft tower in it:D :):

...if I only had a dollar for every time I thought of Baltimore having a 600 footer or higher...

...let's just say, ...I'd be a very wealthy man... ;)

http://www.sunspot.net/business/bal-bz.inn29aug29,0,781760.story?coll=bal-business-headlines

Has One Heard anything about the Quadrangle a 20 story Apartment building at Lombard and Howard Street Does anyone have a pic of the new Marriott Residence Tower at redwood and Light

I have not seen any renderings yet of this new hotel.
I'll try to find one.
Good article, though.

Anyway, here is something I came across yesterday.

http://www.gbc.org/images/eastside/blocks16021603.jpg

and...

Harbor plan to limit traffic
Baltimore Sun
August 10, 2003

By Meredith Cohn
Sun Staff

Approaching four decades after the city devised a roadmap to transform the rat-infested, industrial Inner Harbor into Baltimore's rec room, the famed waterfront is at another turning point.

The extraordinary success of the original plan, which draws millions to the harbor each year, has produced a new set of traffic and green space problems that Baltimore planners and developers are hoping to fix with a new $200,000 master plan.

The original model called for a big shoreline park surrounded by housing and offices. But it became outdated as development boomed and the unforeseen number of visitors flooded the harborside promenade.

The new plan seeks to create more pedestrian-friendly links between the harbor and the city, organize what has become a mish-mash of green space and, in the most bold recommendation, dismantle the automobile-centric throughways that ring the harbor.

City officials will use the master plan as a basis for legislation controlling development and infrastructure changes around the harbor.

Highlights were presented to the public in February and again last week to the city's architectural review board by Cooper, Robertson & Partners, a New York architecture and urban design firm hired by the city a year ago to lead the process.

"We often use Baltimore as a precedent, as the way cities can improve," said Michael Jasper, a principal architect of the new plan. "The way we work is, firstly, we look at what's there. How did the city grow since 1965 and what's good about what's there and what needs to be improved upon. Sounds simple, but it takes a lot of experience to know what's innate or inherent in a good plan."

Much of the 1965 model was followed, and the harbor now offers a promenade, parks and retail pavilions flanked by an aquarium and science center, which are both expanding. With some exceptions, low-rise office buildings provide a backdrop.

But there is less housing and more parking on the harbor than envisioned. And the widths of the surrounding roads - a compromise between traffic engineers and urban planners in the 1960s - cut off pedestrians from the rest of downtown. That limits the commercial and recreational success of the harbor to the immediate waterfront, the new plan's authors say.

Among other things, the new plan calls for:

Transportation changes. The plan seeks to transform the highway-like road around the harbor into a tree-lined boulevard that is narrower and more navigable for pedestrians. It calls for closing the spur that connects Light Street to Calvert Street, while rerouting traffic to Light and Pratt streets.


More and greener open spaces. Landscaping should continue from the harbor to the fountain at McKeldin Plaza, at Pratt and Light streets, with no road interruption. The unplanned green areas between the Harborplace pavilions should be landscaped. Rash Field, on the harbor's western bank, could accommodate an underground parking garage, park and sloping oval lawn with an amphitheater.


Possible changes on parcels under development. Provided a planned Ritz-Carlton hotel and condominium project is not developed, the former Bethlehem Steel propeller yard on Key Highway should include more open spaces and views from Federal Hill. A concert tent on Pier 6 should be moved to another park site and replaced with low-rise residential buildings. Setbacks and height limits should be placed on development on the former McCormick Co. site, which is now a parking lot.
Other development parcels were not included in the master plan, such as the former News American site on Pratt Street and the lots behind Camden Yards where a convention headquarters hotel is planned. Also left off was Lockwood Place, where shops and offices are under construction along Pratt Street and Market Place, and much of the Allied Signal site that juts into the harbor from Fells Point.

Celso Guitian, an architect for Cho Benn Holback + Associates, which is also on the master plan team, said the new roadmap mostly focused on improving the pedestrian environment.

"We need to balance the concerns of the car with those of the pedestrian," he said. "It will take a lot of public will."

The city will start with the proposals that are not likely to be controversial or expensive, said M.J. "Jay" Brodie, president of the Baltimore Development Corp., the city's quasi-public development agency, which hired the master plan team.

Already in the works is a formal request for developers to build the underground parking garage on the southern bank of the harbor. Trees and landscaping may be next, Brodie said.

It's the road changes including lane closures, reduced speeds and new intersections that will be the most politically challenging because of their expense and traffic impact. More traffic studies and cost estimates are being generated now, he said.

"I love the plan," said Brodie. "It's not just about aesthetic ideas, it's about making things work better."

Local urban planners and architects say they mostly like the ideas presented.

Alfred W. Barry, a planning and development consultant, said the plan could fix problems created over the years.

"Most importantly, they identified the need to reduce the impact of the automobile," he said. "It separates the harbor from the rest of downtown and has been a flaw going back to the original master plan. There have been some unfortunate urban design decisions that will be difficult to correct."

He pointed to the Pratt Street towers near the harbor, which block views and reduce values for the rest of downtown, and Lombard Street, which has become a service alley for Pratt Street with little vibrancy.

Barry said it was time for a new master plan, although he thought more sites could have been included in the study. He also lamented that more local people were not included in developing it.

The planners did seek input from an advisory panel that included Martin Millspaugh, who helped guide the original harbor effort as head of the predecessor agency to the Baltimore Development Corp.

He thought planners had done well over the years: "Our goal was always a moving target, and as things were accomplished that were not thought possible, the aspirations rose."



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

GREATER BALTIMORE COMMITTEE




http://www.rare-maps.com/repros_pic/tv-1840-baltimore.jpg

:cool:http://www.gbc.org/images/committees/harbordevelopment/Harbor%20projects%2012-01.pdf

I'lltry and find something on the Quadrangle, too.
;)

I wouldn't count out a new design for 300 East Pratt quite yet. I passed by RTKL's offices the other day and in the window they displayed a model for a tower for that site. It didn't have any information attached to it but it was definately for the 300 E. Pratt site you could tell by the setback from Pratt St. and that little turn of Lobard St. in the back. Anyway, it was a very attractive tower and much better than any previous proposals I have seen for the site. I guess it could be a scrapped version but it was quite prominently displayed so I don't know...

Here comes quite a few new projects that I are going up around the city. Not any high-rises (I know how you guys feel about that) but good interesting projects that show how fast this city is transforming. I'll start up in Charles Village and work my self downtown.

33rd and St. Paul

http://www.designcollective.com/_internal/cimg!0/18zextfyc7
Johns Hopkins have teamed up with Design Collective to create new student housing and quite a bit of retail in Charles Village.

Charles and Preston

http://www.designcollective.com/_internal/cimg!0/18zextfxxt
Housing, retail and offices on a surface parking lot in Mount Vernon. There is already a lot of bars and restaurants opening up around that corner and it will be nice to see this project materialize.

Symphony Center

http://www.fishmancurry.com/Images/symphony-a.jpg
They have finally started to move dirt for this housing/retail project across the street from the 24-hour RiteAid where MLK meets Howard St.

Maryland and Biddle

DR Brasher has designed a residential mid-rise on one of the corner lots. I saw a rendering in the Business Journal a couple of weeks ago and it looked okay although nothing special.

Peabody Institute

http://www.designcollective.com/_internal/cimg!0/18zextfxy4
Renovation and new construction across the street from the institute that will include classrooms, retail and student housing.

Charles Plaza

http://www.brownandcraig.com/images/portfolio/popup/arch/img_arch_charles1.jpg

http://www.brownandcraig.com/images/portfolio/popup/arch/img_arch_charles2.jpg

http://www.brownandcraig.com/images/portfolio/popup/arch/img_arch_charles3.jpg
This project on Charles and Saratoga (right across the street from my living room) is currently under construction and, despite that it is going to be E.I.F.S. hell, should breathe some new life to this area with a sorely needed grocery store and other retail.

Security Station

http://www.designcollective.com/_internal/cimg!0/18zextfy50
This residential, parking and retail project over on Saratoga and Greene should, in addition to Centerpoint, Fayette Residences, The Hippodrome and Zentih, really help establish West Side as a viable neighborhood.

Jackson's Landing

http://www.designcollective.com/_internal/cimg!0/18zextei6v
All kind of things are going up here right next to RTKL's offices. This image depicts housing and retail by Design Collective but note that there is stuff already in the works for the Allied Steel site in the background. Ziger/Snead is also doing work (amazing as usual) for the Douglas-Myers Maritime park in the lower left corner of the top image.

Henderson's Wharf

http://www.designcollective.com/_internal/cimg!0/18zextei6s
More residential over by Henderson's Wharf

Well just a little new stuff. I'll be back with more if I find some.

Hi Erik,
It's been a while since I've heard from you.
Been busy?

Hey, could you somehow get a picture of that 300 east pratt rendering?
I'd love to see it.

By the way, excelent updates! Thanks. :guns1: :cool:

Erik,

Was this the rendering you saw of 300 east pratt street?

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/500/6300_e__pratt-thumb.jpg :D

Erik,

Was this the rendering you saw of 300 east pratt street?

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/500/6300_e__pratt-thumb.jpg :D
:cool:

If that was not the picture/rendering you saw, I would love to see the one you saw.

If you can, please try and get a picture of that building for 300 east pratt.

Oh yeah, have you heard any news on "Water Tower"? Do you know if/when it will start construction? It's at 414 Water Street.

Thanks,
Steve

As deadline nears, private talks guide public hotel project
Final plans due Friday from developers for site near Convention Center
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By June Arney
Sun Staff
Originally published August 31, 2003



Behind closed doors, officials at the Baltimore Development Corp. are about to make critical decisions on where to build and how to finance a public project considered key to Baltimore's economic future.
Three development teams in a high-stakes contest to build Baltimore's convention headquarters hotel have had private meetings in recent days with city development leader M.J. "Jay" Brodie, president of the BDC, and his staff.


A publicly financed, $250 million hotel appears likely to be built by 2006 by one of the teams on two blocks just west of the Baltimore Convention Center and just north of Oriole Park at Camden Yards, on land bounded by Pratt, Howard, Camden and Paca streets or on a parcel west of the Sheraton Inner Harbor hotel on Conway Street.

Although there is much agreement on the need for a new anchor hotel to help resuscitate Baltimore's flagging Convention Center, there has been no public debate on what form that project should take.

Instead, key elements of the deal are being decided by handfuls of people in closed meetings.

Brodie has asked the developers to deliver their "best and final offers" by Friday. Soon after that, Brodie's group is expected to give one developer exclusive rights to negotiate a deal on the hotel with the city.

The three proposals - originally submitted in February and including hotels ranging in size from 750 to 869 rooms - come from development teams led by Robert L. Johnson, the billionaire founder of Black Entertainment Television; actor Will Smith, whose wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, is from Baltimore; and Otis Warren with a largely local group whose architect designed the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront hotel.

BDC officials have all but ruled out private financing - even though at least one of the teams had proposed it - telling developers they favor a plan for the hotel that will be city-owned and publicly financed.

BDC also has stripped away elements that make competing proposals unique and insisted that developers include in their plans an office building and parking for Catholic Relief Services, the international assistance agency that has talked about leaving Baltimore.

The Johnson team has expressed willingness to share the development site with the international aid agency, but that obligation was not included in the BDC's request for bids, and the developers weren't notified that it was a requirement until about a month ago.

The BDC is also expected to rule on how the new hotel with its many visitors would relate physically to neighboring Camden Yards, the Convention Center and nearby commercial districts.

And the BDC will do it all without holding public hearings, forums or debate.

"There were decisions made upfront that eluded public discourse, and it is at least questionable how they came about," said Klaus H. Philipsen, co-chair of the urban design committee of the American Institute of Architects, Baltimore chapter, which sponsored a forum on the proposals in April because no public hearing was planned.

"Now BDC is eliminating certain options. There's a lot of stuff happening behind closed doors. There's no public buy-in; there's no real rational examination of alternatives."

Philipsen said he would have preferred a two-step process that separated the site decision from the design.

Even highly placed public officials know little about what has been decided.

"BDC has a habit of doing this," said City Council President Sheila Dixon. "I'm disappointed that they haven't kept us more informed on this because of the magnitude of it. I don't like being kept in the dark."

Dixon said she was unaware that all of the developers had been asked to include space for the Catholic Relief headquarters or that the BDC had asked them to assume that the hotel would be owned and financed by the city.

"The BDC seems to be determining a lot of these things," she said. "I'm wondering why we're even getting in the business of owning a hotel. My feeling at this point is whatever proposal that doesn't require the city to put out a whole lot of money and have ownership, that's the better way to go.

"I'd like to know before you make that decision. I could give my input."

Dixon said she doesn't understand the rationale for the Catholic Relief office space either.

"This is the first I'm hearing about it," she said. "I'd love to keep them in the city, but they don't pay taxes."

Dixon said she has asked BDC officials for a briefing on all three proposals.

Councilwoman Catherine E. Pugh, who is challenging Dixon for her council president job, also said she was not aware that developers had been asked to include the office space for Catholic Relief or to pursue public financing.

"I'm a big proponent of public hearings," Pugh said. "I'd like to make sure if we're going to bring the process down to where we're looking at public financing that there is public input."

Mayor Martin O'Malley declined to be interviewed for this article.

"It's not appropriate for the mayor to comment, given that it's an open competition and a decision has not yet been reached," said Raquel Guillory, the mayor's press secretary.

Typically, major city projects such as a convention anchor hotel are debated from the start at public hearings, in open discussions at planning and zoning board meetings, and at City Council sessions, national development experts say.

"If it comes to choosing among developers with different plans, if there isn't a public hearing, you have no idea formally what it is that is leading the decision-makers to making that choice," said Heywood T. Sanders, professor of public administration at the University of Texas at San Antonio and an expert on convention center development.


Political agenda?

"In the absence of laying out all the details of the competing proposals and the logic of choosing one, you have no idea what's going on. You have no idea if it's a choice based on informed criteria or if it's perhaps based on political favoritism.

"And the issue with Catholic Relief makes very clear that a political purpose is being served. What you're doing is taking two purposes that aren't necessarily related and tying them together for someone's political end."

Brodie said that the decisions being made to winnow the proposals down to one are highly technical and that there will be plenty of time for public scrutiny and questions once there is a final choice. Meanwhile, the public is free to write or e-mail comments on the planned hotel to his agency, Brodie has said.

"There are still lots of things we need to discuss with each of the teams, including financing and design and other aspects, and we'll be doing that," Brodie said recently.

Experts agree that there are reasons for caution in revealing too much information at this stage. The selection is competitive and could be compromised if too much proprietary information were revealed about individual proposals.

A selection committee charged with examining the proposals has met twice since spring and has not been asked to rank the proposals or make any recommendations, according to two of its members. The group was not present for the recent meetings with developers. But a meeting is being planned during the next week to discuss financing.

That committee includes Brodie; Donald Fry, president of the Greater Baltimore Committee; Clarence Bishop, chief of staff for O'Malley; Owen Tonkins, director of the city's Office of Minority Business Development; Barbara Plantholt Melera, president and chief executive of Triad Investors Corp.; and Jay Wilson, general partner of Spring Capital Partners LP.

The three proposals the BDC is considering include Johnson's plan for a 750-room Hilton hotel, an unsolicited proposal announced with fanfare at a City Hall news conference in November.

Neither Johnson nor representatives of his team have returned phone calls seeking information on their bid.

Two alternative ideas are being offered by a second team made up of local developer Otis Warren, Willard Hackerman, head of Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., who controls the Sheraton Inner Harbor and a neighboring parking lot, and Baltimore architect Peter Fillat, who designed the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront hotel, among others.

That group has proposed building a 755-room Westin on the city-owned site next to the Convention Center, financed through tax-exempt municipal bonds. The group's second option would be to put a new arena there and the convention hotel on Hackerman's parking lot.

"We're honored to continue to compete for this and to respond to the city's process of evaluating the best options," said Ray Garfield, a principal in Dallas-based Garfield Traub Development LLC, which is heading that local group. It calls itself the Believe Team. "It's one of the most exciting potential developments in the country."

The third proposal is from Atlanta-based Portman Holdings LP teamed with Treyball Development Inc., a Beverly Hills, Calif.-based real estate company headed by actor Smith and his brother Harry. One of the nation's largest convention hotel builders, with 11 such projects in some of the largest U.S. markets, Portman proposed an 869-room hotel, a soundstage, a wellness clinic and spa on the city-owned site.

"We've been asked by the BDC to redesign our project eliminating the film studio and to accommodate the Catholic Relief Services building, which we are working diligently to do," said Roger Zampell, a principal with TreyPort Ventures. "We're sad to see the film studio go, but if that's what the economics dictate, so be it."

Bishop, O'Malley's chief of staff, chairman of the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association and a BDC board member, said that BACVA has recommended that the hotel have at least 750 rooms and that a significant number of them be available to the convention bureau to sell as large blocks of rooms.

Selecting a developer for the hotel has been anything but smooth.

It has been difficult for some developers to determine what Brodie's team is looking for, to address possible public concerns and to state their cases as strongly as they would have liked, sources close to the developers said.

Only recently - with Friday's deadline looming for their final offers - were the teams told of the financing and office-space requirements.

At least some key stakeholders in the city seem to have been largely left out of the process.

"There hasn't been a lot of involvement so far," said Ronald M. Kreitner, executive director of WestSide Renaissance Inc. "There's a breadth of west-side interests that could be brought to the table in a number of ways that could add perspective, and it hasn't happened, to my knowledge."


Look at all options

Area leaders and industry experts say any offer of private financing should be examined as an option.

"If you've got someone who's coming to you and showing you private financing, I think you have to look at it," said Fry, the GBC president. "But just because someone has the private financing, they may not have the best overall proposal, particularly when the BDC is saying they're willing to consider other alternatives in financing. It's not automatically the best deal."



Copyright © 2003, The Baltimore Sun | Get home delivery



:? I don't know what to think. Maybe politics is having it's way AGAIN!!!!! :rant:

Building limits concept of 'tower' - to a degree
Architecture: Edward Gunts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally published Sep 1, 2003

Baltimoreans have taken to microbreweries, microwave ovens, microsurgery and Microsoft computer programs.
Why not a "microtower"?

That's the working name for a seven-story office building planned for a sliver of land at the southwest corner of Key Highway and Cross Street in southern Baltimore.

It would have features found in many Class A office towers downtown - from an impressive lobby at street level to a taut glass skin to panoramic views of the harbor. It just won't have as much square footage, and it won't be as tall.

Each floor would contain about 1,500 square feet of space - less than many Baltimore rowhouses. And it will be no more than 80 feet tall, because that's the height limit on the property.

"We've been calling it 'the microtower,'" said architect Christopher Pfaeffle of Parameter Inc., the project's designer. "I don't know if anybody has documented that phrase or not. ... We've had a lot of interest" from people who would like to occupy a floor.

One might think a microtower would appeal to the sort of consumers who are buying the trendy Mini Cooper automobiles, whose ad campaign suggests that "small is the new black."

But Pfaeffle is quick to note that this project, also known as 517 East Cross Street, is "not a folly by any means. It's a full-scale, working office building. It just has a small footprint."

The triangular lot is near the former Bethlehem Steel Corp. Key Highway shipyard property, which has been rezoned for residential development. The property is one of the few parcels along Key Highway not controlled by Baltimore businessman Richard Swirnow and his partners, developers of the HarborView community.

A local attorney, Neil Ruther, discovered that the land was available and stepped in to acquire and develop it. He plans to locate his own office on one floor and sell the rest of the office space as condominiums.

He asked Pfaeffle to design a building that could fit on the triangular parcel but have all the amenities of a downtown tower

Pfaeffle designed a glass-and-concrete structure that would cover the entire site and rise to the maximum height allowed by law. He put the stairs and elevator on the narrow south end of the property and the bulk of the office space on the north end. The first floor would have a lobby and mechanical equipment, since the building has no basement. The six levels above will be offices.

Pfaeffle, the principal-in-charge, and project manager Rob Hollis said they studied a variety of buildings with triangular footprints, such as the Flatiron Building in New York and I. M. Pei's East Wing of the National Gallery of Art in Washington. They also drew inspiration from the Seagram's building and the Austrian Cultural Forum in New York and other glass structures.

The site's limited dimensions made the microtower a challenge to design, and the architects did what they could to maximize the amount of space. They chose poured-in-place concrete to create a distance of 9 feet 6 inches from floor to ceiling, and glass as a second exterior surface to keep the exterior walls thin. On two sides, they're projecting a portion of the upper floors above the sidewalk. As a result, each floor should be able to accommodate up to 10 employees.

Had they chosen a material such as brick, Pfaeffle, said, the walls would have been thicker, and that would have cut into the already limited floor space.

In addition, Pfaeffle said, "I'm not a great fan of putting brick way up in the air. It's a heavy material, of the earth. Glass may be just as heavy, but it appears lighter, and it feels more 'of our time.' I don't think brick should be the knee-jerk reaction for every building in Baltimore."

Pfaeffle said the design team is not asking for any special variances from the city to construct the building. He said the stairway was designed to be open to the air and enclosed with a metal mesh because that way it won't be counted as part of the building's square footage, for zoning purposes.

The architect said he has been exploring the idea of using a new brand of Otis Elevator that does not have a penthouse machine room above the elevator shaft but runs just as rapidly as those that do. He said these elevators are increasingly popular in Europe and he would have liked to install one on the microtower. But so far, he said, he has been told it is not currently permitted under Baltimore's building codes, which pre-date the technology.

Baltimore's Design Advisory Panel approved plans for the building this summer and praised the architects for their attention to detail. Construction is expected to start in the fall, if construction permits are issued by then, and take about a year to complete. Preliminary estimates put the cost at $1.2 million.

Pfaeffle said the building would not block harbor views from any homes, because it would rise just east of Southern High School.

He notes that part of its visual impact is that it would be a new form for an area that has seen mostly low-rise construction. But city zoning allows buildings to rise up to 80 feet on the rest of the block as well, so the microtower may not stand out for long.

In the 1990s, Swirnow had plans to construct a midrise nursing facility on the rest of the block, but he was unable to obtain financing. Pfaeffle said Swirnow's group is now exploring options for other kinds of residential development.

That's something of a dilemma for the architects of the microtower, who want to create a building that will be attractive whether there's a neighboring building or not.

"We tried to design it in two senses" - as a standalone structure and as part of an ensemble, Hollis said. "We want it to look good in either case."

The goal is to make it distinctive and polished, Pfaeffle said. "There's a certain minimalism here, a certain legibility of the parts. It's a very clearly articulated building. You see everything that you get."

The transformation of Key Highway is part of the project's appeal as well, he said.

"It's no longer the back way into town," he said. "Now it's the new gateway."

Pfaeffle, who is working on plans to convert the Locust Point grain elevator to upscale housing, expects to take one floor of the microtower for his own offices.

He said he believes the project could be a prototype for microtowers in other urban settings, and believes there is plenty of demand.

"There's enough interest right now that it could be sold out in a heartbeat," he said. There are a lot of small businesses whose owners would like to have the cachet of being in an office building, but they don't need 30,000 square feet of space, and they don't want to be on a subdivided floor. They just want a good, Class A building, good views and a manageable footprint."

Condominiums are a good investment for the occupants, he said, because "you're not paying rent. You're paying equity to yourself."

One drawback of the microtower is that a company could outgrow its space and not be able to expand within the building. On the other hand, it should be easy for tenants to get to know each other.

"Because of the nature of the building, everybody is going to know everyone else," Pfaeffle said. "It'll be an interesting interaction."



Copyright © 2003, The Baltimore Sun | Get home delivery

:cool:

Hey guys
I'm soo glad they are finally discussing the convention hotel plans. It seems like they are favoring Peter Fillat's proposal more because its the only one that doesn't jeapordizing the view from Camden Yards.

What are your opinions on this?

Also the Zenith is supposed to be going to be 23 floors instead of 21.

We (should) know something on which proposal the BDC recommends by the 9th of Sept.

Any other news?
Please fill me in as soon as you can.

:cool:

Hole for hotel filled — for now
City officials stood in a hole in the center of Baltimore’s downtown business district last week and praised the persistence of a developer who soon will begin building an extended-stay hotel at the site. But with that longstanding controversy resolved, some have turned their attention north.
- Ezra K. Fieser
http://www.mddailyrecord.com/newspics/holeredwood.jpg

:? :? :? :guns1: :? :? :?

I wonder where that hotel would be in the skyline?
What other well-known building are next to it? I can't tell from that pic.:?

@Steven

The site for the extended stay hotel is right south of 1 Light Street - the empty, gravel filled lot to the left in the picture that according to Business Journal is going to be paved over to become a surface parking lot!!- and would most certainly not be visible in the skyline. The whole parking lot deal is really upsetting and I hope the city has learned its lesson. They should not let developers tear down half a city block on some wild promises for development that doesn't materialize. It seems as 1 Light Street was a pile of crap to start with and I wish the city could aquire the site and sell it to a serious developer.

On 300 East Pratt:
I did not see a rendering of that tower design. I have a bad habit of rubbing my nose against the windows of RTKL's offices every time I walk by and the tower was displayed as a three foot model in their library/cafeteria. I really don't know anything about it other that I am sure it is for 300 East Pratt. It is not the design in the rendering above, it looked way better. I don't know if it was taller (probably not) but it was definitely more slender and looked more modern with a nice glass skin and no stupid brick (why is Baltimore so in love with brick?).

I really don't know anything about Water Tower other than that they should tear that garage down and start from scratch. It is a horrible garage and although it has some (completely vacant) retail space in the bottom floors it is really contributing to that area's less than desirable image. Basically it is the Block (Baltimore's seedy block of strip joints for all of you less familiar with Charm City) on one side and a public urinal on all other sides. I say take it down (take out some strip clubs while we are at it) and start over again.

Erik,
Thanks for the up-date.
Please keep me informed about ther latest on those projects.

Steve:D

Hey Erik
I agree, I don't know why Baltimore has always been stuck on building brick towers. We need some glass and steel towers in our skyline! But we'll see I'm very anxious to hear about the chosen design for the Convention Hotel.

I'm for Peter Fillat's design all the way:) Baltimore needs a different touch to its skyline.

Hi.

I've been a "lurker" of this thread for quite some time. I guess all the speculation as to exactly what that model at RTKLs office is/was for the 300 E. Pratt Street site led me to finally register to this group and make a posting.

If I am not mistaken (having not seen the model) and based on my memory, that three-foot tall model *may* be from an earlier proposal (say, from the mid-1990s) to build a Westin Hotel at 300 E. Pratt Street. I have several renderings of that proposal, which would have been a 36-44 story tower. As I recall, the building would have been developed by Schulweiss (sp?) of New York. Features included a skyway-connection to the hotel at 200 E. Pratt Street, no real set-backs, and a light-colored facade (no brick).

However, that was during the Convention Center Hotel Headquarters craze where at least half a dozen hotels were being considered. While it was my favorite, of course at the end, the Inner Harbor East plot was selected by the former Mayor (amid controversy). Even THAT one was scaled-back from ca. 51-52 stories to the present 27 stories.

I'll try to scan those photos as soon as I find them, and post them on this board.

Best Regards,
Eerik

Hey Erik
Thanks for the info. At this point I'm not quite sure what the design will look like for 300 East Pratt, all I know is that construction will start within the next 6 months and it will be 34 floors or maybe taller, the Architects are SLCE (Schuman, Lichtenstein, Claman&Efron) from New York. There's some speculation that the design has changed but the developer said that it's still the same so I'm not sure. A 44 story tower would definitely look awesome at that site, who knows maybe they'll raise the height like they did water tower. At first water tower apartments was only going to be 18 floors now its going to be 22 floors on top of that ten story garage which will make it 32 stories but I hope that they at least paint that garage.

I really would love to see those older renderings of 300 E. Pratt. Maybe that sculpture that you saw in the window of RTKL's office is the design for 300 E. Pratt, I find it kind of odd for them to have a statue of a building that will not be built. Have you asked them about it? There is a website called Cosentini.com that has an earlier proposal of 300 E. Pratt but that was from the year 2000 maybe thats the one you saw.

Here is the old proposal of the Wyndham Hotel, where the Marriot Inner Harbor Hotel now stands...

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/500/6wyndham1.jpg

And this is the old proposal at 300 East Pratt Street. I think it was a Westin.

http://skyscraperpage.com/gallery/data/500/6baltb.jpg
:cool: :guns1: :cool:

Paterakis, Four Seasons reach Inner Harbor hotel accord
Heather Harlan
Staff
Baltimore City Mayor Martin O'Malley is expected to announce Sept. 4 that John Paterakis, the Baltimore bakery mogul and developer, has finalized a development deal with Four Seasons Hotels Inc.


The Baltimore Business Journal first reported in July 2002 that Paterakis had struck an agreement with Four Seasons to build a $75 million, 200-room luxury hotel at Inner Harbor East off President Street.

Still, the advancement of the accord shows promise in the local hospitality and tourism industry despite the economic downturn that was magnified following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The announcement -- just five days before the primary elections in which O'Malley is running for re-election -- will outline up to 30 percent in minority ownership of the hotel.

Ronald H. Lipscomb, president of Baltimore-based Doracon Contracting has pulled together a consortium of minority businesspeople who will act as a unified equity development partner, a source familiar with the deal structure said.

In addition to Lipscomb's group, Paterakis' H&S Properties Development Corp., Baltimore developer Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse Inc. and Four Seasons will fill out the ownership role.

Lipscomb is involved in the redevelopment of the Railway Express building across from Penn Station in midtown Baltimore. And Doracon is serving as the general contractor in two planned, high-profile residential projects -- the Zenith at 600 W. Pratt St. and Spinnaker Bay at 801 Aliceanna St.

Spinnaker Bay is also a development effort led by Paterakis and his H&S Properties Development, as well as Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse and Bozzuto Management Co.

Paterakis has spearheaded most of the development at Inner Harbor East. He primarily bankrolled the Marriott Waterfront at Inner Harbor East, which opened in February 2001.



© 2003 American City Business Journals Inc.

Well, the Cosentini proposal isn't really an old one for the 300 E. Pratt Street site -- I've always thought of it being somewhat of an intermediate idea -- at least in the specter of non-commercial use. (Keep in mind the 33-story office tower planned for this site in the late 1980s -- glass roof-top prism and all!)

I now bet the three foot model cited as being seen at RTKL is in fact the original Westin hotel proposal. It was supposed to be a $160 million hotel by Schulweis Realty, with a 10-story base covering the bulk of the site, and above the base would be a slimmer tower containing the 800 guest rooms. The 10-story base would contain ballrooms, the hotel's common spaces, indoor pool, meeting spaces, etc. Parking would be located underground.

Unfortunately the image I have here is a black and white photo. I was in a hurry to find ANYTHING about this project, so this is the first one I found in my library.

The article was written for the Thursday, December 12th, 1996 edition of The [Baltimore] Sun by Ed Gunts during the height of the "Convention Center Headquarters Hotel" controversy. There were something like seven BIG hotels proposed for downtown (including one for the current site where the 12-storey mixed-use building is being constructed at 500 E. Pratt Street).

In his review, Gunts described the Westin project as resembling a large-scale version of a chair that might have been designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

Why would RTKL still display a non-built project? Well, for one, if it's really a three-footer...why not display it?! Besides, just because a design isn't built, it doesn't make it a bad design, just one that was never realized...

In my opinion, this WAS the BEST design I have seen so far for this site. For me personally, this is one of three projects Baltimore is "less" of a city.
http://www.dcestonian.com/westin.jpg

Hey
That is a nice looking building there Erik, it would give the Baltimore skyline a new look instead of just brick towers, this looks like a glass/steel tower. I wish they were building that at 300 E. Pratt or are you saying that this may be the design that is going to be built? , what kind of Hotel would that have been? I mean what Hotel Chain? I'm still curious to know exactly what the final design is for the site. I mean if construction is set to start within 6 months then there should be an official rendering right? Anyway again that is a really nice looking building and looks pretty tall. Wow that would look awesome in the skyline.

I also really liked that older rendering of the Wyndham Hotel that was supposed to be built at Inner Harbor east. Would have probably become our new tallest at 52 floors! The base of it looks kinda like a stadium but its a cool looking building. I just don't understand why the city proposes beautiful towers and then don't go through with them, and then they redesign it to look shorter and less attractive then the first design, One Light Street is a prime example. Oh well thanks for the photos Erik, could you try an get and official rendering of 300 E. Pratt? I've been trying to contact someone but to no avail.

Hey Steve did they say how tall the Four Seasons Hotel is supposed to be? or is it not official yet.

Thank you Eerik, that is indeed the model I saw at RTKL's offices. Pity it is not under consideration anymore, it is truly one of the better tower designs I have seen for Baltimore.

Oh, and here is the new Four Seasons, 24 stories I believe...

http://www.sunspot.net/media/photo/2003-09/9257884.jpg

Hey Brian,
The Wyndham would have been 505 ft. tall. Not the tallest, but still another 500 footer! Ah well, so much for that. Baltimore seems to miss out on the really good designed towers such as above.

Anyway, here's the article about the 4 seasons and all...

Four Seasons hotel planned for harbor
$130 million development to include condominiums
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By June Arney
Sun Staff
Originally published September 4, 2003



Plans for a $130 million Four Seasons luxury hotel and residential project being billed as an "urban resort" at Inner Harbor East will be unveiled today in a news conference at City Hall.

The 24-story project, to be built adjacent to the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront hotel, will feature 200 water-view guest rooms and 20 waterfront extended-stay apartment suites topped by 26 condominiums.




It also will have 25,000 square feet of meeting space, an 18,000- square-foot spa and fitness center, and a luxury pool overlooking Baltimore's harbor.

"We're very excited," said Michael S. Beatty, principal and vice president of H&S Properties Development Corp. "I started working on trying to bring a Four Seasons to Baltimore three years ago, calling them every quarter. Baltimore has just grown up a lot. When they looked at the success of the Marriott and the fact that Baltimore is still very under-hoteled, coupled with the specific location, it became an exciting venue."

A rival Ritz-Carlton hotel and condominium project across the water appears to be stalled. That project, which has been in the works for three years, is proposed at the foot of Federal Hill by Giannasca Development Companies LLC.

The Four Seasons project, planned on the site of a 2-acre parking lot, is being undertaken by a consortium of Baltimore-based development and equity partners including John Paterakis Sr.'s H&S Properties, Ronald H. Lipscomb and Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse.

Lipscomb, a local entrepreneur recognized for his urban construction projects and founder of Doracon Contracting, will head a group of minority business leaders who will hold 30 percent equity in the Four Seasons project. He has a long-standing relationship with H&S Properties and is a partner in its completed office, retail and apartment projects.

"The fact that a significant portion of this hotel is minority-owned proves that our efforts to promote and strengthen minority-owned business in Baltimore are working," said Rick Abbruzzese, Mayor Martin O'Malley's deputy press secretary.

California-based Hill Glazier Architects is the architect on the project. It has designed several hundred hospitality projects in more than 25 countries, including 25 to 30 luxury hotels.

A letter of intent to be signed today by the developers and Four Seasons Hotels Inc. says Four Seasons will manage the property. Four Seasons, based in Toronto, manages 57 properties in 27 countries.

Construction is expected to begin in the spring and the hotel to open in 2006.

The Four Seasons would be H&S' third hotel in Inner Harbor East. The 750-room Baltimore Marriott Waterfront opened in February 2001, two months after the 205-room Courtyard by Marriott opened.

The project will include three waterfront restaurants and 25,000 square feet of upscale retail shops. A second phase calls for an additional 56 condominiums and more retail and office space. The building will add about 350 parking spaces to accommodate patron traffic.

The hotel, to be situated where the inner and outer harbors meet, is on a prime piece of real estate, Beatty said.

"Any way you come into the city, you see it," he said. "It's such a prominent site, it deserves world-class architecture."

The president of Four Seasons first noticed and commented on the fact that the windows overlooking the water faced the setting sun, Beatty said.

The apartments are expected to appeal to families of international patients at Johns Hopkins Hospital and to corporate executives visiting for extended periods, he said.

"The meeting space is something that will draw mini-high-end meetings to Baltimore, like the pharmaceutical industry," Beatty said.

That industry is one that the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association, charged with filling the Baltimore Convention Center, recently identified as among those it would like to attract to the city.

Baltimore Development Corp., the city's quasi-public development agency, is selecting a developer to build an anchor hotel intended to help convention center managers, who have struggled in recent years in their efforts to draw major meetings to Baltimore.


Copyright © 2003, The Baltimore Sun | Get home delivery

:bash: :guns1: :cool:

Perhaps I dwell too much in the past? However the previous comment about proposed buildings not getting built in Baltimore reminded me of the 1980s.

Another tower which ALMOST got built was the Provident Tower back in mid-to-late 1980s. It would have risen on the site where Mercy Hospital is currently finishing its construction of an expanded wing (Saratoga, Calvert and St. Paul Place). At 46 stories, The Provident Tower would have been the tallest office building in Baltimore -- even to this day. Several revisions were made in its design, resulting in the final design (image below).

Why didn't it ever get built? Well, keep in mind the 80s for Baltimore (like most of the nation) in part was dominated by banking scandals and thrift failures. Many local banks that constructed new buildings took a beating when real estate crashed in late 1989-early 1991. In part, they fueled the collapse by overbuilding/extending loans. Fortunately for Provident Bank, it never went ahead with its lofty aspirations. To this day, Provident Bank still exists in the Greater Baltimore Metropolitan area, whereas Merritt, Bank of Baltimore, Union Trust and others are names from the past.

http://www.dcestonian.com/provident.jpg

Yet another botched project was for the Market Center area, proposed by none other than Rupert Murdoch. The [main] Market Center tower would have risen 50 stories in what at the time was already a faltering shopping district along Howard Street. Together with several smaller towers (all in the 20-story+ range) the entire complex was intended on a daily basis to "flood" the shopping district with people. Of course that idea never flew either. From what I recall being told, the good people at Market Center Development Corporation (MCDC) were terribly disappointed when the proposal fell through. Looking at the design today, I would venture to say it's probably a GOOD thing the tower was never built.

http://www.dcestonian.com/murd.jpg

(As an aside, MCDC eventually was merged into Charles Center-Inner Harbor Management back in the late 1980s to become Center City-Inner Harbor Development. By the time the national economy soured and Baltimore was hit with budget problems, in the early 1990s, that entity was merged with Baltimore Economic Development Corporation to become its successor -- Baltimore Development Corporation.)

Does anybody know what the heights of those two tall towers were to be? I like the Provident tower. It looks to be well over 600 feet tall.

What ever happened to the Merritt Tower? Back in the mid 80's, I remember there was a tower in "World Almanac and Book of Facts" that was called the "Merritt Tower". It was listed as 'under-construction', and was to be over 630 ft. tall. Does anyone have a rendering of THAT LOST tower, also?

Thanks.

By the way, great renderings. Thanks for the posts.

Steve:cool:

http://www.sunspot.net/business/realestate/bal-innerharborsketch0904,0,4752300.photo?coll=bal-realestate-headlines-1

Both the Provident Tower and Market Center buildings would have been in the 500+ foot category. I have another color photo of the Provident proposal in one of it's earlier conceptions. It never really changed much, except for the canopied street level entrance. What made the design awkward was the site: Saratoga Street drops dramatically in elevation between St. Paul Place and Calvert Street. The tower would not have appeared as the tallest on the skyline since it sat in a kind of hole. I'll scan the earlier design and post it here later.

The Merritt Tower DID get built! It's the building located at the Northwest corner of E. Baltimore Street -- where Light Street and St. Paul Place crisscross with Baltimore Street. It is now called the William Donald Schaefer Tower. It is technically 29-stories, however with it's "finger" pointing into the air along with its flag mast make it (technically according to some charts) the tallest building in Baltimore.

Incidentally, I used to nickname the Merritt Tower "the finger building" since from the harbor it resembles (to me at least) a middle finger. I ended up interpreting it as such to be an F-U to the world from the bankers who built it -- and ultimately went broke doing so. The original plans for the "finger" portion of the building was that it was to become a seven-story penthouse for the president of the bank. In theory, according to accounts at the time, the bank president could live in his domain, high above Baltimore's financial district, and rule what WOULD have become his domain. Rather poetic, isn't it? Unfortunately, that all fell apart. When the S&L crisis hit the US in the mid-1980s, many banks faltered. So did Merritt.

Design wise the Merritt Tower caused some problems for the city "architecture/design police". While really not a large building (in terms of square feet) it does push the building envelope in terms of its height. The seven story "finger" in addition to the flag mast make it rather noticeable on the skyline. The NW face (hmmn...or is it a roof?) rises at an angle opposite of roof angle of the "finger". SUPPOSEDLY, the attempt here was to folly the roof angles of the then Maryland National Bank building directly across the street (today, Bank of America building). The Merritt Tower was supposed to be green colored rather than the distinctive copper skin it has today. Apparently the Architectural Review Board recommended a color other than one that resembled the greenback. So we ended up with the penny...

And it barely cost the State of Maryland a penny when it finally purchased it in the early 1990s during the economic slowdown, where Maryland was looking to purchase space, rather than lease offices.

It (Merritt Tower now Willie Don Schaefer Tower) actually is 37 floors which goes up to 493ft tall then a 99 ft spire to the height of 592 ft tall

Hey
Those are some great looking towers! Too bad they were never built. :moods: . That 4 Seasons Hotel looks pretty good also, now I'm really looking forward to the decision on the Convention Hotel, 300 E. Pratt, and Water Tower. Thanks for the photos guys:)

Eerik, I appreciate your information on these buildings.
So now I finally understand what happened to the Merritt Tower.
Ok, how about this... I've heard the Legg Mason Tower is 529 ft. tall. But I've also heard told that it was 548 ft. tall. Which is it?


Right now, personally, I think Baltimore's chance for a new tallest tower would be if Peter Fillat's scenario 2 Convention Hotel was built on Hackerman's parking lot and the city wanted them to add another 200 or 300 more rooms. Other than that, and I mean I am stretching this scenario, I don't for-see Baltimore erecting anything taller than the Legg Mason Tower for a LONG TIME. >( :guns1: :cool:

In terms of Baltimore building heights, I have never seen a recorded height I'm comfortable with. Be it the Merritt Tower (now William Donald Schaefer) or the USF&G Building (now Legg Mason), I've always seen varying heights listed. Even the number of stories for each building varies. For example, the Merritt Tower is always listed at 29 stories -- since there are only 29 stories of usable space. The "finger" portion is unusable and I suppose still unoccupied. To include the mast, i.e. flagpole as part of the building...I think that's kind of lame! Why not include the number of underground levels as part of the building height?

The Peter Fillat scenario (I believe) is practically dead. I don't think the city will even consider that site. Like the Marriott proposal won-out over the Angelos site back in the mid-1990s for political reasons, I think politics will play in the selection of this hotel. Namely, I think BDC will ensure the new hotel is built on the parcels north of Camden Yards stadium. As someone told me recently, "it's a done deal". BDC and the city are only playing a game of smoke and mirrors right now. Mainly for the reason that Catholic Charities is looking for new and consolidated office space. The stadium location proposal calls for an office component for Catholic Charities, which has made it clear they need to find new suitable space, be it in the city or in the suburbs. For the Mayor to loose Catholic Charities to the suburbs prior to his re-election would be foolish based upon the wishes of some that a new 40+ storied tower be built on the Hackerman site. Therefore, I think the chances for a new tower are pretty slim, especially if the new hotel is constructed north of the stadium considering the height restrictions mandated by Shock Trauma helicopters. The only hope for the Hackerman hotel would be if the hotel is truly financed by private monies AND the political campaign against the incumbent Mayor makes strong overtures to this fact, that, public funds will be used, whereas the city could have been a privately funded project. Of course THEN we have an unhappy Catholic Charities that could very well say "we're moving to Owings Mills"...

I drove to Baltimore yesterday and stopped in Fells Point for a look-see. I would recommend a visit soon. While not high rises, there's plenty of impressive things going on west of the Bond Street Wharf. New bulkheads are being constructed as well as piers for town homes. I think this area is undergoing a dramatic change which will make it nearly unrecognizable within two years.

Eerik,
Sadly, I think you are right about the Hackerman's site. With people I've talked to and articles I've read, it's a good, (POLITICAL), bet that Johnson's hotel will go up.
If it happens, I'd love to see someone (privately) build a hotel tower on Hackerman's site, anyway. A larger one, (1,000) rooms!
Well, back to reality.

And as far as the 'Catholic Charities' is concerned, they are non-profit. They are just in Baltimore for political/bragging rights purposes. Why can't they move into some other new office space within the city. I'm sure some owner wouldn't mind having they're clout amoung the rest of the other firms in their office building.

Thanks for your continued input, Eerik.

And on the heights thing, I, personally, don't even consider the antenna/flagpole as part of the height. But I do count the spire that is part of the building structure it'self, such as the tower's crown/spire.

Steve:cool:

Key advice speeds project on its way
Scaled-down design helps hotel gain OK
Architecture: Edward Gunts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally published Sep 8, 2003




If the design of the Four Seasons hotel and residences proves to be less controversial than that of the neighboring Marriott Waterfront Hotel, its developers can thank the architects who updated Baltimore's Inner Harbor master plan.

The $130 million Four Seasons project, unveiled last week, is one of the first to be designed since the Baltimore Development Corp. hired New York-based Cooper, Robertson & Partners to revise the city's 40-year-old harbor plan.

Although the Four Seasons property is just outside the area addressed in the Cooper Robertson study, developers of the upscale hotel and condominiums hired the firm separately to make recommendations to guide the design of their project.

Cooper Robertson's architects proposed that the Four Seasons project be developed as two towers, rather than one, and that they step down in height from that of the Marriott.

They also suggested that the towers be separated by a new public street, that they be long and slender, rather than "point towers," and that they be perpendicular to the water's edge, opening up views to and from buildings farther from the water.

Those urban design recommendations helped the project win glowing comments from members of Baltimore's Design Advisory Panel, when they saw preliminary plans last week.

"I think the idea of radiating the buildings and stepping down the scale is a very positive urban design gesture," said panel member Gary Bowden.

"Excellent," said panel member Mario Schack. "A terrific beginning."

"I'm very fond of the massing," said panel member Jay Brodie. "It's trying to make a family of forms out of something that started at a different scale. It really makes an overall composition."

Not all reactions have been positive, however. On an e-mail-based discussion group devoted to design issues in Baltimore GoodUrbanismBaltimore@topica.com, one correspondent said he was unimpressed by the rendering he saw.

"These 'towers on bases' look about as engaging and unique as any office park complex along I-95 in Howard County or anywhere else in the county," said Stuart Sirota. "I suppose the concept of local vernacular was not considered in the design criteria."

"Cheer up Stu," replied correspondent Gerry Neily. "It's nowhere near as bad as the National Business Parkway between Jessup and Savage."

The Four Seasons parcel is one of the premier sites within the 20-acre Harbor East community that is being developed by John Paterakis' H & S Properties Development Corp. and others between the Inner Harbor and Fells Point. The Four Seasons hotel and residences are being developed by H&S, Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse, and Doracon Contracting president Ronald Lipscomb.

The initial master plan for Harbor East, which had strong support from community leaders, called for low- and mid-rise buildings along the water's edge and taller buildings inland.

The Marriott was controversial from the start because it was proposed for a waterfront site that was supposed to contain a building rising no more than 11 stories. An early design called for a building rising 43 stories, but the height was subsequently reduced to 32 stories and the City Council amended the Harbor East renewal plan to permit construction.

The Four Seasons property has a height limit of 180 feet, or about 18 stories. As with the Marriott, the Inner Harbor East renewal plan must be amended to permit a taller building before construction can begin.

Michael Beatty, H&S Properties vice president, said he sought advice from Cooper Robertson as it was finishing up work on the Inner Harbor master plan revisions.

Cooper Robertson is the successor to Cooper Eckstut and Associates, a firm that gained prominence in the 1980s as master planner for the highly successful Battery Park City community in lower Manhattan. Cooper Eckstut prepared the initial master plan for Inner Harbor East.

Randy Morton, a principal of Cooper Robertson, said his team concluded that the best approach would be to divide the Four Seasons development into two buildings that were each taller than the original plan allowed but not as tall as the Marriott, and have them step down from west to east.

"The problem with the Marriott," he said, "is that it looks so unusual and out of scale" standing by itself on the waterfront.

Adding two buildings that step down in height will take away the jolt of seeing the Marriott in isolation, while creating more of an ensemble that visually knits the Harbor East development back to Fells Point, he said. "What we wanted to do is get them to work as a group, so the one building doesn't seem so important." The advantage of that site is the curve, because the buildings "splay away from one another," he added.

The Marriott is 350 feet tall. The proposed height of the western Four Seasons tower is 285 feet tall, or about 22 stories. The proposed height of the eastern Four Seasons tower is 244 feet, or about 19 stories. The highest point of the next building over, Spinnaker Bay, is about 17 stories.

Four Seasons' first phase will be the 22-story tower, containing 200 hotel rooms, 20 extended-stay apartment suites, 26 condominiums, meeting space, a spa, three restaurants, upscale retail space and underground parking. The second tower will contain condominiums, offices and retail space.

Beatty said Cooper Robertson's recommendations were helpful because they provided a way to tie together all the buildings at Harbor East. "That made it all fall into place."

Beatty passed Cooper Robertson's recommendations on to the architects designing the Four Seasons - Hill Glazier Architects of Palo Alto, Calif., and Beatty Harvey of New York - and they embraced them. "The whole idea of stepping down is a very strong concept," said architect Bob Glazier. "It really helps us marry the Marriott back to the city."

Glazier said Four Seasons doesn't have one look for its buildings, because it wants each project to suit its locale. He told the Design Advisory Panel that he's trying to make the Four Seasons fit into Baltimore by cladding the base in brick and granite, and making the upper levels more light and glassy.

Beatty said his team will seek passage of City Council legislation amending the Harbor East height limits to permit construction of the Four Seasons towers.

One group that opposed the Marriott several years ago may not be so vocal this time around. The Waterfront Coalition, a citizens' group that monitors harborfront development, will meet tomorrow and is likely to discuss the Four Seasons at that time, according to member Carolyn Boitnott.

Boitnott said she could not speak for other coalition members, but she is not gearing up to wage battle over height limits again. She said she has turned her attention to saving the few remaining older buildings between the Inner Harbor and Fells Point, and monitoring development of the former Allied Signal chrome plant property.

"I've given up on this section of the city," she said. "What's going to happen at Inner Harbor East is just going to happen, and there's not much point debating it."



Copyright © 2003, The Baltimore Sun | Get home delivery


350 ft. tall Marriott, not 430 ft. like the books say. 285 ft. 4 season's tower. BOOOO! :rant: :bash: :bleep:

Hey guys
when is the decision supposed to be made on the Convention Hotel? Are they going to announce it? Anyway I think Robert Johnson's proposal is a waste. In my opinion I think Peter Fillat's design is the best design for a convention hotel, I agree if Peter's design is not chosen then we can forget about anymore towers taller then the legg mason tower. Its a sad and disappointing thought because Baltimore has had many opportunities to build really tall towers. Oh well we'll see what happens.:baaa:

I'm still looking forward to 300 East Pratt and Water Tower.:)

I agree that the Peter Fillat Believe proposal is by far the superior choice. I am hoping that it is not smoke and mirrors, but with this city's government, I am expecting the worst.

If I were a bettin' man, I'd say Johnson's hotel wins.
:bash: :? >(

Not necessarily,
because his and the other developer's proposals block the view from Camden Yards which will be a tragedy, and that is a major downfall that will be looked at very closely. However Peter's design is the only one that is not in the way of Camden Yards, and it has no downfalls at the moment only that there's not quite enough space to build that tower but thats something that can be sorted out, not only that but I think that his design will bring better business to Baltimore and will fit into out skyline perfectly. Just like a recent Baltimore Sun article said "Baltimore shouldn't get caught up in the celebrity of the two developers for the other proposals" meaning Robert L. Johnson Founder and CEO of BET aka black entertainment television and Actor Will Smith. Don't get me wrong I have love for those two guys and I'm a fan of there shows and programs but I think that Peter's design is best for Charm City:)

Not to mention that we could have a new tallest!! which will change our skyline dramatically along with the other two towers set to be built.:D

Plus I like the idea of a new arena, that will be really cool:cool:

Brian, I really hope you're right. :)
Even if the scenerio 2 of P. Fillat's hotel does winn it won't be a new tallest unless they add at least another 200 more rooms to that tower.
But, I would love to see it beat the others, regardless. :guns1:
I would LOVE for Baltimore to build a new arena!:cool: :D :) :guns1: It might attract an NBA Team one day.
:guns1: :cool: :cheers:

As far as I know the Waterfront Marriott is 365 ft tall which was the height listed in many articles during construction and when opening. It stated that becasue it was a few feet taller than Harborview at 350 ft tall

Hey, I thought the tower was in the 350 to 360 ft. range, myself. However, the World Almanac and Book of Facts 2002 list the building at 430 ft. tall and 32 storeys.
Go figure.:? :baaa: :D

BTW, have you heard any new info on the winning convention hotel proposals yet? The BDC was suppose to 'recommend' a proposal yesterday.

Steve :cool:

Nope I haven't heard anything yet:? Hope to find out something soon, and I hope its what I want to hear.

Anymore info on 300 E. Pratt? Updated renderings?

Nothing more on 300 East Pratt.
Have you thought of maybe e-mailing Mr. Brodie and asking him to e-mail a rendering? If you e-mail BDC they should give you his e-mail address.

Steve:cool:

anyone heard anything on the convention hotel proposals yet?:?

Wow, great thread! :okay:

I didn't think Baltimore could have so much construction!

I ran into Mr. Brodie on Thursday outside City hall. He said perhaps in 6 to 8 weeks a decision will be made.

Thanks, Jeff.

I just thought that the decision was going to be made earlier based on an article in several publications. They said the BDC was going to make an official 'recommendation' on one of the proposals sometime around the 9th of Sept.
I guess the press slipped up again.

Thanks again, Jeff.
BTW, have you taken any new pics of Baltimore lately? I would love to see all the cranes and stuff. Maybe a pic or two of Centerpoint.

:cool:

Convention hotel public ownership on BDC agenda
City agency officials reveal intentions in letter; Proposal raises alarm from some
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By June Arney
Sun Staff
Originally published September 14, 2003



Leaders at the Baltimore Development Corp. say they are nearly convinced that some version of public ownership and financing is needed to get an urgently needed convention headquarters hotel built for the city.
But others who don't work for the BDC - including two former mayors - have serious doubts about that approach, particularly when at least one potential developer is ready to invest considerable sums of private money in the project.


That apparent discordance on an important policy issue hasn't been debated in public because the BDC says the time isn't right. A likely developer for the hotel should be chosen first, said corporation President M.J. "Jay" Brodie.

Critics say the BDC is making private decisions on the $200 million hotel project that might prove costly to the public.

"I don't know why BDC wants to be in the hotel business," said former Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke, now dean of the Howard University School of Law. "I wouldn't. It's a tough business. I would prefer to have a privately developed facility with a commitment to do some kind of public good. I would not want the city government to be in the business of running a hotel."

In a letter sent to developers last month, BDC officials made their intentions clear: "After considerable discussion, BDC, on behalf of the city, is proposing to develop a convention center headquarters hotel under a 100 percent public ownership and public financing (tax-exempt bond financing) scenario. The city is prepared to make the bond financing feasible by offering credit enhancements."

A BDC advisory committee on the project is expected to meet behind closed doors this month to discuss financing options.

A senior BDC official said last week that no final decision on financing has been reached, but added that public financing seems most logical.

"You have to start from the premise that it is very, very, very difficult to get private financing," said Irene Van Sant, project analysis director for the BDC. "There is virtually no equity available for this type of project unless one wants to pay equity return of 25 percent or more. But, we haven't made any decision. We're doing our analysis. It's premature for people to be worrying about it."

Still, as closed-door evaluations continue, city leaders with knowledge of development and financing issues express alarm.

"Public financing doesn't make any sense," said state Comptroller William Donald Schaefer, who served as Baltimore mayor and Maryland governor. "If the city owns it, there are no taxes. To have the city or state go into further debt doesn't make sense. If you have a private enterprise that would own it, that's the way to go."

Schaefer said he would not support a project that would call for the city or state to go into further debt. "I'm not interested in giving out bonds, if they have a private entrepreneur willing to do it," he said.

In addition to the public vs. private financing and ownership debate, Schaefer is troubled by other aspects of BDC's handling of the hotel proposals.

"It looks like they're directing who should build the hotel, and I don't think that's right," he said. "It doesn't look right. I think they should get an independent group to look at it. Maybe they should take the whole thing away from the BDC and have it privately reviewed."

Schaefer said he worries that BDC wields too much power over important decisions.

"I think O'Malley lets the BDC do what they want," he said. "I don't think he pulls them in enough. This is too important a decision."

BDC chief Brodie could not be reached for comment on the criticism.

On Sept. 5, three teams vying for the right to develop the hotel submitted to BDC their best and final offers for the project expected to rise on two vacant blocks just west of the Baltimore Convention Center and north of Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

The proposals come from teams headed by Robert L. Johnson, founder of Black Entertainment Television; Atlanta-based Portman Holdings LP teamed with Treyball Development Inc., a Beverly Hills, Calif.-based real estate company headed by actor Will Smith and his brother Harry; and a group of local developers.

The local team includes businessman Otis Warren; Willard Hackerman, head of Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., who controls the Sheraton Inner Harbor and a neighboring parking lot; and Baltimore architect Peter Fillat, who designed the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront hotel. In addition, the local group has submitted an alternative proposal that would put the convention hotel on a parking lot on Conway Street just west of the Sheraton.

Although the TreyPort team has submitted a new development proposal under the public ownership plan, the team is still willing to privately finance either the original urban resort or a scaled-back version of it, if asked.

"Our team originally proposed to build a $250 million privately owned urban resort that included a movie production studio, wellness spa and signature restaurants," said Robert C. Hazard III, a spokesman for the TreyPort team.

"To make the project financially feasible, we asked the city to work with us on an economic support package. The plan we envisioned did not require the city to write us a check. Rather, it asked for the city to reinvest the taxes generated by the hotel back into the asset and to provide some form of capped backstop guarantee to protect mortgage holders in the unlikely event that the hotel missed its income projections by more than 30 percent.


TreyPort plan

"In exchange for that, we offered to commit a large percentage of our hotel rooms to the Baltimore Convention Center at convention-friendly rates to ensure that the convention and visitors association would never again lose a piece of business because Baltimore's hotel industry refused to cooperate with their efforts," he said.

While he declined to provide details of the support package, Hazard said he did not think the financial exposure to the city would have exceeded a $30 million cap. And the city's money would be tapped only after the owner's guarantees had been depleted, he said.

"We never discussed a financing plan in earnest with the city because the BDC asked us to go in a different direction," he said.

The Johnson group, which did not respond to repeated requests for comment in this article, also was reportedly ready to invest private funds in the project in its original proposal and wanted at least some ownership of it.

Public financing should be a last resort, because it takes public money that could be used for something else, said Robert C. Embry Jr., president of the Abell Foundation.

"Private is better than public financing," he said. "But the question is, is the private financing available."

Even as BDC contemplates how to get Baltimore's hotel built, trade publications promote Baltimore as a hot location for hotel and residential development, and some local developers believe the city is selling itself short.

"We're still operating as if we're glad anyone would be willing to do anything in this city," said Klaus Philipsen, co-chair of the urban design committee of the American Institute of Architects, Baltimore chapter.

David Hillman, chief executive of Southern Management Corp., based in Tysons Corner, Va., agreed: "They're coming from the mindset that you have to bribe people to come here. Instead, you need to tell them what you want and get out of the way."

Baltimore also has a long tradition of committing public money to projects - a habit that some seem reluctant to change, he said.


Won't discuss details

BDC officials won't discuss financing details of any of the proposals. But they describe public ownership and financing as the standard model for new convention anchors in cities across the country.

Critics see large risks in that choice.

"It will cost a whole lot more," Hillman said. "It will get loaded up with a lot of political garbage, and it will probably fail. If the city wants to get into the hotel business, just go into the hotel business, don't put out proposals."

"I would call it abject stupidity," Hillman added. "If they get somebody with a big checkbook, and they don't sign them up, they're crazy. I would go out of business before I'd take government financing. It adds innumerable costs to a project.

Recently, City Council President Sheila Dixon and Councilwoman Catherine E. Pugh expressed surprise that the city was considering owning and publicly financing the project.

Hillman, the apartment developer, agreed that the decisions regarding the project "need to be in the hands of professionals. BDC should pick a developer, set a price and step aside," he said.

It's not just the financing that has some critics worried. They complain about BDC making pre-emptory decisions in private about the hotel's location and facilities.

Many in the tourism industry worry about building on the site just north of Camden Yards favored by BDC, which they view as a logical expansion site for the convention center.

"If we build on that open lot, it precludes any expansion for the convention center," said Mary Jo McCulloch, president of the Maryland Hotel and Motel Association and president of the Maryland Tourism Council. "It would seem that you would want to keep your options open."

McCulloch also worries about the city's stated interest in public ownership of the hotel.

"It concerns me that the city wants to be involved in hotel ownership, because it tends to make for a less even playing field," she said.

She liked the ideas for a film production studio and the opening of Eutaw Street to pedestrians with large screens that would highlight great moments in local sports and film.

Those features were among the signature elements that BDC officials told developers to strip from their final offers, effectively asking them to duplicate the Johnson proposal, down to the office space for Catholic Relief Services, which had threatened to leave the city.

"I think it would have been terrific," McCulloch said. "Anything we can do that's a quality product to increase the attractions in the Baltimore area is just one more way we can bring in more tourists and conventions."

Werner Kunz, managing director of the Harbor Court Hotel, said he favors the site near the Sheraton, although he is not familiar with details of the projects.

"The closer to the harbor you are, the better off you are for commanding a good rate," he said. "I think it would be dynamite." But he questions BDC's request for a hotel of at least 750 rooms.

"A true headquarters hotel should be 1,000 rooms," he said. "A 750-room hotel is like the Marriott or the Wyndham. It's not big enough. I think they need to learn from Philadelphia, where they built that 1,200-room hotel next to the convention center, and D.C. wants to do it."

And he does not like the idea of the city owning the property.

"I don't know whether the city should be in the hotel business, period," he said. "I don't think it's a good idea. We would be in the same position as with the convention center, which loses money. I don't think the taxpayers want to be covering the losses of a convention center hotel."

Peter M. Komar, general manager of the Holiday Inn Inner Harbor, said he thinks either location would work well, but he also is concerned about using up potential expansion space for the convention center.

"I would think at some point we'll be talking to the state again about a convention center expansion," he said. "I don't know if it will be in five years or in 10 years or when. It would be a shame to be landlocked and unable to expand."


Site near Sheraton

Baltimore architect Janet Marie Smith, who might play a role in the development of an arena if the local development team is the one selected, said she favors the site near the Sheraton.

"I think it's a stroke of genius to look at an existing hotel site and expand that," she said.

Dennis M. Castleman, who heads the state's office of tourism, and Leslie R. Doggett, the president and chief executive of BACVA, are new to their jobs, and said they couldn't comment on the details of the projects.

"I would hope that we'll have a consultation with BACVA and the appropriate state agencies to see that we are consulted and our expertise used to help them pick the appropriate site," Castleman said. "Hopefully, whatever we do at the end of the day will increase tourism and conventions."

"I do not have enough information to make an informed decision," said Doggett, when asked what site she would favor. "However, I want what is best for Baltimore in terms of making the destination competitive and giving the city the greatest return on investment."

Local developers say decisions made now on the headquarters hotel will have lasting implications for tourism and convention business for decades.

"If it's done wrong, it's not going to be just the hotel that does badly," Hillman said. "It will have a negative impact on everything in the area."



Copyright © 2003, The Baltimore Sun | Get home delivery

I don't know what to say about it:? Seems like there's debating going on. Guess we'll just have to wait a little longer and see what happens.

I was at M&T Bank Stadium yesterday. WOW. I just realized how many cranes you can see from the upper deck of the stadium. The new buildings are gunna make a pretty good impressive view from the stadium of all the construction. I'll have to take a camera with me next time. I could see at least 10 tower cranes. :guns1:

It was neat seeing the contractor erect the crane for Spinniker bay at Inner Harbor East. Baltimoreguy, where part of Baltimore do you reside in? And how about Jamal yesterday? What an amazing thing to see in person, lucky bastard.

Current Highrises under construction.

U of Maryland Dentistry School ?
U of Maryland Dorms 17 floors
Centerpoint 17 floors
Fours Season 24 and 22 floors
Spinnaker Bay 18 floors
Marriott Residents Inn 15 floors
Office Building at CCCB 13 floors
PowerPlant Expansion 6 floors
Garage next to ST PAUL PLaza 15 floors
Mercy Hospital Expansion 6
Symphony Place 13 floors

Coming Soon to break ground within 6 months
300 East Pratt 34 floors
414 Water Street 32 floors
The Zenith 23 floors
One Light Street 24 floors

Essex Here