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Towson Development News

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#1 ·
From the Baltimore Sun"

Towson's transformation gets going
Flurry of projects set to replace rubble from demolition
By Laura Barnhardt
Sun reporter
Originally published May 20, 2007
The heavy equipment has arrived in Towson.

Bulldozers have plowed through many of the old stone apartment buildings on Dulaney Valley Road, and they've knocked down a gas station next to the Towson Town Center mall, along with three commercial buildings near the York Road traffic circle.

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Before the various demolition crews are finished, they'll take out a fast-food restaurant, part of the Towson Commons complex and dozens of houses. The rubble, though, will soon be replaced with luxury apartments, restaurants and new stores.

Projects long in the works are moving forward in Towson - and the work crews are providing visible evidence of what some say is an unprecedented flurry of development in the Baltimore County seat.

"People have been saying, 'We just want to see the cranes,'" said Andrea J. Van Arsdale, commercial revitalization director for the county's Department of Economic Development, whose office puts the value of development coming to the area at more than $400 million. "Now, when you get off the Beltway in Towson, you see the cranes. ... Dirt is being moved."

County Councilman Vincent J. Gardina, who represents the area and has been on the council since 1990, said: "I don't think we've ever seen all this, all at the same time."

For decades, residents, business leaders and elected officials have kicked around ideas to reshape Towson. While the core of the town has grown over the years, it retains many of its quaint elements, and residents crave such amenities as upscale restaurants. Stubborn problems - notably, traffic patterns that can make walking an adventure - remain unresolved.

But some who live and work in Towson are hoping those questions can finally be answered, even as the new wave of development draws more visitors and residents - and gives all of them more chances to spend their money.

Projects getting off the ground include the first expansion of Towson Town Center since 1992, when the Nordstrom store opened, as well as three new high-end apartment and condominium complexes with a total of more than 1,400 units. The new Fidelity Investments office on the traffic circle is due to be completed within months. And new restaurants and shops are part of a renovation under way at the 15-year-old Towson Commons, which includes an enclosed, three-story mall and 10-story office tower.

County economic development officials haven't even included the likely cost of some other, newer projects in estimating at least $400 million in development in the area in the next five years.

"People see other people jumping in, and they jump in, too," said J. Stephen Adams, president of the Towson Retail and Restaurant Association. "You need momentum."

Some business and community leaders are less enthusiastic about the projects in the works, saying there's nothing, thus far, that has created a strong buzz. Residents want - and have the cash to support - boutiques and restaurants that offer an alternative to the chains, said Mike Ertel, president of the Greater Towson Council of Community Associations.

"From a neighborhood perspective, we're still hoping we get those things," he said.

Transforming Towson - home to Goucher College, Towson University and three hospitals, along with the county government - has been a source of frustration, and conflict, for years. Spiro T. Agnew was Baltimore County executive when, in 1964, a commission put together a spiral-bound plan for "A New Urban Center" of shopping and dining. But many of the same issues remain under discussion - as seen by the fact that at least five studies have been conducted since 1992.

And not all development plans have been warmly received. When the county gave preliminary approval for a proposal that included student dormitories in the heart of town, residents complained of being shut out of the process - and claimed victory when the dormitory proposal was dropped in 2005.

Perhaps no other problem has proved as vexing as creating an urban, walking environment in a hub of suburban car culture.

Merchants have long lobbied to extend the hours for parking along York Road through the center of town to slow traffic and steer drivers toward the Towson bypass. The most recent blueprint for Towson even suggests taking down the stop lights in favor of four-way stop signs.

"Right now, York Road is a highway bifurcating the town," Adams said.

And while some who already live in Towson worry that more development will mean too many more traffic jams, others point out that the new high-rise dwellers should be able to simply walk to the new stores and eating establishments.

A weeklong planning session dubbed "Walkable Towson" is planned for next month. This comes a year after an out-of-town Urban Design Assistance Team, or UDAT, helped draw up a plan for Towson.
That plan included ideas like using the parking lot near Trader Joe's below Joppa Road as a "canyon" for weekend festivals, farmers' markets and concerts. Nearly all of the projects in the works in Towson include aspects that community and business leaders named as priorities during the UDAT process, such as attracting residents to areas where many of the businesses and offices are located, said County Executive James T. Smith Jr.

And restaurants - listed among the most important amenities by residents - are part of the plans for the Towson Town Center expansion, the Towson Commons renovation and the Towson Circle III development on East Joppa Road near the Towson Circle complex that is home to Barnes and Noble Books, Trader Joe's and Pier 1 Imports.

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A spokesman said last week that tenants for the expanded area of the mall would be announced soon, after lease agreements are reached. In earlier discussions with the community, mall officials said an expanded Crate and Barrel store would be part of the addition, which is to have a "Main Street"-style facade.

The latest project to be unveiled, a 15-story apartment complex near the old courthouse government center, tentatively called the Palisades of Towson, would also include new shops, offices, and restaurants, county officials said.

The residential projects planned for Towson are mostly luxury rental complexes. The demand for those units has remained high despite the recent housing slump, Van Arsdale said.

"The private sector is responding in significant ways to the input of the community," Smith said.

The convergence of the projects can also be attributed to tax incentives, Towson's central location, the number of businesses and government offices, and the demographics of Towson residents, Gardina and others said.

"The market conditions have to be right," said Robert A. Hoffman, a land-use and development attorney in Towson involved with many of the projects in the works. "There's a greater demand to live in urban areas. ... And the level of retail options in itself is an attraction."

The first residential project expected to be completed is The Quarter, a 900-unit condominium and apartment complex that will replace the Dulaney Valley apartments across from Goucher College on Dulaney Valley Road.

Demolition of vacant houses bought up in prior years in the Towson Manor Village neighborhood closer to Towson University is expected to begin this fall, clearing the way for a complex of condominiums, townhouses and single-family homes. And there are plans to build a luxury apartment complex, called The Promenade, at York and Lambourne roads.

Business and community leaders say they hope to find the point where the area prospers but where those who already live there are not overwhelmed by the growth.

"Economically, Towson needs a shot in the arm," Ertel said. "The tightrope you have to walk is how much development is enough and how much is too much.
 
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#76 ·
New Towson Residential Project

I noticed yesterday while driving north on York Road from the roundabout, that there is now a fence around the perimeter of site where the new apartments are going up on Lambourne Road. There are several 1 story buildings that are behind the fence, that I guess will soon be torn down. Does anyone have any renderings of what the proposed building will look like that they are building on that lot?
 
#188 ·
The Quarter Condominiums



Thanks so much for the web link, Tricia!

The Quarter is a $190 million condominium and apartment property currently under
development located at the northwest corner of Dulaney Valley Road and Fairmount
Avenue in Towson, just south of Baltimore’s Beltway I-695. The 13-acre site is ideally
situated across Dulaney Valley Road from Towson Town Center with Nordstrom, Macy’s,
Goucher College, the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center. Across Fairmount Avenue
to the south of The Quarter, is Dulaney Plaza with Super Fresh Market, Ann Taylor,
Chico’s, Starbucks and other fine stores.

Towson is the Baltimore County’s government county seat and home to Towson
University, Goucher College, Greater Baltimore Medical Center Center, St. Joseph’s
Hospital, Sheppard Pratt and Black & Decker corporate headquarters.
Timeline and Components

The Quarter will have 900 new condominium and apartment residences. Its excellent
location in the center of Towson offers the excitement and convenience of shopping,
entertainment and great local restaurants. The Quarter is replacing the old Dulaney
Valley Apartments with four brand new four to five story residential buildings with
interior garage parking. All residences will feature patios, balconies or sunrooms.

The Condominium Sales Center will open early Fall 2007.

Phase I

Phase I is now under construction and will be completed in early 2009. It is located
between Fairmount Avenue and Southerly Road. It will include community utility
improvements and a reconstruction of Southerly Road which will bisect the site.

The first building of Phase I is a 150 residence elevator condominium building complete
with interior garage parking and beautiful landscaped courtyards.

Phase II
Phase II will proceed with the demolition of the remaining Dulaney Valley Apartment
buildings on the north side of Southerly Road and the construction of additional
condominiums or apartments.
:banana:



The Quarter is located across the street from Goucher College in the heart of Towson.

Take I-695 to Exit 27A. Take 27A South onto Dulaney Valley Rd. Continue in right lane to a right turn after Goucher College. Sales Center is located diagonally across from Town Center, 948 Dulaney Valley Rd.
I can almost picture my wife already working out while I am still figuring how to turn the darn threadmill on! :lol:


Great aerobic exercise in addition to walking to the mall:





The new condominiums’ pricing will begin in the upper $200s.
^^
Hmm, maybe we'll just stick to more aerobic and frugal walking. :eek:hno:
 
#82 ·
2 new apartment towers for Towson

From the Towson Times:

Virginia Towers owners seek 2 high-rise buildings

08/22/07
By Loni Ingraham


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Virginia Towers LLC is seeking approval from Baltimore County development review officials for a plan that would bring 328 new apartments to Towson.

The owners of the 15-story Virginia Towers apartment building are planning to add two high-rise buildings to the 1.798-acre site at 500 Virginia Ave.

"But it will be at least two years before we break ground," said attorney Ernie Rafailides, who represents the corporation that owns the property.

Then, according to the plan, it would take two years to construct one building and another two to do the second.

The cost of the project hasn't been determined yet, Rafailides, said. "We're still talking with lenders and construction people."

The preliminary plan was submitted to the county Monday under the working title "Virginia Commons."

"But the name is subject to change," Rafailides said. "We're not married to it."

The existing Virginia Towers structure would have the new buildings, one on Virginia Avenue and the other on Pennsylvania Avenue, as bookends, according to a site plan submitted by Century Engineering of Hunt Valley.

Both buildings would feature commercial and retail space on the first two floors, Rafailides said.

Both would have one- and two-bedroom apartments with rents set at market rate.

"We believe there is a market for market-rate apartments," he said, adding that the Pennsylvania Avenue building, which would be constructed first, would have 160 apartments, while the Virginia Avenue building would have 168.

"It's an excellent location; we're hoping for a mix that includes young professionals and retired people downsizing and looking for an urban setting," he said.

He is aware of the uproar created by the eventually abandoned proposal for a 600-bed college apartment dorm for Towson Circle next door.

With rentals going for $1.70 to $1.90 a square foot -- a 900-square-foot apartment might rent for $1,589 to $1,700 a month -- Virginia Commons is not targeting college students in its marketing, Rafailides said.

Neither of the two buildings, he said, would be taller than Virginia Towers, which offers subsidized housing for the elderly and people with disabilities.

"While the construction may inconvenience the tenants of Virginia Towers, it will not affect the way their building functions," he explained.

The fact that Virginia Towers is no longer accepting applications led some residents to fear that whatever project was about to be announced would force them to move.

But Rafailides said the company stopped taking applications because the waiting list had gotten so long. Virginia Towers plans to begin accepting applications again by late September or early October, he said.

The property is zoned for an unlimited number of housing units because it's in the town center, but Virginia Towers LLC will need variances for setbacks from the street and for parking even though the plan provides for 379 spaces.

"We're looking forward to working with the Towson community to make this project a success," Rafailides said. "We're definitely excited."

Residents of The Ridgely, a 28-story condominium on the same block, may not be as enthusiastic.

The Ridgely Condominium Association has met with the LLC representatives but is reserving judgment on the plan until members see it in its final form, said its president, John Raine.

"But we have concerns," Raine said, preferring not to comment further.

Former association president Wallace North said he sees problems -- Ridgely residents living on the first 13 or 14 floors of the building who face the project would have their views blocked, and the Ridgely pool would lose its afternoon sunlight, he said.

A further complication is the fact that The Ridgely has entrance and exit easements through the Virginia Towers property, according to lawyer Howard Alderman, who is representing Virginia Towers LLC in the development process.

"They will have to be relocated or accommodated," Alderman said.

Meanwhile, Donna Merkle, who has lived in Virginia Towers for eight years and has represented the tenants in several issues, is cautiously optimistic.

"If they can stick to the plan they submitted and just keep us abreast of what's going on and dispel the rumors, it may be OK," she said.
 
#120 ·
From the Towson Times:

Virginia Towers owners seek 2 high-rise buildings

08/22/07
By Loni Ingraham


Respond to this story
Email this story to a friend

Virginia Towers LLC is seeking approval from Baltimore County development review officials for a plan that would bring 328 new apartments to Towson.

The owners of the 15-story Virginia Towers apartment building are planning to add two high-rise buildings to the 1.798-acre site at 500 Virginia Ave.

"But it will be at least two years before we break ground," said attorney Ernie Rafailides, who represents the corporation that owns the property.

Then, according to the plan, it would take two years to construct one building and another two to do the second.

The cost of the project hasn't been determined yet, Rafailides, said. "We're still talking with lenders and construction people."

The preliminary plan was submitted to the county Monday under the working title "Virginia Commons."

"But the name is subject to change," Rafailides said. "We're not married to it."

The existing Virginia Towers structure would have the new buildings, one on Virginia Avenue and the other on Pennsylvania Avenue, as bookends, according to a site plan submitted by Century Engineering of Hunt Valley.

Both buildings would feature commercial and retail space on the first two floors, Rafailides said.

Both would have one- and two-bedroom apartments with rents set at market rate.

"We believe there is a market for market-rate apartments," he said, adding that the Pennsylvania Avenue building, which would be constructed first, would have 160 apartments, while the Virginia Avenue building would have 168.

"It's an excellent location; we're hoping for a mix that includes young professionals and retired people downsizing and looking for an urban setting," he said.

He is aware of the uproar created by the eventually abandoned proposal for a 600-bed college apartment dorm for Towson Circle next door.

With rentals going for $1.70 to $1.90 a square foot -- a 900-square-foot apartment might rent for $1,589 to $1,700 a month -- Virginia Commons is not targeting college students in its marketing, Rafailides said.

Neither of the two buildings, he said, would be taller than Virginia Towers, which offers subsidized housing for the elderly and people with disabilities.

"While the construction may inconvenience the tenants of Virginia Towers, it will not affect the way their building functions," he explained.

The fact that Virginia Towers is no longer accepting applications led some residents to fear that whatever project was about to be announced would force them to move.

But Rafailides said the company stopped taking applications because the waiting list had gotten so long. Virginia Towers plans to begin accepting applications again by late September or early October, he said.

The property is zoned for an unlimited number of housing units because it's in the town center, but Virginia Towers LLC will need variances for setbacks from the street and for parking even though the plan provides for 379 spaces.

"We're looking forward to working with the Towson community to make this project a success," Rafailides said. "We're definitely excited."

Residents of The Ridgely, a 28-story condominium on the same block, may not be as enthusiastic.

The Ridgely Condominium Association has met with the LLC representatives but is reserving judgment on the plan until members see it in its final form, said its president, John Raine.

"But we have concerns," Raine said, preferring not to comment further.

Former association president Wallace North said he sees problems -- Ridgely residents living on the first 13 or 14 floors of the building who face the project would have their views blocked, and the Ridgely pool would lose its afternoon sunlight, he said.

A further complication is the fact that The Ridgely has entrance and exit easements through the Virginia Towers property, according to lawyer Howard Alderman, who is representing Virginia Towers LLC in the development process.

"They will have to be relocated or accommodated," Alderman said.

Meanwhile, Donna Merkle, who has lived in Virginia Towers for eight years and has represented the tenants in several issues, is cautiously optimistic.

"If they can stick to the plan they submitted and just keep us abreast of what's going on and dispel the rumors, it may be OK," she said.
I'd love to see renders of these two! :) :yes:
 
#86 ·
From the Aug. 17 Baltimore Business Journal --

[snip]

The Cheesecake Factory and P.F. Chang's China Bistro Inc. are among the new retailers Towson Town Center executives expect to lure to the mall for its expansion.

Also on tap for the mall is the Levi's store and Pottery Barn, according to mall owner Chicago-based General Growth Properties Inc. Towson Town Center already has a Williams-Sonoma, the upscale cooking store operating under the same parent company as Pottery Barn.

Existing tenant Crate and Barrel is expected to expand to 35,000 square feet.

Towson Town Center General Manager Charles Crerand said he could not confirm the new tenants because the mall does not yet have signed leases. But he could confirm two other new tenants: The mall's expansion will include Garage, a Canadian chain for teen girls, and Teavana, an Atlanta-based tea shop chain that has one Maryland store at the Mall in Columbia.

Crerand said the mall's addition will be completed on schedule in October 2008. Currently 950,000 square feet, the mall will add 100,000 square feet after the expansion. This will put Towson Town Center on par with Security Square Mall and make it larger than Hunt Valley Towne Centre.

[snip]
 
#93 ·
I think he is referring to the square footage, not the demographics of the mall. They will all be dwarfed by Westfield Annapolis when it is complete. Mall management is claiming it will be larger than Arundel Mills, which now holds the size title. With 5 full-size anchors (Macys, Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor, Penneys, and Sears), I believe it.
 
#179 ·
Yes he was referring to the square footage of the mall. When complete Towson will be 1,050,000 sq feet. Security is 1,040,000 sq feet. Annapolis really isn't going to be that much bigger. It is now 1,500,000 sq feet only 450,000 sq feet more which is about the size of the JCPennys, Sears, and Lord and Taylor. Arundel Mills is 1,400,000 sq feet. The big draw back for Annapolis is that it has been turned into a mall that is pretty hard to shop. You can only go one way to get to certain stores and sometimes have to cut through the anchor stores to get though to other parts of the mall. Very spread out and not very good planning.
 
#180 ·
Alot of stores are relocating including Arden B and Limited Too to the 2nd level and others are going to be remodeled. BEBE is rumored to be included in remodel. Towson will also be opening a 5,800 sq foot Sephora in the fall, and XXI Forever, a new concept from Forever 21, will open a two story 20,000 sq foot store this summer and will offer men's and women's fashions, lingerie, footwear, cosmetic items, and other accessories. The XXI Forever concept store has already been tested in Tysons Corner Center in Virginia. My guess is that it will occupy the 1st level next to Nordstrom where The Silver Diner, California Closets, Payless and Dairy Queen used to be and the 2nd level where Select Comfort, Suncoast Pictures, a vacant space and possibly The Mens Wearhouse is now. It has also been rumored that Tiffany & Co. will also join Towson Town Center and the 17,000 sq foot Rainforest Cafe will close making room for other stores or restaurants.
 
#98 ·
They are doing a nice job with the mall out there. If only they could knock down some of the uglier buildings in that area and add some nice high density housing and clean up the York road area it could be a really nice area, possibly reminding people of Silver Spring or Bethesda.
 
#99 ·
I wish the County government would take a more active role in Towson development. Towson is always on the verge of being really nice and then the government seems to lose interest for some years and things start to slip back. I'm impressed by the amount of dense residential development that is happening right now but I can't believe that nobody seems to care about that monstrosity of a sick building (the so-called Investment Building) that sits at the highest point on Towson's hill. The Commons also, with its dead Border's and restaurant sites, needs badly to move along to something new. In the scheme of things, these are two fairly small sites, but they are really important to the look of downtown Towson which is geographically small and dense. The new addition to the mall seems to be moving along quickly and with the new residential developments, the center of town seems to be moving to the corner of Dulaney Valley Rd and Fairmount Ave. I just with there were a more coherent plan rather than seemingly random developments.
 
#104 ·
The area with the barn I feel should be developed and not preserved. It's right outside the beltway. If the land was 20 miles or so further north, I'd be all about preserving the land. Preserving open land like that though when it won't be used for a park or anything and it sits right of the beltway is a bad idea. That's encouraging sprawl.
 
#108 ·
In 5 to 10 years Towson should be a pretty cool place...if you think of what the place was like just 7 years ago, the area has really improved. Right now I feel the community is struggling to deal with denser development and the expansion of Towson University, but people need to accept reality. Improved mass transit will be needed if the area wants to thrive.
 
#110 ·
The Greenspring Valley being so close to Baltimore city is an environmental asset that is unmatched in the east coast Megapolis.It amounts to a greenbelt between the crowded York Road and Reisterstown road corridor.Sure the valleys are owned by a bunch of mostly old money wealthy Baltimorians but they have preserved an irreplaceable legacy for the future.Baltimore County was way ahead of their time in land use planning back in the 70s.
 
#111 ·
GSV was a part of what attracted me to living in Mt Washington. The Falls Road corridor, Robert E Lee Park, flood zones and GSV conspire to create a place where the city ends and you get open space and trees without having to traverse 15 miles of ugly, trafficated suburban sprawl. As a cyclist, the roads of the valleys are a great respite from my mainly urban oriented life. Even though I don't expect that I will ever have a big spread with horses and long fences, I like that GSV is there so I can pass through it.
 
#119 ·
Friday, December 21, 2007
http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2007/12/17/daily44.html?jst=b_ln_hl

Towson Commons nabs law firm tenant
Baltimore Business Journal - by Rachel Bernstein Staff

A retail and office building in Towson has gained a new tenant, Whiteford, Taylor & Preston LLP, after the law firm signed a lease for 10,000 square feet in the Pennsylvania Ave. building.

With more than 160 lawyers in Maryland, the District of Columbia and Virginia, Whiteford, Taylor & Preston will move its location to the third floor of the office and retail building, known as Towson Commons. The tenant list includes Kyodai Rotating Sushi Bar, Paolo's Restorante and the AMC Theatres cinema.

Located in downtown Towson, the 324,000-square-foot building includes about 100,000 square feet of retail space, 221,000 square feet of office space and an 882-space parking garage. The office portion is 92.8 percent occupied.

Washington, D.C.-based Western Development Corp. acquired Towson Commons in 2005.

Harvey Brooks, vice president/general manager with Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. (NYSE:JLL) represented Western Development Corp., and T. Courtenay Jenkins, senior director with Cushman & Wakefield, represented Whiteford, Taylor & Preston LLP in this transaction.
 
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