Baltimore Development News 21

[MasonsInquiries]

Originally Posted by waj0527

I know a guy who works for a arch firm that submitted a much cooler, taller and grander bid to the developer. His design was obviously not choosen. I'm telling you...it was something straight out of Times Square.

wow, and his proposal was TIMES SQUARE material?? yeah, we should've definitely went with that one. that's exactly the kind of development we need for that area. it would've done the CBD a lot of good. once again, here's another example of a project in which baltimore has belittled itself. we gotta' stop doing this.

[sdeclue]

Originally Posted by MasonsInquiries

wow, and his proposal was TIMES SQUARE material?? yeah, we should've definitely went with that one. that's exactly the kind of development we need for that area. it would've done the CBD a lot of good. once again, here's another example of a project in which baltimore has belittled itself. we gotta' stop doing this.

I'd love some additional info if you have any on exactly what this Times Square type project was like. That sounds like a winner that the BDC certainly wouldn't have passed up on.

[sdeclue]

Originally Posted by hpal3

www.pfarc.com

Not sure if I have ever seen any of these renderings in this forum.
Pretty cool stuff concerning Inner Harbor East.

Not sure how accurate and up to date this site is since the home page definitely shows the BELIEVE Team's proposal for the Convention Center Hotel (you know, the one that was clearly the best option but wasn't chosen for some reason? ).

[chromebowler]

The completion date on that site for Harbor East is listed as 2002. I have only been in this city for a year, so I'm not sure what is new, but I do know that the area is developed more than the renderings on that plan show. Add in the Legg Mason and Four Seasons towers and I think the area looks better than the renderings from 5+ years ago.

[sdeclue]

Yeah, one of those renderings does not even have Four Seasons/Legg Mason in it.

[DrzBrooklynChulo90]

So this is on South Conkling street in Canton.Does anybody know what this is going to be?

[waj0527]

Originally Posted by sdeclue

I'd love some additional info if you have any on exactly what this Times Square type project was like. That sounds like a winner that the BDC certainly wouldn't have passed up on.

It reminded me of the W Hotel tower on Broadway. On paper it had less height but was glass and steel and nice. The Times Square effect was caused by the electronic banners that enclosed the lower (first 10-12) floors. It had a very festive/Times Square feel to it. Think what the group proposed as the Under Armour store at McKeldin Plaza at the Inner Harbor. I think it would've served the neighborhood well. He was fairly certain that his design was going to be picked. The city wasn't really going in that direction he said.

Sorry if some details are a little cloudy. He showed these to me after at a cocktail party this summer after drinks and while enjoying some herbal refreshments.

[jamie_hunt]

Originally Posted by DrzBrooklynChulo90

So this is on South Conkling street in Canton.Does anybody know what this is going to be?

A development by The Hanover Company called "Domain." Go to page 60 (top half, next to the skyline photo) in this brochure ... pretty sure that's the project. Perhaps someone more computer savvy than I can cut and paste it here in the forum.

Also, StevenW recently posted this from the BBJ about that:

Apartments set for city site
Baltimore Business Journal - by Daniel J. Sernovitz Staff

A Texas-based apartment developer has completed demolition work at the former Tulkoff Food Products plant in Baltimore and started construction of a 180-unit apartment complex it hopes to pattern after the Crescent at Fells Point, another of its projects.

While the region's housing market has slowed markedly, Hanover Co. development partner Adam Harbin said he believes there is still a pent-up demand for apartment options in the city. He also noted the rise of developments such as Harbor East and Canton Crossing have helped make the city's eastern neighborhoods more attractive for projects like his.

"We're big believers in Baltimore," Harbin said. "Obviously [the housing slump] is significant for for-sale homes. I don't think it's [hurt] the demand for rental housing."

[LilMoeJoeJoe]

This to me is the biggest disappointment in our recent development history!

http://www.pfarc.com/ols_mu.html

[StevenW]

Interesting site. They've done allot of quality stuff.

[StevenW]

Originally Posted by LilMoeJoeJoe

This to me is the biggest disappointment in our recent development history!

http://www.pfarc.com/ols_mu.html

you're not kidding! a shame, really.

[chromebowler]

Originally Posted by LilMoeJoeJoe

This to me is the biggest disappointment in our recent development history!

http://www.pfarc.com/ols_mu.html

A sleek design but far too short, IMHO. Double or triple the height and we have a landmark.

[Maudibjr]

Originally Posted by Gsol

I thought that was the rendering shown before the city landmark commission determined the Mechanic to be worth saving. In this drawing you really can't make out the original structure. So I am wondering if this is the current project.

Ugg. Did they actually vote to save that water stained decrepit hunk of concrete? I truly hate the Butalist style of architecture. I say good riddance.

[micrip]

Originally Posted by Maudibjr

Ugg. Did they actually vote to save that water stained decrepit hunk of concrete? I truly hate the Butalist style of architecture. I say good riddance.

They should grind it up and feed it to the fishes (like they did Memorial Stadium) and build something world class on the site. After all, Baltimore and Charles was once the most important intersection in town, and it could rise and shine again.

[baltimoreisbest]

There is something to be said about low building height in that area, however. Preserving the views of 10 Light Street from Hopkins Square in a way pays homage to City Center's skyscraper landmark, while offering the chance for something more modern at the Mechanic Site.

I'm not saying preservation of views should be the priority item on a developer's agenda, but I would not complain if someone took that idea to heart in drafting a design.

[jamie_hunt]

Agreed.

You mean Hopkins Plaza, though. Far as I can tell, downtown only has one square: Monument Square on Calvert between Lexington and Fayette and University Square at . Everything else—Hopkins, Center, Charles, McKeldin, War Memorial, University—is a plaza. Except for Mt. Vernon Place.

No idea where our plaza mania comes from. Driving around Boston last weekend, seemed like every other intersection was a "square."

[sdeclue]

Wow, that design for the mechanic sounded awesome. That's a true shame and you have to be baffled why the city would turn it down.

As for One Light, I have been in love with that rendering for the longest time. It's sleek, and if they added another 15-20 floors it would be a landmark like someone said. (I only said 15-20 because I don't want to get greedy). If they made that 50-60 stories, what a tower we would have to center our skyline.

[cgunna]

With no prior knowledge at all about why the aforementioned proposal was discarded, its possible that the city/BDC actually took into consideration the pheasability of getting the structure actually built. Perhaps the firm with the grand times square proposal had a less than stellar record of actually getting stuff built. Maybe the ho hum development pictured eariler was looked at a slam dunk of actually getting approved, funded, and built.

or.....maybe not.

who knows.

but there are a bunch more things that need to be considered when selecting a proposal other than how cool it looks.

[southbalto]

have we talked about this yet?

[Maudibjr]

Originally Posted by southbalto

have we talked about this yet?

Thats a bit of a dated design, check out http://www.i-95expresstolllanes.com/...s/i695_etl.asp