Baltimore Development News

[scando]

The Grand Prix is moving ahead; I'm hopeful that the Andretti family knows how to hit the ground running.

http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore...rganizers.html

[rockin'.baltimorean]

looks like the 3rd time around might be a charm for charm city, but we'll see...

[PeterSmith]

Marc, understood and good post. Your initial post gave me a false understanding of what you were conveying. That said, it sounds like you do, in fact, take these guys “seriously,” you just recognize some of the flaws inherent in all social sciences, and adjust the weight you give these ideas accordingly. This is not a general economics forum, so I won’t say much more on this topic, except that I do think there is a significant distinction between economic forecasters (“housing prices will always rise”) and historical economists like Glaeser, who spend most of their energy describing the economics behind past events, i.e. why and how New York City is the global hub that it is today. Both can be wrong, but one is wrong a lot more often than the other.

[marcszar]

Originally Posted by PeterSmith

...Except that I do think there is a significant distinction between economic forecasters (“housing prices will always rise”) and historical economists like Glaeser, who spend most of their energy describing the economics behind past events, i.e. why and how New York City is the global hub that it is today. Both can be wrong, but one is wrong a lot more often than the other.

Yeah, fair enough, and I definitely agree that Glaeser's points on economic diversification and the underlying culture of innovation are pretty important. He makes a great point on how NYC was able to "come back from the brink" because small-scaled, innovation-focused industrial districts like the Garment District were able to spur the creation of new ideas and new firms when the old ones left. He contrasts that with Detroit, where the giant firms that dominated that city stamped out their competitors and turned it into a static one-industry town in which there were no alternative emerging ideas and startups. When these mega-industries left (or dramatically reduced their presence), there were no Garment District-like cache of startups left to fill the void (unlike Detroit in the 1880s before the rise of the automakers).

I wonder if maybe the major reason B'more didn't go the way of Detroit is simply that it was never dominated by a single industry? Sure there was carmaking until the early 2000s, and there still is some steel, but there always was a mix of other things: food, sugar, and spice processing, furniture, shipping, textiles, chemicals, shipbuilding, canning and bottling, and a complex milieu of other industries big and small. This way it's hard for any one industry to dominate a town and turn it into a static assembly line.

I guess the question is: will all the state, federal, and local money being poured into biotech parks, meds and eds, and high-tech startups to create new hotbeds of innovation actually pay off? This "pour money in to jump-start it" strategy has failed many times in many places before, so I'm rather skeptical it will work in any broad-based way this time. I'd love to be wrong, though.

[RedDawg]

Originally Posted by k25150

Exactly. Content to fill space and get hits on your site.

It is well known that 68.2% of all statistics are totally fabricated.

[pertplus]

Originally Posted by New_Balto

Those DC-style rowhouses are going to come down for this new development.

I don't so much mind the development along Gwynns Falls Pkwy, but North Avenue needs renovation of its residential areas, too: http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=qjj...82&FORM=LMLTCC.

Not sure what the plans are for North and Warwick, but I bet those houses days are numbered.

People all the way to Baker Street are leary of Coppin's expansion plans.

Besides, who can afford to attend college with ever rising costs and no jobs at the end of the rainbow?

From The Dominion Group's site about the top property buyers in Baltimore, Coppin State was #3 including Warwick...

"Mayor & City Council topped the charts again this year with over 225 properties, with concentrations in 21215, 21223, 21217 and 21213.

Dominion added a little more than 40 properties in the City.

Coppin State went into title on 37 properties on the 1600-1800 of Thomas and Warwick, continuing their assemblage efforts there.

St Ambrose Housing Aid Center purchased 25 properties this year, most were purchased from HUD.

Baltimore Preferred Properties took down 25 properties from Redbrick, the now defunct hedge fund that failed at its play to operate Baltimore City rental real estate. We hope that Baltimore Preferred Properties has a better go of it.

Summerfield, Ried and Atk added 21 properties to their respective portfolios, mostly east side, per usual.

East Baltimore Investments continued to pick up houses, 16 this year, in Patterson Park and Belair Edison.

M&S Joint Venture Development Corp bought 12 properties comprising pretty much the entire the 600 block of Pitcher St from Mayor & City Council for $2K a piece.

Baltimore Revival bought 11 properties all over the City.

The Reinvestment Fund (commonly known as TRF) purchased 10 properties in Oliver.

There were a couple instances of non arms-length transactions that look more like asset protection maneuvers, rather than actual transactions – so I left those out."

[wrdcld]

Fencing is now around the old Highlandtown Middle School in Highlandtown/Patterson Park. Starting on the reno.

[KLynch]

Wow, good stuff!

[hpal3]

I posted what looks like renderings of 414 Light St in the Bmore County thread by accident. By all means go check it out! 24 story tower!

[Balmurfan]

Originally Posted by hpal3

I posted what looks like renderings of 414 Light St in the Bmore County thread by accident. By all means go check it out! 24 story tower!

http://www.pickardchilton.com/mobile/mixed_use.html

That was probably the proposal presented to Exelon. It includes a 70,000 square foot commodities trading floor, which is the same as the winning proposal at Harbor Point.

While I understand they are only renderings, I’m not impressed! We should have top notch architecture on that site even if it doesn’t provide us with a new tallest.

[MDguy]

It's incredibly frustrating to go from that when you started with this



While the new design is nice, it's also incredibly boring and frankly tired. Another shorter box with a flat roof. Yay.

[hpal3]

Originally Posted by Balmurfan

http://www.pickardchilton.com/mobile/mixed_use.html

That was probably the proposal presented to Exelon. It includes a 70,000 square foot commodities trading floor, which is the same as the winning proposal at Harbor Point.

While I understand they are only renderings, I’m not impressed! We should have top notch architecture on that site even if it doesn’t provide us with a new tallest.

Originally Posted by MDguy

It's incredibly frustrating to go from that when you started with this



While the new design is nice, it's also incredibly boring and frankly tired. Another shorter box with a flat roof. Yay.

Certainly worth keeping an eye on. Hopefully Questar goes big, which would be a first for them...

[CharmCityTech]

Originally Posted by Balmurfan

http://www.pickardchilton.com/mobile/mixed_use.html

That was probably the proposal presented to Exelon. It includes a 70,000 square foot commodities trading floor, which is the same as the winning proposal at Harbor Point.

While I understand they are only renderings, I’m not impressed! We should have top notch architecture on that site even if it doesn’t provide us with a new tallest.

Please tell me this a joke.. I just fell asleep looking at this.

[jeffrey.james.walker]

I have always thought the proposed building at 700+ feet looked incredibly out of place at that location. Buildings like that should correspond to their surroundings. For example a completed Four Seasons if built to spec would compliment Harbor East. But alas it's tree stump in its current form.

[Tricia_Lvs_Baltimore]

Originally Posted by hpal3

I posted what looks like renderings of 414 Light St in the Bmore County thread by accident. By all means go check it out! 24 story tower!

I love it!! I am a huge fan of that kind of design.

Taking advantage of magnificent views of downtown Baltimore and the harbor, this mixed-use development comprises a twelve story, 370,000 gsf Class A office building and a 24-story, 400,000 gsf residential tower of 400 units atop a podium with street level retail and parking for 1240 cars servicing both residential and office tenants.

Designed for a corporate tenant, the office building features highly efficient floor plates of 33,000 square feet with floor-to-ceiling glass. Multiple double- and triple-height atria on each office level provide dramatic views across the harbor. These large, open spaces serve to unify the working environments of multilevel tenants. On the second level, a 70,000 gsf state-of-the-art trading floor is naturally lit by two generously sized skylights.

A setback at the top two levels of the office tower creates an outdoor terrace, affording a tranquil outdoor space to enjoy the excellent views of downtown and the harbor. A parasol of photovoltaic panels atop the building serves as a source of sustainable energy while giving visual character to the architectural composition.

A large enclosed courtyard serves as the main circulation space between office and residential towers.

Size: 1,200,000 gsf
Client: Confidential
Status: Concept Design

[BaltoSteve]

Mayor Aloof and company are getting one giant P.R. FudgeCluster with news like this......http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/mar...,2145545.story

[sdeclue]

The views are amazing with that open floor plan but what a tremendously disappointing overall design. 24 floors?? We were looking at a much sleeker design with almost 3 times that many floors before. I would want something at least in the 40-45 floor range there. Very uninspiring.

[sdeclue]

Originally Posted by BaltoSteve

Mayor Aloof and company are getting one giant P.R. FudgeCluster with news like this......http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/mar...,2145545.story

It's unfortunate, but there is a lot of truth to what that guy McDonough said about the situation downtown. Generally, it is quite safe. However, when these roaming groups emerge on some of the nicer nights downtown, trouble seems to break out in every direction.

A greater police presence would be helpful, but can't be the long-term solution. We can't have the entire force congregated in a 10 square block area.

[Balmurfan]

Originally Posted by jeffrey.james.walker

I have always thought the proposed building at 700+ feet looked incredibly out of place at that location. Buildings like that should correspond to their surroundings. For example a completed Four Seasons if built to spec would compliment Harbor East. But alas it's tree stump in its current form.

I would like to see something in the low to mid 600 foot rage at this site.

Also, I would like to see the current one Light Street proposal scrapped in favor of a 700 foot mixed use tower considering all the new and converted residential development planned in the CBD. Unfortunately, I don't see either of them happening

[Infoman]

Originally Posted by Tricia_Lvs_Baltimore

I love it!! I am a huge fan of that kind of design.

I'm with you on this one, the design isnt as bad as some of you are making it out to be. I don't want 600-700 ft on a site like that, it would stick out too much. A 600-700 footer needs to be directly built into Downtown, trust me it would look much better than if it were built on light street and I think we all know that but we're just so hungry for a new tallest.