visit baltimore : Development News

Women’s apparel shop Anthropologie will open a boutique at the newly opened Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore’s Harbor East neighborhood.

Baltimore City’s Urban Design and Architecture Review Panel is slated to review plans for the store’s design Dec. 8. The store would join clothing shops White House Black Market, South Moon Under and Urban Chic.

A unit of Urban Outfitters Inc., Anthropologie’s other area stores are located in Towson and Annapolis. There’s also an Urban Outfitters in Harborplace.

Baltimore City architect Robert Quilter says the store’s architect David A.Levy & Associates Inc. of Akron, Ohio wants to do something “different” with the storefront, which is why it needs the city’s design panel to review its plans. He deferred additional design questions to David A. Levy architects, who could not be reached for comment.

Urban Outfitters officials could not be reached for comment.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Urban Design and Review Panel

Phillips Seafood is opening an express location at the $500 million Maryland Live Casino near Arundel Mills next year.

Phillips’ Director of Marketing Michelle Torres compares it to the Phillips Seafood Express it operates in the Maryland House Welcome Center in Aberdeen. She says the company has yet to determine the exact square footage and menu of the new spot, but expects it will serve salads, wraps, crab cakes and possibly dim sum.

Opening in the summer, the casino spot will be located in a food court and offer counter service. It will be the local restaurant and seafood company’s second Cordish Co. location. It opened its new Inner Harbor restaurant at Cordish’s Power Plant this month, after 31 years at Harborplace.

It will be Phillips' sixth express location. The others are located at Boston's Logan International Airport, Atlantic City and FedEx Field. The average express location is between 600 and 1,000 square feet and employs five to 10.

Asked whether Phillips will open other spots in Cordish locations, Torres says she is “very hopeful.”

“We see [Cordish] as a long-term partner.”

The casino is slated to include a restaurant operate by Bobby Flay, a Cheesecake Factory and Ruth’s Chris Steak House.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Michelle Torres, Phillips

The stage is set for the $65 million transformation of Owings Mills Mall from an old-style enclosed shopping mall to an open-air town center.

The project will be a joint venture between Kimco Realty Corp. and General Growth Properties. Each company will have a 50 percent ownership stake in the newly redeveloped property.

The companies plan to tear down the current building in 2013 and complete it the following year. The developers will retain the AMC Movie Theater, JC Penney and Macy's and sign up a new mix of retail tenants and restaurants to the complex, including boutiques and junior anchor stores that face the street. The dated building has long been a fixture of the website Deadmalls.com.

The Owings Mills Mall redevelopment project is one of several taking place in the Baltimore County town. The once-dormant Owings Mills Metro Centre project got a jumpstart in the summer with construction on a public library and community college branch. Greenberg Gibbons Commercial Corp. also said this month that it will bring Wegmans Food Markets as the lead tenant at the Foundry Row at Owings Mills, a redevelopment of the shuttered Solo Cup site.

Soures: General Growth Properties, Greenberg Gibbons Commercial Corp.
Writer: Amy McNeal

An upscale Italian chain is saying "ciao" to Baltimore's Inner Harbor this spring.

Brio Tuscan Grille will open a 230-seat restaurant and bar at 100 E. Pratt St. by early April, says Saed Mohseni. The CEO of Bravo Brio Restaurant Group Inc. says the company spends between $2 million and $3.5 million to open each new restaurant.

The Columbus, Ohio, firm operates 93 restaurants under the Brio Tuscan Grille, Bravo Cucina Italiana and Bon Vie Bistro flags. The location — the former site Legal Sea Foods — will hopefully attract tourists, business travelers and office workers given its central downtown location, Mohseni says.

The 8,000-square-foot restaurant will contain an open-air kitchen with stainless steel and stone to create a "Tuscan villa" sort of look.

Menu items will cost between $8 and $22.

Pratt Street will hold the third Brio in Maryland. One is located at the Annapolis Towne Centre while another spot will open in Bethesda Feb. 7.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Saed Mohseni, Bravo Brio Restaurant Group

The Charm City Circulator, Baltimore's free bus service, launched a new route on November 1, 2011. The new Green Route will allow Circulator riders greater access to popular points downtown. The new route includes stops at City Hall, the Maritime Park connection to the Water Taxi and the Johns Hopkins Medical Campus.
 
The Green Route also increases access to the Fell's Point area including Harbor East. Popular attractions for both tourists and locals, including the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, Broadway Market, are features of  the new route. The new Green Line interconnects with the orange Line at Harbor East, but does not have a connection to the Purple Line. It  also allows riders to connect with Metro trains at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Shot Tower/Market Place stations.
 
The launch of the Green Route also coincides with the addition of a new bus type to the Charm City Circulator fleet. The Orion VII BRT Hybrid bus will go into service as part of the Circulator fleet. The new model of  hybrid bus will be used throughout the Circulator's routes.
 
Financed by Baltimore's parking tax revenue, The Charm City Circulator has carried approximately 3 million riders since its initial launch. The Circulator is slated to expand service to include a new line running from the Inner Harbor area to Fort McHenry in the spring of 2012.
 
Writer: Amy McNeal
Sources: Downtown Partnership, Charm City Circulator
 
http://www.charmcitycirculator.com/route/green-route

The National Pinball Museum is coming to Baltimore. Fans of pinball and classic game machines will soon have the chance to explore the museum's offerings at the Inner Harbor.
 
First opened in a retail center location in DC's Georgetown, the National Pinball Museum has opted to move into a new, larger space at Power Plant Live. The National Pinball Museum's new location in a sprawling 12,000 square foot space will offer owner David Silverman the opportunity to fully develop his concept for the facility.
 
The museum will display snippets of Silverman's collection of  more than 900 pinball machines. Displays ranging from historic French bagatelle style games to more modern games based on popular pop culture properties will allow games enthusiasts to explore the history of the classic game. The new National Pinball Museum will feature two floors of action, including playable “pay to play” machines of many varieties, party rooms and educational programs.
 
Tiffani Huskey, Director of Operations, adds, “The welcome we’ve received from Baltimore has been overwhelming. We are honored to become part of a community that values the art, history, and pastime of pinball. We’re looking forward to building partnerships with local organizations and businesses to launch our Education and Community Outreach Program as soon as possible.”
 
The original Georgetown location of the National Pinball Museum opened in 2010 and cost approximately $300,000. The new museum location is expected to be significantly more expensive. The National Pinball museum drew more than 6,000 visitors in its 9 months of operation, a number that the museum hopes to exceed in Baltimore.

Writer: Amy McNeal
Source: Tiffani Huskey,  National Pinball Museum

The economic downturn had left several vacancies along Federal Hill's normally busy shopping corridor. The vacant storefronts and vacant stalls in Cross Street Market were definitely detracting from the neighborhood's appeal. The shopping outlook in Federal Hill is a little brighter now thanks to several new businesses that have opened recently in the neighborhood.
 
Cheese Galore and More has opened in a stall in the historic Cross Street Market to fulfill Federal Hill's appetite for all things dairy and and the things that enhance your cheese plate. The new market stand features many varieties of gourmet cheese, including some that is locally produced. Cheese Galore and More also offers crackers, breads, olives, butter, spreads and meats to complete your cheesy feast.
 
Federal Hill is the home of a new restaurant as well. Republic Noodle at 1121 Light Street offers modern décor and an emphasis on hormone free, all natural meats and eco friendly locally sourced accompaniments. It's BYOB. In addition to noodles and pho, Republic Noodle also features pan Asian cuisine and classic desserts with a modern flair.
 
A new gift shop, Bobabooi's Treasure Chest has opened at 1129 Light Street. This family run combination consignment store and gift shop offers new purses, jewelry, accessories as well as a selection of consignment items. The shop offers 10% discounts on Fridays.
 
Writer: Amy McNeal
Source: Federal Hill Main Street

Baltimore’s Contemporary Museum is moving into a larger space on Charles Street that will give it more room to host exhibits.

The museum will move in January to 505 N. Charles St., the former Craig Flinner Gallery. The spot is one-third larger than its former Centre Street location next to the Walters Art Museum, which is expanding into this space.

The 5,000 square foot space will give it double the exhibit space of its old venue, Contemporary Museum Executive Director Sue Spaid says. It received $10,000 from Downtown Partnership of Baltimore's Operation: Storefront initiative that aims to fill vacant spots in the city.

Spaid says she likes the location because it is close to Mount Vernon attractions the George Peabody Library, the Baltimore Basilica and the park.

The museum has a $350,000 operating budget and eight-person staff, seven of whom work part-time. Its upcoming exhibits include a retrospective of environmental artist Patricia Johanson.

Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Sue Spaid, Contemporary Museum

Howard County’s is debuting its largest branch next month — a $29 million new building in Ellicott City expected to bring in one million visitors per year.

Opening mid-December, the new Miller branch will replace an aging building with three times the space and, hopefully, a LEED Gold certification.

The 63,000-square-foot library will include a stone bridge, a garden to hold science and technology education and a terrace that will serve as an outdoor classroom or a spot where guests can listen to acoustic guitar concerts.

Yes, you just read library and acoustic guitar in the same sentence.

The site will house the Howard County Historical Society and a history education center, including genealogy resources, says Valerie Gross, CEO of the Howard County Library System.

A 3,000-square-foot meeting room will allow it to hold best-selling authors like Jodi Picoult, who will make an appearance March 16. Gross says she expects up to 600 visitors for the event, some coming as far away as New York.

A garden located in a quarter-acre park will be the setting for health, science and environmental education. It will include a pizza garden – a garden growing tomatoes, onions, green peppers and other vegetables to encourage kids to order vegetables on their pizza.

Howard County, and a $2 million grant from the Maryland State Department of Education, provided funding for the building.

Winter may be just around the corner, but the owner of Little Italy’s Amicci’s restaurant is already thinking of spring.

The restaurant will add 20 outdoor seats to the 300-seat venue, Roland Keh says.

Amicci’s is one of several Baltimore City restaurants that have requested permission from the liquor board to hold outdoor service. Others include Greektown’s Acropolis restaurant, the Grand Cru wine bar and Phillips Seafood Restaurant, which will soon open a location at the Power Plant.

Keh says he got the idea after applying for a one-day outdoor seating license during the Baltimore Grand Prix. He didn’t get quite the boost in business he was expecting since the restaurant is several blocks away from where the action was taking place.

But having outdoor seats gave the restaurant a festival atmosphere that he wants to continue during the warmer months.
“It was reminiscent of a European café atmosphere,” Keh says. “We want to capture that essence again on a regular basis.”

Writer: Julekha Dash
Sources: Roland Keh, Amicci's; Baltimore City liquor board

City design officials could give the green light for a proposed Ripley’s Believe It Or Not museum to open at Harborplace within the next month.

Ripley’s staff put forth a new proposal that reduces the size of their signage and puts the sea creature Chessie on the mall’s second-floor porch. The original plan was to put the 3-D Chessie on the roof, which met with resistance from the city’s Urban Design and Review Panel (UDARP) because it was not in keeping with the look of the downtown shopping center.

“They came in with a scheme that is more doable,” says Robert Quilter of Ripley’s. “It’s definitely on the right track. It’s much more respectful of Harborplace architecture. They’re definitely going to have a presence there," says Quilter, an architect in the city's planning department.

Ripley’s told BmoreMedia that it hopes to open the museum by summer to take advantage of the tourist season.

Known for displaying oddities like the world’s largest sushi roll, the world’s smallest car, and an engraved human skull, Ripley’s operates 31 museums in 18 North American cities. The locations include Atlantic City, San Francisco, San Antonio, and Ocean City, Maryland.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Bob Quilter, Baltimore City

The Howard County Tourism Office is getting more space to tout its attractions.

A welcome center on the second floor of its downtown Ellicott City office will open in the next month, featuring information on the county's restaurants, art galleries, bike trails and shopping, says Howard County Tourism Executive Director Rachelina Bonacci. The 3,000-square-foot space will also showcase Howard County history, including its Native American heritage and its role in the Civil and Revolutionary Wars.

The county, which purchased the building in 2007, is spending about $525,000 to spruce up with space with new paint, HVAC and other renovations, says Jim Irvin, director of public works.

“We’ll finally have a welcome center that reflects the community,” Bonacci says. “We serve an educated, affluent community and we’ll have a space that can show off what the county has to offer.”

Last year Money magazine named Howard County’s Columbia and Ellicott City one of the best small towns in America.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Sources: Rachelina Bonacci, Howard County Tourism; Jim Irvin, Howard County

A new hotel near Arundel Mills could begin a $25 million expansion in a couple of years to meet the demand for rooms the owners expect once a slots casino opens.

The 150-room Hotel at Arundel Preserve could add another 100 rooms, says hotel General Manager Jeff Makhlouf. Construction would not begin until 2012.

The expansion would occur in a lot next to the boutique hotel.

Makhlouf describes the property as a “unique” product in an area that holds largely chain brands. The rooms are about two-thirds full now, but Makhlouf expects occupancy to hit 85 percent once the Cordish Co. builds its casino and entertainment complex next year.

If it doesn’t expand the hotel, developer Southern Management will build a Class A office building instead, Makhlouf says. It depends on whether it can get an anchor tenant to occupy the first few floors of the building.

The Vienna, Va., company is now conducting a feasibility study to determine the best use.

The Hotel at Arundel Preserve is part of a $150 million development that includes 242 apartments and several restaurants. The 156-seat Grillfire restaurant opened in July. Indian restaurant Rangoli will open in the next couple of months.


Writer: Julekha Dash
Source: Jeff Makhlouf, Hotel at Arundel Preserve

A Baltimore City design panel has asked the planners of a proposed Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum to scale back their plans for the proposed attraction at Harborplace.

The Urban Design & Architectural Review Panel has deemed the layout for the proposed attraction “too aggressive,” says Robert Quilter, an architect with the city’s planning department.

The controversy stems from Ripley’s plan to affix the sea creature Chessie on the façade of the Light Street pavilion at Harborplace. If it were going in a standalone building, Chessie wouldn’t be a problem, Quilter says. But since it’s part of a larger complex, the design panel doesn’t want Ripley’s to upstage other tenants.

Ripley’s -- a museum known for displaying oddities like the world’s largest sushi roll, the world’s smallest car, and an engraved human skull -- has had its eye on Baltimore for years, spokesman Tim O’Brien says.

“Baltimore is a location we’d love to be in,” O’Brien says. “The attractions and vibrancy are just awesome.”

Ripley’s should know in the next month or so if it will open at Harborplace by summer.

“We’re working our way toward a happy ending,” O’Brien says. “At this point it’s not there yet. It’s not a done deal.”


Writer: Julekha Dash
Sources: Robert Quilter, UDARP; Tim O'Brien, Ripley's