On May 30, 2020, at approximately 4:01 a.m., officers responded to an area hospital for a report of a walk-in shooting victim.
Once at the location, officers located a 31 year-old male and an adult female both suffering from gunshot wounds.
The 31 year-old male was pronounced dead by doctors. The female’s condition is unknown at this time.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the victims were walking in the 300 block of Key Highway when they got into a verbal dispute with the suspect. The suspect produced a gun and shot both victims before fleeing the location.
Homicide detectives are asking anyone with information to contact them at 410-396-2100 or Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7Lockup.
Police announced the reward money for help in bringing Antonio Oliver Janifer, who has been sought since Tuesday night when police said he shot Officer Joshua Jackson in Federal Hill.
Though it can’t fill the building with its staff at this time, the digital-first, integrated marketing agency Vitamin has completed the relocation of its headquarters from Highlandtown to 720 Light St. in Federal Hill. Vitamin co-owners and wife and husband Amanda Karfakis and Mike Karfakis purchased the 6,000 sq. ft. building in January 2019 and completed a full renovation of the space.
720 Light St. was the former home of The Joseph E. Shaner Company which was acquired in 2017.
Vitamin, which started 19 years ago, is tripling the size of its headquarters with the move to Federal Hill.
720 Light St. is across the street from the Inner Harbor. Amanda Karfakis told SouthBMore.com last year the new location allows the team to walk to many places for lunch, walk to the harbor, have a walking meeting, and attend stadium events without moving their cars.
“The visibility is what tipped us over the top,” said Amanda Karfakis. She talked about the northern facade that is visible for several blocks up Light St. and the high traffic volume at the intersection. The visibility also gives the office building views of Downtown and the Inner Harbor that Amanda Karfakis calls “absolutely ridiculous.”
Vitamin is adding temporary signage on the facade this week and will take on more exterior renovations in the next year.
Amanda and Mike Karfakis have experience renovating Baltimore properties and said buying was a “strategic and economic decision.”
“We are able to eliminate some of the threats renters face and it allows us to remain nimble,” said Amanda Karfakis. “We don’t have to report to a landlord, we can make our own decisions.”
Vitamin worked with Joe Nolan of KLNB to acquire the building and RMF Engineering as the engineer on the project. Gaudreau, Inc. is the architect of record and Jensen Hughes is a consultant.
Vitamin employees have been working remotely since COVID-19 lockdowns began, but “the team is eager to begin collaborating in the agency’s new digs.” More than half of the team lives in Baltimore City.
Vitamin is a full-service marketing company with services including branding, logo development, public relations, and website development. It helps companies with marketing, communications, and business growth. It also helps companies market themselves to get acquired.
Vitamin has many clients in commercial real estate, architecture, engineering, and construction. It also works with companies in finance, health and human services, manufacturing, and nonprofit industries.
Below is a photo tour of the headquarters:
Photos courtesy of Maximilian Franz
First Floor
The first floor features the main lobby with open ceilings, waiting area, large conference room, war room, and entertainment area. The offices and conference rooms use a seamless glass system from local supplier Dynamic Hive. D-Hive’s system is minimal on framing with large, sliding entrances. Vitamin’s main conference room has seating for up to 16.
Second Floor
The second floor is the creative services collaboration area. “This is the space where our design and development teams work closely together to bring our clients’ brands new life,” said a press release from Vitamin. Also in the release:
Features include open ceilings, exposed duct work, architectural lighting and sound, and two private work/meeting areas. Plus, a full bath with a private shower for those who love biking to work or getting in a lunch-time workout. Eco-friendly water filler stations will be located here and on other levels to eliminate the use of single-use plastic bottles.
We chose a solid, wide plank, character-grade white oak for our flooring on levels 1, 2 and 3. This flooring was milled to order for 720 Light Street. Big thanks to Baltimore Floor Supply and GrafBros out of South Shore, KY. This is a rift and quartered plank bringing strength, durability and gorgeous textures.
Third Floor
About the space from the release:
This is where you’ll find our Account Services team, PR pros and C-suite. Here, and throughout our studio, audio is integrated and controllable from work stations and smart phones. All parting walls on this floor are soundproofed for this chatty bunch of strategic thinkers. The best part? Rooftop access to one of the most amazing views of Downtown Baltimore.
Lower Level
About the space from the release:
The lower level is where our team can relax and refuel. Tall ceilings, natural light, a polished concrete floor and exposed concrete bearing walls frame our café and gourmet, eat-in kitchen. There’s a twelve foot island that seats six, complete with charging stations for devices. An entertainment area helps our team unwind, recharge and connect to keep our creativity and collaboration fresh.
And in keeping with Vitamin’s commitment to employee health and responsible environmental practices, this area is equipped with interior bike racks for commuting cyclists.
When the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in BricknFire Pizza Company cancelling about 150 events and closing the dining room at its Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards restaurant, owner Megan Lanasa knew she had pivot to keep her business growing and keep her staff in place. She decided to launch a frozen pizza line to supplement sales and keep her 18-person staff making pizzas.
BricknFire also has three pizza trucks, one of which was purchased right before the pandemic hit. While two of the trucks are not getting used right now, one is currently set up four days a week for online orders at The Breadery, a business owned by Lanasa’s parents in Catonsville.
BricknFire’s pizzas are made in an 800 degree oven and the frozen pizzas can be reheated in 8 to 10 minutes in an oven, on a stone, or on a grill. Lansasa said she really likes frozen pizzas as they are super crispy when they are reheated.
In the world of pizza, getting a pie reviewed by Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy on his One Bite Pizza Reviews series can be a serious launching pad for business. His comedic, no holds barred pizza reviews are typically viewed by millions and often featured celebrity guests before social distancing started. If you talk to a pizza shop owner, they’ll likely tell you how they’d love to get reviewed by Portnoy. Federal Hill’s Tinybrickoven even has a backdrop for customers to do their own One Bite Pizza Reviews on their phone.
During the pandemic, Portnoy has shifted to reviewing frozen pizzas from his New York City apartment. Pizza companies have been sending their frozen pizzas hoping they’ll get reviewed or opened on one of his unboxing videos.
Lanasa’s husband Paul Basdekis has been pushing her to send Portnoy a pizza and finally they decided to do it on May 15th. To their surprise, Portnoy opened, cooked, and reviewed the pizza the day he got it. Thinking it would take some time for Portnoy to review it, Lanasa said, “we weren’t ready for it.”
Basdekis wrote a letter telling Lanasa’s story about how she began helping out at The Breadery in elementary school and saved up money waiting tables after college to buy her first pizza trailer pulled from a 1994 Chevy Avalanche. He included how she later won the Marriott competition called Canvas, which led to her location in the Downtown hotel, and how the pandemic led to the launching of the frozen pizza line. Portnoy called it “a great story.”
Portnoy said the pizza was good, “better than most frozen pizza,” and had an “interesting tang to it,” which Lanasa said comes from her four cheese blend of fontina, asiago, white cheddar, and mozzarella cheese. Portnoy, who rarely gives a score over 9, gave it a 7.1.
Lanasa said the review crashed her website within 20 minutes of it being posted and led to a “crazy week” of local deliveries. BricknFire wasn’t yet set up for national deliveries, but was able to recently get that going.
Lanasa said she was going to be happy with anything over a 7 and said Portnoy was “very kind” as he spoke multiple times about loving her story. Lanasa did say she wished they would’ve sent a margherita pizza, which just has mozzarella cheese and fresh basil, as that may have been more in Portnoy’s wheelhouse of loving simple cheese pizzas. She said they might still send him one.
The One Bite review of BricknFire has now been viewed more than 1,080,000 times between YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and the One Bite app.
BricknFire sells its frozen pizzas individually for $11 for cheese or margherita or $12 for pepperoni. Customers receive $1 off for each pizza if they buy a case of 10. From the website customers can buy half cases and mix and match pizza styles as they choose. BricknFire’s staff offers non-contact delivery of the frozen pies on Tuesdays and Thursdays for much of Maryland and Aldie, Virginia. Nationwide deliveries are packaged with dry ice.
The frozen pizzas are also sold at a couple stores in Sykesville and Westminster in Maryland.
The Marriott location is still open for carryout and partners with three delivery apps. Lanasa said the lunch shifts have been slower than usual, but evening business has been busy with deliveries. She noted that business was on pace to increase by 20% but is now down by about 30%.
BricknFire’s staff has been coming in earlier to bake and box the frozen pizzas and it has given them something to work on during a slower lunch.
Lanasa said making frozen pizzas is very efficient, but required a lot of learning as shipping is “a whole new ballgame.” As things return to normal, Lanasa looks forward to combining the frozen pizza business with the return of events and a busy dining room at her Downtown BricknFire location. She said they’ll likely keep operating at The Breadery through the summer and said she may look to add a new brick-and-mortar location in the future.
With all the changes in 2020, Lanasa said they have not only been able to keep their staff, but they have been able to add new team member. She said overall sales will likely net out to about the same as last year.
The Baltimore police officer who was shot and wounded during a chase in Federal Hill Tuesday night is Officer Joshua Jackson, a 27-year-old Anne Arundel County native also known as "Saint, the Rapping Cop" sources confirmed.
GOLD AND COMPANY provides commercial real estate brokerage to buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants in the Baltimore metropolitan area. We provide the highest level of professionalism by focusing on our clients’ needs. Whether looking to sell, lease, or buy, we provide creative thinking, a substantial commercial real estate referral network, highly targeted marketing, and enabling technology. We are determined to provide our clients with excellence.
On May 26, 2020 at approximately 9:25 P.M., an officer was on routine patrol when he spotted a vehicle that was driving erratic near the intersection of E. Pratt and Light Streets. The officer believed the driver of that vehicle was possibly driving under the influence.
The officer attempted to stop the vehicle at which time the vehicle sped away. The officer followed the vehicle into the 1000 block of Light Street at which time the vehicle crashed and the driver bailed out and fled on foot.
The office gave chase, on foot, at which time the suspect (driver) discharged a firearm, striking the officer in the lower abdomen.
The officer was transported to Shock Trauma with a non-life threatening gunshot wound.
The suspect was not apprehended and should be considered armed and dangerous.
Anyone with information about this incident and/or suspect is asked to contact the police or call Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7lockup.
The pursuit led to a heavy police presence in Federal Hill, Riverside, and Locust Point.
BPD Commissioner Michael Harrison said at his press conference last night that the suspect carjacked a blue Toyota Camry to make his escape. He also said he believes but cannot confirm that the suspect did a second carjacking to make the escape. He thanked the community for relaying valuable information about this case.
Commissioner Harrison said he believes the bullet proof vest the officer was wearing saved his life and that he likely will not need surgery.
BPD’s media relations did not give a description of the suspect.
Baltimore City Mayor Bernard “Jack” young Tweeted, “This officer put their life on the line for the residents of our City. The level of violence on our streets is completely unacceptable and won’t be tolerated.”
Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore press release:
The popular Waterfront Wellness fitness series presented by Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore and Medifast® has relaunched for the 2020 season, offering access to a free library of virtual classes offered by local gyms, fitness organizations and instructors.
“Our goal with Waterfront Wellness has always been to make health and wellness easy and accessible for the Baltimore community. We decided to proceed with this year’s launch virtually to help the Baltimore community get moving at home until it’s safe to meet again in person,” said Laurie Schwartz, president of Waterfront Partnership.
Through this summer series, Baltimore-based Medifast and Waterfront Partnership hope to ignite healthy habits within the Baltimore community.Medifast is the company behind one of the fastest growing health and wellness communities, OPTAVIA®. Independent OPTAVIA Coaches offer an effective lifestyle solution that helps people reach their health and wellness goals, one healthy habit at a time.
“When a new employee joins Medifast, they become part of a dynamic, fast-growing community of people who share a passion for promoting health and wellness,” says Claudia Greninger, executive vice president of human resources at Medifast. “Waterfront Wellness allows us to expand that community and bring health to even more people through approachable, free fitness classes for local Baltimore residents.”
Participants who register online at waterfrontwellnessbmore.com have access to a free virtual library of fitness classes and resources from past Waterfront Wellness studio partners like Dance2Fitness by XPF, Yogaworks and Federal Hill Fitness, and from other local studios and organizations like Fit4Mom, Baltimore City Department of Recreation & Parks, the Jewish Community Center of Greater Baltimore, Creative Alliance, the Y in Central Maryland, Free City Yoga and more.
Once city restrictions are lifted, and it is safe for groups to gather in person again, Waterfront Partnership will issue an additional program schedule to registered participants for free fitness classes at West Shore Park.
Waterfront Partnership launched Waterfront Wellness in 2012 and has partnered with Medifast to provide free fitness classes to Baltimoreans since 2015. With over 2,500 participants in 2019, the program has reached nearly 12,000 people over the years.
Photo courtesy of Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore
Starbucks opened its new location at 1100 S. Charles St. at the Wheelhouse development in Federal Hill. The coffee chain is the first business to occupy the 2,200 sq. ft. retail space at the corner of W. Cross St.
Like all Maryland restaurants, the Starbucks dining room is not currently open due to state restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The store has temporary hours of 7am to 3pm and all customers must wear a mask to enter.
Wheelhouse, which is a five-story apartment building with 29 “co-living” apartments and 5,500 sq. ft. of ground-floor retail, was developed by 28 Walker and opened last year. Mark Sapperstein of 28 Walker told SouthBMore.com in February when the deal was announced that “Starbucks likes being in the heart of what’s going on.” He talked about the growth of Charles St. with the redeveloped Cross Street Market across the street, busy nightlife, and energy moving west in the neighborhood with developments like Stadium Square less than two blocks away.
In an email statement from February, a Starbucks spokesperson told SouthBMore.com: “Starbucks is always looking for great locations to better meet the needs of our customers, and we are happy to confirm that we will be opening a new location at 1100 S. Charles St, Space 1 in Baltimore, MD this spring. This café will employ approx. 15-17 partners (employees).”
The Starbucks space has an all-glass facade facing S. Charles St. and Cross St. It will have some outdoor seating along Cross St. in the future.
This is the third Starbucks on the South Baltimore Peninsula as one is open at Southside Marketplace in Locust Point/Riverside, and one is open inside the Harris Teeter at McHenry Row in Locust Point.
Fried chicken restaurant BRD is also a tenant at Wheelhouse. There is one 1,150 sq. ft. retail space still available.
Washington, D.C.-based developers Mike Azimi and Amir Zare have purchased the former St. Paul Episcopal Church complex at 859-861 Washington Blvd. in Pigtown and will be turning the complex’s former school building into 30 market-rate apartments. The 22,809 sq. ft. property, which dates back to 1920, also includes the church building, which is leased by Mobtown Ballroom, and five existing apartments in the former rectory.
The four-story former school is in the rear of the property behind the church. Azimi said he is currently working on the plans and hopes to pull permits and begin construction on the new apartments this summer. The complex will have one-bedroom, one-bedroom with a den, and two-bedroom units. The developers expect their primary tenants to be students from the nearby University of Maryland Baltimore.
The building, which includes a concrete, masonry, and steel frame, is the perfect canvas to work with according to Azimi. It includes a basketball court which will be converted to apartments, and artwork will line the hallways.
Azimi said the project is a multi-million investment. He hopes to have the apartments ready for lease by Fall 2021.
Whenever the existing five apartments turn over, Azimi’s team will go in and update the kitchens and bathrooms. He hopes Mobtown Ballroom continues to activate the church building for the foreseeable future. “I’m happy to have them, they are a staple for the neighborhood and the property. They were one of the attractive elements for purchasing the property,” he said.
Azimi said he has an adjacent property under contract where he will construct a new building that will have four “co-living” style apartments with five to six bedrooms. He will also add parking to the project.
Azimi has been investing in Pigtown since 2018. He now owns 20 additional rowhomes, which he rents in the community, and looks to add at least a new one each month. He said some were turnkey, some needed light renovation, and some needed a full renovation when he purchased them. He said his tenants have been mostly students, young professionals, and young families.
Azimi also does a lot of business in Washington, D.C. with more than 100 units in his development pipeline for the next 24 months.
Talking about Pigtown, Azimi said he likes the location because it’s much easier to get to than most Baltimore neighborhoods on his commutes from Washington, D.C. He has focused all of his recent Baltimore investments in Pigtown.
“It’s been affordable for us as investors and it’s close to Federal Hill. If you can’t afford to live in Federal Hill, you can live across the street in the same zip code. It is fit for workforce housing,” said Azimi. “We like the neighborhood and we are in it for the long haul.”
Light Street Cafe is under new ownership as Rikki and Ellen Vaughn took over the popular Federal Hill restaurant at the end of February. The Vaughns, who live in Baltimore, own the Vaughn Corporation which has 122 restaurants and 10 food trucks around the country.
Rikki Vaughn, who was a mayoral candidate for Baltimore City before dropping out last week to endorse Thiru Vignarajah, said he was a regular of Light Street Cafe and is a big fan of the french toast. He became friends with former owner Chris Tippon and that eventually led to an offer to buy the cafe. Tippon left to pursue other business opportunities.
The Vaughns are keeping the same menu at Light Street Cafe which is known for its over-sized breakfast platters and lunch plates, but plan on renovating the space to give it a modern update with a new more “family-friendly” design. Rikki Vaughn says they also want to incorporate “more South Baltimore” into the design.
The seven-person staff remains at Light Street Cafe and a longtime employee was promoted to manager.
Right after taking over, the Vaughns donated laptops to Digital Harbor High School and have been conducting Saturday morning cleanups on Light St. “We’ve always reinvested in the same communities where our businesses are,” said Rikki Vaughn.
The Vaughns are considering expanding the hours at Light Street Cafe, which is currently open 6am to 4pm during the week and 6am to 3pm on the weekends. They have an interest in making it a late-night or 24-hour business, but want to factor everything in and consider the impact that it could have on the community before making a decision.
Rikki Vaughn, who grew up in East Baltimore, got his first job at McDonald’s when he was 14, was a manager at age 18, a vice president for the company at age 25, and wanted to own his own franchise at age 26. While McDonald’s did not give him that opportunity, he was able to become a franchisee for Checkers, and he continued to build his business from there.
Rikki Vaughn eventually had 26 Church’s Chicken locations in South Carolina, which he later sold, and expanded his business into Dunkin’ Donuts and KFC franchises.
Rikki Vaughn said he fell in love with the South Baltimore area while he was considering purchasing one of the Dunkin’ Donuts locations. While he did not add a Dunkin’ Donuts to his portfolio, his visits turned him onto the Light Street Cafe opportunity. The Vaughns, who currently live in Guilford, are also looking to move to the area.
With so much experience in the restaurant industry and fast food branches, Rikki Vaughn says he sees Light Street Cafe as a unique concept that could expand with additional locations. The Vaughns are currently looking into opening a Light Street Cafe in Annapolis.
Developer Alex Mandel has broken ground on a five-story apartment building with 33 units at 115 W. Hamburg St. in Sharp-Leadenhall. The building replaces an existing 8,000 sq. ft., one-story commercial building that was demolished last year on a .237 acre lot.
The property and building is adjacent to the 7-Eleven and its parking lots at 1000 S. Hanover St., the parking lot for Leadenhall Baptist Church, the 1000 block of Race St., and the rowhomes along W. Hamburg St. The property is a couple blocks from M&T Bank Stadium and a block from Federal Hill Main Street.
Mandel purchased the building in February 2019 from developer Mark Sapperstein. Mandel is part of the team at Sapperstein’s development company 28 Walker, but is taking this project on by himself.
Mandel called the property a “very challenging site” when he spoke to SouthBMore.com last year. It has small frontage on W. Hamburg St. and gets wider as it moves south.
Part of the planned building will be four stories and part to the building will be five stories. It will have a bit of a “zig zag” pattern which allows for a small first-floor outdoor space on the property.
The previous warehouse was attached to a building on the 1000 block of Race St. There will be a new setback between the two properties once the new apartment building is constructed. Cars will enter a 22- to 25-car, first-floor garage on Race St. which runs west along the side of the 7-Eleven parking lot and then veers south.
The new building at 115 W. Hamburg St. will be mostly one-bedroom and studio apartments. Several apartments facing W. Hamburg St. will have private balconies.
Amenities will include a rooftop deck, a first-floor bike room, and a first-floor lounge area. Mandel said the apartments will be market-rate with market-rate finishes. He noted they will be priced a bit less than units at buildings that have pools, concierges, and more amenities.
The exterior of the building will be a mix of brick and fiber cement paneling. There will be a mural on the stairwell tower facing east that will be seen above the 7-Eleven. Mandel said he will work with the Sharp-Leadenhall community on their ideas for this mural. An existing mural across the street was covered last year when a new home was built on the vacant lot it faced, so Mandel wants to bring a new mural to the community.
The project complies with the C1 zoning of the property, but since Sharp-Leadenhall is a historic community, Mandel worked with Baltimore City Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation (CHAP) for approvals.
Mandel said he hopes to open the building in Spring 2021.
Federal Hill Main Street and Mother’s Federal Hill Grille are hosting a three-day American Red Cross blood drive. The event will take place this Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 1pm to 630pm at Mother’s at 1113 S. Charles St.
The event is fully-booked for Tuesday, but slots are available on Wednesday and Thursday. To schedule a donation, individuals can visit redcrossblood.org and enter “mothersfedhill” as the sponsor code.
To expedite the donation process, it is recommended to complete a health history survey (listed as RapidPass online) on any device prior to coming to the appointment. This can be found at redcrossblood.org/rapidpass.
After 20 years in business, Ryleigh’s Oyster announced yesterday it would be closing at 36 E. Cross St. in Federal Hill. In a tweet, the restaurant said: “It’s been real Federal Hill. THANK YOU to all of our friends for the memories and your loyal support for 20 bold years!#BEBOLD.”
Owner Brian McComas declined to comment further on the closing.
Ryleigh’s, which is known for its raw bar serving local oysters, seafood, and crushes, still has a location in Hunt Valley.
Ryleigh’s Federal Hill location underwent a large expansion in the mid-2000s.
Ryleigh’s had not been open in recent weeks as restaurant dining rooms in Maryland were forced to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A ceremonial groundbreaking took place in January for Phase I of the redevelopment of Rash Field and construction officially started this week. The $16.8-million Phase I will renovate the western side of the 7.5-acre park on the south side of the Inner Harbor.
The project is led by Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore in partnership with Baltimore City Recreation and Parks.
Phase I will add a redeveloped pavilion with a café, outdoor patio, overlook with a partially green roof, bathrooms, a shade structure, and amphitheater seating; a skate park called Jake’s Skate Park; a children’s nature park; a children’s kinetic playground; and new plants and landscaping. These new features will replace a small parking lot (not the one designated for the Maryland Science Center), a green space, a brick patio with a sandbox, and the western edge of the concrete bleachers.
Jake’s Skatepark is named in memory of Jake Owen, a South Baltimore resident, avid skater, and sports lover, who was killed in 2011 when he was five years old by a cell phone-distracted driver.
The café will be “an amenity to the park first and foremost,” Waterfront Partnership President Laurie Schwartz told SouthBMore.com in April 2019. The interior will have room for about 20 to 30 tables. Schwartz said it will not be a full-service restaurant or kitchen, but likely serve quicker items like paninis. It will have a liquor license and Waterfront Partnership will then work with the community on a memorandum of understanding and The Board of Liquor License Commissioners for Baltimore City (BLLC) to approve the new liquor license.
On the west side of the pavilion, a shade structure will cover amphitheater-style seating that will face the children’s play areas. Schwartz said this is so parents can watch their kids in the shade.
Mahan Rykiel serves as the park’s designer after being selected from a group of 13 submissions in 2015. Gensler was the designer of the pavilion. Whiting-Turner is the construction manager and general contractor.
The City will contribute more than $9.5 million towards design and construction costs, and Waterfront Partnership has raised an additional $4.3 million from the State of Maryland and nearly $1 million from private sources. Fundraising efforts continue for the park.
Currently a new electrical transformer is being installed so that demolition of the existing pavilion can proceed.
Waterfront Partnership is hoping to have Phase I opened in Spring or Summer of 2021.
Waterfront Partnership will be turning its attention to fundraising for Phase II. Schwartz said in the perfect world Phase II in the eastern section of the park will begin as Phase I is completed so that they can keep Whiting-Turner on site.
The eastern section of the park was built as a stadium for Southern High School (now Digital Harbor High School) athletics in 1975, but Southern began using different fields several years later. The concrete track and cement bleachers remain, and the former grass field has been the home to Baltimore Beach Volleyball for the last 19 years. It also serves as a memorial for the Pride of Baltimore and as an open green space that was once the home of a trapeze school.
In Phase II, this section will become a reorganized seven-court volleyball area adjacent to the pavilion and café, a large lawn that will be used for youth sports and events, a game lawn, a shade lawn, a repositioned Pride of Baltimore memorial, and a myriad of sloped paths that will replace the bleachers and transition the change in grade from Key Hwy. to the ground level of the park. Plans for Phase II will continue to develop.
Phase II is expected to cost $12 million and fundraising began in recent months. Waterfront Partnership’s fundraising plan for Phase 2 calls for $5.25 million from the State, $4.75 million from the City, and another $2 million from private sources. Waterfront Partnership will submit another request for State funds next year.
Ideas for the redevelopment of Rash Field first began to arise in the early 2000s.
Current site (photos from January)
Phase I renderings from Waterfront Partnership, Mahan Rykiel, and Gensler
At the end of last year, Pratt Street Ale House added a large new mural to the west-facing wall of its building. The mural reads “Welcome to Baltimore, Maryland” and also includes the restaurant’s name as part of a bold graphic. From its Facebook page:
By now, you may have noticed this big, beautiful, mural on the side of our building (shoutout to Murals by Marshall Adams and Looky Squares). We have our fair share of photos but we want to see YOURS! Drop us your pics in the comments. Who knows, it might just be out next cover photo.
Photos from Pratt Street Ale House’s Facebook page
The wall is more visible now that the plaza in front of the adjacent 250 W. Pratt St. building has been renovated and expanded.
Photo from Pratt Street Ale House’s Facebook page
The Therapy Stop Relocates Within Federal Hill
The Therapy Stop has relocated from one Green Door Properties space in Federal Hill to another. The company moved from an office building at 10 W. West St. to a first-floor retail space at 740 Light St. Green Door purchased 740 Light St., which was formerly the home of Rich Polan Associates Architects, in recent months.
Bishop’s Detail Service Opens in Pigtown
Bishop’s Detail Service has opened on the 1200 block of Wicomico St. in Pigtown/Carroll-Camden Industrial Area. From Bishop’s Instagram page:
We are Full Detail Shop, Steam clean with Decon7 to kill Cov19. We install radios, amps, speakers, lights, tent windows, Boats, Limousines, Motorcycles.
B&O Roundhouse Lit Blue
B&O Railroad Museum’s historic 1884 Roundhouse building was lit blue on May 1st and 2nd for Healthcare Heroes Day in Maryland.
The Hanover Company announced its first retail tenant for Hanover Cross Street as Orangetheory Fitness recently signed a 3,600 sq. ft. first-floor lease at the apartment building. Hanover Cross Street is located at 101 W. Cross St. and is part of the $300+ million Stadium Square mixed-used development in the South Baltimore and Sharp-Leadenhall neighborhoods adjacent to Federal Hill.
Caves Valley Partners (CVP) is the master developer of Stadium Square while The Hanover Company developed, owns, and manages Hanover Cross Street and its 299 apartments, as well as its 12,000 sq. ft. of retail space which is located on the 100 block of W. Cross St. and the 1100 block of Race St.
Hospitality Services Inc will manage construction on Orangetheory’s space which is expected to open in 2021. The retail space is located at the corner of Race St. and W. Cross St.
Orangetheory is a group fitness gym based out of Boca Raton, FL. It has more than 1,300 locations around the world, including a location in Harbor East.
“We are thrilled to have a proven, best in class boutique fitness operator anchor and set the tone for the merchandising scheme of our retail space,” says Bryce Jones, director of retail at The Hanover Company, in a press release. “Orangetheory Fitness will be an amazing amenity to the residents of our project and all of Federal Hill.”
“Having rituals and routines are something we all have in common,” said Alli Oliver, owner of AO Retail, which manages the project’s retail leasing, in a press release. “We have focused our leasing efforts around popular health and wellness type uses which we believe will enhance the existing landscape of Federal Hill and create a community drawn to these services.”
“We are excited to bring Orangetheory Fitness to the South Baltimore community and help members live healthier, more vibrant lives,” said Dave Ballow, Orangetheory Fitness Maryland Area Developer, in a press release. “We can’t wait for Federal Hill residents to become part the Orangetheory family and start seeing results from the science-backed, high-energy workout, regardless of fitness level.”
“Caves Valley Partners is incredibly excited that The Hanover Company has signed Stadium Square’s first retail tenant at Hanover Cross Street and particularly that it is such a high caliber, health-driven concept,” said Arsh Mirmiran, a partner at CVP, in a press release. “This lease marks the first step in retail expanding from Cross Street Market and the heart of Federal Hill to Stadium Square and we look forward to welcoming many additional neighborhood-oriented retailers in the coming months and years.”
CVP is also the developer of the renovated Cross Street Market.
The Hanover Cross Street team said it is in discussions with a handful of other “exciting retail prospects” that it hopes to announce in the coming months.
The Stadium Square development is on three blocks of South Baltimore and Sharp-Leadenhall. It is located between Cross St. on the north, Race St. on the east, Leadenhall St. on the west, and both sides of Ostend St. to the south. Already completed is the 72,000 sq. ft. office building 145 W. Ostend St., Hanover Cross Street, and the 2,400 sq. ft. Leadenhall Community Center. A 315-unit apartment by LMC Development is expected to begin construction this year in a lot adjacent to Hanover Cross Street, and that block will also get a six-story, 67,000 sq. ft. office building with first-floor retail. An additional 180,000 sq. ft. office building, and a 30-plus unit affordable apartment building for veterans are also planned in Stadium Square.
