Robin Godwin: Construction on Hammerjacks to Begin This Fall by M&T Bank Stadium

Rendering courtesy of Design Collective Inc.

Morgan-Keller Construction announced it will begin construction this fall on the new Hammerjacks at 1300 Russell St. in Stadium Area across the street from M&T Bank Stadium.

Hammerjacks Entertainment Group (HEG) Owner and Anne Arundel County resident Kevin Butler, along with partner Andy Hotchkiss, announced last fall the location for the music venue and club. The 48,000 sq. ft. venue will take the place of Paradox as well as a currently vacant warehouse facing Ostend St. that was most recently the home to a ceramic tile company.

Morgan-Keller has teamed with Design Collective on the $10 million construction project which will include a 24,000 sq. ft. renovation of the former tile building and a 29,000 sq. ft. addition, which will take the place of the soon-to-be demolished Paradox. Pre-construction work has been underway at the site.

Butler told SouthBMore.com Hammerjacks will open about six to seven month later than originally expected. He was initially hoping to open by New Year’s Eve.

Hammerjacks originally announced a $20 million new-construction project for the club at Lot N by M&T Bank Stadium in 2013. However, as the city was studying the impacts to the adjacent Carroll-Camden Industrial Area to change the zoning at the property, a better opportunity across the street at 1300 Russell St. came about. The site already had the zoning needed for a liquor license and live entertainment. Butler recently acquired an arena liquor license for the space.

The new Hammerjacks will feature a 2,500-person concert area that can be modified down for smaller shows, a club/sports bar area that will feature smaller 300-person live music shows, and an outdoor courtyard area. Butler told SouthBMore.com he has been contacted by several national entertainment companies interested in booking shows at Hammerjacks. The club can also be modified to various sizes for corporate events, business meetings, high school reunions, weddings, and private events. HEG will also be leasing 4,000 sq. ft. of retail space on the property that will face Ostend St. Butler said “plenty” of parking will be available.

There will also be what Butler is calling “a large outdoor courtyard for seasonal events, sports events, and tailgating” at the venue.

Lots H and J at M&T Bank Stadium are a tribute to the former Hammerjacks music venue that once stood at its second and most popular location at 1101 S. Howard St. Hammerjacks’ original location was at 1024 S. Charles St. in Federal Hill, the current home of Nobles Bar and Grill, and a later version opened at 316 Guilford Ave. downtown. Butler was unaffiliated with either of the previous three locations, but obtained the rights to the Hammerjacks trademark in 2009 for $1,000.

Hammerjacks’ heyday was from 1987 to 1990 according to Butler when it garnered the title of one of VH1’s Top 5 rock venues. Butler was there for many shows in that era, seeing Guns N’ Roses, The Ramones, L.A. Guns, Warrant, Joan Jett, KIX, and more. “Hammerjacks was so popular that bands like Journey and Def Leppard would hang out there when they were in town for bigger shows,” said Butler. Iron Maiden even had a picture of Hammerjacks in their record sleeve at one point, Butler noted.

To honor Hammerjacks’ former glory, Butler told SouthBMore.com that a large dedication piece with pictures and items from the old venue will be well represented and that they are definitely planning some 1980s events. While honoring its roots, the new Hammerjacks will be a venue for all genres of music.

Butler is excited about the future of the area. “In one area you are going to have a world-class baseball stadium, a world-class football stadium, a world-class casino and, now, a world-class concert venue,” he said.

Hammerjacks joins several other construction projects underway near M&T Bank Stadium. This includes two new buildings at Stadium Square and a conversion of The Parker Building into offices.