South Baltimore Business Roundup

Dipasquale’s Delayed but Moving Forward

DiPasquale’s, the Highlandtown Italian marketplace that’s been in Baltimore for more than 100 years, announced plans for a second location at HarborView in Federal Hill in April, however not much has changed at its 500 HarborView Dr. space since that time. SouthBMore.com spoke to owner Joe DiPasquale yesterday and he said they’ve experienced a variety of delays, but construction should start in the next couple of weeks. He hopes to open the location in the October timeframe.

DiPasquale’s will have indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a bar. It will also offer food and alcohol delivery.

Closings in Federal Hill

Federal Hill has experienced a few closings as Her Heelz at 1123 Light St., Buttercream Dreams in the Cross Street Market, and Indique Virgin Hair Extensions at 910 S. Charles St. have closed. Her Heelz still has an online store, Buttercream Dreams is still taking orders from its Facebook page, and Indique still has a location in Silver Spring, MD. The Her Heelz space is currently available for lease.

Caves Valley Partners (CVP) is negotiating with the city to take over and renovate the Cross Street Market. Arsh Mirmiran of CVP told SouthBMore.com there should be an update in the near future.

Harborplace Construction Set to Begin

A long-awaited renovation of the Harbporplace pavilions is set to begin next month according to Baltimore Business Journal.

On the exterior, the plan is to “remove the clutter,” which was described as removing all of the awnings and greenhouse structures and updating all of the signage so that it works into the architecture. The plan also highlights the original concrete frame of the buildings and includes the addition of blackened steel frame, timbered wood, and a terra cotta or metal panel system.

On the interior, the Pratt Street Pavilion will see the most dramatic changes. The building will be turned “inside out” by eliminating the mall-style layout. First floor tenants would go all the way through from the street to the harbor and be accessible from either side.The layout for the upstairs includes restaurant spaces on each side for Pizzeria Uno and Tir Na Nog, but the large interior space in between would become The Market at Harborplace, inspired by popular markets around the country.

Work is expected to be completed in early 2017.

McCormick World of Flavors Closes 

The new Harborplace will be without McCormick World of Flavors. From McCormick in a statement:

The last day the store was open to customers was Sunday, August 14th.

We are currently developing a new retail store concept that offers consumers a customized buying experience with more one-on-one engagement and a unique assortment of products that inspire food lovers.   We will announce our plans for this new concept in the near future.

McCormick told SouthBMore.com it is yet to be decided if the store will return to the Inner Harbor.

Blue Agave Ownership to Open Black-Eyed Susie’s 

Brian Acquavella from Blue Agave has purchased The Main Street Oyster House in Bel Air, MD. The location will be rebranded as Black-Eyed Susie’s and will reopen in mid-September. From Bel Air Patch:

The food offerings will be similar to the Main Street Oyster House but with more local flavor.

“We kind of wanted the same idea, just done a little better,” Acquavella said. “We don’t want to limit ourselves by calling it an oyster house but we also want to continue that idea of having a raw bar, having a solid American food menu.”

The restaurant will pay tribute to the Free State with its offerings. “We really want to focus on Maryland things, from local vendors to local beers on tap,” he said.

Holly Poultry Adds Jobs, New Facility to Morrell Park

Holly Poultry, a family-owned processor of poultry, meats, and refrigerated products, is expanding its facility near Morrell Park in South Baltimore. From Baltimore Business Journal:

The company contracted Merritt Construction, the construction arm of Merritt Properties LLC, to build a new 37,500-square-foot building at 2121 Wicomico St. The new building will allow Holly Poultry to separate its processing business from its wholesale commodity business.

“For the past several years, Holly’s growth has been hampered by lack of space,” said Zach Fine, vice president of Holly Poultry. “Now, working with Merritt, we are taking 17 acres of urban blight and turning it into a state-of-the-art processing facility.”

The expansion is expected to result in the hiring of an additional 100 full-time employees. The facility will also feature a new test kitchen and new equipment including conveyors, marinating, sizing and deboning lines.

At Light’s End Construction Begins

Construction has begun on At Light’s End, the first retail tenant at 2 East Wells. The new restaurant from chef Jeff Keeney and partners will have a raw bar and feature a rotating menu with food items from local farms. The bar menu will focus on rye whiskey and craft cocktails, as well as craft beers and wine. It will be open for brunch, lunch, and dinner.

Construction is expected to take 10 to 11 more weeks.

Baltimore Soup Company was recently announced as the other retail tenant at 2 East Wells.

via http://southbmore.com/2016/08/26/south-baltimore-business-roundup-116/