Project Overview: Stadium Square

Caves Valley Partners (CVP) first announced Stadium Square, a $250-million redevelopment project on three blocks of South Baltimore and Sharp-Leadenhall, in June 2014. The development sits 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. Former Raven Eugene Monroe and his company 4th Down Partners are also part of the team.

Before Stadium Square began, SouthBMore.com took a photo tour of the area (see here). Two years later buildings are now rising out of the ground and details are emerging about the next round of construction.

The properties acquired to make way for this development include the former home of ABC Box Company, which relocated to Carroll-Camden; Furst Bros., which relocated near Cherry Hill; Hillgartner Stone, which relocated to Westport; Vac Pac, which relocated to Middle River; the US Post Office, which will relocate to Hanover St.; and vacant land and warehouses, as well as existing rowhomes. CVP worked on acquiring the properties for almost two years.

Project overview renderings courtesy of Lost Note Productions

CVP is now projecting approximately 700 apartments, 1,800 parking spaces, 302,000 sq. ft. of office space, and 80,000 sq. ft. of retail.

Currently Under Construction

CVP tapped the Hanover Co. to develop a new building with 293 market-rate apartments, 14,000 sq. ft. of retail, and 450-500 parking spaces on the 1100 blocks of Leadenahall and Race St. Construction began in March and the parking garage has been completed. The structure of the building and facade is currently under construction. A restaurant is eyed for the retail space.

Renderings courtesy of Design Collective 

A 72,000 sq. ft. office building has been under construction since March 2016 at 145 W. Ostend St., where a former building was demolished. The contractor on the project is South Baltimore’s Plano-Coudon, LLC.

Arsh Mirmiran of CVP told SouthBMore.com that they have a signed letter of intent for two floors at 145 W. Ostend St. and are negotiating an agreement with an additional tenant for a third floor. He said both are technology companies. As they continue to lease the building, CVP will also be constructing a couple suites he described as “plug and play” for smaller companies looking for something turn-key and around 2,000 sq. ft. They are also hoping to bring in a restaurant for the bottom floor of the building.

Before

Construction in process

Rendering courtesy of Design Collective 

Work is also getting underway at the former Vac Pac building at 150 W. Ostend St. It will be renovated and reused as an office building with ground floor retail. The four-story building constructed in 1920 will have approximately 30,000 sq. ft. of space and CVP is hoping to use the first floor for a retail tenant, ideally a restaurant. The brick exterior of the building will be “cleaned up” and new windows will be installed, and windows that have been covered with brick will be reopened. The entrance to the building will face Ostend St.

Coming Soon

Another project that is expected to start in the near future is a new four- to five-story, 30 to 50-unit affordable apartment building for veterans with 6,000 sq. ft. of retail space . The building will use the facades of five existing rowhomes on 100 West. Cross St. and the 1100 block of Leadenhall St., the same block as Hanover Co.’s new building. CVP has partnered with neighbor The Baltimore Station, “an innovative therapeutic residential treatment program supporting veterans and others who are transitioning through the cycle of poverty, addiction and homelessness to self-sufficiency.”

With the retail spaces facing Solo Gibbs Park, Mirmiran told SouthBMore.com the space would be ideal for a restaurant and/or coffee shop.

Rendering courtesy of Design Collective 

What’s Next?

CVP is currently planning a third apartment building with ground floor retail on the 100 block of W. Ostend St. in South Baltimore. The building will take the place of the US Post Office and the recently-demolished Furst Bros. building. It will also surround the former Vac Pac building.

The new building will have about 350 market-rate apartments, up to 25,000 sq. ft. of retail, and an approximately 500-space parking garage. CVP is hoping to start construction in about a year.

The property was originally eyed as a potential site for a grocery store, but that effort has not been successful according to Mirmiran. Without a grocery store in picture, CVP will focus on adding restaurants.

A third office building is planned at a 1.3 acre lot at 155 W. Ostend St. It could have up to 200,000 sq. ft. of space and ground floor retail.

Parking

Along with parking garages inside two of the new apartment buildings at Stadium Square, CVP is also planing an approximately 850-space parking garage behind the new office buildings at 145 and 155 W. Ostend St. With about 1,800 new spots, the parking spaces will be used for the office buildings and retail spaces, Stadium Square residents, and people visiting other businesses in Federal Hill. There will also likely be opportunities for area residents to rent spaces.

A Dining Destination

CVP is focusing on making Ostend St. and Stadium Square a dining destination.

“It could be a Hampden-like restaurant scene with its great accessibility to highways and ample parking,” Mirmiran told SouthBMore.com. “It will be suburbanite friendly, plus we are already centrally located around the people of South Baltimore.”

He also noted it would lift the dining scene for all of South Baltimore and Federal Hill and that they hope to use its parking garages to partner with local restaurants on valet.

CVP Two Years Later

“Everything is coming along more or less according to plan,” said Mirmiran. “We have seen an enormous amount of interest since the office building went vertical and we will have several exciting announcements in the coming months for South Baltimore and Sharp-Leadenhall.”

via http://southbmore.com/2016/09/21/project-overview-stadium-square/