South Baltimore Business Roundup

Former Otterbein Swim Club Lifeguard Signs with the Chicago Bears 

Former Maryland Terrapin linebacker and Otterbein Swim Club lifeguard Josh Woods signed with the Chicago Bears in June as an undrafted free agent after getting a tryout with the team. Woods played his high school ball at Mcdonough School. From a Testudo Times article in June:

After having a solid rookie minicamp and being invited back for a veteran camp tryout, he’ll join Cavon Walker up there and make Chicago the second team (joining Carolina) with two rookie Terps on the squad.

A player who, before the season, expressed a desire to get into coaching when his playing days were done, Woods earned pro looks after a breakout senior season. In nine starts, he had a career-high 62 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, four pass breakups, two interceptions and a forced fumble.

Woods will be working this preseason to make the Bears roster or practice squad.

Otterbein Swim Club posted on Facebook, “Congratulations former lifeguard Josh Woods (Summer ’12 and ’13) on signing on to the Chicago Bears! We are so proud of you and can’t wait to cheer you on!”

Cam Newton Brings the Panthers for Workouts Downtown 

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton generated a lot of excitement in the area a couple years ago when he and some of his teammates, who were in town for a passing camp, stopped by Baltimore Beach for some pickup volleyball.

Visiting Baltimore has now become a yearly tradition for Newton and the Panthers. One of the stops earlier this summer was Downtown for workouts at the Under Armour Performance Center (UAPC) powered by FX Fitness at 10 Light Street. Digital Harbor graduate and fourth round draft pick tightend Ian Thomas also came back to his hometown for the workouts. From a FX Fitness press release:

The preseason workouts are part of an ongoing relationship between Newton and Under Armour, who sponsors the quarterback, and elite personal trainer and FX Studios CEO Nate Costa, who has trained Newton since the beginning of his NFL career in 2011. Newton and his team of professional football players come annually to Baltimore for rigorous exercises with Costa and the coaches of FX Fitness, an umbrella association of FX Studios that manages and operates the UAPC facilities.

Newton’s trip to Baltimore included other NFL professionals: ​Rasheed Bailey, Austin Duke, Torrey Smith, DJ Moore, Christian McCaffrey, Moses Frazier, Greg Olsen, Garrett Gilbert, Ian Thomas, Jarius Wright, Kyle Allen, and Damiere Byrd. ​The group of players, informally known as the “Camsters,” train twice a day for two hours each session, concentrating particularly on strength and conditioning.

Costa was able to diversify the team’s training agenda this year by utilizing the UAPC at 10 Light Street and Sagamore Farm in Glyndon, Md., a 530-acre farm property acquired by Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank in 2007. The UAPC at 10 Light Street is a state-of-the-art fitness facility that features 35,000 sq ft. of space including a performance turf field.

Here is video of workouts at Sagamore Farm from Brandon E. Kamin:

LIKE A GOD (2018) from Brandon Eric Kamin, Filmmaker on Vimeo.

New Doughnut Shop Opening Next to Pickles Pub 

Pickles Pub is opening The Big Green Doughnut Machine in a rowhome next to the bar at 520 Washington Blvd. in Downtown/Ridgely’s Delight. From The Baltimore Sun:

The to-go counter will sell cakes, pies and signature green-glazed doughnuts as well as other seasonal flavors.

“Between my partners and I, we eat so many [doughnuts] we think we’re the experts,” Cotton said.

The bakery will have a separate entrance but also be accessible from the pub, where diners can order from their tables.

Four years ago, Pickles Pub began to make its own bread and pretzels. The new bakery will expand on the idea, sharing the restaurant’s existing kitchen space.

Pickles Pub is planning a multi-year expansion with a dozen new locations. The first new Pickles Pub will be at 6500 Riverview Ave. in Dundalk.

Pitamore Opening a Second Location Downtown

Pitamore, which opened Downtown at 30 Light St. last year, is now opening a second location Downtown right behind Pickles Pub at Greene and Dover St. From Baltimore Business Journal:

Pitamore, the downtown quick-serve Mediterranean concept, is opening a second location less than a mile from its Light Street shop.

The eatery has signed a lease for a 2,085-square-foot space at the corner of Greene and Dover streets near Camden Yards and the University of Maryland Medical Center and University of Maryland, Baltimore. The location is expected to open in the spring.

Poké World Opening Downtown 

Downtown and South Baltimore now has four poké restaurants in the works as Poke World has announced it will open a 30-seat restaurant at 55 Market Place near Power Plant Live. From Baltimore Business Journal:

Poké World’s menu will offer a half-dozen signature bowls, including the Hawaiian classic, with ahi tuna, green and red onion, seaweed, cucumber and sesame seeds, and the Tofu Treat, a vegetarian option. Customers will also be able to build their own bowls with a “Poké Your Way” option.

Liu said Poké World will also have a menu of tea options, including some traditional Taiwanese tea drinks like iced oolong tea.

Liu chose the downtown location for its foot traffic. The restaurant is on the same block as Port Discovery Children’s Museum and a few steps from the bars and restaurants at Power Plant Live.

Poké Bowl is opening locations in Federal Hill and Downtown, and PokéOno is opening a location at Southside Marketplace in Riverside.

Large Property in Brooklyn Under Contract 

A 33-acre industrial yard at 601 W. Patapsco Ave. in Brooklyn is under contract with Copart of Connecticut Inc. for $4.5 million, according to Baltimore Business Journal. The sale is part of bankruptcy proceedings. From the article:

The yard is located on the Baltimore City-Baltimore County line near Cherry Hill and Brooklyn along the Patapsco River and is made up of four separate properties. The majority of the acreage, consisting of two parcels of 19.3 acres and 13.5 acres respectively, houses an “income-producing” industrial yard that has more than 120 tenants, according to a brochure prepared by Melville, New York-based A&G Realty Partners LLC, which is marketing the property.

The 19.3 acre property is located in Baltimore County. The 13.5 acre property along with two smaller properties of 0.14 and 0.24 acres are all located in Baltimore City.

via http://www.southbmore.com/2018/08/14/south-baltimore-business-roundup-152/