Robin Godwin: Federal Hill’s SCRAP B-More Relocating to a Larger Pigtown Space

SCRAP B-More, which is nearing its three-year anniversary in Federal Hill, is outgrowing its 1,200 sq. ft. retail space at 925 S. Charles St. and will be relocating to Pigtown in August. SCRAP B-More has signed a lease for an approximately 2,030 sq. ft. space at 913 W. Barre St. The store will remain open in Federal Hill until about mid-August and then will close for a few days during the move to Pigtown before reopening.

SCRAP B-More is a “creative reuse” nonprofit store that collects donated materials for arts and crafts, in addition to school, office, and party supplies. It then sell these materials at a discounted price. The concept was started in Portland, Oregon.

Owner Nancy Hotchkiss told SouthBMore.com the store is in need of a bigger space and that there wasn’t anything available in Federal Hill that would work. “We are already in a double storefront,” she said.

Hotchkiss has been overwhelmed by the support the store has received in Federal Hill and hopes her customers who walk to the Federal Hill location will make the trip less than a mile away to her new Pigtown location. Hotchkiss said the store has been supported by almost every neighborhood in the city, which she keeps track of through a Baltimore City map in her store marked with pins in the neighborhoods where her customers live. She said she also gets costumers from outside Baltimore City and said it’s also popular with MICA students.

“We get a lot of moms, a lot of sewers, knitters,” said Hotchkiss. “A lot of those materials can get very expensive and a lot of people are excited about our prices and that fact that materials are saved from the landfill.” She joked, “No one leaves the store grouchy.”

Hotchkiss is excited about her soon-to-be new neighborhood. “How can you not like Pigtown, the Pigtown festival, and the squeakiness?” said Hotchkiss. She plans to display flying pig centerpieces from her nephew’s Cincinnati wedding that she’s kept at her home in her new store.

“I like that Pigtown has long-term families and two elementary schools close by,” she added.

She also said she’d like to partner on events with local Pigtown businesses like Suspended Brewing Company.

“I feel like we are bringing something really unique to Pigtown,” said Hotchkiss. “The main street feels like it’s really on the upswing.”

913 W. Barre St. owner Marc Smith of Magnum Construction Inc. is converting the one-story warehouse building into a retail space for SCRAP B-More. The building, which will be ready by summer, will get new double doors on the front facade and new windows. Hotchkiss sees the renovation of the warehouse into a retail space as another reuse story.

SCRAP B-More will have a designated workshop space at its new location. “There aren’t a lot of places around you can do your projects together,” said Hotchkiss. She said she will pick different themes for days in the workspace.

The new space will also have a back door next to the street so that SCRAP B-More can process donations in a separate area from the main entrance.

Hotchkiss said she looked all over the city for a new location over the last five months but credited Smith with her decision to choose this location. “He is so delightful and excited about our business. I’m amazed at how much he has put into the neighborhood and I’m happy we are next,” she said.

Smith owns eight retail spaces and approximately 20 apartments in Pigtown.

925 S. Charles St. building owner Andrew Cohn told SouthBMore.com that he doesn’t have any plans yet for the space once SCRAP B-More moves, but he will begin marketing the space in June.

SCRAP B-More has one part-time employee and about 20 volunteers that help out. It is open Thursday to Saturday from 11am-6pm and Sunday from 12pm-5pm.

Hotchkiss loves that her store brings together people from different backgrounds. “Sometimes we have a MICA student talking to a senior from Light Street Apartments and to a mom from Towson and they are all exchanging ideas,” she said.

SCRAP B-More will be hosting a “please don’t make me move all of this sale” in July and is looking for volunteers and trucks to help make the move in August.

Current Federal Hill Location