Robin Godwin: Renderings Revealed for Six-Story Apartment Building at 1900 South Hanover Street

Wood Partners is planning two apartment buildings for the 1800 and 1900 blocks of S. Hanover St. in South Baltimore. The project is called Alta Federal Hill and Phase I will begin construction on the 1800 block this spring. Renderings for Phase II were presented yesterday to Baltimore City Planning Department’s Urban Design and Architecture Advisory Panel (UDAAP).

The two blocks were comprised of two properties that were acquired by developer Caves Valley Partners (CVP). The properties included a former one-story warehouse at 1800 Hanover St. and the former Middleton & Meads property, which occupied the entire 1900 block of S. Hanover St. and the western section of the 1800 block of S. Hanover St. CVP has been demolishing and clearing the site in recent months.

Middleton & Meads recently completed its relocation to Carroll-Camden Industrial Area.

Wood Partners is under contract to purchase the properties from CVP to build Alta Federal Hill.

Phase I on the 1800 block will be a six-story, 267-unit apartment building with a 367 parking spaces including a parking garage, and a 1,000 sq. ft. retail space.

Wood Partners was approved in July by the Baltimore City Board of Municipal and Zoning Appeals (BMZA) for a six-story, 258-unit apartment building with 370 parking spaces, a garage, and 1,000 sq. ft. of ground-floor retail on the 1900 block. Wood Partners did not specify on Thursday the final apartment and parking space total for the project.

Both buildings will be separated by a new private road that is offset a bit north of the intersection of E. Wells St. and S. Hanover St. The Baltimore City Department of Transportation advised Wood Partners that it wanted a vehicular entrance to the Phase II building at the intersection, so Wood Partners has created a vehicular entrance and auto court that leads to the parking garage and a main entrance to the apartment building in the middle of the building.

This auto court will be used for ride share pick-ups and drop-offs, deliveries, and as a pedestrian entrance to the building. Architect KaMan Skinner of J. Davis Architects, which is designing the building along with Kimley Horn, described this auto court as a “special moment” for drop-offs.

UDAAP panelists had concerns about the pedestrian functionality of the auto court and its relationship to the private drive at the north end of the building.

Phase II will have a 1,000 sq. ft. retail space facing the private road and Phase I will also have a 1,000 sq. ft. retail space across the street.

The exterior design of the building will have a brick facade along with a variety of materials. The team hopes the design of the project will help smoothly transition to the two- and three-story brick rowhomes on S. Hanover St.

Steve Rolls of Wood Partners said he sees the building as an “anchor for Federal Hill” as it’s the first building in the neighborhood after people leave Port Covington and drive underneath I-95. Wood Partners also sees it as a stitch between the two neighborhoods. Port Covington is currently beginning the first phases of the 235-acre, $5.5-billion redevelopment.

Phase II will have a interior resident courtyard, a rooftop deck, and amenity spaces. The garage will face the I-95 on-ramp at the southern edge of the property. A sliver of the property that is south off the I-95 on-ramp will be used for stormwater management.

Both Phase I and Phase II will have apartment units with balconies facing the private road. The private road will have new on-street parking spaces.

Wood Partners hopes to begin construction on Phase II before the end of the year.

Last year, Wood Partners said they are hoping Phase I will help calm down a very “vehicular-centric” S. Hanover St., which is also known as Route 2, a highway that continues south through Annapolis. There will be many plantings along the perimeter of the property, and both buildings will be set back 15 ft. from the curb.

Phase II renderings courtesy of Wood Partners and J. Davis Architects