Robin Godwin: 70-Unit Apartment Building Proposed for Key Highway

Federal Hill’s Southern Land Company is planning a 70-unit apartment building at 1302 Key Hwy. in Riverside/Key Highway. The property, which was formerly a gas station from the 1930s until 1993, is currently being used as an industrial garage as well as the home to the On Brazilian Time food truck.

1302 Key Hwy. is .33 acres. The one-story, 1,715 sq. ft. building on the property has two service bays and an office. The property also offers parking spots for lease.

The property was sold to Key Highway Investments LLC in 2015 for $1,150,000, according to state records. It currently has a commercial zoning.

Southern Land Company wants to build a 70 ft., seven-story apartment building on the triangular lot which also faces Jackson St. and Anchor St. The proposed building would have two levels of parking with 70 spots, four levels of residential apartments, and an amenity level leading to a rooftop deck.

Joe Woolman, the attorney for the project, told Riverside Neighborhood Association (RNA) it would have 10 studio apartments, plus larger units.

The parking entrance and exit for the proposed building are on Key Hwy.

The building’s renderings show patios on the apartment units, large windows, and tan, black, and white exterior finishes.

The building would be adjacent to two- and three-story rowhomes on Jackson St. It would additionally be across from four-story townhomes on Jackson St. and across Key Hwy. from the five-story Harborview townhomes.

Woolman said the project would take 18 months to complete once construction starts. Currently, Southern Land Company is in the early stages of the planning process.

Southern Land Company declined to comment to SouthBMore.com about the project while it’s in the “entitlement process.”

The company has met with the Key Highway Community Association (KHCA) and RNA.

KHCA President Janan Broadbent told SouthBMore.com the following regarding the organization’s meeting with Southern Land Company:

There was a general feeling that the old gas station has been an eyesore for many years and the eatery there seemed not to attract many customers. The presentation by Joe Woolman, the attorney for the developer, stressed that it was at the initial stage of just checking with all community associations in the area before proceeding further, that this would be an entirely residential project. Apparently there had been interest by commercial sources previously by companies like Valvoline.

Attendees at the RNA meeting had questions about the proposed new building blocking the views of the nearby houses. Woolman said they have not yet finalized any designs.

He was also asked if the building will have any “rent-controlled” or “affordable” units and he said there are no plans for that at this time.

Phots from Riverside Neighborhood Association