Preservation and Development

The Superblock on Baltimore's Westside is a large scale undertaking of city government to induce new energy and development into the largely abandoned former retail hub of the city. It employs the old slum and blight provision that allows eminent domain and thus assembled buildings in an entire city block and gave them to a developer in 2005 although the proposal clearly showed buildings to be demolished which were protected by a Memorandum of Agreement between the City and the MD Historic Trust. The proposal has been pretty much dead in its tracks for over 5 years due to much controversy, court cases and dispute over historic preservation. A letter to the editor in today's Sun bemoans this condition but makes a connection to the State Center TOD development proposal in which the State of MD is proposing to undo the sins of sixties urban renewal with a large scale mixed use redevelopment. The law offices of Peter Angelos filed suit first against the Superblock (as a nearby property owner) but now also against the State Center project.

While I share Rob Hendrickson’s sentiments regarding the Superblock as expressed in today's paper, I am not sure about the transfer of conclusions to the State Center site.

• There are no preservation concerns on the State Center site
• There is no BDC administering the process but the State DOT real estate office.
• While the planning on the Westside has only the PAC as a public process (which has at times been less than satisfying) the State Center process has been public all along with charrettes and a very active citizen committees.

I very much recommend not to tie these two matters together in any way. (The only thing that does tie them together is the law office of Peter Angelos as a plaintiff).

Personally, I do not agree with the assertion that State Center will harm downtown since I do not think that the future of Baltimore is a “zero sum game” where only existing offices are pushed around.

The redevelopment patterns of the last 20 years with Tide Point, Harbor East and Canton have shown otherwise. These areas have allowed new businesses to thrive and grow (Sylvan Learning Centers, Under Armor, DAP, Morgan Stanley to name a few) which would not have come to the old downtown nor did they come from there. I realize the exceptions such as Legg Mason. But those musical chair moves cannot be prevented by not building newer, glitzier and more attractive office space. To the contrary, it is normal for any thriving City that successful businesses are looking for new addresses. It forces us to re-think the old business areas and come up with new uses and concepts. This is precisely where the disagreement about the Superblock comes from. BDC and the developer believe they can replicate the time where this was the retail hub or make this like Harbor East. In contrast, we (this group) believe that the Westside will come back in a different way with smaller scale business, housing and a new identity as a preservation district. This tandem strategy of preservation in the old core and relief areas for glitzy new stuff adjacent to the old core works very well to keep Cities vibrant. If we start to stop new stuff on both fronts we are suffocating the business climate and become stale. Anyway, that is what I believe.

Sphinx Club Restaurant and Museum at Design Review

ArchPlan presented the project at 2101-2111 Pennsylvania Avenue at UDARP, the city's design review panel and received a very positive response. See below some of the presentation views.
The project features a rain garden, a green roof, a gray water system, a cistern, facade rainscreens, solar thermal panels, pervious pavement and an advanced multi zone HVAC system.
The project rehabilitates the two historic structures which were once the Sphinx Club and adds a museum and performance space in new buildings.

Top: Birds eye view at Freemont/PA Ave and Bloom Street

Center: Elevation from Pennsylvania Ave

Bottom: Elevation from Bloom Street with perforated metal screens and images of Negroe League athletes.