Federal Hill Business Roundup

HarborQue Opens in Federal Hill 

HarborQue, the Carolina-style BBQ restaurant previously at 1421 Lawrence St. in Locust Point, has finally settled into their new spot at 1125 S. Charles St. in the former home of Kirby’s Szechuan. HarborQue found out in early 2013 that their building would eventually be demolished to make way for 900 E. Fort Ave, a new mixed-used development at a former GE site.

HarborQue will serve their same sandwiches and platters, but will now also have a beer/wine license.

Hanna Nails and Spa Opens

Hanna Nails and Spa has opened at a newly-renovated retail space at 920 Light St., which was very briefly Alozio Hair. Hanna is the first new tenant to open at the five-building renovation project on the 900 block of Light St.

Former Zelda Zen Space Available for Lease

Zelda Zen closed their doors at 46 E. Cross St. in Federal Hill in March of 2013 after selling their property and moving to a new location in Fells Point. The property was purchased by buyers interested in opening what was believed to be a deli or pizza place, but now the space and the apartment above are available for lease.

Cottage Kidz Space For Rent

In late October, Cottage Kidz Boutique posted a sign that read, “Temporarily closed for renovations, will reopen Friday.” The store at 1129 Light St. never reopened and there is now a “For Rent” sign on the property.

Lean Space Solutions on Light St. 

Signage for Lean Space Solutions has gone up at 1529 Light St., which was once home to a Baltimore Police substation. The sign reads “Work, Play, Meet, Grow.”  The facade has also been repainted.

A few doors down, the awning for a former salsa dancing studio at 1541 Light St. was removed. The property was sold in 2013.

Baltimore Metro Area Real Estate Market Heats Up

CNN Money has named the Baltimore metro area as the seventh hottest real estate market in the US. From the article:

Prices climbed nearly 5% in the 12 months leading up to September and they are expected to record another 8% in gains this year, according to CoreLogic’s forecast.

Though real estate values and trends vary dramatically from neighborhood to neighborhood, there has certainly been an increase in investment in South Baltimore real estate over the last couple of years.

About the Author: Kevin Lynch

Founder and Publisher of SouthBmore.com, longtime resident of South Baltimore, and a graduate of Towson University. Diehard Ravens and O's fan, father of three, amateur pizza chef, skateboarder, and "bar food" foodie. Email me at Kevin@InceptMM.com and follow me on Twitter at @SoBoKevin.