The Victory House Demolished
The Victory House — a former 7,074 sq. ft., 39-bedroom, two-bathroom residence at 1702-1708 Light St. in South Baltimore — is no longer standing. Crews have spent the last few months demolishing the building and now the building is completely gone.
Pictures of the demolition started circulating on neighborhood social media pages generating hundreds of likes. The Victory House was a source of frustration for many in the community for years. Illegal activity in and around the building was a topic of conversation at Riverside Neighborhood Association (RNA) and South Baltimore Neighborhood Association (SBNA) meetings and during Citizens on Patrol Walks.
The Victory House was condemned and shut down by Housing and Community Development (HCD) last year due to structural issues. With assistance from the Health Department, a Baltimore Police Department Search and Seizure warrant was conducted in May 2016 and resulted in “at least one arrest,” according to Councilman Eric Costello, who also noted that buckets of urine and feces were found in the building. A search and seizure warrant was also conducted at the Victory House in June 2015, resulting in two arrests and the recovery of heroin.
Developer Brandon Chasen purchased the Victory House property last year and will soon be constructing a new apartment building. It will be a 13,000 sq. ft., three- and four-story, 10-unit apartment building with a 10-car garage. The garage will also have space for 10 bicycles. All of the apartments will be two bedrooms. The exterior will include a cornice and be mostly brick, resembling traditional Light Street rowhomes. The building will include a rooftop deck and private terraces.
With no alley access available to the site and currently no parking, the project will add a 20 ft. curb cut on Light St. This will eliminate one or two parking spots, and provide access to the first-floor parking garage. Parking will be included in the rent and will be first-come, first-serve to tenants. Residents will not be eligible for any area Residential Permit Parking (RPP) passes.
Chasen and architect Julie Tice of Eastend worked with SBNA, RNA, and Councilman Costello on zoning variances for the project last year.
“I’m excited for the beginning of this project,” said Chasen in an email this summer after demolition began. “My plans to transform a site that has been nothing but a nuisance in a beautiful South Baltimore community could not have been realized without the hard work and vision of community leaders; Councilman Eric Costello, South Baltimore Neighborhood Association, and the Riverside Neighborhood Association.”
“I have an incredible team working together to bring to market a one-of-a-kind luxury apartment home,” he added. “Our concept includes an exterior facade which captures the spirit of the neighborhood and is complimented with stunning interior modern design elements. The team — Eastend Design, J Cole Builders, Morabito Consultants, Walter Johnson Engineers, Lorax Consultants, and Dominion Financial Group — play equally important roles in the success of this project.”
Before
Today
Renderings courtesy of East End Design Group
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.
