Construction Begins on New Office Building and Marriott Hotel at McHenry Row in Locust Point
Mark Sapperstein’s 28 Walker has started construction on the final phase of McHenry Row in Locust Point. This phase will bring a new five-story, 85,000 sq. ft. office building and a new eight-story, 126-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel to the former parking lot on the southeastern portion of the site.
The new “Class A” office building is already fully leased and is expected to open in December 2018. CPA Firm Gross Mendelsohn & Associates announced a 22,000 sq. ft. lease at the building and additional tenants will be announced in future. The building is connected to a 600-car garage that was constructed in 2015. The garage is also connected to Porter Street Apartments, a 224-unit building that is now partially open. The office building will have a brick exterior with large industrial windows, and 28 Walker is in talks to add a retail space to its first floor.
Alex Mandel of 28 Walker told SouthBMore.com that office lease pricing will be similar that in Downtown and Harbor East. He noted that the demand was strong and that leasing the last building of a development is easier than the first.
The Courtyard by Marriott is expected to be completed in early 2019. It will have a white and gray exterior. Interior amenities will likely include a gym, business center, and bar. Mandel also mentioned that the Marriott will have great views of the waterfront, Francis Scott Key Bridge, and Downtown.
Mandel said that demand for the hotel will likely be driven by the adjacent Port of Baltimore Cruise Maryland and McHenry Row’s offices, including Comcast’s regional headquarters. He also noted that the hotel is visible from – and has easy access to – I-95. The hotel will also share the 600-car garage.
The hotel and office building will share a new courtyard and green space that is expected to have a dog park.
Mandel said both buildings will benefit from the existing retail and amenities at McHenry Row. Visitors will be able to access the parking garage from Porter St. and Jones St. which will be opened up on the eastern portion of the site.
McHenry Row is a 20-acre, mixed-use project that currently contains 474 apartment units, 300,000 sq. ft. of commercial office space including office tenants, a Harris Teeter grocery store, and other restaurants and retailers. Phase One of McHenry Row redeveloped the former Chesapeake Paperboard Co. facility, and Phase Two redeveloped a former Coca Cola and Phillips Seafood plant.
28 Walker recently reached an agreement on more than $250,000 in improvements to South Baltimore Little League’s (SBLL) adjacent baseball facility. The improvements, along with a five-year landscaping and maintenance agreement, will be funded 28 Walker. Construction recently began and work will be competed by the end of the year. SBLL’s facility is surrounded on three sides by McHenry Row. As part of the agreement, SBLL has granted an easement that allows 28 Walker to use eight feet of land behind fields 1 and 2 to install a new sidewalk along Porter St.
28 Walker will also begin Phase Two of The Shops at Canton Crossing in the next few months. This phase will include a Nordstrom Rack.
Renderings courtesy of 28 Walker
Click to enlarge site plan
Note: The office building is four stories in the following renderings, but will be five stores as in the rendering above
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.
