Phase 1 of Improvements Begin on Hollins Market
Scott Plank’s War Horse Cities CDC, which was selected in 2017 to redevelop and manage the City-owned Hollins Market by the Baltimore Public Market Corporation (BPMC) after a request for proposals (RFP), has started Phase 1 of improvements. Phase 1 consists of facade improvement to the approximately 14,000 sq. ft. “shed” of Hollins Market.
War Horse Cities CDC will now limit its involvement to Phase 1. BPMC will take over the completion of the project and continue to manage the property.
Phase 1 is expected to take six weeks and will include new siding, new trim, new lighting, fixtures, paint, and murals to the exterior of Hollins Market. Mackenzie is the contractor on this project and PI.KL is the architect.
BPMC is currently in planning for interior improvements and anticipates having the timeline, programming, merchandising plan, budget, and availability of funds for Hollins Market figured out by the end of July. BPMC committed $1 million to the project in the War Horse Cities CDC RFP. BPMC Hollins Market Project Manager Stacey Pack noted that the good thing about the market is that it has been running and operating and the HVAC, plumbing, and electric are in good working order, as opposed other market projects BPMC has taken on like Broadway Market.
Hollins Market remains open, but is currently more than 50% vacant. Pack told SouthBMore.com Hollins Market already has some of the “more difficult to get” vendors offering produce, meats, and poultry, but is hoping to complement those staples with more prepared food items and retail components. Pack said BPMC will consider a bar/liquor license component to Hollins Market.
“We want to make sure you have different price points and a diversity of food offerings,” said Pack. “We want it to be more of a food market and less of a food hall.”
BPMC would like to see communal seating and outdoor seating at Hollins Market.
Hollins Market has a shed and the large attached two-story brick “head house.” The first floor of the head house is a continuation of the vendor stalls in the Hollins Market, but the second floor, which has not been used since the 1970s, is “pretty awesome” according to Pack. It is a large hall space with tall ceilings and has a basketball court in it. It used to host dances.
Pack said they are many possibilities for the space and that BMPC would consider sectioning off the entire head house for one user. She said some people have suggested the idea that the building does not need a second floor and it could be one story with very tall ceilings.
Pack hopes Hollins Market will be supported not only by the neighborhood but by the businesses in and around the University of Maryland BioPark which is just a few blocks away.
The Parking Authority of Baltimore City recently repaved and re-striped a parking lot across the street from Hollins Market, and landscaping improvements were also made.
War Horse Cities is planning a housing development in Hollins Market called Hollins Square Homes that will include homes for sale and apartments for rent. War Horse recently begun renovating rowhomes in the neighborhood, and will begin work on 15 new-construction townhomes this fall. All of the homes in Hollins Square Homes are within a block of the Hollins Market. Five of the new-construction townhomes will be built on two lots across the street from the southeast corner of the market.
Phase 1 Design Plan from PI.KL (click to enlarge)
Current Hollins Market photos
Head house second floor photos courtesy of BPMC
Baltimore City parking lot adjacent to Hollins Market
Coffee shop across from Hollins Market available for lease
Rowhome renovations on Hollins St. across from Hollins Market
Future rowhome renovations by War Horse Cites
Sites planned for new townhomes by War Horse Cities
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.
