A&C Pack and Ship Opens in Union Square
A&C Pack and Ship opened this month at 1400 W. Lombard St. in Union Square. It is owned by Calvin Orr and C. Nicole Orr who bought the 3,642 sq. ft. building in February and renovated its storefront and four apartments.
Customers at A&C can ship packages through FedEx and the United States Postal Service. A&C also offers notary services, paper copying, lamination, and wide-format printing, as well as sells stamps, packing supplies, cards, gifts, and more. Neighbors can have their packages delivered to A&C for a fee of $1 to $15 depending on the weight of the package. A&C has additionally applied to be an Amazon help counter location.
A&C has an 800 sq. ft. retail space, as well as a first-floor apartment that is also being used for storing packages. A&C also partnered with neighbor Andrea Mickens and her company And Design Inc. to offer banner and sign printing.
The Orrs have a development company called Addie Charles Enterprise and been buying and renovating multi-family properties in Southwest Baltimore in recent years. C. Nicole Orr, who is a veteran of the United States Army, says she looks to rent “moderate-income” apartments to veterans. She works with different organizations and case managers to link veterans with their apartments.
C. Nicole Orr, a Calvert County resident, said she stumbled upon the Union Square area and fell in love with its potential. The Orrs love Union Square Park and the fact that it’s a neighborhood that “embraces change and wants to see a turnaround.”
When the Orrs purchased 1400 W. Lombard St., which had been the home to a convenience store for many years, they met with the community to see what type of business was needed in the area. After working with the Union Square Association and Southwest Partnership, they learned there was nothing walkable for shipping services and learned of issues in the area with stolen packages. This spurred the idea for A&C.
A& C is in a soft opening and the Orrs are still working out the hours, but C. Nicole Orr said it will likely be open 11am to 7pm during the week, with earlier hours on the weekends.
The Union Square Association released the following statement to SouthBMore.com about A&C:
“Union Square is very happy to welcome A&C Pack and Ship to our neighborhood. Addie Charles Enterprise purchased the property and immediately started the revitalization of this blighted building which the residents have been seeking for years. Their work complements and enhances the neighborhood’s improvements to the surrounding area including corner planters, new and expanded tree pits with large canopy trees, and new sidewalks. The need for secure and reliable package pick up and drop off was confirmed by the prevalence of news stories and social media reports of missing and stolen packages that you constantly hear about in Baltimore. Working with the community, their team further realized that with the large percentage of residents living in the area who work in the creative arts, health, technology, and professional fields; there was an unmet need for a local community business resource center. A&C Pack and Ship is a wonderful addition to and key partner in the continued growth of Union Square and Southwest Baltimore.”
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.
