South Baltimore Business Roundup

New Skyscraper in Planning for Pratt Street

A new 500,000 sq. ft. skyscraper is in planning for 300 E. Pratt St., a surface parking lot Downtown/Inner Harbor that was once the home of the News American. The project is a joint venture between InterPark and MCB Real Estate, LLC (MCB).

The building is planned to have 200,000 sq. ft. of retail, a 105,000 sq. ft. hotel, 200,000 sq. ft. of office space, a 600-car garage, an event terrace, and a flex space on the first floor facing Pratt St.

From a press release:

“We’re excited to add these amazing views to Baltimore,” said P. David Bramble Managing partner of MCB. “The 360-degree indoor and outdoor perspectives from each section of 300 East Pratt are unparalleled and the opportunity to add to the city’s skyline is one we’re very honored to have.”

“The City of Baltimore is incredibly enthusiastic about the opportunity that this project creates to attract even more residents, businesses and retail to downtown,” said Colin Tarbert, President & CEO of the Baltimore Development Corporation, the city’s economic development agency.  “We are looking forward to working with the developer, Downtown Partnership and other stakeholders to bring this amazing project on prime downtown real estate to fruition.” NKF Executive Managing Director Dan Callihan, Managing Director Karen Robertson and Associate Director James Cumber will handle the leasing of the office space.

Renderings from MCB Real Estate, LLC

LaxCon Returning to Baltimore 

The US Lacrosse Convention, also know as LaxCon, will return to the Baltimore Convection Center in 2021 and 2022 after two years in Philadelphia. From Baltimore Business Journal:

The 2021 gathering is scheduled for Jan. 15-17 and is expected to draw between 7,000 and 7,500 participants.

The conference will join a lineup of major lacrosse events in the state planned for next year. In May, Towson University will host the NCAA Division I women’s lacrosse championship, and a few months later, in July, US Lacrosse will host the Women’s Lacrosse World Championship, also at the university.

Kim Rogers, the director of special events for LaxCon organizer US Lacrosse, said Baltimore has been a “natural fit” for the convention over the years because the city, and Maryland at large, “is a hotbed for the sport.” US Lacrosse, which serves as the national governing body for men’s and women’s lacrosse, has its headquarters in Baltimore County.

Brooklyn Businesses Repainted, New Mural 

A couple walls of businesses facing Hanover St. in Brooklyn have been repainted. Maynard’s Cafe & Restaurant, which is highly visible from Hanover St. and Rt. 2, is repainting the side walls of its building, which had chipping paint in recent years. A new gray color is going up on the north and south walls of the building.

There is a new mural on the south side of 3432 S. Hanover St., which is the home of a commissary for food trucks The Smoking Swine, The Green Bowl, and Dizzy Cow Pizzeria, and which will open as a restaurant in the coming months. The wall previously had a mural reading “Welcome to Free Brooklyn” which was painted by former tenant O’Flynn’s Cask and Crab House. A new mural was completed in recent weeks that highlights different elements of the Brooklyn neighborhood. The mural was made possible by Greater Baybrook Alliance Beautification grants and it was designed and painted by artist Maura Dwyer.

Drew Pumphrey of Smoking Swine told SouthBMore.com work is nearing completion on the restaurant and it will begin opening to the public on a limited basis this winter.

JP Morgan Chase Donates $100,000 to SB7

JP Morgan Chase, which will open a branch at the renovated Cherry Hill Town Center in 2020, announced it will make a $100,000 donation to SB7, a coalition of six neighborhoods south of Port Covington that have a Community Benefits Agreement with the Port Covington Development.

From a press release:

JPMorgan Chase is investing $100,000 in the South Baltimore Coalition (SB7) to help drive more inclusive regional growth in the community. SB7 is a partnership between six community organizations in South Baltimore and the Port Covington Development team. The neighborhoods that make up South Baltimore within the Port Covington development impact area are affected by underinvestment that has resulted in:

• Residents’ lacking access to affordable and quality housing options
• Small businesses without access to financing and lack education about business development and operations
• Community-based organizations experiencing deficits in organizational capacity and funding to support residents with pathways to homeownership and other resources

To help, JPMorgan Chase awarded SB7 a $100,000 planning grant to support community informed planning that addresses these issues. This coalition is devising an equitable development strategy focused on housing quality, access, affordability and small business financing and development.

“As JPMorgan Chase expands in Baltimore, it’s good to know they want the whole community to grow with them, and I’m proud to partner with them to help our neighbors improve access to the resources they need to thrive where they are,” said Mike Middleton, Executive Director, Cherry Hill Development Corporation and Chair of SB7 Coalition.

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.