Demolition Begins at Former Locke Insulaters Factory in Port Covington
Demolition began in recent days on the former 25-acre former Locke Insulators property at 2525 Insulator Dr. in Port Covington. 28 Walker and its development partners K. Hovnanian Homes, DRB Homes, and Greystar are planning 809 housing units at the waterfront site.
The Locke Insulator Company built its Port Covington factory in 1920 and closed it in 2017. The property is next door to Under Armour’s 50-acre property on Peninsula Dr. which is the future site of the company’s headquarters. Across Cromwell St. is the under-construction Chapter 1B phase of the Baltimore Peninsula development. The Baltimore Peninsula development team is planning a multi-decade, multi-billion dollar development on 235 acres of property in Port Covington.
In November of 2021, 28 Walker owner Mark Sapperstein told SoutBMore.com, “I’d like to build something that complements Weller’s (development partner of Chapter 1B) magnificent project.” He added, “I think I can add to that without doing a lot of the same things. I’m trying to follow their lead and do another successful project.”
While the Port Covington Development has a large component of office and retail space along with apartments and hotels, Sapperstein said his focus is on residential for this parcel. He will not be adding retail.
The Locke Insulators redevelopment will have 297 new townhomes by DRB Homes on the southern portion of the property. This will consist of 103 16 ft.-wide townhomes, 152 20 ft.-wide townhomes, and 42 24 ft.-wide waterfront townhomes.
The master plan will also have 92 “2 over 2” housing units by K. Hovnanian Homes on the northern section of the property near C. Cromwell St. Each unit is two levels of a four-story townhome building.
28 Walker is also partnering with Greystar on a two apartment buildings totaling 420 units. The buildings we be on E. Cromwell St. on both sides of Insulator Dr.
The master plan also has a clubhouse with a pool, large green spaces on the entire waterfront of the property, pocket parks, and four large green spaces in between rows of townhomes.
The development proposes 797 parking spaces broken down as 127 on-street spaces, 27 off-street clubhouse parking spaces, and 663 structured parking spaces.
Design partners on the project are Kimley Horn, KCI, and Hord Coplan Macht.
Prior to Port Covington, 28 Walker put a large focus on Locust Point in the past couple of decades. 28 Walker’s projects in Locust Point include the Silo Point condominium and office building, the McHenry Pointe and Key’s Overlook townhome communities, the mixed-use McHenry Row project, and the under-construction Banner Row townhome project.
Renderings from 28 Walker, Greystar, Kimley Horn, KCI, and Hord Coplan Macht
Rendering from K. Hovnanian Homes
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.
