City and state officials on Monday praised a development team who renovated a former tin factory into affordable housing aimed at teachers and inexpensive office space for nonprofits.
"It is an extraordinary building that will house extraordinary individuals," said Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon, a former teacher, during a dedication ceremony for Miller's Court.
The 77,000-square-foot brick building was constructed in 1874 but had become a hangout for drug dealers and squatters. The project qualified for funds dedicated to developing former industrial sites, known as brownfields.
"How many times did you ride past this corner and say 'I wish somebody would do something with this old building?' " asked Gov. Martin O'Malley. He said developers Donald and Thibault Manekin, with Seawall Development Corp., demonstrated leadership and vision.
The $21 million project included refurbishing the brick building to include 40 apartments with rents between $700 and $1,500 a month. The building, at Howard and 26th streets, is already fully leased and teachers moved in earlier this year. There is a waiting list of roughly 100 to move into the building, said Thibault Manekin.
Architects on the project consulted with teachers, their target tenants, to determine a wish-list of amenities. Based on those conversations they included a copy center in the building to help teachers prepare materials for classes.
Nonprofits can lease office space for $18 a square foot, and tenants include Teach for America, Baltimore Urban Debate League and Experience Corps.
The building was built to high environmental standards. "We were trying to prove that you can produce green affordable housing affordably," said Kelly Cartales, a vice president with Enterprise Community Partners Inc., which helped finance the project.
