Calvert Street

The Baltimore Sun Co. is considering putting its Calvert Street buildings up for sale and consolidating operations at its new South Baltimore printing and distribution facility, Publisher Michael J. Davies has announced.In an employee newsletter dated today, Mr. Davies described the possibility as "a slim one" and said the move "would work only if we could build an office tower for basically the selling price of the Calvert Street complex."In an interview, he described the idea as "speculative" and said the company has not taken steps to put the property on the market.

Streets throughout Baltimore will be closed temporarily Saturday for the 2012 Under Armour Baltimore Running Festival, which includes a 26-mile marathon, a half-marathon and a 5K race. According to the organizers, here is a list of street closures and approximate times. Organizers say that final decisions about when to open and close streets will be made by police officers at various intersections. They say there also may be "rolling stops," which means an officer may allow vehicles to proceed when there is a gap between runners.

Complaints about a large group of aggressive prostitutes on a stretch of North Calvert Street prompted a police sweep netting 18 arrests by early yesterday -- most of them males wearing women's clothing, authorities said. Sgt. Craig Gentile, the Central District vice squad commander, said the department had received complaints in the past two weeks from more than a dozen people -- including several transvestites who live in the neighborhood -- about loud, often vulgar, skimpily dressed people soliciting motorists and pedestrians along a four-block stretch of Calvert from Read to Preston streets.

A small fire broke out in the top floor of a five-story parking garage in Baltimore's Mount Vernon neighborhood this afternoon, according to city fire officials. City firefighters responded to the 100 block of East Read Street where they discovered heavy, dark smoke pouring from the roof. As of 1:45 p.m., firefighters had the fire under control. While there was heavy smoke in the area, no major damage was reported. No one was injured in the fire, fire officials said. Parts of North Calvert and St. Paul streets, near Read Street, were closed while firefighters were on the scene.

The wrecking ball completed its work this week when it leveled "No. 10 Downing Street," the old cafeteria on the east side of Calvert between Baltimore and Fayette streets whose real name was Bickford's. For decades, it had been one of Baltimore's most storied and hallowed political hangouts. And now, to passers-by and sidewalk superintendents, the only thing remaining of the demolished building is the brick-lined footprint of its cellar, which no doubt will soon give way to the rapacious demands of its wreckers.

The Baltimore Sun Co. has scrapped plans to sell the newspaper's North Calvert Street offices to a real estate affiliate of the Johns Hopkins Institutions, according to a company memorandum issued yesterday.The decision to end negotiations on the deal -- in which the Sun Co. would have sold its property to Dome Corp. for $10 million and then leased space from it after a lengthy $10 million renovation -- stems from an ownership change involving the six-story 501 N. Calvert St. building and a 650-space parking garage next door.

With "VEEP and "Game Change" produced here, I have been writing a lot about Baltimore standing in for Washington. But Wednesday afternoon, the TV sleight of hand hit a little too close to home when the Calvert Street entrance to the Sun said in big bold letters "The Washington Herald. " Happily, it was not real institutional change -- just a little more TV magic as the crew for the $100 million Netflix series "House of Cards" had "dressed" the building for scenes to be shot later this week.

On Nightlife No, Club X Ultra Lounge is not a strip joint. Though its name (actually pronounced Club Ten), location (10 S. Calvert St.) and facade (bright purple lights) might suggest otherwise, the place has a solid mix of style, attitude and class. I wouldn't be surprised to see the month-old lounge turn into a regular weekend hangout for the city's high-rolling 30-something set. Parking is free on most of Calvert Street late at night, but if you can't find a spot less than a block or two away, it is safer to use the valet service.

"House of Cards," the Netflix series starring Kevin Spacey, will be filmed in part in the Calvert Street offices of the Baltimore Sun, it was confirmed Friday. “We are pleased that we were able to accommodate the production needs for this series," said Steve Seidl, senior vice president of operations and technology for The Baltimore Sun Media Group. "It is always exciting when our city is chosen as a film location, and we are looking forward to being a part of the project. " The production contract with the Baltimore Sun runs through the summer.  Soundstages are also being built in Harford County for a 26-episode order on the American remake of a critically acclaimed political thriller done by the BBC in 1990.

FOR YEARS IT WAS known as "Little Hopkins" because it was home to Robert Brent Keyser, a longtime president of the board of the Johns Hopkins University.It has housed doctor's offices and the headquarters of a publishing company.Last spring, it starred as the Baltimore Symphony Associates Decorators' Show House.Now Solomon's Corner, as the historic property at 1201 N. Calvert St. is known, is poised to become Baltimore's newest company headquarters -- the home of Brown Capital Management Inc.Brown president Eddie C. Brown purchased the 55-room mansion this year and wants to move his company there from 809 Cathedral St."

A few weeks ago, a group of actors dressed as reporters clustered near a cafeteria in The Baltimore Sun building. I had to take a second look to make sure they were actors and not visiting reporters or editors. But as I walked by, one asked me if I was in the upcoming scene. “No, I live here,” I said without thinking. “This is the real world for me.” Soundstages are nothing new to me. I've been working them for stories on how television shows are made since 1976 - from “M*A*S*H” in the old era of Hollywood network production, to East Coast cable series such as “VEEP” today.

With "VEEP and "Game Change" produced here, I have been writing a lot about Baltimore standing in for Washington. But Wednesday afternoon, the TV sleight of hand hit a little too close to home when the Calvert Street entrance to the Sun said in big bold letters "The Washington Herald. " Happily, it was not real institutional change -- just a little more TV magic as the crew for the $100 million Netflix series "House of Cards" had "dressed" the building for scenes to be shot later this week.

Lady Baltimore has withstood much in 189 years perched overlooking Courthouse Square. She has lost both of her arms over the decades — one of them, holding high a wreath that signifies service to the republic, was sheared off by a gust of wind in January 1938, shattering on the pavement. And though it may be hard to tell from the street 52 feet below, wind, rain, snow, hail and pollution have dissolved much of the marble statue's eyes, nose and ears. But a new effort will finally give Lady Baltimore a new home — for her own good.

An adult man was reported shot in the head Thursday night on North Calvert Street in Charles Village, according to the Baltimore Police Department. Few details were available this morning, but police said the shooting occurred minutes before 11 p.m. in the 2900 block of N. Calvert. On Nov. 26, two people were shot in an SUV in lower Charles Village, in the 100 block of East 22nd St. That shooting occurred on a Saturday afternoon, about 12:45 p.m. The woman was shot in the hip and leg and the man was wounded in the arm. In October, a Prince George's County man was shot in the leg on St. Paul Street , just 50 feet from where Johns Hopkins University researcher Stephen Pitcairn was fatally stabbed last year while walking to his home and talking to his mother on his cell phone.

North Calvert Street 2800 block, between 4 p.m. Sept. 20 and 5 p.m. Sept. 21. Schwinn 10-speed M20 mountain bike stolen from porch by cutting off lock. 3000 block, between 9 p.m. Sept. 21 and 4 a.m. Sept. 23. Car battery stolen. 3000 block, between 9 p.m. Sept. 21 and 6:20 a.m. Sept. 22. Silver Toshiba laptop and case stolen from residence. Entry gained by climbing though open window above kitchen door. Charlcote Road 4200 block, between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Sept.

A northbound section of Interstate 83 in Baltimore was temporarily closed Friday while city fire and state environmental crews cleaned about 15 gallons of spilled oil near Calvert Street, according to officials. The northbound lanes of the expressway between Fayette Street and Maryland Avenue were expected to reopen by 12:45 p.m., according to fire spokesman Chief Kevin Cartwright. There were no reports of injuries. Cartwright said a truck that was carrying waste oil began leaking near Calvert Street and up to North Avenue, where its driver exited onto Sisson Street.

In the 21 years that the Baltimore Symphony Associates has sponsored tours of decorators' show houses, the group has never featured a residence in or close to downtown Baltimore, and it has never featured a rowhouse.That will change next year, with the group's selection of a 55-room mansion called Solomon's Corner as the 1998 Symphony Decorators' Show House.The five-level, 16,000-square-foot dwelling, at 1201 N. Calvert St., is actually two rowhouses combined into one. It has never been on a public house tour.

As if the double-lane closure on downtown Pratt Street weren't enough, the city Department of Transportation started a series of street closings downtown as part of the preparation for next year's Grand Prix auto race. For about two weeks, the city is closing three of five lanes of southbound Light Street between Lombard and Pratt streets for resurfacing work on the intersection. Two of four lanes of northbound Light and Calvert streets will also be closed for similar work. Monday morning rush hour traffic appeared to be moving smoothly on the affected roadways, including Light Street between Conaway and Pratt.