Retail Space

Darwin Hindman is a man obsessed with ending society's love affair with the car. The bike-commuting mayor of Columbia, Mo., shared his insights Wednesday with like-minded community leaders and residents keen on turning Columbia, Md., into a mecca for bicyclists and pedestrians. At age 76, the affable mayor not only talks the talk, he rides the ride, logging 60 miles a week while running errands and commuting on his 20-year-old converted mountain bike. Yet his first impression of Howard County's planned city colored all of his remarks - Columbia, like the vast majority of American cities, is oriented around the automobile.

In another sign of new life in Howard County's development industry, work has resumed on a large mixed-use development called Mission Place on U.S. 1 at Mission Road in Jessup. The project will add 104 Ryland townhouses, 262 apartments, over 23,555 square feet of retail space wrapped around a five-story garage, and later a 64,000-square-foot office building. It had been nearly dormant for months with construction financing unavailable. But Drew Dolben, senior vice president for development of Massachusetts-based developer Dolben Co., said his firm finally got U.S. Housing and Urban Development approval of a $45 million FHA construction loan for the apartments, which will mean 200 construction jobs through next year.

Baltimore's former Highlandtown Middle School is targeted for conversion to a $30 million apartment and retail project called The Patterson, under a plan proposed by Focus Development of Baltimore and accepted by the city. Baltimore housing commissioner Paul T. Graziano announced this week that Focus has been selected over two other groups that expressed interest in recycling the 1934 school at 101 S. Ellwood Ave., in the Baltimore-Linwood neighborhood. Focus, headed by Shaffin Jetha and Rick Diehl, proposed to convert the vacant public school by 2012 to 120 to 150 market-rate apartments plus about 1,500 square feet of retail space, 2,000 square feet of "interior meeting space" and 110 to 140 indoor parking spaces.

A scaled-back revitalization plan for the "superblock," a crucial piece of Baltimore's west-side renewal effort, would include small- and medium-size stores, market-rate apartments in a 32-story tower and a 150-room boutique hotel. Revised plans by developer Lexington Square Partners, shown yesterday to the board of the Baltimore Development Corp., would reduce the overall retail space and the number of apartments. It also adds the hotel. Lexington Square, selected in competitive bidding by the city in early 2005, is now proposing 152,000 square feet of retail - half the original amount - 360 apartments and the hotel on land bounded by Fayette, Howard and Lexington streets and Park Avenue.

Tim Young considered moving to Canton. But then the 27-year-old doctoral student looked at the Dundalk Village Center. With its park views, restored hardwood floors and stainless-steel appliances, the brick complex impressed Young. And the rent for a one-bedroom apartment - $725 - clinched the deal. "This was five minutes up the road and half the price," said Young, one of the first tenants of the renovated development off Dundalk Avenue. Work continues as part of the $4 million development of the shopping, office and apartment complex.

Plans for a prominent site on the eastern edge of downtown, in the heart of the city's entertainment district, have substantively shrunk since they were announced two years ago, according to Baltimore's economic development agency. Developer David Cordish intends to build only half as much as he formerly envisioned on land once home to a helium balloon ride that closed after a harrowing incident in 2004. Cordish had promised Baltimore Development Corp. that at the foot of a 250-unit high-rise of condominiums and apartments, he would build a Lucky Strike Lanes, an upscale bowling "lounge" - part of a network with 16 locations nationwide including Washington.

Commercial construction in Howard County is booming - at 1999-2000 levels - according to Richard W. Story, chief executive officer of the county's Economic Development Authority. In concrete terms, that means 1.5 million square feet of office, warehouse and retail space under construction, with another 2.9 million square feet being planned. In addition, Story said, the county is likely to gain a corporate headquarters moving from another county, though he would not identify the company.

The Carroll County commissioners are considering a zoning amendment that would allow residential apartments and condominiums to be built above retail space in shopping centers to create more medium-priced housing in the county. While apartments are common above shops on the main streets of the county's municipalities, county law prohibits residential building on any land zoned for strip malls, known as planned business centers. The county planning commission recently reviewed and recommended a draft amendment to permit mixed uses, which includes residential development at area shopping centers.

With the addition of four tenants, available space at the $250 million Park Place complex is filling quickly before the first phase opens next spring -- proof of demand for commercial space in Annapolis, city officials say. Jerome J. Parks Cos., the developer, announced last week that Morton's The Steakhouse would open early next summer in the Westin Hotel under construction at the site at West Street and Taylor Avenue. It follows four major companies that have recently signed on -- including Merrill Lynch and biotechnology firm PharmAthene -- seven retailers and more than 100 homebuyers.

A Vienna, Va., real estate developer has bought the Meadows Business Park, one of Baltimore County's oldest and largest commercial parks, for an undisclosed price. The developer plans to spruce up the park and fill the mixed-use center over the next year. Atlantic Realty Cos. Inc. said yesterday that it bought the nearly 1 million-square-foot center at Interstate 70 and I-695 in Woodlawn with partner Colony Realty Partners. The seller was Emmes Realty Services LLC of New York. The business park, which dates from 1963, contains 21 buildings of office, warehouse and retail space and is 80 percent leased, Atlantic Realty said.