An eight-story apartment building anchored by a Streets grocery store would rise in Charles Village, if the Baltimore City Council changes current zoning to allow a building that tall.
A second eight-story apartment building could potentially rise two blocks north of the first, under legislation that is expected to be introduced for City Council consideration during its current session.
The two projects would be allowed as part of a repeal and replacement of the North Charles Village “Planned Unit Development” zoning legislation that currently dictates what developers can build along the St. Paul Street corridor in Charles Village.
Representatives of Workshop Development, MCB Real Estate and A. B. Associates discussed the new development projects during a virtual public meeting today with Baltimore’s Urban Design and Architecture Advisory Panel (UDAAP).
The discussion came as Johns Hopkins University has begun an unrelated construction project that will change Charles Village: demolition of seven rowhouses in the first block of West 29th Street to make way for a green space and possible future development.
Most of the UDAAP meeting focused on a mixed-use development planned by a joint venture of Workshop and MCB for the 3100 block of St. Paul Street, site of a one-story Streets grocery store at 3117 St. Paul and a two-story commercial building at 3119 St. Paul.
When they acquired the properties in late 2020, Workshop and MCB replaced the long time grocer, Eddie’s, with Streets, and disclosed plans to construct a larger building with apartments and ground level retail space on the site, which has a footprint of about 19,000 square feet.
Today’s presentation was the first time the developers have presented to the review panel plans indicating what they’d like to construct in place of the existing buildings.
Josh Neiman, a vice president of MCB, told the panel that the current zoning allows a building to rise up to 60 feet tall and his team would like approval to construct a building that rises up to 90 feet.
The developers showed a building that would be eight stories tall, with a new Streets grocery store and up to three other retailers on the first level and seven floors of apartments above. They did not say exactly how many apartments the building would contain or how much it would cost to build. As designed by Moseley Architects, the building would contain one level of underground parking.
Principal Doug Schmidt and partner Richard Manekin of Workshop said after the meeting that the apartments would be marketed to Hopkins students and others who want to be in Charles Village, but Hopkins is not part of the development team. Schmidt said they’re seeking approval to build higher than 60 feet because “we feel like we needed more density.”
Council representative Odette Ramos has been working with the Charles Village Civic Association on the PUD revisions and is expected to introduce a bill with new zoning language as soon as next month. Neiman noted that other structures nearby are eight stories or higher, including the building at 9 East 33rd St. Schmidt and Manekin said they’re hoping to begin construction in early 2023 and open in early 2025.
The second location where an eight-story building is contemplated is part of the 3300 block of St. Paul Street, where Tamber’s restaurant and several other rowhouses are located and current zoning allows residences only.
According to city planners, the proposed legislation would add the rowhouses to the PUD and permit the rowhouses to contain shops as well as residences. It also would allow the individual rowhouses to be replaced with a single residential structure rising up to 90 feet at some point in the future.
Schmidt and Manekin said they are not involved with the properties on the 3300 block. Tamber’s, at 3327 St. Paul St., was represented at the UDAAP meeting by planning consultant Al Barry of A. B. Associates.
Are there other drawings, like a plan, a street sections, context elevations available to the public? It is difficult to understand how it relates to its surroundings. Also, the developer’s quote, “we feel like we needed more density” seems flimsy, based on feelings rather than cost projections. Why can’t the project be done within the current zoning?
You would think that the new building would be about the same height as the Village Loft Condos next door at 3201 Saint Paul and the Saint Paul Courts across the street so as not to overpower and cast shadows on the row houses behind the new development.
Another developer with no idea of what fits with the area. This design is efficient and beauty free.
My house sits directly behind Chipotle and will be in the shadows of 2 oversized low quality buildings. I lived at this location for 22 years and witnessed beautiful rowhouses and buildings get destroyed by low quality structures such as Charles commons- most cheaply built wood structured building. It is sad to see a pretty city lose it’s beauty. I do think the Bank of America is ugly, but a giant overpowering building does not have to be built in that spot. The parking is going to be a major problem as well as people turning and backing out of the alley causing accidents and danger for pedestrians and children . Also, MORE loud and late night delivery trucks waking up the block. The delivery trucks better park on St. Paul and not disturb “us” the Loyal Baltimorians. You know this will favor JHU students and almost not at all the locals. Please save Baltimore from becoming another DC!
It’s difficult to feel too strongly for the homeowners whining about big buildings near them when they chose to live in Charles Village, which is the de facto second midtown of one of the five densest Northeast cities. If they want marginally lower density without leaving the city, there are literally thousands of abandoned rowhomes in low-density neighborhoods that could use some love. Of course, moving to those neighborhoods might involve living near scaaaaaary poor people, which is really the issue here, isn’t it?
Hello Charles Villagers! Since the company Streuver Brothers was mentioned at the meeting, does that entitle that the building will be built as cheaply as the Charles village lofts? The large fake stones fall off weekly and monthly from the building that Streuvees Brothers preciously built. Let alone, the building process severely damaged my little rowhouse. I got screwed over by money hungry mongers. Let’s not destroy Charles Village for selfish greedy contractors and architects that do not even live in the city! Make this new building something appealing to us, the true locals! I lived here for 22 years in the same home in CV. I want a new building place at the corner or 32nd and St. Paul, but not a piece of junk like Charles Village Lofts.
Save Charles Village from going ugly!