Developers target new west-side site - Baltimore Business Journal:

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Baltimore developers and are working with the and city plannerse to redevelop more than a dozen propertiesx in the 400 bloc of WestBaltimore Street. The area, just arounxd the corner from theHippodrome Theatre, leads to the heart of UMB'xs campus to the west and the city'z business district to the east. Representatives from Brow n andA & R declined to comment, and it is unclea just what their plans Terrence Smith, senior associate vice presidenr for operations and planing at UMB, said the blocm is a challenging one to redevelolp but would go a long way towards solidifying the university's connection with downtownb if the developers are successful.
Smith said he believes the area needsa to be considered asa full-scale redevelopment, rathefr than taken piecemeal, and he hopes the developers will be able to put together such a plan. "It just needs a lot of work, and it'es been that way for a long time," Smith "I would think you'd have to reallyh orchestrate thewhole block. With all that it's going to continue to benefitthe area." BDC Presidentg M.J. "Jay" Brodie said he sees the block's redevelopmentt as a sequel tothe large-scale, so-called revitalization just a few blocks since both are aimed at creatinv a stronger link between downtown and the university. There is one main he said.
"It's a very different creature, so to because we own nothing in that Brodie said. "I've met with and they're thinking about plans, whichy are not final in any way." Brodie said the BDC has askex the university to open a campuds book store on the block rather than in a new campuzs center the university is planning to build onLombardc Street. Smith said either location would work well for the but no decisions have beenmade yet. He said the universith is working withA & R on possible developmenyt plans that would include a university book stors on Baltimore Street.
The university is in the midsg of updating its facilitiesmaster plan, calling for several new developments stretching the university'sz campus north along Eutaw Street. Among thos projects are a new a new health servicesx building and a pharmacyschool annex. The universityy is also negotiating withA & R on a mixed-use projecr at the former Drovers and Mechanics National Bank building at Eutaw and Fayette streets, slated to include a 140-room Marriotg hotel, parking garage apartments and ground-floor Representatives from the city's planning commissio could not be reachedx for comment.