Baltimore Grows

Miss Irene’s, which recently opened in Fells Point (1738 Thames St (410) 522-2255) brings a new level of “upscale casual dining” to the area.  The former dive bar in the heart of Fells seemed like it took forever to renovate…about three years.  It was worth the wait…the inside is amazing. 

The place is trimmed out in dark wood…making it a cozy place to hang out or dine.  There is a large bar downstairs surrounded by tables, with a smaller more intimate bar on the 2nd floor.  The dining room (also upstairs) has a cathedral ceiling with giant chandeliers.  It makes you feel like you’re dining in a castle.  The mediterranean influenced food complemented the ambiance well.  I had the braised lamb shank which was so tender it nearly dissolved on my tongue.  Entrees range from a grilled Wagyu Beef Burger for $15 to House-made pasta tossed with walnuts, dates, figs, Humboldt fog and lobster for $26. 

There was a very healthy selection of beers on tap.  I must admit I didn’t get a chance to delve into the wine list.  The cocktail list is an incredibly creative collection of mostly Gin drinks.  I believe most of them are unique to Miss Irene’s.

If you like Beer, good food, gin, or a cozy upscale casual place to hang out, then Miss Irene’s is a must see.

jeffcantonite@yahoo.com

While renderings of all four arena proposals are not available yet, the descriptions themselves say a lot.  Basically, this will not be your average arena.  Assuming the project comes to fruition and 300 million plus dollars are secured for construction, the days of a big ugly box type municipal indoor stadium will be over… replaced with what we hope will be a world class design.  The one rendering which has been made public, that of the Streuver Brothers proposal, depicts a daring signature building that incorporates a hotel and retail along with the arena itself.  Congratulations for thinking big!

Here’s a good summary of the proposals as posted on Wikipedia:

On December 17, 2008, the Baltimore Examiner reported that the Baltimore Development Corp. had received 4 proposals for the 1st Mariner Arena replacement that could take away a “major entertainment venue” for Baltimore upwards to “4 years” and the estimated price is $300 million but could be more depending on additional retail and hotel uses. The arena is reported to be a 18,500 seat venue built at the same location of the current 1st Mariner Arena. The four proposals are:

ESmith Legacy and Garfield Traub Development:ESmith Legacy is a team lead by former NFL player Emmitt Smith that has offices in Baltimore. This proposal includes that will be in addition to the larger arena:

• 7 screen movie theater
• 20,000 SF of retail space
• 1,000 seat concert venue

Streuver Brothers Eccles & Rouse: A well known Baltimore based developer. This proposal includes:

• 300-room hotel
• 43,000 SF of retail space

Cormony Development and Harrison Development:A Rockville and Baltimore based (respectively) development firms who have been involved since 2007. This proposal includes:

• 400-room hotel
• 240,000 SF office tower
• 12,000 SF to 20,000 SF of retail space

A&R Development, J Street Development Co., and Accent Development Co.: A partnership of Baltimore based A&R and Washington based J Street and Accent Development under the name Arena Development. This proposal includes:

• Up to 100,000 SF of retail space

The Baltimore Examiner reports that the BDC could make a decision on the developer as soon as mid-2009.^[2]

A rendering of the Streuver Brother’s Proposal:

jeffcantonite@yahoo.com

There was an interesting article in the Sun today about how BRAC funds will be used to provide tax incentives for several projects in Maryland…including the Westport Project in South Baltimore along the Middle Branch.  It sounds like it’s giving the project the major boost it needs to move forward.  The article indicated that the developer will start construction this coming spring.

 Click here to read the article

jeffcantonite@yahoo.com

The Baltimore Business Journal reported that Red Brick Pizza, a California Pizza chain, plans on opening about 30 locations in the Baltimore area over the next few years…including locations in Baltimore City.  No information as to any specific locations though.  Visit http://www.redbrickpizza.com/

jeffcantonite@yahoo.com

I know that everyone in Baltimore has a major inferiority complex, so this may seem hard to believe, but Baltimore was recently ranked the 10th greenest city in the nation when it comes to sustainability by a group called Sustain Lane.  It seems that recent efforts by city leaders to improve sustainable design in construction along with major efforts to boost recycling may be paying off.

Follow this link for more information:  http://www.sustainlane.com/us-city-rankings/cities/baltimore

jeffcantonite@yahoo.com

Demolition began this week on the long abandoned Somerset Courts Housing project along Orleans St. in Baltimore’s Oldtown neighborhood.  It’s unclear what exactly will replace the old housing project (originally built in the 1940’s) but it’s thought that the land will be used in the greater Oldtown Mall Redevelopment.  The city is hoping to lure a large grocery chain to the are.

Follow the link below to see the video:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/video/?slug=bal-demolition1205-worldnow

jeffcantonite@yahoo.com

Finally, a new rendering for the Gateway at Washington Hill Project.  The new proposal looks like it’s a bit scaled back compared to some older plans, and includes apartments now instead of condos.  However, the retail component is still there, including plans for a grocery store.  This building would be part of a larger development of the empty lots of land south of the new Hopkins Hospital Towers.  The lots are bounded by Wolfe St, Washington St., Orleans St., and Baltimore St. Construction could begin as early as the spring…assuming this one doesn’t fall victim to the economy.

Gateway at Washington Hill

The building reminds me of the Domain Apartment building in Brewers Hill, which incidentally is nearing completion.  It looks really nice!  http://www.domainbh.com/

Domain: