Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Major renovations are being made to Baltimore’s skyline as Beatty Development is creating a new neighborhood called Harbor Point to connect Harbor East and Fells Point with an integrated road network and a continuous waterfront promenade, officials said.
“We want Harbor Point to be Baltimore’s next great neighborhood, with something for everyone and plenty of space to socialize and play,” said Chris Seiler, Beatty’s manager of Marketing and Communications.
“The entire neighborhood will feel more like a large, connected park space that has buildings mixed in, as opposed to the reverse, where park space is something used to fill in gaps here and there,” Seiler said.
The 27-acre development of Harbor Point, when completed, will be comprised of 3 million total square feet. Plans include 1.6 million square feet of office space, 250,000 square feet of retail space, 220,000 square feet of hotel space, 1,000 residential units, 500+ hotel rooms, 9.5 acres of open green space and 3,300 parking spaces, officials said.
The development sits on a former contaminated manufacturing site that has been vacant for years and virtually useless to Baltimore’s residents. Now, Seiler said that the new redevelopment will create new jobs, draw new residents into the city and produce significant new tax revenues.
The project eliminates “the blight spot in the harbor” as it creates new diversified office, residential and retail options for city residents, he said.
Claudia Towles, a Fells Point real estate agent and 20-year resident, agreed.
“It serves its residents and tenants in a unique way as there are a lot of resources there,” Towles said. “You have everything there. It is also the catalyst for extending the waterfront promenade to connect Harbor East and Fells Point.”
“Harbor Point was first envisioned more than 30 years ago as part of a waterfront plan for an extension of Fells Point, made possible by the demolition and planned remediation of the former Allied Signal Chromium Plant,” said Susan Yum, managing director of Marketing and External Relations for the Baltimore Development Corporation.
“The project creates construction as well as full time jobs and will create Class A office space to help attract new companies to Baltimore City and increase the tax base,” Yum said. “It’s story also helps to improve other areas of the city that might not otherwise see redevelopment.”
Seiler said, “Beatty Development specializes in taking on tough projects, usually involving significant economic complications and/or regulatory challenges. Projects that can wholly transform and reshape communities.”
The site currently highlights the completed Exelon Building and park-like area called Central Plaza. The site of the future ‘Harbor Point Park’ is currently operating as Sandlot, a harbor-front outdoor dining, recreation and live performance space that features a beach like atmosphere and full bar. It’s all located directly on the water
Corey Polyoka, managing member of Sandlot, said that the developers of Harbor Point wanted to incorporate more local sourcing and choice into their development. He said they formed a partnership to study what could be produced, in a temporary standpoint, to activate a large portion of the site while development phased over the following years.
Sandlot is an integrated marketing tactic that allows the site to be in use and operate during construction as well as attracting attention to the area.
“Harbor Point was a forgotten industrial part of Baltimore’s past,” Polyoka said. “Baltimorean’s and travelers were not familiar with the area and we wanted to create a draw to get people back on the water and experience the neighborhood being built over the next few years.”
Polyoka said that Sandlot expects to operate for another six to 10 years, depending on how the project progresses.
Seiler said Beatty is working on several other projects throughout Baltimore, including renovation of Amtrak’s Penn Station, Old Town Mall, and other projects.
“No matter what project that we take on in Baltimore, we are always guided by several key themes: broad vision, forward-thinking design, environmental respect, and neighborhood synergies,” Seiler said.
“By adhering to these important fundamentals, our projects can successfully assimilate into the fabric of the community and leave a lasting positive impact on Baltimore.”
Towles said of Harbor Point: “It is kind of a live, work and play compound. It’s like you could never leave harbor point and you have pretty much everything you need, with the exception of some of the things offered in Harbor East in terms of grocery stores.”