Mixed Use Project Coming to Salisbury Riverfront
Posted: July 20, 2012 Filed under: Baltimore, Development, Dining, Retail | Tags: feldman's building, mill street, mixed use, office, restaurant, river view commons, riverfront, salisbury, wicomico river Leave a comment »
owntown Salisbury can expect a new mixed-use development at the site of the former Feldman’s Building in early 2013. The property, recently acquired by River View Commons, LLC, will have open sight lines to the river front and on-site parking. Four different buildings comprise the 40,000 square foot structure, the most notably being a main 3-story building dating back to the 1800s and first used by wholesale grocers.
Demolition will begin in the Fall of 2012 with renovations occurring thereafter. The new owners have named the project River View Commons, and are looking to create office, retail and restaurant space. They also hope for city approval to construct a riverwalk along the Wicomico River and Mill Street.
Controversy Over College Park Student Housing Development Proposal
Posted: July 18, 2012 Filed under: Culture, Development, Retail, Washington, DC | Tags: college park, maryland book exchange, r&j company, route 1, sector plan, student housing, university of maryland, zoning 2 Comments »
development to accommodate housing for College Park students is meeting continued criticism for its proposed location. The project, developed by R&J Company LLC of New York, would sit on the corner of Route 1 and College Ave, where the Maryland Book Exchange currently stands. The site borders College Park’s historic district, and is currently zoned as residential.
A document published in 2009, the Route 1 Sector Plan, was meant to guide development along the Route 1 corridor, which has already seen new student housing construction in the last few years. Officials of College Park argue that the new proposal doesn’t conform to the document, and in January the City Council voted to oppose the development. The developers contend that, despite the zoning, the development’s surroundings (including a church and sorority houses) are compatible with the project.
If ultimately approved, the facility would stand 6 stories high, tapering back to 4 stories on the Yale Ave side. It would offer 313 residential units and 14,500 square feet of new retail space.
IKEA Going Solar in a Big Way
Posted: July 12, 2012 Filed under: Retail, Sustainability, Washington, DC | Tags: energy, gehrlicher solar america, ikea, photovoltaic, potomac mills, pv, solar, woodbridge Leave a comment »
esterday, furniture superstore IKEA powered on its solar panels atop its Potomac Mills store (not pictured above). The retailer’s Woodbridge location now boasts Virginia’s largest photovoltaic array. In all, 2,100 panels take up 63,000 square feet, producing the equivalent of enough electricity to power 55 homes annually. The system was designed and installed by Gehrlicher Solar America Corp.
IKEA, the world’s largest furniture retailer, now has solar systems installed on 21 of its 44 U.S. locations. Its College Park and Baltimore locations already have solar installations.
Optimistic News for PG County’s Westphalia Town Center Development
Posted: July 11, 2012 Filed under: Business1, Development, Retail, Washington, DC | Tags: evangel cathedral, national harbor, potomac, prince george's county, smith home farms, town center, upper marlboro, walton group, westphalia Leave a comment »
fter years of setbacks, delays and uncertainty, some momentum was made today for the planned Westphalia Town Center (early rendering above) in Upper Marlboro, Prince George’s County. Developers met this morning with members of the area’s business community to provide an update on progress, a loose timetable for construction, and information on contracting opportunities.
The 479-acre project, northwest of the Capital Beltway, is backed by three developers: Walton International Group, Smith Home Farms and Evangel Cathedral. The proposed development would include 15,000 dwelling units, 1 million SF of retail, 4 million SF of office space and centralized recreation amenities.
The development would the biggest in Prince George’s County since the National Harbor, which began construction in 2008. The waterfront project, still under construction, boasts a convention center, six hotels, restaurants, shops, condominiums, a beachfront walking path, and features a number of outdoor activities. Unfortunately, the National Harbor’s construction has caused considerable controversy for negative environmental impacts, mainly affecting the Potomac River.
Read more at The Maryland Gazette here.
Aldi Coming to Loch Raven Plaza (Now 91% Occupied)
Posted: June 26, 2012 Filed under: Baltimore, Retail | Tags: aldi, loch raven plaza, superfresh, towson Leave a comment »
ince 1999, Towson’s Loch Raven Plaza has been without a grocery store, following Superfresh’s move to the Towson MarketPlace. This Fall, however, discount grocery store Aldi has decided to lease 25,000 SF of space to help fill that gap. Superfresh currently sublets its former space to a number of retailers, including Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores. Additionally, rent-to-own retailer Aaron’s Inc. will occupy 7,566 SF in the Fall as well.
Loch Raven Plaza is located at the intersection of Taylor Avenue and Loch Raven Blvd in Towson. The new leases bring the center to 91 percent occupancy, with other stores including Dollar Tree, Mattress Discounters, Radio Shack and Subway.
Towson Town Center to Gain Four New Retailers
Posted: June 21, 2012 Filed under: Baltimore, Retail | Tags: l'occitane, lilly pulitzer, marbles the brain store, retail, towson town center, white house black market Leave a comment »
ome August, four new retailers will be open for business at Towson Town Center. Marbles: The Brain Store, a game and puzzle retailer, will occupy 1,475 SF. Sur La Table, a kitchen tools and cookware store, will take up 4,800 SF. Lilly Pulitzer, a women’s clothing and accessories store, will lease 1,800 SF in July. And L’Occitane, a body care and fragrance store, will occupy 858 SF.
Additionally, the existing White House/Black Market, a women’s clothing, accessories and shoes store, will expand from 2,171 SF to 3,725 SF.
Eastpoint Mall Sells For $30 Million
Posted: May 31, 2012 Filed under: Baltimore, Business1, Retail | Tags: baltimore, eastpoint mall, lnr property llc, thor equities llc Leave a comment »
altimore County’s Eastpoint Mall sold Tuesday at auction for $30 million, despite state records showing an assessed value of $58.6 million. The winning bid belonged to LNR Property LLC of Miami Beach, Florida. Thor Equities LLC of New York had previously bought the mall for $112 million, nearly four times as much. It is unclear whether LNR Property plans to sell the mall again or keep it under their wing.
Eastpoint Mall was built in 1956 and underwent two renovations, once in 1991 and again in 2005. It is located at the intersection of Eastern Ave, North Point Blvd and I-695. It includes around 100 retail, restaurant and office tenants, with anchors including Burlington Coat Factory, DSW, Sears, Shoppers World and JCPenney.
For more information on Eastpoint Mall, visit their website here.
Barry’s Magic Shop Closing in Montgomery Co.
Posted: May 25, 2012 Filed under: Retail, Washington, DC | Tags: barry taylor, barry's magic shop, montgomery county, nicholson lane, susan kang, white flint mall Leave a comment »
n July 15, Barry’s Magic Shop, which has been “serving the magic community since 1974″ in Montgomery County, will close its doors. The store is owned by Barry Taylor and his wife Susan Kang. In addition to selling merchandise, the location has offered lectures, performances, lessons, and one-on-one advice. All items have now been discounted to 30% off.
Five years ago, the shop moved from a much smaller space on Georgia Ave to Nicholson Lane, near the White Flint Mall. Its current location has been called one of the largest magic shops in the country.
Read more at The Washington Post here.
For more information on Barry’s Magic Shop, visit their website here.
Luxury Theater to Join New Rock Spring Center in Bethesda
Posted: May 10, 2012 Filed under: Baltimore, Development, Dining, Retail, Washington, DC | Tags: bethesda, cinema, rock spring center, silverspot, theater Leave a comment »
ethesda will see construction breaking on Rock Spring Center some time this summer. The 1 million square foot mixed-use development, located at Old Georgetown Road and Rock Sprind Drive, will include two office towers, a hotel, residential units and retail space. And Silverspot, a luxury movie theater owned by one of the largest theater companies in South America, will be included in the mix.
This will be the third location for the cinema, with a current home in Naples, FL and one set to open soon in Miami. The theater distinguishes itself with leather seats, spacier foot room, and above average snack offerings. In addition, they provide a full restaurant and bar to cater to the dinner-and-a-movie outing.
For more information on Silverspot Cinema, visit their website here.
Hotel To Break Ground as First Phase of “Megadevelopment” at NoMa’s Capitol Square
Posted: May 8, 2012 Filed under: Development, Retail, Washington, DC | Tags: capitol square, hyatt place, jbg, macfarlane partners, noma Leave a comment »
oma’s “Capitol Square” currently refers to an old office building that sits on DC’s triangular site bounded by New York Ave, First St, and N Capitol St, along with a defunct car wash, a nightclub, and a youth shelter. This coming summer and as construction continues for the next 5 years, “Capitol Square” is expected to refer to the entire site, a mixed-use “megadevelopment” proposed under partnership between JBG and MacFarlane Partners.
The first phase is to be a 200-room Hyatt Place hotel, planned for completion by the end of 2013. Following that will be office, residential, and 85,000 square feet of ground floor retail. When completed, the entire project will have brought over 2 million square feet of leasable space to NoMa.
Read more at DCMud here.
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