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Committee moves sale of 1820 North Charles Street forward to council
Summary
Baltimore City’s Land Use and Transportation Committee voted to report Council Bill 25-00069 favorable, clearing the way for an RFP to redevelop the long-vacant property at 1820 North Charles Street into a use tied to the arts and entertainment district.
Baltimore City’s Land Use and Transportation Committee voted to report Council Bill 25-00069 favorable, recommending that the full council take the measure up on second reader. The bill would authorize the sale of city-owned property at 1820 North Charles Street and allow the Baltimore Development Corporation to issue a request for proposals to redevelop the site.
Kim Clark, executive vice president of the Baltimore Development Corporation, told the committee the city acquired the parcel under urban renewal decades ago and later folded it into the Parkway Theatre property; unlike the theater, the parcel was never redeveloped. "This property comes before you with a long history," Clark said, and the agency hopes an RFP will attract developers who will reintegrate the site into the arts and entertainment district and the Charles North area.
Chair Ryan Dorsey asked whether the building sits in an historic district and whether a future purchaser could demolish the distinctive structure. Clark said demolition "would not be the intent of the RFP," that the site is not believed to be in a historic district, and that BDC has completed a structural analysis and taken steps to preserve the building. "Once we get a roof on it, it'll be good, we believe," she said.
Planning and Finance both reported favorable recommendations. Finance said redevelopment should spur private investment in Station North, promote job creation and increase tax revenue. Jay Hardy, representing the Office of the Comptroller and the Department of Real Estate, told the committee his office supported the bill and its submitted bill report. Stephanie Murdock of the Department of Housing and Community Development also said DHCD stands by its favorable report and offered to provide the report to committee staff.
No members of the public testified on the item. A committee member moved to report the bill favorable; members voted verbally in favor. The committee's vote is a recommendation to the full City Council; the bill will appear for second reader at the next council meeting.
