Baltimore's State Center

(Rendering by Mithun)

(Rendering by Mithun)

(Rendering by Mithun)

Another project back on track after a 2 year delay is State Center in Maryland. State Center is located in the Midtown District of Baltimore and is said to be the largest concentration of state government offices in Maryland.  So with that population of workers in mind (3,500 currently), as well as being a major mass transit node (metro and light rail stations are both located in or adjacent to the project), the 28 acre site will be redeveloped across five phases over 15 years that will include additional office space, housing, retail as well as green space. Phase 1 was given the unanimous approval to move forward and will include 500,000 sf of office space and 70,000 sf of retail (including a grocery store).


Total investment of this project will be $1.3 Billion with $215 million being spent on the initial phase.  The final project will consist of one million sf of office space, 3,000 mixed-income housing units, 500,000 sf of retail, a 200 room hotel, various restaurant and dining options, 60,000 additional sf of institutional office space, 3+ acres of green space, 3,000 additional parking spaces and plans for a movie theater.


Ekistics, LLC, the developer of the project, has also committed to a LEED Silver certification.  Three firms have partnered to design State Center including Design Collective and Cho Benn Holback + Associates, both of Baltimore and Mithun of Seattle.  


This is a massive project when you consider the complexities of an urban core, existing buildings, rail lines, infrastructure, and then creating a comprehensive development plan.  It will be an interesting project to follow.  Please send me your thoughts or your photos as it comes out of the ground.  Check out the books at the bottom.  Look Up, Baltimore is a walking tour of Mount Vernon Place which is a neighborhood adjacent to this project.  


Here is a article from the Baltimore Business Journal:
State Center Redevelopment to Start in Fall, Include Grocery Store


State Center Website:
http://statecenter.org