Baltimore issues demolition permit for the Mechanic Theatre

The building might remain standing for a few more months, though...the developer is more focused on finalizing details for the overall project than starting demolition right away. Brown had fended off attempts to preserve the Mechanic, which is considered an iconic but unpopular example of Brutalist architecture. The Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation in September 2012 established a six-month waiting period to demolish the building, which has long since expired.

The company’s 32-story residential project...will not be completed until at least 2016.

Source:  Baltimore Business Journal, 4/30/14

Jonestown on the Rise?

The Commercial Group plans to begin construction by the end of year on a 276-unit apartment complex in the city’s historic Jonestown neighborhood north of Little Italy. Plans for the project also call for 11,000 square feet of retail space. Once construction begins, the project is expected to last two years. The Baltimore Business Journal reported last year the project was estimated to cost around $45 million, but McLaughlin said the cost is still being determined. Commercial Group purchased the Hendler building at 1100 E. Baltimore St. in 2012 for just under $1.1 million. City Councilman Carl Stokes, who represents the district in which the project sits, gave his stamp of approval [and said] the project “will probably tip us over to development around Jonestown,” Stokes said.

Source:  Baltimore Business Journal, "Commercial Group hopes to break ground by year's end on Hendler Creamery redevelopment", 5/1/2014