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Ardleigh
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JAB is 100% correct. Soulless development like this is utterly depressing and is killing what little local flavor is left to Baltimore. The town has been wrecked by overdevelopment and yes, gentrification. The waterfront east and south is now choked with awful, ugly hotels and condos for tourists and yuppies. Greed, plain and simple. The land in question would be better used for a public park or affordable housing.
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JAB
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Robby wrote: <quoted text>
I agree completely. I think a Target and a grocery store would be okay, but why must the area be turned into Consumption Village, exurb style? On the other hand, I supose it is an improvement over the nearby slums and industrial wasteland. I would agree to the extent that something on a site is better for a city than nothing on a site. At what cost is this something going to come, though? There is a permenance to building that I don't think is being considered here. The buildings in the rendering are 1.5 story boxes of speculative building and there is no articulation from one to the other. What is urban about this? The beauty of a city, in my opinion, is what lies in the character that is created by the built environment. Baltimore should demand better than this.
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Robert
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Ardleigh, I would be interested in knowing if you mean gentrification in a racial sense or not. I personally dont see an issue with it. I find it amazing the people at large complain when a "poor" neighborhood is left alone and no one wants to live there. But when someone comes up with a plan to make it better, they complain they are forcing the "poor" people out with improvements.
From someone who has grew up on the east side of Baltimore, I welcome all this. Why not have a shopping center here instead of out white marsh? If young urban professionals want to move here, spend their expendable income, and by the way, add money back to Baltimore's coffers. Show me the money!!! Just getting Boston Street repaved would be worth it.
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Happy Canton Homeowner
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I am interested in seeing what people in Canton think. Rather than, NY, DC, VA and other parts of MD. No offense, but you don't live here.
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jamie hunt
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JAB wrote: <quoted text> ... There is a permenance to building that I don't think is being considered here. The buildings in the rendering are 1.5 story boxes of speculative building and there is no articulation from one to the other. What is urban about this?... Permanence? James Wine's celebrated (by other architects, anyway) BEST store in the old Eudowood Plaza in Towson didn't make it through its third decade before it was torn down to make room for a Target. Hale's project will serve Canton and nearby neighborhoods with the everyday retail they need, giving Cantonites one less reason to go into the county. The brick architecture ain't grand, but it suits Canton well, and in thirty years, when the neighborhood is bursting at the seams, these buildings will be leveled for something larger, grander, more aesthetically appealing.
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Phallic tenant
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Wow, Ed Hale planning further development...how exciting. I wonder if he ever plans on completing the existing project of this 17 story phallic symbol in Canton. As a tenant here, we have less than acceptable parking. Customers to the building have made comments entering the building....Oh, let's not forget those lovely rainy days when the parking lots on all three sides get so flooded that large puddles many feet wide and inches deep form, making it impossible to park and even if you get a spot, it’s difficult maneuvering around them.
When dry, the pot holes are so many and deep that as a driver, the experience driving in the lot is that of an off road trek. But he gets to park his Lexus LS & SC haphazardly at the service garage...tacky.
And lighting....lighting for the sheer safety is non existent. But of course, we have security...oh yes, security that is either on personal phone calls at the lobby desk or off chasing smokers or smoking themselves that they feel their presence is enough to scare off would be attackers....yes they are very frightening.
I guess there are privileges with purchasing property and constructing a building, then turning around and selling it to 1st Mariner for $20 million. I was thinking about an article some time ago…wasn’t the Board trying to vote him out? Just a thought.
One can’t help but notice that Hopkins physicians/staff and patients get the paved spots. All other able senior citizens I see coming in the building must trek through the awful conditions of the parking lots. What of the About Faces clientele. Does Ed think they are simply going to stand for such conditions? Are they expected to muck up their footwear to enter and leave an establishment that already charges more than their Towson spa? After all, these could be the wives to his country club pals.
Ed is more concerned with smokers than making this facility more attractive and accessible. As a reformed smoker, I'm not as bigoted as Ed.
So good luck Ed. I’m sure the excitement you stir with potential partners and tenants will make this area a big successful project. What with all the 18 wheelers driving through, the trains that block traffic up Boston Street and streets that cannot handle the traffic already, mmmmm, I just get a warm and fuzzy.
But of course, Ed could care less about inconveniences to others. He lives where he works, when not at his ‘real’ home and comes in by helicopter.
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Stack
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Phallic tenant wrote: Wow, Ed Hale planning further development...how exciting. I wonder if he ever plans on completing the existing project of this 17 story phallic symbol in Canton. As a tenant here, we have less than acceptable parking. Customers to the building have made comments entering the building....Oh, let's not forget those lovely rainy days when the parking lots on all three sides get so flooded that large puddles many feet wide and inches deep form, making it impossible to park and even if you get a spot, it’s difficult maneuvering around them.
When dry, the pot holes are so many and deep that as a driver, the experience driving in the lot is that of an off road trek. But he gets to park his Lexus LS & SC haphazardly at the service garage...tacky.
And lighting....lighting for the sheer safety is non existent. But of course, we have security...oh yes, security that is either on personal phone calls at the lobby desk or off chasing smokers or smoking themselves that they feel their presence is enough to scare off would be attackers....yes they are very frightening.
I guess there are privileges with purchasing property and constructing a building, then turning around and selling it to 1st Mariner for $20 million. I was thinking about an article some time ago…wasn’t the Board trying to vote him out? Just a thought.
One can’t help but notice that Hopkins physicians/staff and patients get the paved spots. All other able senior citizens I see coming in the building must trek through the awful conditions of the parking lots. What of the About Faces clientele. Does Ed think they are simply going to stand for such conditions? Are they expected to muck up their footwear to enter and leave an establishment that already charges more than their Towson spa? After all, these could be the wives to his country club pals.
Ed is more concerned with smokers than making this facility more attractive and accessible. As a reformed smoker, I'm not as bigoted as Ed.
So good luck Ed. I’m sure the excitement you stir with potential partners and tenants will make this area a big successful project. What with all the 18 wheelers driving through, the trains that block traffic up Boston Street and streets that cannot handle the traffic already, mmmmm, I just get a warm and fuzzy.
But of course, Ed could care less about inconveniences to others. He lives where he works, when not at his ‘real’ home and comes in by helicopter. That's pretty depressing. I've never been to the building, but I don't understand what your saying about the smokers.
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Phallic tenant
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From an article in February 2007:
Bad News at 1st Mariner Bankposted by on Monday, February 25 2008 @ 11:38 PMComments: 2
Rating: ShareThis Print The news for Ed Hale, Chairman at 1st Mariner Bank continues to get worse as time goes on. You might remember that Ed Hale was a big supporter of O'Guvnah's 2006 Campaign, when he basically turned his bank properties into MASSIVE advertising billboards for O'Guvnah and his Lefty Dem downticket campaigns.
The result of this massive endorsement was the loss of a number bank customers totalling a couple million in deposits. In addition, employee contributions to the 1st Mariner PAC (Political Action Committee) collapsed. Turns out that Ed's employees are a LOT smarter than he is.
A lot smarter...
Ed's mortgage operation was one of the first to take a complete beating in the subprime market, as Bear Stearns quickly realized his office in Northern Virginia was writing a ton of fraudulent paper. Ed had to close the office, but in the process he had to bring in the FBI, which is conducting an ongoing investigation. What they will turn up is unclear at this point, but its looking like Ed had some pretty bad employees down there in Northern Virginia who were comitting all sorts of fraud.
Just a few weeks ago, 1st Mariner announced a loss of $10 million for 2007, driven largely by a slowdown in its commercial and residential loan business. The Board has all but shut off Ed's ability to use 1st Mariner Bank as a personal debit card.
Then, two weeks ago, Ed Hale himself was sued in Baltimore Circuit Court for defaulting on a $3.7 million loan from Maryland Financial Bank. MFB exists largely as a way to loan money to bank officers so that they can avoid the conflict-of-interest issues borrowing money from their own banks. Part of Ed's problem is surely the fact that the value of his collateral -- almost 500k shares of 1st Mariner Bancorp -- has dropped by almost $1 million.
Teller's Check:
A check drawn by a depository institution on an account maintained at a second depository institution and signed by a teller at the originating institution. Teller's checks are often used in payment of withdrawal orders.And now, word comes from Bank of America Headquarters that they are no longer cashing Teller's Checks issued by 1st Mariner Bank. They will hold those checks for seven days to make sure they clear. This is a huge blow to 1st Mariner Bank, as it shows that the nation's largest retail bank has little confidence in 1st Mariner's ability to pay. This is shocking.
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Better design
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The site punctuating the end of eastern edge of the city skyline should have a great design. I hope Ed Hale gets and pays a great architect this time.
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