Coppin State University Breaks Ground on New Science and Technology Center

By Adrian Maties, Associate Editor

On Tuesday, May 14, Coppin State University hosted a formal groundbreaking for its new Science and Technology Center (STC). Lt. Governor Anthony Brown, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, and other elected officials attended the ceremony.

Coppin State University’s new Science and Technology Center will be located at the southern end of the university’s campus, in the northwest suburbs of Baltimore. It will be adjacent to the Health and Human Services Building, which opened in 2008. The facility will provide a new home for such science related disciplines as natural sciences, biology, physics, chemistry, general science and environmental sciences, and will also support programs for dentistry, medicine, and pharmacy training. It will house 24 labs, a lecture hall, an open computer lab, two general classrooms, three computer lab classrooms, a nanotechnology research lab and a research greenhouse.

“The new Science and Technology Center reflects a remarkable transformative power at Coppin. The new state-of-the-art-facility will enable access to cutting edge, high performance sciences and technology education that would allow the wide range of teaching, learning and research activity,” said Dr. Patel Maqbool, associate vice-president for administration and finance, in a statement. “It is designed to integrate fields of study with high social and community impact, a major addition to our beautifully growing urban campus.”

The STC will be a four-story concrete building with 150,332 square feet of space. Its architectural design includes sleek lines and a modern façade, different from the buildings in the surrounding area, which have typical brick facades with rectilinear building footprints. Coppin State University officials hope the new building will help improve student recruitment and faculty retention. Enrollment at Coppin State has been sagging in recent years.

“Coppin students will have competitive access to the learning environment [that is] so crucial for their academic and professional careers. The STC not only impacts the student body but also contributes to economic development, a sustainable environment and quality of life in West Baltimore,” Dr. Maqbool added.

Construction of the new building is expected to cost about $80 million. Lt. Governor Anthony Brown’s office told the Baltimore Business Journal that the total cost of the project is expected to be about $121 million and that it will be entirely covered by the state.

Cannon Design is the project’s architect, and the Barton Malow Company is construction manager. The STC is expected to be completed by January 2015. It is designed to achieve LEED Gold certification.

Photo credits: Cannon Design.

Morgan Properties Celebrates $10 Million Improvement Program Underway at Northwest Crossing Apartments

By Adrian Maties, Associate Editor

Morgan Properties celebrated on May 3 the next chapter of the newly re-named Northwest Crossing Apartments, a garden-style apartment community in Randallstown, Maryland. Tony Baysmore, Special Assistant to the Baltimore County Executive, Councilman Kenneth N. Oliver, Delegate Adrienne Jones, Mark McFadden, President of the Liberty Road Business Association, and Chad Rosay, Lieutenant of the Baltimore County Woodlawn Police Department, were among those present at the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Northwest Crossing Apartments was formerly known as Garden View. It features 588 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartment homes and is located in the suburban “Liberty Road Corridor.” Amenities include a basketball court, children’s play areas and a picnic area set among beautifully landscaped yards. The apartments are all pet-friendly and feature expansive private balconies, generous walk-in closets and 24-hour emergency maintenance, as well as high-speed Internet and cable.

The King of Prussia, Pennsylvania—based real estate investment, development and management company acquired the Northwest Crossing Apartments in August of 2012, in partnership with private equity real estate firm Core Properties. Now it is implementing a $10 million capital improvement program to reinvigorate the property and provide residents with an enhanced lifestyle experience.

Renovations are currently underway and include landscaping enhancements, upgrades to kitchens and bathrooms, and the addition of a well-trained management team to address the needs of each resident. The project will also deliver a new fitness center with cardio and strength equipment in the coming months.

Officials have praised Morgan Properties and Core Properties and think their decision to invest in Northwest Baltimore County will contribute to the area’s ongoing revitalization.

“We saw the potential for this well-positioned asset to be a flourishing community that residents of Northwest Baltimore County, from young professionals to families, will want to call home,” said Mitchell Morgan, founder, president and chief executive officer of Morgan Properties, in a statement for the press. “We take great pride in our company’s long-standing history of successfully repositioning apartment communities to meet the needs of today’s renters, and are extremely confident that the improvements we are making at Northwest Crossing Apartments will have a dramatic, positive impact on residents’ living experiences.”

Photo credits: Morgan Properties

St. John Properties, Inc. Reveals Plans for $100M Greenleigh at Crossroads Project in White Marsh

By Adrian Maties, Associate Editor

St. John Properties, Inc. and Somerset Construction Company unveiled plans on April 24 for a $100 million mixed-use development in Eastern Baltimore County, the next phase of Baltimore Crossroads. Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz joined Edward St. John, Chairman and Founder of St. John Properties, to announce the project.

Called Greenleigh at Crossroads,  the 200-acre development will deliver a mixture of mid-rise Class “A” commercial office buildings, retail amenities and housing options. The residential units will be a mix of single family, town homes, multi-family and condos.

The Greenleigh at Crossroads project in numbers:

• $100 million investment;
• 200 acres;
• 50 acres – 25% of the project reserved for open space;
• 1,700 residential units;
• 500,000 square feet of office space;
• 100,000 square feet of retail space.

Groundbreaking is expected to start within the next 12 to 18 months. Greenleigh at Crossroads was designed by the planning and urban design firm Design Collective, Inc.

Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz thinks Greenleigh at Crossroads will be a town center ”unlike anything else in Baltimore County… it will be an important part of eastern Baltimore County’s future.” He also said the project sets a new Baltimore County standard for quality development.

“Greenleigh at Crossroads represents an integrated approach to the opportunities our research suggests are emerging in Baltimore County, as well as a viable solution to re-energize and enhance the overall character of the community,” Edward St. John said in a press statement. “We have thoughtfully designed this new section to serve as a dynamic employment generator, create a comprehensive live-work-play environment that satisfies many different needs and to elevate the product mix to the highest level ever achieved in the County.”

Greenleigh at Crossroads will be developed in Baltimore Crossroads, a 1,000 acre mixed-use business community on Maryland Route 43, in White Marsh. Since 2007, St. John Properties has developed almost 1.2 million square feet at Baltimore Crossroads, including 16 buildings representing 500,000 square feet of office, research and development and retail space. Approximately 3,000 employees currently work in this business community with over two million square feet of space. When finished, St. John says 10,000 people will be employed there.

Photo credits: St. John Properties, Inc.

Kaiser Permanente Opens The South Baltimore County Corner Medical Center in Halethorpe

By Adrian Maties, Associate Editor

Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States, an award-winning not-for-profit health plan and care provider, has opened a new, state-of-the-art medical center this month, in Halethorpe, Maryland. Called the South Baltimore County Corner Medical Center, it will offer a broad array of services including specialty and primary care.

The South Baltimore County Corner Medical Center is located at 1701 Twin Springs Road in Halethorpe, near the intersection of I-95 and 695. It is a 130,000-square-foot, four-story building, featuring 24/7 urgent care, laboratory, pharmacy, and radiology services and more than 25 medical specialties such as an ambulatory surgery center, endoscopy unit and more. Over 330 physicians and staff are employed there. Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States opened the South Baltimore County Corner Medical Center on April 8.

The multi-specialty medical center was designed with the Kaiser Permanente member in mind. Each exam room is fully wired with Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect, the most advanced electronic medical record system available today.

“Our new South Baltimore County Corner Medical Center not only provides convenience by making it easier for Kaiser Permanente members to access our top-notch care and 21st century technology, but also represents critical job growth,” said Kim Horn, president, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc., in a press statement. The South Baltimore County Corner Medical Center created 175 new jobs in the Baltimore area.

“The South Baltimore County Medical Center was built to offer the exceptionally convenient and top-quality patient experience that has made us number one in the Mid-Atlantic,” added Bernadette Loftus, MD, the Permanente Medical Group executive director of the Mid-Atlantic States. “Our physicians are thrilled to care for members in this extraordinary facility that’s equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and technology, and will be open to care for members any time of the day or night.”

Photo credits: Kaiser Permanente

Baltimore City Officials Celebrate Approval of $1.1 Billion School Construction and Renovation Plan

By Adrian Maties, Associate Editor

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, City Schools CEO Andrés A. Alonso, School Board Chair Neil E. Duke, Maryland Stadium Authority Executive Director Michael J. Frenz  and many others gathered on Wednesday, April 10, to celebrate the approval by the Maryland General Assembly of the Baltimore City Public School Construction and Revitalization Act of 2013.

The act is considered one of the most important legislative achievements for the city of Baltimore in decades. It calls for the city, the state and the city school system to provide about $60 million a year to finance $1.1 billion in School Construction & Renovation Bonds issued by the Maryland Stadium Authority. Originally conceived by Andrés A. Alonso and supported by  Mayor Rawlings-Blake, the plan now just needs Governor Martin O’Malley’s signature.

The $1.1 billion funding will be used to build as many as 15 new schools and renovate over 30 public schools in the next 10 years. This school construction program unique to Baltimore is supported by a doubling of city funding for school construction over historic levels and by state lottery proceeds phased in over three years. The Maryland Stadium Authority will  carry out the building renovations and replacements. Construction is scheduled to begin in the 2014-2015 school year.

“I want all of us to thank and applaud Governor O’Malley, Senate President Miller, and House Speaker Busch for their critical support,” Mayor Rawlings-Blake said in a press statement. “This landmark bill not only represents one of the most significant legislative achievements for the City of Baltimore in modern history, it also represents a renewal in the partnership between the City and the State. Our vision of growing Baltimore by 10,000 families depends greatly on our ability to improve public education and this landmark achievement will help us ensure that Baltimore’s best days are ahead.”

Photo credits: www.baltimorecity.gov