It’s been a vacant lot on a prominent corner for about two years, but it looks like things are finally starting to move with Towson Row. Greenberg Gibbons, the developer who took over the project one year ago, is holding a kickoff celebration on Thursday.
The project had stalled under developer Caves Valley Partners, who said they found rock under the ground on the site that complicated their plans. Greenberg Gibbons in December got approval for more than $40 million in public money for the project: Greenberg Gibbons will forego the Commercial Revitalization tax credits it’s entitled to and will instead get a $26.5 million advance from the county. Additionally, the county will give them a $16.4 million grant that will be paid back through the hotel occupancy tax.
Towson Row will be built on five acres between York Road, Towsontown Boulevard, Washington Avenue and Chesapeake Avenue. The 1.2 million-square-foot development will include more than 100,000 square feet of retail/restaurant uses, 150,000 square feet of Class A office space, 250 luxury high-rise residential units, 300 high-rise student housing units, and a hotel.
Whole Foods is expected to be one of the tenants.
Since underground parking is no possible as originally planned, what is planned for travelers, tennants, employees and shoppers?
Did someone forget a ground test of the property to determine what might be feasible??
The developer said that Whole Foods has not made a commitment to be at this site. This was stated clearly at the County Council work session prior to the Council’s vote to provide $43 million in capital to the project.
Is the expectation that the development will be for people to live and work mostly in Towson as a self-contained exurb of Baltimore City, like Belair? Has a study been done to determine if the area can withstand the expected increase in vehicles both for traffic and parking? Given the current state of traffic in downtown Towson, I can’t imagine how the road system could be re-engineered without adding major arteries to accommodate the increase in traffic flow to work properly. Right now, it’s matter of “too many cars, not enough road.” Will the BGE grid capacity be increased so that this idea does not result in more brown outs in the Towson, Ruxton, Lutherville, Timonium and other areas in Summer? Is this just another Developer Profiteering boondoggle or is it the right thing to do for the Towson area.?
Great observation by Ty Ford. Too little attention has been paid to the idea of turning Towson into an “exurb” (or edge city) on the outskirts of Baltimore. What are the consequences both for the County and the City? Is it good for either? We know who it IS good for, of course, which is why Council agreed to $43M subsidy.
Do you know what an exurb is? An exurb is a commuter town outside the suburbs or a very distant suburb. Towson is not at all an example of an exurb. It’s a nearby suburb of Baltimore that is a small town in it’s own right. A better example of an exurb would be the small developments that keep popping up in northern Baltimore county and those who move to southern PA and continue to commute to Baltimore for work.
Great that construction is starting, but where are plans for all the additional cars — after the project is completed — on already clogged York Road, W. Chesapeake and parts of Bosley Ave, etc? Projecting traffic patterns and expanding or altering roads are an integral part of such planning. There was a bit of work done on Towsontown Blvd blocks away, yet the former county exec also did not approve a Towson circulator bus. It’s clear one will be needed. And why not? People won’t come or stay if the traffic is as horrendous as seems likely. Let alone how things will go for nearby residents trying to get to the library or elsewhere. Anyone who goes through the intersection of Towsontown and York at rush hour already has a good idea of what’s at stake.