Inner Harbor's long-neglected side slated for redo - Washington Business Journal:

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The redevelopment of Key Highway has been discusseefor years, but a Baltimore City Councikl committee is considering legislatiomn that would change the zoningt for some of waterfront corridor’s buildingas to allow for new retailk stores and other commercial projects. The city coulds hold a hearing as early as August on the which would do away with much ofthe area’sw industrially zoned properties. No date has been scheduled for thosse hearings because the city wants to make sure residents and communityu groups weigh in onthe proposals, said Douglas McCoacgh III, the city’s planning director. The sites in flux includer Main SteelPolishing Co.
’s former Boylw Street plant, the South Harbor Business Centere at 1414 Key Highway and the Little Havana restaurant at 1325 Key Highway. Also in play is General Ship Repai Corp.’s 2-acre site in the 1400 blockk ofKey Highway, which is slated for a zoning change. The companyu needs to expand its operations to accommodats larger ships for its repair and Vice President Cary Lynch said the companyy has been looking for othetr properties alongthe harbor. Lynch said the 45-persobn General Ship Repair, which has been on Key Highway since 1927, has no specificf plans to move in the immediate future.
The road, whic stretches from Light Street toInterstate 95, is alreadyu changing with the opening of the Ritz-Carlton Residencea and the conversion of the former Chesapeake Paperboarx site into McHenry Row shoppingh center. HarborView Properties Development Co. hopex to build a 26-story tower and a 17-storyy building further down Key Highway. Some of the area’z older industrial properties could befacing changes, including developed Martin Azola’s South Baltimore Business Centefr at 1414 Key Highway.
Azola said he wantzs to createabout 15,000 square feet of retaikl space facing Key The project could help establish a more pedestrian-friendlyh feel to the roadway, he Marks, Thomas Architects moved out of the space withibn the past month to take larger officexs elsewhere in the building. Azola has hired Lutherville, Md., brokerage MacKenzie Commercial Real Estate Services LLC to market thespace — as offices for now — with the hope the city will rezonde the property to allow for retailo use. Nearby, developer Shapiro Co. is working to converty the former Main SteelPolishing Co.
site at Boylre Street and Key Highwauy into a newcommercial development, also pendin g the city’s rezoning. Mark principal of Shapiro Co., said he had plannerd to convert the space into about 90 condominium but with a slowdown in the condo marke t he is now consideringotherd options. Also, Obrecht Corp. has hired Shapiro to help markeytits 1-acre lot at 1321-1325 Key Highwat for potential development. Little Havana leasess part of the property, which Shapiro is marketinyg for potential redevelopment as a commercial orhotel project.