Baltimore?s urban design panel gave a preliminary nod to the plan for a new city casino ? but the whole sketch may change if voters OK adding table games to the state?s slots parlors in next month?s referendum.
The Urban Design and Architecture Review Panel gave a limited blessing Thursday to CBAC Gaming LLC, a division of Caesars Entertainment Corp., for a new Harrah?s, to be located on the outskirts of town. But it said that if a majority of voters approve Question 7, it likely will upgrade the casino?s facade from brick to limestone because of the cachet of table games.
The panel met for more than two hours at City Hall and listened as Las Vegas architect Chuck Jones presented slides showing revisions made to the casino design since the panel rejected the initial schematics in mid-September.
Two of the three UDARP members were present. They tempered their limited endorsement of the latest designs of the 260,000-square-foot casino and 4,000-space parking garage with a wary mention about the Nov. 6 referendum, which would add a sixth state casino in Prince George?s County if Question 7 passes.
?Let?s not ignore the elephant in the room,? UDARP member Gary Bowden said. ?In two weeks, a decision will be made that will impact the design of this building.?
As presented Thursday, the design would include a glass and brick facade with a cube-like, illuminated glass entranceway along Russell Street. Last month, Jones presented a design that showed a curved glass entrance, but after criticism from the panel, he and his group redrew the plans to include the cube-like exterior and two outdoor porches that would face Russell Street for smokers.
The main entrance to the casino would be placed on Warner Street, which runs parallel to Russell Street. There, two separate bricked patio areas would greet gamblers and visitors, one for vehicle drop-offs and valet parking and one for pedestrians. The entranceway would also include an entertainment pavilion, Jones said.
Ground is expected to be broken in mid-2013, and the project is set for completion a year later, Jones said.
Bowden also questioned the need for Caesars to place a pair of three-story digital billboards on the facade of the parking garage facing Interstate 95. Jones said the boards will promote casino specials such as free Ravens tickets or entertainment packages.
?The messaging can be a major distraction to drivers going 65 miles per hour,? Bowden said. ?That signage is one-third of the building. ? I?m against billboards of this size advertising gambling at the entrance to Baltimore.?
In the end, though, Bowden and colleague Mark Cameron voted to approve the casino and garage schematics, with comment. Jones is expected to return next month with further tweaks that will include the parking garage, the pedestrian entrance on Warner Street and other designs to the main entranceway and pedestrian pavilion.
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Hungry sources say:
? A franchise of the popular Potbelly Sandwich shop will soon open where the old Danny?s Restaurant was located, at Charles and Biddle streets. PMC Property Group, which owns the 1201 N. Charles St. site ? it has just undergone a full renovation ? is negotiating the deal. Potbelly will join Chipotle and other new businesses in that block near the ever-expanding University of Baltimore.
? The Mt. Washington Tavern will officially reopen around Thanksgiving with a holiday weekend full of homecoming-like celebrations. A news release this week states: ?Just like turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie, Thanksgiving in Baltimore wouldn?t be the same without a visit to the Mt. Washington Tavern. This year, the tradition returns on Wednesday, Nov. 21 beginning at 8 p.m., when the newly rebuilt Mt. Washington Tavern hosts a public Grand Reopening party to kick off the holiday season. Baltimoreans young and old will flock to the Tavern to reconnect with old friends and to see and be seen. ? Highlights of the redesign include a new flow to the building, a seasonal deck adjacent to the Sky Bar, a more accessible dining room and bar space, Chesapeake Bay-inspired artwork, bar areas that will pay homage to horse racing, lacrosse and other local sporting passions and the return of the shuffleboard table.?
? Happy fifth birthday to the splendid Woodberry Kitchen, which celebrated all week long with $5 dinnertime specials each night.
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About two dozen residents and community activists from Fells Point attended a community meeting Tuesday night to discuss planned changes to the Broadway square public space.
Baltimore City Councilman James Kraft sponsored the meeting at the Fells Point Maritime Museum and called on his constituents to voice their opinions about the upgrades, which include some new brickwork, new seating, the addition of a small water fountain in the center, and the addition of a second retail kiosk near the waterfront and a stage-like area at the northern end for public performances.
The meeting was a continuation of public comment rendered last month at the city?s Commission on Historic and Architectural Preservation, which is considering the upgrades. Kraft attended the CHAP meeting and called for a public session to air comments further.
He said this week that a second public meeting on the changes at the square has been scheduled for Nov. 5 at 7 p.m., also at the Maritime Museum.
?I am hoping to take it all back to CHAP for its November meeting, December at the latest,? Kraft said. ?I?d like to have the whole thing done in 2013.?
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Scheer Partners recently signed a deal with Intrexon for a 55,000-square-foot laboratory and office space in the Interstate 270 technology corridor in Germantown.
Scheer, a provider of real estate services for the health science industry in Washington and Baltimore, brokered the multiyear lease extension for space at 20358 Seneca Meadows Parkway.
TIDBITS: Five new employees have been added to the KBE Building Corp. mid-Atlantic office roster in Columbia. The company announced this week that Gary Price has been hired as a superintendent, Ryan Jabs as a project engineer, Michelle Strickland as an estimator and Marie Nathan and Rosalia Marques as project engineers. ? Renovations to the performing arts center at the Riderwood retirement community in Silver Spring have been completed. The gussy-up included new carpet, wallpaper, paint and window treatments at the center in the Montgomery Station Clubhouse. Residents there use the center to celebrate weddings and birthdays and for meetings, dinners and movie nights.
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Source: http://thedailyrecord.com/maryland-business/2012/10/25/casino-design-ok-but-it-may-go-upscale/
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