Baltimore Messenger
April 5, 2006

Taking Rotunda to New Heights
By Brandon Dudley

Rotunda redeveloper Hekemian & Co. wants to make the $100 million project hide in plain sight.

The design of the retail, office and housing complex is being changed in significant ways. The latest draft that New Jersey-based Hekemian & Co. pitched to community leaders last week calls for two new buildings - one 17 stories and the other 10 stories - rather than one large, L-shaped building.

The 17-story building would house 300 apartments, one level of retail and four levels of parking. Luxury apartments would be wrapped around two sides of the parking garage, hiding the building from street-level view.

The higher floors of the building would be recessed about 60 feet, to create a large terrace space for amenities such as a rooftop pool. That would push the high floors of the building back, creating sightlines that would make it difficult for pedestrians and surrounding residents to see the full height of the building from the ground.

The second building, with one planned level of retail and 100 planned condominiums, would use the same technique.

"We really have been trying to use all types of tricks to visually reduce the size of this project," said Rich Burns, principal partner of the Design Collective, the firm that Hekemian has hired to redesign the project.

In between the two buildings would be a large area that would include parking, but would focus heavily on pedestrian traffic and on gathering spots. The area is meant to have a town square feel, with shops facing outward and room for cafe seating outside, the designers said.

"Parking now takes a back seat to pedestrians," said Omar Calderon, a Design Collective associate.

The new look, especially focusing on pedestrian access at street level, reflects the new character Hekemian has in mind for the struggling mall, said Chris Bell, Hekemian vice president of acquisitions and development.

Bell said the shopping center has lacked focus. "It was doing sort of a suburban/urban (mix). It didn't know what it wanted to be before."

Residents at the March 25 meeting were mostly supportive, although some like Tom McGilloway of Wyman Park, president of the promotional group Hampden Village Main Street, had concerns, especially about the impact on traffic.

"If it's done well, it could be a really exciting project," McGilloway said. He said Hekemian is making a good effort "to relate to the surrounding community."

"As a resident I am actually happy they're doing it," said George Peters, a member of the Hampden Community Council. Though still leery of the scale of the project, "I think it's going to be great for the community," he said.

McGilloway is hoping for a stronger relationship between the Rotunda and 36th Street, Hampden's commercial corridor known as the Avenue.

"The two can complement (instead of) compete with each other," he said.