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BALTIMORE | 414 Light Street | 500 FT | 44 FLOORS

Design of proposed Inner Harbor skyscraper unveiled, praised

http://i378.photobucket.com/albums/o...ps8e29bbfc.jpg

Quote:

Questar Properties Inc. unveiled plans on Thursday for a posh 43-floor residential tower across from the Inner Harbor, a project the developer predicts will become an icon for downtown Baltimore.

The 485-foot, 372-unit apartment building would tower above the neighboring Harbor Court hotel and condominium complex and would become the city’s fourth-tallest building. San Francisco-based architecture firm Solomon Cordwell Buenz designed a building that reflects the maritime history of the Inner Harbor, with a sail-like structure being placed at the top. Much of the building, at 414 Light St., will be encased in blue glass meant to evoke the Inner Harbor waters.

The building would sit on the site of a former McCormick & Co. Inc. manufacturing plant, a long-vacant site now home to a surface parking lot.

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http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore....html?page=all

Wow! More growth in Baltimore! I've said it before, but it's such a relief to see this city climb - when I was growing up in MD, I'd get such skyline envy as my hometown sat stagnant. No longer! :cheers:

Love it! I hope it comes to fruition.

Nice tower. It sort of reminds me of Austin's new GreenWater residential towers.

City officials grant final approval to 414 Light St. apartment tower

Oct 10, 2014 - Kevin Litten, Baltimore Business Journal

Questar Properties Inc. on Thursday won architectural approvals for the 44-story, 392 unit ultra-luxury apartment tower it's proposing for the southwest corner of Light and Conway streets.

The approval was a major hurdle for the Pikesville-based company, which wants to get the $140 million project under construction early next year. The 500-foot skyscraper will also be seen as a landmark addition for downtown and the Inner Harbor, becoming the tallest apartment building in the city and offering a level of luxury offered in other large cities, but not yet in Baltimore.

Given the tower's potential to transform the skyline and set a new standard for the bleakly landscaped Light Street, Urban Design and Architecture Review Panelists had been tough on the project when it came before the group in August.

Thursday's meeting was a complete turnabout, helped in part by the addition of Chicago landscape architect Ted Wolff, who charmed the panel with his polished presentation style and a plan for the building's base that panelists said was a major improvement on previous presentations.

"The change is so refreshing and so reassuring," said panelist Gary Bowden. Panelist Judith Meany agreed, declining to even offer any criticism of the revamped proposal: "I don't even want to pick at it," she said.

One of the most harshly criticized elements of the original landscape plan was a stair design that led up to the building's entrances. Wolff changed out the sloping, diagonal stairs for a more traditional design that features gently sloping sidewalks nearby for handicap access.

Due to regulations related to the potential for flooding at the Inner Harbor, Questar is required to build any street-level retail or residential entryways at a minimum of two feet above ground level.

Nice, thanks for the update :). A historical moment for the Baltimore skyline. :cheers:

Also, just changed the first post rendering to the image of the site. Broken link.

Pretty nice design. Nice to see Bmore on the upswing. :cheers:

Good to see. Baltimore is one city I don't see on here very much. I wonder why they don't build high like the rest of the east coast.

Way cool! I'm super excited about this project.

I was curious to see how this building would change the harbor skyline and couldn't help putting together this elevation. I based the height on a comparison with the Legg Mason building.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7512/...8bc94eaf_o.png

Very nice. As this will be the 4th tallest when complete, it makes quite a noticeable impact from the harbor. I noticed the previous article mentioned 500 feet (not sure if they rounded compared to the bizhournal source). If so, then this will actually become the 3rd tallest. 4th assuming its 485 feet.

Good for you guys! Love the design!

Proposed 414 Light St. tower gets final approval from Planning Commission

UPDATED: Dec 19, 2014

Quote:

The city Planning Commission on Thursday unanimously voted to grant final approval to the apartment skyscraper at 414 Light St., the last major hurdle developer Questar Properties Inc. needed for the project.

The approval allows developer Stephen M. Gorn to apply for a building permit and start construction on the 44-story, $140 million tower at the corner of Light and Conway streets downtown. Gorn told the commission that he expects to begin construction on the 392-unit building in the second quarter of 2015.

City Councilwoman Rochelle "Rikki" Spector asked Gorn how much tax revenue the tower is expected to generate for the city. Gorn said he didn't know, but pointed out that the long-vacant lot only generates about $500,000 annually and that the tower will likely generate "millions."

That's good news for city officials, who have long complained that the surface parking lot is a terrible use of space for a waterfront parcel on the Inner Harbor. The parking lot accommodates about 250 cars; the tower will feature a multi-floor garage that will provide a net increase of 300 cars on the site.

Those spaces will offer enough parking both for residents and visitors to the building who will be attracted to the 12,000 square feet of retail on the first floor. The building has been designed to accommodate outdoor patio seating along Light Street, indicating Questar will try to attract a restaurant to the space.
That's good news for city officials, who have long complained that the surface parking lot is a terrible use of space for a waterfront parcel on the Inner Harbor. The parking lot accommodates about 250 cars; the tower will feature a multi-floor garage that will provide a net increase of 300 cars on the site.

Those spaces will offer enough parking both for residents and visitors to the building who will be attracted to the 12,000 square feet of retail on the first floor. The building has been designed to accommodate outdoor patio seating along Light Street, indicating Questar will try to attract a restaurant to the space

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Dec 19, 2014
http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore...-approval.html

Some modified and polished renderings from Questar:

Some slight changes are noticeable in the first rendering compared to the previous one in a past post.

http://oi58.tinypic.com/ruz09v.jpg

http://oi58.tinypic.com/4dq2w.jpg

http://oi62.tinypic.com/291ke13.jpg

http://oi58.tinypic.com/rbfjtl.jpg
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http://www.questar.net/questar-commu...ner-harbor.htm

New Renderings / re-design from the architect:

http://zieglercooper.com/wp-content/...st-940x626.jpg

http://zieglercooper.com/wp-content/...e1-940x626.jpg

Quote:

414 Light Street is designed as a sleek point tower, emphasizing the contrast of its elliptical shape with the surrounding orthogonal buildings. Its form also serves to reflect highlights of the sun, accenting the sculptural quality of the architecture as a centerpiece of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. The tower is crowned by a cylindrical-shaped beacon, symbolic of Baltimore’s maritime past. This defining element completes the tower form and captures the changing light reflected off the harbor, transforming 414 Light Street into a piece of urban art. The tower is crafted in a combination of glass and aluminum panels, giving the structure a modern expression, while the retail base is made of a combination of stone and glass. To animate the frontage streets, the design activates the urban edges of the building with a pedestrian zone and two floors of retail space.

The 305 units feature 9.5-foot floor-to-ceiling glass, wood flooring and stone counter tops. Another key move in the design was the decision to share the top floor with all tower residents. By locating the club amenities on Level 36, residents and guests can enjoy a beautiful panorama of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and financial district.

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http://zieglercooper.com/414-light-street/

Darn, I saw that on ZC's page thinking it was their failed design proposal.