BCCC snatches up former downtown movie theater

Its windows have been shuttered for more than a year, since United Artists closed its nine-screen movie theater there, but the Harbor Park building downtown finally has a replacement. Baltimore City Community College will turn the 28,000-square-foot space at Market Place and Lombard Street into classrooms, computer labs and offices for its Business and Continuing Education Center. The move will consolidate the program, which now operates out of two buildings at the college’s Harbor Campus.“I think it’s an exciting opportunity for the college because we will be able to consolidate our Business and Continuing Education Center’s services into one location,” said Gary Franklin, executive director of administrative services for the college. “The key was its adjacency to the main building” at 600 E. Lombard St, he said, adding that the college is committed to maintaining a strong presence in the Inner Harbor. The college operates from the Lombard Street building and 10 S. Gay St., as well as five buildings at its Liberty Heights Avenue campus. The Harbor Park building also houses a parking garage, the Baja Beach Club and is adjacent to the Port Discovery children’s museum. Willard Hackerman, president and chief executive officer of Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., co-owns the garage with Harbor Park landlord Leonard Sachs. He is expanding the 830-space garage by 470 spaces to accommodate his new office tower at 750 E. Pratt St.Colorado-based United Artists Theatre Circuit Inc. had opened a theater at the Harbor Park building in 1985, which was hailed as one of the first new movie theaters to hit any downtown in a long time. However, due to competition from megaplexes with stadium seating, the company closed the Inner Harbor theater’s doors last March. Officials with Insignia Miller, the real estate brokerage representing the college and landlord Leonard Sachs, said BCCC expressed its interest in the space as soon as it became available.“They showed interest from day one,” said Michael W. Bender, vice president of Insignia Miller.Franklin said the Market Place corridor’s recent wave of redevelopment, including The Cordish Co.’s recently completed plaza of nightclubs and restaurants — Power Plant Live — makes the new location attractive.Further, he said the downtown location, access to parking and public transportation helped seal the deal for the college. “All of these are positives.”Improvements to the interior and exterior of the building are much needed as it has fallen into disrepair since the theater vacated the space. However, Franklin said plans and financial details have not been finalized.The college would like to make the move “as soon as we can,” he said.