Low-income seniors get new digs in Lansdowne

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This week, a group of housing advocates and elected officials joined Enterprise Homes for a topping-off ceremony for the $14.6 million Greens at English Consul in Lansdowne.

The Baltimore County project for seniors will eventually offer 90 affordable apartments for low- and moderate-income seniors. It is the first new construction in the county’s southwest suburban area in 20 years.

On hand for the celebration was Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development Secretary Raymond Skinner and officials from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Bank of America.

“Affordable housing, particularly for seniors, is greatly needed in this community,” said Chickie Grayson, Enterprise Homes president and CEO. “The percentage of seniors in Baltimore County is one of the highest in the country and will continue to grow during the next decade.”

The Greens at English Consul was designed by Grimm + Parker as a four-story building with 72 one-bedroom apartments. It is expected to be completed in 2014. The project will be energy efficient with double-pane windows, water-conserving plumbing, Energy Star appliances and Green Label carpeting.

Outside, seniors will be able to relax under a covered area surrounded by landscaping. A common space inside will provide opportunities for socialization and there will be a computer room, a television lounge and even a sports bar.

The project’s funding comes from a variety of sources: low-income housing tax credits, HOME funds, Partnership Rental Housing funds, EmPower Maryland funds, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, Rental Housing Works, a Maryland tax-exempt bond, an FHA-insured construction loan and developer equity, Enterprise officials said.

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A spate of new national retailers is coming to The Mall in Columbia

The General Growth Properties-owned suburban retail hotspot this week unveiled a roster of newbies that includes several fresh retailers to the recently expanded mall, which now holds 1.6 million square feet of space.

They include: Soma Intimates, a lingerie shop, Secolari, an olive oil and vinegar specialty shop, Arhaus, a handcrafted home goods store, Wilsons Leather, Forever Flawless, a skincare store and a Stride Rite shoe store. New restaurants include Seasons 52, a grill and wine bar restaurant expected to open late next year and Zoës Kitchen, a “fast-casual” Mediterranean-style restaurant that will open in early 2014.

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Get the wheels ready

This week, the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks announced it had received a $180,000 grant to build the first phase of a concrete skate park at Roosevelt Park in Hampden. Half of the funds were provided by The Skatepark of Baltimore Inc.

Groundbreaking is scheduled for Oct. 1 at 4 p.m. at the park, at 1221 W. 36th St.

The project will be constructed by the national group, Artisan Skateparks , a nationally recognized company that builds custom concrete skateparks. Phase one will be construction of a 5,000-square-foot concrete bowl.

“The first phase is designed to be functional upon completion and open to the public, so the community will be able to enjoy the park while we continue our fundraising efforts to complete all phases of the park’s construction,” Skatepark of Baltimore Founder and Board President Stephanie Murdock said in a statement.

Murdock’s nonprofit worked for a year to raise funds for the matching grant. One of the largest contributions came from the Tony Hawk Foundation, which chipped in $25,000. Other donors included the Hampden Community Council, the Hampden Village Merchants Association and the Murdock family.

It is expected that once completed, the park will attract as many as 100 skaters a day.

TIDBITS: This week, a Family First Medical Center & Pharmacy opened for workers of The Volvo Group at its 1.5 million-square-foot powertrain development and production plant in Hagerstown. The idea is to help “promote wellness, manage health care costs and increase productivity” for the workforce by allowing a facility with healthcare technology, primary care, chronic condition management and physical therapy for the employees. The center is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. … NAIOP Maryland will hold a legislative and regulatory conference on Oct. 7 at the Marriott Inner Harbor in Baltimore beginning at 8 a.m. The event is approved for three hours of continuing education credits by the Maryland Real Estate Commission for Topic A — Legislative. To register, go to www.naiopmd.org, or e-mail [email protected]. … The Towson law firm Bodie, Dolina, Hobbs, Friddell & Grenzer P.C. has leased 17,295 square feet of office space at 305 Washington Ave. MacKenzie Commercial Real Estate Services inked the deal. The 52,800-square-foot building is owned by Blue Ocean Realty, which purchased it in 2012 when it was nearly vacant. Today it is 95 percent occupied. “We were committed to keeping Bodie Dolina in Towson and were successful in doing that because we are not only vested in the properties we own and manage, but also the neighborhoods and communities surrounding them,” Blue Ocean Realty President Jonathan Ehrenfeld said in a statement.