When Brooke Hagerty lost the lease she had for her business in Federal Hill, it turned out to be a blessing.
“Our exposure has increased tenfold and our business has increased threefold,” said Hagerty, owner of Dinner at Your Door, a specialty food company now located in the Cross Street Market.
The change in address ? she was on South Charles Street across from the market ? also brought about a change in business plans. Hagerty expanded from delivery only to a sit-down restaurant with carry-out options.
“It?s all good in the hood,” she said.
But while Hagerty?s former location is expected to see new life as retail and residential space, other addresses are having difficulty finding new life in the historic south Baltimore neighborhood.
“The biggest challenge we have is dealing with a handful of absentee owners,” said Bonnie Crockett, executive director of Federal Hill Main Street, a nonprofit agency founded in 2000 that encourages economic development while maintaining historic preservation.
Two prime commercial locations, both on South Light Street, stand as stark reminders that not all is not rosy in the neighborhood.
The Dollar General Store closed this summer, but with the corporation continuing to pay rent on the property to the out-of-state owner, no one is in a hurry to fill the empty space.
“We?ve already had several people with an interest to buy or lease the site,” Crockett said. “Most people prefer to buy the building, including a large hardware store, which would be nice for the neighborhood.”
The other site, an old McCrory?s Five and Dime store, has been standing vacant so long people don?t remember when it closed. Some activity at the site this summer showed promise, but nothing has happened since shelving and peg boards were removed from the interior walls.
But the vacant buildings don?t just stand on Light Street.
One block to the west, on Charles Street, the Italian restaurant Vespa closed after the restaurateur was unable to reach a new lease deal.
With an overall commercial vacancy rate between 10 percent and 12 percent, Crockett said another challenge isn?t finding tenants for the historic buildings, but rather finding enough square footage in the old structures to accommodate the business needs. Most commercial space is limited to under 1,500 square feet, a tight fit for most operations, she said.
More information
» Federal Hill Main Street
1105 Light St.
Baltimore, MD 21230
Telephone: 410-727-4500
www.historicfederalhill.org
