[Baltimore Sun] Baltimore ends agreement with latest Superblock developer
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Baltimore officials have terminated an agreement with a developer facing delays in rebuilding the city’s long-stalled Superblock project on downtown’s west side .
The proposed $155 million Compass project would have brought apartments, parking and a hotel to the 200 block of West Lexington Street in downtown’s Five & Dime historic district. The city chose Westside Partners LLC in 2019 to revive the project after past proposals fell through.
The Baltimore Development Corp. terminated its land disposition agreement with Westside, BDC President and CEO Colin Tarbert said Monday.
Representatives of Westside could not be reached immediately Monday for comment.
Westside had told city economic development officials after a Sept. 13 meeting that they are unable to meet four key conditions of the agreement and requested an extension to Jan. 1. Westside, a joint venture of Vitruvius, Mayson Dixon and Partnered, had been expected to close on the city-owned property by Sept. 30.
“Given the time elapsed since the project was awarded and the two extensions already granted, BDC believes that reissuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) is in the City’s best interest,” Tarbert said Monday.
Putting out a new request, likely early next year, would give Westside time to secure investors and financing partners if they decide to resubmit a proposal, Tarbert said.
“Additionally, it enables BDC to gauge any new interest in the project, considering the significant progress on nearby developments such as the CFG Bank Arena and Lexington Market,” he said.
The developer told The Baltimore Sun last month that it has made significant progress over the past two years. Chris Janian, president of joint venture partner Vitruvius, said in a statement at the time that the company has built momentum to create “a truly transformative anchor in the Bromo Arts District and for all of downtown.”
The developer said it has secured all necessary approvals from the city’s Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation and Urban Design and Architecture Advisory Panel, which will enable demolition, historic preservation and design of a master plan.
But the equity market had become restrictive over the past few years for the type of project that Westside planned with the city, the developer had said.
Janian said the development group had been working over the summer with an equity partner who was committed to The Compass and an even larger investment strategy in Baltimore. That partner had asked for more time to complete an “internal process” before closing, he said. Westside hoped to finalize the partnership and break ground in the first half of 2026.
City leaders have overseen numerous iterations of plans over about five decades to redevelop blocks in what was once a bustling shopping and department store corridor of Howard Street. But anticipated large-scale redevelopment has met with false starts and failures for years.
Still, smaller developers have bought into revitalization of the west side in recent years, attracted by the nearby harbor, the redevelopment of Lexington Market and other spots, and west side anchors such as the University of Maryland and Hippodrome Theatre.
This story may be updated.
Have a news tip? Contact Lorraine Mirabella at lmirabella@baltsun.com, (410) 332-6672 and @lmirabella on X.
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