(This article originally appeared in the February 2024 issue of the South Baltimore Peninsula Post. Changes have been made to reflect recent developments.)
By all accounts, 2024 will be the breakout year for the Baltimore Peninsula development, the new neighborhood on the South Baltimore peninsula formerly known as Port Covington. Even The New York Times highlighted the development in its selection of Baltimore as one of the “52 Places to Go in 2024” around the world, published in January, describing Baltimore Peninsula as “a place for visitors and locals to shop, dine and play.”
The plans announced to date for new shops, restaurants, and activities match the promise of the development becoming a must-visit hotspot, but that vision is still in its early stages and will be emerging gradually throughout 2024.
To get a picture of how the new neighborhood will evolve this year, we contacted representatives for Baltimore Peninsula (BP, for short) and several of the key players from across the former Port Covington area, including Under Armour, Volo Sports, and the developer of the Locke Landing residential complex. Here is the latest information.
Dining and Playing
BP’s dining options will soon increase from one full-service restaurant – long-time waterfront fixture Nick’s Fish House – to two, with the reopening of Rye Street Tavern under new management. The Washington, D.C.-based Clyde’s Restaurant Group is renovating the two-story building and is currently constructing a large outdoor dining area overlooking the water. June is the latest target opening date, according to an April 15 social media post by the tavern.
A coffee shop and “provisions store” is slated to open this spring inside ROOST Baltimore, the boutique extended-stay hotel that opened last summer. The store will offer drinks, baked goods, dry goods, and local produce.
A Ben and Jerry’s ice cream shop is planned for the Rye House apartment building. At the end of the year, two restaurants from Atlanta-based Pinky Cole, Slutty Vegan and Bar Vegan, are scheduled to open in the Rye Street Market complex. Two other dining options are planned there, Jersey Mike’s and BK Lobster, but the time frame of their arrival has not been announced.
New opportunities for play arrived this spring with the warmer temperatures. A new 28,000 square-foot city park at the intersection of Rye Street and Mission Boulevard opened. Previously known as “Triangle Park,” the green space and play area was renamed “Elijah’s Park” in January in honor of the late U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings.
The Volo Sports complex that opened last year with four sand volleyball courts, next to the now-demolished Baltimore Sun printing plant, will expand with the addition of pickleball courts. Construction is expected to begin by March, according to Greg Sileo, Volo vice president for strategic growth. Volleyball leagues are set to start playing in April, with pickleball following in May.
Eastern Watersports kayak and paddleboard rentals return in May to their location on the waterside of the Rye Street Tavern parking lot. Also in May, large outdoor concerts return to West Covington Park with the Charm City Bluegrass Festival (May 3-4), followed by Reggae Rise Up Maryland (June 21-23).
Shopping and Parking
Although BP is currently somewhat of a shopping desert (Sagamore Spirit’s gift shop is about it), that is expected to change in late 2024. A multivendor retail space called The Exchange will open in the Rye Street Market complex that will be “a one-of-a-kind shopping and lifestyle destination.” The Exchange will feature a variety of small businesses offering hyperlocal merchandise and goods.
Parking, on the other hand, abounds at BP. There is a multilevel garage behind the 250 Mission apartment building, a large lot next to the 2455 House Street office building, and street parking throughout the neighborhood. Parking fees kick in after the first hour, with rates ranging from $2 to $16 an hour.
Living and Working
The number of people living in the BP neighborhood has steadily grown since the first tenants moved in last spring, and new residents will have more housing options starting this year. The two apartment buildings that opened in 2023 – Rye House and 250 Mission with a total of 407 units – are now 50 percent leased, up from 15 percent six months ago.
The massive Locke Landing residential development, now under construction south of E. Cromwell Street between Hanover Street and W. Peninsula Drive, will see its first homeowners arrive this year, said Mark Sapperstein, CEO of 28 Walker Development. They will move into condominiums built by K. Hovnanian Homes and townhomes built by DRB Homes. When the entire complex is completed in 3-4 years, Locke Landing will have over 800 homes, including 420 apartments in two buildings on the northwest corner of the property.
The BP workforce will be growing this year, too. On April 17, CFG Bank held an opening ceremony at its new headquarters on three floors of the 2455 House Street office building. Several other businesses have signed leases for BP office space, but move-in dates have not been announced.
The new five-story, 280,000 square-foot Under Armour headquarters rising across the street is due to be completed in 2024, with the first employees reporting to work there late this year, according to a UA spokesperson. Up to 1,400 employees will eventually be working at the 50-acre campus.
As the new Baltimore Peninsula neighborhood gradually grows this year, adding to the many opportunities to shop, dine, and play already available across the South Baltimore peninsula, the Peninsula Post will keep locals and prospective BP visitors up-to-date. Visit our SoBo Events calendar and Food & Drink directory for the latest arrivals. – Steve Cole
South Baltimore Peninsula Post 