Plans Revealed for an Eight-Story Garage at the UM BioPark

Source: Southbmore.com by Kevin Lynch April 1, 2020

Wexford Science & Technology, a developer of The University of Maryland BioPark, revealed plans yesterday for a new eight-story garage to serve its two-phase project at the corner of Martin Luther King Blvd. and W. Baltimore St. The plans were shown during a virtual presentation to Baltimore City Planning Department’s Urban Design & Architecture Advisory Panel (UDAAP).

The 300-space, 78.8 ft. tall garage would replace a vacant lot between W. Fayette St., N. Fremont Ave., and W. Fairmount Ave. The garage is proposed to have black-brushed concrete on the facade of the decks, an open stairwell on the corner of N. Fremont Ave. and W. Fairmount Ave., and murals on the first-floor facade. The garage could have first-floor retail in the future.

Wexford is working with ZGF and Desman Design Management on the design.

UDAAP panelists were pushing to see more artistic screening covering the facade of the garage, but the team said it was cost prohibitive.

Phase One will be a new 10-story, 333,000 sq. ft. office and biotech building at the northwest corner of Martin Luther King Blvd. and W. Baltimore St. called 4 MLK. This phase will also include a courtyard and a historic firehouse renovated into a restaurant.

Gregory Herlong, director of development for Wexford, told SouthBMore.com in January that they are working hard to break ground in April and believe “they can get there.” He said they are not ready to make any tenant announcements, but said they have enough commitments to start construction. It will be an approximately two-year construction timeline.

The garage will start construction after 4 MLK, but will deliver at the same time.

Herlong told SouthBMore.com in January that Phase Two’s use will be “market-driven” but could be another lab/office building, a business headquarters, or a residential project. He said it’s too early to give a timeline but it is currently planned as another 10-story building. This site will serve as surface parking until Phase Two begins construction.

Wexford has developed three properties at the BioPark along W. Baltimore St. that are all leased. This includes a 120,000 sq. ft. office building at 800 W. Baltimore St., a 238,000 sq. ft. office building at 801 W. Baltimore St., and a 638-space parking garage at 1 N. Poppleton St. that is also the home of the campus police substation.

The Maryland Proton Treatment Center, the Maryland Forensic Medical Center, and the Lion Brothers building where University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB) runs The GRID are also part of the BioPark footprint. UMB is also currently under construction to convert a 20,000 sq. ft., four-story building built in 1917 at 16 S. Poppleton St. into a community center for the surrounding Southwest Baltimore communities.

Renderings from Wexford, ZGF, and Desman Design Management’s UDAAP presentation