Brown Wants Urban Center for Owings Mills by Spring 2013
The first phase of the mixed-use apartment, office and retail Metro Centre development should be finished in spring 2013.
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Owings Mills will be a little more urban in just over a year, if developer Howard Brown has anything to say about it.
Brown, the chairman of David S. Brown Enterprises, said his Metro Centre project on Painters Mill Road will effectively create a "downtown Owings Mills," with offices, shops and apartments surrounding the existing Metro Subway station and the project's anchor building, a 120,000 square foot library and community college.
The anchor is being called the Owings Mills Learning Center and will be finished by spring 2013. The first phase of offices, shops and apartments will also be ready by late spring 2013, Brown said.
Phase one will include up to 300,000 square feet of office space, up to 100,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, plus 250 apartments, a company statement said.
The developer has already secured seven liquor licenses and also intends to have coffee shops and other small restaurants to serve Metro Subway commuters.
"It will be a downtown for Owings Mills," Brown said. "High rises, ammenities, this is the vision here...that's the future of Owings Mills. It's a place you're going to linger...then they get on the train and go downtown."
When completed, the project should include 1.2 million square feet of commercial office space and 1,700 apartments. As a so-called Transit Oriented Development, Metro Centre depends on traffic to and from the Metro Subway station.
The Metro Centre development will also have pedestrian access to the Owings Mills Mall, which is being partially torn down by Kimco Realty and replaced by other types of retail. Connecting the two will provide easy access to Metro Centre from I-795 and Owings Mills Boulevard, Brown said.
Geoffrey Glazer, a Kimco vice president, confirmed that the developers see the projects working together due, in part, to the the road network.
Traffic management has surfaced as an important issue surrounding the mall, Metro Centre and a proposal by Greenberg Gibbons Commercial to build a Wegmans-anchored development at the current site of the Solo Cup factory.
According to Brown, all roads already lead to the mall and the Metro Centre.
"You've got a road network that's already built," Brown said. "There was a master plan."
Editor’s Note: This is the third story in a series that will report and analyze Owings Mills development arguments. Part One. Part Two.
ddbs00
9:35 am on Thursday, February 9, 2012
"It's a place you're going to linger...then they get on the train and go downtown."
Right. I think Brown has this backwards. But at least he'll be able to brag about how much he's solidified his title as the king of O.M. development.
kim
10:08 am on Thursday, February 9, 2012
As long as OM Residents fight to keep their community intact by attending community meetings, making their voices heard, demanding a police presence (a la Hunt Valley), the element will hopefully stay away that has given OM a reputation of being a place for thugs to commit random crimes. As you can see, the Pikesville community has seen to it their community stays nice and you don't feel threatened or unsafe. We need to go the same. Let's take back our community. I feel the Patch does help with keeping us abreast of meetings, forums, and events that impact our neighborhoods.
BluePeace
10:16 am on Thursday, February 9, 2012
Can you define, exactly, what is "the element"? I hear so many people use that as a "code" word. Go ahead, Kim, and explain to me what (exactly) is "the element". Thanks.
BluePeace
10:14 am on Thursday, February 9, 2012
I really wish some of your folks here would stop directing your comments towards the people of Baltimore city who use the metro train that terminates in Owings Mills. Granted, I know there has been crimes (I have been a victim myself) in the Owings Mills mall area as a consequence of the metro rail in Owings Mills, but crime happens everywhere - maybe not as frequent in those areas where we feel safer in, but still, crime happens.
I am excited about what Brown is doing in Owings Mills. Let's celebrate and be proud of the changes that are occuring and stop being so adverse to these positive changes in Owings Mills.
Kimberly
9:14 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012
As a 27 year resident of OM, I can tell you I am not looking forward to this. I do believe people are coming from other areas to commit crimes in this area, but I also believe we already have criminals living in our backyards. Where are the parents of these criminals, I know of three incidents of young adults walking home from work and getting mugged by other young adults. Did we forget to teach the children of this area proper matters and morals. It seems that no matter what stores, malls or subway stations we have in this area there will be crime if parents do not patrol their children.
kim
10:28 am on Saturday, February 11, 2012
Bluepeace,The element of crime and whoever commits it. Kimberly, you are right. The parents should step up. The problem is many young people have no respect for authority much less their own parents.
Chuck Burton
11:26 am on Saturday, February 11, 2012
We have room for Metro Center and Foundry Row AND the redeveloped Mall. Not only that, the Metro should be extended to at least Franklin Blvd, if not beyond. But there needs to be some kind of master plan to protect existing business centers and make things better for everyone.
mel
5:59 am on Sunday, February 12, 2012
Hey Chuck,
Who is going to pay to have the metro moved to Franklin BLVd. Nah, lets just keep the "element" in Owings Mills! Hey Bluepeace, what is the difference between a liberal and a conservative? The conservative is a liberal who has been has been mugged!
garm
5:09 pm on Tuesday, February 28, 2012
I'm a liberal who has been mugged 3 times. In fact, I believe I continue to get mugged because backwards, ignorant conservatives like you refuse to advocate for true reform, and perpetuate a failing system.
But thanks for your dumb joke.