Baltimore County Council approves up to $1M for Pikesville downtown

Daily Record, The (Baltimore), Nov 8, 2006 by Louis Llovio

Efforts to revitalize the downtown shopping district in Pikesville got a boost Monday when the Baltimore County Council approved up to $1 million in incentives to entice property owners to either improve their buildings or to sell them.

The Pikesville-District Redevelopment Incentive Fund, introduced last month and passed unanimously at Monday's council meeting, was written and proposed by County Councilman Kevin Kamenetz, a Democrat whose district embraces the area. The money is set aside to facilitate the purchase and the redevelopment of properties that line the shopping district on Reisterstown Road between Old Court Road and Sherwood Avenue.

"The goal is to get recalcitrant property owners to participate in the revitalization of Pikesville," Kamenetz said.

The upkeep of properties along the stretch of road has long been a concern in the area. It resurfaced last year when a plan to create a unified look with elevated storefronts, facade lighting, pedestrian-friendly sidewalks and individually lettered signs was considered.

The plan was eventually adopted by the county Planning Board and County Council earlier this year. Any work done to buildings along the mile-long stretch of Reisterstown Road must now meet the criteria and be approved by the county's Development Review Panel.

The new design specifications only apply to new work being considered. The concern is that property owners not wishing to upgrade do not have to do so.

The new monies are aimed at these holdouts.

The fund was created to allow developers and entrepreneurs who identify a blighted property to put together bids, with county assistance, to either invest in upgrades with property owners or to simply buy them out, Kamenetz said.

While the loans from the just-approved incentive fund are aimed primarily at helping the Pikesville shopping district, properties between the Baltimore City line and the Baltimore beltway are eligible as well.

Armed with the county incentives, Kamenetz believes that entrepreneurs and property owners can work together to develop plans that are mutually beneficial, and, at the same time, help with the revitalization.

The idea is to facilitate the procedure, he said, and then allow the "private sector to come along with the ideas."

One Pikesville business owner with a vested interest believes the plan will work.

"This should help convince the owner who won't come along to get off the fence," said Edward Steinberg, owner of J.S. Edwards Ltd., a men's clothing store in the shopping district.

Once property owners who are holding out see that their neighbors have started upgrading, he said, they will use the money to improve their own properties.

Those who don't, he said, will simply sell.

Either way, the monies will allow business owners or investors to be creative.

"This money opens up a lot of vehicles," he said. "Who knows, maybe they can combine two buildings into one."

The final outcome, he said, is that the influx of money should generate a "snowball effect" and bring in new people, investors and shoppers who had not considered Pikesville.

"It's the natural progression," he said.

Roland O. Campbell, president of the Pikesville Chamber of Commerce, called the incentive "another tool in the toolbox to help us move the revitalization forward."

Campbell, who is also president of the ROC Realty Group, said the changing look of the district will attract national retailers which, in turn, will bring customers. After all, he said, that is the whole point of the redevelopment.

One major piece of redevelopment using the county and private industry model is already changing the look of the district and brining in new stores. Using other county incentives and adhering to the new design requirements, Vanguard Equities Inc. began construction on the Courtyard at Centre Court in May.

The county gave the developer a $1.5 million business growth loan to help fund the renovation of the 15,000-square-foot center on the corner of Reisterstown Road and Old Court Road. The $5 million renovation is the last piece of a three-stage, $25 million project on the nine-acre sight that began with a 65,000-square foot Giant Food store on Old Court Road.

The center has already signed long-time tenants Edmart Delicatessen and Ritz Camera as well as bringing in national chains Starbucks, Mattress Discounters and First Watch.

Kamenetz is counting on similar success with the new incentives. If it works in Pikesville, he said, other revitalization districts in the county will follow.

The money in the fund will come from existing economic development bonds and will be administered by the Baltimore County Department of Economic Development.