The Baltimore Development Corp. is seeking architects for as many as 40 facade improvements in five city neighborhoods where commercial vacancy rates are high.
The project is part of the BDC’s Community Development Block Grant Recovery Act Program. The $800,000 in funding comes from President Barack Obama’s $787 billion stimulus act. The goal of the initiative is to spur job growth, make neighborhoods more visually attractive, stimulate business recruitment and retention, and lower vacancy rates, the BDC said.
The five targeted neighborhoods for the facade improvements are: Belair-Edison, Oldtown, Pennsylvania Avenue, Pigtown and West Baltimore Street. All of the areas’ commercial vacancy rates exceed 20 percent, according to the BDC.
BDC is proposing no less than five commercial facade projects is each neighborhood, with an overall goal of improving 40 commercial facades.
The architects will work with the BDC to development preliminary designs. BDC is encouraging interested architects to visit previous facade upgrades at the 1500-1800 blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue to gain insight into the agency’s expectations.
The request for proposal can be found on the BDC’s Web site. The deadline for submission is Feb. 1. The architects are asked to be good in standing with the state of Maryland.
