Rotunda Redevelopment Begins Review Process

Plans for a revised Rotunda redevelopment will begin the city’s review process on Thursday.

The city’s Urban Design and Review Panel will examine the plans for a revamped "Grand Rotunda" at 9:30 a.m. at 417 E. Fayette St.

The review panel’s function is to "achieve the highest quality for the planned and built environment of Baltimore City by providing the Planning Commission and the Department of Planning with design review expertise in the area of urban design, architecture and landscape design," according to its website.

In February Hekemian and Co., the struggling mall’s owner, for a new redevelopment of the former insurance office building. Initially the company had planned on a massive redesign of the mall that included a 22-story apartment building that was nixed when the economy tanked in 2008.

The new plans, which involve a scaled back residential component of 300 market rate apartments, were unveiled after Giant, a major anchor tenant, to the Greenspring Tower Square shopping center in January.

Previously Chris Bell, senior vice president of Hekemian and Co., told residents they want to break ground on redeveloping the Rotunda as early as next Spring and would like the project to cost less than $150 million.

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