February 2023 Community Meeting Notes – Greater Remington Improvement Association

Board Members Present: Sam, Corey, Michelle, Pete, Matt, Wynn

Total Attendees: ~23

Start: 7:05pm
End: 8:02

Agenda:

Community Announcements
- Board recruitment – we are alway recruiting
- Application period for volunteer and events coordinator will close tomorrow
SeaWall Presentation – Thibault
1. Sisson street district – realizing the master plan
2. 30 acres of property on Sisson street
3. Potential for connecting others neighborhoods
4. Considering The Linden, Druid Hill Park, Madison Park North (west and south)
5. Considering how to get people above/around 83, no bus routes that cross 28th and 29th street bridgest
6. Transportation ideas
  1. Bouey the big jump, more permanent installations
  2. Light rail stop at 28th street bright
7. Considering connecting, accessibility, promotion of green spaces
8. 10 plus years, working on these 30 acres of property
  1. Sisson East (Overstock building, Hampden Ave)
    1. Offices, parking garage, apartments, courtyard, restaurants, retailers, entertainment (duckpin bowling)
    2. Hamden Ave side – 3 story building, front to feel more like houses
  2. 2024 summer begin construction
  3. Pairing large nation businesses w/ to subsidize rent for small local, businesses
  4. Planning to come back on a monthly, semi-monthly basis with updates
9. Questions
  1. Dissuade Crime?
    1. Crime has lowered with the development
    2. Increasing people and foot traffic is a positive
  2. Burger King?
    1. Franchise/building is not for sale
  3. Concern about more than 3 stories
    1. Difficult to dig down
    2. Elevation change is such that it would likely not feel too tall
  4. What is the design aesthetics?
    1. Unknown at this time?
  5. What about the doggy daycare?
    1. Goal is to find another place for the doggy daycare, but have not found a new spot yet.
  6. Housing costs and gentrification?
    1. Inclusionary district fund from revenues to limit displacement that will be controlled by GRIA
    2. Goal is for 20% units for people making 80% of area median income
    3. Pushing to have units with 3 or 4 bedrooms that a family could live in.
  7. Why an office building in this pandemic world?
    1. More of a life-science building, lab space tied to Universities, businesses that can’t be done via work from home. Not traditional offices.
  8. What will happen to existing tenants?
    1. Transparent with business that construction will start at the designated time
    2. Offering to move tenants to other Seawall building, if they want
  9. Coworking space?
    1. Excited about the idea and would definitely like to have one if they can find the right one and develop the right space.
  10. Traffic calming
    1. Seawall is ready to put their weight behind GRIA’s traffic calming efforts.
Community Affairs
- Community clean up, this Sat, 10am on the porch of CGA, hitting huntington and going around the curve
- Get the 311 Baltimore App and use the picture function to report dumping, downed branches, etc.
- Delegate Liz Embry is planning to come to community clean up
SeaWall Presentation – Thibault
- Sisson street district – realizing the master plan
- 30 acres of property on Sisson street
- Potential for connecting others neighborhoods
- Considering The Linden, Druid Hill Park, Madison Park North (west and south)
- Considering how to get people above/around 83, no bus routes that cross 28th and 29th street bridgest
- Transportation ideas
  1. Bouey the big jump, more permanent installations
  2. Light rail stop at 28th street bright
- Considering connecting, accessibility, promotion of green spaces
- 10 plus years, working on these 30 acres of property
  1. Sisson East (Overstock building, Hampden Ave)
    1. Offices, parking garage, apartments, courtyard, restaurants, retailers, entertainment (duckpin bowling)
    2. Hamden Ave side – 3 story building, front to feel more like houses
  2. 2024 summer begin construction
  3. Pairing large nation businesses w/ to subsidize rent for small local, businesses
  4. Planning to come back on a monthly, semi-monthly basis with updates
- Questions
  1. Dissuade Crime?
    1. Crime has lowered with the development
    2. Increasing people and foot traffic is a positive
  2. Burger King?
    1. Franchise/building is not for sale
  3. Concern about more than 3 stories
    1. Difficult to dig down
    2. Elevation change is such that it would likely not feel too tall
  4. What is the design aesthetics?
    1. Unknown at this time?
  5. What about the doggy daycare?
    1. Goal is to find another place for the doggy daycare, but have not found a new spot yet.
  6. Housing costs and gentrification?
    1. Inclusionary district fund from revenues to limit displacement that will be controlled by GRIA
    2. Goal is for 20% units for people making 80% of area median income
    3. Pushing to have units with 3 or 4 bedrooms that a family could live in.
  7. Why an office building in this pandemic world?
    1. More of a life-science building, lab space tied to Universities, businesses that can’t be done via work from home. Not traditional offices.
  8. What will happen to existing tenants?
    1. Transparent with business that construction will start at the designated time
    2. Offering to move tenants to other Seawall building, if they want
  9. Coworking space?
    1. Excited about the idea and would definitely like to have one if they can find the right one and develop the right space.
  10. Traffic calming
    1. Seawall is ready to put their weight behind GRIA’s traffic calming efforts.
SeaWall Presentation – Thibault
- Sisson street district – realizing the master plan
- 30 acres of property on Sisson street
- Potential for connecting others neighborhoods
- Considering The Linden, Druid Hill Park, Madison Park North (west and south)
- Considering how to get people above/around 83, no bus routes that cross 28th and 29th street bridgest
- Transportation ideas
  1. Bouey the big jump, more permanent installations
  2. Light rail stop at 28th street bright
- Considering connecting, accessibility, promotion of green spaces
- 10 plus years, working on these 30 acres of property
  1. Sisson East (Overstock building, Hampden Ave)
    1. Offices, parking garage, apartments, courtyard, restaurants, retailers, entertainment (duckpin bowling)
    2. Hamden Ave side – 3 story building, front to feel more like houses
  2. 2024 summer begin construction
  3. Pairing large nation businesses w/ to subsidize rent for small local, businesses
  4. Planning to come back on a monthly, semi-monthly basis with updates
- Questions
  1. Dissuade Crime?
    1. Crime has lowered with the development
    2. Increasing people and foot traffic is a positive
  2. Burger King?
    1. Franchise/building is not for sale
  3. Concern about more than 3 stories
    1. Difficult to dig down
    2. Elevation change is such that it would likely not feel too tall
  4. What is the design aesthetics?
    1. Unknown at this time?
  5. What about the doggy daycare?
    1. Goal is to find another place for the doggy daycare, but have not found a new spot yet.
  6. Housing costs and gentrification?
    1. Inclusionary district fund from revenues to limit displacement that will be controlled by GRIA
    2. Goal is for 20% units for people making 80% of area median income
    3. Pushing to have units with 3 or 4 bedrooms that a family could live in.
  7. Why an office building in this pandemic world?
    1. More of a life-science building, lab space tied to Universities, businesses that can’t be done via work from home. Not traditional offices.
  8. What will happen to existing tenants?
    1. Transparent with business that construction will start at the designated time
    2. Offering to move tenants to other Seawall building, if they want
  9. Coworking space?
    1. Excited about the idea and would definitely like to have one if they can find the right one and develop the right space.
  10. Traffic calming
    1. Seawall is ready to put their weight behind GRIA’s traffic calming efforts.