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Press Release

Mithun Selected For Huge Baltimore Public/Private Redevelopment Effort

SEATTLE — 07.29.2010 — A 28-acre site located at one of the most active transit nodes in Baltimore is the focal point of a 15-year long, $1.5 billion dollar multi-phase effort to radically transform an aging group of state government offices into a vibrant mixed use community. Seattle architectural firm Mithun has been selected as a key partner in this undertaking, working in concert with Baltimore-based design firms The Design Collective and Cho Benn Holback + Associates.

Mithun’s proven experience in leading diverse groups of stakeholders toward a new and sustainable design future was key to its selection in a highly competitive bid process. The sustainable master plan that Mithun will develop will transform a classic 1960s office campus into a mixed used community that consolidates many of Maryland’s state offices while introducing new retail and offering a range of quality housing choices for in-city living.

“State Center has all the ingredients to be one of the greatest examples of the rebirth of the American city in this century,” notes Bert Gregory, FAIA, Chairman and CEO, Mithun. “A great sustainable rebirth built around reinvented existing urban infrastructure, great transit, and vibrant mix of uses and people in a walkable neighborhood. State Center’s core values, aspirations, stakeholder inclusion and unique public private partnerships will reinforce the uniqueness of Baltimore, while serving as a national model for Transit Oriented Development.”

State Center’s goals for the project are to promote economic vitality, support healthy living, create an authentic place, demonstrate environmental stewardship, and provide a healthy and productive office environment. Over a period of 15 years, the project will add or renovate up to 4.7 million square feet of additional State offices, private offices, work-live lofts, and housing, and renovate the historic Armory for public use. The master plan also includes creating new public open spaces and community parks as well as redeveloping the streetscape to improve the pedestrian experience.

State Center is a public/private partnership venture. Especially in today’s economic climate, that kind of partnership is crucial in moving complex and expensive projects forward. Mithun brings deep experience in navigating the complexities of multiple stakeholder clients and building consensus, with a goal of reflecting and serving the Baltimore community in more meaningful and rich ways.

The foresight needed here is demanding. Corporations and government are challenged to build now to accommodate the needs and realities of a future workplace. Promoting health and productivity are hallmarks and areas where Mithun has already demonstrated its skills with an integrated design approach.

The project targets Leadership in Education and Environmental Design (LEED) certification so that it can make buildings far less energy dependent. With an environmentally friendly District Energy system already in place, Mithun will search for every innovative opportunity to bring far more natural light into work spaces.

“We looked at firms from all over the United States, says Caroline Moore, State Center LLC developer. Mithun has a long and solid history of delivering outstanding and forward thinking projects that require great skill and thoughtfulness from start to finish. Their ability to work with diverse groups of people, understand and sort through conflicting needs and goals and keep the project on track is unparalleled.”

About Mithun

Mithun is a leading sustainable design practice that creates lasting places for people. The firm’s innovative and collaborative spirit encompasses architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, urban planning, and ecology — a multidisciplinary approach that integrates nature, technology and design. Mithun’s commitment to sustainability extends to mixed-use, corporate, commercial, residential, civic, science and technology, higher education, retail, senior living, renovation, restoration, and environmental learning. mithun.com.

Project Partners

Development Team (Project Developers)
  • State Center LLC, a joint partnership of:
    • PS Partners and Ekistics, LLC Managing Member and Lead Developer
    • McCormack Baron Salazar, Inc.
    • State Center Baltimore Developers:
      • Midtown Convergence
      • TAC
      • Neighborhood Development Company

State of Maryland Team (Project Co-Developer, Project Financing, Land Owner, Major Tenants)
  • The Governor of Maryland, The Honorable Martin O’Malley
  • Maryland Department of General Services — DGS (Project Lead from Maryland State Government)
  • Maryland Department of Transportation — MDOT (Project Co-developer, Project Financing)
  • Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene – DHMH (Major Tenant)
  • Maryland Department of Planning (Major Tenant)
  • Maryland Transit Authority – MTA (Major Tenant)

Community Team
  • The Neighborhood Alliance (Stakeholder Participation – Nine neighborhoods, and institutions and businesses surrounding the development, including Maryland General Hospital, University of Baltimore & Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and the Myerhoff Symphony Hall

City of Baltimore Team (Economic Development, Agency Review, Transportation Planning, Financing)
  • The Mayor of Baltimore, The Honorable Stephanie Rawlings-Blake
  • Councilman Bill Cole
  • Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC), Jay Brodie
  • Department of Planning, Tom Stosur
  • Department of Transportation, Jamie Kendrick

Design Team
  • Mithun (National Design Architect, Interior Designer, Landscape Architect and Urban Designer)
  • Design Collective Inc. (Local Collaborating Architect of Record and Collaborating Urban Designer)
  • Cho Benn Holback (Collaborating Interior Architect)
  • RK&K (Civil Engineers)
  • Hope Furrer (Structural Engineers)
  • Arup (Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing Engineers; District Systems Consultant)
  • Pareto Energy (District Systems Consultant)
  • Urban Green (Hazardous Materials Consultant)
  • STV (Survey and Civil Consultant for the State)

Construction Team
  • Turner Construction Company

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