When Under Armour announced their plans to expand their campus in September (which they had bought for $58 Million in July) of last year, many neighbors expressed concern. Those concerns seem to be (for the most part) dealt with. It might be the $235,000 given to the Locust Point Neighborhood Association, or it could be simply the fact that the company has done a good job of listening to the area's concerns. As the construction gets closer to beginning, we get our first glimpse of what it could look like in a rendering released a few days ago (pictured above). The expansion would add some 400,000 square feet of space (double the current size of the facility) including a 20,000 square foot retail store. The plans also call for a museum (fingers crossed for a wax figure of Kevin Plank), new garages, new office space, and employee housing. Will this rendering sell the idea to neighbors? Let's take a closer look.
Here's what the site looks like now from Google Maps. As you can see, there are very large storage tanks to the east of the property that I believe contain molasses...which often does not smell very nice in warm weather.
The first phase of construction will be on this building, the retail portion of the project. I for one would be excited to see such a large UA store in Baltimore, but perhaps a downtown location with better visibility would have been a smarter move. In addition to being "off the beaten path" a bit, the store will mean more traffic in the neighborhood (though mainly on the Key highway extension).
Behind the store we can see a single Basketball court. While it is waterfront, the court will face the ships alongside Domino Sugar most days. Perhaps a court on the other side of the development would be a better fit. I would assume that this wouldn't be open to Locust Point residents either way though.
Another very interesting feature will be the fields built where there are currently massive storage tanks. This is clearly a slam dunk for area residents, as it will remove eyesores, provide a better view of the water, and provide a waterfront greenspace. Currently only fort McHenry and Latrobe Park are options for residents to walk to. This will certainly make the neighborhood happy.
As for the parking garage, which seems to be this building, the neighborhood certainly won't be thrilled. No one enjoys looking at garages, least of all one you can see from your home. Perhaps they will wrap this in some UA designs though...here's hoping. One thing that UA mentioned originally that seems to be missing from this rendering is a pedestrian bridge over the train tracks.
Finally a little design element that makes the architect feel good, but in reality wasn't thought about too much. A ship will all sails raised at the dock? I can just imagine how happy UA executives would be to see this ship dashing itself against their bulkhead when the breeze catches.
For more information on the expansion, check out the article in the Baltimore Business Journal here.
