Banner Hill Construction Begins, 349 New Apartments Coming to Otterbein

Work has begun on Banner Hill, a 349-unit luxury apartment building at 601 S. Charles St. in Otterbein. Orlando-based ZOM will be demolishing the existing building that was formerly University Specialty Hospital by the University of Maryland Medical Center and replacing it with a six-story building with two stories of below-grade parking. ZOM purchased the property from The Abell Foundation on Friday and has begun pre-demolition, with full demolition of the existing structure scheduled for early October.

Banner Hill’s apartments will range in size from 528 to 1,325 sq. ft. The total number of apartments will be broken down as 43 studios, 184 one-bedroom apartments, 29 one-bedroom apartments plus a den, and 93 two-bedroom apartments. The average rent will be $2,100/month. The apartments will include island kitchens with granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, walk-in closets, balconies, vinyl plank flooring, and more.

The two-level parking garage will have 331 parking spaces. ZOM performed a parking demand study and believes it is providing ample parking, noting the building’s close proximity to the Central Business District, the stadiums, the Camden Yards MARC Station, and Federal Hill. Banner Hill residents will not be eligible for area Residential Parking Permits (RPP).

ZOM decided against retail spaces on the property after studying the possibility with a few area brokers.

Banner Hill will include two landscaped interior courtyards, with the northern courtyard featuring an outdoor pool. Other amenities at Banner Hill include an e-lounge, a “membership-quality fitness center,” and a sports simulator.

A new plaza replacing the existing plaza will be constructed between Banner Hill and Christ Church Harbor Apartments, which is a senior housing facility adjacent to the east. The plaza will be shared by both buildings and Andy Cretal, senior vice president of ZOM Mid-Atlantic, said it would have more of a residential feel, describing its current condition as “very corporate.”

Full demolition will take two months to complete and construction is expected to take 24 months. The general contractor is CBG Building Company, LLC, a division of Clark Construction Group.

ZOM recently completed two projects in Arlington, VA, is currently working on a project in Bethesda, and is looking forward to its first project in Baltimore. “We were interested in developing in Baltimore City and we are excited about this project. We think the trend of downtown living will continue and Banner Hill has the same walkability as many of our other projects,” said Cretal. “We are confident in the investment we’ve made in Baltimore.”