A new project by Baltimore developer Scott Plank opened its doors Tuesday at the University of Maryland, College Park. The Hall CP, which is billed as a food hall and music venue, is the latest addition to Greater Washington’s growing fleet of food halls. It is located at 4656 Hotel Drive in the university’s Discovery District, the same area where Plank also developed a WeWork location in 2018. Plank, whose firm War Horse Cities developed the hall, is also an alum of UMd.
The 7,000-square-foot building includes four eateries: a pizzeria, coffee shop, full-service restaurant and a bar, although there will also be bars in other parts of the building and patio areas. The project also features 13,000 square feet of outdoor space. The restaurants are run by two Baltimore restaurateurs, Chad Gauss, who owns The Food Market in Hampden, and Dennis Sharoky, president of Coal Fire Pizza.
The cafe and pizzeria opened Tuesday for breakfast and lunch, while the bar and restaurant will open Jan. 23. The facility also has a performance venue and event space called Longhouse that War Horse is marketing for university events and other private functions.
The project is meant to “serve as a hub for students and residents alike by creating a space that encourages a thriving art scene through special programming like creative classes and lecture series,” according to a press release.
Plank has been involved in a number of projects in Baltimore, including a $4.5 million overhaul of the city’s Western Police District, and the redevelopment of an old factory near Hollins Market, which he is in the process of converting to office and tech space.
He was also working to redevelop the city-owned Hollins Market, but those plans stalled and ultimately fizzled after Plank said funding issues prevented the work from moving forward. Plank said there was a $4.75 million shortfall, although his nonprofit group War Horse Cities Community Development Corp. ultimately refinished the facade of the market using a state grant that was awarded in 2018.
This article was originally published in the Baltimore Business Journal on Jan 9, 2020. See it in its original post here.
