A behind-the-scenes tour of Towson Row later this month will tap into the herculean process of designing, planning, financing and building Baltimore’s latest destination: a five-acre mixed use development anchoring Towson University in Maryland. MRED alum Eric Walter (’10), president of the Baltimore-area development firm Greenberg Gibbons, and the firm’s Chairman and CEO, Brian Gibbons ('84), will share the story behind the live-work-play-learn community, the challenges—from fickle tenants to a global pandemic—that threatened its completion and the special role that architects, planners and preservationists played in making it sustainable, vibrant and unique.
“Towson Row might be the best-case study of mixed-use development I could have expected when I started with Greenberg Gibbons,” says Walter. “If it could happen, it happened here. The end result is an amazing mix of retail, office, shopping and entertainment, all within this cool public/private space; we want to share where each of MAPP’s disciplines came into play and the challenges students may face in designing, planning and developing in the profession.”
During this free, daylong event, undergraduate and graduate students will get the inside scoop on Greenberg Gibbons’ Towson Row, including:
- The transformation of the university’s historic armory into a bustling community asset;
- The challenge of securing a hotel tenant during COVID;
- Design features that took standard to stunning, from building facades to parking garages;
- Navigating building restrictions while meeting what the market demands;
- Managing the intricacies of public-private partnerships, tax credits, financials and phasing a project; and
- Working with multiple stakeholders and government agencies to create economically vibrant streetscapes.
The event, which takes place October 28 from 8:30pm – 1pm, is open to all MAPP students and includes breakfast, transportation to/from Towson, a private tour of the property, lunch and networking with Walters, Gibbons and other key project contacts. Space is limited—reserve your spot*.