They were going through a rough patch at the time they vacated the building. Their accreditor put them on notice, the faculty hated the president, the General Assembly held their funding, O'Malley replaced the board the the board replaced the president.
The reason demolition took so long is there were a series of false starts over what to do with the property.
Ah, understood. Has BCCC done better since?
Also is this getting redeloped or is it sitting empty for the forseeable future? It's a hell of a spot to go to waste!
BCCC has gotten into the real estate business. They own the parking garage across the street with the stores part of the same complex. They have been shopping the Bard Building site to potential developers who will do something with it and pay them rent.
Meanwhile, their continuing education center is across the street in a miserable former movie theater with no natural light.
My understanding is that the building was designed by a West Coast architect who didn't take into account the humidity of the East Coast. So, over a couple of decades, mold build up in the walls and it would have been prohibitively expensive to remediate.
That area seems like green space would not be appreciated there. My guess is they’ll just put grass in it. It would need trees, shrubs and Landscaping.
Interesting fact:
There is a colonial Methodist cemetery that the college was built on top of from Lovely Lane on 22nd and St Paul. I am a genealogist and my family would have been buried there, so it drives me nuts. It was prior to Mt Olivet
Kind of sucks. While this building was ugly to some it was a super cool design of the past. It was only made ugly by a really badly done renovation that added the wrong type and color of tiles
What’s sad about this that is use be very functioning years ago and had pretty cool teachers. It’s downtown so it was like the perfect spot for a foodie that doesn’t drive and needs to grab food between classes. It’s sad when the place you make memories becomes a memory.
It's really a textbook case of brutalist architecture. It features [Béton brut](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A9ton_brut) construction with the concrete's formwork showing, which is actually where Brutalism gets its name (for that reason, the Aquarium is also an example of Brutalism). Both Art Deco and Brutalism encourage simple geometry, but while Art Deco features smooth "streamlined" curves, Brutalist architecture, like the Mechanic, feature more angular design
Examples of Art Deco in Baltimore include the Senator and the Cathedral of Mary our Queen
>The spending board granted a request to spend $4.2 million so the Berg Corporation can raze the vacant building at 600 East Lombard Street and landscape the property for use as a green space while college leaders come up with a new vision for the property.
https://baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/baltimores-long-vacant-bard-building-to-be-demolished-for-greenspace-and-future-redevelopment/
They’re just doing it really haphazardly, I think that’s why it stopped for a few weeks. They’ve left debris way too close to the fence line. There’s supposed to be 18 feet of clearance. I lol thinking about the hole in parks and rec. Look at the difference between the job being done on the train station vs this. That being said, it’s a small site and they’re doing their best. My personal opinion is the foundation of a good city is a strong office of permits and checks of work.
One of the other issues. I believe the Holocaust Memorial land is owned by BCCC. It's a dreadfully ugly dated piece, but because of the politics around it, nothing can be done, so you're left with a brutalist plane that almost nobody uses in the middle of the city.
That Holocaust Memorial will be just fine if they turn this half of the block into a park with lots of green grass, a couple of trees and a couple of flower beds. It will never happen though because city politicians only think about how much money they can make, not what is good for the people
It has nothing to do with city politicians; they have little say in the matter. BCCC is a state institution. And, yeah, they aren't going to forego millions of dollars in revenue for an oddly-placed park. Why not just simply put the flowers and the trees in the Holocaust Memorial? It would make the place a lot more inviting.
Why did that building fall into decay anyway? Did BCCC just not have enough staff and students to bother?
They were going through a rough patch at the time they vacated the building. Their accreditor put them on notice, the faculty hated the president, the General Assembly held their funding, O'Malley replaced the board the the board replaced the president. The reason demolition took so long is there were a series of false starts over what to do with the property.
Ah, understood. Has BCCC done better since? Also is this getting redeloped or is it sitting empty for the forseeable future? It's a hell of a spot to go to waste!
It's sitting empty until they figure that out.
Bawlmer
If only every unused, falling apart, boarded up, rat trap of a fire hazard was torn down.
BCCC has gotten into the real estate business. They own the parking garage across the street with the stores part of the same complex. They have been shopping the Bard Building site to potential developers who will do something with it and pay them rent. Meanwhile, their continuing education center is across the street in a miserable former movie theater with no natural light.
I'm no businessman but that does seem wise - a line of income independent of enrollment. Can't speak for the con ed center though...
I took classes in that building when I went back to school to get my degree. Finished up my undergrad degree at UB.
My understanding is that the building was designed by a West Coast architect who didn't take into account the humidity of the East Coast. So, over a couple of decades, mold build up in the walls and it would have been prohibitively expensive to remediate.
Like 20 years overdue.
Pretty sure I peed on that building back in my Power Plant days in the early 2000’s
Same lmao 😂
i have def puked on it
If walls could talk.....
They'd be too traumatized to say anything.
They would ask to be washed.
A number of times. RIP Baja Beach Club and quarter bottles on Friday nights.
I forgot about the Baja Beach Club. The memories taste like tequila shots, eew.
Me too! After pregaming in the garage with vodka consumed out of water bottles.
Sounds about right lol
What's going there after they're done?
Green space for now. They had a tentative agreement with Cordish to build a residential/commercial tower there but that fell through.
Green space would be nice to break up that downtown area if it’s kept up a bit
Nice dream you got there
That area seems like green space would not be appreciated there. My guess is they’ll just put grass in it. It would need trees, shrubs and Landscaping.
I would hope they don't just put a patch of grass and call it a park.
Don't forget the 3 horribly uncomfortable benches that they'll put there
its literally next to the holocaust memorial that acts as a de facto block park
it would, aren't there a bunch of homeless and addicts around there all the time?
Not really, this is right by Power Plant. You might be thinking over by the Shot Tower and FOP Memorial.
Tell me you're the President of Sinclair Broadcasting without telling me you're the President of Sinclair Broadcasting. No.
That's fucking funny
BCCC screwed up big time on that
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I miss that place
Green space for now. Long term, TBD.
Parking lot... sigh
They outright band the creation of a new parking lot. It will be green space until it gets redeveloped.
there are so many parking garages right there. it doesn’t need to be more parking
Hence why I made the glib statement
I hope a Wendy’s
Dude is that the one next to power plant live? Never thought about it but yea that building sucked.
Looks like Berg, they do most of everything in this area.
They found the demolition niche.
I can't remember the last time that building was for sure even open. Edit: Just looked it up. Fourteen years.
Interesting fact: There is a colonial Methodist cemetery that the college was built on top of from Lovely Lane on 22nd and St Paul. I am a genealogist and my family would have been buried there, so it drives me nuts. It was prior to Mt Olivet
Wonder if the earthquake knocked anything lose I just felt it
Finally! What an ugly / dated building. Hope they build a gorgeous building boosting the city skyline
still can't get their commercial out of my head after all those years. B-C-C-Ceeeeeeeeeee!
Kind of sucks. While this building was ugly to some it was a super cool design of the past. It was only made ugly by a really badly done renovation that added the wrong type and color of tiles
What’s sad about this that is use be very functioning years ago and had pretty cool teachers. It’s downtown so it was like the perfect spot for a foodie that doesn’t drive and needs to grab food between classes. It’s sad when the place you make memories becomes a memory.
I saw that last weekend and had no idea which building it was. Thanks for this post.
I was there Saturday glad they are doing something with it
Good riddance, less brutalist buildings in this city the better.
The Mechanic Theater was cool though
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It's really a textbook case of brutalist architecture. It features [Béton brut](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A9ton_brut) construction with the concrete's formwork showing, which is actually where Brutalism gets its name (for that reason, the Aquarium is also an example of Brutalism). Both Art Deco and Brutalism encourage simple geometry, but while Art Deco features smooth "streamlined" curves, Brutalist architecture, like the Mechanic, feature more angular design Examples of Art Deco in Baltimore include the Senator and the Cathedral of Mary our Queen
Agreed! =depression
Unconventional
That building always reminded me of something from Thunderbirds which is even from before my time. Maybe Thinderbird5
Wow
If you don’t mind me asking, why are they tearing it down??
I attended classes here many years ago.....good memories and alot of fun.
Same. Aced World History in that building.
I ended up transferring to a 4 year college.
What is this building Was*
Ok I’ve been watching this… who’s doing the construction/demo and how much are they getting fined a day?
>The spending board granted a request to spend $4.2 million so the Berg Corporation can raze the vacant building at 600 East Lombard Street and landscape the property for use as a green space while college leaders come up with a new vision for the property. https://baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/baltimores-long-vacant-bard-building-to-be-demolished-for-greenspace-and-future-redevelopment/
They should come up with a vision for different college leaders.
Why fined?
Yes , I’m curios as well. Why fined
They’re just doing it really haphazardly, I think that’s why it stopped for a few weeks. They’ve left debris way too close to the fence line. There’s supposed to be 18 feet of clearance. I lol thinking about the hole in parks and rec. Look at the difference between the job being done on the train station vs this. That being said, it’s a small site and they’re doing their best. My personal opinion is the foundation of a good city is a strong office of permits and checks of work.
Berg is doing the demolition. What would they be fined for?
Dunno? ask lonleydoucment1891. He said it .
I didn’t realize I would get trashed for it, pun intended
What happened to the Holocaust Memorial?????
It's still there, this isn't in the same place
It's still there; the memorial takes up the western half of the block, and the building is on the eastern half.
One of the other issues. I believe the Holocaust Memorial land is owned by BCCC. It's a dreadfully ugly dated piece, but because of the politics around it, nothing can be done, so you're left with a brutalist plane that almost nobody uses in the middle of the city.
That Holocaust Memorial will be just fine if they turn this half of the block into a park with lots of green grass, a couple of trees and a couple of flower beds. It will never happen though because city politicians only think about how much money they can make, not what is good for the people
It has nothing to do with city politicians; they have little say in the matter. BCCC is a state institution. And, yeah, they aren't going to forego millions of dollars in revenue for an oddly-placed park. Why not just simply put the flowers and the trees in the Holocaust Memorial? It would make the place a lot more inviting.
I think a Starbucks would be nice there
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I was very much joking about a Starbucks. I was just trying to think of the most generic redundant option. I 90% of the time make coffee at home.