Here is where new Baltimore residents will live

There has been hand-wringing about the latest census estimates by some and a number of "not to worry" statements by others. One group which doesn't seem to worry are developers who are building new apartments in Baltimore at an unprecedented scale.

Those who worry about the latest census data, which declare Baltimore to be the second most shrinking city in the country, also worry about an apartment bubble, about gentrification and the possibility that the new apartments are simply increasing the hemorrhage in older established neighborhoods. Some of those worries seem mutually exclusive.

The optimists who don't worry, point to the recent past which easily absorbed the apartments coming online and to the actual growth of new neighborhoods such as downtown. They contend that the new residents in those neighborhoods are actually moving in from the outside and are not the result cannibalizing the older neighborhoods.

A recent bike-ride through downtown and the waterfront gives an impression of the scale to which new residential construction has been recently completed, is well underway or just breaking ground.

This photo collection does not pretend to be exhaustive or analytical, it is just a limited snapshot of the current status.

With the huge amount of new rental units in large apartment buildings, it is astounding how little is publicly known about  the tenant profiles, about who moves in, who moves out and what the net difference is for Baltimore's tax base. We know only one thing,  the plethora of new luxury housing has produced no contributions to the affordable housing fund.

317 New apartments and condos on Caroline Street above a 50,000 sf Whole Foods. 22 stories. Hickok Cole Architects
looking north from HarborPoint

same as above, view on Aliceanna Street looking west

Harbor Point, Point Street apartments, 289 units (looking east)

225 N Calvert Street, renovation and adpative reuse of a  former Bank of America 18-story office building into nearly 350 apartments (completed)

same as above seen from City Hall Plaza

414 S. Light Street, 394 apartments, 44 stories

One Light Street,  280 luxury apartments on 10 floors ,5,000 square feet of retail space Parking garage with 646 spaces, office space, total 776,000 square feet on 28 floors. Architect: AECOM

6 story Park Avenue apartments, seen from Franklin Street looking east, 153 units. Design: Alexander Design Studio

 Rendering of the site seen below

Demolition clearing the site of the former Della Notte in Little Italy. Planned:  23-story, 380 apartments, architects Hord Coplan Macht

Site clearing 213 on 213-15 Park Ave,  72 affordable units, Fillat Architects

Rendering 213-15 Park

Nelson Kohl Apartments, 103 units, Lanvale Street. Architect: Warehaus (formerly LSC Design) (Photo by Ethan McLeod). The project will open next week.

Rendering La Cite development, Poppleton in Southwest Baltimore, 262 market and affordable apartments(architect: Gensler)

La Cite Poppleton, 262 apartments nearing the finish line (view from the south)

La Cite apartments view from the north (Saratoga Street)

Caves Valley, Stadium Square Development, Sharp Leadenhall,  293 units, market rate (2016 photo)

Stadium Square August 2017 (Photo: Kevin Lynch)

Klaus Philipsen, FAIA

all photos copyright Philipsen (except as otherwise noted).  La Cite and Stadium Square. added