Downtown Towson construction projects will see some progress over the last month with the announcement of new restaurants.
Portuguese restaurant Nandos Peri-Peri, Italian La Tagliatella and Mexican On the Border were announced as three of eight venues that will be added in Towson Square, the project that refers to the four acres bounded by East Joppa Rd. and Delaware, Pennsylvania and Virginia Avenues.
Close to Towson Square, contractor Caves Valley Partners purchased land between Towsontown Boulevard and Chesapeake Avenue but have not announced their plans for it yet, Baltimore County Councilman David Marks said.
Cave Valley may be demolishing a portion of Chesapeake Avenue, according to local business manager TJ Proulux, who found out his venue La Cakerie would have to leave its location on Chesapeake. La Cakerie plans to relocate elsewhere in Towson.
“What I think is going there will be of a very large scale,” Marks said. “It’s zoned for very intense development.”
There are already several businesses on the property that Caves Valley purchased, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce Nancy Hafford said.
“One thing for sure, I’m very familiar with the owners of Caves, and they really want to keep the businesses here,” she said. “If they want to stay we will find a place for them and I don’t think anything will happen in well over a year. They have to come up with plans and everything else.”
Marks said the new developments will bring more vitality to uptown Towson.
“It’s providing more options for consumers in Towson and it’s helping bring more people back to the core of Towson,” he said.
Sophomore Jessica Arrowsmith said she is excited for the completion of Towson Square.
“I hate construction but love the outcome of it,” Arrowsmith said. “It will be gross for a little while but worth it.”
In addition to the restaurants, a 15-screen, 3,400 stadium-style seating movie theater with a VIP level featuring a full bar with premium food choices is expected to open in 2014.
A $6.2 million, 850-space underground parking garage for Towson Square is being paid for by the County Revenue Authority, according to a Baltimore Sun article.
“They are going to be starting the digging for the garage,” Marks said. “It’s at a very elementary stage right now and it will take about a year to complete.”
While sophomore Tara Kavanaugh said she thinks the construction to create Towson Square could be inconvenient, but once it is complete it will be nice.
“It’s worth it for the movie theater,” she said.
Hafford said that they are working to keep tbusinesses in the area.
“I’m just thrilled to death that developers realize what a hot spot Towson is,” Hafford said.