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1 Light St. plan draws praise, but design panel wants more landscaping

The city’s Urban Design and Architecture Review Panel on Thursday approved the schematic design for a mixed-use tower at 1 Light St. But panelists said they want to see more thought put into the tower’s street-level presence before they grant final approval.

The building would include 10 floors of office space, 14 residential floors, a seven-story parking garage and first-floor retail with the potential to reactivate a prominent corner in Baltimore’s central business district. M&T Bank Corp. is considering moving its local headquarters to the building.
“This project, along with the Mechanic [Theatre] site, could really serve as a major catalyst for the revitalization of Baltimore Street,” UDARP panelist Richard Burns said.

Since the project was presented in January, major changes included moving street drop-off points and sloping the building’s roof to direct onlookers’ eyes to the tower at 10 Light St. While the five-member panel generally liked what it saw during its Thursday meeting, panelists’ main criticisms came back to the streetscape – the tower’s physical relationship to surrounding buildings, and how it will enhance the block’s street life.

Burns and other panelists wanted to see more continuous landscaping surrounding the building, including the neighboring Thomas Building that sits on the same block. There are only trees and brick sidewalks planned for the Light Street and Redwood Street sides of the building.

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