By Melody Simmons – Senior Reporter, Baltimore Business Journal
Jan 4, 2023
A busy Lutherville corner once home to a gas station will soon transform into a fast-casual food hub.
Starbucks and honeygrow recently signed 10-year deals to open at York and Ridgely roads in about a year, developer Mark Renbaum said Tuesday. The two chains will open near a site recently identified for a $228.5 million transit-oriented development linked to the light rail line at Lutherville Station.
Renbaum, CEO of Schwaber Holdings, owns the former Shell station next to Yorkridge Shopping Center, which he and a group of partners also own. He said in a brief interview the new restaurants will open inside a 4,600-square-foot modern building that will soon replace the gas station.
The work will be the latest planned by Renbaum for the area. He and a group of partners are seeking county zoning approval to build a transit-oriented development at nearby Lutherville Station anchored by a new 400-unit luxury apartment project and new office and retail space near the light rail station off Ridgely Road. The plans are being contested by some nearby residents who protest the size and scope of the development.
Renbaum said the Starbucks and honeygrow building designed by JP2 Architects will have a drive-thru window for the Seattle-based coffee shop, which will total 2,200 square feet. Honeygrow will span 2,400 square feet.
“Development will begin this spring after the gas station is demolished,” Renbaum said.
The conversion of the former Shell station has been in the works for a few years. The former gas station today is vacant and sits as a gateway to the Ridgely Road retail area. Besides the Shell station property, Renbaum and Schwaber Holdings own the Yorkridge center anchored by Michael’s, MOM’s Organic Market, Carter’s, Kohl’s and Towson Hot Bagels, to name a few stores.
The expansion for Honeygrow marks the latest by the fast-casual chain, which plans to open a dozen new locations this year, including five in Greater Baltimore.
Philadelphia-based Honeygrow, known for its fresh ingredients and stir fry and salads, recently opened in Bel Air and signed a lease for a new location in Owings Mills at the redeveloped site of the former Owings Mills Mall now called Mill Station. The chain has existing locations in Harbor Point and Charles Village.
