Amtrak Picks Group Of Developers For Baltimore Penn Station Redevelopment Plan

With a new partnership of developers, Amtrak will be renovating Baltimore Penn Station and redeveloping surrounding properties.

The winning bidder, Penn Station Partners, a group led by Beatty Development Group, Armada Hoffler Properties, Cross Street Partners, Gensler, WSP USA, Network Rail Consulting and Mace Group, formed in response to Amtrak's Request for Qualifications for Penn Station. According to Amtrak Vice President of Real Estate Stations and Facilities Bart Bush, it is the eighth-busiest station in the company's national network.

At 1525 North Charles St. between Station North and Mount Vernon, Penn Station also serves as a hub for the area's MARC and light rail systems.

“I am confident that this team, which is comprised of local Baltimore businesses, understands how urgent the redevelopment of Penn Station is to the City of Baltimore," Rep. Elijah Cummings, whose district includes the station, said in a statement.

Financial negotiations and planning for the multi-phase redevelopment are ongoing, but will include an update and expansion of the station's amenities, renovation of the upper floors and unspecified support for transit-oriented developments in parcels Amtrak owns surrounding Penn Station. The rail company believes the tracts could add as much as 1.6M SF of mixed-use development.

Preliminary concepts for the additional developments include putting a hotel in the station's historic head house and connecting new residential and office buildings to the station with an expanded concourse along Lanvale Street that could include retail.