Apartment Conversion Planned for Baltimore’s Tremont Plaza Hotel

By Adrian Maties, Associate Editor

Responding to the growing demand for more apartments in downtown Baltimore, William C. Smith & Co. Inc. announced plans to convert the Tremont Plaza Hotel’s 390 luxury suites into apartments and long-term guest suites. Tenants will be able to stay for a few weeks or a few years, in furnished or unfurnished one- and two-bedroom units.
Located in central Baltimore, the Tremont Plaza Hotel is within walking distance of Baltimore City Hall, Minor Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and Baltimore Cathedral. It was built by E. Wolf & Associates and completed in 1967. The highrise hotel stands 395 feet tall.

William C. Smith & Co. Inc. acquired the property in the early 1980s. The Tremont was then transformed from an apartment building into a boutique hotel. Returning the Tremont to its former purpose will create less competition for other hotels and also fit perfectly with the Downtown Baltimore Partnership’s plan to build more rental housing and put the brakes on further hotel development. Downtown Baltimore Partnership is working to improve the area.

The Tremont’s remodelling will also include the expansion of its deli at the corner of St. Paul Place and Saratoga Street. Its fitness center will also be moved to a different floor so it can be tripled in size. The Tremont Grand banquet hall will undergo no changes. The former masonic temple was acquired in 1998 by W. Christopher Smith Jr. and has undergone a $25 million renovation in 2005. It hosted more than 100 weddings last year.

The new spaces are being designed by RD Jones & Associates Inc. The Tremont will continue to operate as a traditional hotel for most of 2012. Construction will likely start by the end of the year, with the first apartments expected to be ready by the first quarter of 2013. Redevelopment costs have not been released yet as the project is still in the design phase.