Scott Plank: Hollins Market overhaul could cost ‘north of $6M’

Ongoing plans for the redevelopment of Hollins Market point to a price tag of at least $6 million.

Developer Scott Plank, CEO of War Horse Cities Community Development Corp., said in an interview Friday he has been involved in talks with the Baltimore Public Markets Corp. and top city officials for months about the project to upgrade and update the historic market on the city’s west side near Union Square.

“There is not really an economic model we could find,” Plank said Friday, of the Hollins Market conversion. “So we’re doing the Hollins Market as part of our nonprofit philanthropy arm. And it’s a big spend — north of $6 million to do it the right way.

Plank said his company has already spent tens of thousands on the RFP and working with community and the city.

“What is going on now is the city is very diligently working to find where the money is going to come from,” he said.

The city released a request for proposals to redevelop the 17,128-square-foot market earlier this year and Plank was the sole developer who submitted a bid.

Plank said he currently has three sets of designs, each one with a different price point.

Plank’s War Horse LLC was the lead developer for a re-do of Belvedere Square, a private market located in North Baltimore. He was also a partner in a plan to redevelop the Cross Street Market, but backed out last year. Caves Valley Partners is now working on that project.

Plank said the Hollins Market project has been met with support from the surrounding community.

“It’s one of these tremendous opportunities in the city to have a really strong lead for fresh vegetables and food and for the city itself to have a strong lead in West Baltimore for a community anchor,” Plank said. “The nice thing about Hollins is that there is a lot of activity there and the community is active there. They would love to see the market redone in a very positive way.”

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