ONE OF THE first buildings constructed in downtown Baltimore after the Great Fire of 1904 was, logically enough, a firehouse.
Nearly 100 years later, that building is about to become a pioneer of another sort.
Baltimore City Community College has leased the former city firehouse at 10 S. Gay St. for use as its Business and Continuing Education Center starting this month.
Situated two blocks from the Market Place Metro stop, it will be a new setting for many of the college's noncredit courses in literacy, computer training and business management.
Many of its departments will come from the William V. Lockwood Building, a two-story structure at Lombard Street and Market Place that has been targeted for demolition to make way for development.
College President James D. Tschechtelin said administrators had sought space near the college's Inner Harbor campus and had negotiated a lease with the owner of the firehouse this year.
He said the firehouse turned out to be an ideal solution because it is close to the college's Bard Building and is easily accessible for many employers who have job training contracts with the business center.
In addition, "it's very nice space," he said. The interior features colorful mosaic walls that look the way they did when the building was a fire station, he noted.
The Gay Street building was constructed starting in 1905 on the foundations of the headquarters of a women's suffrage association launched by Carry Nation. It was expanded in 1912 and was a fire station until the 1970s, after which it was used by another city agency.
In 1983, the city sold the building to Levering Associates, which converted it within a year to headquarters for Barton-Gillet Co. Richter Cornbrooks Gribble was the architect in charge of that $1.75 million conversion.
Barton-Gillet, an institutional marketing and financial printing company, stayed for 10 years.
The college plans to lease the building for at least five years and has options to stay beyond that.
Last year, the state selected a group headed by Cordish Co. to work with the college to develop the state-owned property at Lombard Street and Market Place, including the Lockwood building.
Cordish developed plans to construct an 800-room hotel on the ZTC property, but the Baltimore Development Corp. selected a competing bid from H & S Properties Development Corp. and Stormont Trice Corp.
Cordish still wants to develop the Lockwood lot with an $18.5 million, six-level garage that would contain parking for about 800 cars and 150,000 square feet of street-level retail space. Blake Cordish, a vice president, said the garage could support a future office or hotel tower or both -- to be constructed when market conditions permitted.
Cordish said the garage would be connected by a pedestrian walkway to the Pier 4 Power Plant, which his company is converting to a $30 million entertainment center. If Cordish Co. can reach agreement with the state, he said, construction of the garage would begin by early 1998 and be complete by spring 1999. Design Collective would be the architect.
Tschechtelin said the revamped Cordish proposal is one of several options the college's trustees have to consider, along with selling the land and keeping it as a surface parking lot. No final decision is likely before the next scheduled board meeting in June, he said.
Architecture group offers harbor tour
The Baltimore Architecture Foundation will sponsor a boat tour of Baltimore's waterfront redevelopment from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. May 10. Architects Rebecca Swanston, David Benn, Peter Fillat and Walter Schamu will discuss such areas as Inner Harbor East, the Allied Signal property, Fells Point and Canton. For reservations and ticket information, call the foundation at 410-625-2587.
Towson preservation topic of Riley talk
Baltimore County Councilman Douglas B. Riley, a Towson Republican, will discuss preservation issues in Towson and the role played by the county government during a talk at the Baltimore County Courthouse from 5: 30 p.m. to 7 p.m. May 12. Riley's talk, sponsored by Historic Towson Inc., will be in Courtroom No. 5. Information: 410-832-1776.
Tour to include 14 historic houses
The Preservation Society of Federal Hill and Fells Point will hold its annual Historic Harbor House Tour from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Visitors will be able to see 14 houses dating back as far as the late 1700s, including the original homes of three sea captains.
Tickets are available in advance from the society, at 410-675-6750, or on the day of the tour from the offices of O'Conor, Piper & Flynn at 905 Light St. and 718 S. Broadway. This year's tour is part of the Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage.
Pub Date: 5/01/97