New tenants include Squadra Ventures, Numa Aesthetics, Everhart Veterinary Medicine – Cross Keys, Heartwood Psychology, Bierer Law Firm, and Aumen Asner Interior Design
July 22, 2021 – BALTIMORE – Caves Valley Partners announced today the signing of twenty (20) additional leases at the Village of Cross Keys, including eight (8) new tenants and twelve (12) lease extensions by existing tenants. The latest announcement brings the total number of leases executed since their acquisition of the property a year ago to thirty-five (35).
Among the more prominent existing tenants with leases expiring that chose to commit to the project long-term are the accounting firm Abrams, Foster, Nole & Williams, located at The Quadrangle building, and Fulton Bank, which is located within the Village Shops. Both tenants will significantly renovate their spaces in the coming months.
“The commitment of the existing tenants to the property, along with the new types of high caliber tenants we are attracting, demonstrate that our vision for the property, coupled with the changes we have made in the year since our acquisition, are resonating,” said Arsh Mirmiran of Caves Valley.
Among the new office tenants that have recently signed at Cross Keys, two of the more prominent ones include Squadra Ventures, which is led by local tech entrepreneur and investor Guy Filippelli, and Aumen Asner Interior Design, which is owned by Karen Aumen. Squadra is an early-stage venture capital fund that invests in portfolio companies similar to ones Filippelli himself has started and successfully exited. According to Filippelli, “When looking for a new office space, we were drawn to Cross Keys because of its central location within the region, the other tenants that were choosing to locate at the project, and by the look and feel of our space itself, with its vaulted ceilings and window line overlooking the property’s mature courtyard. We look forward to locating at Cross Keys later this year in a state-of-the-art renovated space within an iconic Baltimore setting.” Aumen Asner’s Karen Aumen shared her rationale for choosing Cross Keys as the new home for her business, adding, “Cross Keys and Aumen Asner are a great mutual brand fit. Our firm prides itself on providing superior interior design services over a wide range of project types. When one thinks of Cross Keys, from its inception to its ongoing revitalization, the project has always been design-driven and it is a great example of a mixed-use project that has stood the test of time. We are eager to move into our new space and continue to draw inspiration from our surroundings to achieve the design goals of our clients.”
In addition to a host of office tenants, two new retail tenants have signed on to be part of the Village Terrace component of the project, near the former Donna’s restaurant. The first of these tenants is Numa Aesthetics, a specialized medispa with a focus on natural-looking facial enhancements. Numa is managed by Baltimore native and Towson University nursing school alumna Sara Fowler. Fowler’s career in the business has taken her to places like Beverly Hills and then to Seattle, where she started her first medispa, before choosing to relocate to Baltimore this year. With Numa Aesthetics, Fowler plans to continue her approach of creating a natural look for her patients, helping them age gracefully, improving their complexions, and meeting their personal goals through her services. “We’re very passionate about the art of aesthetics at Numa. Trusting someone with your face is a big deal and we don’t take that responsibility lightly. Our goal is to help our clients improve their self-confidence through beautiful enhancements that don’t compromise their natural appearance. You don’t have to look ‘done’ in order to age gracefully. We are excited to be at Cross Keys and looking forward to establishing Numa as Baltimore’s premier medical spa.”
In the same area of the project will be the Everhart Veterinary Medicine – Cross Keys, which is owned by accomplished veterinarian Dr. Robert Goodman. Goodman currently owns two facilities in the area, with an animal hospital in South Baltimore and an existing clinic serving the Severna Park and Pasadena areas. “At Cross Keys, we see opportunities to serve the existing community and surrounding neighborhoods, as well as to retain many of our patients who end up moving to North Baltimore after initially establishing their families downtown. I was introduced to Arsh through Randy Sovich [whose architecture firm RM Sovich is located at Cross Keys] and we quickly found that we share a vision for the future of Cross Keys and how Everhart will become an integral member of its professional community. We look forward to being one of many providers that allow area residents to conveniently meet their regular routines at the property.
“The continued addition of high caliber tenants will further our objective of attracting an upscale clientele to Cross Keys on a daily basis,” said Mirmiran. “We continue to build on the foundation to not only meet, but surpass, Cross Keys’ historical place as Baltimore’s premier boutique shopping and office destination. With the planned addition of new retail space to accommodate a food market, as well as a luxury apartment building that will offer rental opportunities for future residents, a level of density and symbiosis will be achieved that was envisioned and planned by the legendary Jim Rouse.”
“In a sense, we are now completing the first phase of leasing at the project and entering into a new phase, during which we will add some fuel to the fire. We are really excited for the next six months and the announcements we expect to make later this year,” said Mirmiran. “The trust placed in us by the community and our tenants is beginning to pay off, and we will keep the pressure on to deliver the project everyone is expecting.”
About the Village of Cross Keys
Cross Keys was originally developed in 1965 by Jim Rouse, the visionary founder of The Rouse Company. The Rouse Company owned Cross Keys until 2004, after which it was owned by Chicago-based General Growth Properties, then New York-based Ashkenazy Acquisitions Corporation. The property, which was acquired by Baltimore-based Caves Valley Partners in July 2020, features nearly 300,000 square feet of commercial space and has been approved for the addition of 350 apartment units, 150,000 square feet of office space, and 50,000 square feet of retail space, including a boutique food market.
###