New Public Parking Garage Opens in Baltimore's Mount Vernon Cultural District

GREENBELT, Md., Jan. 7, /PRNewswire/ -- The Bozzuto Group, the University of Baltimore (UB) and Parking Management, Inc. (PMI), the largest parking operator in the Baltimore area, today announced that a 1,245-space public parking garage adjacent to the University of Baltimore campus will officially open on Monday, January 11th. The garage is the first component to open at the $76 million mixed-use development The Fitzgerald at UB Midtown.

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The Fitzgerald also includes 275 luxury apartments and 24,000 square feet of street-level retail. A Barnes & Noble College Booksellers Superstore with Starbucks Cafe will anchor the retail portion and serve as UB's campus bookstore.

The new garage provides public parking for the entire Mount Vernon neighborhood, most notably serving the University of Baltimore, Lyric Opera House, Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, Penn Station, and MICA, as well as local businesses, commuters, and residents.

"When we first began to conceive The Fitzgerald, we recognized it was crucial to not only provide ample parking, but to actually increase the number of spaces previously available, for the University, the nearby cultural venues, and the neighborhood," said Tom Bozzuto, CEO of The Bozzuto Group. "The garage - the first phase of The Fitzgerald - marks yet another step in the continued revitalization of the Mount Vernon district."

"The University of Baltimore developed this initiative with the goal of increasing campus parking, expanding area retail and residential options and adding to the vitality of our urban community," said UB President Robert Bogomolny. "The Bozzuto Group and PMI have been great partners in making this vision a reality."

The Fitzgerald garage entrance is located on W. Oliver Street, in close proximity to Mount Royal Avenue, and may be accessed from the Maryland Avenue exit of I-83. The UB-Mount Royal Light Rail Station is located at the doorstep of the development and Penn Station is two blocks away.

With 950 spaces available for use by the University of Baltimore, The Fitzgerald garage provides 60 percent of the school's student parking accommodations and is equipped with door-to-door UB shuttle service, a staffed office and automatic university debit capabilities.

Professionally managed by PMI, The Fitzgerald garage is also designed with state-of-the-art traffic and parking technology to ensure convenience, security and efficient traffic flow. In addition to three elevators and four lanes of entry/exit gates, the perimeter of the garage is secured with overhead doors that close at night.

Parking rates begin at $6 for two hours, with modified rates for monthly plans and special events, and preferred rate structures for UB staff and students and Fitzgerald residents.

The entire development, including the garage, is registered with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and is being constructed to attain LEED certification. Residential leasing will commence in March 2010; retail will begin to deliver in early Summer.

The Fitzgerald is being developed, built and managed by The Bozzuto Group and is a joint venture between The Bozzuto Group, Gould Property Company, NYSTRS and former Baltimore Raven Michael McCrary. The project sits on 4.6 acres of land owned by the University of Baltimore and is part of a massive redevelopment effort by the University and the surrounding community.

About PMI

The familiar red and black trademark has been a symbol of service and integrity in the parking industry since 1947, when Parking Management, Inc. (PMI) was organized. One of the oldest parking companies in the Washington metropolitan area, PMI - headquartered in Washington, DC - operates more than 100 facilities throughout Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland, including the parking operation at Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport (BWI). PMI employs more than 500 people, more than half have been with the company for 10 or more years. Family-owned and operated, the company is proud to have a number of PMI employees' children carry on this tradition by working for the company.

About The Bozzuto Group

Headquartered in Greenbelt, MD, The Bozzuto Group consists of six integrated companies - Acquisitions, Construction, Development, Homebuilding, Land Development and Property Management - that together provide a broad range of real estate services, which are also available for third-party clients.

The company is committed to providing quality housing for all, from luxury homes and apartments to affordable housing solutions. Since 1988, the company has developed, acquired and built more than 31,000 homes and apartments. Throughout The Bozzuto Group's 22-year history, the firm and its principals have been honored with numerous industry awards and honors, including being named NAHB's Property Management Company of the Year in both 2000 and 2009. For more information, please visit www.bozzuto.com.

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SOURCE The Bozzuto Group