Downtown Baltimore will officially welcome back its first department store in the 30 years since the downtown Hecht?s was closed when Filene?s Basement opens its doors on Thursday.
“This signals the return of a department store to downtown,” said Mike Evitts, director of public relations for the Downtown Partnership. “We have been reaching out to national stores and retail chains to open a department store in downtown and Filene?s signed on.”
According to Evans, Filene?s was impressed with the city?s demographics ? 37,000 residents, 100,000 people working and 20,000 students within a mile of the store, not to mention an annual 12 million visitors.
The new store, which is owned by Retail Ventures Inc., the parent company of Filene?s, Value City and DSW shoes, will occupy 30,000 square feet and will be an anchor tenant at Lockwood Place, located at 500 E. Pratt St. across from the National Aquarium.
