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C+CT

Mixed-Use Trailblazer Rouse Honored in Baltimore

April 27, 2022

Yesterday, Baltimore and Maryland officials honored marketplaces development pioneer James Rouse on what would have been his 108th birthday by dedicating the refurbished gatehouse at the Village of Cross Keys to him.

Left to right: James Rouse’s son, Ted Rouse; Betty Cooke, owner of The Store Ltd., which was an original tenant of the Village of Cross Keys that still operates there today; Maryland State Delegates Sandy Rosenberg and Dalya Attar; Caves Valley Partners partner Arsh Mirmiran; Baltimore City Council vice president Sharon Green Middleton; Caves Valley development manager Patrick Terranova; and Maryland State Delegate Tony Bridges

The 108,970-square-fooot Village of Cross Keys was Rouse’s first mixed-use project and served as the prototype for the future development of Columbia, Maryland, Rouse’s ideal community. Both developments have served as model projects for mixed-use properties across the country.

The founder of The Rouse Co. acquired the land for the original development from the Baltimore Country Club in the early 1960s. He envisioned a village that positioned residents around a central area that would meet their everyday needs. This included a grocer, a deli and other retail that also would serve the broader Roland Park community. To complete the village, Rouse planned offices and recreational facilities like swimming pools, tennis courts and a hotel.

Baltimore-based Caves Valley Partners bought the property in July 2020 and is redeveloping it to include 330 luxury apartments and new retail and office buildings.

The inscription on the plaque unveiled at the ceremony reads:

The gatehouse for the Village of Cross Keys is dedicated to James Rouse and his vision for this property as the prototype for a series of planned, mixed-use communities developed by The Rouse Company. The Village of Cross Keys will continue to pursue Mr. Rouse’s ideals, including meeting the needs of the people who live, work and shop here, while creating a spirit of neighborliness and a rich sense of belonging to the community.

“Jim Rouse was not just a visionary,” said Betty Cooke, who has operated The Store Ltd. at Cross Keys since it opened in 1965 and who attended the dedication ceremony for the gatehouse. “He was responsible for turning his vision into reality as you see at Cross Keys. Jim focused on people and delivered a quality experience to them in everything from landscaping to food.”

By Brannon Boswell

Executive Editor, Commerce + Communities Today

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