Pizza meeting to talk about Walmart postponed
Organizer cites birth of twins as reason for rescheduling
Above: People who came to the Harris Jones & Malone building tonight for a meeting about Walmart found it had been canceled.
Citing the birth of twins “a little early,” the consultant for Walmart who invited neighbors of the 25th Street Station site to a pizza party about the big-box store’s prospects in North Baltimore postponed it.
This according to a sign on the door that included an illustration of two smiling babies.
“Jamie Gansell & Jamie Fontaine-Gansell are excited to announce the birth of their sons Griffin ‘Fin’and Luca, born on Sunday Oct. 12th,” read the sign taped to the inside of the door.
“Due to the boys arriving a little early, tonight’s Community Meeting in SUITE 300 has been postponed,” the notice said. “Stay tuned for more updates to come.”
The meeting, scheduled for this evening and advertised via flyers in area mailboxes, had caused some consternation among the area residents who have been critics and opponents of the design of the shopping center and its anchor tenant, Walmart.
Sign on the Door
As the sun set tonight, people strolled up to the door and cars pulled up across the street of the office of Fontaine & Co., where the meeting was to be held.
“No pizza for me – gotta find my own dinner,” squipped Sharon Black, a local activist with the Baltimore People’s Assembly, after finding the door locked.
Notice on the door at the Maryland Avenue building where Fontaine & Co. has its office. (Photo by Fern Shen)
That all-caps part of the notice (“SUITE 300”) may be intended to underline the fact that the meeting, according to the flyer at least, was organized by 3rd-floor tenant Fontaine and not by the high-profile building owner whose name is on the door, Lisa Harris Jones
Jones, Walmart’s local lobbyist, declined to talk to The Brew about Walmart’s apparent continuing interest in the 25th Street Station, and Fontaine has not returned a phone call.
New owners of the property, Seawall Development Co., also have not returned our calls.
Seawall principals have not ruled out Walmart as a possible future tenant for 25th Street, but have said the project is on the back burner while they pursue more immediate developments (including Remington Row) and reimagine the design and concept for the large parcel.