The renovated Cross Street Market will reopen on Thursday morning with legacy vendors Fenwick’s Choice Meats and Steve’s Lunch. Legacy tenant The Sweet Shoppe, as well as new tenant Ceremony Coffee Roaster, is expected to open soon after followed by many additional tenants in the coming months.

The reopening of Cross Street Market, which first opened in 1846, has been a long-time coming amid years of planning, uncertainty, and construction. Baltimore Public Markets Corporation (BPMC) released an RFP in January 2015 for development proposals, a deal was finalized with Caves Valley Partners (CVP) in November 2016, planning started, and construction then began in April 2018 on the $8.5-million renovation of the 31,800 sq. ft. building. The market has been completely closed since January.

The Cross Street Market was hoping to reopen last week, but Fenwick’s Choice Meats and Steve’s Lunch were unable to get their Use and Occupancy Permits and final inspections because of a ransomware attack on the City of Baltimore’s computer system.

Cross Street Market is being developed and leased by CSM Ventures, LLC, a partnership between developer CVP and CANAdev, with construction and property management by MacKenzie. Baltimore Public Markets Corporation (BPMC) still owns the building and contributed $2 million to the renovation to update the systems in the building. CVP has a lease agreement with BPMC for a term of up to 50 years.

Steve’s Lunch’s has been at the Cross Street Market for more than 50 years. It was started by Steve Nichols and has been owned by son John Nichols since 1970. Steve’s Lunch briefly shut down during construction in April, but was able to open a temporary location on the S. Charles St. side of the market until January. Steve’s Lunch specializes in breakfast sandwiches, gravy fries, subs, the steak fish sandwich, and house-made soups.

Steve’s Lunch’s new stall will be about a third the size of the stall it had for many years, but it will be adjacent to a common seating area, as opposed to having its own dedicated seating area at its former spot. The new stall features subway tile and a Steve’s Lunch neon sign behind a wood header.

Steve’s Lunch’s staff of five will be returning and the hours will be 630am to 7pm.

Nichols told SouthBMore.com that he is excited to get back to work and see his regulars. He said business has been good over the years.

Nichols said in his time off from the daily business of Steve’s Lunch since January he has been spending time with his grandkids as well as “getting on his wife’s nerves,” he added jokingly.

Fenwick’s Choice Meats closed in April 2018 for construction and has remained closed in anticipation of its new stall. Fenwick’s has been open since 1952 and under the ownership of Henry Reisinger for more than 3o years. Fenwick’s sells butcher’s cuts of meats, lunch meat, cheese, and eggs. It is recognizable by its large neon sign which will be making a return.

Reisinger took on a part-time job during the construction, but he’s ready to return to self-employment which he described as “the best high he’s ever had.” He is sad about the business he lost over the past year, especially around the holidays, but said it will be a good feeling to reopen.

Additional vendors that will open in the coming months at Cross Street Market include Annoula’s Kitchen, a modern Mediterranean soup and sandwich place from Anna Leventis, owner of SoBo Market and SoBo Café; Cans Filling Station, a craft beer concept from Will Glass of Taps Fill Station, which has locations at Mt. Vernon Marketplace and The Bourse in Philadelphia; Ono Poké, a poké and Hawaiian-style restaurant that has a location Downtown; Taco Love Grill, a family-run taqueria based in White Marsh; Burger Bar from the team at Southside Diner; Vietnamese pho restaurant from Hanover Phubs; Korean concept Rice Crook; Haitian cuisine farmer’s market and event business Sobeachy; Pizza di Joey which will take its NY-Style pizza food truck into a brick-and-mortar location in the market under the direction of Riverside resident Joey Vanoni; Old Line Cocktail and Wine Bar which will be run by Highlandtown distillery Old Line Spirits; and Gangster Vegan Organics which is bringing its plant-based concept from Pennsylvania to Federal Hill; and a fried chicken and sandwich stall from Baltimore-staple Royal Farms.

The vendor has not been announced yet, but Cross Street Market will also have a “market within a market” stall which will sell farm-fresh items like produce, sauces, breads, cheese, dairy, pastas, home goods, and more.

Merchants will open through the spring and summer.

Also planned for Cross Street Market is a 5,000 sq. ft. crab house, seafood tavern, and seafood market from Alex Smith’s Atlas Restaurant Group. It will take the former space of Nick’s Inner Harbor Seafood at the S. Charles St. entrance which is expected to open in Spring 2020

The Cross Street Farmers’ Market, a partnership between CSM Ventures, LLC and Federal Hill Main Street, has been open on Saturday morning for the past three weeks.

Read SouthBMore.com’s articles detailing the different aspects of the Cross Street Market redevelopment here.

John Nichols at his stall last month

Henry Reisinger at his stall last month

Common seating area next to Steve’s and Fenwick Meats

Current exterior pictures

About the Author: Kevin Lynch Founder and Publisher of SouthBmore.com, longtime resident of South Baltimore, and a graduate of Towson University. Diehard Ravens and O's fan, beach volleyball enthusiast, dog lover, and "bar food" foodie. Email me at Founder and Publisher of SouthBmore.com, longtime resident of South Baltimore, and a graduate of Towson University. Diehard Ravens and O's fan, beach volleyball enthusiast, dog lover, and "bar food" foodie. Email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter at @SoBoKevin