Lidl signs lease for East Baltimore mixed-use project, adding long-sought grocery at Central and Orleans
A national discount grocer commits to a key retail anchor in the Perkins-Somerset-Oldtown redevelopment area
A new full-service grocery store is slated to open in East Baltimore after Lidl signed a long-term lease to anchor a mixed-use development planned for the corner of Central Avenue and Orleans Street. The lease covers roughly 30,000 to 31,000 square feet of retail space and is tied to an $80 million project that pairs the grocer with a new apartment building.
The development plan calls for an eight-story residential tower with about 185 apartments above ground-floor commercial space. Concept plans have shown a glass-forward street level designed to accommodate a large-format market, with the grocery footprint described as up to 40,000 square feet depending on final configuration.
Project background: grocery access and redevelopment goals
The site sits within the broader Perkins-Somerset-Oldtown transformation area, where public and private investment is reshaping long-disinvested blocks near downtown and major medical campuses. The grocery commitment has been framed as a cornerstone amenity intended to improve routine access to fresh food and household staples for nearby residents as housing and infrastructure are rebuilt.
Efforts to secure a grocery tenant for the project have involved multiple layers of financing and coordination. State documents connected to the “Somerset Grocery Store Initiative” list dedicated public funding, including a $300,000 legislative bond initiative allocation, alongside other capital sources associated with the redevelopment.
What the lease means for the development timeline
The lease agreement provides a major pre-leasing milestone that developers and lenders typically view as essential for large mixed-use projects. Even so, the timing of construction and opening remains dependent on final financing, permitting, and buildout sequencing. Earlier projections around the redevelopment anticipated a grocery opening by 2025, but subsequent reporting has raised questions about schedule certainty as the project progressed through funding and development steps.
Why this deal matters in Baltimore’s retail landscape
Scale: A roughly 30,000-square-foot lease places the store among larger neighborhood-format grocers rather than small markets.
Location: Central and Orleans is a highly visible corridor linking Downtown, East Baltimore neighborhoods, and major institutions.
Mixed-use strategy: Pairing a grocery anchor with new housing is increasingly used to stabilize retail occupancy and daily foot traffic.
The grocery lease is positioned as a pivotal element of the redevelopment’s street-level activation, intended to support both existing residents and new households expected from the project’s mixed-income housing buildout.
Next steps include finalizing project financing, advancing construction planning, and setting a buildout schedule for the grocery space. The opening date will ultimately hinge on those milestones and the pace of work across the broader Perkins-Somerset-Oldtown redevelopment.