Ridgewood and Ridgemede Apartments converted to condominiums (1991)

Ridgewood and Ridgemede convert to condominiums

The Ridgemede and the Ridgewood, companion apartment buildings in the Tuscany-Canterbury neighborhood, are being converted to Baltimore’s newest condominium complex.

The Tudor Revival structures, at 221 and 310 Ridgemede Road, contain 70 residences and are the latest of several apartment buildings near the Johns Hopkins University’s Homewood campus to undergo conversion in recent years. Others include the Berkeley condominiums at 102 W. 39th St., the Dundee Condominiums at 3902 Canterbury Road, and the Canterbury Square condominiums at 101 W. 39th St.

The developer of the Ridgemede Road project is Woodmede Associates Inc., a local group headed by managing partner Robert Kirwan of Baltimore. He said his group acquired the buildings in early 1989 from Kenilworth Equities for a price between $3 million and $4 million.

Mr. Kirwan said he expects the residences to sell well in a “down market” because many people who may be unable to afford a detached home or a town house still may be able to afford a condominium.

In addition, the Ridgemede and Ridgewood have an Old World ambience and are situated close to the Hopkins campus, Linkwood Park and neighborhoods such as Guilford and Roland Park.

“They’ve always been a well-kept secret,” he said. “There was never more than one vacancy at a time. If you pick up any of the [trade] journals with articles about what homebuyers want these days, they all say buyers want value, not frills. That’s exactly what these offer.”

Prices for the condominiums range from $49,900 for a small one-bedroom unit to $199,000 for a three-bedroom, 3-bathroom unit.

They were built by Thomas P. Mullan, a well-known local builder also responsible for the Ambassador, the Carlton and the 3900 building, among other Baltimore apartment projects. Mr. Mullan lived in the Ridgewood for many years.

The five-story Ridgemede dates from 1939, while the four-story Ridgewood dates from 1965. Because both have a similar exterior, Mr. Kirwan said, most people don’t realize they were built so many years apart.

Improvements to the buildings include asbestos removal, new mechanical systems and cosmetic upgrades in the hallways and lobbies, as well as a new furnace and elevator in the Ridgemede.