Single Carrot Finds Permanent Home

Single Carrot Theatre has entered an agreement with Seawall Development to move into the building at 2600 N. Howard St. in Remington at the beginning of 2014. According to Elliott Rauh, the company’s managing director, Single Carrot was approached by the development company in late 2011. “I don’t know of many other cities where developers embrace not-for-profit theater companies,” Rauh says. “But they said they wanted to help Single Carrot to make a long-term home for the theater, and give us space to grow so we won’t have to worry about being priced out by corporate America or have to worry about becoming property owners. This way, we can focus on art, which is what we do best.”

Since Single Carrot moved to Baltimore in 2008 (and won “Best New Theater”), the company has been located at Load of Fun in Station North. When that location voluntarily closed this August due to zoning issues the company began its season at MICA. It will finish this season in the Charles Street location previously occupied by the Everyman Theatre, after that company moves to its new West Fayette Street home. But that was never seen as a permanent location for Single Carrot, which was already in negotiations with Seawall by the time Load of Fun closed.

At first, according to Rauh, the company had its doubts about leaving Station North. “But the board [of directors] recognized that Station North was created to activate the area from Penn Station really up to Hopkins,” he says. “Though we won’t be in the confines of the arts and entertainment district, we feel like we’ll still accomplish this goal. And it will be exciting to be closer to [the] BMA and to Hopkins, as well as the residential neighborhood of Remington—which we hope will comprise our future members.”

Seawall is heavily invested in rehabbing houses in the Remington area, working on affordable housing for teachers and other public employees. They have slated 2600 Howard St.—currently James and Lynn’s Tire Services—as an entertainment venue, housing not only Single Carrot but also a restaurant and bar. “Food and drink and performance are all of one family, and they go so well together,” Rauh says. “You can come and park in one spot, have a drink, catch a show, and then get some dinner.”

Evan Morville, of Seawall, says that they are not ready to make public any discussions with restaurateurs. “We hope to have it finalized by the end of the month,” he says. “We’re just dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s.” Though it is new for the company to work with commercial enterprises like restaurants, Morville says, “We own the building and we’re looking for what would be a good use.” Reaching out to Single Carrot seemed an obvious extension of their work with nonprofits and, once that began to fall into place, “it just seemed natural to have a restaurant by the theater.”

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