It wasn’t long ago that the future of Little Havana was in question as the property at 1325 Key Hwy. in Federal Hill, which was leased at the time, was being eyed for redevelopment during the hot real estate market of the early 2000s. The real estate market went through a historic crash in the late 2000s, which ultimately turned out to be a good thing for the Cuban restaurant in South Baltimore. Four years ago the owners were able to purchase the building as well as the adjacent property at 1321 Key Hwy., which was formerly the home of Globe Brewing Co., giving them long-term stability on Key Hwy.
Little Havana, now 17 years old, is undergoing improvements to refresh the 100-year-old property. The outside has been painted to feature sections of vibrant blue, green and orange. “It gives it more of an authentic Caribbean feel and less like an old scary warehouse,” said co-owner Marc Gentile.
A new Little Havana mural has also been painted on the exterior facing eastbound traffic on Key Hwy. Work will also be done on the Little Havana sign at the front of the building. The facing on the exterior deck was additionally rebuilt and refinished recently.
Photo from the Little Havana Facebook Page
Baltimore City required the demolition the old Globe Brewing Co. building, which they completed in 2013. Little Havana later built a new wall separating the two properties. This new wall now features a recently completed mural which faces the private party space. Preliminary work is also underway for a renovation of the kitchen and bathrooms later this year.
Little Havana recently went through the zoning process to subdivide the former Globe lot from the Little Havana building. The owners will look to sell this property in the future after they complete further remediation.