The former Mayfair Theater on Baltimore City's west side could soon become a mixed-use development with 26 apartments, two levels of underground parking and nearly 20,000 square feet of retail space.

The Baltimore Development Corp. said Monday it will begin negotiating with a team of developers seeking to transform the site and two others in the area of Howard and Franklin streets. The team -- which includes developers Sean MacCarthy and Alex Shewchuck -- plans to invest about $26 million in the area, the BDC said in a news release.

"These improvements will serve as a catalyst for future projects," BDC President M.J. "Jay" Brodie said in a statement.

Accent Development Company was picked over several different firms, including French Development Company Inc., Capital Venture Group LLC, and Pioneer Contracting Co., to revamp parts of the city's west side.

For the theater project at 506 N. Howard St., Mayfair beat out Pioneer Development, an Odenton developer that wanted to convert the structure into a 64-unit Sleep Inn hotel. Accent also has plans for several other properties in the 400 and 500 blocks of North Howard Street and the 300 block of West Franklin Street.

Deborah Hunt Devan, a member of the BDC's board of directors, said one of the reasons Accent was picked over Pioneer Development is because Accent hopes to redevelop multiple sites rather than just the theater property. Devan noted the theater has not been maintained over the years and its renovation should be a positive improvement for the area.

The BDC has been trying for several years to stimulate revitalization projects on the city's west side, which it views as an important link between the downtown business district to the east and large employers such as the University of Maryland to the west. Earlier this year, the city approved a $21 million land deal that would clear the way for a large redevelopment of the so-called superblock area at West Fayette and Liberty Streets, about four blocks from the Mechanic Theatre.

Also on Monday, the BDC said it will negotiate with Ellicott City-based P&D Realty LLC to redevelop a pair of properties at 400 and 402 N. Howard St. P&D, made up of Mitesh Dave and Pravin Ponnuri, hope to turn the properties into 16 rental units and a pair of retail stores, the BDC said. The group was picked over the French Development Co., which planned to renovate the buildings into a pair of studio apartments and a pair of retail stores.

Devan said Accent and P&D were both endorsed by an advisory panel that tried to determine the best uses for the properties as well as their economic impact on the city. The committee included members of Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, the Market Center Merchants Association, and the Greater Baltimore Committee.

"We don't just look at the tax dollars, we look at what the people in the area want to see," Devan said.

BDC spokeswoman referred calls on the project to Brodie, who was unavailable for comment. Representatives from Mayfair could not be reached for comment.

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