Biography

Mark Keener represents developers, owners, investors and lenders in residential, commercial, industrial and mixed-use real estate development projects, from land acquisition through development, construction, leasing/sale and disposition. He represents equity investors in community development and historic tax credit transactions, developers in the formation of condominium and homeowner associations, and lenders and borrowers in a variety of acquisition, development and construction, and mezzanine and permanent lending transactions throughout the nation.

Mark is recognized for his work in real estate law in Chambers USA, America's Leading Real Estate Lawyers, and The Best Lawyers in America.

Representative Transactions

• University of Baltimore campus: Represented Bozzuto & Associates in connection with an extensive redevelopment effort on the University of Baltimore’s urban campus. The project is a $75 million mixed-use development consisting of 270 residential apartments, 25,000 square feet of retail space and a 1,200 space parking garage. Assisted the developer in its negotiation of a 65 year ground lease with the State of Maryland, a PILOT agreement with the City of Baltimore, and in connection with the project’s participation in the Maryland Department of the Environment’s Voluntary Clean-up Program. In addition, assisted the developer in closing third party equity arrangements and construction financing in one of the most difficult financing environments the industry has ever experienced. Click to read The Fitzgerald at Bolton Yards.



• Harbor East: Represented H&S Properties Development and John Paterakis, Michael Beatty and their development entities involved in one of Baltimore’s most successful redevelopment efforts, Harbor East—including the 600,000 square feet “Legg Mason Tower,” the Four Seasons Hotel and Condominiums, a 700+ room Marriott Hotel, a 205 room Marriott Courtyard Hotel, a mixed-use project known as Parcel B (2 hotels, condos, office, retail and parking), Spinnaker Bay Apartments and Condominiums ($90 million project value; 650,000 square feet on 1.3 acres; 45,000 square feet retail; 32 condo, 320 apartment units; 460 parking spaces) together with other significant office, retail and residential development.



• Harbor Point: Represented the H&S Properites development team working on the billion dollar historic renovation and renewal of Baltimore’s Fells Point neighborhood. Fells Landing includes 215,000 square feet of office and retail, 140 residential units, and a 680-car parking garage. Harbor Point, a 27-acre parcel, will be a mix of office, retail, hotel, restaurant, and residential uses with a waterfront park to be developed on the environmentally-remediated former Allied/Signal site.



• Annapolis Towne Centre: Represented the developer in its acquisition and financing for a luxury apartment project consisting of a 208-unit residential rental apartment project and 312 parking space garage. The mixed-use project undertaken by master developer Greenberg Gibbons includes high-end retail, additional residential development, and office space.



• Towson Circle III: Represented Heritage Properties in connection with a $75 million LEED Silver Certified mixed- use development. Assisted in the negotiation of development and financing arrangements with the Baltimore County Revenue Authority and Baltimore County, preparing commercial condominium documents and handling a complicated land control and acquisition process with multiple landowners. The project includes a 62,000 square-foot, 2,500-seat multiplex cinema atop a 4-story, 700-space, Baltimore County Revenue Authority owned parking garage, approximately 60,000 square feet of retail / restaurant space at the plaza and street levels and 60,000 square feet of office space above the retail.



• Jericho Senior Living: Represented Bozzuto and Jericho Baptist Church in connection with a 270-unit multifamily residential housing project in Prince George's County. The $50 million project was financed, in part, with federal low-income housing tax credits and contains affordable and market rate units. The Gallagher team, led by Mr. Keener, handled all legal aspects of the project -- including structuring a complex land condominium regime, the negotiation of the financing documents with the tax credit investor and each of the project's lenders and the structuring of the project to account for complex tax issues.

Education

Cornell University, BA, 1981

University of Maryland School of Law, JD, with honor, 1985

Bar Admissions

Maryland

Bar and Professional Memberships

Bar Association of Baltimore City
Maryland State Bar Association

Civic and Charitable Service

Cherry Hill Town Center, Inc., Board of Directors, (1999 - present)
Charles Street Development Corporation, Board of Directors (2010 - present)
Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, Board of Directors (2009 - present)
ULI Baltimore, Advisory Committee (2010-present)