Developer has abandoned plans to demolish former Hampden bookbindery and bird roost

A commercial real estate developer that had plans to demolish a former bookbindery in Hampden, where chimney swifts have roosted for generations as part of their seasonal migration, has walked away from the property, Councilwoman Odette Ramos confirmed Tuesday. Ramos, whose district includes Hampden, said a representative for the owner of the property informed her Monday that the developer, Segall Group, is no longer interested in the building “at this time.” The representative told Ramos they had not been in communication with the developer for months. The property was built in 1930, according to the Baltimore Sun, and used to serve as a clothing factory. Free State Bookbinders began operating there in 1984 but has since closed.