(Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

The Baltimore Eagle, a mainstay of Baltimore’s leather community since 1991, closed in December following its sale, leaving many in the community uncertain as to the bar’s fate. The previous owner, Richard Richardson died suddenly in 2007. He bought the bar from founder Tom Kiple in 1995. Since Richardson’s death, the Baltimore Eagle had been operated by his estate until it was sold.

New owner Ian Parrish, a successful developer, indicated that the building, which is located at 2022 N. Charles St., will undergo extensive renovations and upgrades to the structure. This could take as much as a year to complete.

According to his own website IanCharlesParrish.com, Parrish “has been a private investor in tens of millions of dollars in real estate transactions over a career that spans nearly two decades … [He] was named ‘Young Entrepreneur of the Year’ by the U.S. Small Business Administration. He has earned official citations from both the Mayor of Baltimore and the Governor of Maryland for outstanding leadership and commitment to the community.”

Parrish told the Blade that the Baltimore Eagle will re-open as a leather bar with the same name. He said that he plans to hire a management team to operate the establishment.

Parrish has been collaborating with neighborhood associations as well as former Baltimore Eagle bartenders, patrons and leather club members to obtain input as to the desired physical layout of the building and other concepts. “It’s not me who determines how the bar should be,” he explained. “It’s the community.” He urges the community to check the bar’s website at TheBaltimoreEagle.com for progress reports.