A former Italian ice cream factory in Fells Point could soon be razed to make way for a five-story, 31-unit apartment building. The Tutti Frutti wholesale ice cream factory at 520 S. Caroline St. was founded in 1950 by Italian immigrant Ernest DiNenna after he had saved enough money selling 1-cent cups of Italian ice in Baltimore.
The business survived for decades until DiNenna's death in 1996 at age 84. The prime location near posh Harbor East will be the home of a $4.5 million multi-family development with ground-level retail. The Commission of Historical and Architectural Preservation is set to consider the plans Dec. 11 because it's in a historic district. However, the building itself is not considered historic. The new construction will include studio, one and two-bedroom apartments. The market rate apartments will also be located near another large-scale redevelopment in the city that will include the replacement of Perkins Homes with new housing, a public park and new school totaling $1 billion.
