Baltimore’s long-stalled Superblock project on downtown’s west side is facing another delay, and city officials this week said they are considering ending an agreement with the developer.

The developer countered that it has made significant progress over two years. Chris Janian, president of joint venture partner Vitruvius, said in a statement that the company has built momentum to create “a truly transformative anchor in the Bromo Arts District and for all of downtown.”

The proposed $155 million Compass project would bring apartments, parking and a hotel to the 200 block of West Lexington Street in downtown’s Five & Dime historic district. The city chose Westside Partners in 2019 to revive the project after past proposals fell through.

But Westside notified Baltimore Development Corp. officials after a Sept. 13 meeting that they are unable to meet four key conditions of a land disposition agreement and requested an extension to Jan. 1. Westside, a joint venture of Vitruvius, Mayson Dixon and Partnered, had been expected to close on the city-owned property Sept. 30.

BDC is reviewing the request but considering other options, including terminating the developer’s agreement and re-issuing a request for proposals, BDC President and CEO Colin Tarbert said in a statement Wednesday.

Tarbert said it is becoming more difficult to justify further delays given the project’s importance.

“With the significant progress on nearby projects like Lexington Market and CFG Bank Arena, there is strong momentum on Downtown Baltimore’s westside,” Tarbert said. “After four years since the RFP was awarded, it is disappointing that the site at Howard and Lexington remains undeveloped, with little movement beyond a concept plan and no financing.”The developer said it has secured all necessary approvals from the city’s Commission for Historical and Architectural Preservation and Urban Design and Architecture Advisory Panel, which will enable demolition, historic preservation and design of a master plan.

“The equity market over the past few years has been one of the most restrictive in recent history especially for impact-driven projects with nuances like a [land disposition agreement] with a City,” Janian’s statement said.

One of the partners, Mayson-Dixon Properties & Development, filed to liquidate its construction and building supply companies in bankruptcy court in May amid a trail of lawsuits and debts.

Even so, the development group found an equity partner who has worked with the firm over the summer and expressed “strong commitment” not only to The Compass but potentially to a much larger, longer-term investment strategy in the city, according to Janian.

That partner has asked for the additional time to complete an “internal process” before closing, he said. The extension would enable Westside to finalize the partnership and move toward a goal of breaking ground in the first half of 2026, Janian said.

“We need to maintain this positive momentum to deliver a transformative project that reflects the shared goals of the City, Westside Partners, and the many stakeholders involved,” he said in the statement.

Tarbert said the city is obligated to move forward with a sale only if the developer has secured financing, contracts for pre-construction and an approved phasing plan 10 days prior to settlement. The developer also must comply with the land disposition agreement.

City leaders have overseen numerous iterations of plans over about five decades to redevelop blocks in what was once a bustling shopping and department store corridor of Howard Street. But anticipated large-scale redevelopment has met with false starts and failures for years.

Still, smaller developers have bought into west side revitalization in recent years, attracted by the nearby harbor, the redevelopment of Lexington Market and other spots, and west side anchors such as the University of Maryland and Hippodrome Theatre.

The Compass project has been viewed as critical to the city’s west side.