Throughout Greater Baltimore and along the East Coast, C. William “Bill” Struever is known for his transformation of old, run-down industrial buildings into vibrant commercial centers, seeing life where others see only empty parking lots and missing roof shingles.

Now, more than three decades after founding Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse Inc., the Baltimore developer is trying to revitalize his own company. Struever Bros. has defaulted on nearly $6 million in loans it borrowed to finance its construction projects and is facing lawsuits from Baltimore-area contractors seeking to collect wages from work on Struever’s developments.

Struever Bros. representatives declined to be interviewed for this article. In an e-mail statement to the Baltimore Business Journal, Struever said he expects to work through the company’s financial problems.

“Over our 35-year history, we’ve battled through the ups and downs of the capital markets, including the early ’90s, which was a terrible time for real estate. I am confident that we will come through the heartaches of today’s economic downturn as well,” Struever said in the statement. “Like many other companies, Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse is working through the challenges of these difficult times. We have a plan and are in close contact with our key stakeholders with a goal of reaching positive resolution.”