The Greater Baltimore Committee Wednesday unveiled a grand, $900 million plan for Baltimore’s Inner Harbor that will include a new, privately financed 18,500-seat arena topped by a 500-room hotel, both attached to an expanded Baltimore Convention Center.
The $325 million arena and $175 million hotel would be built on the site of the Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel at Conway and Charles streets owned by Willard Hackerman of Whiting-Turner Contracting Inc. and would be privately financed. But the project is dependent on being attached to a convention center that would double in size if the state will kick in bonds for the $400 million expansion.
The arena would replace the 50-year-old 1st Mariner Arena, which seats 14,000, without having to tear down the old structure between Lombard and Baltimore streets a few blocks away.
The Greater Baltimore Committee plan also includes redeveloping Rash Field, at the Inner Harbor, as a more vibrant waterfront park, building a pedestrian bridge over the narrowest point of the harbor and constructing a sound and light show for the harbor.
The Inner Harbor is “worn and it needs to have a facelift,” said Don Fry, president of the Greater Baltimore Committee.
Fry said both Gov. Martin O’Malley and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake had reviewed the overall plans.
2 comments:
We don't need this crap!
Whiting Turner rules Maryland -- why do you think they built that new Bennett high school monstrosity at huge cost to the County and have the new BMS in their sights but for the County Council coming to its senses before it's too late.
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