The Future of Baltimore's Harborplace

What should come next for Baltimore's Harborplace, the waterfront park and plaza that was wildly successful after it opened in 1980, but whose two retail pavilions now stand largely vacant? The latest revival plan - which includes removing height restrictions, razing the pavilions and letting a developer replace them with two tall harborside apartment towers - has sparked intense debate. Will the 900 new luxury residential units at the water's edge revive the city's "crown jewel"? Or privatize and deaden a cherished public space? And what to make of the process whereby P. David Bramble was chosen - "secretly," Mayor Brandon Scott declared in public remarks - to be the developer for the project?

Brew Exclusive: Draft lease confirms MCB would get a 95% tax break on its Harborplace project

The lease – not yet publicly released – would result in a minimum $200 million tax savings for developer P. David Bramble.

Community and labor groups protest Harborplace developer’s secret tax break deal

“We are wary that millions of dollars in tax discounts over several decades have eroded the city’s revenue and made service delivery more challenging,” the With Us For Us coalition says.

Why the mayor and City Council should assist an MCB exit from Harborplace

At bare minimum, Baltimore officials must forbid demolition of the Harborplace pavilions until the roughly $500 million needed in private funding is secured by MCB Real Estate. [OP-ED]

Secret meetings that positioned Harborplace project for a tax break broke Maryland’s Open Meetings law, news organizations say

Baltimore Business Journal and Baltimore Brew have filed a complaint with the state about closed-door meetings leading up to approval of a hefty PILOT tax break for developer David Bramble’s MCB Real Estate.

BREAKING: Baltimore Harborplace redevelopment is slated for a massive tax break

BDC approves a property tax reduction of up to 95% for David Bramble’s Inner Harbor project.

MCB spent over $400,000 to win voter approval of Question F

The citizens group opposing the Bramble development raised a fraction of that amount – $3,700.

MCB-backed political committee takes up Mayor Scott’s racism charge against opponents of Question F

Anger expressed over a long-removed Facebook image is a smokescreen to cover up a developer’s land grab, say critics of the Harborplace charter amendment.

MCB official’s online comment leaves critic of Harborplace plan feeling intimidated

The MCB official publicly reminded Wendi Mosteiko that her employer has contracts with the developer.

Voters to decide if apartment tower plan will revive the Inner Harbor or ruin it

As a developer steps up a misleading ad campaign, a look at Question F and what a “yes” vote would mean for Baltimore’s Harborplace.

MCB funnels $240,000 to the ballot committee backing Question F

Question F, which would lift a ban on apartment construction at Baltimore’s Harborplace, is one of the most controversial items on the November 5 ballot.

Finance report obscures the spending and backers of Harborplace advocacy group

“Baltimore for a New Harborplace” tells the State Board of Elections it has not raised or spent any money on Question F. UPDATE: Response from group’s chairman.

Supreme Court of Maryland rules that Harborplace ballot measure will count

The battle over whether to open up Baltimore’s tourist waterfront to private development moves to the ballot box.

Supreme Court of Maryland hears arguments in Harborplace charter amendment challenge

Lawyers for Baltimore and the state accuse petitioners of waiting too long to object, while their lawyer suggests delayed public release of the Question F language was a tactic to keep voters in the dark.

Promising a greener Harborplace, while soft-pedaling those high-rise towers

Opponents object to ads by a political committee, formed by employees of MCB Real Estate, urging a yes vote on Question F, saying the ads obscure the true impact of the charter change.

Calling the judge’s Harborplace decision “voter suppression” shows a real ignorance of the law

It takes a lot of nerve for Councilman Costello and the mayor to attack a judge and the many serious people who believe the waterfront apartment tower plan is bad for the Inner Harbor. [OP-ED]

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Mayor Scott says critics oppose Harborplace plan because the developer is Black

Attorney for the petitioners says Scott is “playing the race card” as the battle to build high-rise apartments and commercial buildings at the Inner Harbor public park heats up.

Judge knocks Harborplace redevelopment question off the ballot, delighting critics

A charter amendment that would allow apartment buildings on public land alongside the Inner Harbor is ruled invalid.

City Council advances bills to pave the way for towers at Harborplace

With no debate and no remarks to explain their votes, lawmakers move Baltimore’s historic waterfront one step closer to an apartment-centric future.

It’s time for a pause and reflection, says former BDC head M.J. “Jay” Brodie

Harborplace deserves better than apartment towers that look more like downtown Houston than waterfront Baltimore, says Brodie, a key figure in its creation 44 years ago. [OP-ED]

Critics denounce Harborplace bills as a “blank check” giveaway to the developer

After opponents at a packed hearing plead “don’t sell our soul,” a City Council committee advances legislation to remove height restrictions at Baltimore’s iconic tourist waterfront.

Upon taking office, Mayor Scott secretly worked to ensure one developer got rights to Harborplace

Scott’s words and actions raise serious questions about the fairness and propriety of the process used to push private development on Baltimore’s public waterfront. [OP-ED]

Opponents of the Harborplace plan hope to get an alternative charter amendment on the ballot

Vowing “a campaign of public persuasion,” the Inner Harbor Coalition promises to put the proposed apartment towers and other large-scale development at the water’s edge on the November 2024 ballot.

As expected, Planning Commission signs off on Harborplace bills

Amid cheers by some and pleas to slow down by others, legislation is approved that paves the way for David Bramble’s residential rebuild of Baltimore’s Harborplace.

Technical difficulties delay Harborplace vote, but don’t stop at-times bitter testimony

Baltimore’s Planing Commission takes up the David Bramble’s plan for a massive apartment and retail complex at the city’s waterfront, with several complaining the project is moving too fast.

Championing a stadium deal and the Harborplace plan: Two rookie mistakes by Wes Moore

The governor’s showy salesmanship on behalf of two hot-button development issues in Baltimore is jarring. [OP-ED]

The outsized role of developers in Baltimore is reflected in the new Harborplace plan

A crucial piece of publicly owned land is handed over to a developer who plainly states his priority is to make a profit. [OP-ED]

Behind the “bold vision” of Harborplace, a shift from people’s park to private development

David Bramble’s plans for a massive apartment and retail complex at Baltimore’s Pratt and Light streets would alter longstanding priorities for public open space there. A SPECIAL Brew report.

Harborplace now: Empty shops, locked doors and a fabulous view

As city leaders give a developer three years to craft a turnaround plan, we take a look around Baltimore’s once celebrated, now nearly vacant waterfront pavilions.

Rent abatement and a three-year grace period handed to Harborplace’s new owner

“Pop-up” stores and minimal investment will be the near-term fate of the struggling shopping center under a revised agreement.