Baltimore Harborplace: Why the battle for the Inner Harbor could drag on for years

Did you really think the fight to redevelop Harborplace was over?

A day after voters approved a key issue on redeveloping Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, opponents reiterated their plans to keep fighting.

Protect Our Parks, the coalition that encouraged residents to vote “F-no” on Question F, said in a statement that it plans to block the construction of residential towers along the Inner Harbor Promenade through its own appeal to voters to block – in two years now.

MCB Real Estate, owner and operator of Harborplace, wants to demolish the retail pavilions, construct five new buildings and radically change the surrounding streetscape. The plan, based on a hypothetical mix of taxpayer money and private financing, is estimated to cost about $900 million.

A key step in the process was convincing voters to allow residential development in Harborplace.

With all Baltimore counties reporting, just over 60% of voters approved the city charter change. This paves the way for two planned high-rise buildings with up to 900 residential units. Protect Our Parks said the election defeat was actually “good news” because the margin was much narrower than on other voting questions.

Now the coalition wants to ask voters in Baltimore a question of their own.

The group said it will pursue a ballot measure to repeal Question F, but it won’t be on the ballot until November 2026.

In the meantime, MCB can move forward with its plans. However, it is a large development project that will take years to implement and is subject to change. The plans could be influenced by a variety of factors, such as interest rates, demand for office space, financial support from the state and federal governments, and the proposed Red Line project, which faces its own hurdles.

There will be reviews from multiple levels of government along the way, and any proposed building will likely be presented to city officials for hearing and discussion.

It’s unclear when the existing pavilions might be demolished, but after Tuesday’s vote, city leaders looked forward to moving forward with what they say is a transformative step for downtown Baltimore.

In a statement, Colin Tarbert, president and CEO of the Baltimore Development Corp., said he was tired of watching the pavilions deteriorate under previous ownership. Despite his fond memories of the time, like cracking crabs, Tarbert said it was time to move on, calling it a “new chapter” for the city.

“Baltimore has spoken, and the message is clear: We are ready to create a vibrant future for our city,” Tarbert said. “The passage of Question F was not just a vote; It’s an opportunity to build a new Harborplace and renew our entire downtown.”