MCB will continue to engage the community over the next year to gather feedback and continue to revise its plan. You can submit feedback here or email us at info@ourharborplace.com. If you’re interested in joining us for a public forum, check our calendar here.

As you can see in the image here, the footprint the new buildings will be similar in total square footage to the existing pavilions, but will open up access to and views of the water from the approaching streets.

In its current configuration, views from the downtown street grid are blocked by the pavilions. In the new plan, pedestrians will be able see the waterfront from anywhere in the project, including the view corridors that the pavilions currently block, as you can see here.

There will be a need for improvements in public spaces around Harborplace, whether or not this project is built. The promenade, including the infrastructure supporting it, needs to be substantially rebuilt. That work needs to be done in a way that protects the promenade from flooding that occurs weekly, particularly in the areas in front of the Science Center and the Harborplace Amphitheater. The price tag for those cumulative public infrastructure improvements is roughly $400 million. For comparison, the waterfront public space improvements at the Wharf in DC totaled approximated $320 million for a smaller footprint. Historically, improvements to our promenade have included substantial funding from the Federal Government.

The cost of the private development at Harborplace is anticipated to exceed $500m and will be privately funded and financed.

No. MCB will create a mixed income environment and follow Baltimore City’s inclusionary housing rules. MCB envisions housing for teachers, doctors, lawyers, first responders, and so many more. A recent op-ed in the Baltimore Sun discussed who might want to move to the new residential building.

Downtown Partnership of Baltimore (DPOB) residential studies have indicated a need for 5600-6595 new residential units downtown over the next 5 years. The most recent new construction near the Harbor, 414 Light St, is now fully leased. Despite adding thousands of units through conversion projects in Downtown Baltimore, residential demand remains exceptionally strong.

We envision parking at Harborplace will be served by the over 6,000 parking spaces within a one-block radius of Harborplace.

The delivery of the 900 units will come in phases, mitigating the risk of vacancy. More importantly, we think the redesigned Harborplace will continue the trend of downtown being Baltimore’s fastest growing neighborhood.

During our many community conversations, Baltimoreans had mixed opinions on residential. Many supported residential because it adds vibrancy and constant activity while increasing the tax base and supporting local businesses. Others did not, fearing that sight lines would be blocked or that the wrong types of housing would block access to the water. One of the most important jobs of the development team was integrating the aspirations and concerns of both sides of this question, which is how we came up with the mixed use first few floors for retail, arts, and culture, the entirely publicly-accessible ground plane, and the building orientation and shaping meant to maximize visibility to the water from adjacent blocks. Finally, we heard a lot about public safety. Adding residential uses, with residents living at the Harbor, will create a 24-hour community that will enhance public safety.

The zoning doesn’t change for Rash Field, West Shore Park, and the Science Center area because the Urban Renewal Plan (URP) still prohibits development there - the proposed modifications are only related to the ground leased parcels/“development areas” within the URP. Importantly, Rash Field and West Shore Park are part of what is referred to as “Area 15” in the URP which remains public and is not subject to further vertical development beyond enhancements to the parks that exist today. Development in those areas is still prohibited and would need to be amended by the City Charter -- making it a question for the voters. For more detail about the legislative package, visit OurHarborplace.com/legislation.

A resolution has been introduced to amend the city charter to clarify that certain commercial uses are permitted at “Inner Harbor Park” and to amend the total acreage of commercial uses permitted in this area enabling more direct connection to and public space on the waterfront.

MCB has committed since Day 1 to keep it local. We know to create a successful Harborplace for Baltimore, we must merchandise with great local and authentic tenants. This is why Harborplace was successful initially, and lost its way. We also know that creating a tenant mix of exciting local businesses will drive tourism in addition to local patronage. There may be national stores in the final tenant mix, but our goal will always be to keep this project uniquely Baltimore.

The Harborplace Ground Lease includes a maintenance standard for the property. While we, as Baltimoreans, have every intention of keeping this trophy property in world-class condition, we understand concerns about potential ownership decades down the road. We do believe keeping a maintenance standard for the property within the Ground Lease with the City has precedent and is appropriate to ensure our waterfront remains an amazing destination for Baltimoreans and the world.

Residents will be restricted on what furniture and decoration can be placed on their balconies, which is a common practice for leasing in apartment buildings.

MCB has engaged a traffic engineering team to evaluate potential traffic impacts to downtown and will make that study public when it becomes available. Moreover, during our community engagement sessions, we heard repeatedly that Baltimoreans are concerned about the intensity of traffic around the Harbor, with some describing it as a superhighway that blocks residents from their prized asset. Many seniors especially felt traversing these streets made Harborplace inaccessible to them. Changes in commuter behavior can be complicated, but a few extra minutes to get through downtown is a small price to pay for an amazing, pedestrian oriented streetscape which will both drive tax revenue for the City/State as well as create a friendlier environment for people to linger and enjoy. Drivers adapt to new trends – and when that diversion behavior is combined with additional transit and micromobility solutions, we expect Downtown Baltimore to function better as an urban environment than it does today.

Transformation of this magnitude creates disruption and we, as Baltimoreans will need to “pardon the dust” as we create the waterfront we all deserve. That said, MCB wants to minimize downtime on the site and will work to maintain access to the waterfront during construction. The very construction of 414 Light and One Light show that urban construction is possible without dramatically impacting the surrounding community.

MCB envisions using bird-safe glass glazing similar to that used at the National Aquarium to eliminate bird strikes.

The Gallery is privately owned by an unaffiliated entity.

Yes. And there will be multiple locations that can host a winter ice rink.

o We anticipate a continuous engagement across Baltimore as we move through design and implementation. We envision a 12-month design feedback process working with community across the City to make the most of this opportunity for all residents of Baltimore to showcase what will be a world-class Harborplace.

o The first 12-months will focus on design, inclusive of what types of businesses Harborplace will showcase, what amenities enhance the experience, and what the overall development plan will be.

o During the design phase, we hope to generate opportunity for small business across the city to find space at the current Harbor Pavilions, expanding access to prime retail and restaurant space for small Baltimore businesses while breathing life into the current Harbor.

2023 will bring enhanced tenancy at the Harbor through our work with the Waterfront Partnership and the Downtown Partnership, as well as new, local, small, minority, and women-owned businesses occupying space. We hope to have two (2) major events in addition to the July 4 and New Years fireworks, and enhanced programming, providing a reason for all Baltimoreans to come to the harbor each and every day.

Harborplace is really comprised of three separate assets:

1. the ”Improvements,” which are currently the Pratt St. and Light St. Pavilions;

2. the ground on which they sit; and

3. the surrounding public infrastructure.

Like many properties in Baltimore City, the land underneath Harborplace is owned by the City. The City provides a lease for its land, called a “Ground Lease,” which gives rights to the land – including development and operating rights – to a third party.

The Rouse Company, the original developer of Harborplace, first entered into a Ground Lease with the City in 1979. The property changed hands more than once since it was first constructed, including most recently to the Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation (“AAC”) which later stopped paying on the property. MCB HP Baltimore, an affiliate of MCB Real Estate (“MCB”) entered into an agreement to acquire the property on December 13, 2022.

Once closing occurs, and to make sure we build the right project—one that is truly and authentically Baltimore—MCB will spend the next 3 years on an exhaustive design and feasibility process, founded on strong community engagement across Baltimore. Getting to the right answer for Baltimore’s Crown Jewel will take time. We intend to spend the time necessary to fully realize the potential for Harborplace.

During that 3-year process, MCB has committed to temporarily leasing space at Harborplace to new tenants at-or-below cost. To make these leasing costs more manageable, the City of Baltimore voted in April 2023 to waive the ground rent on the property—$275,000 per year— just for the next three years. This will allow MCB to help local businesses, small businesses, pop-up shops, and so many more use the existing Harborplace pavilions. This is an exciting period because many Baltimore entrepreneurs may not be able to afford a waterfront location, but will have the opportunity to access it through this program and hopefully grow their brands and their businesses.

The City of Baltimore owns the promenade—the brick-paved waterfront walkway that surrounds the Harbor and ensures that the public can always access the waterfront without fear of being turned away by private property owners. As the owner of the promenade, sidewalks and roads, the City has agreed to contribute $1 Million towards designing the future of the Inner Harbor and the center of Downtown. The State has committed to $67.5 million to improve and ensure that the promenade is structurally sound and environmentally sensitive, in support of but regardless of the Harborplace final product.

The goal of revitalizing Harborplace is to ensure that Baltimore’s prime destination returns to greatness—and to the tax rolls—with the help of Baltimore residents.

While we have established core pillars for redevelopment, we will look to this process, and to the residents of Baltimore, for inspiration on specific improvements and design. Once constructed, a reimagined Harborplace will be a world-class waterfront asset for all to enjoy. You can see our initial designs here and submit feedback here.

Local, authentic tenancy is what made Harborplace great when it opened as one of the first festival marketplaces in the world. During the design process local, minority, and women-owned businesses will be identified for inclusion in Harborplace’s Local Tenancy Plan which aims to provide prime, waterfront retail space to deserving businesses at below-market rents to bring vitality back to the waterfront and grow our great Baltimore businesses.

MCB HP Baltimore (an affiliate of MCB Real Estate) is leading the acquisition, operation, and development planning activities for the pavilions while working in conjunction with the City of Baltimore and the State of Maryland on designs for City-owned property including the street network surrounding the Harbor, and the promenade itself.

o A thriving Baltimore cannot exist without a thriving downtown, and Downtown cannot be successful without a thriving Harborplace. In order to truly change the trajectory of our City, we need to attract businesses, jobs, and residents – the best way to do that is to provide a new, world-class waterfront offering for Downtown.

o Prior to embarking on Harborplace, MCB and its affiliates have deployed over $500 Million into Baltimore’s neighborhoods, including Madison Park North, The North Avenue Arts District, Northwood Commons, Yard 56, and Eastpoint Mall. We will continue to invest in all of Baltimore, but all our neighborhoods will be further served by this investment downtown.

For the better! You will see more activity, more tenants, more restaurants and local shops, more space to recreate with family and friends, and have more opportunities to interact with Baltimore’s waterfront.

Environmental sustainability is at the forefront of our thinking, beginning with protecting the Chesapeake Bay, our most important ecological asset. Through measures like:
• additional shade and tree canopy,

• enhanced green space,

• flood mitigation,

• softer shorelines and new bio retention facilities to treat storm water and runoff,

• interconnection to centralized utilities, and

• contemplation of the next hundred years of use,
Harborplace will be a worldwide model for sustainable, resilient waterfront development.

At the outset, the predominant opportunity will be in the retail and food and beverage sectors through increased tenancy and activation. As the development moves into the implementation stage, opportunities for contracting and employment will be advertised through this platform, as well as through City, State, and local nonprofit channels.

P. David Bramble and the Team at MCB Real Estate is leading this effort, along with their world-class team of Architects, Engineers, and Designers.

Dependent upon the final project plan established through this engagement process, the potential investment in downtown represented by this development could exceed $1 Billion.

Positively! Right now, downtown garages are struggling to generate enough occupancy. Parking in surrounding neighborhoods should not be impacted because the surrounding neighborhoods have residential-specific permitted parking.

Building equitably is core to who we are. We care deeply about access and will work with the City and housing resources to build a robust inclusionary housing strategy.