tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72234927020902688812024-03-18T14:15:41.789-07:00Community Architect DailyKlaus Philipsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01615851444265308506noreply@blogger.comBlogger1066125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223492702090268881.post-67269026093559266562024-03-08T14:47:00.000-08:002024-03-08T14:52:49.481-08:00Density - Dirty Word or Solution?<p><b>A history of separation</b></p><p>The nation is ripped by a housing crisis. Especially affordable housing is in low supply, across the US, in Maryland and in almost every local jurisdiction. The causes are multiple. High cost to construct housing, an ever shrinking pool of public housing and rent restricted housing where more units fall out of the restrictions than come into it on average, red tape, "redlining" and the fear of density. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5cHqSteogOuT4v1VCmPZUPTxeFTjqgd9K-EuGH5SyehSQ4buJGjE69QS2vtcYuXqQy5j0G-2FH2tesSCcP94SRo9XpBXkO0am8RsogaZKAu2z4eNY_jS9yvBT80G6Gv8YNg5lxyMLgNC427qf8uHgGqECn_HI41eaKmVnLgPRjfx57Fq9sy8YDlhDX9y/s6000/no%20apartments-no%20compromise.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3376" data-original-width="6000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5cHqSteogOuT4v1VCmPZUPTxeFTjqgd9K-EuGH5SyehSQ4buJGjE69QS2vtcYuXqQy5j0G-2FH2tesSCcP94SRo9XpBXkO0am8RsogaZKAu2z4eNY_jS9yvBT80G6Gv8YNg5lxyMLgNC427qf8uHgGqECn_HI41eaKmVnLgPRjfx57Fq9sy8YDlhDX9y/w400-h225/no%20apartments-no%20compromise.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Suburban fight against new development in Baltimore County<br />(Photo: Baltimore Banner)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Onerous regulations have been not only been a tool of separating use, race and class for a long time, they also control how many people can live in a given space, in other words: Density. Discriminatory regulations are alive and well to this day, often in the guise of respectable goals. For example: Use segregation has long been seen as a good way to protect housing from fumes, noise and other impacts of non compatible uses, even though today many industries have become quiet and clean and the livability of places where each use has its own quarter in town have long become a question. Fear of density, however, remains. </p><p>Race and class separation isn't openly pursued any longer, but lives on in regulations and housing production that favors spreading things out. Whole streets or subdivisions see only one type of home which shares a common price point, mandates large lots, lot coverage, and setbacks. The result is the particular "product" that homebuilder prefer and that leads to complete income stratification that too often is also a race stratification: The single family home. Thus hidden discrimination is still rampant, further cemented by lenders and real estate agents which give loans or show certain homes only to certain clients. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOh4IFCbuRjqQ5dw9u81S1d_zkzVRW5ZUFk0tIxNW-HQDo752LbfYI_M_ce1aastVOeNPACTnYydYI9xjEeozYIrnHHxnr549T-iC8DgtDJ2NkZqkrAS2I9_H92HNKjiI8v0nXNeK3LpzQN7B1VWrsyxUlCSyh2jGdNXbMaWyl_Qc6WIKJzTJMyjcftX9/s4032/IMG_1690.HEIC" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOh4IFCbuRjqQ5dw9u81S1d_zkzVRW5ZUFk0tIxNW-HQDo752LbfYI_M_ce1aastVOeNPACTnYydYI9xjEeozYIrnHHxnr549T-iC8DgtDJ2NkZqkrAS2I9_H92HNKjiI8v0nXNeK3LpzQN7B1VWrsyxUlCSyh2jGdNXbMaWyl_Qc6WIKJzTJMyjcftX9/w400-h300/IMG_1690.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Not so lovely: Underperforming suburban commercial corridors<br />(Photo: Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />The ramifications of these mono-cultures manifest themselves in urban design: Rarely can one see rental multi-family housing mixed in with single family homes, smaller and larger homes mixed up or a store in the middle of a residential neighborhood and even schools, post offices and town halls are set aside, far away from people that are supposed to use them. The endless monocultures of single family homes breed owners who defend their status tooth and nail against any change, no matter that older towns, cities and villages with their mix of uses, styles and incomes are often very attractive and in high demand for their authentic character and the high efficiency of walkable communities with close by services. By contrast, the commercial corridors of suburban communities show clear signs of ailing.<p></p><p><b>The many obstacles to change</b></p><p>The favorite weapon against change in those suburban communities are their ubiquitous "adequate public facilities ordinances" (APFOs). They presumably exist to prevent an overload of infrastructure from too much development, but they are fundamentally based on the very common misunderstanding that density causes overload. In many ways the opposite is the case. Density makes far better use of infrastructure by using it more efficiently, reducing the extent of stuff that needs to be maintained. This becomes obvious every time a snowstorm hits and the plows have a hard time to keep miles and miles of suburban lanes and cut de sacs cleared. Density allows schools that are better equipped with libraries, gymnasiums and auditoria and density also reduces traffic congestion. This last point may seem counterintuitive, but it becomes immediately clear when one compares how many trips are needed and how long the trips are to cover daily needs in a low density suburban setting versus an urban one. The three cars in many suburban driveways are not just decoration, they actually move from all sides to the nearest intersection on streets that don't know redundancy (i.e. alternative routes) and cause massive congestion in spite of double turn lanes, four phase signaling and the almost complete absence of pedestrians. The congestion is then used to prevent any new development inside existing communities, potentially opening up some cultural de sacs and forces more sprawl in adjacent fields and forest, creating yet more traffic.</p><p>Beyond these matters of logic, APFOs provide a convenient smoke screen to block others from come in on the grounds of lacking sewer, school or road capacities. Stifling residential development then begins to stunt the tax revenues that would pay for an improvement of the failing infrastructure.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4XXYrOBDibtva-siCDI4Y9tTOmvlKwhnGZ4IMPsJj8t72kj-cnBWja7oCTa4afXVz2t6hqgyYR-anq9FmlUO9APxNp_pIH61L3iYfPlJ8xYh3PXYCyHQrEiawYgR9zIX4kRbA9ar-saFYQ6ixDG2lg3_EGBPj8xfiWsqIbSt4r7JqcMKxrGzvbWtQ1A/w400-h300/IMG_6199.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">A train without development: Failing mall next to a transit station<br />(Photo: Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>With zoning squarely in the hands of local council representatives, NIMBY pressure is always on them to keep new housing in existing communities at bay, especially denser multifamily housing that could bring "those people" to their neighborhood. </p><p><b>Re-zoning: The hottest trend?</b></p><p>But the housing crisis has become so rampant all across America that many local governments have begun to rethink their regulations, no longer simply listening to neighbors who don't want to see new neighbors, increased densities, or really, any change in their community. The housing shortage is not only accompanied by missing economic development, it is the cause of it. People begin to notice: Homelessness has become overwhelming, companies have trouble finding employees, taxes go up to maintain aging stuff without growth when jurisdictions run out of new land. The current course is not sustainable. </p><p><span style="background-color: white;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">We have a supply and demand problem. Maryland is not unique in this respect. And this is not just a problem for those who are low- and middle-income. Lierman’s report also noted the many stories of businesses turning down potential relocation plans to Maryland due to insufficient workforce housing. Fewer businesses mean fewer jobs and less revenue for the state and local governments. Fewer housing options also means longer commutes, more time on the road, more pollution and less time to help kids with schools.</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">(</span><a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2024/03/01/maryland-housing-shortage-legislation-affordable.html" style="font-family: helvetica;">Peter Engel</a><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">, Director, Howard County Housing Commission)</span></blockquote><p></p><p>With people of middle income jobs not finding housing where their jobs are the often mentioned teachers, firefighters, nurses and EMTs have been priced out along with the salespeople, the mail persons, the roofers, framers and shopkeepers, in short, all the people that make a community work. At the same time changing shopping habits, work from home have made many of the older commercial strips that line arterial roadways in the suburbs all across America obsolete, underutilized or lying entirely fallow. Their look is far from the original suburban dream.</p><p>It is in this context that NPR identified new zoning as a hot trend. Is hope on the horizon?</p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: helvetica; font-size: large; text-align: center;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: helvetica; font-size: large; text-align: center;">The hottest trend in U.S. cities? Changing zoning rules to allow more housing (</span><a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/02/17/1229867031/housing-shortage-zoning-reform-cities" style="font-family: helvetica; text-align: center;">NPR</a><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: helvetica; font-size: large; text-align: center;">)</span></blockquote><span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: helvetica; font-size: large; text-align: center;"></span><p></p><p>In response to the failings, some towns and cities have taken zoning for single-family-housing off the books altogether, others relinquished setback rules, lot sizes or allowed accessory dwelling units (ADUs) to be used not only by family members but also by renters that can augment the income for a homeowner. All of this would allow a gradual densification of neighborhoods, a nightmare for many. For example the Harford County Executive:</p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16.5px; letter-spacing: -0.165px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"></span></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">“As ADUs proliferate, a tipping point will be reached whereby all taxpayers and system-users will bear the costs of increased housing density,” xBill 24-001 would immediately increase the allowable density of residential properties in Harford County, resulting in significant known and unknown costs and other impacts affecting all residents and taxpayers countywide.” (Executive <span style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68);">Cassilly).</span></span></blockquote><p></p><p>This fear mongering is silly and describes the opposite of what happens. Properties with ADUs would certainly be assessed higher and yield more tax income. </p><p>Hope and improvement is especially bright in the commercial zones where failing malls and their giant parking lots have been repurposed for denser mixed use. Mall conversion has almost become a national sport. Converting inward looking shopping bunkers, surrounded by a sea of asphalt, into new mixed use "town centers" which resemble remarkably those of traditional towns has become a success story: A grid of small streets, curbside parking, outdoor restaurant eating, small parks, a central plaza with a fountain or a skating rink and shops underneath apartment buildings and townhouses with some office and services here and there are elements that make attractive places, boost economic development and bring housing choices previously not seen in the suburbs. </p><p>Demographic shifts to ever smaller households make these mixed use centers not only economically viable but also necessary. Regulation and code adjustments help things along: The fire code now allows four story wood framed buildings on top of a one or two story concrete base for stores, offices or restaurants and local mixed use zones make it possible for developers to build them. </p><p>In some cities such as New York, Denver and San Diego four or five stories of apartments above stores are now the most common building type under construction, the same is true around many older suburban malls. Still some jurisdictions cling to the outmoded mono-culture sprawl model of the fifties. </p><p><b>Current bills and Populism in the Village</b></p><p>Political populism has taken a hold in the suburbs as well: populists go to war against rezoning initiatives. They insist on the old "Euclidian" zoning that keeps everything nicely separated and make additions, accessory dwelling units, modular or manufactured homes dirty words. Subdividing larger houses or the adaptive reuse of old abandoned shopping centers into multi-family housing is a populist" "southern border" that needs to be shut down. In Baltimore County a single councilman can block mixed use instead of a derelict mall right next to a rail transit stop just because it isn't allowed by the current zoning code. He can also block re-zoning or a planned unit development. The regulations lay both controls in the hand of a single district representative because the others defer their own judgement out of "councilmanic courtesy". </p><p>When the Baltimore County Executive thought he could cut through the logjam with a bill that would allow mixed use (i.e. residential use) in business districts by right as long as they sit in one of the redevelopment nodes which the new masterplan defines, he ran into a buzzsaw of opposition of the "no apartments- no compromise crowd" combined with almost unanimous animosity by the council members who felt they were circumvented. Even after he announced he would rescind the bill, two councilmen still snubbed him by removing critical nodes in one case and all nodes in the other from the masterplan. The removal of the nodes was like cutting the legs off from the Masterplan 2030 in the last minute. The plan had been in the works for over two years, had passed the Planning Board and had gone through many public meetings. (<a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2024/02/how-to-make-mockery-of-planning.html">How to make a mockery of planning</a>). A "compromise bill that leaves all the power with the council is already in the crosshairs of the populists even before it is officially introduced.</p><p>No small wonder then, that the State is striking back with a very remarkable bill currently wending its way through the Maryland legislature: <a href="https://legiscan.com/MD/text/SB484/2024">SB 0484</a>. </p><p>This state bill put together by the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and M-DOT requires local jurisdictions to allow new manufactured homes
in single-family zones and increased densities in
specific zones for affordable housing projects. The bill prohibits a
jurisdiction from imposing unreasonable limitations or requirements on a qualified
affordable housing project including requiring more than one public
hearing and unreasonable restrictions based
on adequate public facilities laws and requires
local jurisdictions to allow specified densities on property formerly owned by the State, property within
one mile of a rail station located in the State and land that is wholly owned
by a nonprofit organization. </p><p><span style="background-color: white;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">The legislation is a small step into the sanctified ground of local land use control. But land use, like all other local power, is given by the state and can be taken back by the state when it is abused. Local restrictions on housing production are harming the state as a whole, working against the greater good, causing hunger and exacerbating poverty for hundreds of thousands of Maryland residents, driving out-migration from the state, slowing the economy and reducing tax revenue. (<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2024/03/01/maryland-housing-shortage-legislation-affordable.html">Peter Engel</a>, Howard County Housing Commission)</span></blockquote><p></p><p>Strong words from a public official, but true. Anyone who has followed land use discussions in the State of Maryland (or anywhere in the US, really) knows that local governments cherish nothing more than their rights to control land use. Any attempt of the State to get into that privilege has always been met with open hostility. Yet, the bills sailed relatively unscathed through committee hearings thanks to careful coordination with the Maryland Association of Counties (MACO) and the Maryland Municipal League (MML) by Housing Secretary Jacob Day who was the mayor of the town of Salisbury before where he had unleashed a true housing boom (<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi5lMC_xeWEAxX7FFkFHUA3C_EQFnoECBUQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fsalisbury.md%2F09%2F30%2F2021%2Fsalisbury-announces-here-is-home-comprehensive-housing-initiative&usg=AOvVaw1aDXeH5UIiJWSDgVA3TKe_&opi=89978449">Here is Home</a>). Now State Housing Secretary, Day <a href="https://www.wypr.org/show/on-the-record/2024-03-06/md-housing-secretary-lays-out-plan-to-tackle-housing-shortage-affordability-crisis">described</a> the purpose of his housing legislative package on the radio station WYPR. Referring ton the housing crisis he said that "on a scale of severity it can't get much worse" referring to 25% of Maryland renters paying 50% and more of their disposable income on housing.</p><p>In his 2022 "State of the City" address, then Mayor Day reported the success of his initiative:</p><p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(48, 48, 48);"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"></span></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">Homebuilders, landowners and real estate developers responded to overtures by the city over the course of a 90-day window for proposed projects with $1.4 billion in new housing proposals. According to Day, that is a 175% increase in the total existing housing in Salisbury. That also represents a 67% increase in the total assessable base of the city. (<a href="https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/maryland/2022/11/16/mayor-shares-vision-for-a-better-salisbury-in-state-of-the-city/69651406007/">Delmarva Now</a>)</span></blockquote><p></p><p>The bill still needs to be voted in both chambers in Annapolis. The sheer existence of the bill, though, shows that the housing crisis is not only recognized but that all levels of government begin to act on it. Density is no longer just a dirty word.</p><p>Klaus Philipsen, FAIA</p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><i>Related on my blogs:</i></p></blockquote></blockquote><p><span> <span> <span> <span> <a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2024/02/how-to-make-mockery-of-planning.html">How to make a mockery of planning</a></span></span></span></span><a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2024/02/how-to-make-mockery-of-planning.html"> </a></p><p><span> <span> <span> <span> <a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2024/01/a-bill-that-could-make-zoning-more.html">A bill that could make zoning more inclusive</a></span></span></span></span><a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2024/01/a-bill-that-could-make-zoning-more.html"> </a></p><p><span> <span> <span> <span> <a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2023/01/lutherville-why-lovely-suburbia-is-in.html">Why "lovely suburbia" is the cause of many troubles</a></span></span></span></span><br /></p><p><span><span><span><span> <span> <span> <span> <a href="https://archplanbaltimore.blogspot.com/2022/10/american-icon-or-chief-offender.html">From American Icon to Pariah?</a></span></span></span></span><br /></span></span></span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span><span><span><span><i>See also my article on Bloomberg's CityLab:</i> </span></span></span></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span><span><span><span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-24/in-a-baltimore-suburb-nimbyism-is-starving-a-transit-system">When suburbs go to war with transit</a></span></span></span></span></p></blockquote></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;">State Housing bills currently under review:</p><ul style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333; font-family: Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; list-style: outside; margin: 20px auto; max-width: 700px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 20px;"><li style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;">HB0538/SB0484 <a class="Link" data-cms-ai="0" href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vbWdhbGVnLm1hcnlsYW5kLmdvdi9tZ2F3ZWJzaXRlL0xlZ2lzbGF0aW9uL0RldGFpbHMvSEIwNTM4P3lzPTIwMjRSUyIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyNDAyMjAuOTA1MjA2ODEifQ.UZxgSfajoAGtbz5BULFsJqLQjLWUxBpIjTMMtnT1A6Y/s/2997537639/br/237404519136-l" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--linkColor); text-decoration: none; touch-action: manipulation;" target="_blank">The Housing Expansion and Affordability Act</a></li><li style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;">HB0599/SB0483 <a class="Link" data-cms-ai="0" href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vbWdhbGVnLm1hcnlsYW5kLmdvdi9tZ2F3ZWJzaXRlL0xlZ2lzbGF0aW9uL0RldGFpbHMvSEIwNTk5IiwiYnVsbGV0aW5faWQiOiIyMDI0MDIyMC45MDUyMDY4MSJ9.kwtKLsOLUfHAV33mYIi0Hj6VutN2q_iYi2rM_5Mu6rU/s/2997537639/br/237404519136-l" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--linkColor); text-decoration: none; touch-action: manipulation;" target="_blank">The Housing and Community Development Financing Act</a></li><li style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box;">HB0693/SB0481 <a class="Link" data-cms-ai="0" href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vbWdhbGVnLm1hcnlsYW5kLmdvdi9tZ2F3ZWJzaXRlL0xlZ2lzbGF0aW9uL0RldGFpbHMvSEIwNjkzIiwiYnVsbGV0aW5faWQiOiIyMDI0MDIyMC45MDUyMDY4MSJ9.7w1B_5kYOvkJ8-oCFYt952vNMgVKHtSbbA2IiH_CVUc/s/2997537639/br/237404519136-l" style="background-repeat: no-repeat; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--linkColor); text-decoration: none; touch-action: manipulation;" target="_blank">The Renter’s Rights Stabilization Act</a> </li></ul><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p></p></blockquote></blockquote>Klaus Philipsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01615851444265308506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223492702090268881.post-80862498076145307262024-02-21T07:48:00.000-08:002024-02-21T12:19:31.494-08:00How to make a mockery of planning <p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">The future will never be what we want it to be unless we plan it carefully. This is the purpose of professional planning and especially the purpose of 10-year master plans which are <a href="https://planning.maryland.gov/Pages/OurWork/compplans/requirements.aspx">mandatory</a> in Maryland. Masterplans are supposed to define the long-term future of an entire county or city, connect aspirations, regulations and resources into a long-term roadmap that provides transparency, predictability and guides all future actions, including resource allocation.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9BwTB8yy0fkiMNXu59ln9cKa8iTmuo_7qdZzXluglTKEeF0n4CdfYBTphITJNmk9VOWbFO7z66yPBuX_5Mu6mojHRzwu03czFTXp_Gi7e7zKGo9VYMXBBqfp0s38qO4XmgUexS3MSskv98aCUMomT4pNIvl4ciXsBatnY-tpf0CgH3lAIgIVCf6OMuei/s846/Bill%20withdrawn.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="381" data-original-width="846" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-9BwTB8yy0fkiMNXu59ln9cKa8iTmuo_7qdZzXluglTKEeF0n4CdfYBTphITJNmk9VOWbFO7z66yPBuX_5Mu6mojHRzwu03czFTXp_Gi7e7zKGo9VYMXBBqfp0s38qO4XmgUexS3MSskv98aCUMomT4pNIvl4ciXsBatnY-tpf0CgH3lAIgIVCf6OMuei/w400-h180/Bill%20withdrawn.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Bill 03-24 withdrawn, masterplan gutted. Now what?<br />Baltimore SUN 2/21/24</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">This is a lot. Which is why Baltimore County needed two years to complete its 2030 plan. Four years late, it finally was on the docket of the County Council on Tuesday to pass through the last gate, <a href="https://planning.maryland.gov/Pages/OurWork/compplans/adoption.aspx">its final adoption</a>. Alas, through a slew of amendments from every single councilman (there are no women in Baltimore County's Council) the vital parts of the plan were shredded before it was adopted. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">The more then two year process was snubbed with radical changes that the public never saw, let alone could comment on, and to which the professional planners could not respond.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><p></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Yes, there were some good and meaningful amendments, but especially two of the three Republican council members used the opportunity to thumb their nose to the Democratic County Executive and his planning staff. By removing the most meaningful element of the plan, the redevelopment nodes, from their district they neutered the plan. Wade Kach did it for eliminating and modifying several controversial nodes, but councilman Crandell took the cake: He asked for removing all the nodes in his district. Of course, the council could have voted down such an egregious attempt of turning two years of professional work into a meaningless tome by rejecting clearly spiteful amendments which were clearly not based on any planning metrics. Yet, "councilmanic courtesy" prevailed once again, and all but chair Patoka gave the nod to even this rather frivolous amendments. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">This charade took place in the context of the Olszewski administration's bill 03-24 which would have allowed residential use in business zones, provided they were located in one of the redevelopment nodes. I wrote about </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2024/01/a-bill-that-could-make-zoning-more.html"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">this bill </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">in this space before. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">The principally good bill was marred by a flawed introduction which clearly soured the the mood of even the most sympathetic council members. Yesterday, then, in a late attempt to save at least the masterplan, the Executive </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/county-news/2024/02/20/county-executive-olszewski-and-council-chairman-patoka-announce-breakthrough-agreement-for-new-mixed-use-legislation"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">promised</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> to withdraw the bill in favor of a new bill to be introduced later. The idea appears to be to create mixed use overlay zones that gives the council a choice for each node whether or not to apply the overlay. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-5-JpXaqsgLyBAQDHtNWhBui7JbjiMVPGEZZjtWohX2D1VLZTftIJ6zWniFMwD4bcE0_Dy0TwfxWLf_tMYEOaarq1oLkoxBNneeer-Uoofjw_8YVaCbQ_vwdoBclymDbEFLweQMvpGIjKhTcQmM9HXwKPOxTgrMZ4ekNOG3MHvNxc9amep1DB7xIiP_3/s638/Lutherville%20article.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="576" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ-5-JpXaqsgLyBAQDHtNWhBui7JbjiMVPGEZZjtWohX2D1VLZTftIJ6zWniFMwD4bcE0_Dy0TwfxWLf_tMYEOaarq1oLkoxBNneeer-Uoofjw_8YVaCbQ_vwdoBclymDbEFLweQMvpGIjKhTcQmM9HXwKPOxTgrMZ4ekNOG3MHvNxc9amep1DB7xIiP_3/w361-h400/Lutherville%20article.png" width="361" /></a></span></span></div><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">The result of all this political sausage making on a topic that should be guided by facts, statistics, data and clear objectives and principles is that now the masterplan is in ruins and the mixed use bill withdrawn. Whatever overlay bill would be meaningless without nodes. That is especially apparent for Lutherville Station, a failing mall next to a light rail station (See </span></span><a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2023/01/lutherville-why-lovely-suburbia-is-in.html"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">here </span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">and </span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-02-24/in-a-baltimore-suburb-nimbyism-is-starving-a-transit-system"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">here</span></span></span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">) which had</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"> become the </span></span></span></span><a href="https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/housing/lutherville-station-housing-debate-3FL2QVOCEZALHAKV4NGOB6R7GE/"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">posterchild </span></span></span></span></a><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">of the entire redevelopment concept of the masterplan and of how outmoded current county zoning really is. A mixed use development </span></span></span></span><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">proposal has languished there </span></span></span><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">for years due to the councilman's objection and a small faction of the community yelling "no apartments-no compromise". </span></span></span></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">The systemic problems that the Exec's bill and the masterplan tried to address remain, of course. They have been compounding for decades, whether it is zoning, transit, transit oriented development or mixed use. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">The Council may feel they achieved a victory when they defeated bill 03-24 and knocked the legs off under the masterplan, but it actually acted to the detriment of the County at large. Without a strong resolve to add mixed use and housing in those failing commercial corridors all across the County, no matter whether an individual member may object to it for parochial reasons, the County will not be able to comply with the HUD mandate for affordable housing. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Just as the masterplan is supposed to do, one needs to see the bigger picture, which is</span></span></span></span></span></span></p><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">A lack of quality walkable, attractive mixed use communities that other jurisdictions have and that people want to see</span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">A glut of underperforming low quality commercial corridors that drag down adjacent communities</span></span></span></span></li><li><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">A significant housing shortage.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li></ul></span><div><br /><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-iTrApnJj-t_-Y6WyxsfT1wmpPqZ5ow7xmP2mkHrXHcILJuX7HRrpevA6fglgu_HcKbDtaPhEf3EHWJOwPfsxxXO1Ov-IsZSTtgnk2wVpnuykhDpioEEU-oEk1KoMiPIb423aapbx7QPE3ymKIyg_RtbLur9qwr8TBa8twM6pV2ipsXlcFzwHOhyphenhypheni-jP/s1920/Liberty%20Road%20CBS.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-iTrApnJj-t_-Y6WyxsfT1wmpPqZ5ow7xmP2mkHrXHcILJuX7HRrpevA6fglgu_HcKbDtaPhEf3EHWJOwPfsxxXO1Ov-IsZSTtgnk2wVpnuykhDpioEEU-oEk1KoMiPIb423aapbx7QPE3ymKIyg_RtbLur9qwr8TBa8twM6pV2ipsXlcFzwHOhyphenhypheni-jP/w400-h225/Liberty%20Road%20CBS.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Auto oriented ailing commercial corridors forming the</span></span><br /><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">forming the "geography </span></span></span></span><span style="text-align: start; vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">of </span><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">nowhere</span></span> (Liberty Road)</span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"></span></span></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table></span></div><div><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">As a consequence, middle class, middle housing people are not only not coming to Baltimore County, they are actively moving out. This hurts the County's tax base, its workforce and its school performance in the same way as this type of out-migration has hurt the City for decades.</span></span></span></span></span></span><div><br /></div><div><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">The council now has to show that it can actually do better than revenge zoning and spite and solve the very real problems Baltimore County clearly has.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div>The State, meanwhile is moving along with its own bills intended to resolve the housing crisis by forcing jurisdictions who keep stalling into allowing more housing.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDKLdyYa_F4bWVAsBWTFJmKp5__F0hSP2GaFay8oDowyzEAiuLmq9DgocHY7ZVH_ZG9NaXMiVIWlJY1vP2Tx256UcJOqOKxIoEl0cj0nEUIRLR047bD5FfgaJejOrkj5UltWy_wxXj1186v2Z18Afuw795eB1uZfrTIMiht_m_u26HzUzclEkd2R8VowcU/s547/State%20bill.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="418" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDKLdyYa_F4bWVAsBWTFJmKp5__F0hSP2GaFay8oDowyzEAiuLmq9DgocHY7ZVH_ZG9NaXMiVIWlJY1vP2Tx256UcJOqOKxIoEl0cj0nEUIRLR047bD5FfgaJejOrkj5UltWy_wxXj1186v2Z18Afuw795eB1uZfrTIMiht_m_u26HzUzclEkd2R8VowcU/w306-h400/State%20bill.png" width="306" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Baltimore SUN 2/21/24</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"></span></span><div>Klaus Philipsen, FAIA</div></div></div><div><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>Klaus Philipsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01615851444265308506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223492702090268881.post-34681506875960498432024-02-01T15:05:00.000-08:002024-02-01T15:31:54.744-08:00HarborPlace Design Review - Round 2: More Questions<p>The HarborPlace design team (architect Gensler and Landscape Architect Unknown Studio presented to the City's Design Review Panel (UDAAP) for a second time today and presented the memorable moment when a team that was sent packing in the first round only to came back with the exact same design expecting a different outcome. </p><p>To be fair, in the initial review UDAAP didn't so much criticize the design as the lack of a process that showed how the team arrived at the design and the absence of submittals required during the concept plan review. In today's meeting those omissions were filled and the UDAAP process "rebooted" and the second session is considered an extension of the first. </p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">UDAAP minutes of 11/16/23: How do the streets to the north intersect with the project? The team has not shared what happens at these key nodes. Are they being maintained as entry points? Will they be redesigned? How does that edge interact with the development? </span></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">There needs to be a much more rigorous investigation of the possibilities with regard to the
massing and placement of buildings. There's absolutely no telling why the 2 towers are
positioned where they are on Light Street, why they are on one side and not the other. </span></p></blockquote><blockquote><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">The team is encouraged to challenge the morphology around the forms as they develop –
provide more analysis on how these forms evolved from the initial concept and why specific
locations were chosen over others.
• The proposed buildings could be placed anywhere in the world; what about this site in
Baltimore’s Inner Harbor has shaped the buildings? If the team feels the building is in the
wrong place, then it can be shifted. If not, then show the Panel why it is properly
located. Either way, it needs to be studied for that conversation to happen.
§ Based on studies of the building form, the environments and public space will shift again
and need to be solved. There is quite a bit of work left ahead for this project. The team is encouraged to be flexible as the process continue.</span></p></blockquote>On the first day of February the team returned with the exact same design but with a lot more material to explain why the design looks the way it does. <div><br /></div><div>UDAAP usually wants to see and participate in how a project evolves. The reverse process in which a completed design is explained after the fact was highly unusual. An observer was left with the nagging impression that sketches and explanations were offered to justify a design that had already been completed and couldn't be altered and that some of those images may have even been produced for this meeting and not as part of the design evolution. Reviewer and architect Pavlina Ilieva observed that "Normally at a presentation of the masterplan concept level not so much is already realized" <div><br /></div><div>Nevertheless the explanations were illuminating and UDAAP was appreciative of the effort,even though not entirely satisfied that things have to be the way they were presented. </div><span style="color: #444444;"><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In all, UDAAP members once again told MCB and lead architect Gensler that revisions were needed to their <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2023/11/05/harborplace-apartment-boom-mcb-real-estate.html">highly debated plan</a> to redo the city's iconic Inner Harbor site.<br />And that includes the "character" of the project itself, says Osborne Anthony, a UDAAP member.<br />"I get the feeling just looking at it, that it’s beginning to take on an air of exclusivity and I’m a bit concerned about that," Anthony said. "In my mind, Baltimore is not chic. It’s a gritty area, it’s blue-collar. Its history stands for itself." (<a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2024/02/01/harborplace-development-plans-city-panel-changes.html">BBJ)</a></span></blockquote></span><div><p></p><div>Below I will show most of the images that were presented as screenshots to explain the design, many of which had not been previously shared. Where applicable I share design reviewer comments per my notes. </div><div>(<i>All images MCB</i>)</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__67Zuu1s4KUxAUGq_IXXv2WTSJXjS6DvMjt3bGxmTURCsTWsbO4SOWVf656Ris9xA3ofyCY80ZYgZizLeZ4SZMDYBmVLfc71yilvLBacHQMy6PaUahKxwGCMADKv6-rnrrxXPR9e7PoMrxPCwb9roeFNfmW2MJVmSV3NxX5ObBMX-vnDlrJAA0DaUWJU/s712/Before%20&%20after%20birds%20eye%20at%20Freedom%20Plaza.png"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="712" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__67Zuu1s4KUxAUGq_IXXv2WTSJXjS6DvMjt3bGxmTURCsTWsbO4SOWVf656Ris9xA3ofyCY80ZYgZizLeZ4SZMDYBmVLfc71yilvLBacHQMy6PaUahKxwGCMADKv6-rnrrxXPR9e7PoMrxPCwb9roeFNfmW2MJVmSV3NxX5ObBMX-vnDlrJAA0DaUWJU/w400-h240/Before%20&%20after%20birds%20eye%20at%20Freedom%20Plaza.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQsCp42Ucr8gH-HmnMeA6lAOuUrlGjXsIapPKuuj8-t7f8sqrxZE7L0rNg9_Xpr-SO5NqMrmJcMGG6qIQV7xuGaAmAIkFHGHFo9tuafDUPKGcKXRRskIXj8zBnq_vHWZVw7oaOCftaRCg-BNOTLfYFLk_kcgnI7TM3dJRc9v7J2n6mJOzaOYFgS-m0-rRq/s676/birs%20eye%20rendering.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="307" data-original-width="676" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQsCp42Ucr8gH-HmnMeA6lAOuUrlGjXsIapPKuuj8-t7f8sqrxZE7L0rNg9_Xpr-SO5NqMrmJcMGG6qIQV7xuGaAmAIkFHGHFo9tuafDUPKGcKXRRskIXj8zBnq_vHWZVw7oaOCftaRCg-BNOTLfYFLk_kcgnI7TM3dJRc9v7J2n6mJOzaOYFgS-m0-rRq/w400-h181/birs%20eye%20rendering.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birds eye view of the assembly of proposed buildings</td></tr></tbody></table>Pavlina Ilieva comment: <i>A building like the sail needs room to breathe. It needs space around it.</i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWXoFtXilQZcroKuXH_In3um5xoqEeENl-8nNS4nW7sjyD0EKBgI0yA8p-XIWhBWcc6Ihji5WusMPclQWywb_Y_ELCKR2FiFvYhw95O23CBnG_x6ZalarIX-FvxyvwouZyO_2GrhZnk35z6RcXTMg761eIgOt8WTTET0T0IX5zjdz3BToha0vq1yWqh5B/s670/Eye%20level%20rendering%20looking%20southwest.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="670" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkWXoFtXilQZcroKuXH_In3um5xoqEeENl-8nNS4nW7sjyD0EKBgI0yA8p-XIWhBWcc6Ihji5WusMPclQWywb_Y_ELCKR2FiFvYhw95O23CBnG_x6ZalarIX-FvxyvwouZyO_2GrhZnk35z6RcXTMg761eIgOt8WTTET0T0IX5zjdz3BToha0vq1yWqh5B/w400-h250/Eye%20level%20rendering%20looking%20southwest.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ground level view from near where the Constellation docks looking southwest</td></tr></tbody></table>.Pavlina Ilieva comment: <i>What will this look like on a Tuesday when the crowds aren't there? How does this space feel like when the people are not there.? Will it have intimacy and feel welcome. What will people do there?</i><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Sz27YQiUWk0WECSCtNGsqYiMWz1k75NQZnDmDroK06ZqnOyg39Kdfv6T-x_wDBlV3Gf-0GY3g7A4NWZnrCW5pSRw55uLu7HW7jOJI3Ek6C3ZgN7JMoEi58iXUTQ0OUdoLFoFt47gr55dreoWVyQsYw-CLV-Q8TshSGdIwayq12UgD0BklEt7Dyp6QMMf/s663/Framework%20Big%20water.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="663" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Sz27YQiUWk0WECSCtNGsqYiMWz1k75NQZnDmDroK06ZqnOyg39Kdfv6T-x_wDBlV3Gf-0GY3g7A4NWZnrCW5pSRw55uLu7HW7jOJI3Ek6C3ZgN7JMoEi58iXUTQ0OUdoLFoFt47gr55dreoWVyQsYw-CLV-Q8TshSGdIwayq12UgD0BklEt7Dyp6QMMf/w400-h254/Framework%20Big%20water.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These framework sketches are illustrative of a mental construct that guides the later design. <br />"Big Water"</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pJAiy4iyqrwvy5Chu9Ma-fOTdR89SKbqVxxIlRxL4TVgRGtH_XR3H_gnEhcSA6-BtMJDia9hmXz5PO05vzRS72MNqx6Vtmamm55XuMl2_XStgeR7XGjRUr9EPz2R5FxlpDRS7F2jrBhV768yODJpIiHL7ujP8_65fS-HYWFRN630BnkIbkHl8ZYSVsU4/s697/Freedom%20Plaza.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="697" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pJAiy4iyqrwvy5Chu9Ma-fOTdR89SKbqVxxIlRxL4TVgRGtH_XR3H_gnEhcSA6-BtMJDia9hmXz5PO05vzRS72MNqx6Vtmamm55XuMl2_XStgeR7XGjRUr9EPz2R5FxlpDRS7F2jrBhV768yODJpIiHL7ujP8_65fS-HYWFRN630BnkIbkHl8ZYSVsU4/w400-h238/Freedom%20Plaza.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Details of the Freedom's Port Plaza bringing water towards the city</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaE8yjZMOehwDEOLU_L0VPawR5VBnNorac0qNvPq0ynsetkMxcHD4VxJNXabLb22z7RmMM-xl5G0kDljfW5UNq753b4Bl179vZOF7NaEN5TGs-mtXrXUZAmnniZZaUghBzRGAqjvb-utdpxlOeFQtnwEs-5_EyuhXAwnxNcnPTN8dKDMKRTec5oeZbhE30/s705/Freedoms%20Port.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="705" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaE8yjZMOehwDEOLU_L0VPawR5VBnNorac0qNvPq0ynsetkMxcHD4VxJNXabLb22z7RmMM-xl5G0kDljfW5UNq753b4Bl179vZOF7NaEN5TGs-mtXrXUZAmnniZZaUghBzRGAqjvb-utdpxlOeFQtnwEs-5_EyuhXAwnxNcnPTN8dKDMKRTec5oeZbhE30/w400-h246/Freedoms%20Port.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The idea behind the Freedom's Port Plaza. Sharon Bradley comment: Sharon Bradley: <i>The Freedom Park works well as an arrival point but needs to express its topic in the materials . Be careful of over-programming the water.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6qHVWopW_HdwpQEYu_i8p0M6r_TuDz7ia8XaQGNjKr-iFXAKBia7uCoQKybCbG78PG33RvFCeOMOVwVnj1tul4kG3YHfiytofyqwJtGGzRUSqNnntFTm-ZiOno_ucV-wUl4wghu_U4hqMDnPbwAiZEjRlhOF5OXXFBwSueiwl4C80f67G-dVymclOZRV/s695/Ground%20Plane.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="695" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6qHVWopW_HdwpQEYu_i8p0M6r_TuDz7ia8XaQGNjKr-iFXAKBia7uCoQKybCbG78PG33RvFCeOMOVwVnj1tul4kG3YHfiytofyqwJtGGzRUSqNnntFTm-ZiOno_ucV-wUl4wghu_U4hqMDnPbwAiZEjRlhOF5OXXFBwSueiwl4C80f67G-dVymclOZRV/w400-h243/Ground%20Plane.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">showing the footprint of the building outlines<br />Pavlia Ilieva comment: <i>the disciplines really interacted I am sure not that the buildings landed and then the open spaces were made to mitigate them rather than the buildings being actually derived from a master concept.</i><br />Sharon Bradley comment: <i>The water should not be overprogrammed</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34t73GTiYRDGePHeSBQkWpoB4flL-B1sfy4-fmL10g_zwd1EFxcxpYB_1EDnY9I5v2LBYeNZ4KUzF0XuHmFrbEEJm_K8Z7ldtiMSGaFTiIdWoINJftWxrjvOpkGJj5Eb8btYxg4mgmRwg1TJcheRTf4eUv9UH3aJ6-WOqq9m4uP14wTsZd-8OwxNgdMCN/s710/Groundplan.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="710" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh34t73GTiYRDGePHeSBQkWpoB4flL-B1sfy4-fmL10g_zwd1EFxcxpYB_1EDnY9I5v2LBYeNZ4KUzF0XuHmFrbEEJm_K8Z7ldtiMSGaFTiIdWoINJftWxrjvOpkGJj5Eb8btYxg4mgmRwg1TJcheRTf4eUv9UH3aJ6-WOqq9m4uP14wTsZd-8OwxNgdMCN/w400-h245/Groundplan.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This plan shows the existing pavilions overlaid on the proposed buildings</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPgvb2IH7Jb20K1T9fRezMb6RPcKBejlmgf6szTspjDWL0WKxFU2iwviMnsV6k4mY6z2-L1FwUIjZiwoSzIhnI7rfKA2kStk83n18sazy6rWXPqiI6I3pF0poEFKhIjHRDDOEu2kxExU7XPZHsyaBwcRFMQwt17eNDdOz1AVXT2DPhaO-fZwf3I3OoZvV/s648/HarborPlace%20and%20the%20Promenade.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="648" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOPgvb2IH7Jb20K1T9fRezMb6RPcKBejlmgf6szTspjDWL0WKxFU2iwviMnsV6k4mY6z2-L1FwUIjZiwoSzIhnI7rfKA2kStk83n18sazy6rWXPqiI6I3pF0poEFKhIjHRDDOEu2kxExU7XPZHsyaBwcRFMQwt17eNDdOz1AVXT2DPhaO-fZwf3I3OoZvV/w400-h211/HarborPlace%20and%20the%20Promenade.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This image shows HarborPlace in the context of the overall promenade</td></tr></tbody></table>Pavlina Ilieva comment: <i>"Colonizing the water" doesn't have to be all at HarborPlace, you have the entire promenade for water access.</i><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ5gS0UaZLWx1zI3NnwT8AUMpngqp52kz7_DgfjbDGygU5U8D9LsQe6PpYFFWoW5JLre3yxpftxTHoUDu0hTc3esWzf-bHyt44XCIL1uh-LvrdzJnbYZwDQdPFxRU4S50Qxjgk74QhiJciVDSMepiLSCe8f3c-5MqBlxT6y8saZchyCgaNAV3m07S0-WHi/s699/Light%20Street%20section.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="699" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ5gS0UaZLWx1zI3NnwT8AUMpngqp52kz7_DgfjbDGygU5U8D9LsQe6PpYFFWoW5JLre3yxpftxTHoUDu0hTc3esWzf-bHyt44XCIL1uh-LvrdzJnbYZwDQdPFxRU4S50Qxjgk74QhiJciVDSMepiLSCe8f3c-5MqBlxT6y8saZchyCgaNAV3m07S0-WHi/w400-h244/Light%20Street%20section.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a section through the high-rises and across Light Street</td></tr></tbody></table>Kevin Storm question: <i>Where is the parking? </i>Response<i>: Parking would be under or wrapped.</i></div><div>Panel question:<i> Would there be affordable housing. </i>Response<i>: Yes, 10% affordable units at 60% AMI per new city code.<br /></i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvPrgancnKDpIkSYGUunM3Y6Ws2GE1c1SsCaGq1OCrSqPrxNIzJhkdANujxSLVwr2RIrbTI-DrvjJoiPVLI4LcgvgB9zVo6Z6uwP_AlZLuZ4SddcTfyHj6uUlEidijChZvSxdWG46RFKkelMTRwuaBnNypPb0vjU7m-9bXvmoaA6qUZpPu2m08XonWDtN/s632/Marsh%20Garden.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="632" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZvPrgancnKDpIkSYGUunM3Y6Ws2GE1c1SsCaGq1OCrSqPrxNIzJhkdANujxSLVwr2RIrbTI-DrvjJoiPVLI4LcgvgB9zVo6Z6uwP_AlZLuZ4SddcTfyHj6uUlEidijChZvSxdWG46RFKkelMTRwuaBnNypPb0vjU7m-9bXvmoaA6qUZpPu2m08XonWDtN/w400-h264/Marsh%20Garden.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This framework sketch shows the idea of echoing the marshes that were originally around the Baltimore Harbor. Pavlina Ilieva referred to this sketch <i>as a concept that much better than the completed design shows how buildings could be part of a landscape.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0HEy55Qh-h0mzwBC3KYeNmgYAbT4l5dZ0T6WiEGDDqRsXCEG7u72n4qZhfxUj4PRf41MdADuVBYaJxNie2iilN-MgTFEvU1SIbvoiTl2rYGnPvwf29TDr2OkwMesT_V-Wyu50QnizyCr6LbysSWPVHo-AxNhRh4L4u_3I55o1cLcELBmv2JQAJ5SPiuF/s710/Pedestrian%20circulation.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="433" data-original-width="710" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0HEy55Qh-h0mzwBC3KYeNmgYAbT4l5dZ0T6WiEGDDqRsXCEG7u72n4qZhfxUj4PRf41MdADuVBYaJxNie2iilN-MgTFEvU1SIbvoiTl2rYGnPvwf29TDr2OkwMesT_V-Wyu50QnizyCr6LbysSWPVHo-AxNhRh4L4u_3I55o1cLcELBmv2JQAJ5SPiuF/w400-h244/Pedestrian%20circulation.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This rendering shows the upper and lower promenade next to the</td></tr></tbody></table> proposed office building. Pavlina Ilieva question:<i> What is the first floor use of the building. Response: Undetermined. </i>Pavlia Ilieva comment: <i>I question that the masterplan logic requires that the spaces they create with the connections need to be filled with buildings. This was never interrogated . The logic of "how do we we fill the parcels with buildings is most problematic with that little building next to the WTC. In the composition it looks like a space filler. You don't have to fill the space on the ground with buildings. It could be a park.</i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0vL2cxCyeLpddXmSKVAeME3lP6SE71_YnxOAmollOFsQqg-BF27iThTTgDq3IpwPZCj_fZ4ogp3LqbWVHlXjJVed1zVuUsqyrHM46ozMUiIEXZwmsj4NGgBGJ89AK_20gb880WvciRz9qpti1PiKYdgbOFs-SGBGNnaYTAQSoTJ8nAgMkQuVBGg6B55dD/s692/Public%20realm.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="416" data-original-width="692" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0vL2cxCyeLpddXmSKVAeME3lP6SE71_YnxOAmollOFsQqg-BF27iThTTgDq3IpwPZCj_fZ4ogp3LqbWVHlXjJVed1zVuUsqyrHM46ozMUiIEXZwmsj4NGgBGJ89AK_20gb880WvciRz9qpti1PiKYdgbOFs-SGBGNnaYTAQSoTJ8nAgMkQuVBGg6B55dD/w400-h240/Public%20realm.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Public realm</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgFcI8HiyQfhNkLKcfME38BITx9xcZgsRw07z7bqY7BPKibI4eusFD5rgj_K_a_p9x3cj6u4ndo0L_qG4_bDxEFdPiH0ECfIApS3VnlsIa_CZMuZdc0XRO1wnz0kytUSXKLEwowLLZHwAS0LLMG0tS311OIynhlYV8sMNgtU-fKop0cgUBiOcYeh7tSJS/s705/public%20Space%20between%20tower%20&%20Visitor%20Cntr.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="705" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJgFcI8HiyQfhNkLKcfME38BITx9xcZgsRw07z7bqY7BPKibI4eusFD5rgj_K_a_p9x3cj6u4ndo0L_qG4_bDxEFdPiH0ECfIApS3VnlsIa_CZMuZdc0XRO1wnz0kytUSXKLEwowLLZHwAS0LLMG0tS311OIynhlYV8sMNgtU-fKop0cgUBiOcYeh7tSJS/w400-h240/public%20Space%20between%20tower%20&%20Visitor%20Cntr.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Public Space and retail level interface</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_FubvC9Zrr2Glf-FhPWqVY6K-4Y0ZtxLO_YdkTXFzI5abOKEI-lu7i1kFVRIsrNlPZhClhJIKy7KugJwyhPrsHArmuOmejalfD4nbSCY35aqNSDe1rmdgLcttc9wOx3vsOIsRxSu-tSEUk05cPJhf56blnGokPErgqEdKBzvj6yOZdKhnqxS8M8jCE3x/s690/Public%20space%20between%20Towers.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="419" data-original-width="690" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_FubvC9Zrr2Glf-FhPWqVY6K-4Y0ZtxLO_YdkTXFzI5abOKEI-lu7i1kFVRIsrNlPZhClhJIKy7KugJwyhPrsHArmuOmejalfD4nbSCY35aqNSDe1rmdgLcttc9wOx3vsOIsRxSu-tSEUk05cPJhf56blnGokPErgqEdKBzvj6yOZdKhnqxS8M8jCE3x/w400-h243/Public%20space%20between%20Towers.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Public Space and retail level interface<br />Pavlina Ilieva comment: <i>The design is too much about movement and not enough about being in a place. Where is the "there"?</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0aWpD0tX0jJzSIRgZuwmQOqiP6rBMEqAEUFbpI6KeIxZj83BJnkH1SsnXW43uk8bPGYdd23cPn0zc9D81yiruxLiKYOTvEiLVPxzpcBh04iF_-giAmISJiTV5lAZOA3JSMFMs0hwZSwP9Bux_4dcSWNZQSWtOqe3_ZqpyYNMC32pmK9qOefmEP90aSEbi/s599/Road%20sections%202.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="599" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0aWpD0tX0jJzSIRgZuwmQOqiP6rBMEqAEUFbpI6KeIxZj83BJnkH1SsnXW43uk8bPGYdd23cPn0zc9D81yiruxLiKYOTvEiLVPxzpcBh04iF_-giAmISJiTV5lAZOA3JSMFMs0hwZSwP9Bux_4dcSWNZQSWtOqe3_ZqpyYNMC32pmK9qOefmEP90aSEbi/w400-h286/Road%20sections%202.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pratt Street section today and proposed</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbLNvvO01WJXzOT2fqMaGvh5hcVDXCdYBOSE_qFg-_QWwFi1tTsbrKUPGSpEqFZZvDFdS8p9l2XUVekSgvbaMzvGmHY-E96Qwt2d-K90hKAqb8PIN-_AFKtOel9q0rZlK9M1hQ6-zF8umGnmfmdom4hT5P1xtqfw4QJuJlA1S4aav_nEFPVvNER4Dk8Nm/s706/Road%20sections%204.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="706" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQbLNvvO01WJXzOT2fqMaGvh5hcVDXCdYBOSE_qFg-_QWwFi1tTsbrKUPGSpEqFZZvDFdS8p9l2XUVekSgvbaMzvGmHY-E96Qwt2d-K90hKAqb8PIN-_AFKtOel9q0rZlK9M1hQ6-zF8umGnmfmdom4hT5P1xtqfw4QJuJlA1S4aav_nEFPVvNER4Dk8Nm/w400-h245/Road%20sections%204.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Light Street section today and proposed<br />Ilieva question: <i>What is your option if these public street realignments don't come through?</i></td></tr></tbody></table> Response: <i>Many public space improvements especially along the promenade are needed, whether we develop or not. See also Waterfront Partnership's <a href="https://mayor.baltimorecity.gov/sites/default/files/WaterfrontPromenadeReport-2023%20Waterfront%20Partnership.pdf">Promenade Report. </a></i><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwpYCRBiF3IPBMQHsO_UghsZBQVzDic03CW70riS0-m3Ah3_qJCbgB89oNzqdQZPnWOE-lgyrKIQpDqqksx03GkQyz7BHG2foHmJWHVgxt2kWXR8gRk-xMBQfQM-E1VmEbJTRQf_Z0oVD5Of_YwOFhQhhdiLdk1VNp_FyeGGo-uDvhphKheAbqbAew31k8/s468/Road%20sections.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="386" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwpYCRBiF3IPBMQHsO_UghsZBQVzDic03CW70riS0-m3Ah3_qJCbgB89oNzqdQZPnWOE-lgyrKIQpDqqksx03GkQyz7BHG2foHmJWHVgxt2kWXR8gRk-xMBQfQM-E1VmEbJTRQf_Z0oVD5Of_YwOFhQhhdiLdk1VNp_FyeGGo-uDvhphKheAbqbAew31k8/w330-h400/Road%20sections.png" width="330" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comparison of the water edges different cities</td></tr></tbody></table>Osborne Anthony comment: <i>For your precedents why don't you go to Fells Point and tell us what you learn from there. I am concerned about an air of exclusivity. Baltimore is not chicque, its gritty. This needs to be reflected in the program and the uses. Try to capture "The true cultural tapestry of Baltimore".</i><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0m7tldskYg6RzdM2IF3rQKBsEpO_EOHaQaHRzWcLMLX-vc6lUmJLKG-VUkO7PNKnPOHZB-Z0kHMWllx_JnklR7CpCETD4rnmjdMHVTDUzQrZU8pjDXSt-9F9fZLNrPnR-LVPcKH9GIchNX22RUAcGkKEG0Q_j3lJyboxJtUXMtomlDcD1pncC7eEvF2zk/s691/Skyline.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="411" data-original-width="691" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0m7tldskYg6RzdM2IF3rQKBsEpO_EOHaQaHRzWcLMLX-vc6lUmJLKG-VUkO7PNKnPOHZB-Z0kHMWllx_JnklR7CpCETD4rnmjdMHVTDUzQrZU8pjDXSt-9F9fZLNrPnR-LVPcKH9GIchNX22RUAcGkKEG0Q_j3lJyboxJtUXMtomlDcD1pncC7eEvF2zk/w400-h238/Skyline.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proposed building heights dip towards the Freedom's Port Plaza</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBb0_11vO4MStxuHT-nccR9dVbPOEcj37h2aP1x3SUyFKjzaqDbIlocdeJ30BUv3Nq3Ga_IWS23pQ6TfjFfZNdTRkGipzZa5fELkF4uNRBqjKy4kUyLJ7sOzQEwvQaAmYXNZdIZYiEN1Mumuiqpq3KAsGW4bYoQ_Yz5cZbi__b9yG9jao-c6AuLhrXrts/s709/Stronger%20connection.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="709" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBb0_11vO4MStxuHT-nccR9dVbPOEcj37h2aP1x3SUyFKjzaqDbIlocdeJ30BUv3Nq3Ga_IWS23pQ6TfjFfZNdTRkGipzZa5fELkF4uNRBqjKy4kUyLJ7sOzQEwvQaAmYXNZdIZYiEN1Mumuiqpq3KAsGW4bYoQ_Yz5cZbi__b9yG9jao-c6AuLhrXrts/w400-h236/Stronger%20connection.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Diagram of the connections to the water via street grid extensions</td></tr></tbody></table>Osborne Anthony's comment: <i>You open up the roadway aligned viewsheds to the water and then what? There is no gathering space or recognition of arrival.</i><div><i>Same for pedestrians arriving at Pratt and Light. How do you carry forth into the ped circulation at Pratt and the connection to the stadia. Who are the users of the IH, past, present and intended? </i></div><i>Where are you key points of access after parking, by transit? </i><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6uite00SWZKF3Q2k8r3UKSZ5gq_xD3wnynDZlq23GSpyVqShXxiVfJdgECC5vTj2yeNJYWI2pniPwy1irQLguNNgo1BNklz2J033_OzuuyWrc7yOl1u_iPjQjGMKtXbvYXTyvjqjWFkW_nWOhKFMJuk0irS9lgWrN_xWbmogAC5Misgv5NaU2H_NJ3R2/s704/Sundecks.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="704" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6uite00SWZKF3Q2k8r3UKSZ5gq_xD3wnynDZlq23GSpyVqShXxiVfJdgECC5vTj2yeNJYWI2pniPwy1irQLguNNgo1BNklz2J033_OzuuyWrc7yOl1u_iPjQjGMKtXbvYXTyvjqjWFkW_nWOhKFMJuk0irS9lgWrN_xWbmogAC5Misgv5NaU2H_NJ3R2/w400-h241/Sundecks.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proposed floating sundecks and wetland-islands. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9BcOrrx-Aq7xxluM_dZx3snG59TTpaHV_CqZEm1HVCunWgHmnE1YrfhTiXn_6E6GxE7a4fWOg8TcLW9VSCQFbHtW7vpnXAQnVUEqEXQrAfhoiOL5pYGhJlHF0G59IuoMiDjmOdJhL92oz7ojox0Z6pL1HyhWGa128XVlqPSC931G6zzJTOgET16lQalcb/s692/The%20Sail%20section.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="692" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9BcOrrx-Aq7xxluM_dZx3snG59TTpaHV_CqZEm1HVCunWgHmnE1YrfhTiXn_6E6GxE7a4fWOg8TcLW9VSCQFbHtW7vpnXAQnVUEqEXQrAfhoiOL5pYGhJlHF0G59IuoMiDjmOdJhL92oz7ojox0Z6pL1HyhWGa128XVlqPSC931G6zzJTOgET16lQalcb/w400-h240/The%20Sail%20section.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">public space at the Sail building</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_c_SIhR2TIKcUyrnMrIBrZ6Dyf_2LpkOaThcpRVQ4F-2B1kAUtbuxi-KGvRPiJOkRibaoF1przGU3IVoNi3DNDuPfjjHCTWUEiiUUwTkqwa9lqXmoNZOg8XKT_jzBES0mtqQaJlVbYjLlAWRbpvjkjZ_TwTdVEbMfm_VcLzhMWGtw2EZU7bdQ0XFtyxOX/s709/View%20from%20Light%20at%20Conway.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="429" data-original-width="709" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_c_SIhR2TIKcUyrnMrIBrZ6Dyf_2LpkOaThcpRVQ4F-2B1kAUtbuxi-KGvRPiJOkRibaoF1przGU3IVoNi3DNDuPfjjHCTWUEiiUUwTkqwa9lqXmoNZOg8XKT_jzBES0mtqQaJlVbYjLlAWRbpvjkjZ_TwTdVEbMfm_VcLzhMWGtw2EZU7bdQ0XFtyxOX/w400-h243/View%20from%20Light%20at%20Conway.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Conway Street corridor, view before and after</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Klaus Philipsen, FAIA</div></div></div></div>Klaus Philipsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01615851444265308506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223492702090268881.post-34565600004443537912024-01-26T08:50:00.000-08:002024-01-26T12:33:36.903-08:00Charting the Future of Downtown Baltimore<p>On a recent winter Friday only a handful of lunch guests found their way into the B&O Brasserie on Charles Street. But <a href="https://www.aiabaltimore.org/the-center/">the Architecture and Design Center</a> across Fayette Street located in Mies van der Rohe's Charles Center building in a space once occupied by Burger King and then Staples was filled to capacity by folks who cared about the future of downtown. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbR60884kDMv9Ehh0JuzN_Bn8w0HNWJpFpt5zXfFXkHgJBagTJqc9NCx6FkYNvIlKIznv6HKHdmWMi5f8ROMDW543LyaU0nDEG7akU16Ov6FrJCovAZgheaJHNS3EjB1v4FqtKhiszSx7VlMJkMcUgSaWIwdsFE9-VxbJUIVxJ06p7K8GbtX-FU3JKehzD/s4032/IMG_1421.HEIC" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbR60884kDMv9Ehh0JuzN_Bn8w0HNWJpFpt5zXfFXkHgJBagTJqc9NCx6FkYNvIlKIznv6HKHdmWMi5f8ROMDW543LyaU0nDEG7akU16Ov6FrJCovAZgheaJHNS3EjB1v4FqtKhiszSx7VlMJkMcUgSaWIwdsFE9-VxbJUIVxJ06p7K8GbtX-FU3JKehzD/w300-h400/IMG_1421.HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">In spite of new development, downtown feels empty<br />even at noon on a Thursday (Photo: Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The occasion was that the Baltimore City Planning Department had invited design professionals and stakeholders to a "design charrette" for all of downtown, from the Inner Harbor all the way up to Penn Station and from Martin Luther King Boulevard to President Street. This design workshop is part of a series of such events that the department wants to host towards an <a href="https://www.planourbaltimore.com/">update</a> to the Baltimore Comprehensive Plan of 2006. Doing this now, the City is a full 8 years behind the State required 10-year update cycle. The update has been in the making for a while and becomes more urgent every time another large project pops up that would benefit from a guiding framework plan, most recently the MCB proposed HarborPlace development. </p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased !important; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased !important; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The event theme is “connecting our assets” and our starting point will be the recently developed </span><a data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0" href="https://godowntownbaltimore.com/wp-content/uploads/ULI-presentation-SODT.pdf" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased !important; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0563c1; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased !important; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1155cc; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ULI recommendations for Downtown Baltimore</span></a><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased !important; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">. The charrette will begin with a brief presentation covering the high points of ongoing plans and development in Downtown Baltimore, followed by break-out workshop style sessions. </span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased !important; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: helvetica; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The break-out sessions will be topical and geographical, and teams will be multidisciplinary. Teams will prepare recommendations and pin up their work for review. The charrette will conclude with a gallery style public open house to gain additional public input. (From the invitation)</span></blockquote><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased !important; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 14.6667px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><p></p><p>However, the question hovering over the charrette participants is much bigger than the Comprehensive Plan update. The big question is the future of downtown, not only in Baltimore but in cities around the country, and, indeed, the world. Architect Davin Hong had set the stage with an <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/01/09/a-master-plan-for-baltimore-guest-commentary/">editorial in the SUN</a>. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiujyt_tmV2AaioCuzLfP4ovzVffHCB6_SdNoit3i-wl_Nl9VX8MeUXJ_ieZST6C1M_bLaWP5OYc9OaJ0q2FHmELS03FKTKFOnHUmzM4B0DwqdUC35gq2T28sg0dOKxex_qrkWjpkJRmZkpYPdSF8WzNuCl5i-QGHgTAVDp_RfhvMBhSJzbET-br2-nY2Ho/s1080/Poster.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiujyt_tmV2AaioCuzLfP4ovzVffHCB6_SdNoit3i-wl_Nl9VX8MeUXJ_ieZST6C1M_bLaWP5OYc9OaJ0q2FHmELS03FKTKFOnHUmzM4B0DwqdUC35gq2T28sg0dOKxex_qrkWjpkJRmZkpYPdSF8WzNuCl5i-QGHgTAVDp_RfhvMBhSJzbET-br2-nY2Ho/s320/Poster.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Charrette Poster </span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16.5px; letter-spacing: -0.165px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><blockquote>If you were to walk around downtown Baltimore today, you may feel a little uncomfortable. With foot traffic noticeably sparse and storefronts empty, many streets feel somewhat abandoned and unsafe. The environment is missing the level of activity you would expect in a dense urban setting, all of which is the inevitable result of decades of economic decline. (Davin Hong, AIA)</blockquote></span></span><p>COVID not only slowed the progress on the new Comprehensive Plan to a crawl, it also did a number on downtown, chiefly because the office workers who were initially forced to work from home were unexpectedly reluctant to come back. This in turn translated into even more retail and gastronomy failing, obviously a mechanism that is not limited to Baltimore. How much it applies to cities across the nation and the world depends on many factors, including demographics, the jobs offered in cities and how easy it is to get to them, whether a city is a tourist magnet and to what extent downtown had already been transformed from strictly office use to also being a neighborhood with apartments and condos. As a result of all these factors, some cities were hit harder, some less so. Cities are current trying to get the data to understand what is happening. Office and retail vacancy rates are regularly reported, but how many people come for how many days to work in downtown is harder to determine. </p><p>One recent <a href="https://downtownrecovery.com/death_of_downtown_policy_brief.pdf">study </a>compared cell phone data which indicated how many people are moving through downtown before, during and after COVID. This study put Baltimore at an astounding 95% of recovery,</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSv0oj7nrfC927OxGgn-VWK8XI5hNtBXYrsokcTUezAtFcapS2sfXG2WghzapnR_0RoTEtAQk-6IIku7g0coQXaUajR2eT1esHjMRspHJDHLrIkCy-ZuLLLmD3GnzK2vFbRXxUbCtIBPNBG55JgJCToWquVvj45Emd0GgayOoosDYS1mIKdAAVcHoxI5xo/s4032/990781EE-5097-429A-BBC0-9C08B6EA79B7.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSv0oj7nrfC927OxGgn-VWK8XI5hNtBXYrsokcTUezAtFcapS2sfXG2WghzapnR_0RoTEtAQk-6IIku7g0coQXaUajR2eT1esHjMRspHJDHLrIkCy-ZuLLLmD3GnzK2vFbRXxUbCtIBPNBG55JgJCToWquVvj45Emd0GgayOoosDYS1mIKdAAVcHoxI5xo/w400-h300/990781EE-5097-429A-BBC0-9C08B6EA79B7.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Planning Director Chris Ryer speaks to the charrette participants<br />(Photo: Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> ranking it second after San Diego. Eye level observation, however, tells a different story. Empty sidewalks, boarded up stores and fewer and fewer restaurants. Cynics attributed the cellphone data to the many homeless people that reach record numbers in many cities, especially San Diego. Other indicators are parking usage rates, <a href="https://www.mta.maryland.gov/performance-improvement">transit ridership</a> and hotel bookings. In no instance have the Baltimore numbers recovered to the pre COVID levels of 2019.<p></p><p>For the charrette the reporting on data fell to Claudia Jolin, Vice President of Economic Development at the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore (DPoB). In the chirpy manner that is customary for DPoB she presented a few facts and figures from the various reports her organization has amassed, including the <a href="https://godowntownbaltimore.com/wp-content/uploads/DPOB_2023Outlook_HousingAnalysys.pdf">Analysis of Market-Rate Housing Demand in Downtown Baltimore Neighborhoods and Adjacent Areas</a> and a <a href="https://godowntownbaltimore.com/wp-content/uploads/ULI-presentation-SODT.pdf">ULI report from 2021</a>, the <a href="https://godowntownbaltimore.com/wp-content/uploads/DPOB_2018-2013_investmentmap.pdf">2018-28 investment</a> forecast
including that from 2018 to 2028 6.5 billion of investment are in planning, construction or completed, that about 1000 units are underway in "residential conversions"</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4FWLi18JRceX9pBWUBjj114tPT6Nx8dRZXzqg_vJ9dUqV1h8E6lhfsDHtXClNR8hKbt23jM3NYS9Y_c-X8kOObIYZXl7Kuj4SIW-mZNj2a401uyP37swSmEo0u2PYxnM2OaUILXhD346EUWPLCHMuyaQESTmJT9WN-WJvECHXeJUXDOcM7dXuWL-6QqeJ/s4032/96427D25-3D8A-41D6-B0C2-12AA02DC99E0.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4FWLi18JRceX9pBWUBjj114tPT6Nx8dRZXzqg_vJ9dUqV1h8E6lhfsDHtXClNR8hKbt23jM3NYS9Y_c-X8kOObIYZXl7Kuj4SIW-mZNj2a401uyP37swSmEo0u2PYxnM2OaUILXhD346EUWPLCHMuyaQESTmJT9WN-WJvECHXeJUXDOcM7dXuWL-6QqeJ/w300-h400/96427D25-3D8A-41D6-B0C2-12AA02DC99E0.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">New apartments in downtown (Paca Street)<br />(Photo: Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table> (from office) with "nearly 25 completed projects centered around Downtown living". The forever stalled "Superblock" is finally moving through an actual review process with a new team and design and about 3000 employees are being relocated from the State office complex to downtown. Looking forward, the DPoB housing analysis estimates that the downtown area should be able to absorb an additional 1,250 units annually over the next five years. <br /><p></p><p>Downtown was long heralded as the fastest growing census trackin Baltimore, however, the census facts are more nuanced as the DPoB housing reports notes:</p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">According to 2022 estimates, 41,998 residents live in the Downtown Statistical Area (DSA),
approximately 787 residents less than the 2017 population of 42,785—an estimated drop of 1.8 percent
over five years. However, the number of households in the DSA increased from 19,140 in 2017 to 19,388
in 2022, a gain of 1.3 percent.</span></blockquote><p></p><p>After downloading these facts and figures, the crowd broke into 9 study tables separated by 6 geographic areas. Each table had a moderator, sketch paper and a map at the ready in the usual charrette manner. With architects, planners and landscape architects dominating the scene, all kinds of diagrams and sketches emerged quickly which were then pinned on display boards, presented and explained by the table leaders and open to public review over beer, wine and snacks. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTShW0yG5nn1oGv_LMI-gDkbutv2FMLxiuX9PlYjhgFVxL2oteR5mnBcM3yUe7PWzqhgaNdl0C2pgFdBtlP5sDIx-LH13qKex1eeN2vvrjVmnJaUOrqFNAOgFw3jS1bPHgAAtyZq4eztMH6ebGM-ZTGsJJpAxqKX-f8-OfLndX4dg3GvoNkP5wgr6wEYIX/s4032/FEE10957-3E07-4E14-966E-55A322418A10.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTShW0yG5nn1oGv_LMI-gDkbutv2FMLxiuX9PlYjhgFVxL2oteR5mnBcM3yUe7PWzqhgaNdl0C2pgFdBtlP5sDIx-LH13qKex1eeN2vvrjVmnJaUOrqFNAOgFw3jS1bPHgAAtyZq4eztMH6ebGM-ZTGsJJpAxqKX-f8-OfLndX4dg3GvoNkP5wgr6wEYIX/w400-h300/FEE10957-3E07-4E14-966E-55A322418A10.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Sketch showing high priority pedestrian routes in yellow<br />(Photo Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>True to the theme of the evening "connecting our assets", many sketches and ideas focused on connectivity and the walking experience in downtown. One group led by Bryce Turner who is part of the MCB design team for HarborPlace suggested a walkway right through the convention center that would act as an extension of Camden Street from Oriole's Park all the way to HarborPlace, giving pedestrians a direct route after ball games and allow conventioneers a safe and direct route to the Inner Harbor as well. One group proposed a big new open space west of Oldtown, others spoke about the barriers that need to be overcome on all side of downtown to connect back to the neighborhoods. Architect Peter Fillat minced no words when he reported about the area around the refurbished Arena; "All those walk connections in the area suck", he stated. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbU0BFH48n9ObgfAJq-r7SycWjII-DEs4pZ23fh1JtJG7t8MZPTjl0kTZR4olYw6Un8r8CXyvgUQp5qWR2w91fjo7heev87NNrNBt-NlN7WAhBfzAxUvZfqQBav6reRzvxCKLYkGeOjpNpV7D38jfrD0aKGv5qn6yBSEHLsp6kRJX_dHBxapu-SghYzNUh/s4032/IMG_7017.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbU0BFH48n9ObgfAJq-r7SycWjII-DEs4pZ23fh1JtJG7t8MZPTjl0kTZR4olYw6Un8r8CXyvgUQp5qWR2w91fjo7heev87NNrNBt-NlN7WAhBfzAxUvZfqQBav6reRzvxCKLYkGeOjpNpV7D38jfrD0aKGv5qn6yBSEHLsp6kRJX_dHBxapu-SghYzNUh/w400-h300/IMG_7017.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Table group at the charrette (Photo AIA)</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Sharp Leadenhall community leader Betty Bland Thomas spoke about how I-395, the Federal reserve and the Convention Center have cut her community off from direct access. A view on the map confirms a whole serious of large urban renewal type super blockages that starve downtown from pedestrian flow from the south. <p></p><p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666;"></span></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #666666;">The Planning Department's downtown charrette showcased visionary leadership, uniting our community to collaboratively envision the future of our beloved downtown. From pragmatists to dreamers, Baltimoreans expressed deep passion for the future of our city center, finding a platform for diverse aspirations in this event.(Claudia Jolie)</span></blockquote><p></p><p>The hosting members of the Planning Department, Renata Southard and Caitlin Odette now face the task to incorporate the ideas and concepts into the emerging Comp Plan. A synopsis of the charrette is promised to appear on the Comp Plan <a href="https://planning.baltimorecity.gov/planning-master-plan#:~:text=Over%20the%20next%202%20years,over%20the%20next%20ten%20years.">website</a> soon. Hong in his editorial puts a lot of stock in a good masterplan: <span face=""Source Serif 4", Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16.5px; letter-spacing: -0.165px;"> </span></p><p><span face=""Source Serif 4", Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16.5px; letter-spacing: -0.165px;"><span style="color: #444444;"></span></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444;">A visionary master plan fully embraced by the state, city, Downtown Partnership and Greater Baltimore Committee can potentially make transformation possible.</span></blockquote><p></p><p>The gap between the massive amount of development that, indeed, has happened in downtown including the near 40,000 people that call the area home and the daily experience of downtown as devoid of the lively vibrancy we associate with successful downtowns remains a somewhat unresolved mystery. Why can't Baltimore sustain more retail and restaurants in its downtown? Why does neither the refurbished Lexington Market, nor the remodeled highly successful Arena nor the many new downtown hotels and apartment buildings spawn vibrancy and eyes in the street? Why do the sidewalks remain empty and the desire of retailers to open shop here absent, even when the folks that now work from home are largely compensated by the influx of State office workers who relocate from from State Center? </p><p>The unofficial answer is crime, or at least the perception of it. Add to that the principally welcome fact that the gaze of recent mayors has shifted from a fixation with downtown (for example under Schaefer) to a new focus on the well being of neighborhoods, and it becomes clear, that Baltimore's downtown can by no means be assured of a bright future. </p><p>Klaus Philipsen, FAIA</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxHHSPyuiGszVuaWEfWXJWnFrkB1kUmTW0K4kO4c5T30DPqDthyphenhyphenUHv4Iv9vJRjUabx9Go0gzmAhMdYCTIdW52kMYyTLkQzSsrVd2ow1O-iEZJ1pcqcGQSRrbk2N9IIlxLGQ98NCAOUZFYi3eQFO7bXmRk5-rHqDcK_dagRsneP16IWLrY5lsBeeqq7SBY/s4032/46C3C715-C9C0-4B1F-B9CD-AE7D390A951E.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNxHHSPyuiGszVuaWEfWXJWnFrkB1kUmTW0K4kO4c5T30DPqDthyphenhyphenUHv4Iv9vJRjUabx9Go0gzmAhMdYCTIdW52kMYyTLkQzSsrVd2ow1O-iEZJ1pcqcGQSRrbk2N9IIlxLGQ98NCAOUZFYi3eQFO7bXmRk5-rHqDcK_dagRsneP16IWLrY5lsBeeqq7SBY/w300-h400/46C3C715-C9C0-4B1F-B9CD-AE7D390A951E.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Downtown transit rider in front of abandoned department<br />stores: Waiting for Godot?<br />(Photo: Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><i>Related on this blog:</i></p><p><a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2021/03/is-downtown-baltimore-doomed.html">Is Downtown Baltimore Doomed?</a> (2021)</p><p><br /></p><div class="eBFwI" jsaction="JIbuQc:aj0Jcf" jscontroller="lWjoT" jsname="MPu53c" role="listitem" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; display: flex; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; width: 590px;"><label class="docssharedWizToggleLabeledContainer Yri8Nb" style="-webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-flex: 1; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; -webkit-box-pack: justify; display: flex; flex-direction: row; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: space-between; min-width: 0px; padding: 8px 8px 8px 0px;"><div class="bzfPab wFGF8" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; display: flex; flex-shrink: 1; min-width: 0px;"><div class="YEVVod" style="-webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-flex: 1; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-box-pack: center; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-left: 0.75em; min-width: 0px;"><div class="ulDsOb" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; display: flex; min-width: 0px; text-align: left;"><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i style="color: black; display: inline; font-family: "Times New Roman";">Below the definition of the downtown subareas the Planning Department uses </i></span><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span></div></div></div></label></div><div class="eBFwI" jsaction="JIbuQc:aj0Jcf" jscontroller="lWjoT" jsname="MPu53c" role="listitem" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; display: flex; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; width: 590px;"><label class="docssharedWizToggleLabeledContainer Yri8Nb" style="-webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-flex: 1; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; -webkit-box-pack: justify; display: flex; flex-direction: row; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: space-between; min-width: 0px; padding: 8px 8px 8px 0px;"><div class="bzfPab wFGF8" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; display: flex; flex-shrink: 1; min-width: 0px;"><div aria-checked="false" aria-label="Government Center" class="uVccjd aiSeRd FXLARc wGQFbe BJHAP oLlshd" data-answer-value="Government Center" id="i17" jsaction="keydown:I481le;dyRcpb:dyRcpb;click:cOuCgd; mousedown:UX7yZ; mouseup:lbsD7e; mouseenter:tfO1Yc; mouseleave:JywGue; focus:AHmuwe; blur:O22p3e; contextmenu:mg9Pef;touchstart:p6p2H; touchmove:FwuNnf; touchend:yfqBxc(preventMouseEvents=true|preventDefault=true); touchcancel:JMtRjd;" jscontroller="EcW08c" jsname="FkQz1b" jsshadow="" role="checkbox" style="-webkit-box-flex: 0; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border-radius: 3px; border: 10px solid rgb(95, 99, 104); box-sizing: content-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; flex-grow: 0; flex-shrink: 0; max-height: 0px; max-width: 0px; outline: currentcolor; overflow: visible; position: relative; transition: border-color 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); user-select: none; vertical-align: middle; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><div class="PkgjBf MbhUzd" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); border-radius: 100%; height: 16px; left: -8px; opacity: 0; outline: transparent solid 0.1px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; top: -8px; transform: scale(2.5); transition: opacity 0.15s; width: 16px; z-index: -1;"></div><div class="uHMk6b fsHoPb" style="border: 8px solid white; left: -8px; position: absolute; top: -8px; transition: transform 0.1s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1) 0.15s, border-radius;"></div><div class="rq8Mwb" style="animation: 0.2s forwards quantumWizPaperAnimateCheckMarkOut; border-radius: 3px; border: 10px solid transparent; clip: rect(0px, 20px, 20px, 0px); height: 0px; left: -10px; position: absolute; top: -10px; width: 0px; will-change: transform;"><div class="TCA6qd" style="height: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; width: 0px;"><div class="MbUTNc oyD5Oc" style="border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); height: 5px; left: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="Ii6cVc oyD5Oc" style="border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 5px;"></div></div></div></div><div class="YEVVod" style="-webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-flex: 1; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-box-pack: center; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-left: 0.75em; min-width: 0px;"><div class="ulDsOb" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; display: flex; min-width: 0px;"><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Government Center</span><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><br /></span></span><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">/ Market Street / Holocaust Memorial</span></span></div></div></div></label></div><div class="eBFwI" jsaction="JIbuQc:aj0Jcf" jscontroller="lWjoT" jsname="MPu53c" role="listitem" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; display: flex; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; width: 590px;"><label class="docssharedWizToggleLabeledContainer Yri8Nb" style="-webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-flex: 1; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; -webkit-box-pack: justify; display: flex; flex-direction: row; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: space-between; min-width: 0px; padding: 8px 8px 8px 0px;"><div class="bzfPab wFGF8" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; display: flex; flex-shrink: 1; min-width: 0px;"><div aria-checked="false" aria-label="Preston Gardens / Orleans Street" class="uVccjd aiSeRd FXLARc wGQFbe BJHAP oLlshd" data-answer-value="Preston Gardens / Orleans Street" id="i20" jsaction="keydown:I481le;dyRcpb:dyRcpb;click:cOuCgd; mousedown:UX7yZ; mouseup:lbsD7e; mouseenter:tfO1Yc; mouseleave:JywGue; focus:AHmuwe; blur:O22p3e; contextmenu:mg9Pef;touchstart:p6p2H; touchmove:FwuNnf; touchend:yfqBxc(preventMouseEvents=true|preventDefault=true); touchcancel:JMtRjd;" jscontroller="EcW08c" jsname="FkQz1b" jsshadow="" role="checkbox" style="-webkit-box-flex: 0; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border-radius: 3px; border: 10px solid rgb(95, 99, 104); box-sizing: content-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; flex-grow: 0; flex-shrink: 0; max-height: 0px; max-width: 0px; outline: currentcolor; overflow: visible; position: relative; transition: border-color 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); user-select: none; vertical-align: middle; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><div class="PkgjBf MbhUzd" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); border-radius: 100%; height: 16px; left: -8px; opacity: 0; outline: transparent solid 0.1px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; top: -8px; transform: scale(2.5); transition: opacity 0.15s; width: 16px; z-index: -1;"></div><div class="uHMk6b fsHoPb" style="border: 8px solid white; left: -8px; position: absolute; top: -8px; transition: transform 0.1s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1) 0.15s, border-radius;"></div><div class="rq8Mwb" style="animation: 0.2s forwards quantumWizPaperAnimateCheckMarkOut; border-radius: 3px; border: 10px solid transparent; clip: rect(0px, 20px, 20px, 0px); height: 0px; left: -10px; position: absolute; top: -10px; width: 0px; will-change: transform;"><div class="TCA6qd" style="height: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; width: 0px;"><div class="MbUTNc oyD5Oc" style="border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); height: 5px; left: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="Ii6cVc oyD5Oc" style="border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 5px;"></div></div></div></div><div class="YEVVod" style="-webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-flex: 1; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-box-pack: center; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-left: 0.75em; min-width: 0px;"><div class="ulDsOb" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; display: flex; min-width: 0px;"><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Preston Gardens / Orleans Street</span></div></div></div></label></div><div class="eBFwI" jsaction="JIbuQc:aj0Jcf" jscontroller="lWjoT" jsname="MPu53c" role="listitem" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; display: flex; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; width: 590px;"><label class="docssharedWizToggleLabeledContainer Yri8Nb" style="-webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-flex: 1; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; -webkit-box-pack: justify; display: flex; flex-direction: row; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: space-between; min-width: 0px; padding: 8px 8px 8px 0px;"><div class="bzfPab wFGF8" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; display: flex; flex-shrink: 1; min-width: 0px;"><div aria-checked="false" aria-label="Gateway (President and Pratt) / Jones Fall Trail / Connection to East Baltimore" class="uVccjd aiSeRd FXLARc wGQFbe BJHAP oLlshd" data-answer-value="Gateway (President and Pratt) / Jones Fall Trail / Connection to East Baltimore" id="i23" jsaction="keydown:I481le;dyRcpb:dyRcpb;click:cOuCgd; 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width: 16px; z-index: -1;"></div><div class="uHMk6b fsHoPb" style="border: 8px solid white; left: -8px; position: absolute; top: -8px; transition: transform 0.1s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1) 0.15s, border-radius;"></div><div class="rq8Mwb" style="animation: 0.2s forwards quantumWizPaperAnimateCheckMarkOut; border-radius: 3px; border: 10px solid transparent; clip: rect(0px, 20px, 20px, 0px); height: 0px; left: -10px; position: absolute; top: -10px; width: 0px; will-change: transform;"><div class="TCA6qd" style="height: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; width: 0px;"><div class="MbUTNc oyD5Oc" style="border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); height: 5px; left: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="Ii6cVc oyD5Oc" style="border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 5px;"></div></div></div></div><div class="YEVVod" style="-webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-flex: 1; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-box-pack: center; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-left: 0.75em; min-width: 0px;"><div class="ulDsOb" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; display: flex; min-width: 0px;"><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Gateway (President and Pratt) / Jones Fall Trail / Connection to East Baltimore</span></div></div></div></label></div><div class="eBFwI" jsaction="JIbuQc:aj0Jcf" jscontroller="lWjoT" jsname="MPu53c" role="listitem" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; display: flex; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; width: 590px;"><label class="docssharedWizToggleLabeledContainer Yri8Nb" style="-webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-flex: 1; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; -webkit-box-pack: justify; display: flex; flex-direction: row; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: space-between; min-width: 0px; padding: 8px 8px 8px 0px;"><div class="bzfPab wFGF8" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; display: flex; flex-shrink: 1; min-width: 0px;"><div aria-checked="false" aria-label="395 to the Harbor / Convention Center" class="uVccjd aiSeRd FXLARc wGQFbe BJHAP oLlshd" data-answer-value="395 to the Harbor / Convention Center" id="i26" jsaction="keydown:I481le;dyRcpb:dyRcpb;click:cOuCgd; mousedown:UX7yZ; mouseup:lbsD7e; mouseenter:tfO1Yc; mouseleave:JywGue; focus:AHmuwe; blur:O22p3e; contextmenu:mg9Pef;touchstart:p6p2H; touchmove:FwuNnf; touchend:yfqBxc(preventMouseEvents=true|preventDefault=true); touchcancel:JMtRjd;" jscontroller="EcW08c" jsname="FkQz1b" jsshadow="" role="checkbox" style="-webkit-box-flex: 0; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border-radius: 3px; border: 10px solid rgb(95, 99, 104); box-sizing: content-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; flex-grow: 0; flex-shrink: 0; max-height: 0px; max-width: 0px; outline: currentcolor; overflow: visible; position: relative; transition: border-color 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); user-select: none; vertical-align: middle; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><div class="PkgjBf MbhUzd" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); border-radius: 100%; height: 16px; left: -8px; opacity: 0; outline: transparent solid 0.1px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; top: -8px; transform: scale(2.5); transition: opacity 0.15s; width: 16px; z-index: -1;"></div><div class="uHMk6b fsHoPb" style="border: 8px solid white; left: -8px; position: absolute; top: -8px; transition: transform 0.1s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1) 0.15s, border-radius;"></div><div class="rq8Mwb" style="animation: 0.2s forwards quantumWizPaperAnimateCheckMarkOut; border-radius: 3px; border: 10px solid transparent; clip: rect(0px, 20px, 20px, 0px); height: 0px; left: -10px; position: absolute; top: -10px; width: 0px; will-change: transform;"><div class="TCA6qd" style="height: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; width: 0px;"><div class="MbUTNc oyD5Oc" style="border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); height: 5px; left: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="Ii6cVc oyD5Oc" style="border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 5px;"></div></div></div></div><div class="YEVVod" style="-webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-flex: 1; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-box-pack: center; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-left: 0.75em; min-width: 0px;"><div class="ulDsOb" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; display: flex; min-width: 0px;"><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">395 to the Harbor / Convention Center</span></div></div></div></label></div><div class="eBFwI" jsaction="JIbuQc:aj0Jcf" jscontroller="lWjoT" jsname="MPu53c" role="listitem" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; display: flex; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; width: 590px;"><label class="docssharedWizToggleLabeledContainer Yri8Nb" style="-webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-flex: 1; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; -webkit-box-pack: justify; display: flex; flex-direction: row; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: space-between; min-width: 0px; padding: 8px 8px 8px 0px;"><div class="bzfPab wFGF8" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; display: flex; flex-shrink: 1; min-width: 0px;"><div aria-checked="false" aria-label="Gateway (MLK and Pratt) / Connection to West Baltimore" class="uVccjd aiSeRd FXLARc wGQFbe BJHAP oLlshd" data-answer-value="Gateway (MLK and Pratt) / Connection to West Baltimore" id="i29" jsaction="keydown:I481le;dyRcpb:dyRcpb;click:cOuCgd; mousedown:UX7yZ; mouseup:lbsD7e; mouseenter:tfO1Yc; mouseleave:JywGue; focus:AHmuwe; blur:O22p3e; contextmenu:mg9Pef;touchstart:p6p2H; touchmove:FwuNnf; touchend:yfqBxc(preventMouseEvents=true|preventDefault=true); touchcancel:JMtRjd;" jscontroller="EcW08c" jsname="FkQz1b" jsshadow="" role="checkbox" style="-webkit-box-flex: 0; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border-radius: 3px; border: 10px solid rgb(95, 99, 104); box-sizing: content-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; flex-grow: 0; flex-shrink: 0; max-height: 0px; max-width: 0px; outline: currentcolor; overflow: visible; position: relative; transition: border-color 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); user-select: none; vertical-align: middle; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><div class="PkgjBf MbhUzd" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); border-radius: 100%; height: 16px; left: -8px; opacity: 0; outline: transparent solid 0.1px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; top: -8px; transform: scale(2.5); transition: opacity 0.15s; width: 16px; z-index: -1;"></div><div class="uHMk6b fsHoPb" style="border: 8px solid white; left: -8px; position: absolute; top: -8px; transition: transform 0.1s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1) 0.15s, border-radius;"></div><div class="rq8Mwb" style="animation: 0.2s forwards quantumWizPaperAnimateCheckMarkOut; border-radius: 3px; border: 10px solid transparent; clip: rect(0px, 20px, 20px, 0px); height: 0px; left: -10px; position: absolute; top: -10px; width: 0px; will-change: transform;"><div class="TCA6qd" style="height: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; width: 0px;"><div class="MbUTNc oyD5Oc" style="border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); height: 5px; left: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="Ii6cVc oyD5Oc" style="border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 5px;"></div></div></div></div><div class="YEVVod" style="-webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-flex: 1; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-box-pack: center; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-left: 0.75em; min-width: 0px;"><div class="ulDsOb" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; display: flex; min-width: 0px;"><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Gateway (MLK and Pratt) / Connection to West Baltimore</span></div></div></div></label></div><div class="eBFwI" jsaction="JIbuQc:aj0Jcf" jscontroller="lWjoT" jsname="MPu53c" role="listitem" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; display: flex; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; width: 590px;"><label class="docssharedWizToggleLabeledContainer Yri8Nb" style="-webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-flex: 1; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; -webkit-box-pack: justify; display: flex; flex-direction: row; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: space-between; min-width: 0px; padding: 8px 8px 8px 0px;"><div class="bzfPab wFGF8" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; display: flex; flex-shrink: 1; min-width: 0px;"><div aria-checked="false" aria-label="Lexington Market / Smaller scale buildings (adaptive reuse of historic fabric)" class="uVccjd aiSeRd FXLARc wGQFbe BJHAP oLlshd" data-answer-value="Lexington Market / Smaller scale buildings (adaptive reuse of historic fabric)" id="i32" jsaction="keydown:I481le;dyRcpb:dyRcpb;click:cOuCgd; mousedown:UX7yZ; mouseup:lbsD7e; mouseenter:tfO1Yc; mouseleave:JywGue; focus:AHmuwe; blur:O22p3e; contextmenu:mg9Pef;touchstart:p6p2H; touchmove:FwuNnf; touchend:yfqBxc(preventMouseEvents=true|preventDefault=true); touchcancel:JMtRjd;" jscontroller="EcW08c" jsname="FkQz1b" jsshadow="" role="checkbox" style="-webkit-box-flex: 0; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border-radius: 3px; border: 10px solid rgb(95, 99, 104); box-sizing: content-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; flex-grow: 0; flex-shrink: 0; max-height: 0px; max-width: 0px; outline: currentcolor; overflow: visible; position: relative; transition: border-color 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); user-select: none; vertical-align: middle; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><div class="PkgjBf MbhUzd" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); border-radius: 100%; height: 16px; left: -8px; opacity: 0; outline: transparent solid 0.1px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; top: -8px; transform: scale(2.5); transition: opacity 0.15s; width: 16px; z-index: -1;"></div><div class="uHMk6b fsHoPb" style="border: 8px solid white; left: -8px; position: absolute; top: -8px; transition: transform 0.1s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1) 0.15s, border-radius;"></div><div class="rq8Mwb" style="animation: 0.2s forwards quantumWizPaperAnimateCheckMarkOut; border-radius: 3px; border: 10px solid transparent; clip: rect(0px, 20px, 20px, 0px); height: 0px; left: -10px; position: absolute; top: -10px; width: 0px; will-change: transform;"><div class="TCA6qd" style="height: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; width: 0px;"><div class="MbUTNc oyD5Oc" style="border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); height: 5px; left: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="Ii6cVc oyD5Oc" style="border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 5px;"></div></div></div></div><div class="YEVVod" style="-webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-flex: 1; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-box-pack: center; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-left: 0.75em; min-width: 0px;"><div class="ulDsOb" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; display: flex; min-width: 0px;"><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Lexington Market / Smaller scale buildings (adaptive reuse of historic fabric)</span></div></div></div></label></div><div class="eBFwI" jsaction="JIbuQc:aj0Jcf" jscontroller="lWjoT" jsname="MPu53c" role="listitem" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; display: flex; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; width: 590px;"><label class="docssharedWizToggleLabeledContainer Yri8Nb" style="-webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-flex: 1; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; -webkit-box-pack: justify; display: flex; flex-direction: row; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: space-between; min-width: 0px; padding: 8px 8px 8px 0px;"><div class="bzfPab wFGF8" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; display: flex; flex-shrink: 1; min-width: 0px;"><div aria-checked="false" aria-label="Arena / Hopkins Plaza" class="uVccjd aiSeRd FXLARc wGQFbe BJHAP oLlshd" data-answer-value="Arena / Hopkins Plaza" id="i35" jsaction="keydown:I481le;dyRcpb:dyRcpb;click:cOuCgd; mousedown:UX7yZ; mouseup:lbsD7e; mouseenter:tfO1Yc; mouseleave:JywGue; focus:AHmuwe; blur:O22p3e; contextmenu:mg9Pef;touchstart:p6p2H; touchmove:FwuNnf; touchend:yfqBxc(preventMouseEvents=true|preventDefault=true); touchcancel:JMtRjd;" jscontroller="EcW08c" jsname="FkQz1b" jsshadow="" role="checkbox" style="-webkit-box-flex: 0; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border-radius: 3px; border: 10px solid rgb(95, 99, 104); box-sizing: content-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; flex-grow: 0; flex-shrink: 0; max-height: 0px; max-width: 0px; outline: currentcolor; overflow: visible; position: relative; transition: border-color 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); user-select: none; vertical-align: middle; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><div class="PkgjBf MbhUzd" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); border-radius: 100%; height: 16px; left: -8px; opacity: 0; outline: transparent solid 0.1px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; top: -8px; transform: scale(2.5); transition: opacity 0.15s; width: 16px; z-index: -1;"></div><div class="uHMk6b fsHoPb" style="border: 8px solid white; left: -8px; position: absolute; top: -8px; transition: transform 0.1s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1) 0.15s, border-radius;"></div><div class="rq8Mwb" style="animation: 0.2s forwards quantumWizPaperAnimateCheckMarkOut; border-radius: 3px; border: 10px solid transparent; clip: rect(0px, 20px, 20px, 0px); height: 0px; left: -10px; position: absolute; top: -10px; width: 0px; will-change: transform;"><div class="TCA6qd" style="height: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; width: 0px;"><div class="MbUTNc oyD5Oc" style="border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); height: 5px; left: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="Ii6cVc oyD5Oc" style="border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 5px;"></div></div></div></div><div class="YEVVod" style="-webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-flex: 1; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-box-pack: center; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-left: 0.75em; min-width: 0px;"><div class="ulDsOb" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; display: flex; min-width: 0px;"><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Arena / Hopkins Plaza</span></div></div></div></label></div><div class="eBFwI" jsaction="JIbuQc:aj0Jcf" jscontroller="lWjoT" jsname="MPu53c" role="listitem" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; display: flex; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; width: 590px;"><label class="docssharedWizToggleLabeledContainer Yri8Nb" style="-webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-flex: 1; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; -webkit-box-pack: justify; display: flex; flex-direction: row; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: space-between; min-width: 0px; padding: 8px 8px 8px 0px;"><div class="bzfPab wFGF8" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; display: flex; flex-shrink: 1; min-width: 0px;"><div aria-checked="false" aria-label="Water Street / Redwood Street" class="uVccjd aiSeRd FXLARc wGQFbe BJHAP oLlshd" data-answer-value="Water Street / Redwood Street" id="i38" jsaction="keydown:I481le;dyRcpb:dyRcpb;click:cOuCgd; mousedown:UX7yZ; mouseup:lbsD7e; mouseenter:tfO1Yc; mouseleave:JywGue; focus:AHmuwe; blur:O22p3e; contextmenu:mg9Pef;touchstart:p6p2H; touchmove:FwuNnf; touchend:yfqBxc(preventMouseEvents=true|preventDefault=true); touchcancel:JMtRjd;" jscontroller="EcW08c" jsname="FkQz1b" jsshadow="" role="checkbox" style="-webkit-box-flex: 0; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border-radius: 3px; border: 10px solid rgb(95, 99, 104); box-sizing: content-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; flex-grow: 0; flex-shrink: 0; max-height: 0px; max-width: 0px; outline: currentcolor; overflow: visible; position: relative; transition: border-color 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); user-select: none; vertical-align: middle; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><div class="PkgjBf MbhUzd" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); border-radius: 100%; height: 16px; left: -8px; opacity: 0; outline: transparent solid 0.1px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; top: -8px; transform: scale(2.5); transition: opacity 0.15s; width: 16px; z-index: -1;"></div><div class="uHMk6b fsHoPb" style="border: 8px solid white; left: -8px; position: absolute; top: -8px; transition: transform 0.1s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1) 0.15s, border-radius;"></div><div class="rq8Mwb" style="animation: 0.2s forwards quantumWizPaperAnimateCheckMarkOut; border-radius: 3px; border: 10px solid transparent; clip: rect(0px, 20px, 20px, 0px); height: 0px; left: -10px; position: absolute; top: -10px; width: 0px; will-change: transform;"><div class="TCA6qd" style="height: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; width: 0px;"><div class="MbUTNc oyD5Oc" style="border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); height: 5px; left: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="Ii6cVc oyD5Oc" style="border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 5px;"></div></div></div></div><div class="YEVVod" style="-webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-flex: 1; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-box-pack: center; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-left: 0.75em; min-width: 0px;"><div class="ulDsOb" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; display: flex; min-width: 0px;"><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Water Street / Redwood Street</span></div></div></div></label></div><div class="eBFwI" jsaction="JIbuQc:aj0Jcf" jscontroller="lWjoT" jsname="MPu53c" role="listitem" style="background-color: white; color: #202124; display: flex; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; width: 590px;"><label class="docssharedWizToggleLabeledContainer Yri8Nb" style="-webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-flex: 1; -webkit-box-orient: horizontal; -webkit-box-pack: justify; display: flex; flex-direction: row; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: space-between; min-width: 0px; padding: 8px 8px 8px 0px;"><div class="bzfPab wFGF8" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; display: flex; flex-shrink: 1; min-width: 0px;"><div aria-checked="false" aria-label="Metro West / Franklin-Mulberry" class="uVccjd aiSeRd FXLARc wGQFbe BJHAP oLlshd" data-answer-value="Metro West / Franklin-Mulberry" id="i41" jsaction="keydown:I481le;dyRcpb:dyRcpb;click:cOuCgd; mousedown:UX7yZ; mouseup:lbsD7e; mouseenter:tfO1Yc; mouseleave:JywGue; focus:AHmuwe; blur:O22p3e; contextmenu:mg9Pef;touchstart:p6p2H; touchmove:FwuNnf; touchend:yfqBxc(preventMouseEvents=true|preventDefault=true); touchcancel:JMtRjd;" jscontroller="EcW08c" jsname="FkQz1b" jsshadow="" role="checkbox" style="-webkit-box-flex: 0; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border-radius: 3px; border: 10px solid rgb(95, 99, 104); box-sizing: content-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; flex-grow: 0; flex-shrink: 0; max-height: 0px; max-width: 0px; outline: currentcolor; overflow: visible; position: relative; transition: border-color 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1); user-select: none; vertical-align: middle; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><div class="PkgjBf MbhUzd" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); border-radius: 100%; height: 16px; left: -8px; opacity: 0; outline: transparent solid 0.1px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; top: -8px; transform: scale(2.5); transition: opacity 0.15s; width: 16px; z-index: -1;"></div><div class="uHMk6b fsHoPb" style="border: 8px solid white; left: -8px; position: absolute; top: -8px; transition: transform 0.1s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1) 0.15s, border-radius;"></div><div class="rq8Mwb" style="animation: 0.2s forwards quantumWizPaperAnimateCheckMarkOut; border-radius: 3px; border: 10px solid transparent; clip: rect(0px, 20px, 20px, 0px); height: 0px; left: -10px; position: absolute; top: -10px; width: 0px; will-change: transform;"><div class="TCA6qd" style="height: 0px; pointer-events: none; position: absolute; width: 0px;"><div class="MbUTNc oyD5Oc" style="border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); height: 5px; left: 0px; position: absolute;"></div><div class="Ii6cVc oyD5Oc" style="border: 0px solid rgb(255, 255, 255); left: 0px; position: absolute; top: 5px;"></div></div></div></div><div class="YEVVod" style="-webkit-box-direction: normal; -webkit-box-flex: 1; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; -webkit-box-pack: center; display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-left: 0.75em; min-width: 0px;"><div class="ulDsOb" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; display: flex; min-width: 0px;"><span class="aDTYNe snByac n5vBHf OIC90c" dir="auto" face="docs-Roboto" style="font-size: 11pt; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.5; min-width: 0px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Metro West / Franklin-Mulberry</span></div></div></div></label></div>Klaus Philipsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01615851444265308506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223492702090268881.post-78898215530872828542024-01-19T08:50:00.000-08:002024-01-19T09:57:18.882-08:00A bill that could make zoning more inclusive<p>In recent years planners have become much more aware of the exclusionary effects that zoning has had on people and their towns and cities. In response cities and jurisdictions across America have started to implement tools that dismantle segregation and exclusion and instead promote integration and inclusion in terms of use, race, age and access. The old zoning separated neatly housing from everything else presumably in the interest of public health. When business meant smoke, fire and noise it made sense to not live immediately next to a foundry. But over time zoning also segregated people to the point that zip codes gave away income, race, life expectancy and school success. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSVoF2-SxSjwTuNE30Azr0TchBBrMaw_3cB9DhHB1NnbtmwEiwQHMYda-axJX4Gq6itFFv3p5xvCnglOd-bl2htDLxkk-XuXpfJGT7KGi2ql1ZGIZyVBkHAEdXZNQFelmd1-2IyyFtm0BUgTqqgZI2Qlv_G_ipWEEPJq4luL0UBGiry_ugU3MxG2GGvfxk/s820/Untitled-1.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="820" data-original-width="812" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSVoF2-SxSjwTuNE30Azr0TchBBrMaw_3cB9DhHB1NnbtmwEiwQHMYda-axJX4Gq6itFFv3p5xvCnglOd-bl2htDLxkk-XuXpfJGT7KGi2ql1ZGIZyVBkHAEdXZNQFelmd1-2IyyFtm0BUgTqqgZI2Qlv_G_ipWEEPJq4luL0UBGiry_ugU3MxG2GGvfxk/w396-h400/Untitled-1.jpg" width="396" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Baltimore County: <a href="https://resources.baltimorecountymd.gov/Documents/Planning/HUB/SecuritySquare/SecSquareMall_Redevelop_FinalReport_20230515-lowres.pdf">report</a> for Security Square Mall redevelopment<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>At the same time the supply of these single use land areas got entirely out of whack with demand: The country is totally oversupplied with commercial and retail areas in a time when online shopping and global production have put the squeeze on retail and commercial operations.</p><p>Dismantling the legacy zoning system is no small task. Especially those who benefited the most from the segregation and many hurdles against new housing protest the loudest, usually with innocent sounding arguments such as traffic, sewer capacity and school overcrowding. All across America those arguments have blocked especially affordable housing production to the point we have a national housing crisis and record homelessness. </p><p>All this plays out in Baltimore County, which actually signed an agreement with HUD in 2016 that forces the County to face a history of housing discrimination. So far, the County is far behind with compliance.</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px 0px 30px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced in mid-March 2016 a settlement agreement with Maryland’s Baltimore County to expand affordable housing in high-opportunity areas.<br />The settlement is a result of a complaint filed with HUD by the NAACP Baltimore Branch, Baltimore Neighborhoods, and three individuals in November 2011. The complaint claimed that the county had only developed in areas concentrated by race and poverty, focused on rental housing for seniors rather than families, provided an inadequate amount of accessible units for people with disabilities, and failed to affirmatively further fair housing.<br />Baltimore County will invest $3 million annually for 10 years to develop or preserve 1,000 affordable housing units that will be geographically dispersed in neighborhoods with access to opportunity for low- and very low-income residents, stated the agreement. The county also will provide at least 2,000 Housing Choice Vouchers to assist families in finding housing in higher-opportunity neighborhoods<span style="background-color: white;">. (<a href="https://www.housingfinance.com/policy-legislation/settlement-to-increase-affordable-housing-in-baltimore-county_o">HUD</a>)</span></span></span></blockquote><span style="color: #444444;"><span face="PT Sans, helvetica, arial, sans-serif"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></span><p></p><p>This month the County Executive dared to <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/01/12/baltimore-county-executive-to-introduce-legislation-bypassing-council-approval-for-mixed-use-developments/">introduce </a>a <a href="https://resources.baltimorecountymd.gov/Documents/CountyCouncil/Bills%202024/b00324.pdf">bill </a>that would allow residential use "by-right" in certain business zones. The bill would work in tandem with the new <a href="https://masterplan2030-bc-gis.hub.arcgis.com/">2030 Masterplan</a> which recognizes the need for "retrofit" in lieu of paving over more of the dwindling open space. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvakkZMHAKpBQJRfmGzoO33HZ7PVjOFqHl4UF77DU2pbztLxEh4x6d2NWBCQ-nd4IIlMAq4I4fABm9jt86zs2-fWSn-i9EfHeeE8ZPT3Z6hAYL0aqFSNLeuxwR5QIhwsr6lOoevV6TrU3452NZvnwdi8qtPb37DE6IKajLGgVaXzKe7rnX34Izhs5hFVl/s300/masterplan.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnvakkZMHAKpBQJRfmGzoO33HZ7PVjOFqHl4UF77DU2pbztLxEh4x6d2NWBCQ-nd4IIlMAq4I4fABm9jt86zs2-fWSn-i9EfHeeE8ZPT3Z6hAYL0aqFSNLeuxwR5QIhwsr6lOoevV6TrU3452NZvnwdi8qtPb37DE6IKajLGgVaXzKe7rnX34Izhs5hFVl/w400-h224/masterplan.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Baltimore County Masterplan: To be approved by Council</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />The Masterplan identifies retrofit nodes in older communities and along commercial corridors where vast areas sit fallow or underused. Baltimore County won a <a href="https://planning.maryland.gov/Pages/OurEngagement/Growth-Awards/MD-Growth-Awards-2023.aspx">State award </a>for this masterplan.<p></p><p><span face="Montserrat, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;"></span></p><blockquote>Baltimore County Department of Planning created a thorough and data-driven approach to “Retrofit Mapping,” which was essential to and incorporated into the Growth Framework of their Draft Master Plan 2030. Gathering significant public input, this initiative has meaningfully advanced the community’s involvement in promoting smart growth and sustainable communities, and has produced a path to supporting intensified land uses in the area.</blockquote><p></p><p>Allowing residential use in those B zones inside the Masterplan nodes, which so far prohibit residential uses, is a shot in the arm of those ailing and underperforming areas by allowing a use that is in demand instead of mandating uses that have no market. It will also greatly help the County to comply with the federal housing mandate. </p><p>This is a big deal once one understands how much land is designated for commercial uses in Baltimore County. The US has 2-3 times as much retail square footage than Canada and about 5 times as much as England and Baltimore County with its older suburbs and endless radial arterials emanating from the City is a great example of the oversupply of gas stations, strip shopping, car dealers and abandoned drive throughs which represent the "Geography of Nowhere" which characterizes current suburbia way too much. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdB9znBdOoBJN3Q-hjxXbjuIYSAoe2PSKIiyMpjnfsMAPVwv8E6HRPSyW9wCHbUSmW26h3V-InblJx4jatuheJywZrJADCgsW2sndYYjfU7Q3WVRSysK2xbU92Sv700LvejgG7xaPtXgGd0h0pViczA_FkvhQK9E5DH9HZlJf10-o9BC8aj1bcy-R701T/s3000/Liberty%20Road%20For%20lease.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1935" data-original-width="3000" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdB9znBdOoBJN3Q-hjxXbjuIYSAoe2PSKIiyMpjnfsMAPVwv8E6HRPSyW9wCHbUSmW26h3V-InblJx4jatuheJywZrJADCgsW2sndYYjfU7Q3WVRSysK2xbU92Sv700LvejgG7xaPtXgGd0h0pViczA_FkvhQK9E5DH9HZlJf10-o9BC8aj1bcy-R701T/w400-h258/Liberty%20Road%20For%20lease.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">For lease: Sprawl land use on Liberty Road </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Baltimore County which wisely protected its rural areas from widespread development is soon running out of the easy but unsustainable option of paving over farmland and forests. Opening up land that sits fallow or underperforming in sad looking commercial corridors and decaying malls seems like a no-brainer. The inflexibility of current zoning gave rise to a practice in which almost every redevelopment project has to go through either a planned unit development (PUD) or a formal rezoning process. Either way, this procedure gives the council person of the district the last word. This practices opens the door to long periods of bargaining and horse-trading in which neither communities nor developers can predict the outcome. One of the council members stated that current practice gives him much more power to prevent stuff than to enable it. If community organizations are just noisy enough, the councilperson will not approve rezoning or a PUD. Developers have to bribe their way towards PUDs through so called "community benefits" that can be narrowly tailored towards the loudest opponents. Obviously, folks that gamed this current system successfully are not pleased with the suggested bill and make the wildest accusations:</p><p><span face=""Source Serif 4", Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: -0.165px;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">If this bill is passed by the council, it will be a complete insult and slap in the face to how this country’s democracy was formed. Olszewski’s introduction of this bill is grossly unethical and immoral. His “vision” for Baltimore County is not in the best interests of the citizens he swore to represent honestly, in good faith and more. His proposed bill is unprecedented in the history of the county and goes against the county charter. (<a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/01/19/olszewski-lutherville-apartments/">Letter</a> in the SUN)</span></blockquote><p></p><p>Of course, many other jurisdictions have long adjusted their zoning to allow more flexibility in the permitted uses and still have a democracy. The introduced bill clearly serves the interest of citizens: The current reactive process doesn't allow rational and forward looking planning that responds to the many major fiscal, sustainability, equity and economic development challenges the County faces. Baltimore County's development pattern is often haphazard devoid of a larger logic, strategic investment and funding priorities and will not lead the County into a prosperous future. </p><p>Opening certain zones up for residential use and redevelopment "by right" makes sense and ultimately strengthens communities. It is obvious that the bill is a hard sell to the seven councilmen who think that they will lose some control and whose vote is needed to make the bill law. In fact, even by-right developments have to go through a lengthy review process includes site plan review, that in many cases design review, and review of adequate public facilities. One has to hope the new Council Chair, who is a planner by training, and the County Housing and Community Development Director can explain that for a successful future Baltimore County needs a longer and wider view than the four year election cycle and the myopic district view. </p><p>Klaus Philipsen, FAIA</p><p><br /></p><p><i>related on this blog</i></p><p>Jan 2023: <a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2023/01/lutherville-why-lovely-suburbia-is-in.html">Why Lovely Suburbia...</a></p><p>Sept. 2020: <a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2020/09/baltimore-county-planning.html">Rethinking Planning in Baltimore County </a></p>Klaus Philipsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01615851444265308506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223492702090268881.post-8401403369365353262024-01-14T06:09:00.000-08:002024-01-16T06:52:36.071-08:00The misleading narratives about HarborplaceIn an unprecedented well coordinated effort of selling the notion to the general public that Baltimore would be better off if MCB's HarborPlace renderings became reality, the Mayor, the local councilman and the developer himself spin misleading or outright deceptive narratives.<br />Before passing the three bills that lift all existing zoning restrictions and before handing the key for HarborPlace to a private for-profit developer, these false narratives need to be set straight:<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizeq0HO-oVBvGD_ACqaOIkaP79yOBs8no1JSAfHnGacUnHaGmiNzAcyRihJ4ubWIx5laG5qzaJ_Zju9VC97DAeXw9FUw4pzYyWTY6hpd7x7RVa2_BUFU6R0bnbAAcI4yVJwDUTZ-4obSx1jba1r5J5eu-_Q27Fs4EFmHCKQGYbaw89xhfNSipa2tT6S4vO/s4032/IMG_9889.HEIC" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizeq0HO-oVBvGD_ACqaOIkaP79yOBs8no1JSAfHnGacUnHaGmiNzAcyRihJ4ubWIx5laG5qzaJ_Zju9VC97DAeXw9FUw4pzYyWTY6hpd7x7RVa2_BUFU6R0bnbAAcI4yVJwDUTZ-4obSx1jba1r5J5eu-_Q27Fs4EFmHCKQGYbaw89xhfNSipa2tT6S4vO/w300-h400/IMG_9889.HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">MCB Rendering with new high-rises to the right<br />and "sail" building to the left</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Myth: Malls are dead and the pavilions are obsolete</b></div><div><br /></div><div>This narrative tries to establish as a fact that the Rouse pavilions can't be saved because they constitute an obsolete retail model that has now run its course. </div><div><br /></div><div>What is true is that the pavilions never were designed as malls in the first place, but as 'festival markets". Unlike malls they weren't large, nor surrounded by parking lots, nor were they inward looking.There were no anchor stores or national chains stores that make actual malls look like they were cloned. Instead Jim Rouse's pavilions were filled with local retail establishments, were carefully managed and included an ongoing series of entertaining activities to draw people. Several restaurants were directly oriented towards the water with outdoor terraces. Second floor food vendors shared outdoor eating terraces as well. The failure of the pavilions came when the Rouse company sold them to successors who paid no attention to carefully curated retail activities or upkeep. </div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, the original concept of the pavilions closely resembles the currently en-vogue food halls and markets that MCB also envisions for the first floor of their highrises. In other words, MCB wants to replicate what the original the pavilions did so well. Meanwhile MCB begun to bring local retail back into the pavilions and has already succeeded in partly reviving them from their previous slumber. The arrangement of the pavilions with their terraces towards the promenade is architecturally so successful that it has been replicated many times, most recently with almost the same exact details and dimensions in DC latest waterfront development, the Wharf. In fact Baltimore's HarborPlace served for decades as a global model for waterfront revitalization. (See this <a href="https://www.pbs.org/video/mpt-presents-global-harbors-waterfront-renaissance/">PBS documentary</a>).</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Myth : Only old people nostalgia stands in the way of reinventing HarborPlace</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>This narrative suggests that only some old people who remember HarborPlace's heyday cling nostalgically to their memories of Rouse and Schaefer and can't tolerate change specially change towards more equity. This, too misses the mark. In fact, both the much revered former HarborPlace developer, the late Jim Rouse, and the late Mayor Donald Schafer preached all along that the Inner Harbor to stay successful it has to continually change and evolve. To that end the Aquarium was extended, the Science Center added and the Power Plant converted into restaurants and entertainment. The visitor center was added, the Constellation received a brand-new museum and access building and Rash Field was redesigned with a second phase still to come. The Christmas Village was added to the seasonal attractions, as was the much loved ice rink. Various events such as the book fair and light city came an went. The promenade received new lighting and for a while we even had a fancy water taxi. The Aquarium has <a href="http://aqua.org/contact-us/newsroom/press-releases/2023-10-23-national-aquarium-to-begin-work-on-outdoor-harbor-wetland-exhibit#:~:text=Developed%20over%20many%20years%20under,the%20Inner%20Harbor%20in%20a">additional attractions</a> planned for this year. In other words, the City and the Waterfront Partnership made wise investments, especially the very popular skate park and playground. </div><div><br /></div><div>All that was done with the mindset of the Inner Harbor as Baltimore's Commons, open to all and all happened without violating the zoning rules or the Harbor masterplan that conceived the Inner Harbor as a large public space with some generally low height attractions sprinkled within.</div><div><br /></div><div>Would a new attraction hurt? Certainly not, especially one that would serve a public purpose such as the pedestrian bridge from Federal Hill to Harbor East once proposed as part of the Harbor 2.0 plan. Much less clear is that an eye catching office building such as the stepped "Sail" building on MCB's renderings would serve a public purpose or whether walking up in front of those terraced commercial uses would truly be an attraction that lasts. The failed Columbus Center on Pier 5 should be a warning. Offices and event venues don't make an attraction, no matter how dressed up they come. It seems that the Aquarium still serves the purpose of architectural landmark quite well. </div><div>The reality is that nobody ever clamored for high-rise apartments or an office building at HarborPlace in any of MCB's public listening sessions or "dinners with a developer" and that the proposed developments will do nothing to increase equal access. Opposition to the proposed plans cuts across age, gender and race.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Myth: MCB came in as a savior and we should be glad for it</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>True, the pavilions were neglected and languished for too long, first under bad management and then in receivership, burdened by significant debt and produced ongoing deficits. Buyers were not exactly lining up to buy them. To his credit the Mayor as owner of the land under the pavilions paid attention to the situation. But in the excitement he may have skirted proper procedure.</div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"></span></span><blockquote><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white;">“I’ve been known to keep secrets, but the hardest one that I had to keep is the work that my law department and BDC and others were doing from the first day I got in office to make sure that we didn’t let Harborplace stay or get into other out-of-town hands. We made sure that Harborplace got into the hands of a West Baltimore boy who understands and knows Baltimore like no one else.”</span> (Mayor Brandon Scott, 10/30/23 as quoted by Ed Gunts in the <a href="https://baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/unhappy-with-a-developers-plan-for-revitalizing-harborplace-a-group-of-private-citizens-has-formed-the-inner-harbor-coalition-to-promote-an-alternative-vision/">Fishbowl</a>)</span></blockquote></div><div>The details here remain murky, but from what we know now, one can safely say that interest in the pavilions would have been sky high if they would have been publicly offered with all the promises MCB apparently received: </div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li> the City would lift all height restrictions, </li><li>open this prime waterfront real estate for apartments, offices and parking</li><li>offer a footprint that can exceed that of the pavilions by 40%. </li><li>plus, as the cherry on the cake, one million of City dollars towards a privately conducted public engagement process. </li></ul></div><div>In a true competitive setting MCB may not have been the obvious choice for unfettered rights to one of the most prominent waterfront locations in the entire country. Yes, MCB is a successful minority developer, born and raised in Baltimore. The owner, David Bramble still lives near North Avenue and has moved along several other difficult redevelopment sites in the City. Yes, everybody likes David Bramble, as become obvious at the Planning Commission hearing, and Baltimore surely needs to support minority led businesses. Bramble also assembled an A-team of consultants. Still, MCB never did a development of the proposed size and complexity before, and David Bramble is a self proclaimed "spreadsheet guy" and not a visionary planner who routinely reimagines strategic downtown areas. Given Baltimore's rich history of broken developer promises, leaders should be wise enough to follow a proper process, do all due diligence, install backstops, insurances and alternatives.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Myth: The apartments are needed to pay for the project and to bring people to HarborPlace</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>MCB is proposing 900 apartments in two towers plus two more large structures that would contain offices and states that these many additional uses are necessary to bring life to HarborPlace and downtown and to sustain the restaurants and markets. The overall notion that more people living downtown would result in more people walking the streets and the promenade adding demand sounds convincing on first blush. But at least three arguments speak against this reasoning:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>considering how many thousand people have already moved to downtown in recent years without stemming the ongoing departure of retail and restaurants, one has to wonder if the effect is that straight forward. </li><li>And as the fellow developer David Tufaro remarked on WBAL radio, Baltimore's Inner Harbor creates a perfect three sided space that in many ways acts like Baltimore's Central Park. Central gathering spaces bestow value on all surrounding uses. Putting apartments into the valued space itself diminishes its value</li></ul><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222; font-family: helvetica; letter-spacing: -0.165px;"></span><blockquote><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: helvetica; letter-spacing: -0.165px;">Over the history of New York City’s mayors — whether corrupt, decent, inept or quite capable — not one conspired with a private developer to permit residential development in {Central] park itself. Not one would dare. (Rebecca Hoffberger, founder of the Visionary Art Museum in a </span><a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/author/reader-commentary/" style="font-family: helvetica; letter-spacing: -0.165px;">letter </a><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); font-family: helvetica; letter-spacing: -0.165px;">to the SUN)</span></span></blockquote><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Lastly, what exactly are these apartments supposed to pay for? MCB stated that the repairs to the promenade, the connection of McKeldin Plaza and the street reconfiguration would have to be paid from public resources and won't be funded by him. So is he saying that those 900 units and the offices are needed to pay for the new market spaces and restaurants? That appears not very plausible if one looks at Cross Street Market, Broadway Market and R-House as operations that are not funded by apartments. At least not by apartments directly above them. If MCB wants to fund the new HarborPlace markets with apartments, he could do this with his other Inner Harbor properties across Pratt Street. </li></ul><div><b>Myth: Unprecedented public input and an international design competition</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Councilman Costello praises MCB for "unprecedented" public outreach that included even advertisements on the side of buses, "listening sessions" and exclusive "dinners with the developer". What he didn't mention was that the City promises to pay for all this. When recently retired Morgan architecture professor Leon Bridges testified against the project at the Planning Commission asking for a public international design competition as a way to get the best professional design for a HarborPlace revival Councilman Costello assured him that MCB had conducted just such a competition. Indeed, MCB had secretly invited three international firms to produce designs for one building and selected the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwj7rfibn92DAxUuFmIAHdtmDb0QFnoECBgQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2F3xn.com%2F&usg=AOvVaw1wvKMgJWZKEYfdUEg5nIWY&opi=89978449">Danish firm 3XN</a> that had sketched out what is now known as the "Sail" building. However this process is a far cry from the highly regulated international design competitions Bridges referred to. All MCB's competition proved was that he proceeded with his designs long before the listening sessions ended and that those sessions hardly informed the designs he presented.</div><div> </div><div><b>Conclusion</b></div><div><br /></div><div>Whether one likes the bold design depicted on MCB's renderings or not, the project should not be promoted on the basis of deceptive or even false narratives. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGsZ_2be_pqz_XoFVEH4vm8Sx0EEvilqRdyWzpBlkHsm0LFxv_zVZLhbooEbd-GzC3AAPdUrb6q-DQYvRJDY0lXls974P8nE1zU4RAYHoPb7HqT_66WfuM7ZzpZeXeKSp_IoFS3K7fqrVhJAMlJ1YGfZQvSmyXxqsgP1j-hun0L5rrn9nf8qe3YtNNw88x/s4032/F6187D32-34B6-4658-864F-0D5B3F729F45.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGsZ_2be_pqz_XoFVEH4vm8Sx0EEvilqRdyWzpBlkHsm0LFxv_zVZLhbooEbd-GzC3AAPdUrb6q-DQYvRJDY0lXls974P8nE1zU4RAYHoPb7HqT_66WfuM7ZzpZeXeKSp_IoFS3K7fqrVhJAMlJ1YGfZQvSmyXxqsgP1j-hun0L5rrn9nf8qe3YtNNw88x/w300-h400/F6187D32-34B6-4658-864F-0D5B3F729F45.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Politicians lining up in support of MCB plans<br />at the unveiling of the plans in 2023.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </div><div><br /></div><div>Neither the Mayor, nor the Planning Commission, or the City Council should be willing to hand over HarborPlace before a proper professional vetting of the financial conditions, the urban design, the market conditions, the practicality of the towers, and the long-term fit for downtown. It should not simply be left to the voters to put some reason into the process via a November referendum. Full and accurate information and a masterplan are needed now.</div><div><br /></div><div>The custodians of this premier piece of real estate should not be so rash with expressing their full support for a plan that almost all of them saw only hours before the developer revealed it to a flabbergasted public. They should wonder why there is hardly any design or planning professional who shares their excitement and consider the possibility that they may come to regret their haste and willingness to be pushed over by narratives that don't hold the water. </div><div><br /></div><div>Klaus Philipsen, FAIA</div></div><div><br /></div><div><i>1-16-24: A correction was made relative to the uses in the "Sail" building. According to MCB the uses in that building include "a marketplace on the first two floors and [..]restaurant, venue and commercial opportunities on the upper levels".</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>See also Dan Rodricks <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/01/12/dan-rodricks-harborplace-philipsen/">SUN column </a>of Sunday Jan 14,24</i></div>Klaus Philipsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01615851444265308506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223492702090268881.post-3082327833504292242024-01-05T08:06:00.000-08:002024-01-05T08:06:36.829-08:00"Light rail killed Howard Street" - an urban legend debunked<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"> <span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">To some people, the crossroads of Howard and Lexington streets have become a trash bin of mistakes. But others see the collection of ideas centered in the intersection as something else: A historic showcase of our commitment to keep trying until we get it right. Eventually, we will. (Gilbert Sandler, </span><a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1998-12-22-1998356126-story.html" style="font-family: helvetica;">1998 SUN</a><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">)</span></p></blockquote><p></p><p>Now that Light Rail is up and running again it is time it is time to bury an urban legend, especially in an election year. Urban legends are by definition falsehoods. Few have been more persistent than the one that light rail killed Howard Street. The implication that Howard Street is dead is false as well.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgabWN08Zzov-4lY6BCFrk9wkUXzcrcEPSFZD_QpjgOoAT6u7pIw7oll8ZecoiVqUfjoVULjUaYRM5aTAJwn1smn4THYD1Kq8UrQecTCkSKcI2vxNamdGg4a84qJByX-OkcHZ7nunL4K49dRCbwQvZ41bRMH1g9lK8bQOqpyNQ6N0bF6j16LXYnbRUSorZK/s960/Lexington%20Street.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="960" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgabWN08Zzov-4lY6BCFrk9wkUXzcrcEPSFZD_QpjgOoAT6u7pIw7oll8ZecoiVqUfjoVULjUaYRM5aTAJwn1smn4THYD1Kq8UrQecTCkSKcI2vxNamdGg4a84qJByX-OkcHZ7nunL4K49dRCbwQvZ41bRMH1g9lK8bQOqpyNQ6N0bF6j16LXYnbRUSorZK/w400-h166/Lexington%20Street.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Howard Street at Lexington Street with turned "candy cane" lights<br />and elevated large light arches. (Photo: Kittelson)<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Let's set the record straight on both counts: Even though proving that Howard Street isn't dead would also prove that light rail couldn't have killed it, let's go in chronological order. </p><p>Way back in 1986 Howard Street had ben transformed into a <i>transit mall</i>, candy cane shaped light poles and big arches and all. And here is the kicker: Howard Street was transformed into a bus transit mall to save it, not to kill it! Light rail was not on anybody's mind at that time but the closure of two of four department stores and the decline of Baltimore's historic downtown shopping district was very much on people's mind. </p><p>As early as the 1960s and 1970s several cities experimented with bus transit malls as a fix that would bring additional foot traffic to the shops . Vancouver, Chicago, Portland, Seattle and Denver may be the most known examples. Some of these transit malls were busts and had only a short life (Chicago, Baltimore), others persist to this day (Vancouver, Denver, Seattle).</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hjmcMQQRG6AG4j1M3kH5Qh0YQRGdBbnUwmPZULiyvwLBNkLa9s09bChVAhNFoCY65MJiAw5nCkVjlRewoZBzwGGbhUH42XUjYn0EEU28BqGlZjS2gTJQHQ9wkKpiI-ARaEAUvt7a3L_vJcPkbgfAAZyIZm0hLad7G3iqvWNBVFWUCMK1_xrVl_2ADOj5/s640/Sun%20archive%20Howard%20Street.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="640" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hjmcMQQRG6AG4j1M3kH5Qh0YQRGdBbnUwmPZULiyvwLBNkLa9s09bChVAhNFoCY65MJiAw5nCkVjlRewoZBzwGGbhUH42XUjYn0EEU28BqGlZjS2gTJQHQ9wkKpiI-ARaEAUvt7a3L_vJcPkbgfAAZyIZm0hLad7G3iqvWNBVFWUCMK1_xrVl_2ADOj5/w400-h316/Sun%20archive%20Howard%20Street.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Howard Street in its glory days, a mess of cars, trolleys and <br />throngs of pedestrians (SUN Archive)</span></td></tr></tbody></table>The transit mall was an early attempt to wrestle streets from the dominance of the automobile and give pedestrians and surface transit more space. Most transit malls that survived are some type of hybrid in which cars may operate during certain hours or in a very limited way. <br /></p><p>In Baltimore Light rail came into the picture a few years after the Howard Street transit mall had opened to much fanfare and wide bricked sidewalks, plenty of custom lights and extra big bus shelters. </p><p>Light Rail was less not seen as an another way to save Howard Street but as a tool to allow a downtown ballpark. But the downtown ballpark was just another big idea of then Mayor Schafer to boost downtown by bringing more people to downtown. This was in line with Schaefer's "Baltimore Renaissance" which had begun with Charles Center and Inner Harbor and was continued with the Civic Center, the Convention Center and Oriole Park. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw18f0v4vHqCpkXo3oMwod2K707VWXczKsikgXaAa4Bc4Di9myqvo4f-0StLJDqe6DfFzivTNWuwR2cOGfW_x3aBOP7yp356kYLqh5mb58RX3K7tQ12sKZk1eUMjDzoTmWBISA5jeZ0kNyCIizRUo2HDubf1oz1AlTXbT0NXL_MQW80KRrm9qSkg0Mb6_G/s665/ExistingPhoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="665" data-original-width="428" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw18f0v4vHqCpkXo3oMwod2K707VWXczKsikgXaAa4Bc4Di9myqvo4f-0StLJDqe6DfFzivTNWuwR2cOGfW_x3aBOP7yp356kYLqh5mb58RX3K7tQ12sKZk1eUMjDzoTmWBISA5jeZ0kNyCIizRUo2HDubf1oz1AlTXbT0NXL_MQW80KRrm9qSkg0Mb6_G/w258-h400/ExistingPhoto.jpg" width="258" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Saving downtown shopping with fancy lights <br />did not work out (Photo: SUN)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>Clearly, a downtown stadium couldn't be surrounded by the usual sea of parking on display at Memorial Stadium, that wouldn't help downtown and isolated the stadium. With a direct rail transit connection the suburban parking dystopia could be avoided. </p><p>Transit planners looked at running LRT on Howard, Eutaw, Paca or even Charles Streets. Howard Street was deemed to serve the stadium best and with being already a transit mall promised the least disruption from construction. </p><p>To avoid digging up the entire street once again, designers simply tried to fit the trains in with the refurbished streetscape of the transit mall. The decorative custom "candy cane lights" were turned by 180 degrees to allow the trains to pass, The two large arches spanning the entire street were lifted by 2 feet so the trains plus overhead wires would fit through. The large custom made bus shelters got a new paint scheme and were re-used in place or sometimes moved to a slightly new location. The widened sidewalks between Saratoga and Mulberry Streets were left in place and the tracks curved accordingly.. </p><p>And because neither merchants nor drivers had liked the bus-transit mall, the insertion of LRT was used as an opportunity to bring the cars back. With LRT Howard Street gained a continuous northbound car lane from Pratt Street to MLK and a southbound car lane from MLK to Centre Street. </p><p>Some of the funky track and driving lane crossovers come from the attempt of reducing impacts to a minimum. Yes, to put the tracks down Howard Street had to be closed again for some time. But to set the record straight: Howard Street was on life support before the bus mall, before light rail and remained like that after light rail. Neither bus, nor rail nor cars and neither candy cane lights nor a downtown stadium would turn around Howard Street's decline. </p><p>Also inaccurate: That designated transit lanes or tracks would provide expeditious transit travel. In reality trains are crawling along Howard Street because in spite of 30 years of promises the trains never got real signal priority at the intersections. So for the most part, they limp from block to block. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaRVqNEcdhbvXDyqwZD-_D1pF47JcPO4dBaAS8jgzzlEARdkDEJUCO_csqq64mYfAE21g1Bp8-4HUMn5VW8aiRCkYBssSG67vxwMPNvnqK1YiX1_ZbCi5q9L7KZgldnGM2zPFNUgr90G4g4fDDDtrVufUVRT1FYI9_pGyWKJ7Ryqt3vf145OsNyz5Jz3nO/s695/Suggested%20MTA%20improvements.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="695" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaRVqNEcdhbvXDyqwZD-_D1pF47JcPO4dBaAS8jgzzlEARdkDEJUCO_csqq64mYfAE21g1Bp8-4HUMn5VW8aiRCkYBssSG67vxwMPNvnqK1YiX1_ZbCi5q9L7KZgldnGM2zPFNUgr90G4g4fDDDtrVufUVRT1FYI9_pGyWKJ7Ryqt3vf145OsNyz5Jz3nO/s320/Suggested%20MTA%20improvements.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">2018 concept plan for Howard Street (MTA)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>So no, light rail did not kill Howard Street, but it didn't save it either. The idea that more brick, more pedestrians and better lighting could save downtown shopping proved to be mistaken. Due to the high maintenance cost of all the custom lighting combined with the failure of revival the lights were eventually taken down again after only 20 years.</p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">Decorative arches with lights, installed over Howard Street in the 1980s to restore long-lost twinkle, instead became a 20-year-running light bulb joke. Cut the laugh track – the city’s taking them down. “They won’t be missed!” Baltimore Development Corp. President M.J. “Jay” Brodie cheerfully wrote in an e-mail yesterday. (<a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/2005/09/02/lights-out-for-howard-street-arches/">Baltimore SUN 2005</a>)</span></blockquote><p>Even the big custom shelters originally designed for buses fell out of favor and were in part replaced with smaller glass shelters. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV2o52AkZfEJ7BJpu2KPQfqYIOehDH9oZKXVbuj-joudqrFIG4pnaaMz_6vzZhQpaUlXr0LLvUe2XyK1LdZ-PISiJiSWcjOaZYCTrT4e-Pr0bRSvz_klaBBWJrqgRH45QWk1oJi27MvorwY-dl5IZi321xbNH9Hk44O-v90RT78mouB2Ka-0qqB9lv0I4o/s257/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="196" data-original-width="257" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV2o52AkZfEJ7BJpu2KPQfqYIOehDH9oZKXVbuj-joudqrFIG4pnaaMz_6vzZhQpaUlXr0LLvUe2XyK1LdZ-PISiJiSWcjOaZYCTrT4e-Pr0bRSvz_klaBBWJrqgRH45QWk1oJi27MvorwY-dl5IZi321xbNH9Hk44O-v90RT78mouB2Ka-0qqB9lv0I4o/w400-h305/images.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Custom bus shelter as reused for light rail<br />(Photo MTA)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />As late as 2018 MTA floated a $75 million plan to redo the parts of Howard Street that had the extra wide sidewalks yet again in order to straighten out the tracks. Alas the federal money for the plan didn't come through and the idea has been put on hold for now.</p><p>The rescue came from investment in buildings instead of the street. </p><p>Howard Street never died and today it is in better shape than it has been in many years. The improvements came from the land use on both sides of the road, not from tinkering with the public right of way. The Arena got an upgrade, another developer was selected the Superblock who is promising actual development; the entire block 400 block of Howard Street has seen revitalization and rehabilitation on both sides and plenty new apartments have been built along and near Howard Street. </p><p>The lesson is that neither a street fully devoted to cars, nor one fully devoted to buses, nor one dividing up the space between transit and cars can save downtown retail in a shrinking city. Baltimore's shrinking retail base has moved to the Inner Harbor, Harbor East, Canton and neighborhood "main" streets such as the Avenue in Hampden or Light Street in Federal Hill and struggles even there. Just witness the failing <i>Gallery</i> atrium mall and <i>HarborPlace</i> pavilions which most certainly were not killed by light rail.</p><p>Let's stop pointing the finger at transit when it comes to urban ills. The story of Howard Street should teach us the lesson that a only a healthy and stable city can support retail. And for a city to be healthy and stable it needs functioning transit. </p><p>Klaus Philipsen, FAIA</p><p><i>Gilbert Sandler: <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1998-12-22-1998356126-story.html">Howard Street history</a></i></p><p><br /></p>Klaus Philipsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01615851444265308506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223492702090268881.post-29495351220743324012023-12-06T17:02:00.000-08:002023-12-07T05:23:40.045-08:00HarborPlace: How not to make a deal<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica; text-align: center;">"The full weight of city government is ready to make this a reality. We won't stop until this project comes to fruition" (Mayor Brandon Scott)</span></p>In my previous article written right after David Bramble had pulled his giant HarborPlace rabbit out of the hat, I wondered how the Mayor could be so committed on a proposal that even insiders had known for only 48 hours. <div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNYZyfuMgUDo0OCjwZS_3w9RHVQZd0HBYuVWhZPF5dSLscCj0H4NMfvBOVwf3ixwSWyokTLQf-N95jurCWA5Ns_HztaVeXz3WodAdPJWpIRpf281dWTBJPOlADQH6MdkpbiIskC4jcX7yzaR6za84QDPHRBA5wfoiiteleWdoYLxIZ2d7Z-9dhNm0y4sNX/s4032/F6187D32-34B6-4658-864F-0D5B3F729F45.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNYZyfuMgUDo0OCjwZS_3w9RHVQZd0HBYuVWhZPF5dSLscCj0H4NMfvBOVwf3ixwSWyokTLQf-N95jurCWA5Ns_HztaVeXz3WodAdPJWpIRpf281dWTBJPOlADQH6MdkpbiIskC4jcX7yzaR6za84QDPHRBA5wfoiiteleWdoYLxIZ2d7Z-9dhNm0y4sNX/s320/F6187D32-34B6-4658-864F-0D5B3F729F45.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Brandon Scott and the Governor <br />at the unveiling of theDesign<br />(Photo: Philipsen) </span></td></tr></tbody></table>The proposed project has been hotly debated ever since it was revealed with lots of smoke and mirrors and very little in terms of hard facts. There are fervent proponents, including the entire leading political class from Governor to Councilman, and there are ardent opponents. The pro crowd seems to be more powerful but smaller. It is vying for the huge investment to turn the ailing HarborPlace around and bring jobs and energy to all of downtown. The opponents fear that the project would kill the goose that lays the golden eggs, i.e. it would ruin the Inner Harbor instead of rescuing it. <span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"></span><p></p><p>Let's assume for a moment that the project would indeed be what the Mayor assumes when he wants "this project come to fruition" and that the program, the design and the execution by this team, lock-stock and barrel, would be the optimal choice. For sake of argument, let's set aside qualms about the high-rises or the question why giving a developer public parkland for for-profit development is the height of brilliancy. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5ymaFKYXXU2IvGI86f7ObU1OUG5GvSO4vyRe2XTcGblIR1ssw8-UjNOaZrZdvYUZWheRA5BAt_2JfHVTHTbI9EW8UWJtnCBgrGxwWHQIXjefJWGPXs-brBbTAgtts1vQr3Ye1LHSpQ0wvyeClKsZdY1gL0l3R7om9pcwMWPh3uHLpdXzPUyL-Tt7-Elm/s4032/EB794200-A1B1-4A3C-8B3C-99C7C43C5304.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5ymaFKYXXU2IvGI86f7ObU1OUG5GvSO4vyRe2XTcGblIR1ssw8-UjNOaZrZdvYUZWheRA5BAt_2JfHVTHTbI9EW8UWJtnCBgrGxwWHQIXjefJWGPXs-brBbTAgtts1vQr3Ye1LHSpQ0wvyeClKsZdY1gL0l3R7om9pcwMWPh3uHLpdXzPUyL-Tt7-Elm/w320-h240/EB794200-A1B1-4A3C-8B3C-99C7C43C5304.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Proposed design: Rabbit out of the hat <br />(MCB rendering)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Three bills <a href="https://1850f041-bb62-42ad-8f0a-0e23fa834769.filesusr.com/ugd/ce643a_4cc650e498a84aa9b5b27b56265d7ed5.pdf">0444</a>, <a href="https://1850f041-bb62-42ad-8f0a-0e23fa834769.filesusr.com/ugd/ce643a_a43a216a3aaf46cfa8a944a49877b8d8.pdf">0446</a> and <a href="https://1850f041-bb62-42ad-8f0a-0e23fa834769.filesusr.com/ugd/ce643a_be9dcbb43c9d408383083e4d5b2f2866.pdf">0448</a> introduced by councilman Costello are supposed to remove the obstacles on the path to success. The bills were heard by the Planning Commission on 11/30. A vote was postponed until 12/21 because of the difficulties to get the online participants to see the proceedings. </p><p>This delay gives everyone a chance to mull this over. The bills are intended to create the zoning necessary to permit the proposed size of the project which cannot be built with the existing <a href="https://planning.baltimorecity.gov/sites/default/files/Inner%20Harbor%20Project%201%20URP%202-19-15.pdf">Urban Renewal Plan</a> and current zoning in place. Because the plan includes parkland conversion, it requires a charter amendment, which has to go to referendum during the election in 2024. Planning Commission and Council approval are the necessary steps needed to place the issue on the ballot. </p><p>For sake of argument let's further assume that the bills would pass all hurdles and voters would approve them next November. Will that get the project built as envisioned? Clearly not! A project of this magnitude doesn't materialize over night. But will the bills, which open the floodgates by removing all controls, ensure that the project doesn't veer off the rails? Unfortunately, no. The bills don't contain any assurances and safeguards for the project to happen as imagined. In other words, the removal of controls could yield outcomes that could potentially be vastly different from what Bramble's renderings show. </p><p>No other places were such conditions would or should be installed are in progress or in sight right now. The necessary land transactions could be such a venue but it would be helpful to know now how that process would shape up. Once the horse it out of the barn without reigns, it will be much harder to get it back in. This laissez faire approach is astounding, since by owning the land and having very restrictive zoning in place, the City right now has full leverage to control what will happen. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKbGP8qfc2DoOhl7LPJDmS1uI34PgW17liP5Yc7VtKyyBytfi2H6Ar0oqgpF-G6PHHARw56QTA2X_f51PNFYM4NZdH9U3C5mhIQHMSIqWGoslWDQw7xoHYvBYzeZN0NE9Qh6GSXcl5CuHNrMm56ndlxj10Ol1KMvDD9iPG-OHdXR7xJiZBLDN5eCXj-0cj/s4032/IMG_2781.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKbGP8qfc2DoOhl7LPJDmS1uI34PgW17liP5Yc7VtKyyBytfi2H6Ar0oqgpF-G6PHHARw56QTA2X_f51PNFYM4NZdH9U3C5mhIQHMSIqWGoslWDQw7xoHYvBYzeZN0NE9Qh6GSXcl5CuHNrMm56ndlxj10Ol1KMvDD9iPG-OHdXR7xJiZBLDN5eCXj-0cj/w300-h400/IMG_2781.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Redesigned Rash Field: unmitigated <br />Success (Photo: Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Bramble's MCB currently has only limited development rights on the two pavilions which the developer bought in foreclosure for a price that would have been at most 1/20th of the total cost the currently proposed project, even though the project is also burdened by "significant" unpaid debt as Councilman Costello pointed out to me. "That debt needs to be dealt with before anything can happen", Costello says. "Unlike when Harborplace was first built, this land is not being given away for free". To call this is a give-away would be "patently false", he maintains<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;">.</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #222222;"> </span></p><p>Still, the City stands to give its entire leverage away including height, massing, use restrictions and limitations on the maximally allowable development footprint; all out the window should the bills pass. At this point it may be useful to recall that zoning was invented to protect the public. </p><p>Let's just imagine a few scenarios how things wouldn't go as imagined:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>MCB doesn't get the financing for the estimated $490 million and runs out of resources to build the project and either builds a stripped down cheap version or walks away all together</li><li>MCB decides to partner with another developer or sell the pavilions to another entity which has vastly different ideas and ideals. This new entity would obtain full rights without any meaningful restrictions</li><li>MCB is doing everything right but the City never finds the money to do the public improvements shown on Bramble's renderings. They alone are estimated by MCB to cost another $400 million. Likely Bramble's project would be dead in the water without the additional land that comes from realigning Light and Pratt Streets.</li><li>Alternatively, the City never gets around to doing the parks, streetscapes and new alignments but MCB finds a way to still stick their buildings on the land, i.e. Baltimore would get the buildings but not the amenities. A bad deal.</li></ul><p></p><p>There are plenty of examples that demonstrate how difficult the process of getting a large project out of the ground is these days. For any developer. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqqEFVKaJfVvfg3kgCkmxQpgNDyMfY7Pn28yz0S0euCJJzMzZaF1Sb93UcX5scZD_NXMyTBECgY2bbPUUowZZge1Ebwj3vsTBX69JxwPRRHfbFeeG1P6TA-hYUX9op7myEVk9NcfY0UHKXP0aF7n1wkzdN_8ONU6aoC0jEOQgAGsZ3c4Le5uRAXwlhSMc5/s4032/IMG_0498.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqqEFVKaJfVvfg3kgCkmxQpgNDyMfY7Pn28yz0S0euCJJzMzZaF1Sb93UcX5scZD_NXMyTBECgY2bbPUUowZZge1Ebwj3vsTBX69JxwPRRHfbFeeG1P6TA-hYUX9op7myEVk9NcfY0UHKXP0aF7n1wkzdN_8ONU6aoC0jEOQgAGsZ3c4Le5uRAXwlhSMc5/w400-h300/IMG_0498.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">How “ the frame” works today: The tall guys stand back. <br />(Photo Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>Port Covington is a valuable lesson. It tells us that beautifully drawn ambitious renderings can easily be tossed aside when circumstances require cheaper and more expeditious solutions, as long as they are are allowed within the framework of the deal. </p><p>In the case of the Port Covington TIF commitment, the City put a slew of conditions in place, about the public promenade, community benefits and about streetscape standards which whatever developer is held to. And even with those conditions in place, the development will never look like the original renderings of Under Armour's headquarters. What is being under construction now is just a shadow of was once envisioned, even if that may be for the better in this case. </p><p>Other examples of things not going to plan aplenty: Simply look at the arduous saga of <a href="https://baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/reservoir-square-is-the-new-name-for-the-100-million-development-project-formerly-known-as-madison-park-north/">Madison Park</a> North, another MCB project now called <i>Reservoir Square.</i> It goes back as far as 2014, then under a different ownership. The project had many starts and stops and design changes along the way. Or take the two huge holes in the ground on Baltimore Street that developer Howard Brown has left behind after he demolished the Mechanic Theatre and, two blocks further west, another set of structures. Or look at the former <i>News American</i> site, that has sat as a parking lot on prime land right across from HarborPlace for 40 years. It is now also owned by MCB and destined for a high density development. MCB also owns the 10 story 1 East Pratt Street building, also right across from HarborPlace.</p><p>As with the Planning Department's design review panel UDAAP before, the MCB team showered the Planning Commission with all the might of a sales pitch, about the growth of MCB, about access, equity, inclusion and all the public input they received. Absent were the hard facts of a technical site plan showing current and future property lines and all the other facts and figures needed to assess such a complex project. But unlike UDAAP which asked the developer to come back with the right materials, the Planning Commission's delay was a technical mishap, they gave no indication that they objected to the missing details.</p><p>Bramble's central argument is that he needs all those apartments "to make the numbers work". This is a completely unsubstantiated argument. What size is needed to achieve what outcome? Bramble says he wants to redefine downtown and that Baltimore has to grow in order to thrive. Few would disagree. But not all of the growth has to be at HarborPlace. Downtown has added over 15,000 residents in recent years, the nearby 500' tall Light Street tower with 394 apartments included. None of them have rescued the two pavilions from their decline. That decline was not the fault of the structures but the result of blatant neglect and mismanagement by the previous owners.</p><p>By contrast, the redesigned Rash Field with its skateboard area, playground and overlook became a huge success Existing residents flocked there by the thousands, long before the only small building, a coffee shop even opened. Although I have no doubt that David Bramble has the best intentions and his courageous full-on engagement with an excellent design team is nothing but laudable, his main argument is circular. "I propose a giant project that costs a lot of money so I need unfettered permissions to fund it". One could easily argue that a much cheaper project that focuses on the public spaces and amenities would yield better outcomes.</p><p>Bramble's <i>big is better</i> argument would make sense if the large for-profit component would pay for the public improvements that his pretty pictures show, the <i>Freedom Park</i>, the streetscapes, floating wetlands and whatever else one can discover on the drawings (streetcars, some even discovered a cable car). But Bramble has made it very clear: His project won't'pay the public improvements. Those $400 million would have to be paid by taxpayers. And no such amount is in sight.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqbXLP0XCdFZT9j4KjfvHjKwjkarArVoZONzPtBnJNuu1o0Yb_ikYIMl2Sej7TIlZo_1I379l9vkmDlduXAem9rKTLpDZXmrKL6T0R9oPNXOWiT-SffZBGYs0bnau-O0nGvHrnJbHVmzv7EUedO8czNpFS_vS8bzIgaRaVs_6ikEafVvti_M-0VPo80WJ3/s1000/Floating%20wetlands%20rendering%20MCB.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqbXLP0XCdFZT9j4KjfvHjKwjkarArVoZONzPtBnJNuu1o0Yb_ikYIMl2Sej7TIlZo_1I379l9vkmDlduXAem9rKTLpDZXmrKL6T0R9oPNXOWiT-SffZBGYs0bnau-O0nGvHrnJbHVmzv7EUedO8czNpFS_vS8bzIgaRaVs_6ikEafVvti_M-0VPo80WJ3/w400-h225/Floating%20wetlands%20rendering%20MCB.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">The tall guy sits on the playing field. No room for tall ships.<br />The floating promenade and floating<br />wetlands make the water even smaller. (MCB <br />Gensler rendering)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>While the details are murky, it looks like public functions that come with MCB's buildings are limited to a first floor market (that, ironically would likely re-incarnate Jim Rouse's original visions for the pavilions as in Port Covington's <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjRg6LVs_2CAxXvEVkFHf6KDe8QFnoECBkQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thebaltimorebanner.com%2Feconomy%2Fgrowth-development%2Fexchange-marketplace-baltimore-peninsula-PUHHEWQ3M5B5PKNJL26PAAP4X4%2F&usg=AOvVaw34NYDlsbkk0ub-q_wg4WgE&opi=89978449">envisioned market</a>), possibly a green roof top garden and potentially the stepping gardens on the building called "the Sail" plus the dark tunnel space underneath it. </p><p>So what does the public get for the big give-away of rules? This is mostly an unanswered question. Possibly nothing, or very little. Whatever it is, it isn't written into the bills. Maybe the worst case unintended scenario would be the Mechanic Theatre model in which the pavilions get demolished and nothing new gets built at all? </p><p>The available documents don't explain which parts of Bramble's plans, if any, would depend on curb realignments of adjacent roadways and what the steps are that are necessary to make those happen. Possibly without zoning restrictions towers could rise without that the land area grows thanks to narrower streets. </p><p>Wouldn't the Mayor want to make sure that none of the bad scenarios could happen? </p><p>To represent the public interest when it comes to dealing with savvy private developers, the City has the "full weight" of the administration, such as the Baltimore Development Corporation, the Planning Department and all the other departments such as Transportation.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>What does BC-DOT say about cutting Light Street down in size and closing the dogleg connection to Calvert Street? </li><li>What is the Planning Department saying which reportedly is preparing for a downtown masterplan into which Brambles stuff would have to fit? </li><li>What is BDC's cost benefit calculation for the project? The Planning Commission never got to hear any of that because the departments never had the time or the facts to do a proper analysis. </li></ul><p></p><p>The comments included in the "staff report" of the Planning Department are limited to describing which restrictions are in place today and which would be lifted by the suggested bills. It would be nice to learn if any of the folks know something the public doesn't. But after the Commission's vote was delayed to December 21 due the City's inability to make their WebEx work for the 60 or so people waiting to participate online, neither Commission members nor the administration are allowed to discuss the matter in the interim. All this stands in very stark contrast to the analysis of the Port Covington project leading up to the City TIFF funds. Whatever scrutiny at the time was in large part the result of a big public outcry over Kevin Plank's project and the City support for it.</p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: helvetica;"></span></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #666666; font-family: helvetica;">Our Planning Department and this Planning Commission is engaged in a dereliction of duty for not performing this role for the citizens of Baltimore. You should not even be holding this hearing unless it is to reject the entire plan and this process. The Bramble Plan is a classic case of the-cart-before-the-horse.” (Developer David Tufaro as quoted by Ed Gunts in the <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2023/10/13/tufaro-harborplace-master-plan-public-input.html">Baltimore Fishbowl</a>) </span></blockquote><p></p><p>The process questions are key for the success of a reimagined HarborPlace. One would think everyone would agree, especially the City Council representing us, the citizens, the Planning Department advising the Planning Commission and the latter advising the Mayor. I don't think that any of these entities act in bad faith. However, they are either too mesmerized by MCB as the HarborPlace savior or their hands have been tied by the Mayor who wants to wave the project through as quickly as possible. Fact is that the departments have not weighed in with their expertise as they are supposed to.</p><p>These are big questions and they are urgent, even before one discusses the other big issue, namely why a private developer should be allowed to stuff massive development on land that, in part, is designated to be open park space in perpetuity. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggcuCrC-h4Fq9YJNIWp7kOZyCG-1rEt4WYy_e2CkABWQBlu20moNLl5ud30-T71i5TVVh6WCOnJZRnxPtLhEZ5c4x3ly1HYEuXG0w4rVnAJxtLPKk6TBKQM3fG8fWxrdDzOzoEqq0IGYlfYznsd6wkHuR-BqNcbDwHb2Bw3O7EvUVR8lTu8wgNGP69gcV/s4032/9E35216C-7F5F-4D2D-A8E8-735D7FB8E20C.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggcuCrC-h4Fq9YJNIWp7kOZyCG-1rEt4WYy_e2CkABWQBlu20moNLl5ud30-T71i5TVVh6WCOnJZRnxPtLhEZ5c4x3ly1HYEuXG0w4rVnAJxtLPKk6TBKQM3fG8fWxrdDzOzoEqq0IGYlfYznsd6wkHuR-BqNcbDwHb2Bw3O7EvUVR8lTu8wgNGP69gcV/w400-h300/9E35216C-7F5F-4D2D-A8E8-735D7FB8E20C.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Current view from upper pavilion deck (Photo: Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Finally, the last question which we set aside so far is the design question: Why the proposed project should be allowed to violate the fundamental design rules of the long established and successful Inner Harbor Masterplan?</p><p>It was created by Wallace Robert Todd half a century ago and, for the most part, stood the test of time. It established ground rules about space, urban design, the interaction of public and private and the visual connections to and from the Inner Harbor. </p><p>That old masterplan established an "outer frame" along Pratt and Light Street which defined the space we call Inner Harbor today and which acts in its totality as Baltimore's "Central Park": Water, promenade, adjacent parks and all. It was for decades laying golden eggs.</p><p> The Planning Commission chair noted at the beginning of the deliberations that the bills in question were about land use and not about design. These two things can't be separated. The proposed land use, massing and bulk will drastically change how we see the Inner Harbor, literally and figuratively. It will open up some new views and block many others. </p><p>Bramble proposed to put his high-rises inside the "outer frame". This means he puts them right into "central park", or, in sports terms, inside the playing field that we call HarborPlace. That Baltimore can play a bigger game on a smaller field is so far just a promise that is hard to believe.</p><p>Klaus Philipsen, FAIA</p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>After the initial publication the text was slightly edited for clarity</i></span></p><p><br /></p></div>Klaus Philipsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01615851444265308506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223492702090268881.post-12701841001169471932023-10-30T11:59:00.005-07:002023-10-31T06:51:34.056-07:00Towers instead of Pavilions: An entirely different Inner Harbor<p>A future visitor would not recognize HarborPlace if Bramble's <a href="https://www.ourharborplace.com/theplan">radical proposa</a>l for HarborPlace would become reality. His suggested design concept breaks all rules that are currently in place and guided the design of the area since its inception 50 some years ago.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZnH0kJ5gXmkgMkR1tVMiJP4fpUMHQ0sWQa_AjIeWuqijOrfUt-4lA5FTJwqFT6vDyRgUdV-BZR0iNG8tiVsXE2CNsqL-YO6rhv2j23sixwKPI9SUn3aSBW2N1WJXe40Gr9uRtfx1u6Fx_JZDXyAL8ox-N9eRU0dkV0hFTxUE9WeAnmczQqok7l4o3fzY/s4032/IMG_9879.HEIC" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHZnH0kJ5gXmkgMkR1tVMiJP4fpUMHQ0sWQa_AjIeWuqijOrfUt-4lA5FTJwqFT6vDyRgUdV-BZR0iNG8tiVsXE2CNsqL-YO6rhv2j23sixwKPI9SUn3aSBW2N1WJXe40Gr9uRtfx1u6Fx_JZDXyAL8ox-N9eRU0dkV0hFTxUE9WeAnmczQqok7l4o3fzY/w400-h300/IMG_9879.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">The new skyline of the Inner Harbor as per Bramble's <br />design team</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p> The proposal departs from the original Harbor Masterplan of Wallace, Roberts Todd of the 1970s which defined an inner and an outer <i>frame </i>in which the inner structures had to be low with the exception of the World Trade Center. </p><p>The proposals also is much more drastic than the never enacted <a href="https://www.baltimorecity.gov/sites/default/files/Inner%20Harbor_Final%20Report_11112013red.pdf">Inner Harbor 2.0</a> plan of Ayer Saint Gross of 2013. The design breaks the current 50' height limit by a factor of 6 or more and introduces residential use to zoning regulations that allow only public and commercial uses. It proposes underground parking where parking is prohibited and it radically shifts traffic patterns of what had become Baltimore's de facto at-grade freeways, Pratt and Light Street. In spite of complete streets legislation, the Baltimore City never dared to lay hands on the many lanes of those two mega streets. </p><p>In fact, the suggestion to connect the land of McKeldin Plaza to the Inner Harbor and do away with the dogleg was the boldest suggestion of the Inner Harbor 2.0 Plan. Predictably traffic engineers shuddered from the mere suggestion of doing away with the dogleg that isolated McKeldin Plaza and subsequently nothing changed. Bramble's plan not only cuts Light Street's width in half but also puts the Red Line on Pratt Street along with just two narrow eastbound lanes divided by a green median from transit and an access lane to the northside properties. He already achieved that Pratt Street has become one of the official alignment options for the Red Line.</p><p>Bramble's boldness could be designated as <i>Inner Harbor 7.0</i> for how far it veers from the status quo and the original approach of version 1.0.</p><p>This is unusual for Baltimore and has probably not been seen since Charles Center was conceived.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-YJYRkz9mjuB2NsRBI6JEti09DL6gVJExEKubt7AoRzjAb1H7xBaKpfF_vgPXv4jtGIag9phlxFDTrnXqi9cvw1yrgLXCWvwuqrUhebU-oitjsEfS9xVfalb5TDeELdxADZJ1r1j1IACXsA00mr3_knchW-x7FIJe-exmPyezG82wB8T2B66FaZxFb_yA/s4032/IMG_9866.HEIC" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-YJYRkz9mjuB2NsRBI6JEti09DL6gVJExEKubt7AoRzjAb1H7xBaKpfF_vgPXv4jtGIag9phlxFDTrnXqi9cvw1yrgLXCWvwuqrUhebU-oitjsEfS9xVfalb5TDeELdxADZJ1r1j1IACXsA00mr3_knchW-x7FIJe-exmPyezG82wB8T2B66FaZxFb_yA/w400-h300/IMG_9866.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">High powered support for MCB's proposal: Mayor, Governor and<br />Comptroller (Photo: Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> Even more astounding, then, is the Mayor's quasi endorsement of the plan at the unveiling when he, the Governor and many other public officials stood shoulder to shoulder with the developer. <p></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><blockquote>"The full weight of city government is ready to make this a reality. We won't stop until this project comes to fruition" (Mayor Brandon Scott)</blockquote><p></p><p>The Mayor hinted on the "many steps ahead", and some backlash will surely come. Also astounding was the absence of the Planning Director Chris Ryer. One would think that the urban design experts of the Planning Department would be the chief advisors to the Mayor, given that the Inner Harbor is public land and designated as a park. In fact, in spite of workgroup meetings, the city's housing, planning and transportation departments appear to not have been a really integral part of the team that shaped the suggested design. True, the Planning widened the area available for Brambles investigations early on by including the adjacent streets, McKeldin Plaza and the land areas between the current pavilions and their neighbors. The Planning Director also insisted on added resilience to account for rising sea levels. That the added flexibility would result in so much more stuff to be built, though was probably not the intention. With all of Bramble's proposed new structures the Visitor Center and the World Trade Centers, both designed as freestanding solitaires, now feel hemmed in by their new neighbors. </p><p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5OtAas3tsWsl_ebmUKCM1mMKmMzXVGykXvErgYeTvsSMVUCOW1T4j4bLv7CxndtzZNmyA1jNR3ug7PP8kHKKl257D8mBncyTBAuIVLveOBjww-SE_pYcpA4tbcdgojsxnKS8G_mCxRBHodmUvxJdX5lPsU5kDU1ZjYhFfz0J1DDGArmEIRECj0nkGivi-/s4032/IMG_9889.HEIC" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5OtAas3tsWsl_ebmUKCM1mMKmMzXVGykXvErgYeTvsSMVUCOW1T4j4bLv7CxndtzZNmyA1jNR3ug7PP8kHKKl257D8mBncyTBAuIVLveOBjww-SE_pYcpA4tbcdgojsxnKS8G_mCxRBHodmUvxJdX5lPsU5kDU1ZjYhFfz0J1DDGArmEIRECj0nkGivi-/w300-h400/IMG_9889.HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">The proposed integration of McKeldin Plaza with<br />an event amphitheater building on the left and a <br />redesigned Pratt Street with Red Line<br />(Rendering: MCB)</span></td></tr></tbody></table>One has to wonder what will happen to the public process in which existing regulations are usually changed, especially so drastically. Will the Planning Commission, the Planning Department and the City Council have more than a perfunctory voice in the review process after the Mayor and the Governor already embraced this design? <p></p><p>Converting public open space into development areas requires a number of legal steps, even if they entail swaps and result in a net gain of open space as Bramble's calculations suggest. Clearly, a process that would have started with a masterplan or framework would have been preferable over one that starts with a complete design. </p><p>A participant at the reveal event who has a say in what happens along the waterfront, considers the drawings more aspirational and "philosophical", no matter how specific they look. Either way, one would hope that the plan will get a thorough review regarding design and regulations. </p><p>The current regulations of the still valid<a href="https://planning.baltimorecity.gov/sites/default/files/Inner%20Harbor%20Project%201%20URP%202-19-15.pdf"> Urban Renewal Plan</a> mention a mandatory review process by a special group to be appointed. This may be superseded by the current day urban design and architecture review panel (UDAAP) which is excellent. UDAAP also reviewed the earlier suggestions for the pavilions submitted by then owner Ashkenazy tyat were never realized. </p><p></p><p></p><blockquote> <span style="font-family: helvetica;">"<span style="color: #313131; font-size: 1rem; word-spacing: 1px;">All preliminary and final plans for Development Area 13 shall be subject to review and comment by an ad hoc Advisory Task Force (hereinafter called Task Force) which shall be established by the Commissioner of the Department of Housing and Community Development to provide citizen input into the design process for the improvements to be constructed within said Development Area.</span></span></blockquote><span face="-apple-system, "Helvetica Neue"" style="color: #313131; font-size: 1rem; word-spacing: 1px;"></span><p></p><span face="-apple-system, "Helvetica Neue"" style="color: #313131; font-size: 1rem; word-spacing: 1px;"></span><p></p><p>Bramble hired a very reputable team of designers to develop the concept as presented: MCB Real</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG3LahlPInSrYe5Zf8Krxin8ZWWT5YCfxw0Es1zTpdTPl0JUsuxLLhCtkcQlWwGqxtXlNdrGC1qDz7RSPdlxdHgjmiSYZHjMfGYxKHv65W-air5gkRe7_N-IvJIlKEIzt0DlAtPC7DZ6gNTRJxXLId5XIgOaEhuMpkkQLni7hLx69_P3d5YtAnkNq9D9g7/s4032/IMG_9881.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG3LahlPInSrYe5Zf8Krxin8ZWWT5YCfxw0Es1zTpdTPl0JUsuxLLhCtkcQlWwGqxtXlNdrGC1qDz7RSPdlxdHgjmiSYZHjMfGYxKHv65W-air5gkRe7_N-IvJIlKEIzt0DlAtPC7DZ6gNTRJxXLId5XIgOaEhuMpkkQLni7hLx69_P3d5YtAnkNq9D9g7/w300-h400/IMG_9881.HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">The amphitheater building and the office building<br />closing in on the WTC (rendering MCB) </span></td></tr></tbody></table>Estate invested in what they called an "international design competition for Pratt Street" that, according to Bramble, had massive international resonance but stayed completely hidden from public view. <div><br /></div><div>As a result of the competition he picked the Danish firm <a href="https://3xn.com/">3XN</a> for the design of the Pratt Street stepped building called the "sail". The Baltimore landscape architect Unknown Studio designed all open spaces. <a href="https://www.gensler.com/offices/baltimore/leaders">Gensler's Baltimore office</a> is the architect for the residential towers and the office cube. Co managing director and principal Vaki Mawema even got a spot at the podium at the design unveiling, which is worth noting since unlike in Europe, here architects usually have to stand back behind the politicians.<p></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white;">"Baltimore's relationship with its waterfront continues to be an important aspect of our cultural identity and our livelihood.{...] The plan opens up our economy and our Inner Harbor."</span> </span></blockquote><p></p><p>Additionally, <a href="https://www.bctdesigngroup.com/">BCT Design Group</a> of Baltimore , Sulton Campbell Britt, STV Inc., Moffatt & Nichols, The Traffic Group, RK&K and Biohabitats have been retained for the project.</p><p>The most appealing aspects of the design concept, the connected park on what used to be McKeldin Park, the open space from the corner of Pratt and Light, as well as the road diets for those two streets, all require large public investments. A logical arrangement would be that the developer pays for these amenities as the price for the massive development rights he is receiving on public land. However, that is usually not how things work in Baltimore. In fact, it is much more likely that the developer will asks the public to defray some of his cost for the estimated $500 million buildings. No such requests are known yet.</p><p>Bramble's aspiration is to make his new design truly "authentic Baltimore" and be such that everyone has access and feels comfortable there. The open spaces along with the envisioned amphitheater may well be able to deliver on this principle. </p><p>However, the same will be nearly impossible to achieve with those massive residential towers right at the waters edge or a new office cube squeezed in between the WTC and the amphitheater. The total development footprint will be so much larger than that of the existing pavilions that it will be very hard to avoid the pitfalls of the pavilions which Bramble mentions all the time, namely that they are creating uninviting walls against the streets, and that they were too corporate. His office cube sits on stilts and the residential tower are supposed to have "see through" first floor retail, but that will not prevent them to be entirely private for-profit developments, quite like everything else in the "outer frame" and quite unlike anything else in the "inner frame" which to date is characterized by public open spaces and attractions. (The WTC is publicly owned by the State).</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARJCrjuqOl8ei6XZ0duTA50s8uk-2sm3It3t-MrUBwfmnpQqQF23p8zLaocgzXnql-BQ5tSpGE6QV1hhmn0COq6KaDseMobpT_oI_rusdWJpo4_b7f6Untgok9Stife2QPL5KtrqMkxflyjrpEbke97WrlKlReeKZjn33Q75uDFmIpkYwK06C7cmVfQeK/s4032/IMG_9884.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiARJCrjuqOl8ei6XZ0duTA50s8uk-2sm3It3t-MrUBwfmnpQqQF23p8zLaocgzXnql-BQ5tSpGE6QV1hhmn0COq6KaDseMobpT_oI_rusdWJpo4_b7f6Untgok9Stife2QPL5KtrqMkxflyjrpEbke97WrlKlReeKZjn33Q75uDFmIpkYwK06C7cmVfQeK/w400-h300/IMG_9884.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">The full view from the northwest (Rendering MCB)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>Knowing that Bramble would go up in height and add lots of apartments to his mixed use development, one could have expected ultra-slim, but tall towers, as they define Vancouver's waterfront and can also be found in Manhattan. Instead the design shows two 25 story and 32 story slabs with solid facade grids which are angled to each other and connected via a roof garden. They definitely will cut off many of the views from behind. <br /><br />We "won't accept the binary between downtown and the neighborhoods", the Governor stated today. For it to be "Baltimore's time" he continued, it all needs to be done: housing, the Inner Harbor, the Convention Center and the Oriole's deal. An ambitious agenda, indeed. <div><br /><div>No matter that many Baltimore locals have turned their back on HarborPlace in the recent decade or so, this new proposal will certainly create strong reactions, pro and con. After posting today's renderings on my Facebook page, comments range from admiration condemnation and everything in between. It will remain to be seen how the politicians will weather the storms that will certainly come and how much of the design will survive once regulations, cost and funding have been further explored. </div><div>As far ans waterfronts, we already have Fells Point (historic), Harbor East and Harbor Point (ultra modern). HarborPlace will have to find a new identity somewhere in between. Not an easy task. </div><div><br /></div><div>(See a full set of renderings at<a href="https://www.ourharborplace.com/theplan"> https://www.ourharborplace.com/theplan</a>)<br /><p>Klaus Philipsen, FAIA</p><p><i style="font-size: small;">the article has been updated as additional information became available. A mistaken attribution of the design responsibilities to the various firms has been corrected. Unknown Studio of Baltimore designed all open spaces of the project, including the streetscapes.</i></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVkuDeaVvweKpXyBBHGX0JZFfUKZGG5K49SD37lEjPZQbXOLfXfAeklH5rCXMxltmGOapWhObyGQKZO7BEymDBCdMWmo1uIHt7NMLt-3H47GeISCRhG1_RCAKf82DgdwL90vkmG6Wp5E1I3z0RDtQnBnMry3Zp5IklnUZzmhel2rTzH1uszWYFNYkpdy1/s1000/The%20Sail%20rendering%20MCB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpVkuDeaVvweKpXyBBHGX0JZFfUKZGG5K49SD37lEjPZQbXOLfXfAeklH5rCXMxltmGOapWhObyGQKZO7BEymDBCdMWmo1uIHt7NMLt-3H47GeISCRhG1_RCAKf82DgdwL90vkmG6Wp5E1I3z0RDtQnBnMry3Zp5IklnUZzmhel2rTzH1uszWYFNYkpdy1/w400-h225/The%20Sail%20rendering%20MCB.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">View of the "Sail" building designed by Danish architects (MCB rendering)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-10IXCtVBwEJFPrf-f2eRkRqjEZ9njUjS_k2FIpAYDUpQv1Ynx0aawT6JjBqbrHwrzoYxhEBlxQTlLOBqctxJKmx8rynwu_xLqDbOch4fA8dDIRfgXzWv40TbfKuU1jlWFWIdBA83v-s0NborUq2FGpq7_pHAOaK6mQxVzCdyteFdQ-LoaiwrSZ6lutR/s1000/Floating%20wetlands%20rendering%20MCB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv-10IXCtVBwEJFPrf-f2eRkRqjEZ9njUjS_k2FIpAYDUpQv1Ynx0aawT6JjBqbrHwrzoYxhEBlxQTlLOBqctxJKmx8rynwu_xLqDbOch4fA8dDIRfgXzWv40TbfKuU1jlWFWIdBA83v-s0NborUq2FGpq7_pHAOaK6mQxVzCdyteFdQ-LoaiwrSZ6lutR/w400-h225/Floating%20wetlands%20rendering%20MCB.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Floating wetlands in front of the cube building on Pratt Street designed by<br />Unknown Studio (MCB rendering)<br /><br /><br /></span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p></div></div></div>Klaus Philipsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01615851444265308506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223492702090268881.post-66305342007870872902023-10-26T16:55:00.004-07:002023-10-27T11:41:08.163-07:00Baltimore could have had this<p><b>What could have been</b></p><p>Even on this grey fall afternoon, they stood out as new and shiny among the somewhat tired looking neighbors: Two new office towers, over 300' tall, a million square feet each, with fifty thousand square feet of first floor retail and a pre-school backstopped by a 1.2 care park designed by Field Operations, Opened early this year, this explosion of new office space in a time of international office malaise and vacancy is like a small miracle. As we will see in a moment, all this could have been in Port Covington, where some forlorn new office buildings face their own uncertain future. Instead, the project rose in Crystal City. What is Crystal City like?</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCc3gj0RCyJQ_N-bDdhptZgy9lDDMwn5jt2BPJDoqFob1mDgbN0S_ILgDB2D1fegMRle82p37gGyU3mRihqgspXHLGnOA9Y7j9DCAXbuvbwKjBl3hwWvK2NlrfuTTxMUEnS3aSv-wA4716HNn6OhjMcTsq1Xd1qdDQd7lElUjPQwPdrXw-OslZu03Rmbl/s1800/ZGF_.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1417" data-original-width="1800" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCc3gj0RCyJQ_N-bDdhptZgy9lDDMwn5jt2BPJDoqFob1mDgbN0S_ILgDB2D1fegMRle82p37gGyU3mRihqgspXHLGnOA9Y7j9DCAXbuvbwKjBl3hwWvK2NlrfuTTxMUEnS3aSv-wA4716HNn6OhjMcTsq1Xd1qdDQd7lElUjPQwPdrXw-OslZu03Rmbl/s320/ZGF_.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Merlin and Jasper (Photo: ZGF website)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>Crystal City</b></p><p>It is an office satellite with Metro access located in Arlington County, across the Potomac from the District of Columbia. Not bound by the height restrictions and the many bureaucratic hurdles of the nation's capital, Crystal City began to flourish as an office monoculture right around the time when the DC Metro system opened. Unlike several other Arlington County subway stops, this one wasn't conceived as a mixed use transit oriented development. Instead, the place was fueled by the nearby Pentagon. More Gunpowder Hill than Silicon Valley. </p><p></p><blockquote style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(29, 29, 29); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #444444;">The U.S. Patent Office and the Institute of Defense Analysis established offices in Crystal City in the late 1960s. The Crystal City Metro Station opened in July 1977 and the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) station opened a few years later. Millions of square feet of mixed-use development have been built to date, making this region a primary activity center. (County <a href="https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Projects/Neighborhoods/Crystal-City/Development-History#:~:text=Crystal%20City%20derived%20its%20name,City%20in%20the%20late%201960s.">website</a>)</span></blockquote>Crystal City and Pentagon City are mashed together, the latter another Metro stop, a mall and shopping mall. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dGnEFqdwlcdpL_KHmOVBNfKvfV8IByZ7ODBsK-GI9yKdTd7aoWtB0lj-ogoiMErHXNCgkO6qcveON0QXgmOeDLe5ng6808iiEwWrG32fk0p7TFYciNkB3nsnNEUhzfjgley1rwjryNqhvL5xBeoWCptaI1w1C3ganxNSRXoM50FQTRqUDRbdintT8POZ/s4032/IMG_9720.HEIC" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dGnEFqdwlcdpL_KHmOVBNfKvfV8IByZ7ODBsK-GI9yKdTd7aoWtB0lj-ogoiMErHXNCgkO6qcveON0QXgmOeDLe5ng6808iiEwWrG32fk0p7TFYciNkB3nsnNEUhzfjgley1rwjryNqhvL5xBeoWCptaI1w1C3ganxNSRXoM50FQTRqUDRbdintT8POZ/w300-h400/IMG_9720.HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Piling it on in Crystal City, dense but not<br />beautiful (Photo: Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p></p><blockquote style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(29, 29, 29); font-family: Roboto, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #444444;">[in 1976] the County Board approved the Pentagon City Phased Development Site Plan (PDSP) to provide for mixed-use development focused around the Pentagon City Metro Station. The plan included: more than 1.5 million square feet of office/commercial space; 1,600 hotel rooms; 5,450 dwelling units including a nursing and retirement home; open space and regional shopping facilities.</span></blockquote>When the base realignment BRAC rolled around in 2006 the Baltimore region was the winner (Fort Meade was slated for growth) and Arlington County lost steam. Many defense oriented contractors and firms left. <div><br /></div><div>The pandemic, the new trend of working from home that leaves so much office space unoccupied and the growing online shopping didn't bode well either for these two office and airport hotel burgs on the Potomac, no matter that they feature several condo towers from which one one can see the National Mall and watch the airplanes land at the nearby National Airport. The twin conglomerates are not exactly known as the pinnacle of hipness. Most people know them from looking right when they get stuck on Route 1 on their way into DC. x for a hotel near the airport. There are 4600 rooms to chose from. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9_4jH-oT1Vrvu5Of0TiT9OMYc8WM-4tuKAbQac57sCTaIxjRRsX1J2EinZXwlRqmx6P5bFI95HRxswqA9NWQLT-auv2MeJZffvLnmgY96lRROps_kzf3meXkdGHZLok8wRdrTQgreaV3N1_PPyWy3LDSXektVWvPvbjbUzrMUgJqWLrVGF-M1f44u61WT/s4032/IMG_9726.HEIC" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9_4jH-oT1Vrvu5Of0TiT9OMYc8WM-4tuKAbQac57sCTaIxjRRsX1J2EinZXwlRqmx6P5bFI95HRxswqA9NWQLT-auv2MeJZffvLnmgY96lRROps_kzf3meXkdGHZLok8wRdrTQgreaV3N1_PPyWy3LDSXektVWvPvbjbUzrMUgJqWLrVGF-M1f44u61WT/w300-h400/IMG_9726.HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Child-friendly: Playground and pre-school<br />(Photo: Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>But then two miracles happened and the cluster now re-baptized as <i>National Landing</i> became the envy of the nation. First in 2018 it became the winner the of a national competition that included 238 US cities and was called the "Hunger Games" by <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/amazon-hq2-over-jeff-bezos-won/#:~:text=After%20238%20cities%20vied%20to,York%20City%20and%20Arlington%2C%20Virginia.">Wired Magazine</a> and then in 2022 some of the defense glory came back wit Boeing declaring that it moved its headquarters here from Chicago.</p><p><b>Baltimore</b></p><p>Baltimore was one of the contestants in the "Hunger Games that had promised 50,000 jobs. With Port Covington Baltimore offered what seemed a very plausible location. The reader will have guessed by now that we are talking about Amazon HQ2, the corporate plum that made mayors salivate all across North America. In a true Cinderella story, Arlington County and the State of Virginia landed the winning bid, in spite of their comparatively puny half billion dollars of incentives. Baltimore was so soundly rejected that as the only large East Coast City it didn't even make it into the final round.</p><p><span style="letter-spacing: 0.1px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"></span></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">"The HQ2 project will be — in the right place — an opportunity for true urban revitalization and community invigoration. Establishing its headquarters in Baltimore, a majority African American city, is a public statement of Amazon's investment in diversity and inclusion," (Baltimore Pitch)</span></blockquote><p>Two questions arise: 1. What did Crystal City have that Baltimore didn't and 2. how do things in Crystal City look five years later? Let's begin with the second question.</p><p></p><p><b>So how did things turn out for Crystal City?</b></p><p>For starters, Arlington County had to split the Amazon bonanza with Queens, New York. Then Amazon canceled the New York portion of the deal and began building slightly over 2 million square feet as phase 1 in the area now rebranded as "National Landing". For comparison, the full build out of HarborPoint in Baltimore foresees about 3 million square feet of development. As of now only 8000 employees work in the two buildings that are now <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/amazon-offices/amazon-headquarters-HQ2-arlington-virginia-photos">completed </a>and could accommodate about 14,000 workers. Phase 2 of the the Amazon development, the double helix is on pause for the time being. Surprisingly, Arlington has <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-21/amid-stalled-construction-in-national-landing-amazon-gets-no-hq2-incentives">not yet paid</a> any of the incentive money which it had wisely tied to the improvements Amazon had promised and the State had not yet paid anything either as of March of this year.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTq9R8OldB1HgdI2PsuwMsqtVEWXFXYMFXKKpVentcEIACksUDwKmQddMzawEISxBrJO8RaNxfrb2pCe2lkLFpoFTilL18cgbUt9kBO45NahmpNs_loXA4sKqoNpr-7iM1yJm6lqA0D6A5upMKnQW7joYtr56Mg747RLlC8OK58YjuWxCEHIHLRmCqelW/s4032/IMG_9715.HEIC" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizTq9R8OldB1HgdI2PsuwMsqtVEWXFXYMFXKKpVentcEIACksUDwKmQddMzawEISxBrJO8RaNxfrb2pCe2lkLFpoFTilL18cgbUt9kBO45NahmpNs_loXA4sKqoNpr-7iM1yJm6lqA0D6A5upMKnQW7joYtr56Mg747RLlC8OK58YjuWxCEHIHLRmCqelW/w300-h400/IMG_9715.HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">A new name is not yet a new "city"</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The two 22 story 300' tall office buildings (Merlin and Jasper) together form what is called MetPark. The footprint could easily have fit into Port Covington which already features similar structures, although not quite as fancy. On first blush the two buildings look like Siamese twins except that the local fire department cut the connection of the two third level roof decks about the two lobbies. </p><p>The buildings are quite green: They are scheduled to receive LEED Platinum certification for rainwater recycling, operable windows on all floors, bicycle parking, plenty of EV charging stations, some mass timber construction and a massive off site solar farm that is offsetting the large electric load the fully electrified building generates. Only the restaurants on the first floor refused to entirely get rid of gas and continue to use gas stoves in their commercial kitchens. </p><p>The campus features everything a techie would want: A bike store, cool restaurants. Wide sidewalks with lush plantings, and protected bike lanes up front, a child care center with a beautiful outdoor space and even a dog park. (Even Amazon's offices are said to be dog friendly). The refurbished Metro Park on top of the garage was designed by <i>Field Operations, </i>the company which designed the Highland in NY and is also working on the Middle Branch masterplan realization. </p><p>Amazon states on its <a href="https://www.aboutamazon.com/impact/community/hq2">own HQ2 website</a> that it "made more than $161 million in donations and cash grants to local nonprofits and charitable organizations, and created over 2.5 acres of public park space." The offices don't look as futuristic as Apple's donut HQ but reflect the fact that office workers want experience and that could office buildings should be good urban neighbors. Access to the office cubicles</p><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsW97ChVDvHzwnN7bFHVbFWamfb29OGnR_0h5BYElwaqB02L5zNC-uV1yJYDaaG1_hfesXxEqmSlciH4ifDw84kuKZMlYM3WShspD6sW6tcwEsLiZHj0lry8_z7uSs44CU6dOc3B7h6QImFIHtNEr6p7QcLgxAL4-GTb0UCkF85ZecmKVzzPLPovhOgjQO/s4032/IMG_9724.HEIC" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsW97ChVDvHzwnN7bFHVbFWamfb29OGnR_0h5BYElwaqB02L5zNC-uV1yJYDaaG1_hfesXxEqmSlciH4ifDw84kuKZMlYM3WShspD6sW6tcwEsLiZHj0lry8_z7uSs44CU6dOc3B7h6QImFIHtNEr6p7QcLgxAL4-GTb0UCkF85ZecmKVzzPLPovhOgjQO/w400-h300/IMG_9724.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Generous sidewalks and planters designed by Field Operations<br />(Photo: Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table>that few are allowed to visit begins on the second floor of each tower with a three-story zone that Amazon calls “Center of Energy”. This "distribution level" is conceived as a gathering and communication space for the workforce. The general public, meanwhile is allowed to enter the two main lobbies which are oriented to the park and towards each other and not the street. This allows maximal retail frontage along the front. There is also a 700-person event space constructed with glulam beams. It is open for public use by the local community. The buildings were designed by <a href="https://www.zgf.com/work/1847-amazon-jbg-smith-hq2-at-met-park">ZGF Architects</a>, the interior design was created by Gensler Architects.<p></p><p>In spite of these many attractive results, it is sobering to see, that five years after the decision, only less than 25% of the promised HQ2 jobs have actually realized and some would say that phase 2 is not certain. </p><p>Should Baltimore mourn the loss? Port Covington continues to develop, the loss of Amazon, the shrinking Under Armour HQ and a dead office market notwithstanding. For a while people wondered why Baltimore didn't even make the shortlist, then moved on. Everyone had their favorite explanation from crime to schools and from lacking transit to a lack of a well trained workforce. Baltimore's chief business attractor, Bill Cole of BDC hinted that the last reason may have been the decisive factor. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Prc54VWAPqU9O6y58pe9zP3Xco163qo5GraqDYo2ePkpQj6vXK0gop7266jBcLBiIAkvKuAS_tN_oHATDIIyO0SQOElKzfSpgYysA_tfDm9RXMVePSh2e7nIJ3xfFPob6xI-tpHe6GRzJegDh3fzjbUcsJ7aoAEaejvP50OGu4-SfVTTd2WU-H4ZMKRU/s1115/Metro%20Park%20photo%20Lucas%20Johnson.webp" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="743" data-original-width="1115" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Prc54VWAPqU9O6y58pe9zP3Xco163qo5GraqDYo2ePkpQj6vXK0gop7266jBcLBiIAkvKuAS_tN_oHATDIIyO0SQOElKzfSpgYysA_tfDm9RXMVePSh2e7nIJ3xfFPob6xI-tpHe6GRzJegDh3fzjbUcsJ7aoAEaejvP50OGu4-SfVTTd2WU-H4ZMKRU/w400-h266/Metro%20Park%20photo%20Lucas%20Johnson.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">2.5 acres of park in the back. <br />(Photo Lucas Jensen/Amazon)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><blockquote><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">"What we have heard repeatedly from them both in our exit call is that they are looking for a place that is tech-talent ready to go on day one. What they said was, 'You need to keep doing what you are doing to grow tech talent, focusing on STEM education, keep working with Johns Hopkins (University) to endure. You have tech talent in the region." Bill Cole, BDC</span></blockquote><p></p><p>The lack of incentives couldn't have been it, even though it wasn't made public what they would have been. But Montgomery County, also vying for HQ2 made the cut either, in spite of $5 billion in incentives that Governor Hogan had put into the mix. Who knows if Hogan's incentives would have been couched as cleverly as Virginia's which didn't have to pay up yet due to the metrics not yet having been met. Baltimore's assumption that Amazon's diversity problem and Baltimore's equity problem would find enough overlap was certainly wrong. ESG or not, if push comes to shove, a corporation will pick the white affluent well trained area over a poor, majority black city any day.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc83e5kCMOnABgYGgKwhKRgq73dqsp-gL6urbnvvAIujwWob3TdArujRJue6spm9k-BTIntNA9mJxFqa4CjAX7XyzDiWIAqqC7pISxRxDkkZm2eeVCEj4ENbWBoSeKgFNK4wjKMYwGM0sTYFz2jh_Nb9ae0KtFYLiywPIyeAS0CstBlVV6QyE2CwYm3KZq/s4032/IMG_9731.HEIC" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc83e5kCMOnABgYGgKwhKRgq73dqsp-gL6urbnvvAIujwWob3TdArujRJue6spm9k-BTIntNA9mJxFqa4CjAX7XyzDiWIAqqC7pISxRxDkkZm2eeVCEj4ENbWBoSeKgFNK4wjKMYwGM0sTYFz2jh_Nb9ae0KtFYLiywPIyeAS0CstBlVV6QyE2CwYm3KZq/w300-h400/IMG_9731.HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Access for all: The lobby (Photo: Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>There probably many <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwi29bi-85SCAxVVFlkFHWE1C9IQFnoECA4QAw&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.brookings.edu%2Farticles%2Ffive-economic-development-takeaways-from-the-amazon-hq2-bids%2F%23%3A~%3Atext%3DOne%2520lesson%2520to%2520take%2520away%2Ca%2520say%2520in%2520this%2520process.&usg=AOvVaw0o0XsGWtEWcsqOh1jAiIi6&opi=89978449">lessons</a> to learn from the HQ2 process. One is that it doesn't pay to participate in a game of "who can throw the most money after a profitable tech company". </p><p>Amazon wouldn't have solved Baltimore's problem, nor does it solve Crystal City's lack of urbanity. For being a real and authentic city with an attractive quality of life, there is no silver bullet, no substitute for persistent and steady work.</p><p>Klaus Philipsen, FAIA</p><p><i>See also my articles about the <a href="https://archplanbaltimore.blogspot.com/2023/10/from-cubicles-to-community-city-beyond.html">City after the office</a> on my compendium blog. </i></p></div>Klaus Philipsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01615851444265308506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223492702090268881.post-74668549696757770552023-10-17T10:55:00.005-07:002023-10-18T04:27:07.086-07:00Mind the Gap<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></div><blockquote><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #444444;">"Show me a state that clicks on all cylinders and it’s largest city isn’t. For Maryland to thrive Baltimore needs to lead the charge. But the city can’t do it alone.”[...]</span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="color: #444444;">“Stop the binary. This is not about choosing between downtown or the neighborhoods. We can do both.” (Governor Moore at the Transportation & Economic Development Summit of the Greater Baltimore Committee on Monday)</span></div></blockquote><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></div><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIiGbv2_-T72IDX7ZYUKx3TJXfMIAufF3ckTwO26FCUnEnFB_koLTZ89eFnJ254O3Eowx1EqJsnfqdAcUl6jjb5mzuJ8Mi7VIyelzA0DLCIr3ePqDa1Sctk5hTqlApF85qSNxs9xjWh25AzKlauGdx1P3nrx2LWpgWa85_J6aUYUfZjFnxNjviOHAA7Uj/s664/Mind-the-Gap.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="664" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIiGbv2_-T72IDX7ZYUKx3TJXfMIAufF3ckTwO26FCUnEnFB_koLTZ89eFnJ254O3Eowx1EqJsnfqdAcUl6jjb5mzuJ8Mi7VIyelzA0DLCIr3ePqDa1Sctk5hTqlApF85qSNxs9xjWh25AzKlauGdx1P3nrx2LWpgWa85_J6aUYUfZjFnxNjviOHAA7Uj/w400-h254/Mind-the-Gap.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mind the Gap warning at the London Underground<br />(<a href="https://hidden-london.com/nuggets/mind-the-gap/">Hidden London</a>)</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Baltimore surely isn't running on all cylinders. Instead it is a city full of gaps and many disconnected actions and projects. That Baltimore's problem isn't the lack of good stuff, heroic actions and beautiful projects but the lack of connectivity and coordination has long been a conviction of mine. <p></p><p>In the 1990s when we discussed the state of the "city that reads" in the Urban Design Committee of AIA which I co-chaired, I often compared Baltimore to a burn patient. Healthy skin had been grafted on to extensive burns in the hope the patches would grow together. </p><p>No lack of skin grafts, large and small: Charles Center, the Inner Harbor, Harbor East, Belvedere Square, Camden Yards, the Convention Center expansion. These operations go so far back, that some of the grafts shriveled themselves, far from being healthy islands that could spread. Some have been in the pipeline for so long that one wonder if they still have healing power, the "Superblock" and State Center come to mind. A lot more is in the pipeline as became evident at GBC's "summit". </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnKtmJe-bpY-7rFOorcB1vCRRwBIYD6qKalOibD2An5ujHdv8IL30Eme5VmCNVInySEbhVlrdToQDa3FiMmErY4Am751dWf5cyMw-2acx0GmgY4byBiWPKFBPLn3-y1o9tr4u1zKzed8Oi8JXrzpUc9NEMOxNJaeG6lvZUg5oN6zKl6wuU-DbT3Fdqn0kc/s4032/IMG_9571.heic" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnKtmJe-bpY-7rFOorcB1vCRRwBIYD6qKalOibD2An5ujHdv8IL30Eme5VmCNVInySEbhVlrdToQDa3FiMmErY4Am751dWf5cyMw-2acx0GmgY4byBiWPKFBPLn3-y1o9tr4u1zKzed8Oi8JXrzpUc9NEMOxNJaeG6lvZUg5oN6zKl6wuU-DbT3Fdqn0kc/w300-h400/IMG_9571.heic" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SUN headline on Sunday<br />(Photo: Philipsen)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>The bottom line is that dereliction, abandonment or otherwise unpleasant stretches pockmark the City in all directions interspersed by the detritus of the car friendly city that disrupts the urban fabric: parking garages on and off ramps, freeways, turn-lanes, garage driveways, services bays, hotel port cocheres, loading docks and gas stations. It really isn't surprising that Baltimore's streets so often look devoid of people while they are congested by cars.</p><p>Finally the gaps have reached the front page of the Baltimore SUN which in its Sunday print edition featured the headline: "Future rests on filling the gaps" and bemoans that "gaps riddle downtown Baltimore." The articles continues: "Like many central business districts , it also struggles with crime, the loss of businesses, jobs and foot traffic". </p><p>Then the story pivots to developer David Bramble who calls filling the gaps "connecting the dots", which, as the SUN attributes to "boosters" is critical to revitalizing downtown. "connections should exist among landmarks, from Harbor East and Harborplace to the stadium and casino district. to the Arena and the University of Maryland", the SUN quotes Bramble. "How do we connect all these things to drive investment in between them and create connectivity? You want it to feel like one connected district as opposed to pockmarked spaces". </p><p>On Monday Bramble sits on the stage of a Convention Center ballroom and moderates three representatives of the communities he met during his listening sessions about HarborPlace. He doesn't talk about his gap theory but has brought community members to the podium to share their Harborplace expectations. However, the entire GBC summit titled "transportation and economic opportunity" turned out to be an elaboration on the gap theory. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOE2MCZLnKd6CGNyUBoTQzKXV2CpLK6CiBQnqvdMJ6A6OZo4d5xUF2WjjInlSPQnCeI0AJFBv30UXlUSe4ePPzCnaJr2MX6p_Z0CPn1Mrklsv2oY3GG73eCPIKP7IHB-6bQq-jHTxltti9LvOY7js6uc5-7K4bjhJapA2xgX72wLTDe3u67yT7h-J3Vtb/s4032/IMG_9552.HEIC" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOE2MCZLnKd6CGNyUBoTQzKXV2CpLK6CiBQnqvdMJ6A6OZo4d5xUF2WjjInlSPQnCeI0AJFBv30UXlUSe4ePPzCnaJr2MX6p_Z0CPn1Mrklsv2oY3GG73eCPIKP7IHB-6bQq-jHTxltti9LvOY7js6uc5-7K4bjhJapA2xgX72wLTDe3u67yT7h-J3Vtb/w300-h400/IMG_9552.HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GBC Summit on Monday<br />(Photo: Philipsen)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Panel after panel reports about the many projects underway in Baltimore, transit oriented development (Lutherville in the County and Penn Station in the City), the Planned Red Line revival, to the plans that the <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bs-bz-national-aquarium-harbor-wetland-20231017-pgee3pi36bhsrkyn4gjmd7f6qu-story.html">Aquarium</a> and the Science Center and the successful efforts of updating the Arena into a venue than can outperform Philadelphia. The discussion went on to the stadium upgrades and the plans to connect the Casino area north to the two stadia and east towards Sharp Leadenhall. All acknowledged that they need to work in concert, heeding Bramble's admonition that "developers must think beyond their own projects and collaborate on finding ways to connect attractions by improving pedestrian access, roadways, transit and safety". </p><p>Connections and pedestrian access, of course, concern public facilities and require the popular public-private partnership arrangements. Indeed, Bramble's Harborplace pavilions sit on public ground. Based on the principle of better access Bramble has opened the discussions to include additional city owned lands including streets such as Pratt and Light Streets and the McKeldin Plaza. Taking space from these super wide roadways potentially allows for Harborplace solutions that involve a much larger area than today's pavilions occupy.</p><p>GBC's Monday "summit" featured enough of the "dots" around the waterfront that one could see how they could connect through good collaboration. The mere fact to have the disparate voices of the Aquarium, the Science Center, the Stadium Authority, the Arena and the Downtown and the Waterfront Partnerships and the MTA all in one room was innovation progress. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifKegxv33ToIHzVw0bkcndwGrziaoGorHzBWuu9ih4dJTczUVo1ZIfpWiMymteSN6w-NvgSbRMALExDiJkKGqBmD-5JU054ldrcYxrT-K4My3HdWax1y9MO7wLOlTJ_PoxMTZh4rW38BQslTXmrPe88CuSsL8MghexKIkrw24yrXakJHff0i2FijzQtUJY/s4032/IMG_9560.HEIC" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifKegxv33ToIHzVw0bkcndwGrziaoGorHzBWuu9ih4dJTczUVo1ZIfpWiMymteSN6w-NvgSbRMALExDiJkKGqBmD-5JU054ldrcYxrT-K4My3HdWax1y9MO7wLOlTJ_PoxMTZh4rW38BQslTXmrPe88CuSsL8MghexKIkrw24yrXakJHff0i2FijzQtUJY/w400-h300/IMG_9560.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Bramble (left) hosts a panel about HarborPlace<br />(Photo: Philipsen)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Some 25 years ago the AIA Urban Design Committee worked on connectivity in five downtown Baltimore districts. Ideas included an attractive walking loop that would draw people away from the waterfront up to Lexington Market over to the University of Maryland and back to the Convention Center; lowering the last mile of the JFX, and connecting Penn Station by covering a small part of the ditch in which the JFX runs. Penn Station, UM and even the Lexington market since then got large capital infusions and flourish or are promising to flourish soon. However, the connectivity is still lacking, often one has to traverse entire blocks to get to the next functioning patch, something that few are will to do, especially when public safety is no longer a given.</p><p>The Mayor, the Governor and the deputy Secretary of Transportation of DOT in DC all spoke up for Baltimore. They represent the powers that can fill the gaps. They all control or influence public spaces. They proclaimed to give Baltimore a shot in the arm for better connectivity, more equity, and access. As Governor Moore said, the stars have never been better aligned. This should be "Baltimore's moment".</p><blockquote><p></p></blockquote><p>Klaus Philipsen, FAIA</p><p><i>See also my article on the non-local blog about the future of downtowns:</i></p><p><b><a href="https://archplanbaltimore.blogspot.com/2023/10/from-cubicles-to-community-city-beyond.html">From Cubicles to Community: The City Beyond the Office (1of 2)</a></b></p><p><i>(all photos below from the GBC summit)</i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbel4XJn57XV-hB-uj2ioYIWrdTh-0vUCG6HnGP_pSZyYafIOtMZXMDwzWFlD5jniAk49Z4bsIgwVuuhq2GAAlBSyVTAEIuz0p3tzGAf8FYCesrKBTcqp_ZkXyLuKp30DMqqigxxSlyqFtuPcOOFn-DLK1Xn0hewVOcf9HWSiod4_oAIm1hV9P5c95H0Jz/s4032/IMG_9548.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbel4XJn57XV-hB-uj2ioYIWrdTh-0vUCG6HnGP_pSZyYafIOtMZXMDwzWFlD5jniAk49Z4bsIgwVuuhq2GAAlBSyVTAEIuz0p3tzGAf8FYCesrKBTcqp_ZkXyLuKp30DMqqigxxSlyqFtuPcOOFn-DLK1Xn0hewVOcf9HWSiod4_oAIm1hV9P5c95H0Jz/w300-h400/IMG_9548.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr4qr2D4Wyo2bNeLki_HFeHC7CHklDvPebxeiuLaZsD7gPwQVwsOMbl3qbgAAA9tE3hYGzRZR35mnCrcyuUcRkMYAIG9ShOfFtjz1DX2PIOPB21Y5Oi3ADAIbIMLOMrFZzh_1qJ82DVV77wJ5UIji_SMgyeOY_Ci9S-XXYZJxwK4i_jFy7YvpYkYBYWsq0/s4032/IMG_9551.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr4qr2D4Wyo2bNeLki_HFeHC7CHklDvPebxeiuLaZsD7gPwQVwsOMbl3qbgAAA9tE3hYGzRZR35mnCrcyuUcRkMYAIG9ShOfFtjz1DX2PIOPB21Y5Oi3ADAIbIMLOMrFZzh_1qJ82DVV77wJ5UIji_SMgyeOY_Ci9S-XXYZJxwK4i_jFy7YvpYkYBYWsq0/w300-h400/IMG_9551.HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Planned Penn Station redevelopment<br />(Photo: Philipsen)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_w4YnPl0nzu7yEU1ptOzlwbpbD2YbSbWAPWwbJPifMhqrm-cWvkmqT-xVkfMwdRcfAzv6jFcV_KbZkCMkGQd7Bco3yeO9NnjmDqej6KRHy2nIbM3Pw0QQGySIRtzOpW-Lycv6iuJZn2WPMDVFpWudGNQl9jAtf6YgQ948tWgwPAUNEQVADW2gxb-oyRRf/s4032/IMG_9554.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_w4YnPl0nzu7yEU1ptOzlwbpbD2YbSbWAPWwbJPifMhqrm-cWvkmqT-xVkfMwdRcfAzv6jFcV_KbZkCMkGQd7Bco3yeO9NnjmDqej6KRHy2nIbM3Pw0QQGySIRtzOpW-Lycv6iuJZn2WPMDVFpWudGNQl9jAtf6YgQ948tWgwPAUNEQVADW2gxb-oyRRf/w300-h400/IMG_9554.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNih5Vskw8GFkrnn6hNLb_X4eCUTBCEDlgikSMXRzflxlKpmlpM0URpGmWzKhoeywWZiCYiip1YpYp3fnjchzo9ZXEmvAhg2tJYIGPKDQqwerHJVIaluXFQbCcZyeYLr5Gj5Gsq8d1RRPoXfAJgCSGFiPmjwWuHqx_1YTBczHVrZ0ki4GwSXJanmsdMSJv/s4032/IMG_9555.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNih5Vskw8GFkrnn6hNLb_X4eCUTBCEDlgikSMXRzflxlKpmlpM0URpGmWzKhoeywWZiCYiip1YpYp3fnjchzo9ZXEmvAhg2tJYIGPKDQqwerHJVIaluXFQbCcZyeYLr5Gj5Gsq8d1RRPoXfAJgCSGFiPmjwWuHqx_1YTBczHVrZ0ki4GwSXJanmsdMSJv/w300-h400/IMG_9555.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKwb2v7GNc44dK0LDb-SNibDzQGNMWTNnCXvoonRiGQc3Koo6ZxzORVrdn9KRb0ttabszig2NnkJ3AQgZaSkzHFxoAsj5YibChwhoQ8kxD8kI2PAk8hLW9SVLTqyyEM5SH9_KiufTwqDMrlFWHoFKh6LvWhCQeklny22phFSAtqIMUMpoP1Vh_xBvi9rB/s4032/IMG_9556.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipKwb2v7GNc44dK0LDb-SNibDzQGNMWTNnCXvoonRiGQc3Koo6ZxzORVrdn9KRb0ttabszig2NnkJ3AQgZaSkzHFxoAsj5YibChwhoQ8kxD8kI2PAk8hLW9SVLTqyyEM5SH9_KiufTwqDMrlFWHoFKh6LvWhCQeklny22phFSAtqIMUMpoP1Vh_xBvi9rB/w300-h400/IMG_9556.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYFqcIsspsTx1io2l5hgBphV-XEipitnmwlrhD1Nt8TYZDVYppZ-mjLFDDAYARfsXdhBs7Ih0aBnHlVBIXi1-VKeN26Cmton-ehxd-Hy1VSontV8mB9o5x0hyphenhypheniwChi32TBDSauVo-FpkiXC5AUDUUtcijnA8aai21d1p4y_TE4R5YSFglK-a-bnM_oqrs/s4032/IMG_9558.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyYFqcIsspsTx1io2l5hgBphV-XEipitnmwlrhD1Nt8TYZDVYppZ-mjLFDDAYARfsXdhBs7Ih0aBnHlVBIXi1-VKeN26Cmton-ehxd-Hy1VSontV8mB9o5x0hyphenhypheniwChi32TBDSauVo-FpkiXC5AUDUUtcijnA8aai21d1p4y_TE4R5YSFglK-a-bnM_oqrs/w300-h400/IMG_9558.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2ZB8Ky4EFMS1LUPXJ-fUTPbEI2GDTKEPq0E0wjHhM-KrAry8EOH5wfURqHFUn-L6t0rujrtVI0j0Wu8vyexRgKY1ZBAYSEf23TZL8GKMwYyuymjPnzme-uZnI2Fzcc1lIW9QDlqjPL1sz1idpAcKYUmaLgdfhrBDk-hLfHFe7yM5sre6bepMGNeKNSRl/s4032/IMG_9561.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2ZB8Ky4EFMS1LUPXJ-fUTPbEI2GDTKEPq0E0wjHhM-KrAry8EOH5wfURqHFUn-L6t0rujrtVI0j0Wu8vyexRgKY1ZBAYSEf23TZL8GKMwYyuymjPnzme-uZnI2Fzcc1lIW9QDlqjPL1sz1idpAcKYUmaLgdfhrBDk-hLfHFe7yM5sre6bepMGNeKNSRl/w300-h400/IMG_9561.HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Planned floating planting island at the Aquarium Pier 5<br />(Photo: Philipsen)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpbYzNISQWRBvN9ZhMuBkFm5q1IfKm67FhVNFPifPwaW7XjKzhOjT1aYKfE_5DS01uhzgwZUCYndqWeogYGP4pnnpCsRIU9iF5GZWch0ZFQ3ojShA_d1u98zi7WzmEE8KD7DLC9G4LF1g6vYoSsh7_ObautJBlXUyH1RuC7yrK5bj9ClxOzsXNjQFZWuzo/s4032/IMG_9562.HEIC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpbYzNISQWRBvN9ZhMuBkFm5q1IfKm67FhVNFPifPwaW7XjKzhOjT1aYKfE_5DS01uhzgwZUCYndqWeogYGP4pnnpCsRIU9iF5GZWch0ZFQ3ojShA_d1u98zi7WzmEE8KD7DLC9G4LF1g6vYoSsh7_ObautJBlXUyH1RuC7yrK5bj9ClxOzsXNjQFZWuzo/w300-h400/IMG_9562.HEIC" width="300" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Wg_wTiqdo7YRTibKgxKAJly-XJAtauk8hrQMz2JQ3mLSC5MfOJ3jVnHVEIh7Jn9c-HkuZGk3P60dQIt0ABsljQHkwDW_SsL58ALnjAxPrygTpiTyRwsN9hQsMLyOdWQrMdyE4zuCfpeXPHJhWAdMgnpIaZH2e0jG8PfFOn014ynLhIpeaAUBkEzbfkp8/s4032/IMG_9563.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Wg_wTiqdo7YRTibKgxKAJly-XJAtauk8hrQMz2JQ3mLSC5MfOJ3jVnHVEIh7Jn9c-HkuZGk3P60dQIt0ABsljQHkwDW_SsL58ALnjAxPrygTpiTyRwsN9hQsMLyOdWQrMdyE4zuCfpeXPHJhWAdMgnpIaZH2e0jG8PfFOn014ynLhIpeaAUBkEzbfkp8/w300-h400/IMG_9563.HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Planned new green learning space outside the Science Center<br />(Photo: Philipsen)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Klaus Philipsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01615851444265308506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223492702090268881.post-29473313998921372012023-09-25T11:25:00.010-07:002023-09-25T13:42:03.200-07:00Exhilarating Artscape<p> After a decade or so in which cities rode high on a wave of urbanism as desired lifestyle Covid brought an abrupt end to celebrating crowds, density, and mingling. Instead, people hunkered down in isolation and were told to keep their distance everywhere.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin8p7RaEeJ_IoeF3Ftvkw5vCgLqMPDDrExjOtvqVoFfWkOnM_jD791ra6taVJc92jwWkDOsOOdCADtlAE1_AH5s7vbV-eYKbw7gRFgU7SiEPnnjLOpwuGyZXC73GCRJroaJVw42GkYr4ZH7qW26SL7GLDeUXiSvaOoyo7oKfv6m5_GJhpWA8QkRKvpc50E/s4032/365CBDFD-0408-4027-BDDB-976D0666EB80.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin8p7RaEeJ_IoeF3Ftvkw5vCgLqMPDDrExjOtvqVoFfWkOnM_jD791ra6taVJc92jwWkDOsOOdCADtlAE1_AH5s7vbV-eYKbw7gRFgU7SiEPnnjLOpwuGyZXC73GCRJroaJVw42GkYr4ZH7qW26SL7GLDeUXiSvaOoyo7oKfv6m5_GJhpWA8QkRKvpc50E/w300-h400/365CBDFD-0408-4027-BDDB-976D0666EB80.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Sondheim Prize Semi finalist display" Virtual Realty</span>"</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Even though Covid has receded from the minds of most people by now, reverberations of the pandemic remain. The impacts are especially noticeable in cities that often are only a <a href="https://theconversation.com/traditional-downtowns-are-dead-or-dying-in-many-us-cities-whats-next-for-these-zones-213963">shadow of their former self</a> with empty sidewalks, boarded shops, shuttered restaurants and half empty subway and light rail trains. On top of that the inexplicable scarcity of labor that apparently leaves every transit agency, every school district and every restaurant ripping their hair out in search of qualified staff. </p><p>Baltimore's Department of Promotion and Arts (BOPA) was so deflated from almost 3 years of cancelling events that they didn't even feel ready to pull Artscape off in 2023, three years after the cities largest public event had happened in 2019. Luckily, the Mayor wouldn't have it that way. Somewhat incongruously, he fired the BOPA Director and announced at the same that Artscape would be had this year, no matter what. A litany of complaints about moving the festival from July to September, about the shifted spaces, and conflicts with the resident art and culture institutions, as well as competing other events and festivals such as Hampdenfest ensued in a steady stream. Even three weeks before Artscape was supposed to open, key headliner Kelly Rowland <a href="https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/culture/arts/artscape-kelly-rowland-cancels-72DKUYTGBZAMFIIOQUZIWFYGVQ/">cancelled</a> unexpectedly. Finally, in the last few days before the long awaited kick-off, it became clear that tropical storm Ophelia was barreling towards Baltimore for the anticipated Artscape weekend with high winds and extensive rain in the forecast. The storm succeeded to knock Saturday out entirely and made the festival limp on Sunday. But the Friday opening was an unmitigated success!</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmKEkL_N3ilBSd7BKXJRCKTc-VhmHdHaVBx61zjzsD0XbQdyML99Srvwh475y7eusZu9srGZWRAV-6XwVfQkAIER4Xnkirwm4kg52uthvBmjbpYT7OvETlY19SgM7vb2u56SmgrhL4a6EhWunbrIyBbZQrQYInTRbJeg8uMEbXsi9eZ1Q48L2b7qezmszP/s4032/C0343BF1-0431-4C26-A02A-F0135F4A4674.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmKEkL_N3ilBSd7BKXJRCKTc-VhmHdHaVBx61zjzsD0XbQdyML99Srvwh475y7eusZu9srGZWRAV-6XwVfQkAIER4Xnkirwm4kg52uthvBmjbpYT7OvETlY19SgM7vb2u56SmgrhL4a6EhWunbrIyBbZQrQYInTRbJeg8uMEbXsi9eZ1Q48L2b7qezmszP/w400-h300/C0343BF1-0431-4C26-A02A-F0135F4A4674.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Setting up at the Mt Royal stage right after 5pm</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><blockquote><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">Baltimore, I am putting you on notice. Artscape is BACK and it will be bigger and BETTER than before (Mayor Scott on Twitter on August 7)</span></p></blockquote><p>When Friday evening came, the sky was grey and laden. Wind-gusts felt as if rain was imminent. But then the miracle happened. Artscape unfolded on all the event stages, the streets were lined with art stalls and vendors, MTA shuttled visitors to the event for free, and soon after five the streets filled up with people. MICA served snacks for an exhibit at their <a href="https://www.mica.edu/events-exhibitions/events-calendar/details/the-janet-walter-sondheim-art-prize-semifinalists-exhibition-reception/2023-09-22/">Meyerhoff gallery</a> that showed Sondheim Prize semi-finalists. MICA students with art booths safely tucked into the Brown Center lobby tried to sell some of their own products. Artscape, indeed, was better than before. the Mayor was right.</p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background: none; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 18px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><blockquote><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background: none; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 18px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">Today, many cities are confronting the prospect of an <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/breaking-the-urban-doom-loop-the-future-of-downtowns-is-shared-prosperity/" style="outline: currentcolor; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">urban doom loop</a>, with a massive oversupply of office and retail space, fewer commuters and a looming urban fiscal crisis. Washington, D.C., is an illustration.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background: none; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 18px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">In December 2022, the city had approximately 27,000 fewer jobs than in February 2020, and it faced a growing <a href="https://cfo.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/ocfo/publication/attachments/February%202023%20Revenue%20Estimate%20Letter_rev%20032723.pdf" style="outline: currentcolor; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">financial shortfall</a> from declining property taxes due to downtown business closures and fewer property purchases. The District of Columbia government projects that city revenues will decline by US$81 million in fiscal year 2024, $183 million in 2025 and $200 million in 2026. Washington’s Metropolitan Transit Authority faces a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2023/07/28/dc-metro-funding-money/" style="outline: currentcolor; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">$750 million shortfall</a> because of a sharp decline in ridership. (<a href="https://theconversation.com/traditional-downtowns-are-dead-or-dying-in-many-us-cities-whats-next-for-these-zones-213963">Downtown</a>) </span></p></blockquote><p style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background: none; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 18px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><p><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_A3D4bdwyjFvQmXn_CMbWW-qEAZYn5sYefxfwj7vPXJfOvL3aEbjutjUA2w4YajAd5PsqyUq5Cvtq8i289FtnpeRzrRwt-XyV8kSCBUEPTwoyAbb2vdh7xuOQQ71icNglEidFmyiIVXJEPZu6ipiYYLGkFwXM9vojWzSJZjJ2xHN2ESwUIK9_CwtirhV/s4032/708E949A-2B15-426A-98F3-2FF40033A38C.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic_A3D4bdwyjFvQmXn_CMbWW-qEAZYn5sYefxfwj7vPXJfOvL3aEbjutjUA2w4YajAd5PsqyUq5Cvtq8i289FtnpeRzrRwt-XyV8kSCBUEPTwoyAbb2vdh7xuOQQ71icNglEidFmyiIVXJEPZu6ipiYYLGkFwXM9vojWzSJZjJ2xHN2ESwUIK9_CwtirhV/w300-h400/708E949A-2B15-426A-98F3-2FF40033A38C.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Art Market in the MICA Brown Center</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>People came out, whether being curious to see if Artscape was for real, or tired of being isolated, drawn by headliners (DJ Pee Wee instead of Kelly Rowland), or by the art on display in many places. When the sky darkened and the lights shone brightly, Artscape showed itself from its best side and transformed the Cultural District and parts of Station North into a place of joy and celebration. The rain held off and Baltimore showed how much fun the city can be, how much fun there is in seeing and being seen. People of all ages and backgrounds showed off in all kinds of outfits, there was even someone pushing their cat in a stroller. The lack of sweltering heat was an advantage and so was the fact that for once food stalls did not seem to dominate art stalls.</p><p>Particularly impressive was the transformation of North Avenue on the block between Maryland and Charles Streets where, in spite of all efforts to have Station North take off as a successful art and entertainment district, many of the pioneering venues had been shuttered, even before Covid. On Friday evening the former bookstore Red Emma's, the former bar Liam Flynn, the former Dcenter gallery in the former Avenue Market, the former WindUp Space, the beautifully restored Parkway Theatre and the scrappy Y-Not lot were not only open, but the their pop-up installations bringing them back to life felt like it didn't take much than rolling the shutters up, turning on the lights and letting the people come through. It was truly magical. For once bureaucratic regulations about use and occupancy, licenses and whatever else makes such things usually rddled with hurdles and had been forcefully overcome.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7m39CDwVLqP6sLZE_6r925r2VKnQAHnsN0aWIYcfP3YNX_54WRmDwFM20ACxf5Bidgqx9L1aUqO_fg799gg5mkknJiR0g2RGJrk8jpHMcyv_lrGOr-NbAkNLYWrpQGU-oVvLl0R3XSdUs6S8kJzntjF2A0m_2_4Dd6bBWt_9rDC9_OMZ4fUfZvTnjxnAH/s4032/FF7FD8BE-A90D-497D-A024-BC9E338CFE80.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7m39CDwVLqP6sLZE_6r925r2VKnQAHnsN0aWIYcfP3YNX_54WRmDwFM20ACxf5Bidgqx9L1aUqO_fg799gg5mkknJiR0g2RGJrk8jpHMcyv_lrGOr-NbAkNLYWrpQGU-oVvLl0R3XSdUs6S8kJzntjF2A0m_2_4Dd6bBWt_9rDC9_OMZ4fUfZvTnjxnAH/w400-h300/FF7FD8BE-A90D-497D-A024-BC9E338CFE80.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Y-Not lot: Hot dogs, family and beer</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Children played on the freshly placed wood chips under colorful sails and festive string lights while their parents sipped a brewski or shared hot dogs on the Y-Not lot. "North on North" is a new addition to Artscape. An abandoned gas station at Charles and 20th Street turned into a colorfully decorated outdoor bar. Across the street a brandnew mini-park. An appreciative audience with fresh popcorn on their laps watched shorts in the Parkway, just as it was intended to be. <p></p><p>The most magical, because unexpected moment, came when turning from Charles Street on to Mount Royal after dark, where the spectacle of a UMMS sponsored drone show unfolded in the sky, tribute to UM's 200th birthday. Each of over two-hundred or so drones carrying a color changing light, silently floated into various positions depicting hearts, figures and letters per the command of a<a href="https://www.verge.aero/everything-about-drone-light-shows#:~:text=Drone%20light%20shows%20are%20performed,communicates%20them%20to%20the%20drones."> computer program</a>. This was an Artscape first and maybe even a Baltimore first f this new technology, due to high cost so far mostly known from big events like the Olympics.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeejnsf_kUI0LYexCUbWWPgkvBrovPxwza3Rcv3GCu9ICjClLtNBdOmA-G29OzpZEJWy5x1Qtdi8vzjVsDsB9O3H_h7251PWQ_ourjVUIucQV1IBTyNdcib6nxiR3pSvgDJdaXlwIwMa6BYZYVIFQ2jtW3lBoWMa8w_ss4w0IGiojkhyAvrgvbk8MWbvnL/s4032/347996C7-27CA-4701-90B3-4C0FBCAEF5C8.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeejnsf_kUI0LYexCUbWWPgkvBrovPxwza3Rcv3GCu9ICjClLtNBdOmA-G29OzpZEJWy5x1Qtdi8vzjVsDsB9O3H_h7251PWQ_ourjVUIucQV1IBTyNdcib6nxiR3pSvgDJdaXlwIwMa6BYZYVIFQ2jtW3lBoWMa8w_ss4w0IGiojkhyAvrgvbk8MWbvnL/w400-h300/347996C7-27CA-4701-90B3-4C0FBCAEF5C8.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">MMS Drone show at Artscape</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>After the drone show the area around the main stage filled up no problem and the DJ engaged with the excited crowd. No sign of trouble anywhere.</p><p> Taking the free train back downtown, I concluded that there was no better way to close the week out than this visit at Artscape. Remote shopping, "cyberwork" and Netflix streaming movies have decimated many cities. Downtown needs to be redefined. But Artscape proved that nothing can replace the real life of actual people coming together to enjoy life. And that is what “city” is.</p><p>Klaus Philipsen, FAIA</p><p><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">all photos copyright Philipsen.</span></i></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4MHeT43jaCGjz0KhuVhLOsc4SkcWG9lcurbRXtpEqsTC5k1c5ZByI9Kw46FgaoEbfpHVWS-HJgSXtGoNZUi2TDknipce67pvwAFthP0QEDLJIu_KPVWQOYkv1VsKlmPcOP0Y51oF3RFcKPlOFKH9uu2-V1nlRYH26nytjnohf0TdW3UDLVnYlLKqsmot/s4032/1C52225A-1C62-41CE-9F9A-311B0E019DD9.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4MHeT43jaCGjz0KhuVhLOsc4SkcWG9lcurbRXtpEqsTC5k1c5ZByI9Kw46FgaoEbfpHVWS-HJgSXtGoNZUi2TDknipce67pvwAFthP0QEDLJIu_KPVWQOYkv1VsKlmPcOP0Y51oF3RFcKPlOFKH9uu2-V1nlRYH26nytjnohf0TdW3UDLVnYlLKqsmot/w300-h400/1C52225A-1C62-41CE-9F9A-311B0E019DD9.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">"A point of no return" painting, North Ave Market gallery</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjMFL9YQNv6k4MUhGlExhvD3AVhEtqjv-R_ouW9XNr9LisUc825ykeBx7kkxesh7uVv7YrZwAc2GPhkpeF80xXqgKlaJugILnAeSJljDD_NYqpypdj0JuUuRYeLRF8wiCkt751CDqZ8br0oQVk-dm2951UXXiuslPmweKQ92NgsCnBfj3GDwVUkQQOmaDQ/s4032/6EF76F57-0FD1-4AA4-9C69-BAC4407CB448.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjMFL9YQNv6k4MUhGlExhvD3AVhEtqjv-R_ouW9XNr9LisUc825ykeBx7kkxesh7uVv7YrZwAc2GPhkpeF80xXqgKlaJugILnAeSJljDD_NYqpypdj0JuUuRYeLRF8wiCkt751CDqZ8br0oQVk-dm2951UXXiuslPmweKQ92NgsCnBfj3GDwVUkQQOmaDQ/w300-h400/6EF76F57-0FD1-4AA4-9C69-BAC4407CB448.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Shortfiilms in the Parkway</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEucEo0-xkGh5JAlQiR-nwQt78mKur7VGhGI5t6wUvbqKuCk7iM0Sc0hU4BZZneP8gqn8kWy1ySOT6W8RJgygPYx5LIxk2lpW-zYN-FimlkGdgh5rGn727DfOS9Qg_isHaaRoLIQeqARhOT7h4XfZyejt-rAF9Tqa9PtLkDhqX8unNXevKZN-cSxfm1Aqw/s4032/19F20F30-7EF1-4A7E-B7D8-AA6B7D107053.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEucEo0-xkGh5JAlQiR-nwQt78mKur7VGhGI5t6wUvbqKuCk7iM0Sc0hU4BZZneP8gqn8kWy1ySOT6W8RJgygPYx5LIxk2lpW-zYN-FimlkGdgh5rGn727DfOS9Qg_isHaaRoLIQeqARhOT7h4XfZyejt-rAF9Tqa9PtLkDhqX8unNXevKZN-cSxfm1Aqw/w400-h300/19F20F30-7EF1-4A7E-B7D8-AA6B7D107053.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">A gas station becomes a bar</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySlgUph-YXElupBdgNsdbOItOOOm-65U0fBUPHwCy34yGtblz8qJ89a1MAaKbj8blIofsnuDHETu5vLYXZar_9KeAxbYAv3jlHbcjoJMf_AYRNQKxE_7IoND-C0FDhBdqjEgW38DyFkZjv9CP944O6cuAb4FdhvKLDBVmyDyGK9IHmJCQurddEZjZWap1/s4032/23A09CAA-F8A7-46C5-B78F-FF24048C1F58.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgySlgUph-YXElupBdgNsdbOItOOOm-65U0fBUPHwCy34yGtblz8qJ89a1MAaKbj8blIofsnuDHETu5vLYXZar_9KeAxbYAv3jlHbcjoJMf_AYRNQKxE_7IoND-C0FDhBdqjEgW38DyFkZjv9CP944O6cuAb4FdhvKLDBVmyDyGK9IHmJCQurddEZjZWap1/w400-h300/23A09CAA-F8A7-46C5-B78F-FF24048C1F58.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Bar and gallery in what used to be the Windup Space</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNglnHx1CYMpXzFmpgJxa9Q8QDJ7Gv92SNYbWEJkDDqFMZUwcMHYauxDCGlagV5j9Mh6QCB9lzyQnLs_lcKrjCyC73yoQ9WXMsJll2M7koeJzulKYEpuIai2tCzGyynX7Cu-tQpo69BNm3zGHt7OFzuDE7uX-T6LGBy_xVhKIfK4nL8PPWz8UsQUJmj7Vt/s4032/037F6EF3-9FA7-4C8A-BD42-F5A81851C7D9.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNglnHx1CYMpXzFmpgJxa9Q8QDJ7Gv92SNYbWEJkDDqFMZUwcMHYauxDCGlagV5j9Mh6QCB9lzyQnLs_lcKrjCyC73yoQ9WXMsJll2M7koeJzulKYEpuIai2tCzGyynX7Cu-tQpo69BNm3zGHt7OFzuDE7uX-T6LGBy_xVhKIfK4nL8PPWz8UsQUJmj7Vt/w400-h300/037F6EF3-9FA7-4C8A-BD42-F5A81851C7D9.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">The former Red Emma's becomes a square dance place</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4tQKMUwmJxaX35KytzvWqMvZiFtjJulO-WBn3mNU7cJnAaHkZhxph30Qu0nQVjNRlMtdQ4loJiIZNotcTu-VGXwpugSpsDM4QcrkvNGd3HXLVOfZGBKrGBd0AsNRRY7rIfGQ-OUUPvOFcngzbPgffaz-lTTJCo1doIJ2vFsEklK13sfBN4KggzlzweMA/s4032/042CC897-422A-4DD4-A009-09A73C9C89A1.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4tQKMUwmJxaX35KytzvWqMvZiFtjJulO-WBn3mNU7cJnAaHkZhxph30Qu0nQVjNRlMtdQ4loJiIZNotcTu-VGXwpugSpsDM4QcrkvNGd3HXLVOfZGBKrGBd0AsNRRY7rIfGQ-OUUPvOFcngzbPgffaz-lTTJCo1doIJ2vFsEklK13sfBN4KggzlzweMA/w300-h400/042CC897-422A-4DD4-A009-09A73C9C89A1.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Browsing for art on Charles Street</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXue3oQr13SGcgLsAYGKsyByjswWVPx5RhXJ84kwE37ScMGtLgo4QjC06TxRGbykDcngKT07FJ-8D8oaO4GDDXZa7uFy26O3RbWucQ4QfOY0tJpKe83Ms1gsX7j8DTN9xLFzTgmDLXcdHh0bAW7eENtmjcRPAOwSc6d7U4G3jGlWYPT7BX94zqqSfOEana/s4032/63D5D1D9-1F5D-4259-910B-AAA34F4798C5.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXue3oQr13SGcgLsAYGKsyByjswWVPx5RhXJ84kwE37ScMGtLgo4QjC06TxRGbykDcngKT07FJ-8D8oaO4GDDXZa7uFy26O3RbWucQ4QfOY0tJpKe83Ms1gsX7j8DTN9xLFzTgmDLXcdHh0bAW7eENtmjcRPAOwSc6d7U4G3jGlWYPT7BX94zqqSfOEana/w300-h400/63D5D1D9-1F5D-4259-910B-AAA34F4798C5.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">John Waters and Pink Flamingo, a MIC's art student intepretation</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjEo-WAZ6SJocarVNt_6UCSDP1fXqSNPQnFPrxhP8ILZfcZbR4EQ5Y4Jy_Tcvu-wln8t3inQws2SFvnR6tV0YjVyoPDbTs-Bbhj-IAZKZnnpqE36OmPrdYmaLXHuZGqrpTpORA0Qb_8iWRyPOQmSH54-orr7gRhYV4xKMMpi_yAhPCqobR8P3Y1l_fko1e/s4032/778ACF0F-1883-4FC9-A738-6B6C9F2688B7.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjEo-WAZ6SJocarVNt_6UCSDP1fXqSNPQnFPrxhP8ILZfcZbR4EQ5Y4Jy_Tcvu-wln8t3inQws2SFvnR6tV0YjVyoPDbTs-Bbhj-IAZKZnnpqE36OmPrdYmaLXHuZGqrpTpORA0Qb_8iWRyPOQmSH54-orr7gRhYV4xKMMpi_yAhPCqobR8P3Y1l_fko1e/w300-h400/778ACF0F-1883-4FC9-A738-6B6C9F2688B7.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DJ on the Main Stage</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijy3Vv-XY8GnNo6wDV6bdQp3l3hLGFXElOiILuT2xgMRyxVhZ_eTz4Gm_POkDAQA_YItXqA2prMYtdEe7TnFxqy7mq6aYmrrABKj5RbWP6tIQOEL0srprup71kqUXZ1wlp6hQS8qiFeU90quUgUa3yoc1CGLGkAn2GcevHie_gR0o65013n2xHW8_DgHa2/s4032/85140F35-50CE-441F-BB35-E2A798EF5083.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijy3Vv-XY8GnNo6wDV6bdQp3l3hLGFXElOiILuT2xgMRyxVhZ_eTz4Gm_POkDAQA_YItXqA2prMYtdEe7TnFxqy7mq6aYmrrABKj5RbWP6tIQOEL0srprup71kqUXZ1wlp6hQS8qiFeU90quUgUa3yoc1CGLGkAn2GcevHie_gR0o65013n2xHW8_DgHa2/w300-h400/85140F35-50CE-441F-BB35-E2A798EF5083.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Finally: People in the Street (Charles Street)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Hw5PskodEMBFoSP3BJc5tfJS-Xiau1-LUd2z5M7FlFQiJuEUzlSsJstUpxjwrM1Z3C6dMTvcgEVoVzNn1Y8K2oGECs-o69lMkjLXqYJIdD-0w5zeM-m2rnSBXLA5VMv5FA5x2wnklnId22S34yAnBLdAQ6yItj1SUpiN-wdUPPlmira_dhmHTPCLpt6V/s4032/AB2F6323-4C82-46AE-8068-8845D6D0C272.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Hw5PskodEMBFoSP3BJc5tfJS-Xiau1-LUd2z5M7FlFQiJuEUzlSsJstUpxjwrM1Z3C6dMTvcgEVoVzNn1Y8K2oGECs-o69lMkjLXqYJIdD-0w5zeM-m2rnSBXLA5VMv5FA5x2wnklnId22S34yAnBLdAQ6yItj1SUpiN-wdUPPlmira_dhmHTPCLpt6V/w400-h300/AB2F6323-4C82-46AE-8068-8845D6D0C272.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">North of North: Artscape's expanded footprint</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWfS2UgTMocMCA4xET7ynz8FuBS443EOCnE-ZU2zUv80tok4_NfJ4c7EVT76xqCwEMYt6s9aMdYTM_YlfrOtnbkPhKyIBTHQxgj_P9Jxr2veKK3E6Sd8QLBlYqrheXWXi1SJOzQlBR40XD1e9mgUdFE5qySH_XJxKQyTt4FLV6lbFh_jswjWlUYYgu8MuG/s4032/AB452FB1-832B-4C4F-B584-B93A3AFA99E6.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWfS2UgTMocMCA4xET7ynz8FuBS443EOCnE-ZU2zUv80tok4_NfJ4c7EVT76xqCwEMYt6s9aMdYTM_YlfrOtnbkPhKyIBTHQxgj_P9Jxr2veKK3E6Sd8QLBlYqrheXWXi1SJOzQlBR40XD1e9mgUdFE5qySH_XJxKQyTt4FLV6lbFh_jswjWlUYYgu8MuG/w300-h400/AB452FB1-832B-4C4F-B584-B93A3AFA99E6.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Seeing and being seen</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM20L6PD2X5ResHXTR2XNPDYQ5nL8t15qiAUTL6RGoIiY3ioKOGvlRhZKe9Bbdo5y_-l5rDdlZb8b78FqfSV1qeaBdoOUcO7FQy3obfPjCDliHYMjw7Zs7djsFA9hGhrFzhysiMjj-Ncnhn2GB9vAEnOqOnM_9AH9SAVdqOPnQZVvvsWyI76B-AXrd_BAe/s4032/D6178ED1-E772-4008-8C00-59F2FD806EC8.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM20L6PD2X5ResHXTR2XNPDYQ5nL8t15qiAUTL6RGoIiY3ioKOGvlRhZKe9Bbdo5y_-l5rDdlZb8b78FqfSV1qeaBdoOUcO7FQy3obfPjCDliHYMjw7Zs7djsFA9hGhrFzhysiMjj-Ncnhn2GB9vAEnOqOnM_9AH9SAVdqOPnQZVvvsWyI76B-AXrd_BAe/w400-h300/D6178ED1-E772-4008-8C00-59F2FD806EC8.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">From of to Artscape via free transit (Weekend event)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCDi6XlSlithCJY8YdrIMNllou8fOCpkUFQNF1TFVpvoCWUikABqK3RVkR2unJvnt1dyDGYJ54rI_ecjT4jGZu2TDDGxDsAhTbLh7_f23xA5O6k9UYrKeAuM4xb1y_s1JHCC1uzwsOz1XkXZYX-Emkb6DrCYDPQBXITg4FAp6UbmS_4XjXJ8QAeqbOvrZ/s4032/2968B733-EA24-44D6-83CC-26D0A9A59464.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCDi6XlSlithCJY8YdrIMNllou8fOCpkUFQNF1TFVpvoCWUikABqK3RVkR2unJvnt1dyDGYJ54rI_ecjT4jGZu2TDDGxDsAhTbLh7_f23xA5O6k9UYrKeAuM4xb1y_s1JHCC1uzwsOz1XkXZYX-Emkb6DrCYDPQBXITg4FAp6UbmS_4XjXJ8QAeqbOvrZ/w300-h400/2968B733-EA24-44D6-83CC-26D0A9A59464.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Theme installation of orange frames at intersections</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCDi6XlSlithCJY8YdrIMNllou8fOCpkUFQNF1TFVpvoCWUikABqK3RVkR2unJvnt1dyDGYJ54rI_ecjT4jGZu2TDDGxDsAhTbLh7_f23xA5O6k9UYrKeAuM4xb1y_s1JHCC1uzwsOz1XkXZYX-Emkb6DrCYDPQBXITg4FAp6UbmS_4XjXJ8QAeqbOvrZ/s4032/2968B733-EA24-44D6-83CC-26D0A9A59464.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVMQeZ2--9jaP7yCoPUDej3M6dAldnd24ySgLpJ6I0WHyF9RLXYD0Wb1NAmhfI3tIos1mbpxEJYXFDPeSlisvL3UBLVLyIzEWWiNAQ9mrJcsspUwlvWDxA48m4dqT2YEPEJihbakLr1yAUuO4pwBLNhl2HW6FVnt4RNOdoQFpDmmwPV5YM-b8JSIqsmxS/s4032/FF62FBAC-E858-4871-926D-74074615F370.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVMQeZ2--9jaP7yCoPUDej3M6dAldnd24ySgLpJ6I0WHyF9RLXYD0Wb1NAmhfI3tIos1mbpxEJYXFDPeSlisvL3UBLVLyIzEWWiNAQ9mrJcsspUwlvWDxA48m4dqT2YEPEJihbakLr1yAUuO4pwBLNhl2HW6FVnt4RNOdoQFpDmmwPV5YM-b8JSIqsmxS/w480-h640/FF62FBAC-E858-4871-926D-74074615F370.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Drone show over Mount Royal Station</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Klaus Philipsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01615851444265308506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223492702090268881.post-63690309207428417792023-08-25T12:51:00.004-07:002023-09-02T05:19:17.989-07:00When preserving a historic building shouldn't be called hardship<p><span style="font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: 0.1px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"></span></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">"Many years ago I was of the theory that if you tear all the buildings down and put something new up, that was the right thing to do. What a mistake that was." (William Donald Schaefer in the 1999 <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2000-01-30-0001310233-story.html">documentary</a> Westside Stories)</span></blockquote><p></p><p>Baltimore is a charming city, architecturally. As much as an architect hates to admit it, Baltimore's architecture charm isn't the result of modern interventions but indicative of the vast historic building stock of all scales, size and purpose that has survived the great fire and urban renewal. Even in the decay that comes from abandonment, old beauty shines through. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZPN2qcDvID-FG0BrGrxpzSJI5nZ_J0OS3SEh6-Drz7eNNzf19BMVtE_q-dLzYCCK_yu9NXiveOdUb9aYrWK4pBugj5SOHgHzB0iOH5LpbkwXUk1DpaA-I46t1j4Vzj2Y6dvn3upRNv7SHt45clMcfX7OqEQc8DeatEwYW7OMeXrBDKucvyC-UforCcHCG/s4032/IMG_4861.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZPN2qcDvID-FG0BrGrxpzSJI5nZ_J0OS3SEh6-Drz7eNNzf19BMVtE_q-dLzYCCK_yu9NXiveOdUb9aYrWK4pBugj5SOHgHzB0iOH5LpbkwXUk1DpaA-I46t1j4Vzj2Y6dvn3upRNv7SHt45clMcfX7OqEQc8DeatEwYW7OMeXrBDKucvyC-UforCcHCG/w300-h400/IMG_4861.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">The old B&O HQ lobby, today Hotel Monaco and<br />State offices (HCD). Photo: Philipsen</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>It is no surprise, then, that our historic districts are the most successful neighborhoods with the highest building values and the lowest vacancy rates, whether it is Federal Hill, Seton Hill, Fells Point, Mount Vernon, Hunting Ridge or Ten Hills to name just a few. And they don't have to be part of the "white L". </p><p>Given the success of preserving history it is surprising how often developers buy old buildings in historic districts and then try to bail out when it comes to fixing them up. They complain about "hardship" when it comes to going the extra mile and opt for the shortcut of just knocking them down. </p><p>This lazy approach is usually accompanied by the argument that whatever new they would build would be be much better than the derelict, vacant and neglected old structure they want to tear down. Duh! But this obviously a misleading argument. Nobody wants to keep the old shells with sagging floors and roofs. The comparison would be a new structure versus a rehabilitated one. No doubt, rehabilitation is often more expensive than new but the issue here is that the rehabilitated structure is more likely to add character and authenticity to a project that can directly translate into dollars and cents but that rehab will likely also retain value much better. In other words: Historic preservation requires the long view. Whoever is just interested in the short term calculation shouldn't even go into a historic district or at least not buy historic and contributing structures. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKINBkV2pCjPraJdjN9BZPcpdo7jel_D1PF71adnf-Vbl7p_hXvkbXE9WSOa8tW_1_6eM71c4iEymj7Ofo3mAQHe1VlbHQinneMRYMHJpbmrV3YqTDx5vXDcPK35qk1QAB1L0Qvx83NyBFYf2nkQ41FAtmVJjtGTTY6yGlHc5SC639OuvGMjE1zARbtjI/s4032/IMG_9844.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKINBkV2pCjPraJdjN9BZPcpdo7jel_D1PF71adnf-Vbl7p_hXvkbXE9WSOa8tW_1_6eM71c4iEymj7Ofo3mAQHe1VlbHQinneMRYMHJpbmrV3YqTDx5vXDcPK35qk1QAB1L0Qvx83NyBFYf2nkQ41FAtmVJjtGTTY6yGlHc5SC639OuvGMjE1zARbtjI/w400-h300/IMG_9844.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Historic Hunting Ridge, Baltimore (Photo Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Claiming hardship in a historic district with the argument that only demolition "pencils out" should be a losing proposition right from the start, especially when property is being transferred from the City in a public process. </p><p>The long view for preservation is not only supported by the excellent value retention and market conditions of most historic districts but also by the failure of projects that relied heavily on demolition. I will use two projects as examples that were recently in the news.</p><p>Exhibit one is the La Cite development in Poppleton, which was predicated on the notion that an entire neighborhood had to be wiped out in order to create valuable new things that would be marketable. The reality is that the two lone large apartment blocks that La Cite actually managed to build are pretty much a disaster, even though the developer still calls them a success. They look rather predictable, stood empty for a long time due to a slew of construction errors, have rapid tenant turnover and never succeeded creating an attractive new community. Meanwhile the local papers are full with stories of displaced citizens that saw their houses bulldozed without anything meaningful being built to replace them. </p><p>Exhibit two is the CenterPoint in Baltimore's old retail district "Market Center", constructed in tandem with the Hippodrome which was a great adaptive reuse project.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRaZjGOqoz5l1hhlnWXfwDVqkL7evK0Dzm_YDtoN4WSUFc22G2jZc8PVxFSlvy29JGZpbXvK9hKNE-OhNhpJ_ZBPD1aKDYy1IQi-kGToANQEmFW3e_WZ56OMZTVgZI0lguIwdXWTbzJ02dvUmrXcs_p3UY1rLP1lXNBJRUJGyih-RXNf-Or3V75wajTFg/s3730/Centerpoint%20Alex%20Cooper.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3730" data-original-width="2153" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqRaZjGOqoz5l1hhlnWXfwDVqkL7evK0Dzm_YDtoN4WSUFc22G2jZc8PVxFSlvy29JGZpbXvK9hKNE-OhNhpJ_ZBPD1aKDYy1IQi-kGToANQEmFW3e_WZ56OMZTVgZI0lguIwdXWTbzJ02dvUmrXcs_p3UY1rLP1lXNBJRUJGyih-RXNf-Or3V75wajTFg/w231-h400/Centerpoint%20Alex%20Cooper.jpg" width="231" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Centerpoint apartments <br />(Photo: Alex Cooper)</span></td></tr></tbody></table> By contrast, the bulk of Centerpoint was new construction with several buildings on Howard Street being retained. After 17 years of existence the project is now being auctioned off. The ground floor retail was practically never fully occupied and whatever leases there were, they changed frequently. The last stores to close were Starbucks which had been seen as the shining star of the development and El Forno, a much liked Italian restaurant which offered the Hippodrome audiences a convenient place to eat before or after the show across the street. Conflict was in the DNA of the project, beginning with the protracted battles of several historic businesses such as the historic <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2000-01-30-0001310233-story.html">Hippodrome Hatter</a> for being allowed to remain. They lost, had to close, relocate and eventually had to shut down, even though they had been re-planted in more modern facilities. <div>The driver of the CenterPoint project is the newly constructed apartment tower of mediocre design and lacking the charm of competing nearby apartments in historic buildings, such as in the former Hechts department store or in the old BGE headquarters. The maybe oldest westside example of successful adaptive reuse (from school to housing) are the Chesapeake Commons in Seton Hill and the sailcloth factory on Martin Luther King Boulevard, both still going strong<p></p><p>Far from learning from these experiences, the developer of the <i>Superblock </i>and a developer who wants to redevelop the corner of West Park Avenue and West Lexington Street, Chukeo <a href="https://www.okorodev.com/">Ukoro</a>, both applied </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3m2JoTQXjfPw_hfneiZQdQMF4lUPyX0KtTGOhSjyWjjyI5qKNTqFw72lt1VR2mSwoANw3fXRRofzGyVYxfF1BjuOsoKbM3ZBbOFbrEQh1tDiA22Al2YoxRYJALYtepYNoSfacG0yFomSla3KdwAJjsuobHYOzZA6nw1N133X07VRf9ktepeylB9G4raM/s600/Okoro%20Park-Avenue.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM3m2JoTQXjfPw_hfneiZQdQMF4lUPyX0KtTGOhSjyWjjyI5qKNTqFw72lt1VR2mSwoANw3fXRRofzGyVYxfF1BjuOsoKbM3ZBbOFbrEQh1tDiA22Al2YoxRYJALYtepYNoSfacG0yFomSla3KdwAJjsuobHYOzZA6nw1N133X07VRf9ktepeylB9G4raM/w400-h225/Okoro%20Park-Avenue.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">The proposed replacement structure is shockingly unappealing<br />(Image: Okoro development)</span></td></tr></tbody></table>for demolition of most historic buildings in their respective blocks, even though they knew very well, that historic structures in the local Five and Dime historic district are protected and must be preserved. Unless....This is where the "substantial hardship" argument comes in as the camel's nose in the preservation tent. Preservationist are no economists and time and again they got the wool pulled over their eyes by "hardship" arguments they couldn't verify. Time and again demo happy developers just look at a single building without considering their context next to them or across the street. Historic preservation is no longer just the single landmark "on a silver tray", but it is also context and meaning.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglb2WiDmlwBa7etcGuFbL9bvAwzaMswyvkPc28siC0f8FV7OTyBbWtorUFGn7hYzrcVCSX_NhF3-2omyfAnzjnttw6un5CoQzJsi7KHxo2s_7KWYJg4-eHwxRwrQb7oVStK9faZOowp6tlOKPe1knSh8yqeJuukysjZplHVjeHwMNFVrerx0yxlwwZAiwb/s4032/IMG_9022.HEIC" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglb2WiDmlwBa7etcGuFbL9bvAwzaMswyvkPc28siC0f8FV7OTyBbWtorUFGn7hYzrcVCSX_NhF3-2omyfAnzjnttw6un5CoQzJsi7KHxo2s_7KWYJg4-eHwxRwrQb7oVStK9faZOowp6tlOKPe1knSh8yqeJuukysjZplHVjeHwMNFVrerx0yxlwwZAiwb/w400-h300/IMG_9022.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">The second building from left: Proposed for demolition but CHAP <br />requested preservation (for now.) Photo: Philipsen</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p></p><p>To their credit and in a sign of a new resolve, the historic district commission CHAP has lately shown some teeth and a new assertiveness in which it even preempted the City Council by banning the gas meter and regulator installations in front of facades in historic districts. For the two recent projects on the agenda in the <i>Five and Dime</i> historic district held a fairly admirable line and didn't fully cave immediately cave to the developers, no matter how much they claimed "hardship" in several sessions. </p><p><span style="background-color: white;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">Tearing down the seven buildings at Howard and Fayette streets would give the team land to construct an efficient, code-compliant, economically-viable replacement building that could meet the needs of today’s tenants.(Developer Janian's argument as quoted in Baltimore Fishbowl)</span></blockquote><p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1h48kffVhoqRNEY8zXghGDUfejwceQ1qvLm9-xf0kRrjhib-jYoGgJw5Ocwq-UN0TrqWY3c6Cg-6lbrKoNaE79v8fGZSjhm8p2CR25TkfsY9GDGJ3pfqQSsU_41cCZKKNSygU6YQ2nfHJhskhoLMG5jg8yIpG5t0Im6QnxQewKou3xMi5k31F8OYxeWY/s4032/IMG_9019.HEIC" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1h48kffVhoqRNEY8zXghGDUfejwceQ1qvLm9-xf0kRrjhib-jYoGgJw5Ocwq-UN0TrqWY3c6Cg-6lbrKoNaE79v8fGZSjhm8p2CR25TkfsY9GDGJ3pfqQSsU_41cCZKKNSygU6YQ2nfHJhskhoLMG5jg8yIpG5t0Im6QnxQewKou3xMi5k31F8OYxeWY/w400-h300/IMG_9019.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">The center building: Proposed for demolition on Park Ave<br />(Photo: Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />For the Compass project on the "<i>superblock</i>" the panel initially <a href="http://baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/why-baltimores-preservation-commission-rejected-a-developers-plan-for-the-compass-and-what-it-could-mean-for-downtowns-west-side/">rejected</a> five of seven demo requests and stuck to their guns in a second meeting where the hardship argument was made in detail. In a third meeting on August 8, the Commission <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2023/08/08/super-block-compromise-demolish-historic-buildings.html">agreed </a>to a third building to be demolished and to partial preservation of the <a href="https://baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/compass-project-finally-gets-a-green-light-but-a-second-developer-suffers-a-setback-in-separate-bids-to-tear-down-historic-buildings-on-the-west-side-of-downtown/">facades </a>for two others This solution was celebrated as a compromise. Facade preservation is usually being frowned upon by preservationists. However, it allows a consistent streetscape and can be a successful compromise in cases where floorplates and floor elevations of existing structures are too small to work with modern egress and fire codes and hard to integrate into a proposed project. An example of such facadectomy can be found on Baltimore's Braodway in Fells Point. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzuMeGeuOEcfqNlNoUy2lZYnf2DWPFhTRT_AusC5XKIzw3KsuUNS_xCgSwK7OOyjKg-K66iVQZOV8dSIpIgd8NEnl-3PQ6JJY5gsUEsysLrYXFN8mxhdfP5VGkbC1TwNR2e6MppLgQk5rH-VSLPbaYGci0mCwfX2lD9bqIj0r5Ktr6tO4rzesOxLqkniE/s4032/IMG_9024.HEIC" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirzuMeGeuOEcfqNlNoUy2lZYnf2DWPFhTRT_AusC5XKIzw3KsuUNS_xCgSwK7OOyjKg-K66iVQZOV8dSIpIgd8NEnl-3PQ6JJY5gsUEsysLrYXFN8mxhdfP5VGkbC1TwNR2e6MppLgQk5rH-VSLPbaYGci0mCwfX2lD9bqIj0r5Ktr6tO4rzesOxLqkniE/w400-h300/IMG_9024.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Fayette Street buildings slated for demo. The adjacent former <br />Trailways bus station (foreground) has long been demolished<br />(Photo: Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>For the second project debated on the same day, CHAP was more forceful. The developer asked for the demolition of the three-story building at 114 W. Lexington St. that once served as the entry to a theater, the former Ann Lewis department store at 116-120 W. Lexington St., and the four-story commercial building at 207-209 Park Ave. CHAP agreed initially only to the non contributing corner building to be demolished. One building on Lexington and two on Park Avenue are to stay. The Baltimore SUN described the developer as "dejected" but ready to come back with a revised proposal. </p><p>CHAP should generally reject the hardship argument. It is no hardship if you have to do what the law has been saying all along. You can't buy an old car and the complain that it has a combustion engine. </p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">The developers should have known what they were in for when they applied to redevelop properties in a historic district. “It costs money to preserve buildings, and the developers came in and got a [land disposition agreement] and sought to develop these buildings in a historic district that you designated, and that should actually mean something – to CHAP, to the citizens who care about preservation and the history and the environment on the west side of downtown. (Nicole King, Professor of American studies at the CHAP hearing as quoted in Baltimore Fishbowl)</span></blockquote><p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tESbJHnXcLmhzI__yRthWfyl0BuIec_NJAVBZRhMgPF84r1HvD33KTE01SMIyEQ8RYu_Se2SdslFTBMhzJNiK9FV6smajVZzSrPX0tX4ePQotDK6OUcwBTbGahsb76gOHKzazMRuLnxkTAYLnSi-bjtm5APn6d0nYV560OUmy49R6HedoO8V-Q9eY3Si/s4032/IMG_9028.HEIC" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tESbJHnXcLmhzI__yRthWfyl0BuIec_NJAVBZRhMgPF84r1HvD33KTE01SMIyEQ8RYu_Se2SdslFTBMhzJNiK9FV6smajVZzSrPX0tX4ePQotDK6OUcwBTbGahsb76gOHKzazMRuLnxkTAYLnSi-bjtm5APn6d0nYV560OUmy49R6HedoO8V-Q9eY3Si/w300-h400/IMG_9028.HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Howard Street buildings for which parts of the facade<br />need to be saved (Photo Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />As I have pointed out many times in this space, the success of Baltimore's own historic districts prove that proper historic preservation yields a return on investment. If our own examples are not convincing enough, look elsewhere. For example, in Cincinnati's Over the Rhine, a carefully preserved and now thriving historic district that had fallen on hard times, similar to our own "westside". <p></p><p>Former industrial legacy cities like Baltimore and Cincinnati need to leverage their assets prudently. Like it or not with Fortune 500 headquarters gone, the garment industry decimated and manufacturing reduced to a trickle their biggest asset is beautiful historic architecture. </p><p>Klaus Philipsen, FAIA</p><p><i>Related content on this blog:</i> </p><p><a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2023/07/how-to-invite-more-demolition-by.html">How to invite demolition by neglect</a></p><p><a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2018/10/why-demolition-of-historic-buildings.html">Why the demolition of historic buildings remains a bad idea</a></p><p><a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2016/12/bombing-downtown.html">Bombing Downtown</a></p><p>For an article explaining the history of previous redevelopment attempts for the mentioned buildings see <a href="https://baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/recent-demolition-requests-for-historic-buildings-on-the-west-side-of-downtown-are-a-sign-that-the-easiest-to-rehab-projects-have-been-taken-planners-say/?fbclid=IwAR1rfI36_5WpqRfXQmqkBQR1B8EQqL7qZj8cxB7ET76aEZSVdnmRKQ_re4M_aem_AYk8lSn_pQZOvBercecahcmAWRDILY2ZTyGYuyBRVzyV4gQjs8vD1uYmj0uApXoQpOM&mibextid=S66gvF">here</a></p></div>Klaus Philipsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01615851444265308506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223492702090268881.post-26446385887359026742023-08-04T07:07:00.006-07:002023-08-04T12:15:20.620-07:00Baltimore City and County Planning the Future: How they prepare their new Masterplans<p><b>Late to the party: The new 10 year plans</b></p><p>Baltimore City calls it a Comprehensive Plan and hasn't done one since 2006. Baltimore County calls it <a href="https://masterplan2030-bc-gis.hub.arcgis.com/pages/plandocument">Masterplan 2030</a> and its last version is from 2020. Both jurisdictions are in the process of getting new plans done this year and both are out of sync with the round numbers that the State required 10 year cycle for those plans suggest. This has to do with the idea that the plans follow the <a href="https://baltimoreplanning.konveio.com/ourbaltimoremapsdata">census</a>.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjShZJS3mdHSAjUr8or-GWPL49L-v6thqBdsINTAqAjmFwekCftD9KGfP6thMZeKQGcCPLR6aMBgcN3uXMLFIXEdz5rXouTZ12ziyG1lS6dw7F8nEw-mUF4hZiCdIGIN4UAWKSB7wSbtOUVYsvpCIO0YKamaxC5G2am_3CwDCFaDYEGSvayZ6oa0EBUnnKI/s815/PointsNorth%20logo%20proposal.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="815" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjShZJS3mdHSAjUr8or-GWPL49L-v6thqBdsINTAqAjmFwekCftD9KGfP6thMZeKQGcCPLR6aMBgcN3uXMLFIXEdz5rXouTZ12ziyG1lS6dw7F8nEw-mUF4hZiCdIGIN4UAWKSB7wSbtOUVYsvpCIO0YKamaxC5G2am_3CwDCFaDYEGSvayZ6oa0EBUnnKI/s320/PointsNorth%20logo%20proposal.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Baltimore City Comp Plan logo</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The City titling the effort "<a href="https://www.planourbaltimore.com/">Our Baltimore- Your Baltimore</a>" was looking for "storytelling ambassadors", the County posted the entire draft plan in the form of story-maps. Planning as a "story" is quite departure from the dry Comp Plans of old as with the "plan elements" that are <a href="https://planning.maryland.gov/Pages/OurWork/compplans/requirements.aspx">required and outlined</a> by the State. The innovative approach comes from the American Planning Association (APA). Both City and County planning departments lean heavily on the APA publication <a href="https://www.planning.org/publications/report/9026901/">Best Practices for a Comprehensive Plan</a>. As a result, both start out with identical vision frameworks (<i>Liveable Environment, Harmony with Nature, Inclusive (or resilient) Economy, Healthy Communities</i>). The County added <i>Responsible Regionalism</i> and <i>Inclusive Planning</i>.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtJOcU0Jv9VWasHUdcIVmKbemAzG16JvcA-ap-VUuNOqvGLbvStv2uz0rUFOECZb3ke3A3zartxr-aV1-yMr07wvwYGJBoLsAA1YAtB5bzaiz_ClxbDmeZeqa7k-YQ2CwW6Lcb89J76WuCoRwWEwJWRfEPzSFtiz1ZOi2jxGhocC4chIJxr-FdEhU8BjUc/s300/County%20masterplan%20title.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtJOcU0Jv9VWasHUdcIVmKbemAzG16JvcA-ap-VUuNOqvGLbvStv2uz0rUFOECZb3ke3A3zartxr-aV1-yMr07wvwYGJBoLsAA1YAtB5bzaiz_ClxbDmeZeqa7k-YQ2CwW6Lcb89J76WuCoRwWEwJWRfEPzSFtiz1ZOi2jxGhocC4chIJxr-FdEhU8BjUc/s1600/County%20masterplan%20title.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Baltimore County Masterplan logo</span></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Why those plans are so important</b><div><br /></div><div>Comprehensive Plans or Masterplans serve the purpose of planning the future of an entire jurisdiction for over ten years in all those areas required by State law. These plans do not just cover land use (which is the responsibility of planning departments) but also housing, transportation, environmental protection, infrastructure and growth management. Unfortunately, these plans have often been treated as a necessary nuisance that sat on the infamous shelf collecting dust while City and County leaders winged important decisions in a reactive and case by case manner, usually with less than stellar results.<div><br /></div><div>Looking back over the last ten years, both, City and County have to admit, not all went well. More open land got paved over while established neighborhoods, especially in the City languish. Decaying and defunct shopping centers galore. More people drive, road congestion is high, so are traffic fatalities. Crime remains shockingly high. Infrastructure is crumbling faster than it can be fixed. Both jurisdictions feed about half of their trash into an obsolete incinerator which is spewing toxins while the other half goes to landfills that are about full. School performance is slipping, in spite of record investments into school facilities. Transit is inadequate and getting to jobs remains a challenge for those without cars. All the while climate change is an ever bigger threat and the set goals for CO2 reduction are easy to establish and hard to achieve. Lack of funds is perpetual.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCqn4NXGNtUkjzjmtd3RsKMXAkXtSFLShoY-PrUuzpOCRhWZltGkWyRqSuBvnm4_MrYPKPLbUwtvThLaCGhG7yc7zaFNlnAuebedaPPrzJP9zJjAvPIKhcMbB1FlCeAOI1zoEG1odrOG1-iN3DKgzXbOuvuw6iZOtN0z8RcoUGYhLDRni5f6wA78PJSN2I/s4032/IMG_8528.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCqn4NXGNtUkjzjmtd3RsKMXAkXtSFLShoY-PrUuzpOCRhWZltGkWyRqSuBvnm4_MrYPKPLbUwtvThLaCGhG7yc7zaFNlnAuebedaPPrzJP9zJjAvPIKhcMbB1FlCeAOI1zoEG1odrOG1-iN3DKgzXbOuvuw6iZOtN0z8RcoUGYhLDRni5f6wA78PJSN2I/w400-h300/IMG_8528.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">MTA buses and trains cover City and County but the system <br />continues to underperform (Photo: Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>City and County leaders now often stand shoulder to shoulder and exchange data, yet true coordination is still elusive. All this means that the new 10 year plans must blaze a truly new course. They cannot be business as usual. On the long road towards making a new plan, and even more enacting and implementing it, it won't be enough to have a catchy new format with bold goas and principles, pictures and stories. The plans must survive the buzzsaw of special interests thrown at them during planning commission and council hearings, but entire administrations need sing from the same sheets for a decade to come. <br /><p></p><p><b>Similarities and differences in how City and County approach the plans</b></p><p>The County's outreach started with a dashboard that included basic facts and figures about the County, even though there wasn't a systematic critique of the previous plan or some analysis of what goals of the previous plan have been achieved, not achieved or reached obsolescence. The City has a section that deals with the old 2006 plan and provides a <a href="https://www.planourbaltimore.com/_files/ugd/ce643a_e980d22e995d4eb68a7c14f89bffa036.pdf">progress report</a>. For a 17 year runtime the results of the old plan are somewhat tepid. Only 12 goals became adopted City policy, 40 were completed or need an update, 65 are labeled ongoing or in progress without specifying the rate of progress, 21 were never started or pursued. </p><p>The County is ahead at this point. Its plan was presented a <a href="https://storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/6333191e30854d94b5d07e1c159d9242">draft </a>in April and since then has been heard by the Planning Board with the Council reviewing it next (On August 8th). The Council will eventually formally adopt or amend the draft. The original print version of an <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-county/bs-md-co-2030-master-plan-20230802-jp4pdg7g3zbnvkymwmn4mpb3u4-story.htm">article </a>in the Baltimore SUN stated that the Council can only adopt or reject the plan wholesale without the ability to modify or amend. That is incorrect and has since been corrected. Initially the Council was to begin discussing the Plan on August 7, that has now been delayed. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCkPKlhqeagNuJWH_EdU5ML7jGPHB9c87oLNSLPBSIWsITkHqS9Pc9x4jdS7Y7H8Vw5FczqMzV_QAsNZCIKfv55TF1Ewv56d96ARH3_x1ODJWbZWAWqydcFUyrCOC4_3cTA1vpAjlmP4awhrcauhNwMxs5Nnl58sP-ylQ3B1-mGeFCl8wNz0-bWeM8tKJ/s944/Places%20map%20County.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="812" data-original-width="944" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvCkPKlhqeagNuJWH_EdU5ML7jGPHB9c87oLNSLPBSIWsITkHqS9Pc9x4jdS7Y7H8Vw5FczqMzV_QAsNZCIKfv55TF1Ewv56d96ARH3_x1ODJWbZWAWqydcFUyrCOC4_3cTA1vpAjlmP4awhrcauhNwMxs5Nnl58sP-ylQ3B1-mGeFCl8wNz0-bWeM8tKJ/w400-h344/Places%20map%20County.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Baltimore County Places Map with City carved out</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The City plan is envisioned to be before the City Council about a year from now. A small difference between City and County approach is the way outreach how has been organized: The City opted to install an advisory council as a second pipeline to provide community information in addition to the "open houses". The notes of the feedback so far can be found <a href="https://www.planourbaltimore.com/topics">here</a>. Another round of engagement is planned for the fall. In addition the Planning Department solicits input from all other City Departments, most of them have their own masterplans or strategic plans. (A list of all plans can be found <a href="https://www.planourbaltimore.com/otherplansand2006plan">here</a>)</p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><blockquote>Our Advisory Council was not appointed, but selected through an open application process in 2021, during the pre-planning phase of this project. The selection process prioritized Baltimore residents with deep community involvement and leadership. Members of the Advisory Council helped shape the development of our Community Engagement Leadership Team.</blockquote></span><p>The County had similar pipelines to gather community and expert input. The County website states:</p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"></span><blockquote><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">Baltimore County <a href="https://masterplan2030-bc-gis.hub.arcgis.com/pages/plandocument">Master Plan 2030</a> is an aspirational planning document that charts a course for the County throughout the next decade and beyond. The plan represents the culmination of a lengthy master-planning process which began in spring 2021 and included community outreach and public input phases, recommendations from local experts, stakeholders and County agencies, as well as, deliberation and coordination among numerous County agencies and Department of Planning staff. ...<span style="font-family: "Crimson Text", serif; font-size: 22px;"> </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">[the plan] is based on a systems approach, with three interwoven themes and six guiding principles</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">.<span style="font-family: "Crimson Text", serif; font-size: 22px;"> </span></span></blockquote><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"></span><p>Neither the City nor the County plan adhere fully to the required elements set forth by the State. The County's<i> housing element</i> is weak and its <i>implementation element</i> is deferred to some future point. </p><p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(48, 78, 78); color: #304e4e; font-family: "Noto Serif", serif; font-size: 19.2px; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(48, 78, 78); white-space: pre-wrap;">A </span><em data-testid="CustomText-Italic" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(48, 78, 78); white-space: pre-wrap;">Master Plan 2030</em><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(48, 78, 78); white-space: pre-wrap;"> implementation page will be created after the master plan is adopted by the Baltimore County Council and will include implementation strategies and tracking of success</span></span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(48, 78, 78); color: #304e4e; font-family: "Noto Serif", serif; font-size: 19.2px; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(48, 78, 78); color: #304e4e; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(<a href="https://storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/6333191e30854d94b5d07e1c159d9242?item=1">County Website</a>)</span></span></blockquote><p>It isn't clear yet, how the City plan will shape up, but staff says it will include all State required elements that are applicable in the City. </p><p><b>Many systems know no boundaries</b></p><p>With a "systems approach" and this weird geography in which the County grips around the City like a vise, it appears obvious that these City and County plans for the next ten years or more would be developed in close cooperation. County Planning Director Lafferty and City Planning Director Ryer said as much themselves. Indeed, Lafferty attended City open houses and both directors kept an open line of communication. Alas, regionalism in the County plan is vague under the vison framework title <i><a href="https://storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/6333191e30854d94b5d07e1c159d9242?item=3">Responsible Regionalism</a></i> in the County framework. </p><p>Clearly, for all the interdependence, the Count and the City are very different animals, no matter the identical framework and titles. The County has benefited from urban flight and racial fear all the way to the post WWII State law that prohibits the City from annexing any more County land. The City by contrast was landlocked and left with the folks who were either prevented by discrimination from fleeing or didn't have the means or both. In a short lived reversal of fortunes, urbanity had a revival and attracted young creatives to move back to the cities nationwide. But Baltimore didn't capitalize sufficiently from this trend and continued to shrink to the point that the County is today more than 1/3 than it was in 1970 while the City shrank at the same rate. Now the County is 1/3 larger than the the City. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTtjbdc9JdWt2wwajo3JHezwXXayLYun3C2X6fJ5RfdLm0t0NAQ3N21VSlQZN1nro7zkuRtPBgNXx76xjjCzbydMXRt0Xe1IaMtc7OibxeMHgwtDbl6jXVPzqxFSL_BK0VvS6gVjPlkqHIxr6XcJaVY6VJ-mpdtuXYqjmjvZsonHNFMDArY-g3EoFyGdh4" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="139" data-original-width="601" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTtjbdc9JdWt2wwajo3JHezwXXayLYun3C2X6fJ5RfdLm0t0NAQ3N21VSlQZN1nro7zkuRtPBgNXx76xjjCzbydMXRt0Xe1IaMtc7OibxeMHgwtDbl6jXVPzqxFSL_BK0VvS6gVjPlkqHIxr6XcJaVY6VJ-mpdtuXYqjmjvZsonHNFMDArY-g3EoFyGdh4=w502-h116" width="502" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://baltimoreplanning.konveio.com/ourbaltimoremapsdata">City information panel for outreach </a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b>Smart growth versus sprawl</b><p></p><p>With its large land mass the County had the foresight to protect its vast open spaces as early as the 1960s. It limited limit water and sewer service to land inside the urban rural demarcation line (URDL) which stands to this day and was recognized as a bold and progressive step in planning the future. The result is that about 90% of the population lives on the smaller portion of county land that surrounds the city in mostly what has become known as "inner ring suburbs". Not surprisingly this has irked</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4EMg-sblQInOZe5WghXB3WgUHperJakCEHfahbb20jAGzykkdamo24puNmVbyXMRYAPrvtdTRLA_w0Z3Y6IGEichyrgG-1fZvTIjSKQIZs5x69rX04NvVeYONBTVKoQrxZFh0wHIQbkBecjarCDQMTQGphCZzMrDnu3htEpVNdngxEb_fy5ttcDvYJ7Wr/s544/URDL%20and%20population.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="544" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4EMg-sblQInOZe5WghXB3WgUHperJakCEHfahbb20jAGzykkdamo24puNmVbyXMRYAPrvtdTRLA_w0Z3Y6IGEichyrgG-1fZvTIjSKQIZs5x69rX04NvVeYONBTVKoQrxZFh0wHIQbkBecjarCDQMTQGphCZzMrDnu3htEpVNdngxEb_fy5ttcDvYJ7Wr/w400-h217/URDL%20and%20population.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Success: 90% of the County population lives in side the growth <br />boundary protecting vaulable farms and forests. All of City residents<br />live inside an area that should grow but shrinks.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> developers ever since the growth boundary was created, itching to tear it down and open the rural areas to sprawl. This round of masterplanning is no exception, with developers and their attorneys demanding that the URDL have to be "studied". There is now even a suggestion that [the URDL] "has contributed to past racial and economic segregation" That is a rather bold statement given that the reverse is closer to the truth. The large low density sprawl opportunities that the County offered even with the URDL in place fueled urban flight and segregation, not to mention the historic hostility in parts of the County against diversity. <p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOVlaC0y65eszoWKxIL4oQDH8TIBc-eHCN9zJMH34hrdHRXrqfzsULV-6LFCVgGkQzr1IkIlw2rFetzjSZeZxSS4Uo1fgAhBOi3hRGVTqUtV-LofTIHaUHGhd2v36WES2q5oU0CpXfc7NiZClCykpdaNUIyRnPz_QAaeMF9PyLo8EqLWVERMu-3U6fWToN/s672/Growing-shrinking%20cities%202.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="672" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOVlaC0y65eszoWKxIL4oQDH8TIBc-eHCN9zJMH34hrdHRXrqfzsULV-6LFCVgGkQzr1IkIlw2rFetzjSZeZxSS4Uo1fgAhBOi3hRGVTqUtV-LofTIHaUHGhd2v36WES2q5oU0CpXfc7NiZClCykpdaNUIyRnPz_QAaeMF9PyLo8EqLWVERMu-3U6fWToN/w400-h376/Growing-shrinking%20cities%202.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Cities with highest population losses (Baltimore = darker bar)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Not only does the County run out of green fields to build on within the URDL, inner ring suburbs increasingly experience the same "urban ills" as the City had experienced first, namely increasing poverty and all that comes from poverty, lower school success, lower life expectancy, more crime. Hence, the County masterplan emphasizes "Retrofit" as the development strategy of the future, nothing less than "reinventing the suburbs". A good goal but not specific enough. Missing is a map showing the actual development capacity for the County based on the retrofit concept. </p><p><b>"Retrofit" irks developers: Innovation gutted</b></p><p>The "retrofit" theme also irked County developers who feared that remaining open spaces inside the URDL could be locked up in favor of using previously developed areas that have infrastructure but are often underutilized or sit fallow. </p><p>The County Planning Board in its review of the draft masterplan mostly heard from the lawyers of the development interest. In one session one law firm alone used the two minute testimony per speaker limit with four different speakers who conveniently wove a long story of how development would suffer should the original masterplan language be adopted.</p><p>The County's Board liberally gutted the major provisions of the Masterplan, namely the focus on "retrofit" and the intended sequencing in which major rezoning would follow the masterplan (and the community plans) and not run independent of it. They also wanted to nuke the APA idea of the plan consisting of "story boards" which would continually evolve over the 10 year life span. The lawyers argued that this was way too complicated and oped that the many "live" links and cross references be eliminated in favor of a static PDF plan that can be bound into a binder and collect dust on a shelf. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv2JOdnNUMuO0n3zqhMywYZlHXYh0y4_Rjy7JKF9N0NJG-I_y-2Ehkp6h1TjEUehh5219gXQpUMam8hFuOkIKQBtO1vWtk0drJQoe22DPADQ1-Nj_FBY6x2TCCMmPYelqH2QSMI7EXcWq0yI1GIGVPW1GRKATb-pT8_wsmie68F5_PhzdUZnuQtsWW9Ols/s710/Lafarge2.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="710" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv2JOdnNUMuO0n3zqhMywYZlHXYh0y4_Rjy7JKF9N0NJG-I_y-2Ehkp6h1TjEUehh5219gXQpUMam8hFuOkIKQBtO1vWtk0drJQoe22DPADQ1-Nj_FBY6x2TCCMmPYelqH2QSMI7EXcWq0yI1GIGVPW1GRKATb-pT8_wsmie68F5_PhzdUZnuQtsWW9Ols/w400-h258/Lafarge2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Lafarge former mine in Baltimore County:(SUN photo)<br />What does the Masterplan say?</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>It will now depend on the County Council to breathe life back into the initially ambitious plan. One has to see whether the Council has the guts to end the unholy history of obtuse and corrupt County development planning. Given that council members have almost absolute power over re-zoning in their district or over introducing or not introducing a "Planned Unit Development" (PUD) its hard to be too optimistic. Especially the PUD process has opened the doors wide to all kinds of developments that in clear violation of typical planning procedures entirely dispose of the restrictions of the underlying zoning. </p><p>A recent example may be the most egregious case: A PUD introduced on behalf of the worldwide cement company LaFarge which would have allowed a large potion of their 450 acre former sand quarry to be developed as a trucking warehouse area even though the land was zoned RC8 which stands for resource conservation and means low density resdiential uses to protect environmentally sensitive areas. The matter was so drastic a violation of good practice and cause such an upheaval in the Middle River community that the new councilman revoked the PUD of his predecessor. For Baltimore County this was quite a heroic act. The masterplan suggests a PUD process reform The developer already regsitered their opposition to change current procedure. Its unlikely the Council has much appetite to curb its absolute power. Still, given widespread public discontent there could be more heroic efforts of standing up to powerful interest. </p><p><b>What are the emerging City themes?</b></p><p>The city's emerging big themes are less clear at this point, although there could be many: Growing population back, eradicating vacant homes, lower property taxes or split land taxes that tax land and improvements on it separately, TOD etc. Will the city recognize how much it is intertwined with the County and also have a "regional" component? The City planners in charge of the plan update identified three sections that emerge as the structure of the new plan: <i>Policy</i>, <i>growth and retention, </i>and a <i>geographic element</i> (map and land use plan) that shows where what should happen. Such a l<i>and use map</i> had not been part of the 2006 plan conceived by the Planning Director Rolley who dubbed his plan a "business plan". </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUWwlhTRMmtW9qR6cXTyeSJwL3OiR8Nognp7l8tT_yTxXFiXvJLjTfZNHJ1CwNQr0VbIeYVk5G6CGvJV2jSKc1lZCdQdp5qkdzDVjOTsckEG_UjpZLZT75DH9DW0rUbQ87MXBnpgSQkcPezC3klT9NMIaY4hmjn45TUCJtaYeG5d5L42sx-95qjVb68GYg/s718/Grow-shrink%20map%20City.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="689" data-original-width="718" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUWwlhTRMmtW9qR6cXTyeSJwL3OiR8Nognp7l8tT_yTxXFiXvJLjTfZNHJ1CwNQr0VbIeYVk5G6CGvJV2jSKc1lZCdQdp5qkdzDVjOTsckEG_UjpZLZT75DH9DW0rUbQ87MXBnpgSQkcPezC3klT9NMIaY4hmjn45TUCJtaYeG5d5L42sx-95qjVb68GYg/w400-h384/Grow-shrink%20map%20City.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">dark red areas shows highest population loss, dark blue highest gains</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The data section of the panels presented to citizens as part of the outreach effort were heavy on demographic data from the census, especially on population loss. <i>Growing back</i> has been a goal since O'Malley was Mayor and was made more explicit by Mayor Rawlings. However, the city continued to shrink more than any other large US city other than Detroit. </p><p><b>Attention council members!</b></p><p>Most of the Planning Board or Planning Commission members in County and City are not planning professionals One can safely assume that much of the mundane planning stuff of a 10 year masterplan goes over their heads making them vulnerable to special interest. The County's Board actions should be a warning sign to the City. In both places the last word is with the Council. Given the many problems we have in the Baltimore region council members should pay a lot of attention to plans that will define the region for a decade. </p><p><br /></p><p>Klaus Philipsen, FAIA</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div></div>Klaus Philipsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01615851444265308506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223492702090268881.post-13343667759584256472023-07-10T12:46:00.006-07:002023-07-11T07:25:20.556-07:00How to Invite More Demolition by Neglect: The sad case of the Hendler's Creamery <p>Born in 1892 the stately building proudly stood for nearly a 100 years as an example of industrial Romanesque revival architecture that was easily able to accommodate as distinctly different uses as a power hub for cable cars, a theater and an ice-cream factory. Even after moving into public possession after some years of vacancy in the 1980s it still found good use as an employment facility of the City.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgThd330BLBbjfaVlOWPTB4mwdOwBLMt3yvS_xKdBZXJ7_8hNHAwyKI-lehAPcUSKP8_2yzxNujm0OC4_mduVTj1a-fDGWE3jymEcIA6H86Deerh4G96Z7nIoaDMIOsCZzGgU3kPGp4j-rxoG-k8OsryKrHXsw-XU0eCSzhC8QmuTFwBXdWtm0-Pup1f9Dk/s1433/Commercial%20Webpage.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="684" data-original-width="1433" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgThd330BLBbjfaVlOWPTB4mwdOwBLMt3yvS_xKdBZXJ7_8hNHAwyKI-lehAPcUSKP8_2yzxNujm0OC4_mduVTj1a-fDGWE3jymEcIA6H86Deerh4G96Z7nIoaDMIOsCZzGgU3kPGp4j-rxoG-k8OsryKrHXsw-XU0eCSzhC8QmuTFwBXdWtm0-Pup1f9Dk/w400-h191/Commercial%20Webpage.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">The Hendler Creamery structure around 2012 as shown on<br />Commercial Construction website</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> <p></p><p>But then, in the 21st century, when the property was supposed to switch back into private hands via the Baltimore Development Corporation's "land disposition agreement" process, it joined the long list of projects that went off the rails and wound up eradicating history. In 2007 BDC selected preservation expert Marty Azola from two redevelopment proposals. The project to convert the facility into a private office building fell through in the recession, forcing Azola to sell the facility in foreclosure.</p><p>What followed in 2012 was the lofty vision of building an apartment building inside the voluminous structure. This vision was followed by the demolition of the eastern wall, roof, and interior, with the remaining walls shored up with the building's own bones, I.e. it’s steel beams. But that was the end of sctivity. Then the building fell into dormancy and the vision evaporated into nothing. The sad ransacked remainders of the once intact structure stood for six years left to the elements, fenced in and neglected.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3kgeEdevQkDQdCiiyjHc__j9K2Bm-3Hu67IwS-NXIvqoG1wt6CE8nYG5mVphbywM3OsuPUzIFvMqkjCRPDp9k1kbECCc9pK2M_21x3ZxbXzRrzoprP4ctrmdVPexHU8ane78wg2x84x1d762vhe17qiJSVrUmVIGnTNI-HT8EJk2C-7Qg_4hNZPerzhl/s1219/Shring%20Commercial%20website.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="687" data-original-width="1219" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz3kgeEdevQkDQdCiiyjHc__j9K2Bm-3Hu67IwS-NXIvqoG1wt6CE8nYG5mVphbywM3OsuPUzIFvMqkjCRPDp9k1kbECCc9pK2M_21x3ZxbXzRrzoprP4ctrmdVPexHU8ane78wg2x84x1d762vhe17qiJSVrUmVIGnTNI-HT8EJk2C-7Qg_4hNZPerzhl/w400-h225/Shring%20Commercial%20website.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Exterior shoring activity in 2018 as shown on Commerciial Construction<br />website. </span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>As observers of Baltimore's development and preservation scene already know and the title line gives away, of course, we are talking about the Hendler Creamery, a facility that once covered a whole city Block between Fayette and Baltimore and East and Asquith Streets in the Jonestown historic district. The main structure was listed on the National Register as historically significant in 2007. </p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">Jonestown historic district exemplifies the physical culture of a residential, commercial and industrial neighborhood that housed and employed several immigrant and class groups throughout the late 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries (CHAP <a href="https://chap.baltimorecity.gov/sites/default/files/CHAP%20Staff%20Report_1100%20E.%20Baltimore%20-%20March%2014%202023.pdf">staff report</a>)</span></blockquote><p></p><p>In June, CHAP sealed the fate of the Hendler Creamery by <a href="https://livestream.com/accounts/17371294/events/10884471/videos/236564256">approving </a>neglect and decay by declaring what is left of the building unsalvageable and ripe for demolition. The owner could have gotten off easier </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3KUFX1aisCqe-b8d_91TuOc2TkuqLsLpexzhrO_EIzsY_6Vk5WdCQMUvS7y0YbXzaDMpMUH6gc3P1ypUlIXpNG0RGvyFbUUjWoV_cWR31JzFTxtZak-iHkiU8pQlbYQGdXMVV5lJm_jW_tkoQdAG0ipx_6CnKHe5GAx_6LMK36cMJpsF37m3DtD-KAgP/s2000/Design%20Collective%20rendering.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="2000" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3KUFX1aisCqe-b8d_91TuOc2TkuqLsLpexzhrO_EIzsY_6Vk5WdCQMUvS7y0YbXzaDMpMUH6gc3P1ypUlIXpNG0RGvyFbUUjWoV_cWR31JzFTxtZak-iHkiU8pQlbYQGdXMVV5lJm_jW_tkoQdAG0ipx_6CnKHe5GAx_6LMK36cMJpsF37m3DtD-KAgP/w400-h225/Design%20Collective%20rendering.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Design Collective rendering of the originally envioned new <br />project (Design Collective)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><span style="color: #444444;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">The Hendler Creamery building was designed by local
architect Jackson Gott in 1892 as a cable car powerhouse. The building powered the run of
cable from Gay Street to North Avenue. In 1899, the United Railway and Electric Company, a
Baltimore street car conglomerate, purchased the building and replaced the cable cars with
electric streetcars. In 1903 prominent theater owner James L. Kernan converted the building to
a theater. Kernan hired architect Edward Glidden to install a lobby, manager’s office, box
office and an auditorium. A new floor was also inserted in the former engine room. In 1912,
Lionel Manuel Hendler purchased the property and converted it into America’s first
1100 E. Baltimore – Hendler Creamery – Demolition Hearing One: Determination of Historic Significance
(Jonestown Historic District)
2
completely automated ice cream plant. Between 1914 and 1915, Hendler added a third floor,
and a bay to the eastern side of the structure (Image 6). The Hendler Company continued
making ice cream until 1971 when Borden Company acquired the business. Ice cream was
made at the site until the mid-1980s.</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">(CHAP </span><a href="https://chap.baltimorecity.gov/sites/default/files/CHAP%20Staff%20Report_1100%20E.%20Baltimore%20-%20March%2014%202023.pdf" style="font-family: helvetica;">staff report</a><span style="font-family: helvetica;">)</span></span></blockquote><p></p><p>This last vote was the end of a chain of a long slippery slope that began when the developer <i>The</i></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3u7sD87bYi8PRyZQh2gBd8F9LEkhXC3liK0xW3NXnbuyl8YRpksM8Vv7F7jWKjlTV8LgvMxeJDlIKFHJinpGu_Hn_wDnUgi2Z14VfMtzdMx0JfKcP1WKaqAhhUPMMTzP-99TpxKvsE9UDF4-KUB71ARx7kKNmupG7ApKwlOxe17aecRSDsQJBF8RxOyH/s4032/4AE98377-12E8-4ACD-B628-A0E25BEBAC47.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3u7sD87bYi8PRyZQh2gBd8F9LEkhXC3liK0xW3NXnbuyl8YRpksM8Vv7F7jWKjlTV8LgvMxeJDlIKFHJinpGu_Hn_wDnUgi2Z14VfMtzdMx0JfKcP1WKaqAhhUPMMTzP-99TpxKvsE9UDF4-KUB71ARx7kKNmupG7ApKwlOxe17aecRSDsQJBF8RxOyH/w300-h400/4AE98377-12E8-4ACD-B628-A0E25BEBAC47.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Current state of the building (Photo: Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><i><br /> Commercial Group</i>,of Hanover, MD (website slogan: I am integrity - I am vision") bought the Hendler for $1.1. million. In 2014 the group proposed to CHAP a $45 million conversion of the 97,500-square-foot main Creamery building at 1100 E. Baltimore St.into 276 apartments and 11,000 square feet of retail space. Already in 2015 they came back to CHAP with additional demo in their baggage. It was granted and executed in 2018. Strange occurrences continued until this most recent hearing, including the loss of 1 hr of recording tape of the previous session on the same subject as well as the curious fact that the applicant for demolition wasn't the actual owner of the Hendler complex, Commercial Construction alias Hendler LLC but a non-profit that would buy the land, but only if the permission for demolition would be granted. And as it is frequently done, their application was based on CHAP's diffuse "economic hardship clause" in which an applicant has to show that preservation would not economically possible.<p></p><p><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></span></p><blockquote style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">This application has highlighted anomalies in your current rules and procedures which deserve reform. For example- it is one thing for the owner of a designated structure to claim economic<span> </span>hardship, but it is nonsensical for a contract purchaser, someone who does not possess the property- whether that purchaser is HUM, or Mother Theresa, or Donald Trump- to declare economic hardship created by the owner in advance of ownership. Where is the current owner and what do you expect of them in effecting preservation? (Bill Pencek, former </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;"> in written testimony to CHAP)</span></blockquote><p>Another strangeness of the CHAP demolition approval was that they blindly accepted the findings of an engineer that the <i>Helping Hand </i>non-profit has commissioned, ie. the very party that was very interested in demolition. The applicant himself had provided drone footage of the structure and selected the photos showing the deterioration that the engineering firm. CHAP did not entertain a second opinion of an engineering firm not in the service of the applicant. Century Engineering</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHb2NmX87eHyhEZ6E2dXV7l9VTndrT-eqTSn_iDIeqSA_q_VdI-xTrYg6kigfuNI1A8mQ_fg2ZnSs69n1wwt1tLrdHihqKj2E0FVFx2Qkfn5iNB09-rPwFV71uH7IPLBf6KBsLQVTwakrVMlvDrCm3GuZOZ1tMvSWXpItJCQ0ha4D1yIlaVLsTu0aOl5vB/s4032/D77768F0-4AB1-43DF-B29E-3A9F0C91DE29.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHb2NmX87eHyhEZ6E2dXV7l9VTndrT-eqTSn_iDIeqSA_q_VdI-xTrYg6kigfuNI1A8mQ_fg2ZnSs69n1wwt1tLrdHihqKj2E0FVFx2Qkfn5iNB09-rPwFV71uH7IPLBf6KBsLQVTwakrVMlvDrCm3GuZOZ1tMvSWXpItJCQ0ha4D1yIlaVLsTu0aOl5vB/w300-h400/D77768F0-4AB1-43DF-B29E-3A9F0C91DE29.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">The south facade still exhibits all the decor of the<br />original facade from 1892 (Photo Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> confirmed in their <a href="https://chap.baltimorecity.gov/sites/default/files/Century%20Engineering%20Report%20on%20Hendler%20Site%20-%20COMBINED.pdf">report</a>. <i>Helping Hand</i> also provided the cost of stabilizing the walls in excess of the assessed value of the site, plus a half million dollars for engineering. There was no way to verify those estimates or the assertion that only "reconstruction" with all new materials would be a truly structurally viable solution.<p></p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">We recommend that all three f a c a d e s be demolished as soon as possible. As discussed above, the degree and extent of deterioration eliminates the possibility of preserving the historic fabric.(Century Report). </span></blockquote><p>Further irregularities appear to be that the Century finding deviates from the determination of Baltimore City inspectors who were dispatched to the site in September 2021 and then again this year to follow up on reports of unsafe site conditions and did not see any need for corrective action, let alone the danger of imminent collapse. The CHAP staff report of March doesn't mention the "hardship clause" and doesn't discuss its potential merits, since the hardship discussion occurred in an additional meeting in June, however without any additional engineering insights or without an amended staff report.</p><p>Any day a structure or building gets demolished that has been around for a century or so as part of the Baltimore urban landscape is a sad day. Many people don't agree. They are somehow glad to get rid of an old burden, delight in opening up a blank slate full of opportunity or simply happy to avoid the more complicated route. What proponents of liberal demolition overlook is the extent to which the history of a City shapes its people and its future. It is no coincidence that Baltimore's most successful neighborhoods are neighborhoods with a very high precentage of preservation such as Mount Vernon, Bolton Hill, Fells Point or Federal Hill. It is not by chance that Baltimore's successful projects are "adaptive ruse", i.e. new use in old shells, ranging from the Tindeco apartments, the American Can, to Tide Point, Clipper Mill, Silo Point, the Montgomery Ward and the Mills on Falls Road. As well as the old B&O headquarters on Charles Street. The list is long and Baltimore is with its creative preservation on par with its more famous brethren Washington DC, Philadelphia and Boston. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJmmJBWvYnkp79E5xHBBiWvJEmlQeYJ5iuUr6pgYHzThVwHVGM1Z_b_2mx5VTVuF_4SzVOG0QgY5f9QFZHHJu9Nk-ZzDg7ITaQeS8oGVjTanSrRO5QMWVsykWvQlWxB-RzJMDBGCqa4hbrCqsIbsVlTmEPWl6OtcsrjMu0n6vBmPgh5Zw8sOZ1O5PfF4O/s1200/Baltimore%20Sun%20Drone%20pic%20overall.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJmmJBWvYnkp79E5xHBBiWvJEmlQeYJ5iuUr6pgYHzThVwHVGM1Z_b_2mx5VTVuF_4SzVOG0QgY5f9QFZHHJu9Nk-ZzDg7ITaQeS8oGVjTanSrRO5QMWVsykWvQlWxB-RzJMDBGCqa4hbrCqsIbsVlTmEPWl6OtcsrjMu0n6vBmPgh5Zw8sOZ1O5PfF4O/w640-h336/Baltimore%20Sun%20Drone%20pic%20overall.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Current overall view (Baltimore SUN drone photo)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>For a city to succeed, preservation and new development need to form a delicate balance in which change and anonymity are not overwhelming its residents and preservation does not stifle development. But this is not happening here. The choice isn’t preservation or new development. It is some preservation or nothing. There is just no way that an open space on the site of the Creamery can replace the richness of the old building that could have been so many things before Commercial Construction purchased and destroyed it for its ambitious project that it never realized. The thing is that CHAP's regulations are explicit in prohibiting "demolition by neglect":</p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">The Commission serves to promote the care and maintenance of designated historic </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">structures in Baltimore City. As such, no property that has been designated by the </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">Commission shall be allowed to deteriorate due to negligence, lack of maintenance or </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">abandonment. The impact of such properties on the quality of life and character of the </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">historic district is substantial. CHAP defines “Demolition by Neglect” as neglect in the </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">maintenance or repair of a structure, resulting in any of the following conditions: (<a href="https://chap.baltimorecity.gov/sites/default/files/CHAP%20RULES%20AND%20REGULATIONS%2012%209%2015.pdf">CHAP Regulations</a>)</span></blockquote><p> Ultimately CHAP’s decision was largely hinged on the hardship and imminent danger argument, both entirely based on facts and data presented by the applicant. Aside from their accuracy, whatever the true current conditions, they were entirely created by the owner of the site when he proceeded with demolition of the roof and parts of the interior in 2018 without</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZeKZUeKbUpuRW-cMyKxS2TsHEp3qAmvuk_JNw27ryK7Hxh8LOmCuVXAtIuUQd7mfxobbdLLQkxcMSARRdNs4FiHrUJ8QicOEkooaHIJwwgt-u61kS8SH9pnZNmjuxGmjrVrmFUmFdWWVhPZf7oZFiRB2ZKxeBHBCcLcmJdH8LR5rp86RLoV9s7i5MsD69/s500/Hendler-Creamery-rendering.webp" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="500" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZeKZUeKbUpuRW-cMyKxS2TsHEp3qAmvuk_JNw27ryK7Hxh8LOmCuVXAtIuUQd7mfxobbdLLQkxcMSARRdNs4FiHrUJ8QicOEkooaHIJwwgt-u61kS8SH9pnZNmjuxGmjrVrmFUmFdWWVhPZf7oZFiRB2ZKxeBHBCcLcmJdH8LR5rp86RLoV9s7i5MsD69/w400-h281/Hendler-Creamery-rendering.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Originally suggested apartment building inside the Creamery facades<br />(Design Collective)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> consideration how the remaining structures would hold up over time. The exposure of the interior and tops of the walls to the elements is what created today's conditions. <div><br /></div><div>As attorney Murphy speaking for preservation stated during the hearing, Maryland laws states that you can't claim a hardship when you created it yourself. As preservation architect and former CHAP chair Ton Liebel pointed out, the problems with stabilization could be mediated, if a new structure would be erected behind the façade, just as originally intended, and as planned for another Baltimore landmark, the historic Mayfair Theatre. As the preservation expert Fred Schoken testified, the building “did not get proper consideration”. The CHAP decision to allow the hardship clause in this case opens a slippery slope for ever more demolition by neglect. </div><div>At least six more <a href="https://baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/former-ann-lewis-department-store-and-two-other-commercial-buildings-near-lexington-market-are-targeted-for-demolition-to-make-way-for-a-six-story-residential-building/?fbclid=IwAR0gDj3fei_JT-lLMkb0QVcaNJ_cchnFBaYEsQXoemtV-HSW7N4wKC-YcKE_aem_AQ3kK5G6PdF-XUHmamG0UgP7k09Ckue5ffprzqSSXzbugr3IphdxhoXvllgDToTQlRw&mibextid=S66gvF">demolitions</a> of historic structures are already on the CHAP agenda for June 11. <br /><p></p><p>Klaus Philipsen, FAIA</p><p>PS: Even with the approval for full demolition Helping Hand should consider leaving at least a small portion of the south facade around the main entry standing as a reminder of what there once was. Thtat would not be historic preservation but a nod and gesture towards Baltimore's history. (7/11/23)</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Timeline per CHAP staff report:</b></p><p>o September 11, 2012 - CHAP determined that adjacent structures 1101-1105 E. Fayette
Street, 1107 E. Fayette Street and 1110 E. Baltimore Street did not contribute to the
Jonestown Local Historic District. </p><p>o November 12, 2013 - CHAP approved demolition for the structures determined noncontributing (1101-1105 E. Fayette Street, 1107 E. Fayette Street and 1110 E.
Baltimore Street). </p><p>o December 10, 2013 - CHAP gave concept approval of the proposed new construction in
height, massing, and scale. The Hendler development team presented a plan to
construct a new six-story structure with 254 apartment units and two floors of
underground parking, and to rehabilitate the Hendler Creamery building. In addition,
CHAP gave concept approval of the Hendler building plans with the following
amendments: </p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>▪ Preserve the “Laboratories” sign and second story window frames.</p><p> ▪ Redesign the proposed complete removal of gabled roof area. (The staff
report stated: “The removal of the gable roof as proposed changes the
overall volume and shape of the structure, which will detract from the
historic character of the structure.”)
Next Steps: </p><p>▪ The applicant will need to address all issues regarding changes to the
eastern property line on Aisquith Street and other development
procedure requirements prior to returning to CHAP.
▪ Landscape details will come back to the full commission. </p><p>▪ The applicant will need to present final details (building features,
materials and detailing) of the new construction to the full commission. </p><p>▪ The applicant will need to present to the full commission the Hendler
Creamery restoration plans for repointing, window details, masonry
repair, and roof design.
1100 E. Baltimore – Hendler Creamery – Demolition Hearing One: Determination of Historic Significance
(Jonestown Historic District)
3 </p></blockquote><p>o August 11, 2015 – CHAP approved concept plans with final details to come to the full
Commission for review. At the Commission hearing, the new development team
presented its request to alter the previously approved 2013 plans. The new plan
proposed the demolition of the Hendler building’s entire east elevation, one bay of
the tripartite north elevation, and the building’s interior structure. A new east
elevation wall would be constructed of contemporary materials that would support a
replication of the existing gable roof running the length of the building. CHAP staff
presented a finding of disapproval to the Commission due to the extent of the proposed
demolition and the fact that the project had received conceptual approval in 2013 with
the understanding that the historic building would be rehabilitated. Contrary to the staff
recommendation, the Commission issued concept approval of the developer’s proposal,
with final details to come to the full Commission for review. </p><p>o April 11, 2017 – CHAP approved amendments to the previously approved plans
affecting the building with final details to be reviewed by staff. </p><p>o August 15, 2018 -DHCD APPROVED demolition permit to remove the following: </p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p>• On the North elevation, remove the three-story easternmost (later) section of
façade </p><p>• Raze entire east elevation
• Remove roof sheathing and roofing panels, remove roof trusses when
shoring is complete </p><p>• Remove all interior elements
• Shore north, south and west elevations in accordance with shoring plan. </p></blockquote><p>o September 20, 2021 – DHCD building inspector investigated the building due to a
complaint of possible dangerous conditions that could result in imminent safety
conditions. The inspector determined that there was no cause for any action at this time.
Fencing enclosed entire structure, and the structural steel supports entire front and west
side of building. </p><p>o February 9, 2023 - DHCD Assistant Commissioner evaluated the structural engineer’s
report and concurred with the findings.</p></div>Klaus Philipsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01615851444265308506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223492702090268881.post-47420510440910356622023-07-05T07:24:00.000-07:002023-07-05T07:24:18.400-07:00Optimistic about transition to electric vehicles<p><i>Maryland Matters</i> recently <a href="https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/06/12/poll-about-60-of-marylanders-oppose-plan-to-mandate-electric-car-sales-by-2035/">published </a>a Gonzales poll which showed that a majority of Marylanders opposed an advanced transition to electric vehicles. This is not a trivial matter since decarbonizing the transportation sector is a key element in meeting our emission goals as the just published MDE "<a href="https://mde.maryland.gov/programs/air/ClimateChange/Documents/60x31%20Plan/Maryland%27s%20Climate%20Pathway%20Report.pdf">Maryland Climate Pathway</a>" document once again proves. (See also this SUN article about the "Pathways report".</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBPWj-iNeM55W6K-u3Mx3xmwBKV0k-8jEMgG_uou0S9fkmndCXi_3kacDRrkyph9tfAQrEwMwkb_WP_LT8dxy0CmcPxtyX1oX6yGbvQfI-SQMyhWngyfs6do-sCISxM3JnB3xxehYsGJXB65eI7tAMGqPtWFSoSkcFqHsYpWvuqljgufhulfstAI4_lNC/s729/Sector%20Graphic%202.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="729" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJBPWj-iNeM55W6K-u3Mx3xmwBKV0k-8jEMgG_uou0S9fkmndCXi_3kacDRrkyph9tfAQrEwMwkb_WP_LT8dxy0CmcPxtyX1oX6yGbvQfI-SQMyhWngyfs6do-sCISxM3JnB3xxehYsGJXB65eI7tAMGqPtWFSoSkcFqHsYpWvuqljgufhulfstAI4_lNC/w456-h318/Sector%20Graphic%202.png" width="456" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>In response I sent the below guest commentary which Maryland Matters published on 7/2/23 as below:</p><header class="entry-header" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px auto 2rem; max-width: 87.5rem;"><div class="entry-header-inner" style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 2rem 1.25rem 0px;"><h1 class="entry-title" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", Georgia, serif; font-size: 3rem; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0.5rem 0px 0px; max-width: 70rem;"><br /></h1><h1 class="entry-title" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", Georgia, serif; font-size: 3rem; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0.5rem 0px 0px; max-width: 70rem;"><br /></h1><h1 class="entry-title" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", Georgia, serif; font-size: 3rem; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0.5rem 0px 0px; max-width: 70rem;"><br /></h1><h1 class="entry-title" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Libre Baskerville", Georgia, serif; font-size: 3rem; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0.5rem 0px 0px; max-width: 70rem;">Commentary: Americans optimistic about transition to electric vehicles — and they should be</h1><div class="byline" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex; font-size: 0.875rem; margin: 0.75rem 0px 1.125rem;"><div class="byline-inner" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="byline-prefix" style="box-sizing: border-box;">By</span> <a class="author url fn" href="https://www.marylandmatters.org/author/guest-commentary/" rel="author" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.25s ease-in-out 0s;" title="Posts by Guest Commentary">Guest Commentary</a></div><span class="post-date" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-flex; margin-left: 0.5rem;"><time datetime="2023-07-03" style="box-sizing: border-box;">July 3, 2023</time></span></div><div class="share-bar" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: flex;"><a aria-label="Share on Facebook" class="share-facebook" href="https://facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.marylandmatters.org%2F2023%2F07%2F03%2Fcommentary-americans-optimistic-about-transition-to-electric-vehicles-and-they-should-be%2F" style="-webkit-box-align: center; 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height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="2560" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #676767; font-size: 0.9375rem; font-style: italic; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0px; padding: 1rem 0px 0px;">Electric vehicle charging stations in the parking garage at Union Station in Washington, D.C. Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images.</figcaption></figure></div></div></div></div>By Klaus Philipsen<div><i><br /></i></div><div><i>The writer is an architect in Baltimore with more than 40 years of experience in architecture, urban design, land use and transportation planning. Since 2017, he has owned a plug-in hybrid vehicle.</i><div><br /></div><div>A recent poll appears to show that many Marylanders are more scared by the misleading word “ban” in the poll question than by persistently unhealthy air when it comes to gas-powered vehicles. (<a href="https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/06/12/poll-about-60-of-marylanders-oppose-plan-to-mandate-electric-car-sales-by-2035/">“Poll: About 60% of Marylanders oppose plan to mandate electric car sales by 2035,”</a> June 12, 2023). <br /><br />At stake is Governor Wes Moore’s commitment to reaching Maryland’s climate and clean air goals by adopting the Advanced Clean Cars (ACC) II rule (“<a href="https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/03/13/moore-recommits-maryland-to-highest-national-climate-goals-for-electric-vehicle-sales/">Moore recommits Maryland to highest national climate goals for electric vehicle sales,</a>” March 13, 2023).At stake is Governor Wes Moore’s commitment to reaching Maryland’s climate and clean air goals by adopting the Advanced Clean Cars (ACC) II rule (“<a href="https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/03/13/moore-recommits-maryland-to-highest-national-climate-goals-for-electric-vehicle-sales/">Moore recommits Maryland to highest national climate goals for electric vehicle sales,</a>” March 13, 2023). <br /><br /> It is probably fair to assume that poll respondents critical about mandating manufacturers to advance EV production and sales do not yet have an EV and react to three common scares about Evs, namely that they are too expensive, that they are not technologically mature and that they get you stranded for lack of charging opportunities. The truth is that the ACC II rule is key to expanding consumer choice, making EVs cheaper and better and accelerating the charging infrastructure. As solar panels have already proven, incentives and scaling up production requirements help to lower costs and rapidly improve technology. For those with “range anxiety”: the rule also allows for up to 20% of sales of plug-in hybrid models, i.e. when the electric juice runs out a gas engine is at the ready to kick in. Besides, under the ACC II program, gas-powered vehicles will continue to be around especially as used vehicles (in<a href="https://opendata.maryland.gov/Transportation/MVA-Vehicle-Sales-Counts-by-Month-for-Calendar-Yea/un65-7ipd"> Maryland, used car sales are about double those of new car sales</a>). In short, the EV landscape in 2026 will not be the one of today.<br /><br /><a href="https://8829857.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/8829857/ZETA%20-%202022%20Feb%20Electric%20Vehicle%20Perception%20Index%20Memo.pdf">Recent national polling </a>by the Zero Emission Transportation Association (ZETA) showed that majorities of voters–both Republicans and Democrats–understand that increasing EV adoption will have a positive impact not only on the environment, but also on health, jobs, the economy, and vehicle safety. Similar <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-polling-shows-us-voters-support-full-transition-to-electric-cars-by-2030-301425402.html">polling</a> found 55% of respondents supported requiring all new cars sold to be electric by 2030, five years before the ACC II regulates. A brandnew <a href="https://www.lung.org/clean-air/electric-vehicle-report/driving-to-clean-air">study of the American Lung Association</a> states that zero emission passenger vehicles dramatically improve air quality and health outcomes. Air pollution continues to take a high toll especially in underserved and overburdened communities.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/2023-06/Final_MDOzoneFactSheet.pdf">88 percent of </a><a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/2023-06/Final_MDOzoneFactSheet.pdf">asthma-related hospitalizations for children and 87 percent of emergency room visits in Baltimore City were for Black children</a>--roughly five times the rate for white children.<br /><br />On high smog days, frequent in the summer, pollution from cars and trucks alone can bring ozone smog and nitrogen oxide above the levels allowed by the Clean Air Act<br /><br />The federal government has<a href="https://www.marylandmatters.org/2022/11/13/amid-a-major-federal-investment-in-electric-cars-its-time-for-states-to-step-up-advocates-say/"> allocated $1.5 billion </a>to help states get ready. Maryland is set to receive at least $63 million for the electric infrastructure needed for more EVs Additionally federal and state tax incentives provide substantial discounts for new and now also for used electric cars and plug-in hybrids <br /><br /><div>Unlike the Gonzales poll expressing high levels of concern about EVs, a<a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/media-room/press-releases/2022/07/more-americans-would-definitely-get-electric-vehicles--consumer-/">recent Consumer Reports survey </a>shows that 71% of Americans considering an electric vehicle for their next vehicle purchase or lease. The ACC II program which brings Maryland in alignment with all states following the accelerated California standards for clean cars is a critical step towards driving cleaner and with less impact on the climate. <br /><br /> Klaus Philipsen, FAIA</div></div></div>Klaus Philipsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01615851444265308506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223492702090268881.post-46096257439937450092023-06-24T18:04:00.009-07:002023-06-26T06:26:44.793-07:00How the Governor and MTA want to get the Red Line done<p style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b>The Governor's Announcement</b></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">When the charismatic Governor stepped up to the podium seconds after the begin of the much touted event about the Red Line the first parking lot of the West Baltimore MARC station was filled with dignitaries of all stripes from federal to local. They peered against the sun with a full view of the MTA bus hub and Amtrak and MARC trains passing through the station. Moore wasted no time and got straight to his message: </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMo4P6aOhQJPGbS55dizdrHavfCR9GGyKl3MOSN6f6WVdxVuqerTy0DvqBeqEu505E8w2M3Nb552yxsEap9wY4JvRU3ebazSWGssbwk77Mc6rg5fSrecb-tPPzotTydPNEox11Ns3s2d3lmr8zksNf6DxZ4fID5DtQ5n2xqRItlN8PdLpWJk78nIHcG0iA/s4032/IMG_8175.HEIC" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMo4P6aOhQJPGbS55dizdrHavfCR9GGyKl3MOSN6f6WVdxVuqerTy0DvqBeqEu505E8w2M3Nb552yxsEap9wY4JvRU3ebazSWGssbwk77Mc6rg5fSrecb-tPPzotTydPNEox11Ns3s2d3lmr8zksNf6DxZ4fID5DtQ5n2xqRItlN8PdLpWJk78nIHcG0iA/w300-h400/IMG_8175.HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Governor Moore announcing Red Line restart<br /></span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: small;">(Photo Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><blockquote><blockquote><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">This is a day that we’ve spent weeks planning for –</span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #444444; text-indent: 0.5in;">A day my partners and I in government have spent months preparing for </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="color: #444444;">And a day that many Marylanders have spent years hoping for.</span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span></span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #444444; font-family: helvetica; text-indent: 0.5in;">Today I am proud to announce that we are officially getting the Red Line moving again here in Baltimore (Governor Wes Moore).</span></blockquote><span style="caret-color: rgb(34, 34, 34); color: #444444; font-family: helvetica; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></span>But in his short talk the Governor also said this: "While we are grateful for the effort in years past" that went into this project "this initiative is not about pulling something off the shelf and plug and play". He spoke about "keeping a keen eye on very meaningful societal shifts" and invited the people of Baltimore "this is the time to leave your mark" on this project. </blockquote><p>In a WBAL <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7223492702090268881/4609625743993745009#">interview with </a>MTA Administrator Holly Arnold elaborated on next steps: </p><p></p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">"We need to hear from the community, what do they want, do they want Light Rail or do they want Bus Rapid Transit, ...We are looking at a tunnel downtown and surface running options" (Holly Arnold on WBAL)</span></blockquote><p></p><p>As happy as transit proponents can be about this shift in State transit policy towards expansion, the discrepancy between getting the Red Line moving again and the warning that this won't be "plug and play" combined with the invitation for open ended questions about mode and alignment leaves many questions about how much this is really a revival of the Red Line versus a distant new project in the same corridor. Mayor Scott expressed the situation clearly when he bemoaned that "today we should be cutting ribbons" and board trains, instead we are standing here with another announcement, however happy he was about that the project is slated for restart.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhi-M270N9u9fsAgHT4rEDUJLvIFwyTYax3Gh5ckA0jN6rdWUljwHq7z_8ADcbpr0t0BA3dAQLvgLbr66Qe1rPIsC0t3cBFGu6LeE_Sw9DlxBHyfilp_GQucgZmtH4uJh18YpLg6FM3vLw3A_GCaINu0L5_7JydURxD8PsSwgsHpdUciK32T-wITiQxcH/s4032/IMG_8174.HEIC" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhi-M270N9u9fsAgHT4rEDUJLvIFwyTYax3Gh5ckA0jN6rdWUljwHq7z_8ADcbpr0t0BA3dAQLvgLbr66Qe1rPIsC0t3cBFGu6LeE_Sw9DlxBHyfilp_GQucgZmtH4uJh18YpLg6FM3vLw3A_GCaINu0L5_7JydURxD8PsSwgsHpdUciK32T-wITiQxcH/w300-h400/IMG_8174.HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">MTA Administrator Holly Arnold<br /></span><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: small;">(Photo Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><b>The <i>New Starts</i> Process </b></p><p>While "plug and play" seems logical as the quickest way of getting the project back on track, just dusting off the old project is not a feasible option, says Holly Arnold. It would run afoul of the requirements of the Federal Transit Administration overseeing a federally funded "<a href="https://www.transit.dot.gov/funding/grant-programs/capital-investments/about-program">New Starts</a>" project. To get back into the <i>New Starts </i>process, the old "<a href="https://www.transit.dot.gov/regulations-and-guidance/environmental-programs/record-decision">Record of Decision</a>" has to be "earned" anew since the old one is no longer valid. </p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(33, 37, 41); color: #212529; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"></p><blockquote><blockquote><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;">The Record of Decision (ROD) is the conclusion of the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/nepa">NEPA</a> EIS process. The ROD document is prepared after the final EIS and identifies the Preferred Alternative. The NEPA implementing regulations (<a href="http://ceq.hss.doe.gov/nepa/regs/ceq/1505.htm#1505.2">40 CFR § 1505.2</a>) state that a Record of Decision should contain:</span></blockquote><ol style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(33, 37, 41); color: #212529; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><li style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">Statement of FTA’s environmental decision</li><li style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">Identification of all alternatives considered by the agency, including the preferred alternative(s)</li><li style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">Decision of all factors – economic, social, technical, environmental factors, financial considerations, and other New Starts considerations (<a class="ext" data-extlink="" href="http://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/23/771/127" rel="noopener" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: purple; overflow-wrap: anywhere;" target="_blank">23 CFR Part 771.127(a)</a>).</li><li style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">Discussion of national policies that were balanced in the decisionmaking process and how each factor weighted in the decision</li><li style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">Explanation of whether the decision was designed to avoid or minimize environmental harm and, if not, why not</li></ol></blockquote><p>As MTA Administrator Arnold explains, data have to be updated leading up to a evaluation including a new "cost effectiveness" calculation, basically a cost-benefit analysis. As a first step the cost of the existing design would be escalated to a new expected construction period and the benefits be updated with new data, especially for ridership modeling, job access and equity as well as the expected travel time savings compared to the current baseline. According to Arnold, this work is well underway but it is too early to share the estimated new cost or the updated cost effectiveness.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vYNZoWO617t59Os6cW6ScPa6AFW7sfdlPThPO5IgOgDbcF1EQykGAHKArwnvkTZyr5KXgwIhOsJWzMbFk5ygoPo_3sLbf0mUgUQvDiNConn9TiZZLRN-PimgRA0BVIAiOJFFi964UCyLC4tzcka2dxUlyQdotogOjFhnBJH1t_74KRivQ__8LnafFecX/s1744/New%20Starts%20evaluation.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="698" data-original-width="1744" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vYNZoWO617t59Os6cW6ScPa6AFW7sfdlPThPO5IgOgDbcF1EQykGAHKArwnvkTZyr5KXgwIhOsJWzMbFk5ygoPo_3sLbf0mUgUQvDiNConn9TiZZLRN-PimgRA0BVIAiOJFFi964UCyLC4tzcka2dxUlyQdotogOjFhnBJH1t_74KRivQ__8LnafFecX/w400-h160/New%20Starts%20evaluation.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">The New Starts evaluation rating elements</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Should the <a href="https://www.transit.dot.gov/sites/fta.dot.gov/files/docs/FY12_Evaluation_Process(2).pdf">cost effectiveness</a> ratio come out too low, it would be necessary to either reduce cost or boost projected benefits, namely ridership. That is where local government can play a big role by through transit supportive land use near stations which boosts ridership through maximal transit oriented development (TOD). Land use is one of the project evaluation criteria. On the cost side changes to the design may be needed to lower the construction cost, such as less tunnel which constitutes the lion share of the cost. Even bus instead of rail may be considered again. Administrator Arnold describes a path that will try to use as much as possible from the previous design while also making the project defensible under FTA's criteria. </p><p>Once a plausible and qualifying transit solution is found, it would become the "locally preferred alternative" (LPA) and the project could be put on the <i>New Starts </i>bandwagon again for a new <i>Record of Decision </i>and eventually a <i><a href="https://www.transit.dot.gov/regulations-and-guidance/fta-circulars/full-funding-grant-agreements-guidance">Full Funding Grant Agreement.</a></i></p><p><b>The Schedule</b></p><p>So, even in the best case that the old design would still pass all tests, a shovel can't get into the ground anytime soon, even though that is precisely what transit proponents would like to see. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtU-nBahhfHN5SXixid4QPc1QgHv1OZ_jEmMv3QASBsEUvhCE2Fh515cNUAso5JgLpN-6jUKbNI-cghVLKuZN6kobztfnqjCo8egYaRuKRH7EBB6A0fHFZFc-v0coxpiUT6LMrG5iHI74Ru43u1Be3LVnK-ubPiu4e4k8X5_fUo4sURmN1F2iKOhEqBMjD/s1694/Next%20steps%20board.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1694" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtU-nBahhfHN5SXixid4QPc1QgHv1OZ_jEmMv3QASBsEUvhCE2Fh515cNUAso5JgLpN-6jUKbNI-cghVLKuZN6kobztfnqjCo8egYaRuKRH7EBB6A0fHFZFc-v0coxpiUT6LMrG5iHI74Ru43u1Be3LVnK-ubPiu4e4k8X5_fUo4sURmN1F2iKOhEqBMjD/w400-h136/Next%20steps%20board.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Next steps display at the Red Line event (MTA)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Arnold expects the selection of a LPA in early 2024, not too far out, if that timeframe proves to be realistic. The promised study of an extension to Tradepoint Atlantic would run on its own schedule, but would eventually be also part of a New Starts process. </p><p>The last time around the process from conception to cancellation of the near shovel ready project took 13 years. Secretary Wiedefeld and Administrator Arnold want shave off much time by using an abbreviated process called a "<i>supplemental</i> NEPA document", not an all new environmental study and report (EIS). The supplemental approach focusses on what has changed since the last <i>Record of Decision</i>. </p><p>Arnold assures that MDOT and MTA are closely working with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) on how to navigate such an expedited process and are "constantly thinking creatively" about the fastest path forward. Maybe one way of acceleration could be to decouple certain up-front aspects of the project from federal funding, but that option wasn't mentioned by MTA at this point. Current steps include hiring new consultants as needed to define, review and potentially design alternatives as they may be necessary to reduce cost or adjust to changed conditions.</p><p><b>The Challenges</b></p><p>From my 13 years on the Red Line team, I would identify at least six challenges that require a creative approach:</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>How to stick with the "supplemental" approach that updates demographic, economic and employment data as well as cost to whatever shifts there have been since 2013 when the last alignment decision had been made without slipping into the territory of an all new EIS.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCbyxdmqUke6IeT7cf1lFcHg4JyaJv44tvuolEdTxT_SWJ0lLTvxSkGv1uYcmnMfUu-PG9N39Sjzg-0ENTyN_Ml_xQONsBj0v4xHkKARZJzs2RU2NDutfK0SXKK66T0Zs03OrXqo6OT-kPEo9eYShowvacA2XxJ5hvlEyXFnlOJmTAmxA8A398kpJr5s56/s1974/Title%20board%20Red%20Line.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1312" data-original-width="1974" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCbyxdmqUke6IeT7cf1lFcHg4JyaJv44tvuolEdTxT_SWJ0lLTvxSkGv1uYcmnMfUu-PG9N39Sjzg-0ENTyN_Ml_xQONsBj0v4xHkKARZJzs2RU2NDutfK0SXKK66T0Zs03OrXqo6OT-kPEo9eYShowvacA2XxJ5hvlEyXFnlOJmTAmxA8A398kpJr5s56/w400-h266/Title%20board%20Red%20Line.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">The new Red Line: How much is it like the old Red Line? <br />(MTA Display Board)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></li><li>How to bring the project back into the federal "New Starts" transit queue without being placed all the way at the back of the line. This type of queue jumping would be aided by language our congressional delegation put into the infrastructure bill, but it would be unprecedented. Besides, the 2015 estimate of $2.95 billion for a completion in 2022 would be more like $3.9 billion with a at least 10 year escalation.</li><li>How to ensure that the local partners (Baltimore City and County) become active partners instead of bystanders as especially the County had been in the last round. Locals have to preserve the right of way and make transit supportive land use decisions such as implementation of some of the station area community vision plans developed during the Red Line planning process which were part of the creative Community Compact between MTA, City, County, non-profits and communities. For local government to become reliable partners in the Red Line revival the Mayor and the Executive need to appoint Red Line specialists who pay undivided attention to this project. </li><li>How to transfer the previous design and engineering of tracks, tunnels, stations and the maintenance facility as intact as possible to a new set of engineers and transportation planners without spending $270 million again before the new teams become "comfotable" and are willing to assume the liabilities that come from signing off on a design. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoSf0LZ0bT4WZG2FXLcflIweCd3s0dzhmD_IAqFAqPuUgTQw-zK55ht9-FmDOWUq6buY576m8PNDcXYAxpJbSUevn9lsHamrqhzSEKwUPEUE4BAmMpdSeKWEGlPM_lF0GnO77_OqROENN4hR87JXB2u7IPLMa70so22T71ZhsbnYJ5zkoBMWx8rtFSP7v/s4032/IMG_8193.HEIC" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoSf0LZ0bT4WZG2FXLcflIweCd3s0dzhmD_IAqFAqPuUgTQw-zK55ht9-FmDOWUq6buY576m8PNDcXYAxpJbSUevn9lsHamrqhzSEKwUPEUE4BAmMpdSeKWEGlPM_lF0GnO77_OqROENN4hR87JXB2u7IPLMa70so22T71ZhsbnYJ5zkoBMWx8rtFSP7v/w300-h400/IMG_8193.HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">County Executive Olszewski at the Red Line<br />announcement event (Photo Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></li><li>5. How to include communities as partners without opening the floodgates to all kinds of new ideas, rumors and groups that prefer anything but what is proposed as the baseline design. According to Arnold, MTA thinks of reviving the "<i>community compact</i>" introduced under Mayor Dixon and potentially remobilize the <i>station advisory groups</i> which had prepared vision plans for most station areas. </li><li>6. How to construct and finance the line? In 2015 it was assumed that about half of the project would be constructed by a design-build contract in the P3 mode (Public-private partnership) and the other half in the traditional design-bid-build mode. By contrast the Purple Line was offered entirely as a P3 with a private contractor refining the MTA offered design, then build and operate it and finance a portion of it. The high hopes that this would be a faster and less risky process have long been dashed with the Purple line experiencing one cost overrun and schedule delay after another. No they haven't cut any ribbons yet either. It will be interesting to see how MDOT Secretary Wiedefeld and Governor Moore assess the P3 option.</li></ol>It is useful to remember that the Red Line was designed to run almost entirely in public "right of way" and that it doesn't require condemnation or demolition of houses. Complete Streets policies, now fully endorsed by the City, should make the integration of transit easier, since complete streets means a recognition of all modes, walking, rolling, taking transit and driving. A project being realized almost entirely in the public domain should be easier than one that requires a lot of land purchases and easements. <div><br /></div><div>Still, in the last round the late baker and developer John Paterakis managed to force a station relocation so that the entry and exit of the Harbor East underground station would not have to be carved out of a corner of his property. This caused a crucial delay in 2013/14. In this round, the feds, the State, local government, private business and communities need to really support all aspects of the project to make it happen.<div><br /></div><div>The restart of a project that is at least 14 miles long and had years of extensive public debate must focus on regional connectivity and not on minor local animosities. That is easier said than done: As in any larger infrastructure project, it is no problem to bring NIMBYs to the table and far more difficult to gather the support of the beneficiaries, i.e. future and current transit riders. <p></p><p>Still, even with a better understanding of the mandated procedures, three of the things Moore and Arnold mentioned publicly require special scrutiny: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>"Meaningful societal shifts"</b></li></ul><p></p><p>Yes, a lot of things have happened since 2013, notably the triple Baltimore handicaps that all came in 2015: The death of Freddie Gray in police custody and the unrest in the wake of it, the State orchestrated termination of the State Center Project and the cancellation of the Red Line. Finally COVID that changed travel behavior significantly. Still, none of this makes the preferred Red Line alignment selected 10 years ago any less necessary, viable, or desirable. Even the temporarily sagging ridership figures slowly approach pre-Covid levels according to MTA.</p><p>The only really "new" thing might be the unexpectedly successful TradePoint Atlantic which already brought express bus service to that location. It made the County Executive request the extension of the Red Line to the old Sparrows Point area. Moore already promised that this would be studied. However, even this wouldn't constitute a material change to the existing Red Line plans which had all along included the notion of a future extension to Dundalk. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP2qX_FidkGSlQWZd5Y0dtHSS6REFPzhk_EcNLJ91HR9D0MIwPpEUl-YdZtluiBY-KJ4kVtJUqvS-d8r3bibtRBKjL-fuYZGrwyvqCwWWK2mKQ7CqpcoXWY_aKZRwkUyla_vTkiOoSHyigAoB0ZWjr0G8Cg2wmK-ANr0BS5bNpq6mXhcINXEYIuMxn9bQ9/s5610/West-Baltimore-MARC-Station-Aerial-View.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3631" data-original-width="5610" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP2qX_FidkGSlQWZd5Y0dtHSS6REFPzhk_EcNLJ91HR9D0MIwPpEUl-YdZtluiBY-KJ4kVtJUqvS-d8r3bibtRBKjL-fuYZGrwyvqCwWWK2mKQ7CqpcoXWY_aKZRwkUyla_vTkiOoSHyigAoB0ZWjr0G8Cg2wmK-ANr0BS5bNpq6mXhcINXEYIuMxn9bQ9/w400-h259/West-Baltimore-MARC-Station-Aerial-View.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Concept design for a new MARC Station (MTA/Amtrak)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Two other "shifts" are worth noting: Possibilities for transforming the "<i>Highway to Nowhere</i>" are much improved thanks to a $2 million federal "<i>Reconnecting Communities</i>" grant. Secondly, the new <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjJg7q1md3_AhWrE1kFHVu3CF8QFnoECBoQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amtrak.com%2Fbptunnel&usg=AOvVaw2tZ5AHqCFa8LBGlIY6W8LR&opi=89978449">Frederick Douglass Tunnel</a> is now partially funded with an initial $450 million tranche for design and construction of some small up front parts. The new tunnel replaces the old B&P tunnel ending just north of the West Baltimore MARC station which connects to the Red Line. </p><p>Both of these aspects are not jeopardizing the old Red Line design but allow the Red Line to become part of the precisely the type of catalytic change that the adjacent communities have long sought in the station area committees and elsewhere. MTA has begun conceptual design sketches visualizing the possible MARC station design within the existing Amtrak design contract.</p><ul><li><b>BRT or LRT</b></li></ul><p>BRT and LRT as alternative modes have been studied extensively as part of the 13 years of Red Line investigations. During the time of the Republican Governor Bob Ehrlich Bus Rapid Transit was the preferred mode and being explored in great detail. Comparative analysis showed that in the end a BRT in a tunnel is more expensive to build and to operate than light rail. Buses tend to break down more often than electric trains and need bypass lanes at stations to get around stalled vehicles. Seattle found this out when they initially built downtown BRT tunnels and later gave up on further bus tunnels. and expand their system with only LRT. BRT s more expensive in operation because the currently available buses don't have the same capacity as LRT trains and therefore require more vehicles and operators unless they would run fully automated. Urban transit with no transit staff on board is technologically possible, but hardly acceptable to riders in the foreseeable future.</p><ul><li><b>Surface or tunnel</b></li></ul><p>Surface running or tunneling was also extensively studied, for both BRT and LRT. It was the prevailing professional consensus that a full surface option would either be very slow (think Howard Street light rail) when running in mixed traffic or it would be very intrusive, when running in exclusive right of way. This would be especially true on Cooks Lane and Aliceanna Streets, where exclusive transit lanes </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeyjxrT0FJ6nVPmSrxSh-K6cmXqQZ8f-m8BoV1vqaSlNRQSkf9vALVMoQkRmd-teqL0gtxkbFI9sajBVpuWcqtmMJ0a5D_0Pu-N3P3Odjg6oKgoAx3ixfUcY4NEMySbLwTBrDltYxYHsPggWIpxmtER1d_rQgP7nD-OMJk4nMpWWSRM5rdJ3PhkwRX4Qf/s1200/Red%20Line%20on%20Edmondson.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeeyjxrT0FJ6nVPmSrxSh-K6cmXqQZ8f-m8BoV1vqaSlNRQSkf9vALVMoQkRmd-teqL0gtxkbFI9sajBVpuWcqtmMJ0a5D_0Pu-N3P3Odjg6oKgoAx3ixfUcY4NEMySbLwTBrDltYxYHsPggWIpxmtER1d_rQgP7nD-OMJk4nMpWWSRM5rdJ3PhkwRX4Qf/w400-h210/Red%20Line%20on%20Edmondson.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Initial Red Line rendering for Edmondson Avenue: The original<br />Red Line was designed to be entirely in its own right of way.</span></td></tr></tbody></table>would hardly be acceptable to the residents and businesses, since those streets are too tight to allow designated transit lanes, car traffic, and parking to coexist in any meaningful way. </div><div><br /></div><div>BRT proponents should also consider that we already have designated bus lanes in many places and must realize that they do not work in the same way as tracks in a designated area.<p></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Conclusion</b></p><p>It is clear that conquering all these challenges and still get the project expedited for construction requires a tight rope walk. Not falling off the rope requires a unified voice that rallies around the already preferred, selected and designed and once fully approved project. This unified voice was briefly visible at the event in West Baltimore when speaker after speaker touted the Red Line as the best thing to move forward with. Adjustments to make the project defensible under FTA criteria should not be understood as a free for all to dust off the skirmishes from 10 years ago, especially not old hats that had already been refuted as unrealistic back then. While a few things have changed, Baltimore ist still Baltimore and the East West challenge remains essentially the same.</p><p>The unified voice is the only one that will be here in Washington. It will have to be loud and clear to overcome the formidable obstacles of line jumping and financing that currently stand in the way of straight up "plug and play".</p><p>Klaus Philipsen, FAIA</p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>the article has been updated to include the P3 discussion.</i></span></p><p><i><span>The national publication The American Prospect wrote </span>bout the Baltimore Red Line in this June '23 <a href="https://prospect.org/infrastructure/transportation/2023-06-01-getting-across-baltimore/">article </a></i></p><p><i>Maryland Matters wrote about reviving the Red Line in this <a href="https://www.marylandmatters.org/2023/06/14/advocates-elected-officials-anxiously-eye-red-line-resurrection/">June 23 article</a></i></p><p>Previous articles about the Red Line on this blog:</p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2023/06/is-there-better-red-line.html">Is there a better Red Line?</a> (June'23)</h3><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><a href="http://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2020/12/the-state-of-transit-in-region-from-bad.html">The State of Transit in the Region: From Bad to Worse?</a> (Dec '20)</h3></div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2018/12/mdot-proves-again-why-red-line-cant-be.html">MDOT "proves" again that the Red Line can't be built</a> (Dec 2018)</h3></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 22px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 22px;"><a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2018/05/three-year-after-red-line-was-killed.html">Three year after the Red Line was killed the city is still reeling from the blow </a>(May 2018)</span></div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><a href="http://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2017/12/hogans-transportation-full-steam.html">Hogan's transportation: Full steam backwards</a> (Dec 2017)</h3></div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2017/09/recycling-bad-ideas-for-red-line.html">Recycling bad ideas for the Red Line</a> (Sept 2017)</h3></div></div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><a href="http://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2017/01/does-red-line-still-have-chance.html">Does the Red Line still have a chance? </a>(Jan 2017)</h3></div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2016/11/is-there-future-for-red-line.html">Is there a future for the Red Line?</a> (Nov 2016)</h3></div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><a href="http://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2016/06/red-line-fight-is-not-over-yet.html">Red Line: "The fight is not over yet"</a>(June 2016)</h3></div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2015/12/what-baltimore-red-line-has-to-do-with.html">What the Baltimore Red Line has to do with Civil Rights </a>(Dec 2015)</h3></div><div><br /></div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2015/09/the-dot-secretary-tangled-argument-red.html">The DOT Secretary's tangled argument: Red Line tunnel cost too low or too high? </a>(Sept 2015)</h3></div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2015/08/based-on-what-analysis-was-red-line.html">Based on what analysis was the Red Line canceled? </a>(Aug. 2015)</h3></div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2015/07/after-red-line-can-there-be-plan-b.html">After the Red Line - can there be a "Plan B"? </a>(July 2015)</h3></div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2015/06/rip-baltimore-red-line-gloria-transit.html">RIP Baltimore Red Line - Gloria Transit Mundi </a>(June 2015)</h3></div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2015/06/red-line-killed-purple-line-to-move.html">Red Line killed, Purple Line to move forward with 1/4 of State funding</a> (June 2015)</h3></div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2015/06/red-line-now-group-proves-red-line-will.html">Red Line Now! group proves: Red Line will create jobs</a> (June 2015)</h3></div><div><br /></div><div><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;"><a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2015/05/why-building-red-line-is-good-investment.html">Why Building the Red Line is a Good Investment </a>(May 2015)</h3></div><div><h1 class="title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: table-cell; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 40px 0px 0px; position: relative; text-align: left; vertical-align: middle; width: 710px;"><br /><a data-id="4644572958022751800" data-item-type="post" href="https://archplanbaltimore.blogspot.com/2015/07/are-light-rail-tunnels-really-cost.html" itemprop="url" rel="bookmark" style="color: #333333; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s;">Are Light Rail Tunnels Really Cost Prohibitive?</a> (July 2015)</h1></div><div><h1 class="title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: table-cell; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 40px 0px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; width: 710px;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a data-id="6920814520955032354" data-item-type="post" href="https://archplanbaltimore.blogspot.com/2012/06/one-of-countries-largest-longest-and.html" itemprop="url" rel="bookmark" style="color: #333333; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s;">Station Area Planning with and for the Community</a> (June 2012)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></h1></div>Klaus Philipsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01615851444265308506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223492702090268881.post-10265475349202053342023-06-03T18:20:00.006-07:002023-06-07T10:21:54.569-07:00Is there a better Red Line?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="124" src="https://ggwash.org/images/posts/201502-redline.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Baltimore Red Line map (tunnel sections dashed)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The stars for bringing back the Red Line seem to align with Governor Moore and MDOT Secretary Wiedefeld in favor of it and the federal government setting aside large amounts of money for transit and infrastructure. In fact, Governor Moore is scheduled to make an east-west transit announcement on June 15 at the West Baltimore MARC station. </p><p>Is it also the right time to open a discussion about alternatives? A group previously opposed to the Red Line thinks so. They came out with a concept they dubbed "Smart Line" last month (see below). </p><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b><span face="arial black, sans-serif" style="color: red;"></span></b></div><blockquote><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b><span face="arial black, sans-serif" style="color: red;">Smart Line</span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>A Community-Led Proposal for Baltimore's Newest Public Transportation Line</b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><i>East-West Heavy Rail (Subway) Done in 5 Phases to <span face="arial, sans-serif" style="color: red;"><b>"Get the Red Line Done"</b></span></i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://BaltimoreSmartLine.org&source=gmail&ust=1685798322064000&usg=AOvVaw3xiAm9-6BSNHOUliB5LZZR" href="http://baltimoresmartline.org/" rel="noreferrer noopener" shape="rect" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: medium;">BaltimoreSmartLine.org</span></a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The proposal was created with the tremendous assistance of an exceptional volunteer technical advisory team, with over 100 years of experience in bringing city and state transportation projects to fruition. As many of you know, our community of Midtown-Edmondson is one of the most disinvested in the state, yet we also sit directly on one of Maryland's most underutilized transportation assets: the West Baltimore MARC Station. One of the keys to unlocking the potential of that station was always going to be rapid east-west rail. But also critical was going to be how well we maximize the benefits from careful coordination of the other large projects slated for our area, including:</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><ul><li style="margin-left: 15px;">West Baltimore MARC Station redesign/rebuild</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">Route 40 Highway to Nowhere reimagine</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">Douglass/B&P Tunnel Project</li><li style="margin-left: 15px;">Future Transit-Oriented Developments </li></ul></div><p><span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-size: 13px;">Smart Line is our effort to spark a robust conversation about how to do just that. And... to upscale our vision - not just for the West Baltimore MARC Station, not just for east-west rail, but for the limitless potential of Central West Baltimore overall. </span></p></blockquote><p><span face="Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-size: 13px;"></span></p><p>The announcement sounds innocent enough, who doesn't want "smart"? The "press release" even says in its title "Get the Red Line done" as if the group were really in favor of the Red Line. As with those alternative energy providers pretending to be BGE, though, the truth resides in the fine print, in this case the various tabs of the Smart Line's website. The group does nothing else than peddling an old hat, specifically the same idea the same people already promoted when the Red Line was in planning. The idea that was dismissed back then for its impracticality and it hasn't become any more practical or feasible now. The gist of the idea: Use the existing Metro tunnel in downtown and extend it to the West Baltimore MARC going west and to Bayview going east by running the line along the Amtrak tracks just north of the EBDI area. This would save the new tunnels under downtown and Fells Point proposed in the Red Line design that Hogan killed. Of course, it would be intriguing to save all the new and expensive tunnel construction. If it were easy to do, the Red Line plans which were developed by a national team of experts over 13 years, in the homestretch under the lead of AECOM, one of the world's largest architecture-engineering teams with rail transit experience worldwide. </p><p>"Smart Rail" doesn't mention a recently completed renewed east-west corridor study. Not mentioned either is that a version of their idea of extending Metro "heavy rail" instead of building new "light rail" made it as <a href="https://rtpcorridors.com/index.php/eastwest/alternatives">one of the alternatives </a>into study which was initiated when Hogan was still Governor. That study looked once again at a full set of alternatives how to best run east-west transit, presumably with the notion that things may be different in 2022 than in the decade before. </p><p>Seven alternatives were evaluated, one (<a href="https://rtpcorridors.com/index.php/eastwest/alternatives">alternative 6</a>) being virtually identical to the Red Line. Alternative 3 looked at metro extensions similar to the group's proposal, except it never took Metro as far west as this group now proposes. Here is the clincher: Unlike what the group claims, the corridor study shows that even the shorter Metro extension included uin the study would not be saving money. Instead it was the highest cost alternative. That is not surprising, because "heavy rail" subways (those that use the third rail to get electric power) are by far the most expensive way to build transit. What the "Smart Rail" concept would save on tunnel costs downtown it would more then spend again on a connecting tunnel that is needed to get from the Lexington Market station to the Highway to Nowhere. Not to mention the tunnels that are needed west of the West Baltimore MARC station, and leaving entirely unaddressed how such a subway would traverse the Gwynns Falls valley which is currently spanned by the recently fully rebuilt route 40 viaduct. The new bridhe was designed to allow surface light rail (which takes its power from overhead and can run in streets) to traverse on its new and wider deck. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXwuGpOYaCxDYa3A76mXuXG2iqEtEf6EfbcSIOcBkMg7TynI7ewSIB7UUdeMy-ZhS8Y6JA0-6QtYDQsqVpFIw_Z3Wb84kHRfXCmO5AOYlYC9LDyABnqFrYlDvJaWir_H0H15vLFyjHZJN2BVCETw57ldo8AHxldS7f2XZsjAo5AvL9ducrMjoOg0KZ_g" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="1187" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXwuGpOYaCxDYa3A76mXuXG2iqEtEf6EfbcSIOcBkMg7TynI7ewSIB7UUdeMy-ZhS8Y6JA0-6QtYDQsqVpFIw_Z3Wb84kHRfXCmO5AOYlYC9LDyABnqFrYlDvJaWir_H0H15vLFyjHZJN2BVCETw57ldo8AHxldS7f2XZsjAo5AvL9ducrMjoOg0KZ_g=w400-h238" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">"Smart Line" suggested map (website) </span></td></tr></tbody></table>The group couches its old hat in new arguments: Namely that their plan would address the Highway to Nowhere grant which the City received under the title "Reconnecting Communities" and the new West Baltimore MARC station necessitated by the new Amtrak tunnel that is offset from the old B&P tunnel which ends slightly north of the existing MARC station. The reality is, "Smart Rail" Metro would run in the wide median of the <i>Highway to Nowhere</i> trench just as the Red Line. Transit in the median had been envisioned when that highway monstrosity had originally been designed in the 1970s. <p></p><p>However, anybody familiar with the 13 years of Red Line planning and design knows, that both, the <i>Highway to Nowhere</i> and the West Baltimore MARC station were already addressed in the original Red Line plans. T Red Line C<i>ommunity Advisory Groups</i> (SAACs) of Harlem Park, Poppleton and West Baltimore MARC clearly requested mitigation of the US 40 trench and a better MARC station as well. That the new B&P tunnel would push the station further south allowing it to be fully accessible was well known before 2015. By contrast, the "Smart Line" group shows the station in its current location which is impossible with the new Amtrak tunnels as designed.</p><div class="page" title="Page 12"><div class="section"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><span style="font-size: 11pt;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #666666; font-family: helvetica;">the West Baltimore MARC SAAC envisions their future Red line Station to be a regional intermodal transit destination and major TOD opportunity, as well as a commercial center for the surrounding communities. the SAAC is committed to creating a greater sense of place by leveraging the new MARC Station and Red line to foster new development and create a better community...</span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: helvetica;">Future development could help make the MARC Station look like a real station. Future development could include the Bentalou school site and various underutilized factory buildings. A transit hub with mixed-use retail and housing surrounding the new platform locations between Franklin Street and Warwick Avenue would connect with the Red line at a plaza located on the current MARC parking lot between Franklin, Mulberry and Smallwood Streets.</span></span><span style="color: #666666; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 11pt;"> (</span><a href="https://transportation.baltimorecity.gov/sites/default/files/station_08_west_baltimore_marc.pdf" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 11pt;">Vision Plan</a><span style="color: #666666; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 11pt;">)</span></blockquote><p></p></div></div></div></div><p>The "Smart Rail" group makes several other claims in their announcement and on their website that should give any informed person pause, including that: </p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>the group "<i>crafted with the guidance and expertise of a volunteer technical advisory team that has, collectively, over a century of experience in bringing city and state transportation projects to fruition"</i><span style="background-color: rgba(224, 224, 219, 0.83); font-family: Poppins; font-size: 16px;">.</span> and that </li><li>the proposed Red Line is a $6 billion project where the tunnel alone is cited as costing $3 billion. The reality is that the people named on the website are not really transit experts, none of them are engineers. The actual cost estimate for the Red Line was slightly under $3 billion assuming cost for the then envisioned construction period after 2015 and including a hefty contingency for the fully nearly engineered tunnels following the stringent rules of the federal transit administration for those estimates. It was Hogan, the Red Line slayer, who always doubted the cost estimate without a shred of evidence that anything on the estimate wasn't on the up and up. </li><li>The group also claims that their proposal is based on "community desire". In reality none of the communities of Poppleton, Harlem Park and around the West Baltimore MARC were involved. Those groups have worked for many months as part of the "Reconnecting Communities" grant to be active players in the transformation of the "Highway to Nowhere" in collaboration with the City and the <i>Baltimore Transit Equity Coalition</i>. The sole community representative on the "smart line" group is from the Edmondson Avenue corridor. </li></ul><p></p><p>In short, the "smart" rail is not so smart after all and essentially nothing but a distraction. The really smart way is to focus on reviving the already engineered and fully studied Red Line and avoiding all additional delays that would come from re-engineering and a completely new environmental impact studies.</p><p>Klaus Philipsen FAIA</p><p><i>the article was edited for clarity on 6/5/23</i></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Surprise! Gov. Hogan opens door to Red Line revival (but only slightly) | COMMENTARY" aria-hidden="false" class="r48jcc pT0Scc iPVvYb" height="168" jsaction="VQAsE" jsname="kn3ccd" src="https://www.baltimoresun.com/resizer//Z9144JF16sWUozn5eWMVfDTbatM=/1200x630/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tronc/5AWIJP33L5FCLLLA7GQP3RCNDE.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: auto; -webkit-user-select: text; height: 325px; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 1200px; user-select: text; width: 619px;" width="320" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Red Line station in a tunnel. Light Rail can act like a subway in a tunnel but also run in streets and<br />cross other streets thanks to its overhead wires. Metro style "heavy rail" runs with third rail power precluding <br />road crossings<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>When the Smart Rail group asked me to comment on their "Smart Line" concept I wrote them the below response which want to share here:</p><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><i></i></div><blockquote><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><i>Thanks for sharing and asking for my thoughts, I realize you are trying once again to mobilize for something different than the previously approved and engineered Red Line. </i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><i><br clear="none" /></i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><i>That in itself will bring a repeat of where we have been before, splitting the proponents of rail transit investment into competing factions. This was precisely why it was easier for Hogan to kill the Red Line than the Purple Line. At this historic juncture with Biden/ Buttigeg on the federal and Moore and Wiedefeld on the State level as well as the Mayor and the County Exec as Red Line proponents on the local level, asking for anything different than the already engineered Red Line will sow confusion and blunt the effort of getting the project done after all. </i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><i><br clear="none" /></i></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><i>The proposed project is just the same that has been proposed by Gerry Neilly, you and others back when the Red Line was planned and it has been refuted then for the same reasons that are still applicable:</i><i>Running heavy rail transit from the US 40 corridor into the existing tunnel is neither easy nor cheap. The statement "no new tunnel" is flat-out false, a new tunnel would be indeed, needed. The $1b cost the FAQ <i>states </i>[on your own website] seems to reflect that. This alignment, even for just phase 1, would need all new engineering and a brand new EIS. The effort of tying into the existing tunnel would bring serious disruption to the existing Metro service just when it is ready for reliable service after rail and vehicle upgrades. The MTA did develop a "white paper" on this topic.</i></div></blockquote><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><blockquote><li><i>The proposal appears to be silent on how heavy rail would have to be constructed in the corridor of route 40/Cooks Lane unless it's all tunnel. Heavy rail does not allow at grade crossings and the wider vehicles would not fit into the corridor on the surface. </i></li><li><i>The entire burgeoning waterfront area with the redeveloped Perkins Homes and all the other new development would not be connected. </i></li><li><i>The heavy rail extensions beyond Hopkins are uncharted territory that have been proposed previously but have not seen engineering or careful analysis. It would be surely easier to create additional MARC stations here than running third rail metro.</i></li><li><i>The proposal was included as option 3 in the east west corridor study (with the western end as BRT) and did not rank well on several aspects, especially cost (even with BRT instead of heavy rail on the western end). To say the "Smart Rail" alternative would be "cheaper" or faster than the original Red Line is disingenuous </i><i>The FAQ segment online mentions in passing a $6b cost for the Red Line as previously proposed, i.e. more than twice the cost that was actually anticipated in 2015, including all contingencies and escalations for the then envisioned construction <wbr></wbr>period. Your $6b cost figure is unsubstantiated and irresponsible. </i></li></blockquote></ol></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><i></i></div><blockquote><div style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><i>Overall I am very disappointed that you guys keep putting out the same old distraction at a time when more than ever we need unity to get something done.</i></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i>Klaus</i></span></p></blockquote><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><i></i></span></p><p>Maryland Matters reported about the Baltimore <i>Smart Line </i><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjrmunPtqj_AhV-lWoFHXBHAlEQFnoECA8QAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.marylandmatters.org%2F2023%2F06%2F02%2Fadvocates-reimagine-red-line-as-a-phased-in-subway-project%2F&usg=AOvVaw29kZnIOharf2WT3OMiRHoD">here</a>.</p><p>A thorough <a href="https://prospect.org/infrastructure/transportation/2023-06-01-getting-across-baltimore/">article </a>about the Baltimore Red Line appeared in national publication <i>The American Prospect</i> this month. </p>Klaus Philipsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01615851444265308506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223492702090268881.post-26844744245896107612023-05-13T16:43:00.006-07:002023-05-14T04:26:45.328-07:00Superblock: Still far from Take-Off<p>A full 10 years after the development of the "<i>Superblock</i>" in the old retail heart of downtown had crashed spectacularly and the Mayor had pulled the plug on a developer who hadn't produced a viable project in eight years, a new take-off is still far away. This week the historic district commission CHAP denied a demolition request for 5 of 7 buildings included in the land area that was once called "superblock" and which is now divided in a north and a south parcel. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6FoOkAdfD63T15gF9s3NnCaOVT_0oz1Gg3_wuhSw2zRsQBzzZVsfLwZJ1akag_PfywFBSW0CeY6XbckmB-4qGcq7XjJupjYoGepo5ZWnhje-ITL2LdSd5EbXgHQX2VrFge5bELNLcnO5JfzkfwvU3i6r2AzBkPT_PtZSSGPtgp1gCDWNVFTiw7F3HZg/s819/Superblock%20South%20photo.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="516" data-original-width="819" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6FoOkAdfD63T15gF9s3NnCaOVT_0oz1Gg3_wuhSw2zRsQBzzZVsfLwZJ1akag_PfywFBSW0CeY6XbckmB-4qGcq7XjJupjYoGepo5ZWnhje-ITL2LdSd5EbXgHQX2VrFge5bELNLcnO5JfzkfwvU3i6r2AzBkPT_PtZSSGPtgp1gCDWNVFTiw7F3HZg/w400-h253/Superblock%20South%20photo.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Superblock, south parcels facing Fayette Street<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>In that intervening decade the Baltimore Development Corporation, BDC had issued a request for proposals (RFP) in 2015 with the insight that maybe smaller chunks offered for land disposition would be useful. CHAP had declared the area a local historic district after the previous memorandum of understanding between the Maryland Historic Trust and the City lead to differing interpretations about historic preservation. In 2018 BDC issued another RFP and in 2019 BDC selected Westside Partners LLC from the eight proposals that were submitted. </p><p>Once again BDC gave almost the entire old "<i>Superblock</i>" area into the hands of just one team, even though the term is now carefully avoided. Once again time was passing without much happening. This time the team was more local, consisting of four different firms known from other projects in Baltimore: Landmark as the developer for the redevelopment of what used to be the a gay club on Charles and Biddle Streets in historic Mt. Vernon, which hit the headlines when carelessness caused a neighboring historic structure to crack so badly, it needed to be demolished. <a href="https://vitruviusco.com/about-us">Vitruvius Development</a>, another partner, is involved with the large scale redevelopment in the block between Howard Street and Park Avenue, another BDC project which stalled for a long time and nearly went up for auction due to a loan default. The project is now underway and <a href="https://baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/work-begins-on-30-million-park-avenue-apartment-project-that-will-include-the-partial-shell-of-the-former-marticks-restaurant-francaise/">started site work</a> in April. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3dsRLzYCrIQUEPZY1vZTKXeWitpN0plbJMoixl-kbrpHJdV7BBZJvUq1d49UUU_tsD6RUTEvF4J5T1dlZgbNEzv3L4nBCPaXCPNr2jiuaXU9Qzln7-280dO0Q-Y-ESnJjmYvb56yPCe9F5JZ-n_ioCO95nUUwNgX63XfOsSmk08W482TOLptxFTysw/s1200/Compass-1.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="1200" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3dsRLzYCrIQUEPZY1vZTKXeWitpN0plbJMoixl-kbrpHJdV7BBZJvUq1d49UUU_tsD6RUTEvF4J5T1dlZgbNEzv3L4nBCPaXCPNr2jiuaXU9Qzln7-280dO0Q-Y-ESnJjmYvb56yPCe9F5JZ-n_ioCO95nUUwNgX63XfOsSmk08W482TOLptxFTysw/w400-h194/Compass-1.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Compass rendering. New things behind old facades (Compass)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Vitruvius is led by Chris Janian, a former Development Executive of Paterakis' H&S Development. The third partner is Jayson Williams, CEO of <a href="https://www.maysondixon.com/team#:~:text=Williams%20is%20the%20Chief%20Executive,stories%20to%20achieve%20their%20missions.">Mayson Dixon Companies</a>. Jayson Williams is building a company that reaches from initial strategies to organizing the supply chain during construction, "the first turnkey community development firm that engages in neighborhoods, builds residential and commercial projects, solves complex supply chain issues, manages properties of all sizes, and thoughtfully brings investment partners into underserved communities" (website).<p></p><blockquote><span style="color: #666666; font-family: helvetica;">Working as an African American and LGBTQ-owned firm in our offices two jurisdictions with the highest percentage of black residents in Maryland gives us a cultural perspective and desire to create opportunity for others that companies do not have. This compels us to emphasize the importance of racial and gender equity in all areas of life, by being great corporate citizens and giving back to communities we are engaged in. (Mayson Dixon website)</span></blockquote><p>The Superblock team received a land disposition agreement in late December of 2020. Since then: Mostly crickets, except that <a href="https://baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/urban-landscape-developers-of-100m-compass-project-miss-key-deadline-for-acquiring-city-parcels-and-lose-team-member-annabel-lee-tavern-for-sale-peale-reopening/">Landmark left the team</a>. Neither the project nor its <a href="https://www.thecompassbaltimore.com">website</a> have advanced much beyond the initially published rendering showing the corner of Howard and Lexington Street and the name <i>Compass</i>. The team missed a BDC deadline in June of last year on a condition for the purchase of the necessary parcels from the City, reportedly a $4.5m deal. </p><p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(54, 54, 54); font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #666666; font-family: helvetica;">The Compass will bridge the divide between the Central Business District, Mt. Vernon, and the Westside, jump-starting more creative development in the once thriving area. More than that, the impact-driven development, dynamic programming, incorporation of the arts, and local tenant mix will respect the buildings’ and neighborhood’s historic fabric, interspersing history with modern, timeless design. (Vitruvius website)</span></blockquote><p></p><p>The first notable action came last week with the request to raze the seven buildings in the first hearing on the matter. As noted CHAP denied the request for five of the buildings which it deemed contributing under historic standards. This shouldn't have been a surprise to the development team since preservation had been a matter of contention all along. The support documents for the "<i>Five & Dime Historic District</i>" clearly show all contributing structures. In a designated historic district contributing structures need to be preserved. </p><p>It stands to reason that the development team never intended to preserve those buildings and will come back to CHAP and make a "hardship argument", a possible route to sway the commissioners to give up their preservation request and allow demolition after all. This route isn't very well defined and leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Hardship arguments won the day for the demolition permit of the old Eddies in Mount Vernon, a result that caused much CHAP bashing. The hardship argument can revolve around cost, feasibility and arguments about marketability. The big surprise at the CHAP hearing was that Gensler is no longer the architect for the project. The argument for demolition was made by Davin Hong, a design principal at the Baltimore office of <a href="https://www.hewv.com/projects/">Hanbury</a>, a Norfolk, VA based architecture firm. The historic preservation expert remains Baltimore based SM+P Architects.</p><p>The importance of the redevelopment of the Superblock area has grown, if anything, with the effects that Covid had on the liveliness of downtown. It also has made development more difficult. Office space has tanked and the prospects for new office space and retail are dim per a recent real estate <a href="https://knowledge.uli.org/-/media/files/emerging-trends/2023/emerging-trends_uscanada-2023.pdf">forecast</a> by ULI. That leaves mostly apartments as a still vibrant market, not enough to fill what is dubbed as a mixed use project. Jayson Williams of Mason Dixon Development appears to have emerged as the lead partner and spokes-person. He has eloquently spoken about all the other development that is going on around the <i>Superblock</i>, much of it has, indeed, progressed and completed, including the 400 block of Howard Street (east side) and the renovation of the Arena. The <i>Compass</i> team still needs to show it can realize its promises and manage and capitalize the big lift that is the redevelopment of both half of the <i>Superblock.</i></p><p>The request to tear down the historic structures facing Fayette Street is not surprising given the highly varied shapes, floor plates and floor heights of the buildings. Any attempt to achieve larger unobstructed floor areas, especially needed for offices would fail if the full buildings have to be preserved. However, it remains curious why a developer would compete for the redevelopment of parcels that largely consist of historic buildings if preservation wasn't the prevailing strategy.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWPLPxHixhiw6BBlnvv5VEvwtCQxMGF_C--JcyXzcS9QcSNpofTXF1YY-T2ecfAItPLg34sl1c3zZ0j4uogblqgVL3oPwB9imrV9C8m46HSjdgGmJEf1lmBHQVGgEisKhfpE1Cv2WgZnuYBkUhw9E6MrJ3RTM4Ze0faP1ScRqJXuKJ9qEotNH6gnNRA/s320/IMG_0415.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBWPLPxHixhiw6BBlnvv5VEvwtCQxMGF_C--JcyXzcS9QcSNpofTXF1YY-T2ecfAItPLg34sl1c3zZ0j4uogblqgVL3oPwB9imrV9C8m46HSjdgGmJEf1lmBHQVGgEisKhfpE1Cv2WgZnuYBkUhw9E6MrJ3RTM4Ze0faP1ScRqJXuKJ9qEotNH6gnNRA/w300-h400/IMG_0415.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Large scale demolition along Lexington Street in <br />2010</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />While it is true that redevelopment of a good number of historic structures would remain part of the project, even without the five buildings the developer wants to demolish, the desire for large unobstructed floor plates seems to be inappropriate in the given situation. <div><br /></div><div>Far too much has been already demolished in the area, notably the large swath of historic structures on Lexington Street facing the Compass North parcel which have been grassland since 2010. The south parcel facing Fayette Street also features a large grass parcel where the Trailways Bus Terminal once stood. It allows the developers to build contemporary structures and large floor plates in the same block where they now propose more demolition. Certainly there should be no more demolition without a bonded guarantee to rebuild in a certain time. Maybe the team should visit Cincinnati's <i><a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2017/04/what-baltimore-and-cincinnati-have-in.html">Over the Rhine</a></i> district, a large and very successful redevelopment based on historic preservation.</div><div><br /></div><div>The redevelopment of the east side of the 400 block of Howard Street shows, that individual structures can rain intact and still be rehabilitated, although the long-term viability of that project still remains to be seen. The old Five and Dime retail district will never be on par with office buildings along Pratt Street, in Harbor East or on HarborPoint. But that is not the point. It will be authentic Baltimore because of its eclectic mix of historic buildings. Too much has already been erased, including "the mid-century modern" Trailways bus station and many buildings along Lexington Street. <p></p><p>Impact-driven development with dynamic programming, incorporation of the arts, with a local tenant mix that respects the buildings’ and neighborhood’s historic fabric, to paraphrase the Vitruvius website will need more creativity than tearing down what makes things difficult.</p><p>Klaus Philipsen, FAIA</p><p><br /></p><div style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><i>Other articles about the Westside and the Superblock on my blogs:</i></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7223492702090268881/1285735796038582517#" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;">Its not all falling apart: Small miracles in Baltimore's "Westside"</a> (2019)</div><p><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7223492702090268881/1285735796038582517#" style="color: #888888; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration: none;">The Superblock - new hope after 11 years of waiting</a><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-size: 13.2px;"> (2015)</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><br style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7223492702090268881/1285735796038582517#" style="color: #888888; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration: none;">390 feet tall in the historic Westside</a><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-size: 13.2px;">(2015) still only a hole</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><br style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><a href="https://archplanbaltimore.blogspot.com/2012/10/big-government-big-retail-big-renewal.html"><span face="Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="color: #888888; font-size: x-small;">Big Government, Big Retail, Big Renewal – How Big is Too Big?</span><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-size: 13.2px;"> (2012)</span></a><br style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><br style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><a href="https://archplanbaltimore.blogspot.com/2011/01/westside-stories-2.html" style="color: #888888; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration: none;">Westside Stories </a><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-size: 13.2px;">2 (2011)</span><br style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><br style="caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /><a href="https://archplanbaltimore.blogspot.com/2010/12/westside-stories.html" style="color: #888888; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-decoration: none;">Westside Stories</a><span face=""Trebuchet MS", Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(68, 68, 68); color: #444444; font-size: 13.2px;"> 1 (2010)</span></p></div>Klaus Philipsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01615851444265308506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223492702090268881.post-4754183444298069132023-04-22T07:47:00.001-07:002023-04-22T07:47:23.555-07:00TOD - still mostly an aspiration in our region<p>A panel discussion organized by the Baltimore Business Journal with the topic <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/event/169540/2023/moving-greater-baltimore-forward-with-transit-oriented-development">Moving Greater Baltimore Forward with Transit Oriented Developmen</a>t (TOD) brought into stark focus that the concept is still mostly just an aspiration in this region, especially in Baltimore County where the panel took place. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7LMkGsiMvX7SQnelXynUgahePMN1E7mAMkxEqoy-vT02dM0RF7dxfpzQ5hA8a8qe17wkKA9iZoNWM0RvtBBnJpM-4Kb53YexknXej_ca7W53npHqJ_x1GS5Sm2u-KvBdX10QqIsuJN8_mi7fOP06n6a3YGB9WiHHC_K6aZqpwbMpZboQwgstJeJIQg/s800/1681841126928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7LMkGsiMvX7SQnelXynUgahePMN1E7mAMkxEqoy-vT02dM0RF7dxfpzQ5hA8a8qe17wkKA9iZoNWM0RvtBBnJpM-4Kb53YexknXej_ca7W53npHqJ_x1GS5Sm2u-KvBdX10QqIsuJN8_mi7fOP06n6a3YGB9WiHHC_K6aZqpwbMpZboQwgstJeJIQg/w400-h300/1681841126928.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">BBJ TOD discussion panel</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>BBJ editor Rhonda Pringle interviewed developer Mark Renbaum before the panel discussion to set the stage. He proposes a mixed use project to replace an ailing shopping center along a three decades old rail transit line. But instead of jubilation about an actual transit oriented development that isn't asking first for public money before making an investment which replaces decay and stagnation, there is hemming and hoeing and no movement. The project is hung up with an uncertain future that is largely depending on political decisions that are yet to be made. (See previous article <a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2023/01/lutherville-why-lovely-suburbia-is-in.html">here</a>). The location, in Baltimore County, sits on land that is zoned commercial, a category which doesn't allow real TOD since it excludes residential use. The term TOD is still not part of the County's zoning toolbox, even though transit rail stations are part of the County's landscape for more than 40 years. The current draft 2030 Masterplan which otherwise is a pretty innovative and courageous document mentions TOD as a goal in a short paragraph, not what is needed to lift the project across the hurdles in Lutherville.</p><p>The maybe most prominent participant expected for the discussion panel and advertised as visionary was developer Howard Brown. Brown is the "father" of the only County TOD in place, the Owings Mills <a href="http://metrocentreom.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/MetroCentre-1.pdf">Metro Center</a>. Other than Owings Mills he completed a rail oriented project at Symphony Center in the City and has been promising another TOD at Charles and Baltimore Streets for 15 years, but so far all there is to see is a hole where the Mechanic Theatre once stood. However, Brown was a no-show and had his grandson David Adler sit in for him. The panel also also included MDOT Real Estate Director Nimisha Sharma, County Council Chair Julian Jones and the new CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee Mark Anthony Thomas and me. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2knpBknAKKRgAOxwEAtG57I5x_2GTJ-lLTQJuO7csQcALng4T2wPcQRRZil6H4oY_EkIGFE4VK9fLHQ6R0XactDItSXK_1Ae5fKQf3qLDJJo0_S3TT2Kua2ybwV3JIwmklPXn6Z7llfytfqS80ZEMEDm_MVJ_LRW9nyaPGpc45M5KqMCvE7AuzqZ1aw/s276/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="276" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2knpBknAKKRgAOxwEAtG57I5x_2GTJ-lLTQJuO7csQcALng4T2wPcQRRZil6H4oY_EkIGFE4VK9fLHQ6R0XactDItSXK_1Ae5fKQf3qLDJJo0_S3TT2Kua2ybwV3JIwmklPXn6Z7llfytfqS80ZEMEDm_MVJ_LRW9nyaPGpc45M5KqMCvE7AuzqZ1aw/w400-h265/Unknown.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Metro Center: Isolated from Owings Mills neighborhoods</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>The Owings Metro Center, the county's TOD flagship is a public private partnership between County, State and David S. Brown Enterprises that has been in the making for decades and resulted in a mixed use center that includes 350 apartments, a Marriott hotel, retail, and a branch of the Baltimore County Community College and the County library system and which is slated to expand to the other side of the Interstate 795 in the next few months. All partners describe the project as complex and difficult. When Brown started Metro Center most developers were still specialized in just one thing, offices, apartments or retail. True mixed use was still somewhat a novelty, at least in our region. For David Adler, mixed use is naturally what he wants to do. However, asked about the downtown Baltimore lot, Adler was non committal. The company seems to wait for a helping hand from the City.</p><p>The new urbanist Metro Center development in Owings Mills suffered from the beginning from the MDOT requirement that all surface park and ride parking spaces then on MDOT owned land had to be replaced in a giant multistory parking garage at an enormous cost, mostly shouldered by the public. The already unfortunate position of the Owings Mills Metro station in the median of an Interstate became even more unfortunate by the mammoth garage which blocks the view of the new town center. As I desribed in an <a href="http://archplanbaltimore.blogspot.com/2015/09/can-new-town-from-seventies-become.html">earlier article</a>, Metro Center is further hampered by the nearby redevelopments of the former <a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2017/11/owings-mills-mall-doubling-down-on.html">mall </a> and the Solo Cup area, both also supported by the County. But both developments are isolated from Metro Center and as a result are their own destinations, siphoning energy away instead of being synergistic with the concept of an Owings Mills town center. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwawN2PTcARYXG6ycckFOYeZHwKUQ-RGMa_tYUz1_K0y6WoWiwJTVkacpVQ8KasAqotXFSS9-G6MHsZ1lDhjr2rr3v_UWp4raHtyOyjLhD8e8-6Hf63z-JS_wcluM3PEQOnnNTPhNsZgnLhOsa95wkWjFtLFt9OmWkg8OABsFj6SwZ49iF7OAoHHMEg/s275/Owings%20Mills%20garage.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzwawN2PTcARYXG6ycckFOYeZHwKUQ-RGMa_tYUz1_K0y6WoWiwJTVkacpVQ8KasAqotXFSS9-G6MHsZ1lDhjr2rr3v_UWp4raHtyOyjLhD8e8-6Hf63z-JS_wcluM3PEQOnnNTPhNsZgnLhOsa95wkWjFtLFt9OmWkg8OABsFj6SwZ49iF7OAoHHMEg/w400-h266/Owings%20Mills%20garage.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Metro station in the median with giant parking garage blocking<br />the view of the TOD</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>In short, neither Metro Center as Baltimore County's flagship TOD nor Owings Mills as an envisioned new town with a center are quite on par with flourishing TODs on the Virginia side of Washington's Metro system or with the continually evolving Columbia Town Center. Many area residents prefer to go there instead of Owings Mills. This situation represents an excellent opportunity to catch up with additional TODs such as Lutherville, on land next to an existing light rail station and bus terminus. However, a recommendation to designate the station as TOD under state provisions is lingering for months at the Planning Department. Another opportunity is the ailing Security Square Mall, located right where the east west transit "Red Line" would have ended. This line has become more likely again with the new Governor Moore. A large TOD would boost the chances for this additional transit line to become a reality. Although the mall is already served by two bus lines currently ending on the mall, transit isn't identified at all on a rendering for the redeveloped mall that is included in the draft masterplan 2030. On the panel everyone agreed, that mixed use around transit stations is the way to go in a time where open land for development is scarce and should be protected. </p><p>The Governor, meanwhile, has appointed Joe McAndrew as a Assitant Secretary with a focus on TOD statewide. McAndrew with a Masters in regional planning understands that the first order of business has to be making best use of existing transit assets by using the land around stations as intensely as possible by putting dense "transit supportive" development there. This means uses that represent attractive "origins or destinations for transit riders", i.e. places where transit users would start or end a trip, ideally seven days a week and during most hours, not just rush hour. </p><p>The right use can generate up to 5 riders a day on the same area that a single parking space plus its share of circulation aisles occupies. In other words, parking a car all day at a transit stop for a trip to work is a wasteful use of space, far from being "transit oriented development". Insisting on replacing all surface parking at rail transit stations for continued use as a park and ride facility is, therefore, misguided. Additionally those garages fly in the face of climate change actions: The garages are not only very expensive and waste space, they also produce a lot of CO2 because they are made from concrete, one of the worst CO2 emitters. The garages are also not future proof: Not only do they encourage car usage, they will likely stand empty in a few years when cars will not only be electric but self driving (at least in garages) and hopefully many people will make their car trips in hired, shared vehicles that are rarely parked. Autonomous and shared mobility would reduce the needed space for parking drastically and require very different types of garages since autonomously parked cars would not need 22' wide drive aisles or 9' wide spaces. However, these insights have still not trickled down to the decision makers. Officials announced just this week a new $4 million conventional garage at Odenton, all in the name of TOD!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAa3Atp51hzh0FON54tJsglRiB6X1oi7J9PkDjAnJYWtaUZLwFs2Y3Aat2eJPRR-QcSD_cKMGesB4Rgoxjzp3PAx4gNDRALLr5W9mjNeKXUcaGdBKn4wjezMuW-CyFeUz6PdAapZn-0K-pg84jzriksDGQ-wHYXLs45fIX8J_TxIFaL1gkZIiv3Pu6sQ/s1542/Image%204-22-23%20at%2010.22.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1542" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAa3Atp51hzh0FON54tJsglRiB6X1oi7J9PkDjAnJYWtaUZLwFs2Y3Aat2eJPRR-QcSD_cKMGesB4Rgoxjzp3PAx4gNDRALLr5W9mjNeKXUcaGdBKn4wjezMuW-CyFeUz6PdAapZn-0K-pg84jzriksDGQ-wHYXLs45fIX8J_TxIFaL1gkZIiv3Pu6sQ/w400-h333/Image%204-22-23%20at%2010.22.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">TOD viability on the WAMTA system (WAMTA)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>Maryland has 106 rail transit stations, too many of them are still surrounded by parking lots or low density non-walkable uses. Too much development that is touted as TOD is in reality just "transit adjacent" with people driving and parking to the uses as if transit wasn't there at all. The lack of useful places to go via transit is the result of not enough transit and of not enough appropriate development at stations. No single development can solve the problem, no matter how good it is or where it is located. What is needed is a concerted effort that indicates the development potential of all 106 stations and puts the state's growth intentionally where transit is already the most useful. This requires a lot more collaboration between transit providers (MDOT) and local jurisdictions to achieve the optimal transit and land use balance. The result should be a win for transit, for the tax base of local jurisdictions and the quality of life in existing communities.</p><p>An example how this works can be seen in WAMTA's strategic <a href="https://smarttod.wmata.com/Eval">TOD metrics</a> and the growing number of stations that deserve the label TOD and represent high quality place-making. It is exactly this type of plan that Maryland needs for all the other stations in order to successfully combat air pollution, traffic congestion, under performing transit and meet its ambitious climate change targets. </p><p>Klaus Philipsen, FAIA</p>Klaus Philipsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01615851444265308506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223492702090268881.post-5322477783681518842023-04-05T12:29:00.007-07:002023-04-07T18:02:33.419-07:00The HS Bakery Store: From Rags to Riches<p>I recall vividly my disappointment when, fresh from the boat in 1986, I followed my nose detecting the yeasty small of fresh baking to the H&S bakery outlet store. The smells had been deceiving: There was no warm crusty bread ready to be sliced, there were no rolls that deserved that name. Instead the place had the charm of a wholesale grab and run where a forklift wouldn't have been out of place except for lack of space. The goods looked stale, just like the sliced white bread, the hamburger and the hot dog buns that masqueraded as the bakery section in the grocery stores of the time, except cheaper. Everything ensconced in plastic, the outlet had nothing that was reminiscent of a Greek bakery, even less of the German ones I was used to with their rich selection of different bread loaves, rolls, pretzels and sweets on display in traditional wicker baskets and served over the counter.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJCfDyoOl5yq6KDNzynh70UAqKzctFzDwyQS9zoSwkckcKH8DPYxgEbFEMtfKpt_t8EQFIUs_YdCvCnRW8u17ArFcxB1n4WMUvGE-pfk_l60_lestTrKq3QMvzDWiRHguQINe7sdjQUfNwaaQEox4fNzzMRFkHiOiGyns1-RrAatRGCnKUjvO884nUg/s4032/IMG_7551.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJCfDyoOl5yq6KDNzynh70UAqKzctFzDwyQS9zoSwkckcKH8DPYxgEbFEMtfKpt_t8EQFIUs_YdCvCnRW8u17ArFcxB1n4WMUvGE-pfk_l60_lestTrKq3QMvzDWiRHguQINe7sdjQUfNwaaQEox4fNzzMRFkHiOiGyns1-RrAatRGCnKUjvO884nUg/w400-h300/IMG_7551.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">When a bakery becomes a "bake-lab". (Photo Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>So with great anticipation I visited H&S new bakery this week, some 36 years later when bread selections in the US have come a long way. H&S new incarnation is called <a href="https://www.kneadsbakeshop.com/services/bakeshop/">Kneads Bakeshop</a> and goes from thrift to luxury in one giant leap. </p><p>On this warm and sunny spring day the place was buzzing. It is instantly clear that lots of people wanted to check out how far the Baltimore icon bakery had come. </p><p> To cut straight to the chase: As far as it has come, the new brainchild of H&S "NextGen" isn't any closer to a European style bakery than grandfather's outlet store. I am sure, most people won't mind.</p><p><span face="Raleway, sans-serif"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444;">The “next gens” of the family, grandchildren of John Paterakis, teamed up to create Kneads, a bakeshop & café inspired by a shared familial history of artisanal craft, infused with the advancements in baking technology, enveloped in an elegant blend between rustic and contemporary aesthetics. The next gens, Adam, Kira, Shawn, and Ryan Paterakis, are proud to present, Kneads Bakeshop! (<a href="https://www.kneadsbakeshop.com/our-story/">website</a>)</span></blockquote><p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKR9u4qdo8equWUUMK9K6BGGoHPd9_Q5H7QPk2Qzr860lWaMf7uE6ueOCnV6NZHRWWILBIjUOJebRnPrzDJTF3mZbZIiMV5GsxXNYI7useHypM6FFsFzdRRAMbzZBbm-K-_WHUFn3a4FO2RuE-RBvQkMFIpOTJGmtpXyv9ZTu9qjnMbRwGThVrUmh6A/s1024/old-HS-Bakery-truck-in-front-of-outlet-store-retouched-1024x823.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="823" data-original-width="1024" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKR9u4qdo8equWUUMK9K6BGGoHPd9_Q5H7QPk2Qzr860lWaMf7uE6ueOCnV6NZHRWWILBIjUOJebRnPrzDJTF3mZbZIiMV5GsxXNYI7useHypM6FFsFzdRRAMbzZBbm-K-_WHUFn3a4FO2RuE-RBvQkMFIpOTJGmtpXyv9ZTu9qjnMbRwGThVrUmh6A/w400-h321/old-HS-Bakery-truck-in-front-of-outlet-store-retouched-1024x823.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">The old thrift store in Fells Point (Archive photo from website)<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table>It is nice to see that the grandchildren came to a consensus after the Paterakis family for years had garnered headlines for their <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bs-bz-paterakis-estate-appeals-ruling-20200821-ot3inpbwofcermynzilewmgkzu-story.html">feuding </a>over the old man's estate. It is also nice to see that their bakery products can range beyond Hamburger buns. <p></p><p>But even for folks who could care less about the character of European bakeries the product of the next-gen brainstorming may have strayed just too far. </p><p>This isn't really a "shop" (kneadsbakeshop.com) but rather a very large well designed "wait to be seated" self-order restaurant cum gift shop plus a showcase bakery ("bakelab") operation behind glass in the background. There even is a loft to look down on the bakers in the "bake-lab". The design is from the local architectural branch of <a href="https://www.ci-designinc.com/">CI Design</a>, also located in Harbor East.</p><p>While sweets get a prominent spot in a glass case at the counter where the orders are placed, the main bakery staples, bread, baguettes, and bagels, are relegated to the side, where they are sitting in the sun of the storefront on a shelf , hidden behind olive oils, soaps and other giftshop style items. Set up for self-service, the "hand crafted" breads are once again encased in plastic bags which means, the crust will get soft, a mistake that most bakeries selling artisan bread learned to avoid.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKxFGCM1R3pUUAlg8pO5M9uBAhPPasd0OPGoNHPY-5F91u_ZBMgmD1vMBlh8RhmtU4ATNZOBaPrpQ2we8LVGvyiYhDZ7otzIE4cSo2dSBWJBJkwLSIfWvwNdnXfSRuQoDSyiZa7JW8P9dWnDMOSeaF5NqMHal3-o4ZQ5VbJnhid_DiXnvBPyZ4inJEw/s4032/A088A272-C82D-4674-AAD8-221454161093.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKxFGCM1R3pUUAlg8pO5M9uBAhPPasd0OPGoNHPY-5F91u_ZBMgmD1vMBlh8RhmtU4ATNZOBaPrpQ2we8LVGvyiYhDZ7otzIE4cSo2dSBWJBJkwLSIfWvwNdnXfSRuQoDSyiZa7JW8P9dWnDMOSeaF5NqMHal3-o4ZQ5VbJnhid_DiXnvBPyZ4inJEw/w400-h300/A088A272-C82D-4674-AAD8-221454161093.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Old world bakery (Amsterdam 2023, photo Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Prices are generally reminiscent of a jewelry store. .Baguettes go for $4.and no bread is less than $7. A multigrain bread costs $9, (a similar bread at Giant or Lidl costs $4.99). In the food section "two eggs any style" are $17, a hamburger costs $21 (one has to hope that it is significantly better than those $2.89 ones at McDonalds, famously featuring H&S' soft buns). A soup costs $14 and even a crème brulé desert sets you back $15. A bottle of Natty Boh can be had for a reasonable $5 but if you want to go for a glass of wine, nothing is less than $13! </p><p>While the restaurant area is attractive and well appointed, this isn't a Vienna coffee shop where one can "park at a table", unfold the laptop and stretch a single cup of coffee for hours on end. To do this (slow food?) one would do better going to the nearby upper level of Whole Foods with its view of City Dock and the Living Classroom where one can even chill on an outdoor deck on Adirondack chairs without having to take out a mortgage first. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBh9wqEdodIhpsmoOvIGCjaWymJGjE3vTx9cMwuBFz2Q8HQDO0ej6-Mo4whyWa_EiHQ7NajZbKQb4JUqWx-H6TG9TLQCpbaUR3MmNomLPx9JvFxf0gVP68l-MNTz2TTDmoe0dHMOZfBhf0PqjHiBlJz113lO1AiMGmRun4NS4XS1Rz8WW8NE0qHQO5vw/s4032/IMG_7549.HEIC" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBh9wqEdodIhpsmoOvIGCjaWymJGjE3vTx9cMwuBFz2Q8HQDO0ej6-Mo4whyWa_EiHQ7NajZbKQb4JUqWx-H6TG9TLQCpbaUR3MmNomLPx9JvFxf0gVP68l-MNTz2TTDmoe0dHMOZfBhf0PqjHiBlJz113lO1AiMGmRun4NS4XS1Rz8WW8NE0qHQO5vw/w400-h300/IMG_7549.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Sweets and dessert display at Kneads (Photo Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>This conversion from the old thrift and wholesale store to the new chic establishment befits the trajectory of Harbor East where Kneads is located, and there isn't much wrong that. A large city such as Baltimore should have at least one district with higher end stores and restaurants.</p><p>For the more budget minded lovers of Old World style crusty bread, the new Kneads store isn't the only choice. </p><p>Nowadays there are plenty of bakeries in the area that have recognized that there are, indeed, better things than sliced bread. </p><p>Local bake shops that sell a variety of crusty old World style breads have become plentiful, even though, most of them charge significantly more than their counterparts in Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin or Vienna, for reasons that are not entirely clear. But if budget really matters, one can now get Euro style breads at Whole Foods, at Wegman's and, even at the German discounter Lidl, where they sell for a reasonable cost. For a treat, try out Kneads, its worth a visit.</p><p>Klaus Philipsen, FAIA</p><p><i>Banner <a href="https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/culture/food-drink/kneads-h-and-s-bakery-harbor-east-paterakis-MHPBGTPXI5GOPC3TYPQNYTD4WA/">article </a>about the Kneads opening</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Photo Gallery (all photos Klaus Philipsen):</b></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFKbUOlgoAa_--y1uaYdl8lfdMOr1Iwj6qTzq_-pWPWeSgOzBc8kpCUxBOzJ5U8ZKY-P8JS6P0YwYlIY31eO7g4klmqKwl8gapZyfTcsvJBqSLg9HoNdPDxYr49OEqT6a8x11PmuooDhvWNHaezExaH842IJo5ttBhphMBL2vx23O4Tp2VUHvp0_xGbg/s4032/IMG_7533.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFKbUOlgoAa_--y1uaYdl8lfdMOr1Iwj6qTzq_-pWPWeSgOzBc8kpCUxBOzJ5U8ZKY-P8JS6P0YwYlIY31eO7g4klmqKwl8gapZyfTcsvJBqSLg9HoNdPDxYr49OEqT6a8x11PmuooDhvWNHaezExaH842IJo5ttBhphMBL2vx23O4Tp2VUHvp0_xGbg/w300-h400/IMG_7533.HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"wait to be seated"</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06cMa0LZEMkQ5UtS6KE-lWrP9X2Qj2oEvyPyIHc8SfL5hulhTZowxXquJoi35AA1kbi4QyHm79RwDuaJaqWtdJivSUYvcwqk348QluJmVbwm3iJM97xml906LySv2llYgmPiBRrvdTxyUc7aaVGfU2Dv4kq6QQDtUuyHet9zZVYQqeI_NHYcSt8F3jw/s4032/IMG_7531.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06cMa0LZEMkQ5UtS6KE-lWrP9X2Qj2oEvyPyIHc8SfL5hulhTZowxXquJoi35AA1kbi4QyHm79RwDuaJaqWtdJivSUYvcwqk348QluJmVbwm3iJM97xml906LySv2llYgmPiBRrvdTxyUc7aaVGfU2Dv4kq6QQDtUuyHet9zZVYQqeI_NHYcSt8F3jw/w400-h300/IMG_7531.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kneads facility at Eastern and Central</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67ANN2nBPjzyBkr6CKATdLfsFQzZEn0tKaokkcYvbi98SqQpxeQTXjns7Pk9NkhO9PmQCCU-HN9QHjqH2UQguZvUzPAGTNweTvBadQyyEVqQfNaDzgfsLnyfGuv8-X_LzAzhTrxxZkkqa8Q2gpo9lUEbAIrDp3_2cYCj4ikRsrJvt4YOSi6OQ48Q2nw/s4032/IMG_7532%20(1).HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi67ANN2nBPjzyBkr6CKATdLfsFQzZEn0tKaokkcYvbi98SqQpxeQTXjns7Pk9NkhO9PmQCCU-HN9QHjqH2UQguZvUzPAGTNweTvBadQyyEVqQfNaDzgfsLnyfGuv8-X_LzAzhTrxxZkkqa8Q2gpo9lUEbAIrDp3_2cYCj4ikRsrJvt4YOSi6OQ48Q2nw/w300-h400/IMG_7532%20(1).HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clearing the required "freeboard" (above expected high water levels) requires a ramp</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKqiXb0KKaNy48TuY58ARKgdm-w_u0iie_O-OdD7VyTsLQ2MdN8G_s_8wI5vY5JJBFX-_LCfK3GW0ZZ3BJJybSAHljb51HNLl0BAx4cuplvHPD1l4p62Sxo_VftUByL62V4FeMTmsIVsP9RKKXeK5_74e11_IZg5jIbPu6itzIAJzoOwaPXhjeE3-JA/s4032/IMG_7547.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKqiXb0KKaNy48TuY58ARKgdm-w_u0iie_O-OdD7VyTsLQ2MdN8G_s_8wI5vY5JJBFX-_LCfK3GW0ZZ3BJJybSAHljb51HNLl0BAx4cuplvHPD1l4p62Sxo_VftUByL62V4FeMTmsIVsP9RKKXeK5_74e11_IZg5jIbPu6itzIAJzoOwaPXhjeE3-JA/w300-h400/IMG_7547.HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bread isn't front and center in this "bakery"</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Zn-RXrtPpkJMyIS6i02bSuRcw-PHtaKfDt90OgTxwTX9D8QsBLt1URb2fVcl0dwlU85vT7hLNzWX7KQYd3nrsKucGG8-iHyOdJd4GSYQh5Z7_d9ATHUEYp5TjZY9TCefDsEFbl6van9bL6vGvt3pj-33akj5H4fn5_Q4U_2lLcMSqeu-MpHVxG9gag/s4032/IMG_7548.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Zn-RXrtPpkJMyIS6i02bSuRcw-PHtaKfDt90OgTxwTX9D8QsBLt1URb2fVcl0dwlU85vT7hLNzWX7KQYd3nrsKucGG8-iHyOdJd4GSYQh5Z7_d9ATHUEYp5TjZY9TCefDsEFbl6van9bL6vGvt3pj-33akj5H4fn5_Q4U_2lLcMSqeu-MpHVxG9gag/w400-h300/IMG_7548.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view across the main dining room </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1MzTd8PNxnT1QGipcC-y96K0_VHDMYxZbhonE3UNHkPNcCOv6qfMYqOTTBlvMtUeHoGht3p2ofqsvOffnXIGYeuK5khen1Lva3dn3fYWVwDxM4MovPiY6rA85qLsFe9VhepzOztlE5V5ZjF2c3H5za06y1c5DdO48cv51qEiRFlZHWu7oNBwJlVp4NQ/s4032/IMG_7554.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1MzTd8PNxnT1QGipcC-y96K0_VHDMYxZbhonE3UNHkPNcCOv6qfMYqOTTBlvMtUeHoGht3p2ofqsvOffnXIGYeuK5khen1Lva3dn3fYWVwDxM4MovPiY6rA85qLsFe9VhepzOztlE5V5ZjF2c3H5za06y1c5DdO48cv51qEiRFlZHWu7oNBwJlVp4NQ/w300-h400/IMG_7554.HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"All you knead is loaf"</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszEwOoRrdNKXTdegr4VCdlhfDJViYfxgsZvJp_N5o84Va1QDFXk14OnOVtT9WPIbIGt8lQGQvBsBEnLP-hq28_DPh9uLt9BlHo2Y7vrm4JCmsF-u4SzNWpCzHK6Y0Fk_WxlU7Ot2iEudvEMC_3htH07Frvw8GNP7o4dFj6wRr_MC8WAWUYE1ZpgoS1g/s4032/IMG_7555.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgszEwOoRrdNKXTdegr4VCdlhfDJViYfxgsZvJp_N5o84Va1QDFXk14OnOVtT9WPIbIGt8lQGQvBsBEnLP-hq28_DPh9uLt9BlHo2Y7vrm4JCmsF-u4SzNWpCzHK6Y0Fk_WxlU7Ot2iEudvEMC_3htH07Frvw8GNP7o4dFj6wRr_MC8WAWUYE1ZpgoS1g/w300-h400/IMG_7555.HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Custom designed light fixtures</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvd1s3TvvTGqSNEZvIveTza3QvZmIvezuka0xONDyaIlOiQuAAJuakY3P8zbLe5Ql3qOnBK3jSC_2gYhCIcZHUrVio0TXraE5hpLOUylX_hhx5REX2Fwe66SOUzgHwl4WFWt9D_qzy6VmN6W6CYpmMuzuyYCIwKtJ_fG1rjGdz6Y04KSXaU--H57aeg/s4032/IMG_7556.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKvd1s3TvvTGqSNEZvIveTza3QvZmIvezuka0xONDyaIlOiQuAAJuakY3P8zbLe5Ql3qOnBK3jSC_2gYhCIcZHUrVio0TXraE5hpLOUylX_hhx5REX2Fwe66SOUzgHwl4WFWt9D_qzy6VmN6W6CYpmMuzuyYCIwKtJ_fG1rjGdz6Y04KSXaU--H57aeg/w300-h400/IMG_7556.HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">outdoor seating is an option </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Klaus Philipsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01615851444265308506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223492702090268881.post-66287918115639956292023-03-03T14:01:00.003-08:002023-03-03T16:16:52.149-08:00The loss of Sellers Mansion: “All or Nothing “ in Historic Preservation?<p>The loss of Sellers Mansion is the story of the decline of Harlem Park and Lafayette Square and the story of a shrinking city that often can't save its cultural heritage. But is it also the story of historic preservation stands in its own way in a reality in which historic landmarks are often in such dire straights, that the alternative is historic preservation or total loss. In such a stark choice, should preservation of a landmark have to fully adhere to the Secretary of the Interiors's Standards for Preservation? </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9NhfTnepr2iy9N3zeDM035qb9wFFCC27y8CZOF6LeU78xF9SiMTOJzhSqWq2qQawmJ3EqbNgI93YdmYB78PwTq_qHo-bf4qae7enIBVgSOKJcA7HDgB_ZQtkTH7nOGG8fGJnIMn7w9nrwTozx3brH9yeVoGOdUX9xxDKuF_1PzQFHDzepW8fSCnq4PA/s1440/1955%20SUN.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1093" data-original-width="1440" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9NhfTnepr2iy9N3zeDM035qb9wFFCC27y8CZOF6LeU78xF9SiMTOJzhSqWq2qQawmJ3EqbNgI93YdmYB78PwTq_qHo-bf4qae7enIBVgSOKJcA7HDgB_ZQtkTH7nOGG8fGJnIMn7w9nrwTozx3brH9yeVoGOdUX9xxDKuF_1PzQFHDzepW8fSCnq4PA/w400-h304/1955%20SUN.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sellers Mansion 1955 (SUN Archive)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Or is the question a different one? Should an owner purchasing a historic landmark be responsible for protecting it from deterioration and catching fire? Are owners suspect to hope for "hot demolition" or "demolition by neglect" if official demolition won't be permitted.</p><p>Let's parse out what happened in the case of the Sellers Mansion and then see how the bad outcome of total loss could potentially be avoided in the future.</p><p>Baltimore's Sellers Mansion had stood for 155 years first witnessing Harlem Park as the cutting edge of Baltimore's urban development and subsequently the urban flight, underinvestment and decay that followed. The mansion held up well well for a century. Even in1960 when affluence had left Harlem Park, it had been carefully restored and adapted for community uses. Neither "redlining" nor the "highway to nowhere" had been fully realized yet, but the ugly practices of segregation and racism had long begun to cast their long shadow over the churches and brownstones of Lafayette Square. Then decline came rapidly. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTixwZGBI5yJBGkxYeNFlraaQYLck4aXMZ-v_MJALk7y-JzRJ60x4CpZHE6Br1EbTX7DX6UiLdosS6LUv8lrqjKu_MOme0wPMaR9p8Ebxlv_SDvTxELA0Xkn_IxBLS7KjUy0lVg4gQMFPw3xOqMpc_z7CgcRWJPayJwCf9EqSpN1jkhIG883NVsjDRUw/s1280/IMG_4457.HEIC" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTixwZGBI5yJBGkxYeNFlraaQYLck4aXMZ-v_MJALk7y-JzRJ60x4CpZHE6Br1EbTX7DX6UiLdosS6LUv8lrqjKu_MOme0wPMaR9p8Ebxlv_SDvTxELA0Xkn_IxBLS7KjUy0lVg4gQMFPw3xOqMpc_z7CgcRWJPayJwCf9EqSpN1jkhIG883NVsjDRUw/w300-h400/IMG_4457.HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Sellers Mansion 2023 a few days before the fire<br />(Photo: Justin Hillman)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><blockquote><span style="color: #666666; font-family: helvetica;">CHAP: The Sellers Mansion is architecturally significant for its late-High Victorian styling featuring Second Empire elements. The craftsmanship and fine architectural detailing is remarkable and a wonderful example of an opulent and comfortable residence of the socially affluent in post-Civil War Baltimore. The mansion is often compared with residences such as the Mt. Vernon mansion located at 105 Monument Street, which has a similar proportion and styling that Edwards Davis was emulating in the Sellers new home. The Sellers Mansion is a completely detached three-story building, five bays by eight bays with symmetrically placed windows. Sitting on the corner lot, the “front” of the mansion faces west onto the square. </span></blockquote><p>In the last 55 years the building changed hands a number of times, no owner pulling off an adaptive reuse, until the mansion stood abandoned for pretty much all of this century. The decay had progressed to a point where the leaky roof rotted the floors until fthey fell even before the current owner, Ernst Valery had bought the building in 2018 to make it part of his "<a href="https://www.carehaus.net/">Care Haus</a>" project in combination with the adjacent building. Attempts of stabilizing the roof from the outside failed when heavy snow made the the roof cave some years ago. In 2021 lightning struck, but that fire was quickly contained. The roof kept leaking.</p><p>Then last week a three alarm fire gutted the roof of the mansion entirely with a portion of a wall falling. The city bureaucracy acted swiftly and began tearing the still hot building down the very minute the fire fighters had declared the blaze extinguished. The owner stood to watch. He told me "the walls were swaying". He gave the media his view of what happened. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwGJt1enICWbJTK8mXlqdICEHa9eDtusjF6Y5DcCSWdvQXPKuVHvdue7JqaAXOdCFfptmABqlPlEJidKHCK92oA00FHKqk2eYwclMaFiBQ0ZmYDL5Q4Hw9Dh8TaXgLGfYdFQ-Eq_ncOWmoBbPvasgCBuHlNqao1r2vJlK_ZIPxmgMQGKziiV9GxzjBOA/s1536/2023%20Balto%20Heritage.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="1536" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwGJt1enICWbJTK8mXlqdICEHa9eDtusjF6Y5DcCSWdvQXPKuVHvdue7JqaAXOdCFfptmABqlPlEJidKHCK92oA00FHKqk2eYwclMaFiBQ0ZmYDL5Q4Hw9Dh8TaXgLGfYdFQ-Eq_ncOWmoBbPvasgCBuHlNqao1r2vJlK_ZIPxmgMQGKziiV9GxzjBOA/w400-h300/2023%20Balto%20Heritage.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Sellers Manion after the fire 2023 (Photo: Johns Hopkins)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(25, 25, 25); letter-spacing: 0.1px;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">“If your business is in preserving buildings, you can’t be all or nothing, because a lot of times when you’re all or nothing, you end up with nothing, and unfortunately we’re ending up with nothing,” (Ernst Valery, developer and owner as quoted in the <a href="https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/local-news/firefighters-battle-3-alarm-blaze-at-historic-baltimore-mansion-SJSNG2NFN5CTJJJCWA3BUUGEZU/">Baltimore Banner</a>)</span></blockquote><p></p><p>Why was the building standing in limbo? Valery wanted to adapt the building to house 15 senior apartments, an approach that reconfigured much of the interior, including the former grand stair. The proposed design also included exterior modifications such as an addition for an elevator and a roof deck cut into the mansard roof. Valery's plans were developed with the help of a historic preservation consultant had been approved by the city preservation panel CHAP with some cautionary note about the roof deck. CHAP looks only at the exterior modifications when they consider a landmark. </p><p>That could have been enough to green-light the project, but Valery did not only want the local preservation tax credits, but also the state and federal tax credits which in combination can be 40% of the eligible rehabilitation cost. Such an application requires review by the Maryland Historic Trust (MHT) which brings the interior of the mansion into play as well. Valery's adaptive re-use ran into the buzz-saw of the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/treatment-standards-rehabilitation.htm">rehabilitation standards of the secretary of the interior</a> and their interpretation by MHT. The state agency has a certain discretion but generally follows the <a href="https://www.ncdcr.gov/about/history/division-historical-resources/state-historic-preservation-office/restoration-5">ten standards</a> which have guided buildings under historic preservation protection since 1977. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbjGbHyZgaKBXZyj3EiBRQI70GoV9p6iNHLZ4f4hRJvy69_lT_kyvsjv9SmbMSL8jLuWU8SRJNWx2I7Iq9ul6t0U-bKKpY0ah4LdpkNTBUurYU0EHX8bWdL80Lde6c_PX35Mt2ItoS8ywPpuYieWkQPbIAjXAkAkR2Q1Qcg6aT8mZJ96OtZUiwS9r6wQ/s1440/2023%20after%20fire%20at%20demo.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1440" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbjGbHyZgaKBXZyj3EiBRQI70GoV9p6iNHLZ4f4hRJvy69_lT_kyvsjv9SmbMSL8jLuWU8SRJNWx2I7Iq9ul6t0U-bKKpY0ah4LdpkNTBUurYU0EHX8bWdL80Lde6c_PX35Mt2ItoS8ywPpuYieWkQPbIAjXAkAkR2Q1Qcg6aT8mZJ96OtZUiwS9r6wQ/w400-h225/2023%20after%20fire%20at%20demo.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Sellers Manion, demolition in progress (Baltimore SUN)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>Part of the problem is that these standards were not developed with buildings in mind that have stood vacant for decades and are in danger of falling down under their own weight. Nor did they envision conditions where the real estate market is so depressed that even the fairly generous historic tax credits can't make up for the cost burden historically accurate rehabilitation brings with it. For the interior of Sellers Mansion to stay organized around the grand stair only six apartments would have been possible, not 15, a significant difference for a developer who has to consider the cost effectiveness of the project. </p><p>Cost effectiveness in Harlem Park looks vastly different than, say, in Federal Hill or Fells Point, two of Baltimore's more affluent historic districts. Valery sees the strict application of the same preservation standards across vastly different neighborhoods as a continuation of policies that have disadvantaged these communities for such a long time. </p><p>If MHT doesn't approve the tax credit application, not only the state 20% credit but also the federal 20% credit is blocked, regardless whether the National Park Service would like and accept the plans. My request for a comment from MHT was denied. Valery's take is that he as a minority developer in a disinvested community was the victim of a rigid interpretation of the preservation standards. In his view MHT was failing to recognize the precarious condition of the Sellers Mansion and left him in limbo "with no recourse". This accusation comes at a time when the City is reviewing its own tax credit programs and has <a href="https://bbmr.baltimorecity.gov/sites/default/files/BBMR%20Report_Comprehensive%20Review%20of%20City's%20Tax%20Credits.pdf">discovered</a> that its local preservation credits<a href="https://bbmr.baltimorecity.gov/sites/default/files/BBMR%20Report_Comprehensive%20Review%20of%20City's%20Tax%20Credits.pdf"> </a> predominantly go to the more affluent CHAP areas. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9iqA-0bI6QycYJ70GCWmoq2ABZ-p2iwMP1U9wZ8RuPIdNDb6ByRCWNx8RHfh4eayUVf3sWDoJqsDu2Im1OkxXtW83zC0Im6a5ZUh1aM86R0l5occ8PwEx0Ut9fDPzQgJQRQ_2fIdmdAP_oEDAbhAQo6VmIZLDHByMNgyGjWmHl4rG5sXbLx0_Qo2naQ/s367/hud-doi-guidelines-1977.gif" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="282" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9iqA-0bI6QycYJ70GCWmoq2ABZ-p2iwMP1U9wZ8RuPIdNDb6ByRCWNx8RHfh4eayUVf3sWDoJqsDu2Im1OkxXtW83zC0Im6a5ZUh1aM86R0l5occ8PwEx0Ut9fDPzQgJQRQ_2fIdmdAP_oEDAbhAQo6VmIZLDHByMNgyGjWmHl4rG5sXbLx0_Qo2naQ/w308-h400/hud-doi-guidelines-1977.gif" width="308" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">NPS Standards for Historic Preservation 1977 (<a href="https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/treatment-standards-history.htm">NPS</a>)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div class="page" title="Page 23"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="color: #444444;">The distribution of this credit tracks directly to neighborhoods that have either a local or Federal historic designation. There are currently 87 historic districts in Baltimore that include approximately one-third of the properties in the City. Although the credit has been granted in 81 different neighborhoods in Baltimore since its inception, it does not reach all neighborhoods equally. The neighborhoods with the greatest count and dollar value of tax credit granted are among the highest per capita income areas of the City.(<a href="https://bbmr.baltimorecity.gov/sites/default/files/BBMR%20Report_Comprehensive%20Review%20of%20City%27s%20Tax%20Credits.pdf">Report</a>)</span></span></blockquote><p></p></div></div></div><p>The loss of the mansion also falls into a time when CHAP has began a discussion to create a "lower grade" preservation category called "conservation districts" in buildings that are neither landmarks nor located in a designated CHAP district but sit in a "<a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/index.htm">National Register District</a>". Such a designation is currently under consideration at a committee studying the matter.</p><p>How could one avoid that a historic landmark falls in such disrepair only because it sits in a distressed area? How could owners be incentivized to stabilize a landmark building even before their plans are approved? How could the state tax credit process be streamlined to provide more certainty for developers who have to finalize their "capital stacks" before they can begin construction? How can premature demolition after a fire or partial collapse be avoided and the public safety be guaranteed at the same time? How can the federal standards be adjusted so they reflect the realities of Beverly decayed landmarks? </p><p> Here some ideas:</p><p></p><ol><li>Historic stewardship: A local law should be passed that requires purchasers of vacant landmarks to secure them in such a way that they are stabilized and do not deteriorate further while further steps are investigated. For this purpose stabilization funds should be made available tat would have to be repaid if a project doesn't move forward.</li><li>Federal and State law could be modified so that vacant historic structures whose condition is severely impacted by decay and vacancy have more lenient standards regarding interior alterations. The criterium could be that rehabilitation cost at or above the cost of building new </li><li>A local law could give the chair of the historic commission (CHAP) the right to invoke a 12 hour delay on demolition to get a second opinion on stability and alternatives to demolition wherever alternative measures can protect public safety (such as closing a larger perimeter etc.)</li><li>State historic tax credits could be guaranteed when compliance is achieved giving owners certainty instead of several annual applications and their associated delays. A state bill that was signed into law in 2022 already increased the available funds. To avoid that this would blow the State budget the credit could potentially be tied to a prove that they are financially not feasible without the 20% historic State tax credit (similar to TIFFs).</li></ol> Metrics for a reform package include:<p></p><p></p><ul><li>Reforms should provide carrots and sticks i.e. additional burdens on owners would be offset by additional benefits or an easier path towards benefits. </li><li>Reforms should maximize the economic benefits to the community: Historic preservation tax credits have shown to be good investments in that for each tax dollar forgiven between three and five additional revenue dollars have been created via economic development and better communities.</li><li>Equity: Better equity in preservation should mean that historic assets that are severely compromised should not face a much more arduous route than those in better shape in more affluent areas. The goal is to have as many preservation benefits accrue in disinvested communities as in affluent districts.</li></ul>Baltimore has a rich history and generally also a good record of historic preservation just not applied in an equitable manner. Historic districts <a href="https://chap.baltimorecity.gov/sites/default/files/Analysis%20of%20the%20Baltimore%20CHAP%20Credit%207_31_2020_small.pdf">perform better</a> for building evaluation and community stability. It is high time to bring these benefits to the areas of the "black butterfly" which have wonderful historic buildings, except that they are often neglected and in bad shape through the systemic disinvestment that occurred over decades. <div><br /><div>The Sellers Mansion fire should be a wake up call that highlights the problems of historic assets in disinvested and burdened communities. The finger pointing regarding whose fault the loss of this structure was needs to give way to a constructive way of moving forward. The above suggested reform package should kick off a constructive discussion about the right steps towards avoiding another loss like the one on historic Lafayette Square. Each of the suggested measures has to be tested for unintended consequences and for how it could work optimally in concert with the other measures. </div><div><br /></div><div>The strong Baltimore advocacy community of Baltimore Heritage, Preservation Maryland, CHAP, the local chapter of AIA and many local conservation stewards should make it a priority to collaborate on a strong reform package that makes historic preservation even more successful, equitable and beneficial in all of Baltimore's historic neighborhoods. </div><div><br /></div><div>Klaus Philipsen, FAIA</div><p><i>The author was architect and preservation consultant for a number of completed projects including dilapidated buildings which successfully used state historic tax credits. </i></p><p><i>Thanks to Tom Liebel FAIA, former chair of CHAP, Johns Hopkins of Baltimore Heritage, Eric Holcomb, City CHAP & Historic and Architecture Preservation Division Chief and Ernst Valery, of EVI Development for their insights in discussions leading up to this article.</i></p><p>Resources:<br /><a href="https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/local-news/firefighters-battle-3-alarm-blaze-at-historic-baltimore-mansion-SJSNG2NFN5CTJJJCWA3BUUGEZU/">https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/local-news/firefighters-battle-3-alarm-blaze-at-historic-baltimore-mansion-SJSNG2NFN5CTJJJCWA3BUUGEZU/</a></p><p><a href="https://baltimoreheritage.org/fire-at-the-sellers-mansion/">https://baltimoreheritage.org/fire-at-the-sellers-mansion/</a></p><p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.5px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p></div>Klaus Philipsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01615851444265308506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223492702090268881.post-80778879545224691522023-02-06T13:14:00.001-08:002023-02-06T13:16:19.564-08:00Seven suggested Principles for the HarborPlace Redevelopment<p><b>So many ideas</b></p><p>Politicians, planners, architects and pretty much everyone interested in Baltimore have <a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2022/11/what-should-david-bramble-do-with.html">ideas </a>for Baltimore's most infamously ailing and failing creation, HarborPlace, once the star of the city's renaissance.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxIbI_UA3tC8DjTmL2QhxGV-Xbxx9s3Vobu2eAyRWCJ74_qOMFoSh_MZcLYVNqXKHaFyN_ZRTuUoXMf-UN9EMRXcHOfdFTwe7vE7D7OobCKCE6zx2MVJIsedLTG3qzabkWFFIvgPRoRIBQ_8usZ6Usk6Lo6eFl47FW1qEELnzGC1iSNfjyy0ZtnzWeA/s2560/Inner-Harbor-2_master-plan-scaled.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1356" data-original-width="2560" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxIbI_UA3tC8DjTmL2QhxGV-Xbxx9s3Vobu2eAyRWCJ74_qOMFoSh_MZcLYVNqXKHaFyN_ZRTuUoXMf-UN9EMRXcHOfdFTwe7vE7D7OobCKCE6zx2MVJIsedLTG3qzabkWFFIvgPRoRIBQ_8usZ6Usk6Lo6eFl47FW1qEELnzGC1iSNfjyy0ZtnzWeA/w400-h213/Inner-Harbor-2_master-plan-scaled.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Inner Harbor MasterPlan Harbor 2.0 (Ayers Saint Gross, 2013</span>)</td></tr></tbody></table>Ideas were created before it was clear that Baltimore developer David Bramble would acquire the buildings. The most comprehensive and far reaching was <a href="https://ayerssaintgross.com/work/project/waterfront-partnership-inner-harbor-2-0/">Ayers Saint Gross' Harbor 2.0 Masterplan from 2013.</a> The probably most creative and whimsical <a href="https://baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/rethinking-baltimores-inner-harbor-for-enduring-and-dynamic-success/">suggestions</a> come from the founder and now retired director of the Visionary Art Museum, Rebecca Hoffberger.<br /><p></p><p>Suggestions range from demolishing both pavilions or at least one to preserving both as market sheds (Lehr Jackson) to building high rises in their stead (Architect Craig Purcell). Architect Peter Fillat suggested to put convention center hotels in a volume that wouldn't be bigger than the pavilions. </p><p>Meanwhile Bramble who refused to provide any ideas himself because he didn't have site control has now taken possession of the pavilions and is ready to embark on a public process to find out what people's aspirations are. Bramble had called HarborPlace Baltimore's "front lawn" a very suburban term and concept. I'd prefer to state the same idea in more urban terms such as "piazza, plaza, or square", all terms that define public gathering spaces which are perceived "commons" of a town or city to stress the public aspect. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajKGWE_UtmDoNo2YOiNOOPxz6Xs9L4XYtva7vvQCUdMWESOnuQgphwmMHN7a-iMP1XCNnOjU5UTUK5mexqmdeV5qyisCmpXpe6ShDfb6lTdzhWWcwOhz_lmg6PKbveVZopTVte_YAJ0zJVLPu7wBrgHSF0BNw2pkJZYu_upnODe--b1pXssBStG2y4A/s1140/DesignElement1.jpg.webp" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="1140" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajKGWE_UtmDoNo2YOiNOOPxz6Xs9L4XYtva7vvQCUdMWESOnuQgphwmMHN7a-iMP1XCNnOjU5UTUK5mexqmdeV5qyisCmpXpe6ShDfb6lTdzhWWcwOhz_lmg6PKbveVZopTVte_YAJ0zJVLPu7wBrgHSF0BNw2pkJZYu_upnODe--b1pXssBStG2y4A/w400-h194/DesignElement1.jpg.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Rebecca Hoffberger proposes a "roller coaster bridge" (TBC)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><b>The privatization of public space</b></p><p>HarborPlace has long suffered from tension between private and public (what is allowed there, who polices it and who is responsible?) based on a baked in ambiguity between public and private: The ground is owned by the City, the buildings are privately owned. So when the private side did no longer take good care of their buildings and operations and let the initial intentions evaporate by cheapening the pavilions to junk bond status, the public begin to lose a cherished asset and public amenity. This loss was comparable to the decline of the malls in the suburb which had taken on the role of communal spaces. While private enterprise and public benefit can work hand in hand, quality urban communal spaces should never be left to the mercy of private investors. <br /></p><span style="color: #666666;"><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Generations of urban theorists, from <a href="https://urbanculturalstudies.wordpress.com/category/lewis-mumford/">Lewis Mumford</a> to <a href="https://urbanculturalstudies.wordpress.com/category/jane-jacobs-2/">Jane Jacobs</a> to <a href="https://urbanculturalstudies.wordpress.com/category/doreen-massey/">Doreen Massey</a>, have suggested that the place where cities get “remade” is in the public rather than private sphere. (Urbanist Bradley L. Garret in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/aug/04/pops-privately-owned-public-space-cities-direct-action">the Guardian</a>)</span></blockquote></span><p>Empowering the public with a space they "own" in same way as "commons" or central plazas do would expand on the notion of McKeldin Square as a "free speech" area which gained traction during the Occupy Wall Street protests. A strengthened public component at the Inner Harbor would be an important element in the ongoing Baltimore discussion about what should be allowed and banned in public spaces. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjb0ifer7objKHW4M5wEyaaHfztp23NkSyZwuaVqTIV5So8vwqz4uEPtbQ0eJmHJw72XxoGbauBFVpbLjOmjTsW353H6WFoS3maK41qdkJTJP7DxVB9ZI5AmGT7oOCjvL-RMv0W8L1PLJOljnmQ6f2gF5OyIzTzGkA2sIMuZ0bFxkJpQLRLTYRONY2HMA" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="1809" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjb0ifer7objKHW4M5wEyaaHfztp23NkSyZwuaVqTIV5So8vwqz4uEPtbQ0eJmHJw72XxoGbauBFVpbLjOmjTsW353H6WFoS3maK41qdkJTJP7DxVB9ZI5AmGT7oOCjvL-RMv0W8L1PLJOljnmQ6f2gF5OyIzTzGkA2sIMuZ0bFxkJpQLRLTYRONY2HMA=w640-h261" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">How Privatization Impacts Public Spaces And Infrastructure</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /><b>How to structure a design discussion starting with consensus on outcomes</b></p><p>From my professional experience I know that it is easier to build consensus on principles than on solutions but that most debates begin with solutions, nevertheless, long before there was an agreement on goals, objectives and desired outcomes. Sometimes solutions are debated that are in search of a problem. </p><p>Starting out with guiding principles can positively define a process from early the discussion towards a consensus on solutions especially where the problems are complex, the solutions arenet obvious and where creativity is needed. Once alternative solutions or designs are developed, the guiding principles can be applied as the metrics by which the suggested solutions are evaluated and compared. It is amazing how often projects were selected based on irrational or political preferences without actually solving the problems they set out to solve or without achieving the outcomes that were initially desired.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimc2xMDv9Y3ozAkhAvMf6U2myV6IWDre5jEws8RG7WOlJ3jFKxuZDVGd8379Wy_Iz_mR77VmLy1wcgb4c7PMtk0i-F_QCLB4f4yqv7gWsYhuANB-rQ1t93bPq1YAKjcvSeo_qYkTUMefLZaXoUDZwoFPUXHmo6JV9rBXQ5qUDVUkvUL7TpsnWLS8KY6A/s790/Hoffberger2.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="790" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimc2xMDv9Y3ozAkhAvMf6U2myV6IWDre5jEws8RG7WOlJ3jFKxuZDVGd8379Wy_Iz_mR77VmLy1wcgb4c7PMtk0i-F_QCLB4f4yqv7gWsYhuANB-rQ1t93bPq1YAKjcvSeo_qYkTUMefLZaXoUDZwoFPUXHmo6JV9rBXQ5qUDVUkvUL7TpsnWLS8KY6A/w400-h265/Hoffberger2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Rebecca Hoffberger illustration of an observation tower (TBC)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>So here a set of guiding principles that could get the discussion going. But before proffering my own list I want to mention something Rebecca Hoffeberger shared with me in a phone call about Harborplace. Her Leitmotif : "Whatever you do, it must have an element of fun"</p><div><b>Guiding principles</b><br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Embed the future of the pavilions into a broader planning context that includes McKeldin Plaza, Light Street and Pratt Streets all surrounding uses</li><li>Make the power of the waterfront felt blocks away so the surrounding areas relate and connect to the waterfront design in a cascade of expectation</li><li>The redevelopment should support the role of the Inner Harbor as Baltimore's "public square"</li><li>The redevelopment should serve residents and visitors alike and reflect the diversity of its users</li><li>Water and the history of the harbor should be thematic anchors for design and programming</li><li>The redevelopment follows best sustainability practices that include waste reduction (avoiding demolition if possible), resilience and energy efficiency</li><li>At no point during the redevelopment should the area be entirely closed down or sit fallow, there must be pop up and possibly temporary uses and attractions in or around the pavilions at all times (sounds like you said that when you talked about giving the pavilions uses)</li></ul><div>This list isn't meant to be adopted or taken as anything but an illustration of what it would mean to begin this important project on the basis of publicly accepted principles. Developing principles should be the first step of meaningful public participation. </div><div><br /></div>Klaus Philipsen, FAIA</div><div><br /></div><div><i>Related articles on this blog</i></div><div><a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2022/11/what-should-david-bramble-do-with.html">What should David Bramble do with HarborPlace? </a></div><div><a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2018/04/the-failed-concept-of-harborplace.html">The Failed Concept of HarborPlace</a></div><div><a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2019/10/spooky-at-harborplace.html">Spooky at HarborPlace<br /></a><br /></div>Klaus Philipsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01615851444265308506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223492702090268881.post-44419414341798275272023-01-11T16:43:00.005-08:002023-01-12T06:03:06.220-08:00Lutherville: Why "lovely suburbia" is in fact the cause of many troubles<p style="text-align: center;"> <i><span style="font-family: trebuchet;"><span style="color: #191919; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: 0.1px;">“Why can’t we just keep our lovely suburbia?” (Resident, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 19.2px;">Greater Timonium Community Council in a <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/bs-md-mta-transit-proposals-20221216-lck26umhrffrlpjfyvvqnxorcm-story.html">public meeting</a></span><span style="color: #191919; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: 0.1px;">)</span></span></i></p>Sometimes real life provides quotes that are better than anything you can make up. The above exclamation is such a case. It is a headscratcher for the fact that few people would America's standard edition suburb as a thing of beauty. Especially if one knows the 13 acres of land in question that caused this exclamation, a largely defunct shopping Center between York Road and the Central Light Rail in Lutherville, the shopping center as well as the LRT station known as the Lutherville Station. Ok, the shopping center is a sea of asphalt, no green, non descript boxy buildings, in short: It is ugly. And so is pretty much everything else lining York Road a mile south or a mile north. <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQiKb1KVCThch_zUsq_U5g7ErRKNVMoMfPSF8URL0OTQ0n2oxX0fUAKAlZVjggE8hF0upKR9q5UennDKOLhYRo0HQJYcCJq2ZCPkXEeyhNIWKTMx3dKFHDU8cYWF0wHJ-6URc00WuRfwdbOXhOTQzLc1sDg4pMG7WAuDSaIfcMg5HkJmJumUKIPnN0g/s4032/IMG_6204.HEIC" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQiKb1KVCThch_zUsq_U5g7ErRKNVMoMfPSF8URL0OTQ0n2oxX0fUAKAlZVjggE8hF0upKR9q5UennDKOLhYRo0HQJYcCJq2ZCPkXEeyhNIWKTMx3dKFHDU8cYWF0wHJ-6URc00WuRfwdbOXhOTQzLc1sDg4pMG7WAuDSaIfcMg5HkJmJumUKIPnN0g/w400-h300/IMG_6204.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Big, ugly and underperforming: Lutherville Station as seen from<br />the light rail station with the same name (Photo: Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>But maybe the "lovely suburbia" isn't meant so literally. Maybe it means the people, lovely people versus not so lovely ones? There are certainly many folks who took the NIMBY revolt in Lutherville that way, myself included, when I suspected "classism and racism" as noted in an <a href="https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-power/local-government/lutherville-timonium-development-transit-LSQ4KHJDNFAJLGALU62T4GOLDI/">article </a>in The Baltimore Banner. The Lutherville dispute has been all over the media. (<a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/bs-md-mta-transit-proposals-20221216-lck26umhrffrlpjfyvvqnxorcm-story.html">Here</a>, <a href="http://https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/readers-respond/bs-ed-rr-lutherville-development-plans-letter-20221217-squiod5tynf3bgn67ewtqkjwaq-story.html">here </a>and <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/readers-respond/bs-ed-rr-0109-lutherville-transit-proposal-20230109-xsu5fpruvnb6blj2iwbyhfvydu-story.html">here</a>).</div><div><br /></div><div>Many residents of the Lutherville Timonium area seem to oppose a transit oriented development <a href="https://luthervillecommunityassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/TOD-Designation-Application-Lutherville-Station-FINAL-Sep-22-2022-1.pdf">proposal </a>submitted in September last year on principle.even though the area in question is well removed from residential neighborhoods and surrounded by large lot commercial development. Too many apartments, too much traffic, not enough public input, not enough open space, not part of the masterplan and too much impact on overcrowded schools. The arguments run the gamut, not to mention statements about apartments and transit that are uttered on the sidelines. </div><div><span face="SourceSansPro, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #414141;"><blockquote>"There is a petition with thousands of people signed. They're against it. We just don't want the crowding," (Community member)</blockquote></span></div><div>The well organized community associations have organized packed meetings to express their opposition. However, in all the outcry it hasn't become clear what the community really wants or what they suggest should be done with the large property. In many ways, the conflict has less to do with good planning and looks more like one of those currently popular culture wars.</div><div><br /></div><div>Maybe "lovely suburbs" stands for everything that is the opposite of "urban" or "city", a verbal and mental relic from the 1960s when people fled cities in droves for the suburbs and when the word "city" became bad currency, associated with crime and grime, pollution, congestion and just about anything else that was bad. As everyone knows, the City- County construct was antagonistic with deep racial overtones, all the way back to when a constitutional amendment forbade the City to annex County land. </div><div><br /></div><div>But for the last 30 years cities had a great comeback and young people wanted to be in them, not the suburbs. New York's renaissance maybe the most famous example, but Nashville, Phoenix, Cincinnati or Philadelphia not far behind. The suburbs had lost their luster and cities were back, once again, although in Baltimore that was less obvious. Covid put a dent into the trend, but it won't last, even though some saw an opportunity to dig up the past with its unreasonable fear of the urban threat now brought in sync with a renaissance of populist hate of urban elites, an unlikely pair of red herrings. It isn't quite clear if transit coming from the city would bring criminals stealing TVs or yuppies that gentrify everything in their past or both. Hard to tell!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBw5hCQbGAUvC6RVFU1if4O4awKmTt2z7JQddu0hynAyrO8DCD3Vb_xYp-VM3EvWiSRQV9o-FJtiJ36IOrnEG2vH-wF3YfX43SEZAZPXdR8HVwUQ4N1XaTH0ecQUhOXTLL6h3SlklqykgxQmfzGcf9hrEo9YgNC2obImjok6JzFAAMD_QALZ-t1PTabg/s1285/Screenshot%202023-01-06%20at%2015.16.28.png.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1285" data-original-width="1170" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBw5hCQbGAUvC6RVFU1if4O4awKmTt2z7JQddu0hynAyrO8DCD3Vb_xYp-VM3EvWiSRQV9o-FJtiJ36IOrnEG2vH-wF3YfX43SEZAZPXdR8HVwUQ4N1XaTH0ecQUhOXTLL6h3SlklqykgxQmfzGcf9hrEo9YgNC2obImjok6JzFAAMD_QALZ-t1PTabg/w364-h400/Screenshot%202023-01-06%20at%2015.16.28.png.png" width="364" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">A sea of asphalt and parking isn't "transit oriented development<br />(Google Maps Screenshot)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>All this comes to mind if one wants to measure not only the pulse of the Lutherville Station redevelopment debate but diagnose the maladies behind the high pitch noises that tend to come up every time there is a discussion about transit, transit oriented development, density or multifamily housing, or a diversity of incomes or uses in one area. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Lutherville debate encapsulates all of these aspects and each one represents a national crisis that also applies locally: A crisis of transportation equity and access, a crisis of insufficient housing and finally a crisis about how unsustainably we use land..</div><div><br /></div><div>Let's recapitulate what we have:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>13 acres of underutilized commercial real estate close to the Baltimore Beltway, I-81 and adjacent to an existing light rail line</li><li>a developer who thinks that there could be a better and higher use than half vacant retail .</li><li>A proposal for "mixed use" with 400 apartments, offices and retail and 2.5 acres of open space. largely mimicking the existing building heights and massing</li><li>An underperforming 30 year old light rail line</li><li>A single family neighborhood to the west of the north-south rail line with no formal pedestrian access to neither transit or shopping</li><li>A transit study investigating the options for an additional north south transit corridor between downtwon Baltimore and Towson that would use the nearby York Road corridor and connect at Lutherville. </li><li>Several alignment options for this new transit corridor would take away road space from York Road, a State Highway (MD 45) </li></ul></div><div><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcbDgMqsySJfPQTv7Am7_2B8cTi4LwJtpEKH-sxL50kR5sXzOqiA0sOUdbdoUQmZ5UPRMPY_Je6l6v9_RwS7E0J_VY3Dm0C-aaYWow2XN8yUgHSD5XNd43J5qoY5QqNv_A33KgLZFnh4UH4F54nir9V1AulriXzH9LJoAi2fQqbyCrmf0W8kGJbfKZwQ/s4032/IMG_6202.HEIC" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcbDgMqsySJfPQTv7Am7_2B8cTi4LwJtpEKH-sxL50kR5sXzOqiA0sOUdbdoUQmZ5UPRMPY_Je6l6v9_RwS7E0J_VY3Dm0C-aaYWow2XN8yUgHSD5XNd43J5qoY5QqNv_A33KgLZFnh4UH4F54nir9V1AulriXzH9LJoAi2fQqbyCrmf0W8kGJbfKZwQ/w300-h400/IMG_6202.HEIC" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">In the 30 some years since the station was built no<br />better connection into the neighborhood was created <br />than this dirt path on which one has to balance<br />across the Roland Run creek to get to the homes <br />(Photo: Philipsen)</span></td></tr></tbody></table>It is no overstatement to say that the populist attitudes against transit, mixed use and density are in part the cause the cause for the housing crisis, the climate crisis and the transportation equity crisis. <p></p><p>The current light rail line is underperforming precisely because each of the jurisdictions the line traverses failed to change zoning so more people would live and work near the stations and bring riders to the system. As a result far more people drive than would be necessary. </p><p>As a result of failed land use planning, employees without a car have three times the commute times of those who drive, because where people live and where the jobs are isn't properly connected by anything but roads for cars. </p><p>There is a housing crisis because somebody always objects when denser or more affordable housing is proposed. Finally, we have a climate crisis as a result of all of the above. Sprawl is the least sustainable form of land use there is, driving up the CO2 production of inefficient buildings as well as that of transportation (in the US each representing 40% of total CO2 emissions respectively.) To boot, as a <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/readers-respond/bs-ed-rr--20221231-7n3xbqxnl5a4xc5jngv4nabjki-story.html">letter writer</a> to the SUN points out, the "lovely suburbs" are also fiscally not sustainable and tend to slide into worse predicaments than the maligned cities.</p><blockquote><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">The suburban development pattern combines the openness of rural communities with the infrastructure standards of urban communities. The result is communities that are impossibly expensive to maintain (given the tax base). Extending the reach of roads, water, sewer, trash pick-up, etc., throughout (low-density) suburbs requires tremendous resources, both up-front and ongoing.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4XXYrOBDibtva-siCDI4Y9tTOmvlKwhnGZ4IMPsJj8t72kj-cnBWja7oCTa4afXVz2t6hqgyYR-anq9FmlUO9APxNp_pIH61L3iYfPlJ8xYh3PXYCyHQrEiawYgR9zIX4kRbA9ar-saFYQ6ixDG2lg3_EGBPj8xfiWsqIbSt4r7JqcMKxrGzvbWtQ1A/s4032/IMG_6199.HEIC" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4XXYrOBDibtva-siCDI4Y9tTOmvlKwhnGZ4IMPsJj8t72kj-cnBWja7oCTa4afXVz2t6hqgyYR-anq9FmlUO9APxNp_pIH61L3iYfPlJ8xYh3PXYCyHQrEiawYgR9zIX4kRbA9ar-saFYQ6ixDG2lg3_EGBPj8xfiWsqIbSt4r7JqcMKxrGzvbWtQ1A/w400-h300/IMG_6199.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A train without development: Vast amounts of underutilized lands</span></td></tr></tbody></table></span></blockquote><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">Property taxes fall significantly short of covering the high cost of maintaining everything that many suburban residents have been led to believe are givens. The only reason our suburban pattern of development has been able to continue on for as long as it has without collapsing is because of constant growth, a set-up which amounts to a Ponzi scheme. (</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: 0.1px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: helvetica;">Strong Towns Baltimore)</span></span></p><p></p>The just re-elected County Executive Olszewski has all hands full trying to steer his county out of the treacherous "culture" of glorifying the suburban life as a juxtaposition to city life. His counterparts in Howard and Anne Arundel Counties are on a similar journey. In their second terms they all have an opportunity to show that no crisis can be mastered by simply listening to the loudest NIMBY opponents who don't want to see any change.</div><div> </div><div><span face="SourceSansPro, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #414141;"><blockquote>"I asked [Olszewski] to put a halt to the process. He has. He's held it back from the planning board for their approval or disapproval. I think that the TOD is not the right way to go," (County Council Wade Kach on Jan 11,2023)</blockquote></span><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWn9n3AkD6KyCHzd3iom6u1z4VxSg85C5L4I5ttkuHI5jsSc_G2mF_b7NaNKEUQI0EFLdZWsXsdTE0qNkNlJg95gawXsi8An9keGkILEHvXiCSiSK6RGxC3i0lFRa_aY6WW4KKVNmCe4GvGD0cFw1I23T0szUldybl_wFOV6Ych1Z9uHFuN86QssjyFA/s1098/Transit%20Map%20alternatives.webp" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1098" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWn9n3AkD6KyCHzd3iom6u1z4VxSg85C5L4I5ttkuHI5jsSc_G2mF_b7NaNKEUQI0EFLdZWsXsdTE0qNkNlJg95gawXsi8An9keGkILEHvXiCSiSK6RGxC3i0lFRa_aY6WW4KKVNmCe4GvGD0cFw1I23T0szUldybl_wFOV6Ych1Z9uHFuN86QssjyFA/w291-h400/Transit%20Map%20alternatives.webp" width="291" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Alternative alignments and modes under study<br />for a City to Towson corridor</span></td></tr></tbody></table>No crisis can be overcome without change and this is especially true for the housing, transportation and climate crisis. To bring down the high US emissions of transportation and buildings requires more transit, denser land use in the appropriate locations and the redevelopment of underutilized land of exactly the type we see at the Lutherville Station. Once a mixed use development with quality open space would be completed, the quality of life in the area will go up, not down. There are many examples of this around the US. Maybe one needs to put the opponents and the developer on a train and show them really successful TODs in other places.<p></p><p>Klaus Philipsen, FAIA</p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The article has been updated</i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8WoRsRKK11DM4pknu_DUV6Ttqieuq_e7JM20OpnKZuSetugf8qYwNi_y4EKMNJqGHUiNVzTeqz9EAIql3zFA1YUVNe3IY_SvVk0FYuHTT3GksSZYeQqP7v6YfQpfKB6v22av1cyHb6ArCCltCVG0cbk4bD9brlrfkVRwjGd17ucx8lbGJ24Klumh4Ag/s1650/httpsluthervillecommunityassociation.orgwp-contentuploadsTOD-Designation-Application-Lutherville-Station-FINAL-Sep-22-2022.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1170" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8WoRsRKK11DM4pknu_DUV6Ttqieuq_e7JM20OpnKZuSetugf8qYwNi_y4EKMNJqGHUiNVzTeqz9EAIql3zFA1YUVNe3IY_SvVk0FYuHTT3GksSZYeQqP7v6YfQpfKB6v22av1cyHb6ArCCltCVG0cbk4bD9brlrfkVRwjGd17ucx8lbGJ24Klumh4Ag/w284-h400/httpsluthervillecommunityassociation.orgwp-contentuploadsTOD-Designation-Application-Lutherville-Station-FINAL-Sep-22-2022.png" width="284" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Proposed concept plan from the developer's<br /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7223492702090268881/4441941434179827527#">PUD application</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><i><br /></i></span></p><p><br /></p></div>Klaus Philipsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01615851444265308506noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7223492702090268881.post-85211927779317921392022-12-16T15:29:00.005-08:002022-12-16T18:20:24.732-08:00Baltimore: From sideways to upwards?<p><b>Why can't Baltimore stop its decline</b>?</p><p>Why is<i> Charm City</i> known for its historic architecture, its neighborhoods and its quaintness as a quirky "<i>Smalltimore</i>" as well as a <i>city of firsts </i>with the nation's first passenger railroad and the first gas light, a waterfront revitalization that became a global blueprint for industrial waterfront conversions and a ballpark that became equally influential <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/op-ed/bs-ed-op-1019-bnia-baltimore-population-loss-20221018-xxrc4tvq5bexxl25w43a6ppr5y-story.html">the only city among peers</a> that keeps losing population, Harbor East, Brewers Hill/Canton Crossing, McHenry Row and HarborPoint, Clipper Mill, Silo Point and TidePoint notwithstanding? </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_EyQl_LxrOWm7QceMm1uAuH1cgKqU0X0ovcx1GX0ThB1xhRPmUtcD-zMUzbiJViaudZ77aQiKp4a-yLQmDBn4fKsMwZH6u5y8J-_SW6g0BSSYOxpC6_WxUKE93KESs7igu6-MRJXnWZIXq_v_k6hkYOCYSq40eIuSmUb1XeMUFQX6T2ss4WCmYMT4Zw/s655/5-5-Tips-for-Team-Leaders-_-PMs-1024x535.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="655" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_EyQl_LxrOWm7QceMm1uAuH1cgKqU0X0ovcx1GX0ThB1xhRPmUtcD-zMUzbiJViaudZ77aQiKp4a-yLQmDBn4fKsMwZH6u5y8J-_SW6g0BSSYOxpC6_WxUKE93KESs7igu6-MRJXnWZIXq_v_k6hkYOCYSq40eIuSmUb1XeMUFQX6T2ss4WCmYMT4Zw/w400-h249/5-5-Tips-for-Team-Leaders-_-PMs-1024x535.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">How to get from a tangled mess to success?<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Some use psychology to explain and combat the City's shortcomings attesting Baltimore an inferiority complex and lack of self esteem. Or describe the issues in terms of family relations: Baltimore suffering from sibling rivalry with its much more famous sibling Washington DC which overshadows everything we do, even though DC was smaller than Baltimore as recently as 2010, plus it is the younger sibling by nearly six decades. Of course, there are also social explanations such as systemic racism and the large social disparities it created. In this space I will try to explain Baltimore's problems to turn around in terms of <i>systems </i>and feedback loops. </p><p>Baltimore isn't a backwater where nothing happens. The City continues to generate large projects that are all described as "world class", "game changers" or as "<i>the biggest in the nation</i>". All those projects are supposed to, in one way or another, pull the city out of its spiral of shrinkage and crime. We will set aside for a moment the mounting evidence that building big stuff isn't necessarily the right solution for societal woes. Physical projects alone won't do it anymore without having social components, such as community benefits agreements. In real estate there is much talk about impact investment and ESG. Regardless, why do these project never "change the game" in Baltimore? Why can't we pull off what Boston and DC could do, or Nashville and Chattanooga? Those cities are well beyond their tipping point and never looked back. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEO-32A9k16p1WDrX-VccjSewGlrTciMvpKQzo7-1cYOdVPKN-EL-QKYw7uLM5Xy7ZnC-omeZ2n0oAmsGhzvbZGMzF6rKS1-IKQ16pc0fNqjefsX83WlcgqFOZ7kd87XI7oPx3e7h_ZvWWCsUvWuwwBEe_72OvRdask6DU2vQyzqvw_lfkcOM6F0Lgw/s1440/MV5BZmFlOGQ2MjgtOTkzOC00ODg2LTkxNWUtYTNkOTJjNjVmMjRjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDM2NDM2MQ@@._V1_.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="972" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEO-32A9k16p1WDrX-VccjSewGlrTciMvpKQzo7-1cYOdVPKN-EL-QKYw7uLM5Xy7ZnC-omeZ2n0oAmsGhzvbZGMzF6rKS1-IKQ16pc0fNqjefsX83WlcgqFOZ7kd87XI7oPx3e7h_ZvWWCsUvWuwwBEe_72OvRdask6DU2vQyzqvw_lfkcOM6F0Lgw/s320/MV5BZmFlOGQ2MjgtOTkzOC00ODg2LTkxNWUtYTNkOTJjNjVmMjRjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDM2NDM2MQ@@._V1_.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Charm City</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Let's take a look at projects in Baltimore, then and now, and what worked and what didn't.</p><p><b>Duds instead of "game changers" </b></p><p>The currently most widely known mega project is perhaps Port Covington ("Baltimore's Port Covington to be the Silicon Valley of athletics wear", <a href="https://www.archpaper.com/2018/09/baltimore-port-covington/">Archpaper</a>, 2018), which at one point even competed to attract Amazon's headquarters. A few years after its introduction the project has already lost its luster. People are cynical about it, in part because many "game changers" before had been welcomed with enthusiasm but are almost forgotten now, because they failed to deliver what had been promised.</p><p>Remember Baltimore as a center of biotechnology with not only one, but two bio-parks at Hopkins and the University of Maryland that were supposed to put Baltimore on the map of biotechnology? ("The future of Baltimore's biotechnology industry remains to be seen. Industry observers put the city up to two decades behind the biotech hub that has taken root along the Interstate 270 corridor in Montgomery", Gus Sentementes in the SUN). Remember the concept of the <i>digital harbor</i> with Baltimore becoming some sort of Silicon Valley of the East with Tide Point as the catalyst? Remember "<i>the West has Zes</i>t", a slogan to promote the revitalization of the entire <i>Westside </i>of downtown with the Hippodrome as a catalyst? Or recall Baltimore developer Jim Rouse's dream 30 years ago to revitalize Baltimore's then poorest neighborhood, Sandtown as an example that would guide cities across the country? The list of high aspirations tied to large projects is long. None of the noted projects went into the history books as a "lighthouse" project that would shine a path for cities to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl9lrtkNgaal6JvkbBan8Gc2_i2Ntm-Mu83gpgepMDvwS7uxOSXpCdMwi_hHDa211MKIHAgXk2RFnJ-NxhhhH9LQPt-bmO2UivLAGEyXjJSQKz_7Eczg8QJQiWYKlGJ-ChMZCCVyX5OGaUl2ti_F5me-5Pk--BLuJNW9KQwcj0-KigwNBOFzRkNwKC_w/s1200/DEC17_Feature_TOMORROWLAND2.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl9lrtkNgaal6JvkbBan8Gc2_i2Ntm-Mu83gpgepMDvwS7uxOSXpCdMwi_hHDa211MKIHAgXk2RFnJ-NxhhhH9LQPt-bmO2UivLAGEyXjJSQKz_7Eczg8QJQiWYKlGJ-ChMZCCVyX5OGaUl2ti_F5me-5Pk--BLuJNW9KQwcj0-KigwNBOFzRkNwKC_w/w400-h210/DEC17_Feature_TOMORROWLAND2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Game changers: Hype and reality</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Too many big projects and ideas are either limping or never made it off the ground. Baltimore's big transportation projects are a league of its own, mostly with projects that belong to the category of limping or aborted. The half baked nature of Baltimore transit projects presents a pervasive pattern that may well be called the "great Baltimore sideways slide" and stands in contrast to, for example, Washington DC's transit story which one could describe as the "great DC stepladder". Starting with the highway plans which luckily were aborted a long time ago, continuing with the Baltimore subway, the Baltimore Light Rail Line, and finally the Baltimore Red Line, each conceived to be the public transportation solution that will be a worthy successor of Baltimore's once extensive streetcar system. But none of them could save Baltimore from the reputation that it just doesn't have good public transit. Even the MARC commuter train system is at best ambivalent. The commuter trains emanating from Baltimore are said to be the fastest commuter trains in America with speeds above 100mph and are generally highly regarded, but people in West Baltimore have to board via stepping stool, the system uses diesel engines on an electrified line, and with many federal workers still not fully returned to their offices, the rail system is desperately needing riders.</p><p>Baltimore's Urban ADD is pervasive. It looks feverishly for a new topic, pulling away attention and resources before the initial catalyst that isn't anywhere near complete. The malaise is not limited to big projects. The much touted first bike-share project failed spectacularly before it ever really worked, in part because the new scooters looked sexier than the bikes and DOT was busy handling those. Both, though, require a workable and well implemented "complete streets" strategy for these modes to function successfully. The wonderfully progressive Baltimore C<i>omplete Streets</i> policy is littered with the corpses of abandoned or badly mangled bike lanes and road diets. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVudv1ZSN-KjxrJgTeNIxbyvvz9Wv8MdGPsQmfKLd0TrtZ3eM6lj3t1sq3K4zN-5UmKw5Vp7DYZidkfgxA7AIbTO76Bau0Tl8y4nsJYiSK5DcSa4BLlXUFykoGCd0xqzZmgUcNMeOxQL83t69Ydy7X6rUGBFPvsceBiMjmv9arNfikm1qDn8-0CFy2dA/s318/The%20Big%20Jump.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="159" data-original-width="318" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVudv1ZSN-KjxrJgTeNIxbyvvz9Wv8MdGPsQmfKLd0TrtZ3eM6lj3t1sq3K4zN-5UmKw5Vp7DYZidkfgxA7AIbTO76Bau0Tl8y4nsJYiSK5DcSa4BLlXUFykoGCd0xqzZmgUcNMeOxQL83t69Ydy7X6rUGBFPvsceBiMjmv9arNfikm1qDn8-0CFy2dA/w400-h200/The%20Big%20Jump.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Pop up and no follow up</span></td></tr></tbody></table>"The big jump" once had all the headlines as an innovative multimodal pop-up installation. Now it has only shards of glass, knocked over stanchions and barrels and does nothing but stain the reputation of bike and ped-ways even before they are proposed. Even after several years in the making, no cohesive bike lane system has emerged; even the one successful bike facility on Maryland Avenue sees little love, maintenance, or enforcement against folks using it for parking. A previously much touted <i>Green Network Plan </i>is now collecting dust with no visible implementation or funding strategy. Many masterplans had the same fate without implementation of key promised components. Just one example is the Clifton Park masterplan of 2008 where many promised improvements remain unfulfilled to this day, for lack of funding, of course.<p></p><p>The Department of Public Works has a massive backlog of infrastructure work, often done re-actively after a main broke and a sinkhole formed. But while all this is going on, a huge treatment facility is found to be operated incompetently with massive failures, the water billing system keeps having problems after many years of attempts to fix it, but the department focused on two very questionable mega projects of turning drinking water reservoirs into giant underground tanks. Recycling and trash pick up suffer from worker shortages. Most recently DPW had nothing better to do than design a new logo. A stepping stone approach is missing, there is no real success story to build on.</p><p>The sap of half-baked, compromised, or abandoned projects can be seen everywhere in Baltimore, whether it is in the implementation of complete streets or inclusionary housing policies (35 homes funded in 10 years), or even mega projects like<a href="http://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2022/11/why-after-20-years-ebdi-is-still-no.html"> EBDI</a> that after 20 years are still unconvincing. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfd17Yy7YBbcGdLu-WMM85H8HyF_4Wtq2GzkXCr849PjOkYgUYQjNGxkwpX3Xu6-HUcS3kh-uwBNTJeGFO7vUB6S3Mc9jQ95a6eL92YgBJrDBLe0JL4QSet3HLbHA_VvLeiJU3QxjujRKuOnqtZUfcwZPxJJnPZ9_FSyk9cCL40HDAyiCQmI9JSxDWtA/s750/westportteaser-1*750xx3300-1856-0-347.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="421" data-original-width="750" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfd17Yy7YBbcGdLu-WMM85H8HyF_4Wtq2GzkXCr849PjOkYgUYQjNGxkwpX3Xu6-HUcS3kh-uwBNTJeGFO7vUB6S3Mc9jQ95a6eL92YgBJrDBLe0JL4QSet3HLbHA_VvLeiJU3QxjujRKuOnqtZUfcwZPxJJnPZ9_FSyk9cCL40HDAyiCQmI9JSxDWtA/w400-h225/westportteaser-1*750xx3300-1856-0-347.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">From fanfare to nothing: Westport plans</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Sliding instead of stepping up isn't limited to public efforts. The abandoned high flying plans for Pat Turner's Westport or Kevin Plank's Port Covington UA "World Headquarters" are private examples. The ongoing hick-ups at Pimlico are mostly due to the private side not getting its act together, so is the half done Uplands project and the largely stalled Poppleton redevelopment. Sandtown Winchester is after 30 years and far over $100 million of well-meaning attempts as pockmarked by vacants and disinvestment as ever. All those examples will cost way more to complete or get right because of the initial failure. They may and eventually become entirely unaffordable.<p></p><p><b>Baltimore's success stories</b></p><p>Not that Baltimore never generated mega projects that most would describe as successful. I mentioned the Inner Harbor and Oriole Park and a slew of other, smaller success stories. Successfully completed mega projects also include the redevelopment of no less than six low-income highrise districts, considered the largest HUD HOPE VI project group in the country; Those projects are, indeed notable and frequently referenced precedents. How do stalled or failed projects differ from the successful ones, what made the second set successful and the first less so? </p><p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrLBPvca2fTHFJYzeQqkSMhHLaKm2GoK_jVEAjtp40-xtg750pKJN_qJ8SHxdRr9lP4R4ICTKXkUyhDk3__0PI3VxrhbKWIECUaX3sGV1eH1bccD88A0gUYjFT5LcisEWKHlehtkV2qlP7jmfVlvEMilHgAk8MNf4vc5Z0oOsIOb5UT0WXa5vZUvB6A/s285/Orioles%20Park.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="177" data-original-width="285" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFrLBPvca2fTHFJYzeQqkSMhHLaKm2GoK_jVEAjtp40-xtg750pKJN_qJ8SHxdRr9lP4R4ICTKXkUyhDk3__0PI3VxrhbKWIECUaX3sGV1eH1bccD88A0gUYjFT5LcisEWKHlehtkV2qlP7jmfVlvEMilHgAk8MNf4vc5Z0oOsIOb5UT0WXa5vZUvB6A/w320-h198/Orioles%20Park.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Success with follow up<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Sometimes success comes through the backdoor of failure, such as in the case of the urban highways that would have bisected Fells Point, Federal Hill and Mount Vernon and created a giant viaduct across the Inner Harbor. Thanks to the highways failing to materialize all those affected neighborhoods went on to be Baltimore's success stories. <p></p><p>One cause of the sideways problem is the fascination with the respective next shiny toy, to revert to psychology, a sort of urban <i>Attention Deficit Disorder</i> that makes politicians and investors to hop onto the next big thing before the previous one has been brought to a proper conclusion. The stepladder process, by contrast sticks with a vision until it has become a proof of concept, a success on which to build and expand. In fact, successful Baltimore projects used the stepladder process, just think of Charles Center followed by the Inner Harbor, Otterbein, Harbor East and eventually HarborPoint. Or the six Hope VI projects unspooling in rapid succession, or Oriole Park followed by the football stadium.</p><p><b>What makes failure and what success?</b><b> Transportation projects</b></p><p>Transportation projects provide a good set of examples that go far back and illustrate shortcomings that explain why they didn't become roaring successes: When Baltimore received federal funds to build its first <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-14/hats-off-to-baltimore-s-doomed-subway">Metro</a> line, it followed right behind Washington, San Franscisco and Atlanta, all cities that completed entire systems or, in the case of Atlanta, at least two coordinate lines intersecting at a downtown hub. Baltimore had a fine system plan but argued about the first alignment and built it on the route of least resistance (in the median of Interstate 895 to Owings Mills) instead straight west where the I-70 extension hadn't been completed. The project wasn't complemented with development hubs around the stations (transit oriented development) and even at its terminus it was shunned by the Owings Mills' mall developer who didn't want transit riders have easy access to his mall. When the line finally opened it competed with a freeway in the same corridor and ran in the city through areas of decline; it didn't go where people wanted to go. Meanwhile the federal money trough from President Johnson's New Society vision had dried up and further metro lines remained a dream. To sum it up, too little, too late plus a complete lack of land use coordination.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXDX8ZLhkASXtg3LL0i-OmCKW-tEhHQg8n3ntlTC7ci7UrrlG01z2XN1zVZnNanNjwSfSaR2wD6I4qTDSVJ3VnyMrv6gWY7N7ztJyvsBf3KpO9lY2zwcKCzypJkko_Y2eBldYVjWtV7yW-yCBuYK1LdPAT32YQ14wlewpYRJAv4xShGgfkEy3eNZ5Y9Q/s940/Metro.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="940" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXDX8ZLhkASXtg3LL0i-OmCKW-tEhHQg8n3ntlTC7ci7UrrlG01z2XN1zVZnNanNjwSfSaR2wD6I4qTDSVJ3VnyMrv6gWY7N7ztJyvsBf3KpO9lY2zwcKCzypJkko_Y2eBldYVjWtV7yW-yCBuYK1LdPAT32YQ14wlewpYRJAv4xShGgfkEy3eNZ5Y9Q/w400-h250/Metro.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Baltimore Metro: Too little, too late<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>A decade after the money for metro had dried up and Baltimore's highway projects had been defeated, the formerly highway-happy Donald Scheafer ("Highway to nowhere") switched to "light rail" as the new shiny thing that a handful of cities across the US were pursuing as a cheaper alternative to a subway: Less expensive than Metro but more effective than the small streetcars of old. The Baltimore central light rain line system was conceived as a north south line to serve Oriole Park, a single line that was not only designed but also constructed in record time. The new line had a few problems in its DNA: It hardly complemented the sole Northwest Metro Line, nor did it exactly go where the most people were. Instead it went where old railroad right of ways made it easy to build. It didn't connect with Metro in a hub and once again, there were no plans to densify development around the stations to make the line more viable and the segment through downtown was as slow as molasses.</p><p>Another decade passed before then mayor O'Malley finally wanted to get back to a comprehensive rail plan. The rail plan of 2000 looked quite like the metro plan from 1970, except it was all "light rail" but, and here the new twist, with tunnels where needed. But once the most urgent project, a real east-west line dubbed the "Red Line" was selected as the top priority its design crawled without much urgency through the federal <i>New Starts</i> bureaucracy which "do it now" Schafer had successfully avoided for his earlier light rail. The Red Line alignment suffered from the get-go from the fact that the original Metro Line was a east-northwest bastard which forced the actual east-west Red Line to run in parts in a parallel tunnel because light rail couldn't run in the Metro tunnel. The death of the Red Line became a nationally known planning tragedy of epic dimensions. As Governor O'Malley had failed to get this project to a <i>point of no return</i> in spite of a record 13 years of planning costing a quarter billion dollars, his successor coolly abolished the entire thing as a"boondoggle". The then new Governor gave the feds nearly a billion dollars back in already promised funds. Now Governor elect Wes Moore vouches to put humpty dumpty back together. </p><p>The transit saga doesn't end with the death of the Red Line: Hogan's contention that Baltimore would be better off with a full overhaul of its bus system than with one expensive rail line had some validity, except that he never meant it seriously. Hogan provided just over $130 million for a bus overhaul in lieu of the $3 billion that had been lost. The result of this bus "reform" were buses with new colors and names which right now perform worse than the old system had ever performed before.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAF8cxW5SSH9ztFVNzFE5bxzutVqy_PeUEkPWycvbPJf_kA9eK8t3veL5bJpHHkfJbWW5QaN-kog20DebhdcyyOnN-v1E9a25xhCz1Joh-SNZwnQFJOvNa1X3tY12JSLCmZxtDLb4dpAw2CWCZuxzNCB4Ia90RNaKfV2kmkn9q-krI9dmZ3PWP0Ae2Ew/s1200/hogan-citylink*1200xx1280-721-0-0.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAF8cxW5SSH9ztFVNzFE5bxzutVqy_PeUEkPWycvbPJf_kA9eK8t3veL5bJpHHkfJbWW5QaN-kog20DebhdcyyOnN-v1E9a25xhCz1Joh-SNZwnQFJOvNa1X3tY12JSLCmZxtDLb4dpAw2CWCZuxzNCB4Ia90RNaKfV2kmkn9q-krI9dmZ3PWP0Ae2Ew/w400-h225/hogan-citylink*1200xx1280-721-0-0.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Hogan: The big bus failure</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>In all Baltimore spent a whopping 40 years on creating a disconnected and unloved transit system that most describe as dismal. </p><p>How did the other cities fare that picked light rail as their future transit at the same time as Baltimore? Portland, Pittsburgh, Denver, Sacramento, San Diego all managed to build entire systems of 4-6 lines in that time, in most cases considered successes by the industry.</p><p>Baltimore's MTA not only sat on its hands for decades between completed lines, it also never nurtured the lines which in the beginning were well liked and used. Instead of cultivating a success story, the MTA presided over steady decline: The stations were neglected, signal priority on Howard Street never made it into reality and efforts of moving the stadium crowds after games soon faltered leaving fans stranded for hours. Instead of making the initial proof of concept project a stepping stone for success, it became a symbol for all that can go wrong. Even before Covid hit, riderships had fallen by 50%. Portland, by contrast supported its initial line with sound transit oriented development and careful design and soon got money for more.</p><p>When it came to the Red Line, again too much time had passed since the initial light rail line to see the project as part of the same system. Schafer's "do it now" urgency was sorely missing, culminating in the last minute relocation of an underground station which may have cost the project the critical six months which would have made it irreversible. </p><p>Yes, MTA is a State agency and not run by the City, but before folks seek all fault at the State, the City and the County also failed to implement zoning and land use changes at the light rail stations that would have supported transit, something that was a key to Portland's light rail success. The initial success allowed TriMet to build four additional light rail lines that were followed by several Portland streetcar lines.</p><p><b>What makes failure and what success?</b><b> Grand projects</b></p><p>Success can also be explained with some Baltimore projects that become national models: Had the Charles Center Development Corporation waited for a decade or more to plan for the Inner Harbor instead of meticulously designing Charles Center as a successful stepping stone for the Inner Harbor redevelopment, the Inner Harbor would never had happened. Just recall that the project was nearly derailed by a referendum of those who wanted to keep an open field at the water's edge.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJqWk_EssWj-3fmbDRmXTbY19gVmZqTVz4b42kfEVyzXOHh0mjOpC85Pzr8Q8EAyG6HNTDi_3NDfOme0prARlO_eBjKUw_nZzJEuos34Sf7N81znDKnNlqaaLHFlkr6IfhsKYQvUbqPHeMRw9MBAyReSf2RJvIXcy6wfpVwEB56wGePTQB-eC9LP3Tw/s337/images%20(1).jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="149" data-original-width="337" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJqWk_EssWj-3fmbDRmXTbY19gVmZqTVz4b42kfEVyzXOHh0mjOpC85Pzr8Q8EAyG6HNTDi_3NDfOme0prARlO_eBjKUw_nZzJEuos34Sf7N81znDKnNlqaaLHFlkr6IfhsKYQvUbqPHeMRw9MBAyReSf2RJvIXcy6wfpVwEB56wGePTQB-eC9LP3Tw/w400-h176/images%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Step by step but upwards<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Had Housing Commissioner Henson waited for a decade after successfully lobbying for HUD funds to implode the Lafayette public highrises, Lexington Terrace, Murphy Homes and Flag House, would never have happened because HUD funds would have long dried up. But the savvy Housing Commissioner acted fast and used each project as a stepping stone for the next project, learning and refining them at each step. Clearly the last project was far superior to the first, but no project was seen as a failure. </p><p>Problem solving without stepping stones or "proof of concept" projects or initial projects that are half baked and unsuccessful is not only doomed to fail it also saps resources, ends with nothing to show and leaves project implementers or an entire city demoralized. </p><p>The successful stepping stone approach can also be seen in Oliver, <a href="https://communityarchitectdaily.blogspot.com/2017/10/barclays-secret-sauce-of-success.html">Barclay </a>and the Greenmount West, communities that have seen systematic investments by Sean Closkey's companies. His approach all but eliminated vacant buildings in each target area. The once deeply disinvested communities are beginning to attract new folks, increasing the population and the viability of support services Closkey is a strict follower and excellent explainer of the stepping stone theory in which a strategic approach brings success. The stepping stone approach is vital wherever resources are limited, because it produces a system that after initial steps becomes a self supporting feedback loop. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjARXdWTlotzMTmXYsAnEPPaa_px9akHIVIR0qD-144or6KeYvGeMv0E0ODxM5OtfHgbPZUa3YqWIsK9hcTAUl75obo2VHkga6ktC8zorY9P61NsEd0dWNk9ScTfoEnzxEUYSOxz7r6bQpsyqk19ZKoU25nwvwCSYgZ4LRPhk_yHghETV9PC3AKlj9XKA/s4032/IMG_5455.HEIC" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjARXdWTlotzMTmXYsAnEPPaa_px9akHIVIR0qD-144or6KeYvGeMv0E0ODxM5OtfHgbPZUa3YqWIsK9hcTAUl75obo2VHkga6ktC8zorY9P61NsEd0dWNk9ScTfoEnzxEUYSOxz7r6bQpsyqk19ZKoU25nwvwCSYgZ4LRPhk_yHghETV9PC3AKlj9XKA/s320/IMG_5455.HEIC" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">Closkey explaining the step up process</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>In summary: Success begets success. A larger multi-phase undertaking needs a successful beginning, a story to tell and resources to continue without delay. </p><p>Success and failure are closer to each other than one would think. Often small missteps decide over an upward or downward trajectory, just as a ball resting on an apex can be tipped in either direction without much effort at all. </p><p>The critical moment can be compared to phenomena known in physics: <i>Phase-transitions, </i>for example from rain to snow, from water to ice, or from water to steam. Before you know it the milk rises from the bottom of the pot and boils over. The shift to lasting success can come suddenly when a critical mass or energy is achieved, just like in physics. Phase transition can go both ways. Systems can collapse into a black hole that will swallow everything within its event horizon. But they can also burst out into sustained and potentially exponential growth of a sun. An urban example of such an upward explosion can be seen in Washington DC, a city which became so successful that many forget how much the capital struggled just some 25 years ago with a mayor who was arrested in a crack sting. (<a href="https://www.spur.org/publications/urbanist-article/2010-01-10/fall-and-rise-downtown-dc">The Fall and Rise of DC</a>). </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEbU4jPjKxovXybp6NLV8zLs2f4nWyt6rWfO4MG0RylZBcuSo9tAvOM5VUGeukZpJxqH5veLTmdfTdC19rbK7mc-IE8WGbPHJlb89Y5aFOTLGPOFrrT9NDiRG1nWFIDyIUvOpY8qSKkwXLM5eiFn5TB8g_6tfD-mYg5L3UuZ0MS6xFJ4WBWEd3LsnEw/s4032/IMG_5635.HEIC" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEEbU4jPjKxovXybp6NLV8zLs2f4nWyt6rWfO4MG0RylZBcuSo9tAvOM5VUGeukZpJxqH5veLTmdfTdC19rbK7mc-IE8WGbPHJlb89Y5aFOTLGPOFrrT9NDiRG1nWFIDyIUvOpY8qSKkwXLM5eiFn5TB8g_6tfD-mYg5L3UuZ0MS6xFJ4WBWEd3LsnEw/w400-h300/IMG_5635.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: x-small;">DC Wharf: The capital's newest development</span></td></tr></tbody></table>Make no mistake, success has as much to do with capital infusion, investment and resources as with organization. But it is important to understand tat money is not all that is needed. Also necessary is good planning, good governance, urgency and the strategic use of resources. Smaller investments need to leverage larger ones. <div><br /></div><div>DC built systematically on two catalytic grand projects, the new arena and the new convention center, but it also systematically invested in schools, neighborhhoods and economic development, all activities Baltimore is engaged in as well. Two DC mayors with well functioning departments attracted talent to work for them. In Baltimore a lack of focus, unstable governance, too many competing actions at once and a often hostile governor made success elusive. <br /><p>To turn Baltimore's downward spiral into one of success becomes harder the more half baked projects devour resources and the more projects are abandoned midway in favor of the next shiny thing. For the 36 years I have observed success and failure in this city, I had many moments when I thought that the final break thorough was right around the corner, just as it had been in Philadelphia, Cincinnati, Nashville or Pittsburgh. </p><p><b>On the horizon</b></p><p>Many big projects are still largely in the pipeline. Those include the redevelopment of Pimlico and Park Heights, a new Penn Station rail hub, a new Amtrak tunnel under West Baltimore, and a fully refurbished Middle Branch shore line. The governor elect has promised to bring the Red Line back. All this bears promise and each could become a "game changer". </p><p>I have not given up hope that eventually a competent administration will stack the pieces up so they won't tumble any longer and Baltimore could break free towards its potential. The stars are aligned, but I have abandoned any attempt of a prognosis.</p><p>Klaus Philipsen</p><p><i>Related articles on my blogs:</i></p><h1 class="title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: table-cell; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 40px 0px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; width: 710px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a data-id="3874306064572726325" data-item-type="post" href="https://archplanbaltimore.blogspot.com/2016/05/what-makes-city-smart.html" itemprop="url" rel="bookmark" style="color: #333333; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s;">What Makes a City Smart?</a> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div></h1><h1 class="title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: table-cell; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 40px 0px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; width: 710px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a data-id="854064028122368375" data-item-type="post" href="https://archplanbaltimore.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-secrets-of-comeback-neighborhood.html" itemprop="url" rel="bookmark" style="color: #333333; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s;">The Secrets of a Comeback Neighborhood</a><br /><br /></span></h1><h1 class="title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: table-cell; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 40px 0px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; width: 710px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a data-id="6822417598622130251" data-item-type="post" href="https://archplanbaltimore.blogspot.com/2014/10/from-buildings-to-communities-to.html" itemprop="url" rel="bookmark" style="color: #333333; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s;">From Buildings to Communities to Systems - the Bigger Picture</a> <br /></span></h1><h1 class="title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: table-cell; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 40px 0px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; width: 710px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a data-id="7634440726021694159" data-item-type="post" href="https://archplanbaltimore.blogspot.com/2015/01/what-alan-turing-teaches-us-about.html" itemprop="url" rel="bookmark" style="color: #333333; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s;">What Alan Turing Teaches us about Problem Solving</a><br /><br /></span></h1><h1 class="title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: table-cell; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 40px 0px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; width: 710px;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><a data-id="6954386632442964635" data-item-type="post" href="https://archplanbaltimore.blogspot.com/2012/08/what-has-architecture-to-do-with.html" itemprop="url" rel="bookmark" style="color: #333333; outline: none; text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s;">What has architecture to do with quantum physics? About Buildings and Systems</a><br /></span><br /><br /></h1><h1 class="title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: table-cell; font-family: "Helvetica Neue Light", HelveticaNeue-Light, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 40px 0px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; width: 710px;"><div style="text-align: left;"></div><span class="blog-admin" style="display: inline;"><br /><a class="edit" href="https://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=8277230045104763676&postID=3874306064572726325&from=pencil" style="background-image: url("data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABUAAAAVCAYAAACpF6WWAAAA+UlEQVR42s3U2QmDQBAG4JRgKZbio4qieIAniniiYgkpwRIsISVYQkqwhMlMiHkIhITNhGRgYNeHz/1xncPhn0pV1dkwjNW2bYkNRAzCMIQ4jj+HdzBJEmiaBtq2hSzLxOFHcBgGGMcRuq4Tg5+Be9/gmQ2kxmdrnucSG9j3/TxNEy/IGvl3oKIokqZpC+sJdV1fHceBNE2vl5oDlC3LInBjAakw9tF13TPeNRljbwh8BlKZpnnGAXGkdRRFclEUd1gIpOj0cQijPa6VIAhOdV2LgXt03/cBoy8Ib57n0QvWsixz4XFG0XEuQlVVC8a23/6HX6A80DfrAlIMSJorw8fYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC"); background-position: 50% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; color: #333333; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; height: 21px; opacity: 1; outline: none; position: relative; text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration: none; top: 3px; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; width: 21px;" target="_self" title="Edit"></a></span></h1></div>Klaus Philipsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01615851444265308506noreply@blogger.com0