New Baltimore Arena?! BREAKING NEWS

[PeterSmith]

Nice exchange, wada. I remember that even as a little kid I thought Dan Rodricks's picture in the Sun made him look like a jerk. Guess I was right about that one.

When he responds, "Yeah, those are all prime locations!" he is missing the point that a new arena has the capacity to make those areas prime locations. Once again, look at what the Verizon Center did for its neighborhood. Although, I think we would need to rethink the directions for your Option #4. We might want to avoid, "The New Baltimore Arena - Just South of the Jail!"

But seriously, there are so many places in the city where this could be done right. It's a shame we keep leaning towards the option where it probably won't be done right. Unless of course, there is some plan to redevelop that entire area, but I don't think there is.

I do like the solar panel idea a lot though. That would be fantastic.

[jamie_hunt]

Originally Posted by PeterSmith

But seriously, there are so many places in the city where this could be done right. It's a shame we keep leaning towards the option where it probably won't be done right. Unless of course, there is some plan to redevelop that entire area, but I don't think there is.

I do like the solar panel idea a lot though. That would be fantastic.

Would love to see demographic data about where Arena spectators come from. When I was a young'n in the 60s and 70s, a huge number of very talented soccer players lived in E and NE Baltimore. Most, when they grew up, moved to NE Baltimore County and Harford County. Probably, they are the core of the Blast's support, along with the thousands of youth soccer players in Howard and Montgomery Counties. For them, and thus for Ed Hale (if not for the rest of the city), an arena off I-95 makes all the sense in the world. (They aren't served by transit, but some will charter buses. Same thing.)

Regarding redeveloping the entire area: Ed Hale will redevelop the entire triangle bounded by Boston, Clinton, and I-95 if he can. It may not be on paper, but it's certainly on his mind.

Yeah, solar panels would be cool (so to speak).

[MobtownManiac]

A friend of mine who is a HUGE soccer fan told me yesterday that there are rumors that Ed Hale is looking into buying into MLS. Has anyone heard that anywhere?

Also: DC United has threatened to leave Washington, citing Baltimore as a possible destination.

It just seems funny to me that in two days I hear from two different sources "Baltimore" and "MLS" in the same sentence.

[PeterSmith]

As you can tell by my avatar, I am a United fan. If they came to Baltimore, I would be quite happy, although I haven't heard this rumor yet. MLS is currently in the process of adding three new teams over the next few years. As far as I know, Baltimore was not named as a possible destination, but if there is interest and a potential owner, then things can change quickly. One interesting thing is that MLS is looking to add and move teams to cities where there will be Soccer-specific stadiums, so if Baltimore did get a team, it would probably be required to build a 20,000-25,000 seat stadium.

[MobtownManiac]

Negotiations to build a soccer stadium for D.C. United in Southeast Washington have collapsed, leading District officials to pursue other options for the site and team officials to threaten to move the franchise out of the city, government sources said yesterday.

SNIP

During the negotiations, D.C. United officials suggested they would consider moving to Maryland or Virginia, possibly the Baltimore or Loudoun County areas, if the District was unable to help build a new stadium, the sources said. United plays at 46-year-old RFK Stadium and had hoped to have a new facility by 2009 or 2010.

That's from the WaPo link above.

[vivo]

please don't move to loudon. u'd think they'd wanna be closer to the balt area. wonder about aa or pc co.

[PeterSmith]

Yup, if the team did relocate to the Baltimore area, as much as I would love for them to play within the city, my guess is that it isn't a very realistic possibility. Most of the fans would probably come from the suburbs, and there are probably many more desirable sites outside the city than within it, unless of course they're allowed to play at Camden Yards for awhile.

[modestproposal]

How awesome would it be if the stadium was in Howard County and the team was called Baltimore-Washington United.

[rxsoccer]

Originally Posted by PeterSmith

As you can tell by my avatar, I am a United fan. If they came to Baltimore, I would be quite happy, although I haven't heard this rumor yet. MLS is currently in the process of adding three new teams over the next few years. As far as I know, Baltimore was not named as a possible destination, but if there is interest and a potential owner, then things can change quickly. One interesting thing is that MLS is looking to add and move teams to cities where there will be Soccer-specific stadiums, so if Baltimore did get a team, it would probably be required to build a 20,000-25,000 seat stadium.

My interpretation/guess of what is meant by the talk of possibly moving to Baltimore is an interim solution. The MLS is moving to soccer-specific stadiums and DC United needs to leave RFK and had plans to move to a soccer specific stadium in DC by 2010 but those plans are unraveling. IF the new stadium is not built by 2010 they need another place to play since they don't want to be in RFK that long. I think thats where Baltimore and M&T (and the other locations mentioned) fit in, as a temporary solution to keep DC United playing in a suitable environment while a soccer specific stadium is built, regardless of where that is.

[Maudibjr]

Originally Posted by jamie_hunt

Regarding redeveloping the entire area: Ed Hale will redevelop the entire triangle bounded by Boston, Clinton, and I-95 if he can. It may not be on paper, but it's certainly on his mind.

As a total aside notice on the map that they still refer to the old pennsylvania freight line as Northern Central (!)


Also Rodricks was a jackass.

[cgunna]

yeah, Rodricks is an jerk.

[StevenW]

I'd love for Baltimore to get another, "major", team.

[Tricia_Lvs_Baltimore]

City development arm seeking proposals for new arena construction
Baltimore Business Journal - 2:48 PM EDT Wednesday, August 1, 2007by Ryan SharrowStaff
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The Baltimore Development Corp. has taken another step toward replacing the 45-year-old First Mariner Arena.

BDC is asking developers to submit proposals for identifying possible sites for a new arena and ways to finance the project, which could cost as much as $160 million.


Interested groups will have until Oct. 30 to respond to the city's bid -- known as a "request for expression of interest."

A study in May revealed deficiencies on the current arena, which is bounded by Hopkins Place and Lombard, Howard and West Baltimore streets.

The $100,000 study was released by the Maryland Stadium Authority and primarily funded by the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, Downtown Partnership of Baltimore Inc., and the Greater Baltimore Committee.

At a press conference unveiling the study, Downtown Partnership President J. Kirby Fowler said: "It's time to test the market to see how much the private sector can step up."

Plans for the new arena call for 10 to 20 luxury suites and 1,000 to 1,200 club seats. The study projects more than 1 million attendees per year to the arena, and says a new facility could employ 970 people. The current arena employs 710.

The cost of renovating the existing arena would be nearly as much as building a new one and is not an option, according to the study.

Baltimore banker and developer Edwin F. Hale Sr. already has expressed interest in building a 12,000- to 15,000 -seat arena on a 28-acre site next to his Canton Crossing development. Hale's First Mariner Bank owns the naming rights to the existing arena, and he owns the Baltimore Blast soccer team, the facility's primary tenant.

Fowler has said he would like to see a new arena built within walking distance of the Inner Harbor, the Baltimore Convention Center, hotels and public transportation.

City officials say First Mariner Arena's current site would be an ideal location, but new construction would take the arena out of commission for up to three years. A new, bigger arena would fit on the current site of the facility after demolition of an adjacent parking garage and a surface lot.

[jamie_hunt]

Wonder if Ed Hale is in a position to make his plan happen?


1st Mariner posts loss
2nd quarter deficit linked to bad home loans

By Laura Smitherman | Sun reporter
July 25, 2007

First Mariner Bancorp's troubles deepened yesterday when the Baltimore bank reported a nearly $4 million quarterly loss stemming from an avalanche of bad home loans and a declining real estate market.

The wholesale mortgage operation, which extended many of the problem loans, has been closed. And the bank has cut about 100 employees, primarily in the wholesale business. Now, with losses from the loans mounting, the bank is paring back expansion plans. [snip]

[MasonsInquiries]

i don't know exactly what to think of this news. i think i have a major concern about where they plan on putting this new arena. being that they (the BDC) want it near the harbor, the convention center, near public transportation, and near the central business district, it seems to me that the ONLY route they can take is demolishing some major properties. here are the properties we've already discussed..........

• the parking lot across the street from the mayfair theatre (TOO SMALL)

• the parking lot betwwen the stadiums (POSSIBILITY)

• the baltimore city community college/holocaust memorial site (TOO SMALL)

• the port covington site where walmart/sam's club current resides (SEEMS OUT OF PLACE)

• ed hale's canton crossing site (UMMMM, NO........lol. TOO FAR)

• current arena site (WE CAN'T GO THREE YEARS WITHOUT A SPORTS VENUE)

• demolishing lexington market (WOULD NEVER HAPPEN)

[PeterSmith]

I really support the idea first proposed by wada of demolishing Lexington Market and incorporating a new Lexington Market into the new development. The location is ideal and Lexington Market, while a Baltimore institution, is not something we can't go a few years without. A new and better Lexington Market would be more successful than the current one, and the whole plan would have major implications for the redevelopment of the Westside. Along with the Hippodrome and the Superblock, Lexington Market and the Arena are the major anchors of the Westside. It would be phenomenal if all four were given a facelift as part of the new Westside. It might also create an opportunity to create a real connection between the light rail and subway.

Unfortunately, I don't think anyone in the BDC thinks big enough to make this a reality.

[jamie_hunt]

Originally Posted by PeterSmith

Unfortunately, I don't think anyone in the BDC thinks big enough to make this a reality.

Hmmm. Demo Lex Market and dozens of small businessmen and women will lose their livelihoods. Rebuild the market with the arena on top and Paca street will have an unappealing dark place, not unlike Fayette Street where the old Hamburger's Clothiers spanned it.

Originally Posted by MasonsInquiries

• the parking lot betwwen the stadiums (POSSIBILITY)

Too small. More likely candidate is across the street on the SW corner of Russell and Hamburg, where the Staples building is.

[MobtownManiac]

Demolishing Lexington Market would displace a lot of small businesses if not put them under.

The new LexMarket would then be the "it" place & you could bank on seeing another environment like the HarborPlace of today rather than the HarborPlace of old.

Plus, I must have a Faidley's crabcake regularly or I will die.

[StevenW]

Crabcakes... Mmmmmm......

[waj0527]

Don't demolish Lex Market please!