Inner Harbor Retail/Commercial Opportunities
With the demise of the former downtown
retail district at Howard and Lexington, Pratt Street at the Inner Harbor has
become the major downtown retail/commercial center for Baltimore. There is approximately 500,000 square feet of
retail/restaurant space along Pratt Street from Light Street to Market Place
including the Gallery, Harbor Place, Pier Four Power Plant and Lockwood Place. Major retailers include: Barnes and Noble, Brooks Brothers, Marshalls,
Joseph Banks, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Coach, H&M, Urban Outfitters,
etc. Many perceive this retail center as
being oriented to tourists, yet there is a growing population downtown that is
in need of quality shopping. Retailing
at the Inner Harbor must focus on local residents as well as tourists.
The Inner Harbor 2.1 plan recommends
revitalizing retailing at the Inner Harbor.
The Harbor Place Pavilions should emphasize local merchants, not just
national chains. The interior grand
space of the Light Street pavilion has been broken up by blank walls of the
Ripley’s Odditorium
and some large retailers. A suburban
shopping mall atmosphere has replaced the original “festival marketplace”
concept with many small retailers and eateries at kiosks. The Light Street pavilion should be returned
to its original design and use. The
Pratt Street pavilion should be reoriented to the outside with stores and
restaurants being accessed from the promenade and along Pratt Street. Interior stairs and corridors leading from
Pratt Street to the promenade can be retained, but the east-west interior
corridors should be eliminated.
Storefronts not blank walls should face the exterior. The original historic maritime flags should
be flown from the roof of both pavilions.
Additional pavilion type space can be built at McKeldin
Square and along Pratt Street from the World Trade Center to the Columbus
Center, some on infill at either side of the Pier Four Power Plant. These retail spaces do not necessarily have
to follow the Harbor Place design. A
large crab like structure could be built west of Phillips Seafood replacing and
expanding the current “crab deck.” An
aquarium store designed consistent with the rest of the Aquarium complex could
operate in a new retail space just east of the World Trade Center.
The Gallery “mall” across from Harbor
Place needs better management and a higher quality mix of stores
(No Dollar Stores please!). Next
to the Gallery (on the old News American site) a major retailer, such as
Target, could take up the first two levels, of a new development at that site
with office and possibly parking above.
The Barnes and Noble space in the Power
Plant should be converted into the
“Baltimore Emporium” an open retail market place that emphasizes local
products, crafts people, sustainable
food suppliers, etc. Barnes
and
Noble can be relocated into the vacant former Best Buy space on the third level
of Lockwood Place. The “Baltimore
Emporium” would function as part of the promenade. Pedestrian traffic will be able to walk
through the space and out to a new east side entrance/exit
to additional infill retailing between Pier 4
& 5. Parking would be removed from the east side of
the Power Plant and loading consolidated in the southern section of the
building (which could be accessed from an expanded bridge of Eastern Avenue to
Pier 4).
The infill retail space east
of the Pier Four Power Plant will line up with Market Place and
serve as a focal point between Pratt Street shopping and additional retailing
opportunities on Market Place leading to Power Plant Live! The first three levels of the Candler
Building on Market Place should be converted into a major department store such
a Macy’s, Lord & Taylor or Nordstrom.
The tent like space at the ground level of the Columbus Center should
also be converted into a retail space.
This would have been a great location for the Under Armor brand store or
a comparable facility.
A revitalized retail corridor along Pratt
Street from Light Street to Market Place will enliven and activate the Inner
Harbor for visitors, downtown office workers
and residents. Pratt Street is
accessible to mass transit, the circulator, many large parking garages,
bikeways and foot traffic. Major retail
operators including Cordish,
Ashkenazy, Brown, the current owners of the Gallery, and future retailers
should form a cooperative marketing group to encourage shopping along the north
side of the Inner Harbor for both visitors and Baltimore residents.
Inner Harbor Visitor/Special Event Opportunities
The Aquarium, Maryland Science Center,
Historic Ships and Pier Six Concert Center are the major visitor attractions at
the Inner Harbor. The Aquarium and
Science Center have expanded many times since the inception of the Inner
Harbor. Pier 3 and the south end of Pier
4 should emphasize the aquarium with banners, distinctive landscaping,
sculpture, etc. The same is true with
the Science Center at the southwest corner of the Inner Harbor.
Currently maritime heritage sites are
scattered along the waterfront. With the
Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse as a potential attraction, the Lightship
Chesapeake, Submarine Torsk
and Coast Guard Cutter Taney should be relocated to the south end of Pier 5
& 6 along with the Lady Maryland, Minnie V and other sailing ships of the
Living Classrooms. This would create a
critical mass of maritime attractions.
The Pride of Baltimore could also be docked at this location when
in-town. The Pride of Baltimore I
memorial at Rash Field could be relocated to this vicinity possibly at the
southern end of Pier 6, since a below grade parking facility is planned for
Rash Field. At the present time, much of
the activity and emphasis at the Inner Harbor is focused near the intersection
of Pratt and Light streets. Creating a
Maritime
Heritage Center at the south end of Pier 5 will encourage visitors to see all
of the Inner Harbor and help connect the Inner Harbor to Harbor East and Fells
Point.
Revitalizing the Pier 6 Concert Center
will also spread activities out throughout the Inner Harbor. The Pier 6 “tent” was last reconstructed in
1991. At the time, it was reported to
have a guaranteed 20 year lifespan. That
lifespan has been surpassed. The concert
center should be redesigned to allow access to the south end of Pier 6, which
is now fenced off from the general public.
Moving the concert pavilion to align with the Pier 5 Hotel and the
southern edge of Eastern Avenue will provide a more distinguished entrance for
the center. Moving the stage to the
north will create a larger lawn that could be enjoyed both during concerts and
as a passive recreational space when concerts are not in session. The lawn could be further
expanded by extending the pier to align
with the marina at Harbor East.
Inner Harbor Recreation Opportunities
The Inner Harbor will have four major
recreational spaces: Rash Field, West
Shore Park, expanded Pierce’s
Park on Pier 5 & 6 and
the Pier 6 Concert Center lawn.
An expanded Rash Field will be
reconstructed over a below grade parking facility which will replace the
current parking deck south of the Rusty Scupper restaurant. Rash Field will be used for active
recreation. The beach volley ball courts
will be retained and consolidated in a location closer to the waterfront. Since beach volley ball is a warm weather
activity, the courts will be replaced by a skating rink in the winter. A state-of-the-art track and playing field
will be installed at Rash Field. Regular
athletic event will be scheduled throughout the year such as downtown office
softball and touch football tournaments, South Baltimore soccer league, high
school lacrosse games, Ravens football practice session before the start of the
season, a special Orioles sponsored workout for Little Leaguers near All-Star
Break, Special Olympics, 5 K race starting and ending points, neighborhood boot
camp, etc. A swimming pool could be
built at this location, if space allows, as well as a skateboard park. It may also be possible to bridge Key Highway
to connect Rash Field to Federal Hill Park.
The West Shore Park and the area adjacent
to the Science Center can be refurbished with water and sculpture gardens, a
child’s science garden, playgrounds, and softer approaches to the promenade as
defined in the Inner Harbor 2.0 plan.
Pierce’s Park on Pier 5 & 6 will be
expanded as a playground for children. In conjunction with the Columbus Piazza, it
will form a
continuous park like environment along the north side of Eastern Avenue from
President Street to Pier 4 and the gateway to the Inner Harbor from the
East. The lawn of Pier 6 will serve as
an overlook for the Inner Harbor when not used as a concert lawn. Since the lawn will be elevated, this would
be ideal location for the “earthwork mound” now called for the West Shore Park
in the Inner Harbor 2.0 plan.