By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
MCB Real Estate’s transformation of Harborplace is underway with construction expected to start this fall. The $900-million redevelopment will bring a reimagined waterfront featuring green space, two-tiered promenade, outdoor amphitheater and a mix of retail, dining, residential and cultural spaces aimed at restoring the Inner Harbor as a central gathering place for locals and visitors.
David Bramble, managing partner and founder of MCB Real Estate, believes the project will help to revive Baltimore’s downtown, which continues to confront office vacancies, aging infrastructure and reduced foot traffic.
“The project is basically the key to revitalizing downtown. Downtown is in major, challenging straits. It’s not unique to our downtown—it’s downtowns across the country since the pandemic and changing office environment,” said Bramble. “Our downtown is particularly in deep distress, and we believe this project is the primary catalyst for turning that around.”
Bramble said the project is currently in the “horizontal phase,” with work focused on site preparation and infrastructure. Most recently, MCB Real Estate received city approval for their site plan and is now seeking permits to begin construction.
Though Bramble described Harborplace’s redevelopment as essential to the city’s long-term success, he emphasized that the project will not be a cure-all for every challenge facing Baltimore’s communities. It will, however, reenergize Baltimore’s central business district in downtown.
“I don’t care where you live in Baltimore, our city will suffer if the central business district— the heart of downtown— is not performing. Nobody wants to live in a city where the central business district looks like a bad film,” said Bramble. “We as MCB invest across the city in all kinds of neighborhoods— the fanciest neighborhoods and some of the most challenging neighborhoods. We wouldn’t be doing this and making this kind of investment if we didn’t believe it would be a positive benefit for the city.”
Because of the scale of the project, significant disruptions are expected around the Inner Harbor. Shelonda Stokes, president of the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore (DPOB), acknowledged that the interruptions will present obstacles.
She said her organization has already been laying the groundwork to mitigate these impacts—building activity in other parts of downtown and preparing to serve as a communication hub for impacted businesses and residents when construction begins.
“Any construction disruption is a challenge,” said Stokes. “We want to be communicative to make sure that we create places where people can go to find information. For businesses that are impacted, we want to make sure that we’re acting as an advocate that’s working with city stakeholders and other partners to create opportunities and bring them to the forefront.”
Stokes noted that Harborplace’s redevelopment is a key part of the broader “Downtown Rise” master plan, a 10-year vision to overhaul Baltimore’s core into a more livable, walkable and vibrant neighborhood.
With construction on the horizon, Stokes said DPOB has focused on activating other corridors and public spaces across downtown, like Hopkins Plaza and War Memorial, through events, cultural programming and collaborations with local tourism organizations.
These activations are also designed to generate economic opportunities for local businesses.
“We know what [Harborplace] is. We know what it can be. We also know that getting there can often be more arduous than some of these businesses can manage by themselves,” said Stokes. “We want to be a facilitator, partner and catalyst to help make sure that we are positively stimulating and supporting the entire ecosystem.”
In spite of the inevitable disruptions, Bramble said he believes the long-term benefits for the city and downtown will make it worthwhile.
For him, Harborplace’s success is defined by whether it becomes embedded in Baltimoreans’ everyday lives.
“Success is people embracing it as their own. They love it, and they use it. That’s what always makes me feel good,” said Bramble. “Of course, we have to get it built and get our bills paid, but the true success of these projects is when people take it over and it’s theirs— even people who were against it.”
