The Harbor East brochure touts lifestyle
By GERALD NEILY
The recently trumpeted “expansion” of Downtown Baltimore isn’t really an expansion. It’s the end of downtown as we’ve always known it.
It may seem like insufferable hubris when the developers declare in the slick brochure that Harbor East is ”the city’s new center,” but it is also, for the moment, true.
Downtown used to have a very specific function. It was the center of the surrounding region, the hub upon which the metropolitan spokes revolved. But in the 21st century, that’s so over – replaced by “lifestyle choices” that reflects the niche marketing that dominates all aspects of the postmodern era. Read the rest of this entry »
A BREW VIEW
By DOUG DONOVAN
The Zenith luxury apartment building, downtown Baltimore.
Before Baltimore schools chief Andres Alonso gets all of the blame for favoring Brian D. Morris, let no one forget the considerable favoritism once heaped upon the outgoing school board chairman by Gov. Martin O’Malley. It was the type of special treatment that enabled Morris to claim the financial expertise that allowed then-mayor O’Malley to appoint him to the school board.
It’s a worthwhile bit of history to recall, as the dust settles on Alonso’s biggest misstep yet: Tuesday’s hiring of Morris, a real estate developer and political ally, to fill a newly-created, unadvertised six-figure administrative position. That move had tongues wagging but once The Baltimore Sun published a story chronicling Morris’ embarassing history of unpaid taxes, lawsuits, bad debt claims, garnisheed wages and other financial problems, the jig was up: on Saturday Morris resigned.
A tangible reminder of O’Malley’s role in Morris’ rise can be seen downtown, across from the new Hilton Hotel and right next to Camden Yards: the Zenith condo/apartment tower, Morris’ main development claim to fame.
Read the rest of this entry »
Here are five places where those Red Line dollars could make a dramatic difference – but they’re not in any MTA plans
By GERALD NEILY
Let’s pretend the MTA wasn’t spending government “funny money” on the Red Line, but was spending your money. What would you tell the MTA to spend it on, to actually make Baltimore a better place?
First, the stipulation: You’re not allowed to spend it to educate our kids, house the poor, heal the sick : just mass transit. My idea: don’t hide the transit you build underground, flaunt it.
Read the rest of this entry »
by GERALD NEILY
The City has decided it’s not such a good idea after all to tear up Lombard Street for a makeover, then tear the made-over street up again for Red Line construction two years later. The Brew pointed this out back in March, “Tear it up, Rebuild, Repeat” after city officials trumpeted plans for the $2.6 million project on one of downtown Baltimore’s main thoroughfares.
The Baltimore Sun today reports that the City has now decided to simply lay blacktop over the street, instead of rebuilding it, because of the “uncertainty over future projects along Lombard – including possible construction of the Maryland Transit Administration’s Red Line.” Read the rest of this entry »
- Oliver Street’s bizarre “S”-shaped curb separates the JFX ramp from the also-odd dumpster alcove. Penn Station’s in the background.
By GERALD NEILY
Little Oliver Street is arguably Baltimore’s most geographically important two-block-long street, connecting some of the city’s choicest real estate. At the east end is Midtown, Charles Street and Penn Station. At the west end is Bolton Hill, Mount Royal Avenue, light rail and the Maryland Institute College of Art.
In between is the University of Baltimore’s . . . dumpsters.
Read the rest of this entry »
Recent Comments