WASHINGTON – Officials are planning a makeover for Baltimore’s 40-year-old Inner Harbor.
Some feel it’s a bit tarnished, so city leaders want to spruce up the area with a beach, a pedestrian bridge and other upgrades.
At the unveiling of the plan Wednesday, WBAL reports Visit Baltimore Chief Tom Noonan said the improvements are needed in order to stay on par with other east coast cities.
“We can’t rest on our laurels. we can’t be a ‘been there, done that’ destination.”
A top priority of the plan, unveiled Wednesday, is making Rash Field a “destination park” with a kayak launch, a stage, outdoor dining, a garden and a playground. It also calls for a bridge connecting Pier 6 and Rash Field.
The plan is based on a study that found the Inner Harbor attracted 14 million visitors in 2012. It calls for upgrading the promenade, adding green space and a new entrance at McKeldin Plaza, reports The Daily Record.
Noonan pointed to other east coast landscapes like Philladelphia, Nashville, Indianapolis, D.C. and Boston as places responding to tourism.
“We’re making this look at the future of tourism for the next 40 or 50 years.”
No cost estimates were prepared for the plan sponsored by the Waterfront Partnership and Greater Baltimore Committee, but state funds were requested to fund Rash Field
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