Westside Stories

Mayor Rawlings Blake became impatient with the slow progress of the Westside and asked the National Advisory Panel service of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) to come to Baltimore and give advice. Eight experts from Orlando, New York, Texas, California and Washington flew into town and sequestered on the second floor of the Hilton Hotel. They toured the freezing streets under the guidance of Jay Brodie and Kathy Robertson of the Baltimore development Corporation, the official steward of the Westside. They interviewed in pairs of two interviewers and one to three interviewees everyone who could possibly add anything to the topic, over 100 people total. They walked on their own, they were dined by the Mayor's office and voila, on Friday they sat down at the University of Maryland bio-tech building #2, Discovery Room, and gave a room full of invited stakeholders including the Mayor an ear full.

They started polite enough with the pleasantries that people tell each other in America when they know that the audience has to be prepped for tougher stuff . And slowly did they retch it up. Several entities got a real shellacking, foremost BDC who indirectly was attested to have things let slide and not providing the necessary leadership. Tom Murphy, former Mayor of Pittsburgh even likened the Westside to the tower of Babel. "Too many languages, the Mayor needs to become the translator" he said. Next in line for a beating was the University of Baltimore, no matter that they hosted the event. They were told in no uncertain terms, that they have to adopt Lexington Market as their baby. Owen Lang wondered if the transit stations shouldn't be reworked and admonished to integrate pedestrian mobility with the existing stations and the proposed Red Line stations.
Ranne warner emphasized that the Westside doesn't need bulldozers, it needs "regeneration not renewal". Ehud Mouchley requested a "financial czar" who will unify all possible funding mechanisms and admonished that no New Market credits have been used to date. Stanley Lowe, also of Pittsburgh, the only African American on the panel and a former Housing Commissioner, called both heads of the Lexington Market and of the nearby methadone clinic to the stage and asked them to shake hands. "They have never talked face to face" he observed, "let's forge new partnerships right here and there" he urged. He suggested a "best in class" standard and offered as an example of what local financial institutions can do the "Pittsburgh Promise" under which all local high school graduates receive $20,000. Other suggestions included the possibility of an open space in place of the Arena, a "zipper" approach to Howard Street, a distinction between a "north market and a south market separated by Franklin Street" (Economist Abigail Ferratti)and more homeownership. Ferretti also warned to expect too much from a Westside Arts District. It could cannibalize Station North, she warned.

All felt a sense of urgency was in order. The boldest words were reserved for the Lexington Square LLC, the development team that has been selected for the Superblock South and who's Land Disposition could run out this month if BDC does not extend yet again. The stumbling block, the lack of preservation and the violation of the MOA that was forged between preservationists and the City, most known for its map indicating buildings that have to be preserved. The Maryland Historic Trust, arbiter of the MOA indicated several times that the developer plans are unacceptable. "Comply with the rules or get out" was the refrain intoned by several panelists.
The Mayor was told that she needs to be "on it" come Monday with a serious personal weekly commitment. The panel ended with the slogan "Once in, All in, Always in, No Exit".

A written report will follow with more detail.