BALTIMORE — Mayor Brandon Scott is facing pushback over his plan to redevelop the Inner Harbor.
A new coalition is vowing to fight the high-rise development just as crucial city council hearings are slated to begin next month.
The newly formed Inner Harbor Coalition believes that Scott has not been transparent in what could be a David and Goliath battle for the future of a public space.
Donna Beth Joy Shapiro does not hold back when describing Baltimore’s plan for the Inner Harbor—and how it was forced on the public.
“I was nauseated, I was offended, I was exasperated. I was furious,” she said.
Shapiro said that she’s against two high-rises, which she believes will block views, and a referendum to give the developer more than an acre of public land. That’s why she launched the Inner Harbor Coalition.
The group is dedicated to fighting the plan—starting at key city council hearings next month, she said.
Shapiro believes the group will make a difference based on her experience fighting for what she believes is right. She said she has fought battles in the past and won.
“I believe advocacy works, and I believe this time around, everyone and every part of the city needs to participate,” she said.
Developer David Tufaro said that the Inner Harbor area is viewed as “sacred public space.”
He, too, is fighting the redevelopment plan.
“It was sprung on us, and it created this huge shock effect, which is why the citizen outrage is growing daily,” Tufaro said.
City leaders say that Harborplace, which was once an economic stoplight in the city, attracting more than 18 million visitors a year, is now in need of a facelift.
“This was something that had been decaying and still is decaying for many, many moons,” Mayor Brandon Scott told WJZ in December. “This could have been done before because malls have been dying for over a decade now. Now, they’re dead, right?”
Scott and developer David Bramble had this to say about critics in an exclusive interview with WJZ last month.
“Overwhelmingly, the responses that we have received have been amazingly positive,” Bramble said. “There have been a few loud folks who don’t want change. I think change is hard.”
The developer argues the height is necessary for the vibrancy of the project—and the area will remain accessible to all.
Shapiro said she believes former Mayor William Donald Schafer—the grandfather of Harbor Place—would be on her side.
“I think he is rolling in his grave,” she said. “This is his legacy and he would never want to see two gigantic towers right here in place of this pavilion.”
