Downtown Baltimore faces longer wait for waterfront revamp

BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Major changes are coming to the plans for revitalizing Harborplace, but the project is facing new delays.

WBFF has been following efforts to redevelop the once-popular waterfront destination, where families, tourists and residents gathered for years. Now, much of the waterfront shopping destination sits quiet.

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Developer David Bramble is pushing for a redevelopment that would replace the vacant pavilions with a mix of housing, retail, restaurants and entertainment, including waterfront parks and an outdoor amphitheater.

Bramble said the project is critical for the city’s future.

“What thriving city has a downtown that looks like a zombie apocalypse? The answer is none,” Bramble said.

He said construction is now hoped to begin in the first quarter of 2027. Legal challenges and other setbacks have pushed the timeline back.

Some Baltimore residents said the area has lost its appeal over the years.

It’s a little frustrating because nobody really hangs on the harbor like they used to when I was younger, so it just doesn’t feel the same,” one person said.

Others are concerned about the speed of the process.

“If they’re going to tear this down, I hope they’re able to rebuild it quickly because sometimes the city has a way of taking a very long time to put things back together,” another resident said.

The redevelopment includes plans for two tall buildings—a 32-story apartment building and a 25-story apartment building.

“That’s going to block a lot of views of a lot of people who currently live and work downtown. That’s going to extract value from those buildings,” Anirban Basu, CEO of Sage Policy Group, said.

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Some in the community want to ensure their voices are heard before plans move ahead.

“I don’t have a problem with plans as long as the public is included and they have the meetings where citizens can come sit down, hear the plan and have input. Everybody needs to be inputted with this plan,” a resident said.

Critics question how much public revenue the city should commit to the project and what protections residents should receive.

“If the properties are losing value because of elevated vacancy, for instance, then that’s going to mean less tax revenue for the city and therefore less money for infrastructure, public safety, parks and recreation,” Basu said.

Whether the redevelopment can deliver what is promised and if the financial terms will benefit Baltimore in the long run are questions that still have to be answered.