October 26, 1999|By Tom Pelton | Tom Pelton,SUN STAFF
The Downtown Partnership proposes to install 48 more video cameras around the Hippodrome Theater on the west side of downtown, in the financial district and along Park Avenue. Eventually, the organization would like cameras all over downtown.
The Downtown Partnership also proposes to ask the City Council to pass legislation making it illegal to sleep or camp outside downtown at night. The partnership wants police and security guards to encourage homeless people to move into shelters, drug treatment centers and hospitals, if they need medical attention, Schwartz said.
"Especially with the winter coming, sometimes these people living on the streets can't survive the cold weather," Schwartz said. "We want to encourage them to get help in shelters and medical facilities."
Brendan Walsh, co-founder of the Viva House soup kitchen in southwest Baltimore, said he opposes any law that would prohibit people from sleeping on the streets.
"The city can't do anything about the poverty problem, and so they just do more harassment," said Walsh. "The only place for the poor in this city is in jail."
Other proposals in the Downtown Partnership's long-term plan include:
Encouraging the construction of at least three parking garages with 1,500 spaces over the next three years. There are 24,000 spaces downtown.
Urging the city to allow free parking on downtown streets after 6 p.m.
Helping developers convert the 200 block of E. Baltimore St., which includes the Munsey Building, into a complex with 250,000 square feet of offices, 32,000 square feet of retail and 850 parking spaces.
Urging the city to create a "community court" that would speed the prosecution of nuisance crimes downtown such as aggressive panhandling and graffiti.
Installing old-fashioned street lamps and brick sidewalks along Charles Street and marketing the strip as a residential area.
Asking the city to pass legislation making it easier to finance construction of parking garages and street improvements by allowing creation of a special tax district that would pay back city bonds through increases in assessments.
Encouraging developers to convert old and partly vacant office buildings along Preston Gardens on St. Paul Street into apartments.
