A wrecking ball slammed into Memorial Stadium yesterday, prompting neighbors to flood City Hall with calls and spurring Mayor Martin O'Malley to suspend demolition pending a meeting this morning with site developers.
While state officials said the work was proceeding according to a plan known to city officials, O'Malley issued a written statement in which he said he stopped the project "to preserve all options for future development of this area."
It was not clear yesterday what the mayor's intent was, nor was it clear when demolition would resume. The mayor has been a lukewarm supporter of the plan of the city's chosen developer to build senior housing and a YMCA on the 30-acre North Baltimore site.
Before they were ordered to stop yesterday, a crew from Potts & Callahan, the Baltimore company awarded the $2.6 million contract to clear the area, had used a wrecking ball for the first time at the site and destroyed a row of concrete bleachers on the stadium's left-field side.
Preservationists applauded O'Malley's action to stop the demolition, but developers said they still hope to take down the entire structure.
The state Board of Public Works ended a months-long deadlock in January when it approved a contract to demolish the 47-year-old stadium.
The Govans Ecumenical Development Corp., a church-based consortium, proceeded with its plans to build a national model of affordable senior housing on the site and the city's largest YMCA.
A month ago, it appeared GEDCO might change course on clearing the site completely when it agreed to consider an offer from the Abell Foundation to study ways to save part of the stadium.
Both sides informally agreed demolition would wait until they decided on the study. But neither, it turns out, had the authority to stop the demolition.
At the stadium yesterday, where all that was left of the toppled bleachers was rebar and electric wiring, GEDCO's president, the Rev. John R. "Jack" Sharp, held an impromptu news conference. "They picked a bad day to start ... Ash Wednesday," he said.
Sharp said he plans to meet with Mayor O'Malley at 10:30 a.m. today at City Hall to find out whether they can move ahead with the proposal. Among the subjects discussed will be the proposed Abell-sponsored study and a velodrome for bike racing on the site, to improve the city's chances for a 2012 Olympic bid. Sharp and two City Council members said O'Malley is interested in the velodrome, but the mayor would not confirm that.
