City officials plan to unveil a multiphase plan today to transform a 100-acre arts and entertainment district north of Pennsylvania Station into a $1 billion "cultural crossroads" for Baltimore over the next three decades.
Mayor Sheila Dixon is set to endorse the initiative for the Charles North renewal area, which is centered on the intersection of Charles Street and North Avenue and includes the state-designated Station North arts and entertainment district.
The Charles North Vision Plan includes 1,900 residences, 557,000 square feet of shopping space, 300,000 square feet of office space and 4,700 parking spaces in the area roughly bounded by St. Paul Street on the east, 20th and 21st streets on the north, Howard Street and Falls Road on the west and the Jones Falls Valley on the south.
The plan was developed over the past year by a design team led by some of the architects who brought Harborplace to Baltimore 30 years ago. It's intended to build on renewal efforts already under way, including an influx of arts venues and business incubators.
Highlights include: expansion of the 1911 Pennsylvania Station to include a hotel and shopping arcade north of the train tracks; residential towers for college students and professionals; a design district for artists and architects; redevelopment of historic landmarks such as the Parkway Theater, North Avenue Market and former Chesapeake Restaurant building; and a park along the Jones Falls Valley.
"The Charles North Vision Plan is the result of a strong partnership between the residents, business and the cultural community," Dixon said. "By coming together, we will build on the momentum that has already been taking place throughout the community, and help build a stronger and more sustainable neighborhood for everyone."
This initiative is different from previous proposals for revitalizing Charles North because it marks a fundamental change in how planners look at the area. Instead of treating it as a local exercise in commercial revitalization, involving new streetlights, facade repairs and other cosmetic improvements, it recasts the area as a regional destination, with the Amtrak and MARC lines that serve Penn Station giving it potential for large-scale, transit-oriented development.
"Up until now, we have seen it as a typical neighborhood revitalization struggle, with some housing revitalization and some Main Street-type revitalization on North Avenue," said Joseph McNeely, executive director of the Central Baltimore Partnership, one group working with the designers. "This time we're thinking bigger."
