Baltimore City ballot Question F could make way for Inner Harbor redevelopment
BALTIMORE -- Baltimore City ballot Question F will decide the future of the Inner Harbor. If passed, the measure would change the city's charter, allowing for development near the harbor.
The Inner Harbor has a sub-district that designates 4.5 acres of land as a public park. The ballot measure would eliminate the sub-district, making way for proposed redevelopment projects like the Harborplace redevelopment plan.
Ballot question controversy
Question F was challenged several times in court before making it onto the ballot. A group of Baltimore City residents filed a lawsuit in the city and Anne Arundel County that disputed the wording and structure of the question.
In September, an Anne Arundel County judge ruled that the question was unconstitutional. Baltimore City and the Maryland Board of Elections quickly filed an appeal.
By October, the Maryland Supreme Court ruled that Question F was allowed on the ballot.
Support for Question F
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott has argued that, if passed, the measure would allow for the revitalization of a key part of the city.
"We have to capitalize on making sure that our face to the world, the Inner Harbor, is built brand new," Scott previously said.
The Harborplace pavilions that ushered in a renaissance in the 1980s have since largely emptied out and fallen into disrepair and would be torn down under the proposal.
If the measure is approved, Baltimore-based developer David Bramble plans to replace the pavilions at the waterfront with a mixed-use complex, which would include high-rise buildings, restaurants, shops, multifamily residential development and off-street parking.
Opposition to Question F
The group that filed the lawsuit disputing Question F was represented by Attorney Thiru Vignarajah, who argued that the wording of the question was misleading to voters.
"It's about taking the public park out of the public's hands and giving it to a corporate developer," Vignarajah said "None of those things are clear from the language, so it's our responsibility as advocates to try and educate people the best we can."
Some neighbors who are against the legislation said the public park should not be privatized.