Baltimore City voters approve Question F, paving way for Inner Harbor development
BALTIMORE -- Baltimore City voters agreed to move forward with development plans around the Inner Harbor.
With all precincts reporting, Question F passed overwhelmingly which allows a change to the city's charter, paving the way for the redevelopment of Harborplace.
The Inner Harbor has a sub-district that designates 4.5 acres of land as a public park. However, the approved ballot measure eliminates the sub-district, making way for a mixed-use complex for retail, dining, high-rise buildings and off-street parking.
About 60% of voters said yes to the measure.
"We have to capitalize on making sure that our face to the world, the Inner Harbor, is built brand new," Baltimore Mayor Brandon 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 Harborplace redevelopment proposal.
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.