Protecting Baltimore's Culture

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Posted: 4/30/09

General Growth Properties' (GGP) decision to declare bankruptcy for its Inner Harbor property, Harborplace, is the most recent result of the struggling economy, the next in what has become a series of unfortunate casualties for both Baltimore's current and historic cultural venues. The ambiguous result of the city's attempt to save the Senator Theatre has illustrated that, given the current economic recession, Baltimore is unable to protect some of its most famous long-standing tourist and civic centers.

While this page agrees that the city should allocate funding carefully, prioritizing projects that are of the greatest tangible benefit for the community (namely, public health works or safety initiatives), we believe that the protection and preservation of these cultural landmarks could not be more vital to the survival of Baltimore City.

Councilman William H. Cole IV has stated that he is confident that the Chapter 11 claim was merely an attempt to restructure finances, allowing GGP to recover from its $27 billion debt; Harborplace remains open for business, and Cole believes Maryland's most frequented tourist attraction will experience a revival in the coming months. Hopefully this will keep Harborplace thriving, but if GGP continues to struggle, we implore the city to take action to preserve such an important indicator of Baltimore's economic stability. Waiting until the venue has closed for business, as was the case in the handling of the Senator Theatre, will be too late.

It is said that the progress of a nation is defined by its commitment to the arts - in the midst of the Great Depression, President Roosevelt created programs under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in order to ensure the survival of America's artistic culture. In light of the current economic situation, we must reaffirm our dedication to this belief.