BALTIMORE — Once a beacon for activity in downtown Baltimore, the Harborplace pavilions will now be torn down by the new owners who are on a mission to revive the area.
It's a place that was once booming with tourists. Now, when you take a walk through the Harborplace pavilions, doors are locked and many stores sit vacant.
As the entire harbor is getting redeveloped, one project will be tearing down the two pavilions by the new owners, MCB Real Estate. Marketing Managing Director Jarnell Swecker said this is a result of what the community repeatedly shared.
"They need something right here that will say we want to see this we want to come to Baltimore to see that," said Joseph Weinstein, who grew up in Baltimore.
He recalls the good old days of going to the harbor. "This was the place we would come to as kids, as a family to go on a Sunday trip or a family outing,” said Weinstein.
He said it brings him a sense of hope of what's to come in replacing the pavilions.
"The new developer, maybe he has big plans for something that will actually make tourists want to come specifically to this area,” said Weinstein.
But for some that work in the pavilions, news of complete demolition brings a sense of shock.
"I can't even process words right now because of that because we've been here for so long especially the company that I’m with, I’m kind of speechless,” said Joshua Hughes, who is a manager at Life in Charm City.
Hughes has worked in the pavilions for 18 years.
"Once I started here, you couldn’t even move down here, you were literally bumping elbows into people that's how crowded it was," said Hughes.
He said he's sad to know the heart of the harbor will be torn down, but sees the potential for bringing it back to the glory days.
"They should keep the mom and pop shops, that's what everybody wants," said Hughes.
While there is no timeline for the demolition, Swecker said they are taking community aspirations to the design phase where they will then have more on a reimagined Harborplace.
