BALTIMORE — Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott addressed the city on key issues facing residents in his "State of the City" address Tuesday afternoon.
Harbor Place was once the crown jewel of Baltimore and in the mayor’s address he predicted its return to vibrancy.
“Today, west Baltimore’s very own David Bramble announced he has the right to bring private investment for a revitalized Harbor Place. Today we start a new Chapter for Harbor Place,” Scott told the live audience returning to Council Chambers after City Hall’s Monday reopening.
MORE: Baltimore based group agrees to acquire and revive downtown Harborplace
Among top issues in charm city, Scott began with COVID, which was the cause of 1,700 deaths last year and 328 just this year, which warranted a $80 million investment.
“This investment helped us provide tens of thousands of COVID tests dedicated testing staff funding to develop telegraphy infrastructure for Baltimore healthcare clinics and the purchase of PPE,” Scott said.
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The mayor mentioned the city’s ongoing battle with gun violence, calling some of its victims by name.
“Children, like Maliyah Turner, mothers, grandmothers, like Evelyn Player, and too many more that will ever spend time with their families or grow to reach their full potential,” he said.
Scott shared metrics on the arrest of criminal charged across the city, noting 363 gun arrests and the recovery of more than 570 illegal guns, including ghost guns
For the Baltimore Fire Department who faced tragedy back in January, the mayor announced a symbolic move.
“We are rebuilding Engine 14 that was a second home to Lt. Sadler and Fire Fighter EMT Lacayo,” Scott said.
Scott doubled down on the city’s approach to addressing blight and vacancies accounting for more than 15,000 properties revisiting the city’s $100 million investment in housing.
“This coordinated strategy will help us address the dual challenges of disinvestment and middle income blight from Baltimore’s neighborhoods," Scott said.
Veteran councilmember Sharon Green Middleton weighed in on the Mayor’s address saying, “He ended by really stressing the importance of all of us working together. The mayor cannot do it by himself. The council members can not keep putting blame on 1 or 2 people. It’s all of us working together.”
"I was pleased he had mentioned the work around vacant and abandoned properties and how much that is a big priority for me because it is part in parcel with our crime fight,” said Councilwoman Odette Ramos.
