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> An Inner
Harbor Timeline
Mention a visit to Baltimore, and the city's bustling Inner Harbor, may well lead the conversation - and with good reason. Now considered the crown jewel of the city's active tourism industry, it is an attraction all by itself.
The redevelopment of the Inner Harbor, once an industrial port, led the way for revitalization projects all over the city, making Baltimore a national model for urban renewal. Following is a chronology of the redevelopment efforts that helped build Baltimore into the attractive destination it is today.
1959
Downtown Baltimore's renaissance begins with development of the 33-acre Charles Center, a mid-town site between the city's retail and financial districts. The success of this $200 million urban renewal project heralds the city's redevelopment of the 240-acre Inner Harbor.
1963
Mayor Theodore McKeldin's inaugural address establishes the redevelopment of the Inner Harbor as his top priority. The City of Baltimore, the Greater Baltimore Committee and Wallace-McHarg sign a contract to prepare the master plan.
1964
Voters approve the first bond issue ($2 million) for Inner Harbor redevelopment. In addition, more than $14 million in city bond issues and $47 million in federal grants will eventually be approved for acquiring and clearing land surrounding the harbor basin.
1965
The city approves a contract with the nonprofit Charles Center-Inner Harbor Management, Inc., to execute the project.
1967
An urban renewal plan for the first phase of the program is approved. The 110-acre project will add residential, social and cultural facilities, as well as hotels and offices, to the city's waterfront.
1968
The demolition and clearing of land surrounding the harbor basin begins. The News American, McCormick Spice Company, Baltimore Copper Paint Company and Christ Lutheran Church are the only buildings left standing.
1969
The USS Constellation moves to Pier 1 becoming the Inner Harbor's first tourist attraction.
1971
The city approves an urban renewal plan for Inner Harbor West, the second phase of the redevelopment; plans are also approved for the Harbor Campus of the Community College of Baltimore and Inner Harbor East.
1972
Construction is completed for the USS Constellation's new dock at Pier 1
1973
The USS Torsk submarine, which sank the last Japanese warship in World War II, is brought to Pier 4
The public wharf is completed along the harbor's west shoreline, including a new bulkhead, brick promenade, park benches and an information kiosk.
The 40-story United States Fidelity and Guaranty Corporation (USF&G) opens its new headquarters at the corner of Light and Pratt Streets.
The first new building in Inner Harbor Project 1 opens - Christ Lutheran Church's John L. Deaton Medical Nursing Center.
1974
The Christ Lutheran Church Harbor Apartments open with 288 units of housing for the low-income elderly.
The Baltimore Patriot begins harbor tour service at the USS Constellation dock.
1975
The IBM Corporation completes its new office building on Pratt Street, overlooking the Inner Harbor.
Paddleboat rentals begin along the north shoreline, quickly becoming one of the harbor's most popular recreational activities.
Homesteading begins in the Old Otterbein section of Inner Harbor West.
A 625-car parking garage opens at the corner of Pratt and Gay Streets.
1976
The $2.2 million Joseph H. Rash Memorial Sports Park opens to the public on the south shoreline. The facility is to be the site of many citywide public events and athletic contests.
The Maryland Academy of Sciences opens the Maryland Science Center at the southwest corner of the Inner Harbor. The facility includes 104,000 square feet of display space, featuring hands-on exhibits and the 150-seat Davis Planetarium.
Tall ships from around the world visit the Inner Harbor for America's bicentennial celebration, giving thousands of residents and visitors an opportunity to enjoy the beauty and recreational opportunities of the redevelopment for the first time.
The Harbor Campus of the Community College of Baltimore opens.
A new federal courthouse and office building opens in Inner Harbor West.
1977
The Maryland Port Administration's 28-story World Trade Center opens. Designed by renowned architect I.M. Pei, the world's tallest equilateral pentagonal building features the 27th floor Top of the World public observation deck and exhibit center.
A headquarters office building for the C&P Telephone Company is completed at Pratt and Light Streets.
The Pride of Baltimore, a replica of a 19th-century Baltimore Clipper, is launched.
1978
Urban renewal plans for the Financial District and Municipal Centers are approved.
The Inner Harbor Marina, featuring 158 ships, is completed.
1979
The $50 million Baltimore Convention Center, with 115,000 square feet of exhibition space and 40,000 square feet of meeting room space, opens two blocks from the Inner Harbor.
1980
The Rouse Company completes Harborplace, a festival marketplace featuring small shops and restaurants in two glass-enclosed pavilions.
The Hanover Square apartments open on Conway Street, providing 199 apartments for the elderly.
Equitable Bank Center opens at Charles and Pratt Streets.
The Holocaust Memorial is dedicated at the corner of Water and Gay Streets.
1981
The 2,000 seat Pier Six Summer Concert Pavilion opens at the foot of Pier Six, with an additional 1,000 lawn seats. The outdoor concert facility features pop, jazz and country artists with additional performances by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
The National Aquarium in Baltimore opens at Pier 3. Regarded as one of the world's best marine exhibitions, the facility features more than 5,000 creatures in re-creations of their natural habitats. Major exhibits include a 64-foot-high tropical rain forest and a 222,000-gallon shark display.
The 500-room Hyatt Regency Hotel is completed adjacent to the Convention Center.
The Inner Harbor skywalk system is completed, providing overhead pedestrian walkways connecting Harborplace, the Hyatt Regency, the Convention Center, the Convention Center Mall and Charles Center.
The Lightship Chesapeake joins the USS Torsk to form the Baltimore Maritime Museum at Pier 4
The Minnie V., an authentic Chesapeake Bay Skipjack, begins to operate tours from its berth near the Harborplace Amphitheater.
An antique carousel is brought to the west shoreline and is later permanently installed on the south shoreline.
1982
The Rusty Scupper Restaurant opens adjacent to the Inner Harbor marina.
The Inner Harbor Center office building opens at 400 E. Pratt Street.
McKeldin Square and Meyerhoff Fountain at the corner of Pratt and Light Streets are dedicated in memory of former Baltimore Mayor and Maryland Governor Theodore McKeldin.
Baltimore Public Works Museum opens in the old pumping station adjacent to the Fallsway.
Baltimore branch of the Federal Reserve Bank opens new building near Camden Station.
1983
The city approves an urban renewal plan for the Camden Yards area.
1984
The Baltimore Box Office and Visitor Information Center opens at Pier 4.
The 97-suite Brookshire Suites hotel opens at Lombard and Calvert Streets.
The 250-room Days Inn Inner Harbor opens on Hopkins Place.
The 210-room Comfort Inn opens at 24 W. Franklin Street.
Baltimore Federal Financial Bank headquarters opens at Lombard and Commerce Streets.
Lady Baltimore, a new excursion boat, joins Baltimore's attractions.
1985
The 350-room Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel opens at South Charles and Conway Streets.
The 350-room Marriott Inner Harbor Hotel opens at Pratt and Eutaw Streets.
The 105-room Peabody Court hotel opens at Mount Vernon Place.
The International Flower Garden is installed at Rash Field.
Trolley service begins, serving the Inner Harbor and Charles Street.
Festival Hall opens as part of the Convention Center complex, serving as a location for ethnic festivals, shows and other public events.
Clipper City, a 150-foot replica of a 19th-century schooner, moves into the harbor.
1986
The Harbor Court Hotel, featuring 200 rooms, 165 luxury condominium apartments, shops and a garage with 900 spaces, opens on Light and Lee Streets.
Tall ships from around the world visit the Inner Harbor on the 10th anniversary of their bicentennial visit. Baltimore's Summer of Sail celebration attracts the largest number of visiting tall ships outside New York and the Statue of Liberty rededication festivities.
The Maryland Science Center completes new exhibit space and a glass facade overlooking the Inner Harbor.
The Baltimore Convention Center finishes its $12.9 million expansion, increasing the building's exhibit space to 194,000 square feet.
Cabot, Cabot and Forbes of Boston completes the 250 West Pratt Street office building at the corner of Pratt and Howard Streets.
Lady Maryland, a 72-foot replica of an 1800 Chesapeake Bay Schooner, is completed as a floating classroom for Maryland students.
Signet Tower, the 374,000-square-foot headquarters for Signet Bank, opens at the northeast corner of St. Paul and Baltimore Streets.
Six St. Paul Centre, a 305,000-square-foot office building, opens at the northwest corner of St. Paul and Baltimore Streets.
The city approves an urban renewal plan for Key Highway.
1987
The Redwood Tower, a 210,000-square-foot office building, opens at 217 E. Redwood Street.
The Maryland Science Center opens its five-story IMAX Theater.
The Rouse Company opens retail shops and a 1,150-car garage at The Gallery at Harborplace.
The full-service Baltimore Visitors Information Center opens in the Brokerage at 600 Water Street.
Trial phase of Harbor Walk Townhouses in Inner Harbor West is completed.
A 622-room Stouffer Hotel, now called Renaissance Harborplace, and 16-story Legg Mason office tower open near the Gallery at Harborplace.
Scarlett Place, a mixed-use development containing 145 luxury condominium apartments, offices, shop and a garage, opens at Pratt Street near the Jones Falls Expressway.
The Pride of Baltimore II, a replacement for the Pride of Baltimore, lost at sea in 1986, is launched.
The Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse, formerly marking the entry of the Patapsco River into the Chesapeake Bay, is relocated to Pier 5.
The Rivoli Building, a 270,000-square-foot municipal office building, opens at Gay and Fayette Streets.
Pride of Baltimore memorial is dedicated on Rash Field.
Columbus Plaza, south of Scarlet Plaza, is completed.
1989
Harrison's at Pier 5, (now the Pier 5 Hotel) a crab house, restaurant and 70-room inn with transportation to the Eastern Shore for hunting and fishing opens on Pier 5.
The Equitable Bank completes a 150,000 square foot office tower at Lombard and Hanover Streets.
The John L. Deaton Nursing Center adds 120 beds in a new structure north of the existing center.
The Bank of Baltimore opens a new 490,000-square-foot headquarters at Baltimore and Calvert Streets.
The Baltimore Gas and Electric Company opens a new substation at Pratt and Concord Streets.
The St. Paul Plaza Tower at St. Paul and Lexington Streets, offering 260,000 square feet of office space, opens above the 950-car garage.
1990
The National Aquarium in Baltimore adds a 1,200-seat Marine Mammal Pavilion on Pier 4.
Harbor View Yacht Club and sales office opens. Construction of first condominium tower begins.
1991
Pier Six Concert Pavilion opens with its new tent, greatly increasing seating capacity.
Henderson's Wharf opens as a multi-use complex with apartments, hotel rooms and special function space.
1992
Oriole Park at Camden Yards celebrates its grand opening.
Light Rail begins service from Timonium to Cromwell Station in Glen Burnie, greatly expanding public transportation to and from the city.
Redwood Garage opens at 300 W. Redwood Street with 720 parking spaces.
Legal Aid headquarters opens at Lexington and Gay Streets.
Sports Center USA wins competition to develop the Power Plant.
1993
The Imagine Ocean exhibit opens at the National Aquarium in Baltimore.
Center Dock Marina opens with 124 slips.
American Visionary Art Museum breaks ground on Key Highway.
The City Crescent office building at Baltimore and Howard Streets opens.
1994
Festival Hall is demolished to make way for the $151 million Convention Center expansion.
Canadian Football League (CFL) is brought to Baltimore to play at Memorial Stadium.
Martha Schwartz Inc. of Boston and the Design Collective of Baltimore are selected as winners of the West Shore/Rash Field Design Competition, representing $7.5 million in public improvements for the Inner Harbor shoreline.
World Trade Center is lighted with exterior spotlights as part of the Baltimore Gas & Electric program to "Brighten Baltimore."
Babe Ruth Museum announces its plan to expand into Camden Station.
Baltimore Harbor Endowment begins selling personalized bricks to finish a 7.5-mile promenade rimming the Inner Harbor from Waterfront Park in Canton to the Museum of Industry in South Baltimore.
Oriole Park at Camden Yards receives the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Honor Award.
1995
American Visionary Art Museum opens, championing the best in self-taught, intuitive art - the first of its kind in the country.
1996
National Museum of Dentistry opens on University of Maryland at Baltimore campus.
1997
Hard Rock Cafe opens in the Power Plant in Baltimore's Inner Harbor.
The Baltimore Convention Center expansion is completed, tripling its size to 1.2 million total square feet - with 300,000 square feet of exhibit halls, a 36,600-square-foot ballroom and 85,000 square feet of meeting room space.
Newly redesigned Holocaust Memorial is dedicated.
1998
PSINet Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens, opens.
ESPN Zone - the world's first - opens in the Power Plant.
Marriott Waterfront Hotel breaks ground.
Port Discovery, the Children's Museum in Baltimore, opens.
The Hippodrome Theatre renovation project begins, ultimately gaining $27 million in state funding and $5 million in private funding. The project encompasses three historic landmark buildings - the Western National Bank, the Eutaw Savings Bank and the original Hippodrome Theatre - and a newly constructed building at the corner of Baltimore and Eutaw Streets.
1999
National Historic Seaport opens, modernizing the 300-year-old port and celebrating Baltimore's rich maritime heritage with a new tourist attraction.
2000
Courtyard by Marriott opens in Inner Harbor East.
National Katyn Memorial, a monument to the 15,000 Polish Army officers and civilian professionals who died at the hands of the Soviets in 1940, is dedicated at Inner Harbor East Circle at President and Aliceanna Streets.
2001
Marriott Waterfront hotel opens.
Top of the World Observation Level closes early in the year for major renovations and reopens in May with a brand new look.
2003
PSINet Stadium is renamed M&T Bank Stadium.
Hampton Inn & Suites Inner Harbor opens.
2004
USS Constellation celebrates her 150th anniversary with a host of special events and free festivities.
The new $8 million, 8,000-square foot, state-of-the art Baltimore Visitor Center opens on the West Shore of the Inner Harbor, offering a wide range of information resources and services.
The Maryland Science Center completes a major expansion and renovation, with new exhibitions added on all levels, including a permanent hall showcasing dinosaurs and earth sciences, a dedicated gallery for housing temporary exhibitions, and upgrades to the IMAX Theater.
The Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center opens - a world-class venue showcasing touring Broadway shows and the best of the performing arts.
2005
Harborplace celebrates its 25th anniversary.
The Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture opens, dedicated to sharing the courageous journeys toward freedom and self-determination made by African American Marylanders.
Sports Legends at Camden Yards opens with 22,000 square feet of artifacts and interactive exhibits, transforming Camden Station into one of the most spectacular sports museums in America.
The National Aquarium in Baltimore opens Animal Planet Australia: Wild Extremes, depicting a typical river gorge in Australia's Northern Territory, with 1,800 individual native animals representing 120 species.
The upscale, all-suite Residence Inn by Marriott Baltimore Downtown/Inner Harbor opens.
The Baltimore Visitor Center wins the Grand Design Award from the Baltimore chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
The Big Bus Company begins offering guided tours of the city from its London-style double-decker buses.
Baltimore is named a top-10 up-and-coming destination by Frommer's, the world leader in travel guides.
2006
The Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park features a re-creation of the first marine shipyard and marine railway operated by African Americans, as well as a fabulous restoration of the oldest remaining industrial building on the waterfront.Geppi's Entertainment Museum at Camden Yards takes visitors on an unprecedented journey through American pop culture history - from the late 1700s right up to today, with favorite characters like Superman, Spiderman, Batman and the Brownies along for the ride.
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