MCB Real Estate is now the official owner of the Harborplace pavilions at Pratt and Light streets and has assembled a four-member design team to help determine what will replace them.
Officials disclosed today that the company completed its acquisition of the 3.2-acre waterfront parcel on June 21 and now fully controls the property and the two retail pavilions on it. A sale price was not disclosed.
MCB also announced that it has hired four firms to design the project that will replace the pavilions and that they will start work this month.
The four firms are: Gensler, an international firm that will lead the design team; Sulton Campbell Britt & Associates, a minority-led firm; BCT Design Group, lead designer of the new home of Lexington Market; and Unknown Studio, a Baltimore-based landscape architecture and urban design studio.
Designed by Benjamin Thompson and Associates and opened in 1980 by The Rouse Company, Harborplace at one point drew 18 million visitors a year, and Thompson’s design served as the model for so-called festival marketplaces as far away as Sydney, Australia.
Mayor Brandon Scott announced in April 2022 that MCB Real Estate was named to acquire the Harborplace property after its previous owner, Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation, ran into financial problems and the buildings were taken over by a court receiver.
MCB managing partner P. David Bramble has not disclosed what he intends to do with the property other than saying it won’t continue to be a shopping mall. He has not said whether he wants to tear the buildings down or whether he will seek permission to exceed the city’s current height limit on the property, which restricts what can be built there to about two stories.
Earlier this year Bramble launched a community engagement process that’s designed to give members of the general public a chance to say what they would like to see as part of a reimagined Harborplace property. The first public meeting was held on June 3 at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture, and at least three others are planned.
Bramble did not show any plans or renderings at the first community engagement meeting, saying he wants to hear from members of the public before starting the design process. Now that he has completed the purchase, he said, he is ready to bring on designers to help envision what can be built.
“For decades, Harborplace has inspired wonder and excitement, attracting legions of tourists and admirers from around the world,” Bramble said in a statement.
“With the property now in hand, we are thrilled to announce the design team who will work with MCB and hear from the community on what Harborplace can be. People like to count Baltimore out. This project will show what we, as a city, are capable of – and showcase the best of Baltimore for our own families, Marylanders across the state, and to the entire world.”
Founded in 1965 by Arthur Gensler (1935 to 2021), Gensler is one of the world’s largest architecture, design and planning firms, and its Baltimore office will lead the design team. Another one of Gensler’s high-profile local projects is the global headquarters that Under Armour is building in south Baltimore.
For those seeking clues on whether Bramble might want to break the current two-story height limit for the Harborplace property, Gensler has designed everything from low-rise structures to office towers.
“Gensler is honored to be a part of the resurgence of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. The waterfront is an incredible place that should be enjoyed by all, and we look forward to leading a team of world-class designers in bringing this great vision for Harborplace to life,” said Diane Hoskins, co-CEO of Gensler, in a statement. “Working closely with David Bramble and MCB Real Estate, local and state government, and the public at large, we will celebrate the historic legacy of Harborplace and reimagine it for the benefit of generations to come.”
“Harborplace is Baltimore’s postcard image. It should visually capture what we are most proud of about our city and how we want to be known in the world — a place where all of our people can enjoy the iconic Inner Harbor and the first place we should all want to share with visitors to our city,” said Vaki Mawema, Managing Director and Principal of Gensler’s Baltimore office, in a statement. “We want Harborplace to be uniquely and authentically ‘us.’”
“We are truly honored to have Gensler; Sulton Campbell Britt; BCT and Unknown Studio bring their vision and creativity to this project,” Bramble said. “I want to ensure that the future of Harborplace represents to the world the very best that Baltimore has to offer. MCB intentionally created this design partnership to marry internationally renowned talent from Baltimore and from abroad because Harborplace should once again be a worldwide attraction.”
More information about the redevelopment of Harborplace and MCB’s ongoing community engagement efforts is at ourharborplace.com.
