Construction of a new 18,500-seat arena and 500-room hotel in downtown Baltimore could get under way before work to expand the Baltimore Convention Center. That is what Greater Baltimore Committee CEO Donald C. Fry, whose group helped conceive the arena/convention center plans, told lawyers and others at a breakfast last week.
Fry said if the developer feels confident the city and state will fund the planned $450 million convention center expansion, development of the arena and hotel could start first.
Assuming a feasibility study on the GBC’s plan for a new arena, hotel and expanded convention center is embraced by city and state officials, Fry said GBC will ask Gov. Martin O’Malley for about $3 million in the fiscal 2013 budget to fund more planning and design of the project. GBC will then ask for the money as it’s needed, with the major portion of funds expected to be asked for from the city and state by fiscal year 2016. Complete development of the project is still years away.
