BALTIMORE
A $900 million proposal to build a downtown sports and entertainment arena linked to an expanded Baltimore Convention Center would appeal to national and international convention planners seeking a "destination package" and could transform the city, according to a new study by the Maryland Stadium Authority.
Gov. Martin O'Malley and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake requested the study, which analyzed a proposal to build an 18,500-seat arena and a 500-room Sheraton hotel next to a convention center expansion. The new arena would replace the aging 1st Mariner Arena on the downtown area’s west side, a priority of the Rawlings-Blake administration.
"The report ... certainly demonstrates that Baltimore needs to continue to enhance its tourism and convention product if we're going to remain competitive," said Donald C. Fry, president of the Greater Baltimore Committee, a private business group that proposed combining a new arena with a larger convention center. "Certainly we can't stand still if we want to still be a significant player in the convention-tourism destination business."
An expanded convention center would attract an additional four to eight large, citywide conventions or groups a year, the report said. Additional, smaller events also could be accommodated, said Tom Noonan, executive director of Visit Baltimore, the city's CVB.
