Invest a Lifetime in West Baltimore, Instead of Investing a Day Trip to First Mariner

By: Alicia Schuller, Marketing Coordinator, NHS of Baltimore

Many of you may have heard, the city of Baltimore is considering the rebirth of the first Mariner Arena in hopes that a new event and concert venue on the west side will spark greater economic growth and revitalize neighborhoods in the area. Baltimore is expected to spend close to $300 million on the new arena.

As an advocate for neighborhood revitalization, I believe one of the central tenants of reversing decline and stimulating prosperity is to re-invest in some of the city’s most vulnerable neighborhoods, such as those in west Baltimore. My interest is always peaked when the city suggests pouring tax-payer money into new stadiums and event centers to attract tourism and business. Why aren’t we investing in rehabilitating vacant and blighted properties and creating more affordable housing, fixing inner-city schools and beefing up police protection?

These factors all play tremendous roles in bringing economic growth back into the area. If you build it, they will come? Not necessarily. This is not to say I don’t recognize the proposed value of the new arena. I understand that its presence will hopefully bring with it plenty of food, shopping, entertainment and business. However it is important to point out that while this will attract people into west Baltimore for a day or weekend trip, to participate in and benefit from the amenities the arena offers, it will not entice them to move into the surrounding neighborhoods permanently.

At the end of the day, we still have people going home and taking their valuable tax dollars and resources with them. People moving into the area to live, would spark investment from business and bring food, entertainment and shopping back. So why not re-invest in the neighborhoods of west Baltimore? Instead of giving people incentives to invest for a day, why not give them incentives to invest for life?

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