Maryland Stadium Authority proposal for new Pimlico leaves open question of how to pay for rebuild
The plan for the 148-year-old home of the Preakness Stakes, Maryland's largest and splashiest sporting event, includes a four-level clubhouse and plaza area called the Palio -- named after the Palio di Siena horse race in
The three-year proposal was endorsed by Mayor
In the city's vision for the track, the plaza would be built "to serve as a scenic saddling area during Preakness Week and to serve the community the rest of the year with public concerts, performing arts, festivals and open-air markets," said a mayor's office release. It said a clubhouse would stage social and civic events, after-school and summer programs, meetings, drone racing, eSports and other activities.
The study found
No one was prepared to commit to paying such a sizable tab.
With the high price tag,
The study doesn't recommend who should pay for Pimlico's demolition and rebuild, but suggests city and state officials and
"Our decision about a capital investment in Pimlico, or any of our other properties, will depend on a full review of the capital and operating needs of the racing industry to ensure a financially viable future for Maryland racing," the company said in an email to
In October, a lawsuit Canadian billionaire
City officials were quick to point out that at least
But Pugh and others were holding out hope that the Preakness would remain.
"It's time for the city, the state and the (Maryland)
Cole said the city is in the midst of a plan to acquire and demolish vacant properties in adjacent neighborhoods and solicit developers.
"There is active development interest right now in Park Heights," he said.
The racetrack is surrounded by six neighborhoods. Pimlico Good Neighbors incorporates the racing complex and houses to the west, which are adjacent to Arlington; Glen sits northwest of the track, with
Many residents have been following the Pimlico drama for years.
"I'm for it, as far as development to lift the community up," said Holloway, who grew up in the neighborhood and has lived there more than 50 years. "We need to be uplifting the neighborhood, instead of tearing it down."
While the neighborhood is dotted with corner stores and small markets,
It's not clear how much appetite the state has to help with funding.
"I don't know where you're going to get all that money, and how it's going to be divided up," state
"The Preakness is identified with Baltimore, as well as the rest of the state. The question is: 'How do you fund all of that?'" Busch said. "Certainly, the mayor and the governor have to be the ones that have to collaborate on doing most of that. But you also have to remember, all that property is owned by
Seven miles northwest of downtown
But vast sections of Pimlico now have a patched-together, industrial look. There are mismatched colors and materials. The clubhouse -- where high-end guests dine -- has not undergone significant renovation since it was constructed decades ago.
The
Baltimore elected officials hoped the study could provide a path to keeping the Preakness in the city.
"The legislature said 30 years ago the Preakness should be run at Pimlico as a matter of public policy in the best interest of the city, the region and the industry," said Del.
The study authors considered -- and quickly dismissed -- two alternative scenarios for Pimlico's future. One involved minimal redevelopment and neither would have required the track's configuration to change. In the suggested option, the track would shift clockwise and be parallel with
Councilman
"The communities around the track certainly deserve this level of revitalization," he said. "I would equate it to building the Inner Harbor."
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