Baltimore Grows

Our very own Patterson Park in Southeast Baltimore was recently named one of America’s 10 best urban parks by Forbes Magazine.  The park was listed alongside other famous parks such as New York’s Central Park, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, Boston Commons, and Chicago’s Grant Park.  Patterson Park is surrounded by Baltimore neighborhoods such as Butchers Hill, Canton, Highlandtown, and of course the Patterson Park neighborhood itself.  It’s a wonderful achievement, since only a decade ago, the park was mostly known for drugs and prostitution.  Congratulations to the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks and to the Friends of Patterson Park who show us what can be achieved despite tight budgets!

Click Here to see the Forbes Slideshow

jeffcantonite@yahoo.com

Check out the latest on Honeywell’s restoration efforts at Baltimore’s Swann Park.

http://www.baltimoreswannparkcleanup.com/

The next step toward a new and improved Swann Park began the first week of May when Honeywell started restoration of the park.

Honeywell will prepare and seed the ball fields, make water and electrical improvements, and build foundations for lighting, dugouts, fences, bleachers, pedestrian pathways and roadways before turning the park over to the city later this year.

The renovation of O’Donnell Square, in the heart of Canton, will supposedly begin this spring and will continue through the summer. The work will include the replacement of benches and curbs, and the addition of sod and shade trees.? Click here to view the plan.

jeffcantonite@yahoo.com

The Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway is a non-profit organization that hopes to secure federal and state funding for crisscrossing trails that would link the area’s natural, cultural and historic resources.

“Right here, in the middle of a densely populated area, you can still be outdoors enjoying nature within minutes,” said Mary Ann Lisanti, executive director of the Greenway group. “Ten minutes off I-95 and 15 minutes from Bel Air, you can go fishing, walk through history into deep woods and see the spring flowers and nesting birds.”

We need more walking trails like this. Here’s the link to the story in the Baltimore Sun where I found out about The Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway group.

http://www.joshuaberlow.com/real2.htm

The Baltimore Sun recently ran an article on the proposed new development plan for the Inner Harbor’s Rash Field at the foot of Federal Hill.? The new plan will include a much needed underground parking garage, a large amount of open green space, and a dog park.? The current volleyball fields will be moved to another section of the park. Although, it looks like they may not be keeping as many courts as currently exist.? ? Rash Field? is not being used well – so the latest proposal looks very promising.

Check out the city’s Rash Field plan – PDF format.

Mayor Sheila Dixon has decided that the city Fire Department’s waterfront? repair facility – located along Key Highway in South Baltimore – will become a public park.? There has been a lot of debate over the future use of the property.? It’s a prime waterfront location that sits adjacent to the Harborview community and the popular bar and restaurant Little Havana.

? The property was very close to being rezoned a couple years ago.? A move that would have led developers to bid on the property and likely build a mixed use project that included condominiums and retail space.? I attended some of these Key Highway Association meetings back when this was being debated.? Much of the community was in favor of seeing the property rezoned and rebuilt.? However, a few residents? raised concerns, and as a result the city backed away and included the property as part of the Key Highway Master Plan that it was creating.?

In one respect in would have been nice to see the property developed and put to good use, rather than just another dilapidated property sitting along Key Highway.? But in the end, it looks like the rethinking paid off.? A waterfront park will be? a nice addition to the community.? I wonder how this will affect some of the other proposed open/green space and view corridors along Key highway.? Another piece of land along Key Highway – at the bottom of Lawrence Street, roughly across from the Royal Farms – had been proposed as waterfront open space.? So I doubt there will end up being two parks located that close.? ? So this news will certainly shake up some of the existing plans along Key.

Baltimore Sun article

Came across a blog post on the Baltimore Sun about? the website of former Baltimore Parks? director Chris Delaporte.? It covers the issues relating to the city parks.? Check it out – ParkAdvocate.org.