Cordish on a new arena
I asked David Cordish what he thought of the various proposals for a new downtown arena. The Baltimore developer, who wants to plant a billion-dollar casino and entertainment complex next to Arundel Mills, gives the suggestion of the present site, now the First Mariner Arena, an A-minus. It's good, he said, but he'd like to see a new arena more connected to the Inner Harbor in some way. Still, the location -- and the fact that the present arena would be out of business for a couple of years during demolition and construction -- are the only factors on the down side of keeping the site. The ideal, Cordish said, would be further to the east, perhaps where the Baltimore City Community College's downtown campus is now -- closer to the Inner Harbor.
(And, of course, closer to Cordish's Power Plant Live!)
Comments
Here's an idea... if the city wants to build on the 1st Mariner site, then they should work out a deal with Ed Hale where he temporarily relocates the Blast to another arena (Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro immediately comes to mind) and compensate him for any potential lost revenue while the arena is under construction. Perhaps some Blast fans wouldn't be willing to make the 30-mile trek to southern PG County, but I'm willing to bet that they could draw some new fans in the area (youth soccer is very popular in Bowie- which is just 10 miles up Route 301). They could market the team as a low-cost alternative to DC United.
Posted by: MCG | February 20, 2009 5:20 PM