The Baltimore Sun reported Thursday that the city received a pledge from 92-year-old developer Willard Hackerman to privately fund a 18,500-seat arena and hotel downtown. He would provide $500 million for that project. The catch? The city and state must pay for an estimated $400 million expansion of Baltimore’s convention center on that same site near the Inner Harbor.
Seems like a golden opportunity for Charm City, which right now hosts concerts and indoor soccer at the deplorable First Mariner Arena — a venue that makes RFK Stadium look state of the art. Think of the possibilities: second- and third-round NCAA tournament games. Maybe an ACC tournament. That league is downsizing its event, with Philips Arena (capacity 18,729) in Atlanta hosting next March. An 18,500-seat arena could have a capacity of 20,000 for basketball, and you don’t build that kind of venue unless you want to go big. So the question: Can Baltimore support an NBA or NHL team?
Don’t see why not. That metro area bleeds into Washington’s footprint, but you’re talking about 2.7 million people with plenty of cash in Howard County to the west and Anne Arundel County to the south. If there is enough corporate support for an NFL team (Ravens) and a major league baseball team (Orioles), then one more wouldn’t hurt. Neither league is in an expansion mood given the struggling economy. But it’s no secret, either, that each has a half-dozen teams in financial trouble. With a gleaming new arena in place, Baltimore would be prepared to take advantage if one needs to move.
