President-elect Barack Obama is expected to stop Saturday at Baltimore’s War Memorial Plaza on his way to Washington, D.C., for his inauguration, officials said.
Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon said the War Memorial was chosen because it represents “the many people that have lost their lives to help cities, like Baltimore, be safe.”
The War Memorial is smaller than other venues in the city, such as the Baltimore Convention Center and M&T Bank Stadium, but there are “lots of activities going on” in the city this weekend.
The inauguration events will be a boon for businesses, she said.
“Our hotels are sold-out between now and the inauguration,” she said.
City officials haven’t determined how much the inaugural stopover will cost the city, Dixon said, but “we definitely need to be reimbursed.”
– Sara Michael
