Editing Inner Harbor (section)

==History==
{{More citations needed|section|date=October 2022}}
[[File:Washington Monument, 1849, from Federal Hill 1a.jpg|thumb|Baltimore's Inner Harbor seen from [[Federal Hill, Baltimore|Federal Hill]] with the [[Washington Monument (Baltimore)|Washington Monument]] in the background in 1849]]
[[File:InnerHarbor.jpg|thumb|The Inner Harbor neighborhood is centered on a tourism-friendly plaza that surrounds part of the harbor.]]
While [[Baltimore]] has been a major U.S. seaport since the 18th century, the historically shallow water of the Inner Harbor prior to its manipulation through dredging was not conducive to large ships or heavy industry. These were concentrated in [[Locust Point, Baltimore|Locust Point]], [[Fell's Point, Baltimore|Fell's Point]], and [[Canton, Baltimore|Canton]].

In the mid-20th century, Baltimore suffered from the economic decline of restructuring common to many industrial cities in the United States. Old harbors were abandoned with the arrival of [[container ship]]s after World War II. Later, the old harbors were adapted as focal points to reconnect cities with their waterfronts, and develop public spaces, tourism, business, and housing.<ref>Ann Breen and Dick Rigby, "Waterfronts: Cities Reclaim Their Edge," ''The Waterfront Center,'' McGraw-Hill, 1994, pp. 20–23.</ref>

During the 1940s, John H. Threadgill, the head of the Steamship Trade Association, initiated a study for a cross-harbor bridge.<ref>{{cite news |id={{ProQuest|543162584}} |title=Dinner To Boom Trade With Baltimore Held By Cincinnati Groups |work=The Sun |location=Baltimore |date=25 February 1938 |page=9 }}</ref> A bridge across the Inner Harbor of Baltimore was one idea that was discussed frequently. In his capacity as head of the association, Threadgill ultimately recommended that the idea for a cross-harbor bridge be abandoned, due to the fact that Baltimore relied heavily on a shipping trade and fears that the bridge would negatively impede the flow of shipping traffic at the [[Port of Baltimore]].<ref>Report to Honorable Theodore R. McKeldin on the proposed Cross harbor bridge. 1944. Baltimore, Md.: Steamship Trade Association of Baltimore.</ref> Threadgill was named head of Baltimore's Port Commission during the 1950s.<ref>{{cite news |id={{ProQuest|539009298}} |title=Shipping Group Elects Agent: U.S. Lines Officer Named to Port Commission |work=The Sun |location=Baltimore |date=3 July 1951 |page=13 }}</ref>

In the 1950s, economic changes ended both the freight and passenger use of the Inner Harbor, such as the [[Baltimore Steam Packet Company|Old Bay Line]]'s steamers. Rotting warehouses and piers were eventually torn down and replaced by open, grass-covered parkland that was used for recreational purposes and occasional large events.

The waterfront was gradually transformed with award-winning parks and plazas surrounded by office buildings, hotels and leisure attractions, which reversed the city's decline and became a model for urban renaissance in cities around the world.<ref>Jenni Hewett, "Here's a Man-Made Waterfront Aristotle would have liked," ''Morning Herald'', Sydney, Australia, October 27, 1983, p. 12.</ref> The renewal of Baltimore's Inner Harbor area began with the adoption of the {{convert|33|acre|adj=on}} [[Charles Center]] project by the City Council and Mayor [[Thomas D'Alesandro]] in March 1958. Between 1958 and 1965, Baltimore renewed the center of its business district by rebuilding Charles Center with office buildings, hotels, and retail shops.

At the beginning of mayor [[Theodore R. McKeldin]]'s second term in 1963, the redevelopment program was expanded to include {{convert|240|acre}} surrounding the Inner Harbor. Corporate headquarters and hotels were built around the shoreline of the Inner Harbor. A public park and promenade were added for leisure activity and community gatherings.

On July 4, 1976, following the rendezvous of Tall Ships in New York for the [[U.S. Bicentennial]], eight ships from other nations visited Baltimore, where they attracted a huge number of tourists. This interest helped spur the development of other tourist attractions&nbsp;– including the [[National Aquarium in Baltimore|National Aquarium]], [[Maryland Science Center]], and the [[Harborplace]] [[festival marketplace]] (operated by [[The Rouse Company]]), which opened on July 4, 1980.<ref>Martin L. Millspaugh, "Critical Mass," ''Evening Sun'', Baltimore, July 1, 1980, p. A11.</ref> The nearby [[Baltimore Convention Center]] and [[Hyatt|Hyatt Regency]] Baltimore Hotel added to the services and resulted in population density and visitors.

With the success of the Inner Harbor in the 1970s and 1980s, Baltimore became a worldwide tourist destination and model of urban planning and development. It influenced more than 100 other cities and won more than 40 national or international awards, including a citation by the [[American Institute of Architects]] in 1984 as "one of the supreme achievements of large-scale urban design and development in U.S. history".<ref>American Institute of Architects, press release, Washington, D.C., Feb 5, 1984.</ref>

In recent years, the area along the waterfront to the east of the Inner Harbor (in the direction of Fells Point and [[Little Italy, Baltimore|Little Italy]]) has been developed with condominiums, retail space, restaurants, and hotels&nbsp;– an ongoing project known as [[Inner Harbor East, Baltimore|Harbor East]].

While little development land remains around the Inner Harbor, the available land has been subject to many plans, which have not been realized. Recently completed projects include mixed-use developments incorporating office space, street-level retail, and condominiums, as well as hotel projects such as the [[Ritz Carlton]] Residences, a condominium project on [[Key Highway]] at the southeast corner of the Inner Harbor.

In September 2003, the Inner Harbor area was flooded by [[Hurricane Isabel]]. The [[Baltimore World Trade Center]] remained closed for a month, but all the other buildings were saved from flooding by the Inner Harbor development controls, which were created by the master developer team of Charles Center-Inner Harbor Management, Inc.

In March 2004, a [[water taxi]] capsized during a storm on the Northwest Branch of the [[Patapsco River]] near Fort McHenry. While occurring over a mile downstream of the Inner Harbor, the accident was associated with the Inner Harbor by news reports and casual observers. Five passengers died in the accident, which the [[National Transportation Safety Board]] determined was caused when the small pontoon-style vessel encountered unpredictable strong winds and waves.<ref name=ntsbsptx>{{cite web | url = http://www.marinelink.com/Story/NTSB:++Insufficient+Stability+Caused+Passenger+Vessel+to+Capsize-202310.html | title = Insufficient Stability Caused Passenger Vessel to Capsize | publisher = MarineLink.com | access-date = July 26, 2007 | url-status=dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928175244/http://www.marinelink.com/Story/NTSB:++Insufficient+Stability+Caused+Passenger+Vessel+to+Capsize-202310.html | archive-date = September 28, 2007 }}</ref>

{{wide image|Baltimore-inner-harbor-sunset-2017-panorama.jpg|3000px|alt=Panorama of the Inner Harbor|[[Baltimore]]'s Inner Harbor at sunset in 2017 (panorama scrolls left and right)}}