Baltimore City will start an ambitious renovation in January of Rash Field Park, the Inner Harbor’s waterfront green space located between the Maryland Science Center and the Rusty Scupper restaurant.
Baltimore’s spending board just approved the project, which will use $9.5 million of city money, $4 million of state money, and nearly $2 million from private sources, for a total Phase I cost of $16.8 million.
Rash Field Park, which currently has sand volleyball courts, a paved loop path, and concrete bleachers, will get a children’s nature park, kinetic playground, skatepark, and a pavilion with an outdoor café, during Phase I of the project. An overlook will be built on top of the pavilion, for sweeping views of the Inner Harbor.
“Currently an unattractive and underutilized space on the Inner Harbor’s South Shore, Rash Field will be transformed into an active recreation and play space by spring 2021,” said Laurie Schwartz, president and CEO of Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore.
Once work gets underway in January 2020, the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore will start raising funds for Phase 2, which adds an updated beach volleyball area; an open lawn for play, events or soccer fields; outdoor exercise equipment, jogging paths and a bird and butterfly lab. The memorial to the tragic Pride of Baltimore sinking in 1986 will also be relocated on site. Here’s an overhead look at the features to come:
Waterfront Partnership has been working on a Rash Field redevelopment plan since 2015, using feedback from local communities to bring new life to the “underused” prime eight-acre piece of the Inner Harbor. To find out more about the plans for Rash Field Park, click here.
