2010 Annual Report - Downtown Baltimore

the green teamkeeping up appearancesWhen people think about cities, they often thinkabout the buildings that comprise the skyline. Butcities are just as much about the spaces in betweenthe buildings.Well-designed and nicely manicured public spacespull people out of their apartment, or office, orhotel, and are integral to a successful community.For the past several years, we’ve dramaticallyexpanded our portfolio of exterior improvements byleading projects to redesign parks like Center Plaza,by creating the Green Team to improve and bettermaintain Downtown parks, by driving major capitalimprovements like the Pratt Street redesign, andby helping developers change the way they thinkabout the space that surrounds their buildings.In the past year alone, we:• took over maintenance of Preston Gardens andexpanded our Green Team to include a stewarddedicated to improving this historic park;• planted and maintained more than 300 flowerpots throughout Downtown, adding more colorand texture to Downtown sidewalks;• worked with the City on making majorstreetscape improvements to Saratoga Street,Lombard Street, and Lexington Street;• moved forward the plans to remove theBaltimore Street skywalk, a project that eliminatesan eyesore and improves access to Hopkins Plaza;• opened Downtown’s first dog park.