Maryland schedules March 25 hearing on Baltimore Inner Harbor park and promenade redevelopment permits
Public hearing set after earlier session was canceled
A public informational hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, March 25, 2026, on permit applications tied to redevelopment work along Baltimore’s Inner Harbor waterfront, spanning the Inner Harbor Park and Promenade area.
The hearing follows the cancellation of a previously scheduled March 18, 2026 session. The revised schedule sets a 6:30 p.m. start time on March 25 at Digital Harbor High School, 1100 Covington Street, with a poster session planned from 5:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The hearing is set to offer both in-person and virtual participation.
What the permit review covers
The proceedings focus on state and joint federal/state environmental authorizations connected to planned construction in areas regulated as tidal wetlands and within the nontidal floodplain of the Jones Falls. The applications under review are tied to work proposed by MCB HP Baltimore LLC for the Inner Harbor Park and Promenade redevelopment area.
The project description provided in the public notice outlines work along roughly 3,400 linear feet of the Inner Harbor, between Pier 3 near the National Aquarium and the southwest corner of the Inner Harbor, as well as along portions of the southern promenade near Rash Field.
Nontidal floodplain work: The application describes a permanent impact of 56,731 square feet within the nontidal floodplain of the Jones Falls, involving 1,265 cubic yards of fill.
Tidal wetlands and waterfront construction: The notice describes demolition of 84,365 square feet of existing promenade and piers and reconstruction of fixed and floating promenade elements, including 71,540 square feet of replacement fixed promenade and fixed piers and 20,220 square feet of floating promenade, piers, and gangways.
Habitat and water-quality features: The plans include 24,806 square feet of floating tidal wetlands, planter modules with tidal plantings along portions of the southern promenade, and tidal marsh plantings at the southwest corner of the Inner Harbor.
Shoreline and stormwater elements: The notice also describes replacement sheet pile bulkhead work and stormwater outfall construction and extensions, along with associated repairs and relocations of certain waterfront elements.
How testimony and comments will be handled
The hearing is intended to gather testimony to assist environmental regulators in evaluating applications for a tidal wetlands license and a nontidal wetlands and waterway permit. Public statements may be delivered orally at the hearing—either in person or virtually—or submitted in writing during the open comment period.
If the March 25 hearing is canceled, a contingency hearing date is listed as April 15, 2026, at the same location and times. Under the revised schedule, the standard written comment deadline is April 8, 2026, with an alternate deadline of April 29, 2026 if the contingency schedule is triggered.
Project context
The redevelopment permits addressed in the hearing relate to the public-space and waterfront-infrastructure components of the broader Inner Harbor area overhaul, including promenade reconstruction and shoreline improvements. While separate city land-use actions and development approvals may be required for other elements in the area, the March 25 hearing is centered on the environmental and waterways authorizations for work in regulated wetlands and floodplain areas.