Section1:Project1

THE SECTION.1 PROJECT

Sect ion1 IncBalt imore, MD931.241.1092

(DRAFT) Project Proposal V5.1

S E C T I O N

2 The Section.1 Project

3


The Section.1 Project is an initiative aimed at transforming our world’s communities into vibrant, creative, and inspiring places. We seek to take vacant, under utilized or derelict space and reimage them into an asset that encourages social discourse, creative expression and community engagement. These spaces, designated as Section.1 Parks, will be developed through the practice of creative placemaking. They will focus on arts and creativity, leverage from the creative potential of its direct community, celebrate diversity, encourage citizenship, and serve as an agent for both social and economic prosperity. Our current project is aimed at transforming a site located behind Maryland Institute College of Art and directly underneath the Jones Falls Express way into the worlds largest urban art park. Current plans for the site includean 18,000 SF skate park, 60,000 SF of paintable surfaces, an various large capacity performance spaces, and an addtional acre of greensapce.

MISSIONWe aim to transform a 3-acre derelict space into an unprecedented and world-renowned urban art park. We seek to set the example future generation look to as the example of what creative placemaking is and how it can be utilized to transform spaces into vibrant community assets.

STRATEGYThrough an inclusive collaboration with our local stakeholders, business leaders, student associations and artists, we will leverage from the creative potential already present in our community, and transform this space into a sub cultural center for the City of Baltimore.

S E C T I O N


OUR TEAM

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Samuel PolakoffPresident

Richard BestVice- President

Jeff KayceDevelopment

Heather BradburyCommunity

Chip WatkinsPromotion

Toby BlumenthalEvents

OUR TEAM

Our team grows everyday! Here is our current all star cast!

Ann PriftisArt

Richard BestExecutive Director

Samuel PolakoffDevelopment Di-

Kristen FaberDirector of Community

Julie BuissonDesign Strategist

Ada GoerickeFinancial Strategist

Manu UnniBusiness Strategist

Jon StruseDesigner

Michael Koliner Designer

David LamDesigner

Jesse JamesArtist Relations

Cynthia Blake SandersLegal

Denise SullivanEnvironmental Consultant

Billy ModeCreative Council

Bill GilmoreAdvisor

David GracyalnyAdvisor

Mike MollaAdvisor

Mira AzarmAdvisor

Michael OwenCreative Council

Lindsay ThomsonAdvisor

Greg CangialosiAdvisor

Andrew RoseAndrew Rose

Andres ZapataAdvisor

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LOCAL STAKEHOLDERS


SITEOVERVIEW


Located in the heart of Baltimore, between the vibrant Station North Arts and Entertainment District and the prestigious Maryland Institute College of Art, sits a vacant 3 acre canvas. Surrounding this canvas is a rich community, comprised of artists, designers, and educational institutions, museums, historical landmarks and a demographic largely consisting of the creative class. The site, since the extension of the Jones Falls Expressway (JFX) in the mid 1970’s, has set vacant. Limited access prevents the site from being commercially developed and with the exception of light vehicular traffic, is largely unused. The exception to this can been seen on columns the support the JFX. For nearly 40 years urban artists have found value in this space and used it as a medium for their creative practices. While the space is an asset to these artists their activities are a liability the current landowner MTA, as well as to CSX and Amtrak who maintain the adjacent railroad lines. Current access to the site can be obtained via a sidewalk on the western side of the Fitzgerald property. Vehicular

access can be acquired by traveling through the rear of parking garage located at 80 W Oliver St. Current site access is limited to MTA and Amtrak personal, to include the Amtrak Police who patrols the area. In speaking with our local stakeholders, we have been warned the site may require environmental remediation prior to the safe use of the site. Historically, the site sits on top of what used to be the Jones Falls Way. In the efforts to install the JFX, the Jones Falls was diverted and the current location was filled with dirt. Depending on where this dirt was acquired from, the land may obtain trace amounts of mercury, chromium and/or arsenic. These potential threats have been heavily investigated by members of the Section.1 team. Having spoken with dozens of environmental agencies, developers and remediation experts, this remediation is suggested to be relatively easy. Upon obtaining an official Right of Entry from the MTA, among our first priorities is to conduct a Phase 1 environmental survey to better understand the current conditions of the site.

SITE SURVEY

SITE MAP

39.309622,-76.620939


SITE MAP

9


39.309622,-76.620939

WALKABILITYMap indicates the geographic areas, which can access

the proposed site within a 20 minutes commute by foot.

Mapping is broken down into 5, 10, and 20 minutes walking

intervals.


PUBLICTRANSIT STUDY

Source: http://www.mapnificent.net

Map indicates the geographic areas, which can access the

proposed site within a 30-minute commute on public

transportation. Mapping does not include walking times to

or from transit stations.

Area represents commute times Mon-Fri.

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PRECEDENTS

UrbanArtDestinations

PublicSpace

Events

Organizational

skateParks

Wynwood Walls - Miami FL 5 Pointz - Brooklyn NY Graffiti Alley - Baltimore, MD

FDR Park - Philadelphia PA Burnside Skatepark - Portland OR Kinghighway Skatepark - St. Louis MO

Love Park - Philadelphia PA The High Line - New York NY PNC Firstside Park - Pittsburgh PA

Artscape - Baltimore MD Open Walls Baltimore - Baltimore MD Baltimore’s Farmes Market - Baltimore MD

Living Walls - Atlanta GA PLAYscapes - London DuneScape - New York NY

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PHASE ONEDEVELOPMENT

Phase one’s space preparation will commence with cleaning the site. It is currently a safety and health hazard. It will also be necessary to define the perimeter of the site. The space of the proposed site not only occupies the space beneath Interstate 83 but reaches into the adjacent landscape such that drastically different experiences can be created in the park; those that are restricted by a ceiling (the interstate) and those that are open to the sky. Barriers and other architectural elements will be used to define the spaces.

Currently, access to the site is cumbersome and indirect. The solution proposed is to develop a sidewalk on the westerns side of The Fitzgerald property. This platform will allow visitors to access the site from Mount Royal Avenue and the adjacent light rail station.

Preparation includes laying a foundation that will allow the future construction of many different types of spaces. It is impossible to tell how the needs of the spaces will change; perhaps what once was a skate park must become a

garden because the desires of the community have evolved. Although this variable cannot be controlled, a foundation which accommodates change must be created.

Phase one will also address community involvement. It is essential that an advisory council of dedicated and knowledgeable individuals be assembled. Their expertise will help guide the project and the allocation of resources available. Currently, members of the advisory council include Chris Delaporte, Doreen Bolger, Director of the Baltimore Museum of Art, Mike Molla, Vice President of Operations at Maryland Institute College of Art and David Gracyalny, Dean of the School for Professional and Continuing Studies at Maryland Institute College of Art. With the help of these individuals the project aspires to build a location that the community takes pride in and is assured is a product of their own design. In order to imbue this sense of ownership we want to directly engage the community. Their input will determine not only the programs selected but the


GRAND PRIX FENCING

Increasing site safety is the number one priority of Phase one

site development. To prevent patrons from accessing both

the CSX and Light rail tracks, fencing must be installed. It is

suggested that roughly 1400 LF of the Grand Prix fencing

be repurposed to address the safety needs of the park. Not

only is this an aesthetic match for an urban art park, but also

a unique way to integrate Baltimore’s past, into its vibrant

future.

PHASE ONE

As shown in the site map above, Phase I will consist of addressing safety concerns around the parameter of the site. Roughly 1400 LF of fencing will be required to prevent patrons from accessing the railroad tracks. Installation of fencing will require retaining walls to be developed along certain portions of the parameter. Fencing around the northwest side of the park is currently installed to prevent access to the Jones Falls waterway. In addition to safety, thorough site cleanup is required to remove trash and debris from the site. This will include leveling the ground plane under the JFX, and environmental cleanup of the wooded areas on the northern side of the site. Gates will need to be installed on three locations around the park. These gates will prevent unauthorized foot and vehicular traffic from accessing restricted MTA, CSX and Amtrak property. Additionally the development of an access point to allow pedestrian traffic will be required. (See page 29 for proposed access plans)


Design by Dina Markakis

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Among the major obstacles facing the development of the park includes increasing access for pedestrian traffic to the site. The solution proposed is to develop a raised platform on the western side of the Fitzgerald property, located at 1201 Mt Royal Ave. This location provides many advantages due its it proximity to the Mt Royal light rail station and its accessibility from Mt Royal Ave. Additionally, the proposed entrance also provides a prime location for signage to be develop to increase awareness of the park and its primary access point. The open courtyard located at the promenade of this proposed access point allows for the safe assembly and collection of patron without disrupting the residence of the Fitzgerald property. An increase in pedestrian traffic to this site will also be advantageous to the retail space adjacent to the entrance. This retail space, currently the host of Unexpected Art, could be converted into a bar or restaurant and cater to the increased depend such a park would generate. Our precedent, Wynnwood Kitchen & Bar, is a prime example of the success such establishments have obtained being located in close proximity to urban art landmarks. It is after this establishment that the proposed ‘Paint Bar’ is modeled after.

ACCESSDesign by Dina Markakis

Design by Dina Markakis

Wynwood Kitchen & Bar


PRELIMINARY DESIGNSCONCEPTS


S E C T I O N

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MAJOR PARK FEATURES


URBANART

Urban art can be found in its many forms, in every city and in every country around the world. It is arguably one of the most important forms of art in human history and one, which will historically define its current generation. While the practice can take many forms, this act of self-express continues to inspire and beautify our communities. As can be found in many cases, urban art is the focus of creative placemaking as it creates an engaging dialogue and creative atmosphere that our societies are attracted to. Our proposed park will act as a creative hub for individuals who wish to practice urban art in any of its creative forms. The site features roughly 40,000 sqft of mural space, which will be curated to allow any patron of the park to participate in this activity.

“Whether the street works seem utopian or anarchic, aggres-sive or sympathetic, stunningly well-executed or juvenile, origi-nal or derivative, most street artists seriously working in the genre begin with a deep identification and empathy with the city: they are compelled to state something in and with the city, whether as forms of protest, critique, irony, humor, beauty, sub-version, clever prank or all of the above.” - Martin Irvne*

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Artist: KAWS

Artist: Banksy

Artist: JR


Co-currated by Jesse James and Stefan Hauswald, Articulate Baltimore was a public

art initiative aimed at activating the Bromo Tower Arts and Entertainment District. The

project, having taken place in 2012, brought a group of national and international

artists to beautify the city of Baltimore. Among the projects many artist included

Pixel Pancho, Never 2501, Billy Mode, Jesse James, Christ Stain, and Stefan Ways. The

projects mark on the local community continues to positively impact the neighborhood.

Open Walls, curated by local artist Gaia, brought ‘the finest and most widely recognized

street artists from around the world’ to participate in a 2 month long urban arts initiative

in the Station North Arts and Entertainment District. Over 20 artists coalesced within

the district bringing to life 25 murals. The district is now Baltimore’s most vibrant and

thriving arts district, attracting tourists, artist and inventors to take residence in this

creative community.

Among the areas most noted urban art projects, is that of Michael Owens’ Baltimore Love

Project. With the assistance of Executive Director Scott Burkholder, Michael has gifted the

city with over 20 murals. The projects message of love has been expressed throughout

Baltimore and helped to connect the people and communities if this great city. The final

wrap of the project was culminated in September 2013, leaving the As of September

2013, the project was successfully completed, leaving opportunity for Baltimore’s next

being urban arts project.

Articulate Baltimore

Open Walls Baltimore

Baltimore Love Project

The controversial urban arts project, Wallhunters, aimed to expose and publicize those

responsible from many of the vacant and dilapidated properties throughout the city.

This project, a collaboration between Slumlord Watch and local artist Nether, utilized

street art as a means of beautification and political expression. Over 16 instillations were

created by renowned arts such as Gaia, LNY, Mata Ruda, Tefcon, Specter and Nanook,

among many others. While controversial, the use of street art as an agent of social

change is a compelling and thought provoking relationship.

Wall Hunters

BALTIMORE’S URBAN ART

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2013 URBAN ART FESTIVALS

Empty Walls - Cardiff, Wales City Leaks - Cologne, Germany Bukruk - Bangkok, Thailand

Roskilde - Roskilde, Denmark Out Door - Roma, Italy

Living Walls - Atlanta GA MURAL - Montreal, Canada Murals - Heerleen, Neatherlands

Art Basel - Miami FL Chale Wote - Jamestown, South africa Festival De Murales - Barcelona, Spain

From Bangkok to Barcelona and Miami to Montreal urban art festivals are being celebrated around the world. This medium is not only a

powerful too of inspiration, creative placemaking and community development, it is most importantly a dialogue to share and spread

our unique cultures. Artist from all over the globe are invited to these events to share their style, heritage and creative visions. Many U.S.

cities such at Atlanta and Miami host annual conferences to bring this diversity to their cities. It is through this diversity and creativity that

innovative and progress cultures are created. It is our intention to create a venue that will host and celebrate this diverse and creative

dialogue year round. In doing so we will create a international recognized hub for creative initiators and practitioners to share their

culture with the communities of Baltimore.


URBANARTPRECEDENCE

Among the first developers to utilize urban art as a means of community revitalization and economic development was Tony Goldman, of Goldman Properties. His earliest success was the transformation of a small burrow of Sothern Manhattan. Leveraging from the creative cultural already present in the community, he developed what is now the artistic heart of New York, known as SoHo. Mr. Goldman also used this strategy to rejuvenate various areas of Miami, including the once delinquent community of Wynwood. The Wynwood district is now a thriving art mecca, host to the world famous out door street art museum Wynwood Walls. The district also hosts the annual Art Basel conference, bringing artist, collectors, and galleries from around the world for a week long festival. It is this same vision that the Section.1 Project sees for the Station North Arts and Entertainment District, and one we intended to actively pursue.

Wynwood Walls - Miami FL

Station North A&E District - Baltimore, MD

CC BY Zizzzy Baloobah

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(top) In a recent development, 5 Pointz , an

urban art mecca located in Brooklyn, New

York has been set to be demolished. For over a

decade the building has provided New York with

a rare legal space for the practice of urban art

and gained international esteem. Over time the

building has become a safety hazard resulting in

the owner deciding to demolish the site and to

transform the space into a residential complex

5 Pointz - Brooklyn NY

Graffiti Alley - Baltimore, MD

South Banks - London

SoHo - New York NY The Tunnel - London

CC BY Walley Gogetz

CC BY Axel Taferner


VANDALISM

Vandalism is a phenomenon that has plagued societies as far back as 455 AD. This destructive nature takes many forms, from broken windows and traffic cameras to defaced public sculptures. Among the most obvious and widespread practice is that of graffiti-vandalism or tagging accounting for 80-85% of all graffiti-vadalism. The City of Baltimore spends upwards of $1 million a year to clean this graffiti. The Department of Public Works reportedly removes 1.5 million square feet of graffiti every year. Business and property owners accrue costs for both cleaning up vandalism as well as fines from the city for having graffiti on the facade of their buildings. These unreported expenditures undoubtedly aggregate to hundreds of thousands of dollars and thousands of hours for clean up. These numbers do not include the cost to taxpayers for the criminal prosecution or incarceration of arrested vandals.

Baltimore is not the only city to have vandalism problems. Graffitihurts.com reports that on average, graffiti cleanup costs most cities $2.80 per resident. This translates to billions of dollars in annual clean up costs.

Several studies have suggested that the main contributors to cities vandalism are young teenagers between the ages of 13 – 23 with roughly 40% of all tagging be conducted by individuals under the age of 14.* Most often this vandalism is conducted in the evening and night hours and is primarily due to a lack of appropriate recreation for the age group.

It is also the case that most cities do not provide legally sanctioned space for the creation of urban artwork. By providing space for these individuals to express themselves, it could conceivably help reduce the spread of haphazard graffiti to undesired areas. It is the intention of the proposed project to act as Baltimore’s premier park, dedicated to the practice of urban art in its various forms. An increase in aerosol artists to our proposed site, could conceivably lead to an increase of graffiti-vandalism to the local areas. It is our intention to mitigate against this risk both proactively and reactively. In addition to dedicating resources generated by the park to help in these clean up efforts we also plan to institute the Vandal-to-Value program detailed on the following page.

VANDAL-TO -VALUEPROGRAM

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The US Department of Justice reports that the repair and removal of graffiti damage cost $15 billion annually and contributes to over 100,000 juvenile arrests each year. Traditional approaches for the reduction of graffiti-vandalism include reactive removal, the development of hotlines to report tagging and rewards for information leading to the arrest of a graffiti-tagger. Several cities, such as New York, have even created ‘Vandal Squads’ to document, track and criminally prosecute vandals and urban artists. While cities go to great lengths in enforce the prohibition of this form of expression, their efforts are not effective at lowering graffiti rates year over year. We propose an alternative solution aimed at reforming these individuals and their practice into a form that creates social value. Rather then incarcerate these graffiti-tagger we suggest that a Vandal-to-Value Program be instituted. Upon arrest and convection individual will be required to attend this program, whereby they will be required to conduct a pre-determined number of comminute service hours.

This community service will be dedicated to the clean up of graffiti and tagging around the proposed park site, and various locations around the city. In addition to this community service, individuals will also be required to meet business and homeowners who struggle with vandalism and also be given art classes and instruction by prominent artists from the Baltimore area. This program will be dedicated to challenging these individuals as artists rather then criminalizing them. By conducting these classes at the park we will also invite them to practice their expression within the legally sectioned space rather then on illegal surfaces around the city.


CC by Cedric Meleard

*Mintel: Live Entertainment Industry 201337

MUSIC VENUE

Be it the Apollo Theatre, The Fillmore, CBGB’s, The Troubadour, or The Hacienda, performance venues have proven the ability to not only launch artists careers, but also possess the power to define the music of a generation. This park will prove to be such a space, serving as Baltimore’s premier live entertain-ment venue.

Live music represents a $10.3 billion dollar US market, a figure that is projected to rise to $12.2 billion by 2016. This market, as defined by Mintel, is divided into 5 separate segments, each characterized by venue size. Included in this market segmentation are clubs, theaters, areas, amphitheaters, and stadi-ums. The development of Core Park will allow Section1 to operate in Clubs, Theatre and Amphitheatre markets. This provides a unique opportunity to program the site with a wide variety of live performances and cater to a diverse set of industry needs.

CLUBS

First among these three segmentations are clubs. As described by Mintel, this classification consists of small venues with a capacity, typically less then 1,000. These are most often general admission venues that create an intimate and exciting experience for both artist and performers due to their small size. Cur-rent plans for the park provide the opportunity for a 6,000sqft venue. This club will have the capacity to host upwards of 600+ people and provide a unique aesthetic unlike any current completion.

Overall clubs account for roughly 12% of all tickets sold in the US, making them the fourth largest gross-ing entertainment venue. The largest driver in this segments success is attributed the clubs ability to cultivate a loyal fan base. Unlike other performance venues, a clubs intimate nature generates nostalgia for event goers. These spaces are often the first level of venues performed by developing and up-and-coming artist. This trend allows clubs to become a refuge for mainstream or star performers whom often launch major tours at prominent and well-known clubs. As is often the case, many of these star artists will book back-to-back shows at smaller clubs to capture their local market.

While clubs are responsible for 12% of all live entertainment ticket sales, over 35% of this segment is controlled by only 10 venues. Among these establishments include Terminal 5 (NY), 9:30 Club (DC), The Joint (NV), and Fillmore Auditorium (CO) among others. This suggests an opportunity for even a small club to obtain a large market share. This success is largely contributed to the clubs ability to create a unique and engaging environment and its ability to cultivate relationships with key concert prompters.

Concert promoters often operate, own, lease or establish booking rights for clubs. Their industry wide relationships allow them to obtain high-profile shows, which aid in the awareness and reputation of the clubs.


THEATERS

In addition to the Club segment, the park also has the opportunity to serve as a Theatre. As described by Mintel, these are characterized as year-round venues offering a capacity upwards of 5,000. Incorporated into the development plans of the park may include a 20,000sqft theater. This venue provides capacity for upwards of 5,000 individuals and a unique aesthetic unlike any venue in the world. The theatres segment is responsible for over 26% of all ticket sales nation wide and the segment with the largest growth rate in the live entertainment market. These venues provide less risk then due to lower fixed cost associated with hosting shows and provide a more appropriate size space for artist who might have a difficultly in attracting enough spectator for larger events.

Much like clubs, over 45% of the theatre market is controlled by only 10 venues. These include Radio City Music Hall (NY), Fox Theatre (GA), Fox Theatre (MI), Fabulous Fox Theatre (MO), and Madison Square (NY), among others. On average each of these venue are responsible for the sale of over 350,000 sold annually.

As detailed in Figure ## the park provides an opportunity for a theatre which could include both covered and uncovered seating and standing areas, general and premium admissions and exclusive VIP des-ignated zones. The site is also naturally designed to provide safe and easy access from the entrance, preventing bottlenecks during admission. An emergency staging area will be reserved toward the rear of the site, allowing easy entrance and access to emergency personnel. As will be required within our lease agreement, 24-hour vehicular access must be provided to Amtrak and MTA personal. Reserved access to these vehicles will be provided to the rear of the site, and monitored by emergency personnel.

AMPHITHEATER

The last live entertainment segment, catered to by the park, is that of amphitheaters. This segment is characterized by outdoor venues with a capacity ranging from 5,000 – 30,000. While the parks theatre, described above, will likely be that of an amphitheater the ability to expand usage to the sites entire entertainment zone allowing it to serve in this larger capacity segment. The parks entertainment zone is comprised of an 80,000sqft space, which a capacity ranging from 10,000 – 15,000 patrons. While it is likely that park will not serve in this capacity for a single concert, this space allows the park to host a va-riety of events, which require a large unique site. As is a growing trend in the live entertainment market, promoters are seeking sites to host multi-day conventions. These events create destinations and allow promoters to sell significantly more tickets then that of a single day show. Examples of such conventions include Artscape, South by Southwest, Comic-Con, or DefCon. In addition to hosting pre-established conventions, the space will also need to host events such as skateboard competitions and indie music and mural festivals. Doing so will not only increase awareness of the park, but also establish it as a pre-mier venue for the major forms of urban art that are practiced within it.

It is important to note, that in order for an event of this scale to be hosted at the site, in depth traffic stud-ies must be conducted. This will also require additional access to be developed to allow for safer egress and to prevent bottlenecks from causing issues to the local communities.

MUSIC VENUE


CC by Cedric Meleard

Baltimore County(Secondary Market)

Baltimore City (Primary Market)

Total Population 817,455*

Population < 5 years: 6.0% 49,047

Population <18 years: 21.7% 177,388 Population of Skaters in County* 57,222

Total Population of Skateboarders 100,692

Total Population 621,342*

Population < 5 years: 6.8% 42,251

Population <18 years: 21.5% 130,482 Population of Skaters in City* 43,470

* The International Association of Skateboar Undustries reports that roughly 7.0% of the us population were found to be skateboarders. *United States Census Bureau

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SKATEPARK

STATE & CITY SKATEBOARDING DEMOGRAPHICS

Among the many benefits associated with skate parks include the creation of social gather places, positive mental wellbeing, the promotion of healthy lifestyles, reduction of criminal behavior, and an increase in tourism.* Typically the development of this social value is estimated to cost between $20 - $25 SF. As it is detailed on the following pages, we propose the creation of an addition 18,000 SF skate park be developed within our site. Based from the cost projections of the Skatepark of Baltimore, located in Hampden Baltimore, we estimate construction cost of this park to be roughly $30 SF. Capital investment of $540,000 will be required to construct such a space.

The IASC reports that roughly 7% of the U.S. population identifies themselves as skateboarders. This includes both passive and active users. They recommend that cities develop 1.0 SF of public skate park per user to accommodate the demand of this user group. As shown in the chart above, Baltimore is home to roughly 44,000 skateboarders. The development of a world-class skate park, as proposed, will undoubtedly cater to the population of skate boarders in the outlying geographic areas. Combined with the Baltimore County’s skate boarding population of 57,000 individuals, the proposed park has a direct accessibly market of 101,000 individuals.

A lack of appropriate skate parks leads to vandalism, increased injury rates and the destruction of private and public property. This not only increases liabilities for the city of Baltimore, but also increases maintenance cost for public and private property owners.

SKATEBOARD PARK DEMAND PER CAPITA


SKATEPARK OF BALTIMORE

AT ROOSEVELT PARK

Baltimore Public Skate Parks

Skatepark of Baltimore at Roosevelt Park 16,000 sqft

Carroll Park 10,000 sqft

Total Public Skate Park Size 26,000 sqft

CARROLL PARK

Currently only two public skateboard parks exist within City limits. They include Carroll Park and Skatepark of Baltimore. While the two combined equate to roughly 26,000 SF of skate park space, this number does not reach the current demand of the cities skateboarding population.

We propose that the access demand be developed within our park, as it can easily accommodate 18,000 SF of skateable features. While this would allow the city to reach current needs, it does not account for the increased demand, due to the population growth. It is recommended that in addition to the 18,000 SF skate park of our proposed site, Baltimore proactively increase its public skate parks to accommodate projected population growth. This will not only increase tourism to these locations from geographic outlying areas, but also contribute to attracting population growth of the creative class.

CURRENT NEED

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Contradictory to popular belief, skateboarding is actually a relatively safe sport. The

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has releases various studies suggesting

that skateboarding is actually safer then swimming, bicycling or most high impact

sports such as football, baseball, basketball, and even volleyball. The ISAC* reports

that skateboarding has a nominal injury rate of 0.07%. Compared to basketball (1.6%),

baseball (1.8%) or football (2.2%) skateboarding is a much safer alternative. Over 50

percent of skateboarding injuries are caused by skating on uneven or irregular surfaces.

Safety

The skateboard culture is often alienated by society who inaccurately labels its

practitioners as social outcasts. It is due to this alienation and the lack of public space

that skateboarders are forced to trespass in order to find appropriate spaces to skate.

While it might be misconstrued that skate parks would lead to an increase in crime,

several studies have actually suggested that crime rates drop after a skate park has been

opened. Cities such as Portland and San Francisco have used this to their advantage and

installed skate parks to deter crimes such as prostitution and drug use.

Crime

International research suggests a wide range of benefits associated with skateboarding

and skate parks. In addition to serving as a form of exercise and recreation,

skateboarding also provides a mode of transportation, self-expression and identity. It

encourages youth to become independent, socialize and build self-esteem. Alternative

to streetscapes, skate parks provide a safe space for these practitioners to enjoy the

sport. They create areas for social discourse, opportunities for special events and reduce

city maintenance costs accrued from skating on city property.

Benefits

As is often the case, many agencies choose not to build skate parks due to fear of

litigation, as a result of injuries sustained in the park. As suggested above, there is a

higher rate of injury playing basketball then that of skating. Of the 0.07% injury rate

found in skating, over 50% of these resulted in skating on uneven surfaces. Injuries

are even further reduced when proper safety protection is utilized. It is suggested that

patrons of the park be required to wear proper safety gear, in addition to signing a

waiver prior to skating. The professional design and construction of the proposed park

will further reduce the risk of injury and subsequent liabilities.

Liability


SKATEPARKPRECEDENCE

As can be found in several cities around the country, skateparks are often located in spaces below highway overpasses. Theses location provide an environment out of the elements that not only increase the longevity of the parks materials, but also provides shade and protection to the parks patrons. While these are added values to the skater boarders, skate parks typically take residence under such space due to lack of support from municipalities. As is the case for FDR, Burnside and Kingshighway, the development of these sites were constructed without official approval or funding from the city governments. The skateboarders, finding value in these derelict spaces took it upon themselves to build the parks. While this provides for a compelling story, there is an increased risk in skating terrain that is not professional developed.

CC by Julian Bleecker

Unknown Location

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Love Park (left) is a plaza that has become an

center of art and urban culture for the city of

Philadelphia . Attracting artists and skaters from

the community, Love Park has become a success

both locally and nationwide. As is often the case,

the presence of art in the area allowed for growth.

The park has become a destination for groups to

meet and sometimes rally. It is a common space

that allows for people of different backgrounds to

collaborate and share ideas.

CC by David Buchhofer

CC by Julian BleeckerBurnside Skate Park - Portland OR

FDR Skate Park - Philadelphia, PA

Kinghighway Skatepark - St. Louis MO

Love Park - Philadelphia PAUnknown Location


SKATE-ABLE ARCHITECTURE

It is important that the design of the skate park take into consideration the mixed use of the proposed park. While certain areas within the park may be designated primarily for skateboarding, the space must still accommodate a wide range of users when it is not in use by a specific demographic. The skate park must also be designed to prevent overflow of skate boarders into areas designated for other uses. This will prevent injury from collisions and an increased positive experience for a wider range of users. It is suggested that the park be designed with skate-able architecture. Be it a sculpture, park bench, walkway, or retaining wall, all spaces must allow for a broad range of uses. This will allow the park to be attractive to a larger demographic and create a more diverse culture.


Providing an escape from every day scenery allows for resi-

dents to create a different connection to the city, one that

is vital to community well-being. Parks are an invitation for

interaction with nature, may it be animals or plants. The in-

clusion of art from the community will only strengthen pride

in the community and care for the surroundings.

GREEN SPACE

Baltimore is currently home to 4,905 acres of green space. This equates to 9.5% of the cities landscape. While the number might seem adequate, when compared to other densely populated cities such as New York or Washington DC with a rate of 19.5%, there is an obvious need for park growth. Of the 4,900+ acres of parkland in Baltimore, less then 2 acres is present in the Station North Arts and Entertainment District. The area is currently home of roughly 6,000 residents. When comparing Baltimore’s average rate of 7.7 acres of land per resident, this is an additional need of over 5 acres of park space in the area. In addition to increasing property values*, stimulating economic development, increasing tourism and attracting new residents parks also increase safety and help to develop the culture of the community. ** We propose that an estimated 40,000 Sqft of green space be created within our park.

**http://www.planning.org/cityparks/briefingpapers/economicdevelopment.htm*http://www.actrees.org/files/Research/parks_on_property_values.pdf

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The New York High Line (above) transformed a

unused freight rail in the West Side of Manhattan

into an elevated public park. The creators used

open- source design to get ideas from different

architects and picked the winner to develop the

space. The park was developed in three different

stages. The first section opened in 2009 and the

second in 2011. The park attracted over 2 million

visitors in 2009, a number that has expanded to

3.7 million. The success of the project has been

so vast that cities like London are looking to get

their own High Line and have investors flocking

at the idea.

PNC Firstside Park - Pittsburgh PA (above)

The High Line - New York NY (below)


DESIGN INSPIRATION

LOT-EK, a New York and Naples, Italy based architectural firm

founded in 1993. Their sustainable construction approach

involves utilizing locally sourced manmade objects as their

raw materials and then ‘upcycles’ them to develop innovative

and unique buildings. Our vision of all physical facilities will

be developed with a similar approach.

S1: HQ& FACILITIESSPACE

It is proposed that a 5000 sqft incubator/coworking space be developed in the park. These

facilities will allow us to leverage from the creative atmosphere of the park and channel

that spirit into innovative projects, initiatives and businesses that perpetuate the culture

of the space. We suggested the programing of incubator and resident clients be a mix of

25% technology-based businesses, 25% social entrepreneurs, 25% art and design oriented

organizations and 25% student associations. Creating a multidisciplinary environment is

key to the development of creative and innovative culture. By mixing this broad set of skills

we will not only provide a valuable working environment for our incubator businesses, but

also an atmosphere that provides future opportunities for the members of our resident

student associations.

Source: All images sourced from LOT-EK www.lot-ek.comThis project is in now at affliated, sponsored or endorused by LOT-EK

51Source: All images sourced from LOT-EK www.lot-ek.comThis project is in now at affliated, sponsored or endorused by LOT-EK


RETAIL& CONCESSIONSPACE

Mintel industry research reports that 24% of attendees purchase t-shirts during live

entertainment events. Roughly 13% purchase an event program, 12% purchase CD’s, and

7% would purchase an event poster. When combined with food and beverage purchases,

consisting of 54% of attendees purchasing food, water or soft drinks and the 45% who

reportedly consume alcoholic beverages, a substantial economic opportunity is present.

Our current profoma suggests that in year one, associated revenues could be as high as

$250,000 and rapidly claim to over $600,000 by year 5. In order for the park to capture

these revenues, facilities must be installed to host their sales. We propose these facilities,

much like the incubator space, be built from locally source and recycled shipping container.

Examples of such spaces are provided herein.

Source: All images sourced from LOT-EK www.lot-ek.comThis project is in now at affliated, sponsored or endorused by LOT-EK

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Source: LOT-EK www.lot-ek.comSource: LOT-EK www.lot-ek.com

Source: LOT-EK www.lot-ek.com Source: LOT-EK www.lot-ek.com

Source: muvbox.com Source: muvbox.com

Source: muvbox.com Source: muvbox.com

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