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by Urbanite Staff
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On the Waterfront
- Shore thing: Under-utilized Harris Creek Park gets a fresh look with an outdoor museum and a stepped lawn. | rendering courtesy of Josh Kilrain
Reimagining an historic Canton park
The accessibility and success of Baltimore's waterfront is due largely to the promenade—a nearly uninterrupted 8-mile brick walkway from Canton to Fort McHenry—and the open space along it. But beyond the Inner Harbor, some of this valuable park space is in need of some attention.
Harris Creek Park, located on Boston Street in Canton, is one such site. Named after the creek that runs underground from Patterson Park to the bay, it is also where the keel of the frigate USS Constellation, predecessor of the ship now moored in the Inner Harbor, was laid down in 1794. It's one of the few public parks adjacent to the promenade, but seems to be used mainly as a pass-through for dog walkers.
We propose transforming Harris Creek Park into an inviting place where neighbors and visitors can sit and watch the sun set over the harbor or admire the Domino Sugars sign across the water. Our plan includes:
• Planting trees to provide shade on the promenade and buffer traffic noise from Boston Street, as well as low-maintenance, drought-tolerant, native species of plants along the water's edge.
• Replacing the current unkempt garden with a stepped lawn, one end of which could become an outdoor museum featuring industrial waterfront artifacts. The other end could include a new boardwalk, with shade structure and swings, that would connect to an existing pier (which might become a future water taxi stop).
• Installing a waterwheel recycling mechanism.
• Creating a floating wetlands grass installation to serve as a model for sustainable water quality improvement practices.
The Department of Recreation and Parks has agreed to plant street trees and clean up the garden, but the balance of the plan is awaiting Rec and Parks approval. If everything goes as planned, Harris Creek Park could become a shining jewel in the necklace of public spaces formed by Baltimore's waterfront promenade.
A group of designers from the promenade committee of the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore put together this proposal to redesign Harris Creek Park. The group was headed by board member David W. Benn (pictured at right), a principal with Cho Benn Holback + Associates. Landscape architect Josh Kilrain (pictured at left), an associate with Hord Coplan Macht, and architectural designers Ben Crabtree and Anne M. Dutton (not pictured), both with Cho Benn Holback, teamed up to design the project.
To submit an idea for The Drawing Board, e-mail editor@urbanitebaltimore.com.
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