Several folks have written to suggest the Orioles and Ravens pay for stadium improvements and repairs (“Let O’s and Ravens pay for renovations,” June 17). But they don’t own the facilities, they pay rent to the Maryland Stadium Authority. Renters don’t fix the roof, the landlord does.
The two stadiums are public investments which have, to various degrees, paid off in terms of national exposure, tourism, rising property values in adjacent neighborhoods, maintaining Baltimore’s “big league” status and serving as a public amenity for Baltimoreans.
The Orioles, who haven’t been in a World Series since 1983, are starting slowly. The Ravens have a recent history of heartbreaking playoff losses. This seems to indicate they should pour their money into making their product “over the top.”
Finally, one could argue the hugely acclaimed retro Camden Yards ballpark is, along with buildings such the Benjamin Henry Latrobe-designed Basilica of the Assumption and the Brown Center at the Maryland Institute College of Art, an icon of architectural excellence. We need more not less of that!
— Stan Heuisler, Baltimore
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