Crazy idea: Turning the old penitentiary into an art gallery (episode 216)

Kelly Cross, a Baltimore community activist, has a crazy idea about preserving the old Maryland Penitentiary and possibly turning it a destination — with a museum, art gallery, shops and restaurants. It sounds farfetched, but some architects and philanthropists already have taken a look at the place. They see potential. Plus, Baltimore Heritage is on the case, calling for the state of Maryland to revise demolition plans and consider saving the 19th Century penitentiary and another building in the prison complex to the east of the Jones Falls Expressway — the Tudor Gothic warden’s house on Madison Street. Preservation is one motivation but, for Cross and others, the closing of the penitentiary’s west wing and the dilapidated Baltimore City Detention Center present an opportunity to reduce the concentration of prisons and jails in a high-profile part of the city and better connect East Baltimore to the city’s core.Links:https://strobophotostudio.pixieset.com/kellycross-baltimoresfuturegrowthanddevelopment/http://www.baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/prominent-architects-museum-cultural-center-baltimore-jail/https://baltimoreheritage.org/preservation/baltimore-jail-demolition-threatens-landmark-ties-citys-history-slavery/https://baltimoreheritage.org/preservation/baltimore-jail-demolition-threatens-landmark-ties-citys-history-slavery/http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-ci-jail-20170127-story.htmlhttps://i1.wp.com/baltimoreheritage.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/baltimore-jail-demolition-map-2016-03.jpg