Sports Facilities as Urban Redevelopment Catalysts: Baltimore's Camden Yards and Cleveland's Gateway

Abstract

Proponents of sports facilities have justified public expenditures on these projects with the claim that they catalyze redevelopment in downtown areas. To date, little research has assessed this rationale. This article investigates the impacts from two well known sports projects, draws conclusions from the experiences of these cities, and assesses the ability of sports facilities to catalyze redevelopment at the district level. Evidence indicates that sports facilities offer opportunities to catalyze redevelopment, defined as the development of vacant land, the reuse of underutilized buildings, and the establishment of a new district image, but that district redevelopment is by no means guaranteed by these investments.