The Last Thing Baltimore Needs is IndyCar Racing
On Labor Day weekend, Baltimore City intends to host the Baltimore Grand Prix. The event will not be on a racetrack, it will not even be in an enclosed venue. The racetrack will be the streets of downtown Baltimore.
Holding a high-speed car race through the winding streets of any city poses obvious challenges: road reconstruction being the primary concern. There is also the concern for public safety: what happens if a car goes ricocheting off into the stands? Unfortunately for Baltimore, even more challenges are on the horizon.
First and foremost, Baltimore – like many American cities – is facing a daunting budget crisis. On August 2nd, the Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute estimated that in order to reconcile state budget shortfalls, a $2.6 billion tax increase would need to be implemented. There is no question that Charm City is in desperate need of some serious cash. Unfortunately, a half-century-long trend of population decline coupled with the national jobs crisis makes revenue increases and economic rebounds difficult, if not unlikely.
According to Baltimore Grand Prix President Jay Davidson, Baltimore City will spend around $2.5 million in preparing for the race alone. These preparations entail concrete barricades, miles of fences, street repairs, venue security, and the construction of 16 grand stands.
So then why, when faced with understaffed schools, ragged streets, raging poverty, and ruthless crime has Baltimore City decided to spend exorbitant amounts of cash that it does not have on a race through the city streets?
Director of Operations, Martyn Thake, voiced hopes that Baltimore would become “the Long Beach of the East,” boasting a downtown racecourse that rivals that of the infamous 37-year-old California track.
Perhaps it is pessimistic to predict that this will not happen. Baltimore is not Long Beach. Residents are leaving, tourists are few-and-far-between. Baltimore is in dire need of revenues and people. An over-the-top event in the downtown’s Inner Harbor may draw crowds for a holiday weekend, but in the meantime, Baltimore citizens are being inconvenienced with the construction of each new barricade and desperately-needed money is being spent.
The piece has been edited to accurately reflect the event taking place in Baltimore.
