Visit Baltimore Meeting & Event Planning Guide Winter/Spring 2020 - Sustainability Issue | Page 15

H O EN L I T H O G R A PH A M ER I C A N I C E B U I L D I N G M I N I S T RY O F B R E W I N G Revitalization O ne of Baltimore’s greatest assets and charms is its diverse array of architectural gems. A storied history as a manufacturing town means that Baltimore’s neighborhoods are filled with buildings that boast both interesting pasts and beautiful construction, from elegant former mansions to industrial factories, ports and warehouses. And Baltimore isn’t ripping these historic landmarks down to make way for towers of glass and steel. Instead, grants and preservation-focused development groups are working to restore and repurpose buildings citywide that will breathe life into struggling neighborhoods, find fresh homes for service initiatives, and preserve historic architecture. For decades, the former canneries and factories that surround the Inner Harbor have been put to use in myriad ways—such as Port Discovery, a former fish market, or the Baltimore Museum of Industry, once a turn-of-the-century oyster cannery. Even Under Armour’s headquarters in Tide Point was once a Procter & Gamble soap factory. As Baltimore’s redevelopment picks up speed, many more disused industrial spaces have found new life in neighborhoods across the city. Take the former mills that once operated along the Jones Falls, for example. The manufacturing area was once bustling with cotton mills, iron foundries and other industrial factories that clustered around the stream for its power. In recent years, the mills have begun to be redeveloped into mixed-use modern buildings that include industrial-infused apartments, restaurants and artist studios. This 168-year-old church was converted into a brewery this past fall, called Ministry of Brewing. Much of the original architecture was preserved while some of the wood was made into beer hall-style tables. B A LT I M O R E . O R G 13