The year in development began, the way every year does, as a blank slate waiting to be filled. But it also began literally with a blank slate in the form of a gaping hole downtown where the Morris A. Mechanic Theatre once stood.

The theater was torn down starting in 2014 to make way for high-rise housing. But a lawsuit between the developer and an underground parking lot operator meant that construction on the replacement couldn’t begin until the case was resolved. The land has been sitting vacant for more than a year, an eyesore in the heart of the city. From an upper floor of 10 Light Street, it looks like a giant box of cat litter.

The blank slate is a reminder that not every development project moves as quickly or turns out as well as planners may hope, even in the best of times. It was one of many properties in various states of demolition and stagnation throughout Baltimore during 2016. There were also numerous signs of renewal and rebuilding that will affect large areas of the city. One of the most noticeable trends is that development activity spread far beyond downtown in 2016, even while centrally-located parcels such as the Mechanic site sat dormant.

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