A Baltimore City design panel has asked the planners of a proposed
Ripley’s Believe It or Not museum to scale back their plans for the proposed attraction at Harborplace.
The Urban Design & Architectural Review Panel has deemed the layout for the proposed attraction “too aggressive,” says Robert Quilter, an architect with the city’s planning department.
The controversy stems from Ripley’s plan to affix the sea creature Chessie on the façade of the Light Street pavilion at Harborplace. If it were going in a standalone building, Chessie wouldn’t be a problem, Quilter says. But since it’s part of a larger complex, the design panel doesn’t want Ripley’s to upstage other tenants.
Ripley’s -- a museum known for displaying oddities like the world’s largest sushi roll, the world’s smallest car, and an engraved human skull -- has had its eye on Baltimore for years, spokesman Tim O’Brien says.
“Baltimore is a location we’d love to be in,” O’Brien says. “The attractions and vibrancy are just awesome.”
Ripley’s should know in the next month or so if it will open at Harborplace by summer.
“We’re working our way toward a happy ending,” O’Brien says. “At this point it’s not there yet. It’s not a done deal.”
Writer: Julekha Dash
Sources: Robert Quilter, UDARP; Tim O'Brien, Ripley's