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New Attractions May Be Coming To Inner Harbor

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- On Monday, the city of Baltimore will entertain new ideas for attractions to the Inner Harbor. Planners are first targeting Rash Field.

But as Tim Williams explains, some people welcome new activities, while others don't want to lose what's already there.

Professional volleyball is a familiar site at the Inner Harbor. For 12 years, Baltimore's Rash Field has played host to Baltimore Beach. With a potential 50,000 visits and a several million dollar annual economic impact to downtown, it's one of the largest and most popular outdoor volleyball facilities in the world. It's also one of the contenders to become a permanent Inner harbor attraction.

"Our proposal, I think, is one of the few maybe, that promotes a healthy and physical involvement of Baltimore citizens...area citizens," said Baltimore Beach Volleyball founder, Todd Webster.

A Ferris wheel and an elevated tower for sightseeing are two of the ideas the Baltimore Development Corporation -- which oversees downtown development for the city -- is considering for the Rash Field site.

"Let's say we add two or three more attractions to the Inner Harbor. That's great for us, it's great for tourism. You'll have new product in the city people haven't seen before," said Tom Noonan, spokesperson for Visit Baltimore.

The BDC received nine bids after it issued a request for family-oriented attractions to the Inner Harbor
in time for the 2012 summer tourist season.

"So that when people want to come to Baltimore, it's not just to come to Baltimore for the waterfront or for the stadiums, it's also because Baltimore has this new great park that attracts them," said President of the Greater Baltimore Committee, Donald Fry.

Many visitors welcome the change.

"I think it might be something the kids would like," said one.

"That sounds good because there's not really much to do," said another.

"I think it would not be a bad idea, you're going to get more families down here. But you don't want to take away the volleyball courts," said a visitor.

That's what Baltimore Beach wants to hear.

Zip-lines and miniature golf courses are among the ideas being considered.

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