Camden Yards turns 25 this year, and the venue may be leaving "runners on base by not having more of an impact in the area around the ballpark, which loses some spirit and activity" when the Orioles "aren't playing there," according to Jeff Barker of the Baltimore SUN. With the team's lease ending in five years, the Orioles and the Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA) "expect to begin talks in the near future." While everyone "expects the Orioles to continue playing at Camden Yards," everything else is "on the table, from the lease terms to updates in and around the stadium complex." The Orioles said that the team also "wants to foster initiatives to generate more buzz in the area." Baltimore Development Corp. President & CEO William Cole IV, whose group is leading efforts to spur entertainment in the district, said that making the area "more pedestrian-friendly and providing more activities would better link it to the downtown and to convention business." Camden Yards' location was "designed to enhance -- in effect, expand -- the reborn Inner Harbor." MSA Chair Thomas Kelso said that the group is "talking about a number of proposals with the team." One "might be post-game concerts near Camden Station," which was the building near the ballpark that housed the now-closed Sports Legends Museum. Another proposal would relocate MASN's production studios from the warehouse to Camden Station "so fans could watch programming." Kelso: "It's not impossible that there could be a venue inside the stadium that is open every day of the year so that people can come, they can see into the stadium" (Baltimore SUN, 4/2).
