Mayor Catherine Pugh will not follow through on a plan proposed by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake to sell four city-run parking garages to help pay for upgrades to the city’s recreational centers.
Pugh, speaking at her weekly press conference Wednesday, said she is “not looking at selling any assets at this point.” The mayor touted several recent public-private partnerships that can be used a blueprint to upgrade the rec centers, including the recently opened UA House at Fayette. That $6.5 million project was funded in large part by Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank’s Cupid Foundation and Under Armour.
“Too often, when we’re looked at solving problems, we just start looking at selling something,” she said. “We can’t keep doing that. Assets are why we still have a double-A bond rating.”
Former Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake had initially estimated the city could raise between $40 million and $60 million by selling the parking garages at St. Paul, Eutaw, Paca and Gay streets. Rawlings-Blake’s proposal to sell the garages included an investment of $136 million into community centers, outdoor and indoor pools, splash pads and athletic field complexes.