South Baltimore’s Warner Street entertainment district will soon feature a new look, new attractions and even a new name: Walk at Warner Street.
And it’s all thanks to a partnership between Horseshoe Casino Baltimore and the Baltimore Ravens’ M&T Bank Stadium.
Walk at Warner Street part of bigger picture for Caesars
With the launch of Maryland online sports betting right around the corner, the state’s entertainment districts are seeing a good deal of renovation projects emerge.
The privately-funded $100 million Walk at Warner Street redevelopment project features a brand new Topgolf, as well as the soon-to-come Paramount Theater, a 4,000-seat concert venue. A number of new bars, nightclubs, shops and restaurants are also planned for the district.
Caesars Entertainment originally broke ground on Horseshoe Casino Baltimore in 2013, opening a year later. Along with its two-story, 122,000 square-foot gaming floor and World Series of Poker room, the casino also features a retail Caesars Sportsbook MD.
According to Horseshoe SVP and General Manager Randy Conroy, Caesars’ casino was always just one piece of the larger puzzle for the relationship between the company and the city:
“When Caesars approached Baltimore and state of Maryland about 10 years ago about opening a casino here in Charm City, the company always had bigger plans than a single gaming facility. We wanted to transform South Baltimore by bringing in a new innovative entertainment district that would serve as the southern gateway to the city.”
Caesars then entered into a partnership with the Baltimore Ravens in Sept. 2021, further paving the way for the project’s fruition. Although BetMGM MD also has a partnership with the Ravens, Caesars ultimately intends to launch a retail sportsbook inside M&T Bank Stadium.
Ravens SVP and Chief Sales Officer Kevin Rochlitz echoed his excitement on behalf of the organization:
“This is going to complement our entire area here and make the city of Baltimore and South Baltimore so much better.”
Project progress continues without completion date
The Walk at Warner Street is approximately a quarter-mile long and runs between the stadium and Horseshoe Baltimore — big news for those attending a game at M&T Bank Stadium in the future.
Topgolf opened on Oct. 28 with a 65,000-square-foot building with 90 bays on three levels, an events center and a full-service restaurant and bar. The entire property spans six-and-a-half acres.
Meanwhile, the Paramount Theater remains under construction. It is being built on a Ceasars-owned two-acre plot near M&T Bank Stadium on Warner Street.
The theater’s $50 million price tag accounts for half of the project’s budget and currently has no estimated completion date, though the summer of 2023 seems likely. Upon opening, it will host music events across all genres as well as comedy shows and other entertainment acts.
A warehouse and retail building that long stood adjacent to the venue was recently demolished to make way for a hotel. That will come later this decade, with more attractions and retail options coming in the meantime.
The city of Baltimore has also gotten involved with these efforts and is currently upgrading the area to make it more pedestrian-friendly.
State senator adds his stamp of approval
Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson recently spoke highly of the redevelopment project as well as of Baltimore’s future opportunities.
“We have a world-class casino, an unbelievable Topgolf facility coming from out of the ground, and Paramount. This will be an incredible entertainment district thoroughfare, walking way between the stadium and the casino. We are going to see unbelievable investment in this part of the city.”
What this means for Caesars & Maryland sports betting
For those looking to bet on the Baltimore Ravens while in town, these Warner Street renovations offer plenty of extra reasons to do so.
Its new attractions replace what was a previously unappealing, industrial walk between the casino and stadium. In redeveloping the space, Caesars hopes the Walk at Warner will become a destination of its own, bringing increased casino traffic, too.
Online sports betting is not yet live in Maryland, but that will likely change in the near future. When that happens, adults of legal age will be able to wager on sports from anywhere within the state, making it even more important for operators like Caesars to invest in an increased presence in what will be a competitive sports betting market.
Caesars is the Ravens’ premier sports betting partner, giving the brand a leg up in Maryland to begin with. Walk at Warner Street will only help its attempts at cornering the gambling market. And in doing so, Caesars will also be making a lasting impact on the city’s development.
