Market Center: Baltimore's Next Comeback Story? with Anne Winder & Lieanne Navarro

Home to the world-famous Lexington Market and a stretch of historic but largely vacant department stores, Market Center is one of downtown Baltimore's biggest opportunities — and one of its toughest challenges. Zac talks with Anne Winder of the Market Center Merchants Association and Lieanne Navarro of the Market Center CDC about what it will actually take to bring this 27-block corridor back to life.Anne and Lieanne describe a neighborhood that's a genuine melting pot — one of the city's most immigrant- and Black-owned business corridors — while being honest about the real safety and vacancy challenges it still faces. They walk through the community-led Market Center Strategic Revitalization Plan passed in 2024, and what real partnership between residents, business owners, and city government looks like in practice.ContactHave a question, story idea, or feedback for the show? Reach out to Zac Blanchard's office:Show Website: https://blanchardbaltimore.transistor.fm/Councilman's Official Page: https://www.baltimorecity.gov/city-council/zac-blanchard-district-11Email: [email protected] this episode? Subscribe to Blanchard on Baltimore so you never miss a conversation, and leave a rating or review — it helps more Baltimoreans find the show. (00:00) - – Why Market Center Matters to Downtown Baltimore (01:05) - – Meet Anne Winder & Lieanne Navarro (02:15) - – The History of Market Center (06:30) - – Public Safety Challenges in the Corridor (13:17) - – The Market Center Strategic Revitalization Plan (14:50) - – What a Five-Year Public Safety Plan Should Look Like