When the Morris A. Mechanic Theater in downtown Baltimore open in 1967, it was heralded as the centerpiece of Charles Center. Developers and politicians alike believed Charles Center, a 33 acre urban renewal project, would reverse the trend of declining commercial investment in downtown Baltimore. This redevelopment plan included the construction of three plazas, numerous walkways and ample underground parking, and at its core sat a theater that became the premiere venue for live theater in Baltimore. Morris Mechanic, a prosperous business man who owned theaters across the region, hired the architect John Johansen in the early 1960s to design the theater at the corner of Baltimore and Charles Streets. Although many people were turned off by the Brutalist stye of the building, Johansen saw the theater as an example of functional expressionism. When viewed from the front, the exterior of the building reflected the shape of the theater inside, allowing the onlooker to avoid distracted by ornamentation. The theater later closed in 2005 and was demolished in 2014. (Adapted from the Preservation Maryland website)