We are from Baltimore and lived in Roland Park but now reside in New Jersey. A similar arcade called Yestercades opened about a year ago in nearby Red Bank, New Jersey. It is such a fun place. Roland Park should embrace something like this, a place where kids can go and have fun revisiting all the games of yesterday. Yestercades in Red Bank keeps a watchful eye on who is comes in and goes, maybe the new arcade should take a cue from their book to make it a safe and fun place to visit.

It concerns me that RPCL is getting their noses up......the owner of the theater has invested a tremendous amount of money, time and effort to bring some life to the Rotunda again. As we await the mighty developers that are supposed to upgrade......etc.....this investment has been committed to being a family friendly, fun, atmosphere, with non-violent gaming machines. The movie theater management team and their owners have already said that if things become at all untoward or chaotic, that he would shut that down before anyone else. Doesn't RPCL have enough going on trying to spend $10 million on some preserved greenspace???

There needs to be an old-fashioned place where kids can go and have fun. Add an ice cream and soda shop to it, and put up moral sayings and pictures.This will keep kids out of trouble

Peep shows? Gramps, we have the internet now to satisfy our peep show desires. And it seems highly doubtful Miller would invest $750K to now think of ways to screw up his business.

I think an arcade of this type would also attract some of us "boomers" who remember playing at arcades in the summer at the beach. I have met Mr. Miller and I know he makes his plans with a great deal of thought for the community.

I Live in Roland Park, am 47 years-old, and am astounded by the closed-mindedness of RPCL. What a bunch of idiots.

Pinball is a great idea for the space, and I second the ice cream as well. Having safe and fun places where teens can hang out is necessary, and it's not necessary to demonize them before the fact, or be overly controlling about this. Let's approve it, do it, and have fun with it!

PLEASE don't let those pinheads stop this really great idea from happening - some old people just need to shrivel up and go away already and leave the world to the living.

Can you win tickets with skeeball at the new place? That always seemed like a gateway into a gambling problem, to me. (Sarcasm). Sounds like these are NIMBYs who get off by controlling people.

I am not a hooligan, but I am a 30-something with just enough expendable income to want to come and spend it in the Rotunda at an arcade. It would be nice to see a new venture bring some life back to that plaza, what with all the businesses jumping ship.

push on with the project these community grope very rarely really represent the communities wishes

I'm really surprised a the negative reaction to this idea. An old-fashioned arcade with real pinball machines sounds like a tourist attraction or a family-friendly place. It does not sound like the kind of place where teenagers would go looking for trouble!

Kids need something to do besides hang out on the streets. People are so quick to take things away from kids who need something better to do with their time. The city is closing down rec centers left and right, frankly I think this would be a public service. Get your heads out of your holes, people.

I grew up in Roland Park, and have also lived there - though not now - in my adult life. I don't think the RPCL is worried about the kids who live in Roland Park coming to the Rotunda -- I am sure it's the kids from neighboring communities (Hampden, Medfield, Remington, Woodberry) that they are concerned about. Remember where the Rotunda sits -- if that is indeed Roland Park, it's right on the edge. It all comes down to behavior, though, not zip code. I do understand their hesitation and, at the same time, applaud Miller for his commitment to revitalizing the complex.

Sadly this has to be said. I have lived in the area for some time now and have noticed that the sophistication level of the cinema has dropped significantly. As successful as this discount cinema may have become the people that they attract to the area have certainly saddened my neighbors and I. We had two gentlemen get into a fight right in front of my house after crossing the parking lot away from the rotunda arguing the entire time until it escalated too far a few weeks ago. Add an arcade to the discount cinema and you're just asking for trouble. Hopefully the management of The Rotunda finds a better tenant for the empty spaces. My husband and I were seriously considering searching for a new home because the area just doesn't feel as safe anymore.

I don't know of any kids who play pinball machines. I think this would be an older demographic. Besides, there's not much else going on at the Rotunda right now anyhow.

We would LOVE an arcade at the Rotunda, and the RPCL can shove their judgements from 1950 in their ears. We are 40 and would play at the arcade before a movie. You really think the bad seeds selling drugs in Hampden, Remington, etc. are going to hang out at an arcade with old school pinball machines?!? Get your heads out of the past and start looking forward. There are a ton of good kids from all walks of life who could really use something like this.

"teenagers hanging out and hurting business further at the struggling Rotunda." This is such a stupid statement- passing judgement on a whole a group of people unfairly.

I actually worked in Funcade Arcade on 9th Street and the Boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland a summer a long, long time ago. We had skeeball, packman, pinball, claw machines, cheap prizes and generally just good fun. To this day, it brings back warm memories of the kids cashing in their tickets for the nickel/dime prizes. I think they call it "family entertainment."

It should be noted that the Hampden Community Council voted to SUPPORT this variance at our last community meeting.. Maybe it's a technicality, but isn't the Rotunda really in Hampden anyways.

RCPL, if they were a good neighbor, would have contacted HCC and asked what the community opinion was. This arcade is a good thing for the kids and the landlord has assured that the 24 hour security will continue (this was a condition for ACTUAL NEIGHBORS of Rotunda, which is IN HAMPDEN). Mr. Miller is not trying to bring hooligans to the Rotunda, and Hekemian wouldn't dare let that happen with a multi-million dollar project in the wings.
RPCL reps are the same folks who were disrespectful to me for voicing my negative opinion about the 22 story building proposed to be built across the street from my house, IN HAMPDEN. I’m pretty sure that if the Rotunda was on their street, or in Roland Park proper at all, it wouldn’t have been so wonderful.
That said, do the Civic League members and other Roland Park residents fully understand how RPCL is representing themselves and distancing themselves from neighboring communities (and community members), and the potential affect that may have if/when they need neighboring support? Hampden was kind enough to stay out of the fight over privately owned green space. RPCL should do the same, and save the torches & pitchforks for items that directly affect Roland Park residents. Stuff that happens in Baltimore City might vaguely affect Towson, and vice-versa, but you don’t see SRB all up in arms about the high crime at Towson Mall or the expansion of the YMCA. NINBY (Not In your Neighbors’ Backyard) is really unbecoming.

Well stated, Genny. As a RP resident I agree.
RPCL - respect and support your neighbors.

This is like deja vu -- does anyone remember the rants of Del. Pat McDonough about gangs of kids taking over the Inner Harbor. I have friends who live in RP would cringe at the thought of being compared to him. And, if RP and other local residents had promoted and purchased from the many retail stores at the Rotunda, then stores wouldn’t be available. Remember The Bead? When I worked at Hopkins I loved going there to shop. And the movie theatre, we all know that story. Shame on the leaders of the Civic League for being so small minded.

As for the comments from the HCC president, I think it is great that your group chimed in on this but not because the Rotunda is in Hampden. I’ve worked on many issues where I live and I am always disappointed at the fact that associations see their borders as the end of the problem. When another house was being torn down for a parking lot in my neighborhood, it was across the street from another association’s area. I asked if we could flier the adjacent houses to come to our meeting and presentation and was told that the houses weren’t in our association. Give me a break! So should the RPCL have a say, sure, but I don’t think it represents the opinions of most of the residents of RP.