Construction crews have evacuated the site of the rising Exelon Corp. tower in Harbor Point after a bomb threat — since determined unfounded — was received on Thursday.
The threat was confirmed by Marco Greenberg, vice president for development at Beatty Development Group LLC, which is leading the transformation of the waterfront parcel, located on the peninsula between Fells Point and Harbor East.
"Beatty Development was notified by Armada Hoffler's construction team about a note claiming there was a bomb in the Exelon Building that would go off at noon. The note was written on the inside wall of a portable bathroom at the site," the company said in a statement. "Beatty Development immediately notified Baltimore City police and evacuated the Exelon building. The safety of our employees and workers, as well as businesses and residents are our main priority. We will keep the public informed as more details are disclosed."
Greenberg said that hundreds of workers have been evacuated from the tower and other nearby buildings.
"Safety first," said Greenberg. "You've got to take it seriously."
The Baltimore Police Department said about 11:30 a.m. that they had determined the threat was "unfounded."
The department's bomb squad was first called to the 1000 block of Wills Street on Harbor Point about 9:45 a.m. after a "suspicious note" was found near the location, said Det. Chakia Fennoy, a police spokeswoman.
The rising 20-story building is slated to house offices for the energy giant. The tower is the first atop the most contaminated portion of the 27-acre site, where the former Allied Signal chromium plant operated until the 1980s.
Jeff, 27, an iron worker who declined to give his last name, said he saw the scrawled message on the wall as he left the bathroom Thursday morning and took a picture to show the security guards.
"I didn't know what to think," he said. "It was a little off-setting."
Titus Green, 66, who has worked construction for more than 30 years, said the walls of construction site toilets are full of unusual graffiti. Still, "this is a first for me."
"The joke among us is that somebody didn't like their BGE bill," said Green, of Baltimore.
Outside of the project gates, clumps of people in neon safety vests formed. Others headed out to lunch.
"We thought it was fake," said Josh Munday, 25.
Greenberg said police have said they will allow crews to return around 12:30 p.m.