About the Exchange
The M&T Bank Exchange is the result of a campaign that took over 6 years, 20 million dollars, and a passionate team who believe in West Baltimore and its community. The flexible community space is set to become a hub for the arts, educational outreach, and events while complementing the existing Hippodrome Theatre’s campaign rooted in the belief that Live Theatre is For Everyone. We are committed to creating a space that will accommodate the exchange of ideas, stories, art, music, vows, and celebration and look forward to a promising future at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center.
The spectacular, brand-new space features:
The addition of two new steel balconies
Preserved historic ceiling and windows with modern nods to the history of the building
A 26x14-foot HD video screen
A seating mechanism that rolls out electronically with theatrical seating – can accommodate 280 people on the first floor
State-of-the-art lighting and sound equipment
Brand new lobby with crystal chandeliers that can act as a separate event space
Interior of Eutaw Savings Bank 1949 - Photo Courtesy of Baltimore Museum of Industry Archives
History & Renovation
The M&T Bank Exchange, located at 401 W. Fayette Street, is the former Eutaw Savings Bank building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Properties. When the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center re-opened in 2004, the venue was known as the M&T Bank Pavilion, but planned improvements to the space were not able to be completed as part of the renovation of the Center receiving only a fresh coat of paint and new carpeting. As a result, the space has sat largely unused for the past 18 years.
The re-imagination of the former M&T Bank Pavilion began when it became clear that a venue of the size, scope, and capacity was missing in Baltimore and was sorely needed. OTJ Architects of Washington D.C. was engaged to design the project. OTJ has extensive experience with renovating historic entertainment palaces, including the B.F. Keith Memorial Theatre in Boston (now the Citizens Bank Opera House), the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, NY, the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans, and currently the monumental flagship Lowes Theatre in Jersey City. As part of the design, two additional levels were added, which took the room from approximately 5,000 square-feet to just over 12,000 square-feet, as well the lighting, sound, rigging, staging, and control systems that would transform the space. The France-Merrick Foundation provided the first $2M to fund the architectural drawings, followed by the Abell Foundation with an additional $1M. The John Gore Organization generously provided an additional $1.75M.