The Scott administration has been given three more months to negotiate a long-term lease for the Top of the World observation level at Baltimore’s World Trade Center, after its lease was due to expire on June 30. Richard Scher, Director of Communications for the Maryland Port Administratio n (MPA) and the Port of Baltimore, said in an email message on Monday that the MPA has “agreed to a holdover month-to-month extension for up to three months as we continue talking with the city about a long-term agreement.” Scher said the extension started July 1, continues through September, and is documented in a letter that the MPA sent to the city. The MPA manages the 30-story building at 401 E. Pratt St. for the State of Maryland, which owns it. The Top of the World is operated for the city by Create Baltimore, an independent organization formerly known as the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts. Create Baltimore’s one-year agreement to serve as the city’s “arts agency” expired on June 30. The Top of the World venue is Baltimore’s equivalent of observation levels at the Empire State Building in New York City and other tall buildings around the country. Besides offering 360-degree views of the city, it has been used for art exhibitions, receptions, book talks, press conferences and other gatherings. The three-month extension means that the Top of the World has approval from the state to stay open on the 27th floor of the World Trade Center Baltimore at least until Sept. 30, 2026. It follows a seven-month extension that state officials approved last November. Without the extensions, the city’s lease to occupy the 27th floor would have expired on Nov. 30 and the Top of the World attraction would have had to close. When the seven-month lease extension was approved last November, city and state officials said it would give city and state officials time to negotiate a second agreement by June 30 that would allow the Top of the World observation level to remain open on a long-term basis. On Oct. 27, 2025, Create Baltimore CEO Robyn Murphy announced at a news conference that city and state officials had reached an “agreement in principle” to allow the Top of the World to stay on the 27th floor past Nov. 30.  She did not say how long it will stay but indicated it wouldn’t be a short-term lease extension. “The Top of the World belongs to everyone, and we are thrilled to ensure that it will remain open to the public for years to come,” she said. Mayor Brandon Scott thanked Gov. Wes Moore at the same event for the state’s efforts to keep the observation level open. “This is exactly the kind of space that Create Baltimore was meant to support, a place where folks can learn, gather and reflect on everything that Charm City has to offer,” the mayor said. City officials say that is still the goal. “The Top of the World agreement is currently moving through the approval process,” said Linzy Jackson III, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Culture and Entertainment, in an email message on July 1. “There will be no interruption to operations at Top of the World, and the city and state are working together to ensure a smooth transition.” ...read more read less