Much of the Real Estate downtown is owned by Hopkins-Krieger and that would be the massive Galleria Arcology. It is a seperate entity amongst the surrounding neighborhoods (and the underhoods...) having been sold to H-K by the City of Baltimore to recover from an economical deficit that the Federal gogernment wasn't interested in assisting with. They pretty much just slapped the arcology down where it stands, leaving many buildings underneath intact or close enough. This section has been named the Undercity by some clever folks in City Hall.

 

In the afternoon shadow of the Arcology lies Government Plaza, a number of old stone buildings housing City Hall, the Federal Building, the Municipal and Federal Courthouses and City Council. The BCPD Headquarters (Central District) is located here as well.

 

Despite the Arcology's presence, the Undercity is still used by people, there is little or no natural light on the street level, noxious gases drift up through the manhole covers which seperates the Undercity from the much neglected sewers. A number of the Arcology's Systems are controlled from facilities located down here, the waste management, emergency generators, water systems and air scrubber exhausts. The taller buildings were incorporated into the Arcology or destroyed to make room for the support system. The buildings that they did not own, the owner's quickly sold to Hopkins cheaply or they adapted to the horrible conditions. The inhabitants are a miserable lot, squatting in ruins or one of the many coffin hotels, there is no distinction between night and day besides the lack of any mass transit after 6pm. Even the BCPD pulls out of the area at night, leaving Knight Errant forces stationed at the 3 Undercity entrances to the Arco.