Waterfront Partnership readies for weekend festival; City chosen for international sustainable cities program
Baltimore Business Journal
The Baltimore region's source for local business news & events. Part of the American City Business Journals network.
Good morning Baltimore — it's Tuesday.
Today, I bring you news of justice. American Airlines has been fined $4.1 million for dozens of cases of keeping passengers on planes during long delays, NBC News reports. Sure, the small percentage of cases is minuscule compared to the total number of flights the airline runs, and yes, $4.1 million is a drop in the bucket for a company worth billions. But isn't flying terrible enough without being trapped in a metal cage on the ground for hours?
If only the Department of Transportation would start fining airlines for reduced leg room, we'd really be getting somewhere...
Now grab your pumpkin spice latte, put your tray tables and seats in the upright and locked position, and buckle up. Today's newsletter is ready for takeoff.
Inner Harbor Amphitheater readies for weekend arts, food festival
Baltimore native Tia Goodson has curated a packed lineup for HeART and Soul, part of Baltimore by Baltimore’s day-long festival series put on by the Waterfront Partnership. Musicians, vendors and artists will be at the Inner Harbor Amphitheater Saturday, Sept. 2 from 12-8 p.m. to showcase local talent, creativity and business. I was contacted to perform a comedy set at the event, but had to decline due to a scheduling conflict (and also, less importantly, because I have never performed even a minute of stand-up comedy).
The U.S. Attorney's Office has uncovered at least $40 million in federal Covid relief fraud in Maryland with some using pandemic funds for luxury goods, expensive vacations, cars and even illegal guns and drugs, BBJ's Melody Simmons reports. New data released Tuesday details what federal investigations found while looking at how Covid bailout funds were obtained and spent in Maryland and beyond since 2020. The money was offered to help all types of businesses that lost revenue during mandated shutdowns and quarantines. Read more about the federal investigations in Maryland and elsewhere.
Baltimore selected for State Department’s international sustainable cities program
Charm City has been chosen to spread its charms with cities throughout the Americas, the Mayor’s Office announced Monday. The city was one of 24 cities chosen for the U.S. State Department’s Cities Forward program, which is intended to share knowledge and resources for urban sustainability between cities in the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the announcement. Baltimore is paired up with Cali, Colombia, and will go through a series of workshops, exchanges and conferences among other checkpoints throughout the program.
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Howard County hopes California tech company can improve school bus service
Zūm, a California-based student transportation company, is running almost half of Howard County’s public school bus routes this school year, the Baltimore Banner reports. Among the new features: Parents can track their child’s bus; a tablet for the driver with navigation and a student list; ID cards for students to confirm they’re on the right bus; and a system for scoring driver safety. According to the Banner, some parents worry about other tech/transit companies like Uber that have, well, not worked out for consumers as desired. I’m going to file this story under “the trackification of childhood,” a term I’ve coined to describe parents’ increasingly common use of tech to know where their children are at all times. (For another trackification example, see here.)
Howard Hughes Corp., the Houston-based developer behind Columbia’s $5 billion, 30-year redevelopment of Downtown Columbia, has named a new president of its Maryland region, I reported yesterday. Kristi Smith, former development vice president for the Bethesda-based real estate investment trust JBG Smith, is replacing Greg Fitchitt, who is moving into a new role at the developer. Smith will “lead the continued growth and revitalization of Downtown Columbia,” the company said Monday in a press release. Read more on the move.
The number of “green” job openings has eclipsed the demand for licensed practical nurses, according to a new study, The Playbook’s Andy Medici writes. According to workforce data firm Lightcast, there are roughly 410,000 green job openings in 2022, surpassing demand for nursing roles. That’s a big benchmark for the industry, especially as solar projects pick up, and economists say solar jobs could grow as much as 20% over the next five years. Read more about the green jobs boom and sign up for The Playbook to stay on top of this trend and others.
Chesapeake Conservancy buys new office for $2.5M
The Chesapeake Conservancy has purchased the old Maryland Municipal League building at 1212 West St. in Annapolis, the Baltimore Sun reports. The $2.5 million purchase was made with a donation from philanthropists James and Sylvia Earl, and the space will serve as the nonprofit's new office. The space will be outside of the 19 acres near Quiet Waters Park the county bought and agreed to lease to the Conservancy because residents complained about the plans. Instead, the plot will be left for conservation and recreation. The new office will be named the Earl Conservation Center, per the Sun.
The Maryland Cycling Classic, an event that's only two years old, is close to breaking even after securing new local and national corporate sponsors, BBJ's Garrett Dvorkin reports. The race, which winds its way through Baltimore City and Baltimore County, has added 12 sponsors this year, including two of Baltimore’s biggest names, Johns Hopkins Medicine and Under Armour Inc. Also on board this year are national corporations like PNC Bank. Read on for what these additions mean for the race's finances.
This newsletter was written by Joe Ilardi, digital producer for the Baltimore Business Journal. I can be reached at jilardi@bizjournals.com.