Maryland Development News [Archive]

Silver Springer

July 26th, 2006, 06:24 PM

This is a good place to start...

Military realignment will mean job boom, officials say

http://www.examiner.com/a-186824~Military_realignment_will_mean_job_boom__officials_say.html

Courtney Mabeus, The Examiner
Jul 22, 2006 5:00 AM (4 days ago)
Current rank: Not ranked

Bethesda - Estimates that Maryland could add about 50,000 new jobs by 2011 as a result of the Pentagon military Base Realignment and Closure plan has state leaders preparing for what could mean an unprecedented construction boom in the state, officials have said.

J. Michael Hayes, director of military and federal affairs for the state Department of Business and Economic Development, said officials expect about 18,000 military employees to be reassigned to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George’s County, Fort Meade in Anne Arundel County and Aberdeen Proving Ground in Harford County.

Thousands of other new jobs, including government contractors, teachers and service industry employees, are expected to support those personnel, meaning the state must prepare to build housing, new schools and roads, Hayes said.

“There’s going to be an enormous amount of construction associated with this,” Hayes said. “What this means for Maryland is this continuing transition to a knowledge-based economy. These will be well-paid, well-educated people, many of them with security clearances, that you would like to see in your neighborhood.”

State politicians are already beginning to think about how to handle the influx. Gov. Robert Ehrlich has been working with counties to develop plans on handling new residential needs, his running mate, Kristen Cox, has said.

“It’s something we’ve got a plan for, and we’ve been planning for some time for it,” Cox said. “When these people come, we want to make sure they’re welcome, our infrastructure’s in place and it’s a smooth experience.”

Under the military’s plan, as many as 2,000 jobs could move to Andrews Air Force Base, up to 8,400 jobs could go to Aberdeen and 5,400 jobs could move to Fort Meade, Hayes said. A National Security Administration reorganization at Meade has already been adding about 1,500 new jobs annually, he said. Bethesda’s Naval Hospital could add 3,400 to 4,000 jobs because of BRAC and another component that is expected to add jobs, Hayes said.

A finalized report, which is being prepared with Towson University and the Science Applications International Corp., is expected in September. The Maryland Military Installation Strategic Planning Council is scheduled to meet Sept. 25 to discuss it, Hayes said.

cmabeus@dcexaminer.com

MasonsInquiries

July 26th, 2006, 06:32 PM

wow, so many activities going on in the "old line" state.

JAB323

July 26th, 2006, 09:12 PM

I posted this a while ago in DC Development:

New Tallest (http://gazette.net/stories/050306/bethnew211543_31951.shtml)

Plans to bring a ‘‘festival street” that includes several hundred condominiums and a Whole Foods Market to North Bethesda received unanimous approval Thursday from county planners.

White Flint Crossing, a project proposed by an affiliate of Chevy Chase-based developer JBG Companies, is expected to ‘‘lead to the redevelopment to the North [of Bethesda] and White Flint mall,” said Planning Board Commissioner Meredith K. Wellington.

Located across the street from White Flint along Rockville Pike, the nearly six-acre development will consist of 440 condominiums, including 66 affordable housing units, and 223,000 square feet of commercial space built atop five levels of underground parking. The site currently includes a vacant Park Inn Motel, Subway shop and Avis car rental.

The new development will include three buildings, ranging from two to 24 stories, built around a pedestrian-oriented street and plaza.

Demolition of existing structures will begin in the next few months, and construction will begin by the end of the summer, said Rod Lawrence, a JBG Companies partner. The project is scheduled for completion in 2008.

The Planning Board approved the plans despite concerns about traffic counts in the project’s traffic study.

Wellington acknowledged that she had ‘‘huge problems” with the general methodology of traffic studies in the Transportation Planning Department at Park and Planning, but said, ‘‘It is what it is.”

Commissioner John M. Robinson agreed that it is a ‘‘long-term policy issue.”

A 24-story tower will anchor the project and create a ‘‘signature focal point...that is the gateway to the White Flint area,” said Steven Robins, an attorney representing the developer.

Plans also include extending Executive Boulevard from its end at Woodglen Drive to intersect with Rockville Pike — a road improvement that was recommended in the 1992 North Bethesda⁄Garrett Park Master Plan.

Facing the new road will be a seven-story building housing Whole Foods Market, which is expected to relocate from Congressional Plaza. Restaurants, shopping, condominiums and a rooftop courtyard will also be part of the building.

Along Rockville Pike, a two-story retail building will form ‘‘an urban edge” and ‘‘start to allow Rockville Pike within this district to be thought of a little more like Wisconsin Avenue as an urban corridor,” said architect Michael Nicolaus, of Silver Spring-based Torti Gallas and Partners Inc.

A private ‘‘festival street,” or paseo, will cut through the center of the development, serving as space for farmer’s markets and events. And at the ‘‘heart of the project” will be a public plaza featuring sculptures and artwork by Washington, D.C., artist Jim Sanborn, Nicolaus said.

Still, some questioned the effects of so much new development on an already congested Rockville Pike.

Stephen J. Orens, representing Fitzgerald Auto Mall companies, raised concerns that the project could cause traffic hazards for customers.

If a traffic signal is installed where the extended Executive Boulevard intersects with Rockville Pike, the Fitzgerald property will have to relocate its driveway, Orens said. This would ‘‘interfere with the safe and efficient operation of the business,” he said.

Orens also took issue with the project’s traffic study, saying that peak-time traffic was undercounted.

Natalie Goldberg, representing the Garrett Park⁄White Flint Park Citizens Association, also raised concerns about the traffic study because it reduced counts for residents living within the development.

‘‘This development is going to have a Whole Foods, which is extremely popular,” she said. ‘‘We’re talking about [an evening] rush hour period and I don’t think you’re going to have a 25 percent reduction because people live there. Those aren’t the people that are going to stop at Whole Foods.”

24-Stories; taller by 13ft than Washingtonian.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a253/JAB323/whiteflintcrossing.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a253/JAB323/whiteflintcrossing02.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a253/JAB323/whiteflintcrossing03.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a253/JAB323/whiteflintcrossing04.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a253/JAB323/areamap.jpg

JAB323

July 26th, 2006, 09:14 PM

Link to Lion's Gate, condos going up in Bethesda.

Lion's Gate Bethesda (http://www.lionsgatebethesda.com/devteam.html)

JAB323

July 26th, 2006, 09:32 PM

Silver Springer, maybe the Silver Spring thread should be merged with this to be Non-Baltimore Maryland Development News, and give it a good chance of getting stickied.

jmancuso

July 27th, 2006, 10:38 AM

what do you want to do? sticky this and then abondon other MD threads?

Silver Springer

July 27th, 2006, 07:10 PM

No, this would be in addtion to the other threads, there is alot more going on in the state that the others don't cover, this would complement them. Like Wilmington and Delaware threads.

jmancuso

July 27th, 2006, 09:30 PM

i'll sticky this for now but if it turns out to be a slow thread...i'll have to unsticky it.

Silver Springer

July 27th, 2006, 09:53 PM

Boscov’s to bring competition to area malls

http://www.examiner.com/a-196312~Boscov_s_to_bring_competition_to_area_malls.html

Construction workers head into the old Macy’s Store in White Marsh Mall. White Marsh Mall will welcome Boscov’s Department Store to the space in fall of this year.

Bruce Miller, The Examiner
Jul 27, 2006 5:00 AM (10 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 55 of 8,988 articles

BALTIMORE - Longtime anchor retailers at some of the area’s malls could be in for some increased competition when Boscov’s Department Stores opens three new local stores this fall.

“I think this is going to provide competition to the dominant department stores and will offer more choice for consumers,” said Tom Saquella, president of the Maryland Retailers Association. “Their locations are excellent for the type of shoppers who like their stores and they’re a very well-run company.”

The new stores, at White Marsh, Owings Mills and Marley Station malls, join Boscov’s other two Maryland locations in Westminster and Frederick.

The family-owned, Reading, Pa.-based retailer acquired the three Baltimore area stores in early 2006, along with seven others in Pennsylvania and New Jersey from Federated Department stores after that company acquired The May Department Stores. The Baltimore stores, all former Macy’s Department Stores, were duplicate locations for Federated. The locations are slated to open in late October, according to Maralyn Lakin, a Boscov’s spokeswoman.

“We feel that Baltimore is a wonderful opportunity for Boscov’s to make a stand, and we see it as a great opportunity not only as a business opportunity but it’s a community we feel we would love to be involved with,” Lakin said. “We want to make sure there is competition in every marketplace. The competition is healthier for the consumer.”

Kim Freely, a Sears corporate spokeswoman, declined to provide details on how the company expects Boscov’s to affect its market share, saying, “Sears recognizes that retailing is a competitive business and we don’t comment on our competition.”

Likewise Tim Lyons, a spokesman with The JC Penney Co. Inc., also declined to comment on how that company views the competition.

“It’s a competitive business and there is lots of competition everywhere so we have to make sure were on top of our game every day,” Lyons said.

Rodney Stump, an associate professor and chair of the department of marketing and business at Towson University, said given Maryland’s mixed affluence, he expects Boscov’s to appeal to a certain segment of the population.

“Their marketing and retailing strategy is very similar to what Kohl’s has been doing. They’re sort of a combination of the traditional department store, but with aspects of a discount department store,” Stump said. “Toward that middle to lower end, you have a lot of people who are fashion conscious but on a limited budget. I think this will certainly add to the competition in that lower-middle tier.”

bmiller@baltimoreexaminer.com

JAB323

July 27th, 2006, 09:55 PM

Does anyone know what happened to those two towers that they were planning on in Columbia? The ones by the lake, in Town Center.

JAB323

July 27th, 2006, 10:08 PM

This is my current major interest, the arts district by EYA, which has great developments, on Route 1, near DeMatha High.

Link: Arts District (http://eya.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=microsites.welcome&neighborhoodid=6B5240AC-96B6-175C-99CE06061246A2C6)

Some of these are Live-work spaces and are a nice adition to the area.

Some Renderings:

http://img116.imageshack.us/img116/9916/homesahadamselevationwi8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img381.imageshack.us/img381/6016/homesahblakeelevationie0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img116.imageshack.us/img116/763/homesahcalderelevationrs9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/9720/homesahgiffordelevationxe0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img116.imageshack.us/img116/3773/homesahlafargelistingba9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/4903/homesahmatisseelevationdk0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img116.imageshack.us/img116/4310/homesahrousseauelevation1ay8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img127.imageshack.us/img127/1797/homesahwyethlistingiz0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Silver Springer

July 27th, 2006, 10:27 PM

Does anyone know what happened to those two towers that they were planning on in Columbia? The ones by the lake, in Town Center.

Wait are you talking about the 25 story condo building? I believe some legal battle is brewing but I'm 90% sure it's going to be built. 275 feet of beautiful steel and glass!

http://xs204.xs.to/xs204/06304/ctc.JPG

Silver Springer

July 27th, 2006, 10:42 PM

I was looking for the article on legal battle but can't seem to find it. I did come across this article though. I wonder if traffic is more important than having a job?

95% of residents in columbia drive to work so wouldn't it make sense to put as much office space as you can in the town?

Columbia Plan Means Gridlock, Study Says
Smaller Project Suggested as a Fix

By Amit R. Paley
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 20, 2006; Page HO03

A traffic study has found that Howard County's plan to transform downtown Columbia into an urban center would create bumper-to-bumper congestion, leading some to call for the long-debated plan to be completely reworked.

The county-commissioned study, conducted by the planners Glatting Jackson of Florida, said only 31 percent of the county's plan to redevelop the town center could be accommodated before traffic would exceed acceptable levels.

"Is the plan as it's currently developed really the best plan out there?" said Mary Kay Sigaty of Columbia, a Democratic candidate for the County Council. "Now we have hard data, and what it's saying to us is that the plan isn't supportable."

The traffic analysis concludes that significant road improvements or a more-than-50 percent slashing of the amount of office space proposed in the plan would help to prevent continuous gridlock in Columbia. Some residents and transportation experts have criticized that conclusion and other parts of the study, saying even major road improvements or a reduction in new office space would not prevent unacceptable congestion in downtown Columbia.

The traffic study "demonstrates that our road network compels a less ambitious model [for downtown Columbia] than recently envisioned," said a statement released this month by Bridget Mugane, president of the Howard County Citizens Association; C. Edward Walter, former chief of the county's traffic engineering division; and Alex Hekimian, a retired transportation engineer.

The group disagreed with the study's assumption that residents would put up with critical lane volumes of 1,600 vehicles an hour. They proposed critical lane volumes of no more than 1,500 vehicles an hour.

Walter Kulash, a traffic engineer with Glatting Jackson, said increasing traffic capacity can often be counterproductive because drivers often use roads more frequently if they face little congestion.

During a meeting last week of a focus group looking at downtown Columbia, Kulash showed a slide that said, "Trying to cure traffic congestion with more capacity is like trying to cure obesity by loosening your belt."

The study conducted by Glatting Jackson proposed several road improvements to relieve congestion. It said that creating a full interchange at Route 29 and Southern Entrance Road would allow 64 percent of the master plan to be accommodated. Another solution would be to add four lanes to the northern intersection of Governor Warfield and Little Patuxent parkways.

Reducing office space from 5.2 million square feet, as proposed in the county's master plan, to 2.55 million square feet would essentially bring traffic to acceptable levels at all intersections, the study concluded.

"We get the biggest bang for the buck, by far, by reducing the office component," Kulash said at the July 12 meeting at the Other Barn in Oakland Mills, which was attended by about 75 people.

Sigaty said the focus group should be reconfigured as a working group to consider whether a better approach would be to rethink other parts of the plan instead of just cutting office space solely because of traffic considerations.

"My question would be, 'Is that really smart?' " she said. "Or do we really want to have commercial development there because it would be good for the county in terms of revenue generation and in terms of jobs?"

Silver Springer

July 27th, 2006, 10:47 PM

Silver Springer

July 27th, 2006, 10:49 PM

Speaking of Route 1...

Elkridge Project May 'Jump-Start' Route 1 Development

By Dina ElBoghdady
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, July 27, 2006; Page HO04

A 27-acre site in Elkridge that once included a drive-in movie theater may soon be home to a mix of houses, offices and shops called Elkridge Crossing.

The project near the intersection of Route 1 and Montgomery Road in northern Howard County is also designed to accommodate a 90-to-120 room hotel, a branch of the Howard County Library and a 130-unit moderate-income residential building, according to Columbia-based Brantly Development Group, which is building the project.

John Liparini, president and chief executive of Brantly, said he hopes Elkridge Crossing will "jump-start" similar projects along the Route 1 corridor, which the county has been trying to revitalize.

"Our research shows that this section of the corridor is extremely underserved by the existing office and retail projects and that companies and retail tenants recognize the enormous potential of the Elkridge sub-market," Liparini said in a statement.

Construction is planned to begin late this year on the first commercial building, which is expected to include 10,000 square feet of office space and 5,000 square feet of retail by the time it is completed, most likely in mid-2007. NAI KLNB is handling the office leasing and KLNB Retail will oversee retail leasing.

"We are targeting high-end retailers to bring into this project, to service both the southern Baltimore County and northern Howard County marketplace that has been bypassed of late," Patrick A.M. Miller of KLNB Retail said in a statement.

Ryan Homes has begun marketing the residential portion of the project, which includes townhouses and condominiums that start in the low $300,000s.

More than 46,000 vehicles pass Elkridge Crossing daily, and the average household income in the area immediately surrounding the project is more than $73,000, according to companies involved in the project.

How to Get Public Aid for Technology Development

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just how tough is it to get technology transfer funding?

Find out Aug. 11 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. when the Maryland Technology Development Corp. hosts free seminars explaining state and federal programs that provide financial support for companies and individuals interested in commercializing technologies in collaboration with Maryland universities and federal laboratories.

The funding programs TEDCO manages include: Aberdeen Technology Transfer Initiative, Fort Detrick Technology Transfer Initiative, Maryland Technology Transfer Fund, NAVAIR Technology Commercialization Initiative, University Technology Development Fund and Working Capital Loan Fund.

The briefings will explain the programs, eligibility requirements and guidelines for effective proposals.

A TEDCO team reviews applications monthly. Each applicant must submit a proposal, a commercialization plan for the technology to be developed, a scope of work and a budget.

Briefings on program opportunities will be held at 5575 Sterrett Pl., Suite 240, Columbia, and at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1450 S. Rolling Rd., Catonsville.

To register, send an email to info@marylandtedco.org . In the subject line, write "Funding Briefing Registration." Indicate the date and location of the event you wish to attend.

JAB323

July 27th, 2006, 10:54 PM

I'm waiting for all the BRAC-development by Fort Meade. Odenton town center will be under way soon.

Silver Springer

July 27th, 2006, 11:03 PM

I'm waiting for all the BRAC-development by Fort Meade. Odenton town center will be under way soon.

Please post any renderings.

StevenW

July 27th, 2006, 11:07 PM

Isn't there something good going on in Rockville? :D

JAB323

July 28th, 2006, 12:36 AM

Isn't there something good going on in Rockville? :D

Yeah, here's the webcam Town Center Project:
Rockville Town Center (http://rockvillemd.gov/towncenter/webcam)

I'll look for renderings, and Odenton Town Center.

JAB323

July 28th, 2006, 12:40 AM

Here's the Master Plan of Odenton Town Center:
Odenton Town Center - Plan (http://www.aacounty.org/PlanZone/MasterPlans/OTC/Resources/chapter1_2.0.pdf)

sdeclue

July 28th, 2006, 03:12 AM

Silver Springer

July 28th, 2006, 04:24 PM

Columbia would be one place that would truly blossom if the proposed red line ran through it. That would alleviate a lot of traffic concerns. That building will definitely happen either way though.

Great news about Route 1. So underutilized and it could really turn into something nice if developers would give it a long look.

Are you talking about Baltimore's red line? It may be a planned stop for DC's green line extension if it happens. One thing for sure is that they really need some form of rail.

waj0527

July 28th, 2006, 07:14 PM

I never understood why Rt. 1 from North Laurel thru DC (particularly the section that includes Laurel, College Park and Hyattsville) wasnt better. I mean, it is (or at least should be ) a developers dream. UM really lacks that college town feel and a developer could have a field day with that.

Balmurfan

July 28th, 2006, 08:24 PM

Silver Springer

July 28th, 2006, 09:52 PM

I reside in Washington County Maryland and live in Hagerstown. This place (Hagerstown) for the most part is a dump and the city government is mediocre at best. The downtown has been in "revitalization" mode for about 15 years.. You would think there would be significant progress made by now!! The only development is strip malls and cookie cutter housing developments that now stand where acres and acres of farm land used to be. It would be nice to see Hagerstown resemble other cities and towns in Maryland that actually have vision and the balls to do something about it.

Welcome Balmurfan, please post often. I remember the long trips to Hagerstown as a child just to go to one of the farms and get some fresh poultry, it seemed like a world away but was well worth it.

From what I've read Hagerstown is becoming quite the destination in the western part of Maryland. Any plans (renderings) for revitalization?

Silver Springer

July 28th, 2006, 09:57 PM

Isn't there something good going on in Rockville? :D

Hey what happened to my Rockville Town Cneter post?!?!?!

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/9780/rockville57by.jpg

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/8412/rockville45bd.jpg

http://img483.imageshack.us/img483/5789/rockville89oy.jpg

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/1349/rockville99op.jpg

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/3651/rockville128ql.jpg

http://img483.imageshack.us/img483/2687/rockville101nn.jpg

http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/7352/rockville111bt.jpg

JAB323

July 28th, 2006, 09:59 PM

^^ Looks great! BTW, here is the link to the proposed Baltimore area transit routes. (http://www.baltimoreregiontransitplan.com/images/public/newsletters/redlinemailersept04.pdf)

Balmurfan

July 29th, 2006, 02:17 PM

Cho Benn Holback + Associates, a Baltimore architectural firm, received a $1.4 million tax credit to renovate a past Elks lodge on South Potomac Street in Hagerstown.

The building, also known as the former Henry's Theater, will become the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts.

Vincent Groh donated the building in 2003. It is to be named after his late wife.

At a Washington County Board of Education meeting last month, the project cost was estimated at $7.9 million, up from a previous estimate of $6.5 million.

The school is projected to open in the fall of 2008.

StevenW

July 29th, 2006, 02:51 PM

Thanks for the pics, Silver Springer! :)

Silver Springer

July 29th, 2006, 05:23 PM

Thanks for the pics, Silver Springer! :)

No prob! However they are much further along than that.

Silver Springer

July 29th, 2006, 05:30 PM

JAB323

July 29th, 2006, 10:19 PM

Silver Springer

July 31st, 2006, 04:03 PM

Wicomico spots targeted for growth
By Deborah Gates
Staff Writer

SALISBURY -- With the lure of tax credits, local officials hope to attract business development to Enterprise Zone regions declared last week by the Ehrlich administration for more than 300 acres of land in and around the city.

The designation of 364 acres includes the sparse Westwood Commerce Park northwest of Salisbury and slated for annexation and the blighted region off the north prong of the Wicomico River near downtown.

The Enterprise Zone designations were announced Thursday by the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, which statewide oversees 28 Enterprise Zone regions in 14 counties and the city of Baltimore.

Important is that businesses in an Enterprise Zone could become eligible for a state income tax credit based on the number of new jobs created and capital improvements, according to a statement last week by Gov. Robert Ehrlich.

As important, says the governor, are jobs created by businesses that locate in a designated zone.

"We will continue to give businesses the incentives and resources needed to locate or expand in these areas, creating more jobs and a stronger investment in the neighborhoods," the governor said.

Shanie Shields, Salisbury City Councilwoman for District 1, recognized earlier Enterprise Zone successes in the vicinity of Salisbury's Lake and Cypress streets north and south of Route 50 near downtown.

"It is a good idea and the expansion is a giant step toward more jobs," Shields said Friday. "Anything that is going to promote economic development and give good-paying jobs, I can't help but appreciate."

New Wicomico County Enterprise Zone areas include:

Westwood Commerce Park, a 265-acre business center northwest of the city at the intersection of Route 50 and its bypass;

A 78-acre area off North Salisbury Boulevard and west of The Centre at Salisbury mall;

A 21-acre parcel bordered by the north prong of the Wicomico and includes sections of Lake and Mill streets.
Mayor Barrie Parsons Tilghman of Salisbury called expansion into Westwood "an invaluable tool" for luring economic growth to the region slated for annexation and both residential and commercial development.

"It gives us more opportunity to preserve our existing diverse economic base by retaining existing businesses, encouraging expansion and recruiting new businesses and industries," the mayor said in a statement.

Shields said the region off the river's north prong recently failed to win a state Priority Places designation for development perks.

"It is a blighted area and should be rehabilitated," she said Friday. "Including it as an Enterprise Zone doesn't salvage (the denial) completely, but it is a plus. We've brought the area to the attention of state officials."

dgates@smgpo.gannett.com

Originally published July 23, 2006

Silver Springer

July 31st, 2006, 04:05 PM

New business ‘breed’ blends Asian, American cultures
Rockville conference a showcase for success stories, forum for ideas
Friday, July 21, 2006

by Steve Berberich

Staff writer

Brian Lewis⁄The Gazette
Celso Mataac (left), partner with Regardie, Brooks & Lewis, talks with Cristina Go and Kikko Murray, both of Merrill Lynch, at the Asian American Business Conference on Wednesday.

Since forming her consulting firm in 1995, Taiwan native Stella Kwan has kept a steady hand at the helm of HTC-OmniWise LLC in Rockville despite a collapse of clients’ budgets in the slump of 2001, recent heart and brain surgeries on her husband and currently raising two teenagers.
Kwan was one of many Asian immigrant business men and women at the second annual Asian American Business Conference in Rockville this week who have excelled by blending their native culture with the American business culture.

Kwan said, ‘‘it is more difficult for Asian women with a language barrier to set up and run a business in this country, especially in IT because it is a very professional business.”

HTC provides information technology consulting to government agencies while partnering with firms such as Oracle, Microsoft, SAIC and two in Taiwan. Kwan’s company originally provided workforce training in IT ‘‘because my background is in education.” However, when her business dropped off in 2001, ‘‘we switched over to consulting for software engineering.” The firm has turned profits since 2003 again, she said, and now employees 35 people.

Kwan came to this country in 1987 with her husband Richard Kwan [who is fine now, she says] when he attended the University of California, Los Angeles. He is now with IT company Savantage Solutions Inc. in Rockville.

The conference, attended by about 250 Asian American businessmen and women, was primarily a networking forum on how best to succeed within the business culture here, including working with county, state and federal agencies. The conference was sponsored by the state Department of Business and Economic Development, Rockville Economic Development Inc., Asian Pacific American Chamber of Commerce and Alliance Bank, as well as other organizations.

Aris Melissaratos, DBED secretary, discussed the benefits of Asian American business to Maryland’s economy.

‘‘This is a wealth-generating opportunity,” said Melissaratos. ‘‘Your Asian American businesses provide a link to the fastest growing economies in the world and it is those economies that have made us realize it is truly a global economy.”

He said his department is focused on ‘‘internationalizing Maryland’s economy.” The state generates business connections in its offices in Asia, in Shanghai, Beijing, Taiwan and Bangalore, said David K. Lee, executive director of the Governor’s Office on Asian Pacific American Affairs.

According to a recent press release from the U.S. Census Bureau, there are 26,309 Asian American owned firms in Maryland.

Montgomery County has nearly 11,000 Asian American owned companies, the highest number of any Maryland county, said David Edgerley, director of the Montgomery’s Department of Economic Development.

As Asian businesses blending with the American business culture they ‘‘are bringing out a new breed of business people,” observed Sonny Veen, president of Orteck International, a tire company in Gaithersburg. Veen originally emigrated from New Delhi, India, to earn an MBA at Wagner College in New York. He now manages sales in 40 countries with revenues topping $30 million in 2005 due largely because he learned to apply lessons from home and adapt he said.

India, the second most populated nation, had an extreme scarcity of professional jobs when he was growing up, he said. The experience taught him to ignore defeats and work collaboratively. Those traits prevented getting fired in the first week of his first U.S. job when he was 21 years old, he said. That same week, a container of the company’s tires were stolen and the company accountant had forgotten to renew its property insurance. His boss and the accountant volunteered to resign.

But young Veen suggested that, while the company president was still travelling overseas and unaware of the situation, the team collaborate on sales and work overtime and weekends, instead of resigning. The company hit record sales through Veen’s collaborative working idea before the president returned two weeks later, he said. ‘‘So never be bogged down by a defeat,” he said. ‘‘When people are around you and hold your hand you do better,” he said at a panel discussion at the conference. He said he has also had to adjust to American business tendencies of taking risks and thinking big. ‘‘Everyone thinks big here, like the Big Mac.”

Veen, who wears an Indian turban, said, ‘‘people have misconceptions early about the way you look, but in business what matters is the balance sheet and net profits.”

Philippine-born CPA Celso T. Mataac, the only Asian American partner at Regardie, Brooks & Lewis Chtd. in Bethesda, said, ‘‘people said I would never become a partner because of my skin and being small. But, I told them I have my plans and goals.”

Mataac came to this country to study for his MBA at George Washington University 32 years ago. During political unrest in the Philippines, his parents told him to stay put in America. When he joined the work force, ‘‘I found right away that there are big differences between Philippine and American cultures” He had to work hard to overcome the Philippine cultural tendency to be passive, ‘‘whereas Americans are very aggressive.”

Balmurfan

July 31st, 2006, 06:31 PM

The Barbara Ingram School for the Arts in H-Town is only going to be a Magnet High School and as of right now I do not have any renderings.

Silver Springer

July 31st, 2006, 07:16 PM

Friday July 28, 2006
Buildings to get tax credits
by ANDREW SCHOTZ andrews@herald-mail.com

WASHINGTON COUNTY - A school for the arts in Hagerstown and a historic house in Sharpsburg are among 46 projects approved for state preservation tax credits.

The Maryland Historical Trust on Wednesday announced $20 million in tax credits for buildings either on the National Register of Historic Places or that qualify to be on it.

Cho Benn Holback + Associates, a Baltimore architectural firm, received a $1.4 million tax credit to renovate a past Elks lodge on South Potomac Street in Hagerstown.

The building, also known as the former Henry's Theater, will become the Barbara Ingram School for the Arts.

Vincent Groh donated the building in 2003. It is to be named after his late wife.

At a Washington County Board of Education meeting last month, the project cost was estimated at $7.9 million, up from a previous estimate of $6.5 million.

The school is projected to open in the fall of 2008.

The Maryland Historical Trust also awarded a $28,680 tax credit to Summer Beam Properties to restore a historic house on West Main Street in Sharpsburg.

Brien Poffenberger said he and his wife own Summer Beam Properties, a limited liability company.

Poffenberger, the president of the Hagerstown-Washington County Chamber of Commerce, said he and his wife will renovate the building and rent it.

Historic preservation applicants can receive tax credits for up to 20 percent of the total cost of rehabilitating a property, Maryland Historical Trust Director Rodney Little said.

Poffenberger said Summer Beam Properties bought a house and an addition, then sold the addition to Jefferson Security Bank, which is opening a branch there.

The LLC kept the original section of the house - 105 W. Main St. - which Poffenberger believes was built around 1820.

The state has separate residential and commercial tax-credit programs.

Residential projects may qualify for the commercial program if the owner does not live there, Little said.

The Maryland Historical Trust actually had $30 million in tax credits to give out this year, but was limited by geography.

Maryland law doesn't allow more than half of the tax credits to be given to city of Baltimore projects, Little said.

Of the 50 applications from Baltimore, the Maryland Historical Trust granted tax credits for 18, for a total of $15 million.

All of the $5 million worth of applications from points west of Baltimore were funded, Little said.

Maudibjr

July 31st, 2006, 09:14 PM

I am trying to get a pic of the "contemporary signature building" mentioned in paragraph 3.

Site may become park
Razed Towson gas station could be taken by county
By Laura Barnhardt
sun reporter
Originally published July 31, 2006

A plan to rid Towson of a long-standing eyesore and replace it with a park is expected to be announced this week.

The county would condemn a rubble-covered property just off the Towson traffic circle, where a Shell station closed at least six years ago, as part of a move to spruce up the county seat.

Baltimore County Executive James T. Smith Jr. is expected to talk about the plan during a news conference tomorrow.

The gas station was located on about a third of an acre on York Road, near Towson Town Center mall and Towson Circle development. The property is directly across from the future home of Fidelity Investments, which plans to build a "contemporary signature building" that will replace three small office buildings there now.

Vincent J. Gardina, the Baltimore County councilman who represents the area, said creating a park would help improve the look of the area and "connect the lower part of the Towson business district with the upper part."

The county's master plan calls for building a park on the property. A team of out-of-town designers and architects that helped Towson residents draw up new plans for the county seat in June also recommended that redeveloping the gas station site be a priority.

But eminent domain - the process through which a government entity takes ownership of private property - has been an especially touchy subject in Baltimore County. In 2000, county voters rejected Senate Bill 509, which would have authorized the county to take ownership of certain properties in the Essex and Dundalk areas for redevelopment.

Before county officials could make their intentions for the former Shell station public, Towson community leaders began debating whether the county should take the property through condemnation proceedings.

Corrine Becker, president of the Riderwood Hills Community Association, said she's concerned any time the government uses the power to take property. "Any use of eminent domain makes me wary," she said, adding that she realizes there's a difference between taking property for a park and taking it so that a private developer can build a project. But, Becker said, she's concerned that the county is taking the land when there still might be a private party interested in purchasing it.

"I'm not out to kill everything the county comes up with," Becker said. "I just don't want this to be a step in the wrong direction."

Dick Parsons, a West Towson activist, said he also was concerned that the county might be taking the property too quickly. But, Parsons said, he was glad to see the gas station razed.

Other community leaders, though, feel that the county must condemn the property.

"The county isn't taking this property from a homeowner," said Mike Ertel, president of the Greater Towson Council of Community Associations. "The only precedent they're setting is taking a gas station to build a park."

Ertel, Becker, Parsons and others see an important distinction between taking property for "economic development" and taking it for public projects, such as schools and parks.

"This isn't 509," Ertel said.

Donald I. Mohler, a spokesman for Smith, would only confirm that the county executive plans to make a "major announcement" about the county's plans for the Shell property at news conference.

But, speaking generally, Mohler said, "The county executive has been crystal clear about this since the day he was elected. And the voters have spoken loud and clear. We do not and will not support taking property for private economic development."

The county has been negotiating with Shell Oil Corp. for more than a year to buy the property, according to county sources. Although they long ago agreed on a price - about a half-million dollars - they couldn't agree on who would be liable for any environmental damage, according to county sources.

Officials with Shell did not return calls on Friday. In an e-mail, Anne Peebles, a Shell spokeswoman, said that Motiva Enterprises LLC, a joint venture between Shell and Saudi Refining, is the owner of the former gas station.

"Motiva has recently received notice from the county of the potential condemnation. Our goal remains to transfer ownership of the property, whether to the county or a buyer," Peebles wrote. "Since the notice we received is only of 'potential' condemnation, the site is still listed for sale. We will of course inform any potential buyers of the county's notice."

She referred questions about price to a real estate agent, who did not return calls Friday.

By condemning the site, the county would be able to take ownership and build the park, but liability wouldn't be transferred to the county in the process, the county sources said.

The vacant Shell station was demolished in June by the oil giant, just before county officials were set to tear it down under a county law that allows the demolition of abandoned gas stations.

StevenW

July 31st, 2006, 11:00 PM

Silver Springer

August 1st, 2006, 03:14 PM

NAACP Weighs Move to Pr. George's[National Harbor]

By Rosalind S. Helderman and John Wagner
Washington Post Staff Writers
Tuesday, August 1, 2006; Page B05

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/31/AR2006073101187.html

http://media.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2006/07/31/PH2006073101193.jpg

The president of the NAACP said yesterday that the organization is taking a serious look at the National Harbor development in Prince George's County as a new location for its national headquarters.

Leaders of the civil rights organization have been contemplating moving from Baltimore to the Washington area to be closer to the national's capital. Bruce S. Gordon, president and chief executive of the NAACP, said that the search has broadened to include locations outside the District and that National Harbor appeared very attractive.

Shops, housing and a conference center are among the plans for National Harbor in Oxon Hill. (Development Design Group)

"If we can make the details work, this is a place we will give very, very serious consideration," Gordon said after an hour-long, closed-door meeting with Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R), Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele (R) and Prince George's County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D) at National Harbor headquarters.

Luring the NAACP could provide an additional boon to the $2 billion National Harbor project, which is rising in Prince George's near the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in Oxon Hill on the banks of the Potomac River. The largest development in county history, it is slated to include shops, restaurants, housing and a conference facility.

There was a political undercurrent to yesterday's meeting. Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley (D), who is challenging Ehrlich for governor this year, is still trying to persuade the NAACP to stay in Baltimore, where it moved in 1986 from New York and employs more than 100 people.

Ehrlich said yesterday that he first broached the idea of the NAACP moving to National Harbor during a meeting with Gordon a few weeks ago at the governor's mansion in Annapolis.

"When Bruce first visited the house, it was, 'Look, we're leaving,' " Ehrlich said. "We wanted him to know our fallback was anywhere else in Maryland."

Gordon said that before the meeting, "National Harbor was not on our radar screen. It currently is." He gave no timetable for making a decision about a move and said D.C. locations are still being considered.

O'Malley spokesman Steve Kearney said that as recently as two weeks ago, during the NAACP's national conference in Washington, O'Malley and the group's leaders discussed remaining in Baltimore.

After meeting with Gordon in June at Baltimore City Hall, O'Malley acknowledged that the group was "strongly leaning" toward moving to the Washington area but said that Baltimore officials would take their "best shot" to entice it to stay.

After yesterday's meeting, Steele and Johnson argued that the Prince George's location would be appropriate given the NAACP's heightened focus on economic empowerment.

"I think the site marries the NAACP to its future, I really do," said Steele, a candidate for U.S. Senate.

JAB323

August 1st, 2006, 07:24 PM

^^ That's be cool to have a major group like the NAACP move to Maryland.

HAudidoody

August 1st, 2006, 07:41 PM

^^ That's be cool to have a major group like the NAACP move to Maryland.

NAACP been HQed in Baltimore for over 25 years now I think.

waj0527

August 1st, 2006, 08:13 PM

Yeah and they havent been a very good neighbor. Honestly, I understand Martin had to try to keep them here b/c he just had to, but they've been pretty focused on moving out of the city for quite some time now. Initially they needed abosolutely HAD to move to DC to be closer to the political action. Now...its ok to be apart of the National Harbor project even though its not in Washington.

It sucks to see an organization as large and as well known as NAACP move out of the city, but it they wanna go...let 'em go.

JAB323

August 1st, 2006, 10:16 PM

NAACP been HQed in Baltimore for over 25 years now I think.

My bad, I thought they were in D.C.? Guess not. :scouserd:

Silver Springer

August 2nd, 2006, 05:06 PM

BRAC to charge region’s economy
Montgomery will see new jobs, new businesses, new commuters and new problems as military’s base realignment plan advances
Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2006
E-Mail This Article | Print This Story

by Kevin J. Shay

Staff Writer

Job gains for Montgomery County from the Pentagon’s sweeping military base realignment plan are turning out much bigger than initially thought, and elsewhere in Washington’s Maryland suburbs could see a heightened impact as well.

To date, news of the Pentagon shifts has largely focused on the Baltimore area, but Montgomery and Prince George’s counties stand to benefit, too, said Anirban Basu of the Sage Policy Group, a Baltimore economic and policy consulting firm.

The defense realignment will mean an added burst in jobs and residents. But ‘‘it’s not all good news,” Basu said. ‘‘Issues such as transportation, affordable housing and schools ... will have to be addressed.”

For Maryland suburbs near Washington, BRAC, the Base Realignment and Closure plan, is now shaping up along these lines:

*In Montgomery County, state officials project as many as 4,200 new military, civilian and contractor jobs at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda by 2011 — up from an estimated 1,900 last year. County officials have only begun studying what needs to be done to handle the thousands of new workers.

*In Prince George’s County, Andrews Air Force Base is to gain 400 jobs — although one county official said that number will be closer to 1,500 — and the Pentagon might add 2,000 more jobs there in the near future under other programs.

*Also in Prince George’s, the Laurel area is expected to grow from a big buildup at Fort Meade and the National Security Agency, both nearby in Anne Arundel County.

*In Frederick, Fort Detrick is expected to gain 120 military and civilian jobs. The base may receive several hundred more new jobs due to a new research lab. Frederick and Carroll counties won’t receive many direct new jobs but are expected to feel housing, road and school pressures as new workers seek less expensive housing.

Across Maryland, estimated net direct job gains from BRAC have risen in the past year from about 6,500 to some 16,000, according to a recent study. Indirect additional positions, which include service companies and retailers, are expected to push that total to 40,000 — or more.

‘‘We expect it to be one of the biggest postwar movements of jobs Maryland has seen,” said Daraius Irani, director of applied economics and human services at the Regional Economic Studies Institute at Towson University. The influx of people is expected to add some $421 million annually in new state and local tax revenues, he said.

Bethesda Naval Center

In Bethesda, the National Naval Medical Center on Rockville Pike at Jones Bridge Road could almost double its present 4,500 civilian and military employees. That includes about 1,200 employees relocating from Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington to the expanded Bethesda center and more than 2,200 support positions.

The renamed Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is expected to double its outpatient load, adding another 560,000 patient visits annually.

Many of the transferees from Walter Reed will be commuting rather than moving closer to Bethesda beginning in 2010, according to a recent SAIC study commissioned by the state.

The medical center’s expansion lends another reason why Metro should build the proposed Purple Line between Bethesda and Silver Spring, said officials with the Bethesda-Chevy Chase and Montgomery County chambers of commerce.

W. David Dabney, executive director of the Bethesda Urban Partnership, a nonprofit that promotes the downtown, wants to attract some of the new employees to downtown restaurants, shops and cultural attractions.

He would also like to see more people live downtown: ‘‘There are new residential projects planned downtown that people who want to live closer to where they work might want to take advantage of.”

At the same time, Bethesda will lose 2,833 jobs due to the move of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency near Glen Echo to Fort Belvoir in Fairfax County, Va., according to last year’s BRAC report.

Ginanne Italiano, president of the Bethesda-Chevy Chase chamber, said she hadn’t heard about any possible replacements for the Geospatial space, which is well away from Rockville Pike. ‘‘It’s in such a good location, I think it will be grabbed up quickly,” she said.

Gains in Prince George’s

Andrews, which has about 17,000 employees, is slated to gain 400 jobs under BRAC, mostly from Arlington, Va.

That number could be closer to 1,500, said M.H. ‘‘Jim” Estepp, president and CEO of the Greater Prince George’s Business Roundtable Council and president of the Andrews Business and Community Alliance.

‘‘The Air Force is moving its top administrative functions to Andrews,” Estepp said. ‘‘Those types of moves are always larger than they start out to be.”

The Pentagon could add 2,000 more jobs there in the near future under programs not related to BRAC, said J. Michael Hayes, a Department of Business and Economic Development manager, who is coordinating state planning for BRAC.

Basu said the Andrews jobs could cause more housing to be built in southern Prince George’s.

And in the Prince George’s County portion of Laurel, a 22,000-square-foot, four-story building that will house residential units, office and retail is already being built — the first of three buildings planned by Legends Group of Burtonsville to be completed by 2008, said developer Michael Collins.

Collins began that project before BRAC, but the realignment has helped increase interest about leasing space there, he said. ‘‘I’ve had 68 inquiries for the first 12 residential units.

‘‘I’ve already sold out the retail and office space of one-and-a-half buildings,” Collins said. ‘‘[BRAC] was a blessing.”

Fort Meade additions mean regional boost

The relocation of almost 6,000 employees and ‘‘embedded” contractors — who are essentially full-time employees — to Fort Meade beginning in 2008 is expected to boost the regional economy by at least $1 billion annually, said James R. Baldwin, vice president of M&T Bank’s commercial banking group and president of the Fort Meade Alliance. About 41,000 people work there now.

Fort Meade is in Anne Arundel County but near Prince George’s and Montgomery counties. While many employees in Northern Virginia will commute rather than move to Maryland, some nearing retirement age will retire — meaning more jobs may be open for Marylanders than first expected, said H. Walter Townshend III, president and CEO of the Baltimore-Washington Corridor Chamber of Commerce.

On top of the BRAC changes, National Security Agency’s headquarters in Fort Meade is in the process of adding 7,500 jobs before the end of 2008.

Planning for changes

Some counties are ahead of others in preparing for the changes.

In Harford and Anne Arundel counties — home of Aberdeen Proving Ground and Fort Meade, respectively, where most of the new jobs are headed — officials have formed planning committees and new projects to accommodate the added workers and residents are well on their way.

But in Montgomery, officials are only in the planning stage of forming a county task force. That group is supposed to be up and running by early next year.

County Councilman Steven A. Silverman, who chairs the council’s Planning, Housing and Economic Development Committee, said the committee has asked the county’s Planning Board to review the Battery Lane area near the medical center for potential housing opportunities. Rather than road improvements, he said, he would like to see more transit shuttles to Metro.

‘‘We can’t feasibly widen Wisconsin Avenue,” said Silverman (D-At large) of Silver Spring, who is running for county executive.

In Prince George’s, Kwasi G. Holman, president and CEO of the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corp., said that county is ‘‘fully prepared for the impact of new jobs and people to Prince George’s County due to expansions at Andrews and Fort Meade.

‘‘We’ve been working for more than a year with state officials, the Fort Meade Alliance, the Andrews Business and Community Alliance and others to make sure we get our fair share of jobs and residents from that process.”

Among planned Prince George’s road improvements is a $92 million, mostly state-funded project for a new interchange at Pennsylvania Avenue and Suitland Parkway aimed at easing traffic near Andrews. Holman said more off-base housing may be developed in that area as well.

28,400 new households

Not all of the jobs will bring in new residents to Maryland because some still will commute from Virginia and Washington and others are transfers of current residents, said DBED’s Hayes, a retired Marine brigadier general.

The bulk of the BRAC-related employment buildup will not occur until 2009, although more than $1 billion worth of office, lab and housing construction has started or will soon in the state, he said.

Total cost of military construction for BRAC just at Aberdeen, Fort Meade, the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda and Andrews Air Force Base in Camp Springs in the next four years is estimated at $1.8 billion. That does not count new construction for private contractors and other businesses that crop up around the bases.

Even with the commuters from out of state, about 28,400 new households are expected across Maryland over the next decade due to BRAC, Irani of Towson University said. About 90 percent of the jobs will require security clearances and won’t be the kind that can be offshored to other countries, he said.

Where people who move to Maryland end up settling — whether it’s Montgomery, Prince George’s or another county — will depend in large part on what local officials do to improve infrastructure and schools and attract those potential residents, Hayes said.

Each military job could potentially create eight supporting positions, said Alan R. Ingraham, president of the Maryland Association of Realtors. This will further complicate housing availability and affordability in the state, he said.

JAB323

August 3rd, 2006, 12:35 AM

^^ Great News. BTW, has anyone heard the latest on Rosewood City, being built by Kwame Jackson (of The Apprentice fame).

JAB323

August 3rd, 2006, 12:36 AM

Greenbelt Station (http://www.greenbeltstation.com/)

micrip

August 3rd, 2006, 08:38 AM

Hey what happened to my Rockville Town Cneter post?!?!?!

http://img483.imageshack.us/img483/2687/rockville101nn.jpg

Hey is that a new type of "streetlamp" at the end of the block? :jk:

JAB323

August 3rd, 2006, 05:27 PM

^^ LOL :)

JAB323

August 3rd, 2006, 05:46 PM

Lennar to move Regional HQ To Bowie from Silver Spring (Sorry, Silver Springer)

National builder moving office from Silver Spring to Bowie
Dena Levitz, The Examiner
Jun 28, 2006 5:00 AM (36 days ago)
Current rank: Not ranked

Bowie - In surprising news for the city of Bowie, one of the nation’s leading homebuilding companies has signed a lease to relocate its regional headquarters from Silver Spring to the Prince George’s County community, company executives announced Tuesday.

In November, the Lennar Corp. will move 110 associates to the top floor of the recently completed Melford Plaza I, located at the intersection of Route 50 and MD Route 3.

Roughly 500 acres, the plaza is a four-story Class A office building that has fast become “an imposing new landmark” on the county’s landscape, according to Jerry Wit, senior vice president of marketing for St. John Properties, which manages the building.

“Landing a national company like Lennar is a big deal,” Witt said Tuesday. “We made a $22 million bet in building this plaza, and the market is responding nicely.”

In a news release, Lennar Division President Bruce Harvey said his firm considered a number of locations in the Washington-Baltimore area before settling on the burgeoning Prince George’s business center. In the end, he cited Bowie’s location at the “virtual midpoint of the corridor positions within easy reach of our housing developments” as the deal-breaker.

Founded in 1954, Lennar is based in Miami and builds affordable move-up and retirement homes in 20 states throughout the nation, including Maryland.

The company is currently involved in housing development in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties.

dlevitz@dcexaminer.com

Silver Springer

August 3rd, 2006, 07:51 PM

Silver Springer

August 3rd, 2006, 07:51 PM

JAB323

August 3rd, 2006, 08:57 PM

^^ Yeah them moving will free up some valuable Silver Spring office space. So in a way it's a good thing. ;)

Silver Springer

August 4th, 2006, 01:59 PM

Vaccine, Bioscience Company Arrivals Becoming Contagious in Maryland [Some of it Ehrlich Propaganda]
By Dean Storm

When MedImmune, a biotechnology company best known for its production of FluMist™, a nasal-spray flu vaccine, was looking for a location for its new biologics manufacturing facility, they spent a year investigating possible sites, both inside and outside the United States. In the end, the Maryland location was the only one the company considered seriously.

“MedImmune is committed to strengthening its presence in Maryland’s biotechnology corridor,” said Randall Turner, vice president, engineering and facilities. “Our current manufacturing site in Frederick thrives because of the abundance of resources and talent that is available to MedImmune through the support of local and state government and educational institutions in the area.”

In late 2005, the company, which has its worldwide headquarters in Gaithersburg, Md., announced plans to expand its biologics manufacturing capacity by building a new 710,000-square-foot facility adjacent to its current site in Frederick, Md. The build-out of the Frederick site, in addition to the ongoing expansion of MedImmune’s corporate headquarters facility, is expected to bring up to 840 new jobs in the state by 2008.

Over the last three years, Maryland Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. has spoken at countless company expansions and relocation announcements, many for bioscience companies. Under his pro-business administration, nearly 5,000 companies have expanded or relocated in Maryland and businesses have created nearly 100,000 jobs.
But MedImmune’s announcement was especially gratifying.

“MedImmune’s expansion is a tremendous win for both the county and the state. It’s another example that our statewide biotech strategy to invest in and promote our biotechnology industry is working,” said Governor Ehrlich. “This expansion, which is targeted to bring more than 800 highly skilled jobs to Frederick and Montgomery counties, is also a testament to the depth of our technical and professional workforce, supportive business environment and world-class public and private sector research centers.”

MedImmune is just one of more than 350 innovative bioscience companies, including more than 20 private companies focused on vaccine research, infectious diseases and biodefense, that call Maryland home. The strategically-located East Coast state is also home to the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) at Fort Detrick, a leading facility for biodefense vaccine research; University of Maryland at Baltimore (UMB) Center for Vaccine Development, the only university vaccine center in the world engaged in the full range of vaccinology; National Institutes of Health Vaccine Research Center; University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute; and Institute for Vaccine Safety at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Researchers at Fort Detrick, one of only four facilities in the United States with the BSL-4 designation, the most stringent safety and security requirements, recently announced new milestones in the development of a vaccine against the highly lethal Marburg and Ebola viruses. UMB was recently awarded $42 million from National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and named the lead institution of the Mid-Atlantic Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research Regional Center of Excellence. Maryland companies such as the Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation, Sanaria and Emergent BioSolutions are close to development and production of new vaccines for tuberculosis, malaria and anthrax, respectively.

“Maryland has one of the most supportive environments in the world for life sciences, biotechnology and vaccine research firms,” said Maryland Business and Economic Development Secretary Aris Melissaratos. “The state has the nation’s highest percentage of professional and technical workers and is recognized as a leading technology research state with an exceptional confluence of federal agencies, facilities, higher education institutions and businesses. Maryland is well-equipped to provide these types of companies with the resources and workforce they need to succeed.”

There are more reasons that lead biosciences companies to expand in or relocate to Maryland. The state ranks:

• Second globally for initiatives aimed at drawing and retaining biotechnology companies (FierceBioTech, 2006)
• Second in the U.S. in state’s biopharmaceutical innovation pipeline (Milken Institute, 2004)
• Second in number of biotech startups in U.S. in 2004 (BioMiner, 2005)
• Second nationally in federal R & D obligations: $7.8 billion

In addition, Maryland has approximately 8 percent of the U.S. biotechnology industry and more than $100 million in public investment in biotechnology in 2004.

In June 2005, Maryland was recognized by Ernst &Young as one of the top three centers for biodefense in the United States. Maryland also ranks second nationally in federal research and development per capita. Much of Maryland’s success and competitiveness can be attributed to Governor Ehrlich’s significant commitment and long-term investment in bioscience infrastructure—totaling more than $1 billion.

Maryland’s bioscience industry recently attracted Emergent BioSolutions, which is opening a new vaccine manufacturing facility in Frederick that will produce the nation’s only FDA licensed anthrax vaccine as well as vaccines to fight other bioterrorist and infectious diseases.

“We are very excited about creating jobs and bringing our skills and our passion for our work to the Maryland BioValley Corridor,” said Fuad El-Hibri, Emergent BioSolutions CEO. “This area is one of the top bioscience centers in the world, so we know we’re in good company. We look forward to making a real contribution to the local economy and to the health and protection of our nation and the world.”

Emergent BioSolutions, Inc. will convert a 150,000 square foot facility into a state-of-the-art vaccine manufacturing facility, the second manufacturing site for the anthrax vaccine BioThrax™. The vaccine is also produced in Lansing, Michigan by BioPort Corporation. The facility, which will initially create 100 new jobs during its first phase, is expected to create approximately 300 when fully operational.

The state, through DBED, will provide a $2.5 million conditional loan from the Maryland Economic Development Assistance Fund (MEDAAF) for acquisition of the property, up to $7.5 million in loan guarantees from the Maryland Industrial Development Financing Authority (MIDFA) and a $250,000 workforce training grant from the Maryland Industrial Training Program. Frederick County partnered with DBED in supporting the company’s expansion into Frederick County and fast tracking the project.

The latest big addition to Maryland’s bioscience family—the Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation—is ratcheting up the fight against one of the world’s leading killers by opening a research and production facility in Rockville, Md. The facility’s main goal is to help to meet the world’s need for an advanced tuberculosis vaccine, an estimated 150 million doses of vaccine per year.

“It is inspiring that the research and development that Aeras does could save lives in the poorest places in the world while protecting Americans from TB as well,” said Governor Ehrlich. “We are excited a cutting edge biotech firm like Aeras recognizes that Maryland has the people and facilities it needs to grow and thrive.”

Aeras is currently testing multiple TB vaccine candidates. The new $10 million facility uses the most advanced technology, employs 60 people, and will serve as the Aeras Foundation’s headquarters as well as its research and production center. It opened in time for World TB Day, intended to raise awareness of tuberculosis, which kills 1.75 million people a year, second only to AIDS as the world’s deadliest infectious disease, and infects one-third of the world’s population.

As for MedImmune, the company continues to thrive in Maryland. Just last month, the company announced that it has been awarded a $170 million, five-year contract from the U.S. Health and Human Services Department to develop cell-based seasonal and pandemic vaccines using its proprietary live, attenuated, needle-free influenza vaccine technology.

“We look forward to increasing our manufacturing capabilities as we seek to deliver new medicines to the market that may one day improve and protect human lives,” said MedImmune’s Turner.

Dean Storm is a business communications specialist within the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development. The department is headed by Secretary Aris Melissaratos.

Silver Springer

August 4th, 2006, 02:18 PM

I bet they'll close up shop and "consolidate" within a year.

AOL strategy to benefit Baltimore firm
By Tricia Bishop
Sun reporter
Originally published August 3, 2006
Yesterday's announcement that AOL plans to boost advertising revenue by offering its services free to nearly anyone with an Internet connection reverberated from the company's Virginia headquarters to Locust Point, the home of Advertising.com.

The once tiny Baltimore start-up, founded by two local brothers and headquartered in the Tide Point office complex, is now best known as a major player in AOL's online marketing division.

It likely will be at the center of the media giant's new business strategy, which takes on freebie competitors Yahoo and Google by giving away e-mail, software and Web security tools.

"The pressure's on," said Allen Weiner, a media research analyst with Gartner Inc. in Arizona. "Advertising.com ... is going to play a significant role here. They're going to have to make sure they drive the revenue."

That's exactly the reason AOL acquired the company in 2004 for $435 million. Advertising.com's technology places relevant ads on Web pages, increasing the likelihood they'll attract attention and make a sale, which in turn, pleases advertisers.

By the time AOL bought the business, it already had 300 employees in eight countries and had placed ads on 1,500 Web sites, reaching 70 percent of the U.S. online population.

Since then, AOL's online advertising revenue, measured by Web-page views, has risen 80 percent. And in last year's annual report, the company repeatedly credited Advertising.com, now up to 370 employees, with boosting sales.

Under the deal, Advertising.com got the use of AOL's brand name, kept its current clients and expanded its reach while remaining headquartered in Baltimore. For the most part, it has been left alone to go about its business and treated as an independent unit.

But during the past few months, changes have been in the works that suggest AOL was shoring up the business in preparation for yesterday's news.

In the spring, AOL acquired Lightningcast Inc., a Washington company that does broadband video advertising, and merged it into Advertising.com. A new president with seven years of AOL work experience - Lynda M. Clarizio - came in. And John and Scott Ferber, the founding brothers, left on an indefinite leave of absence.

Emily Riley, an analyst with Jupiter Research in New York who worked at Advertising.com for five years, said yesterday that the Ferber brothers deserved a break and left the company on good terms. Clarizio, she added, has been received well. Riley's husband still works at Advertising.com in its New York office.

During a conference call yesterday, executives from AOL and its parent company Time Warner Inc. described the free strategy as a shift away from reliance on dial-up subscriptions toward an advertising-supported business model.

For years, the company made much of its money from those who used it to access the Internet and serving as the first gateway for many Web users. But as speedier means matured - such as cable and DSL connections - those subscriptions began to dwindle. Time Warner President and Chief Operating Officer Jeffrey L. Bewkes said the company loses tens of thousands of subscribers daily.

While AOL will still offer dial-up subscription Internet service, it will now also offer access to everything else for free. That means customers who decide to switch to broadband can keep using AOL services such as e-mail, instant messaging, parental controls and spam filters.

Those who've never had AOL can use them too. Company officials are hoping those efforts will keep advertisers interested in reaching AOL's 18 million customers.

It's "for the great good of the company going forward," said Jonathan F. Miller, AOL's chairman and CEO.

No one mentioned Advertising.com. during the call, and representatives from the company referred questions back to AOL.

In an interview yesterday, AOL's Michael J. Kelly said Advertising.com - along with other components such as search engine sales and video advertising - will be key in making the new strategy work.

"It's certainly hugely important," said Kelly, president of AOL Media Networks, which oversees Web and digital advertising. He describes the original acquisition, which he orchestrated with Clarizio's help, as one of the proudest moments of his career.

"One of the reasons we bought ad.com was to accelerate our growth in advertising revenue, and that worked," Kelly said.

JAB323

August 4th, 2006, 03:41 PM

^^ Between DNA Corridor (I-270), and the Bmore BioParks, the Bio money will be rolling in.

Silver Springer

August 5th, 2006, 07:30 PM

^^ Between DNA Corridor (I-270), and the Bmore BioParks, the Bio money will be rolling in.

Yup.

Whats Toll Brothers up to in Pr. George's?

CDP-0505 WILLOWBROOK (Maps)
(TCPII/42/06)
Council District: 06 Municipality: None.
Tier: Developed.
Located on the north side of Leeland Road, approximately 3,250 feet west of its intersection with US 301. (PA 79)
R-S Zone (427.00 acres) (1/25/06)
Toll Brothers, Applicant
Request: 818 Units; 555 Single-Family Detached, 153 Townhouses and
110 Multi-Family.

STAFF RECOMMENDATION: APPROVAL of Request for Continuance
(GROVER)

Silver Springer

August 5th, 2006, 07:57 PM

THis looks to be the multifamily unit phase of Greenbelt Station.

DSP-05021 FAIRFIELD @ GREENBELT METRO PARK, LOT 1, BLOCK A (Maps)
(TCPII/147/04-01)
Council District: 01 Municipality: Greenbelt.
Tier: Developed.
Located on the north side of Greenbelt Road, approximately 1,000 feet east of US 1. (PA 67)
M-X-T and D-D-O Zones (6.00 acres) (10/18/05)
FF Realty LLC, Applicant
Request: 302 Multi-Family Dwelling Units.

70-day limit has been waived.

STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
• DSP-05021 - APPROVAL with conditions
• TCPII/147/04-01 - APPROVAL with conditions
(GROVER)
http://img3.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/331708d2a5.jpg
http://img3.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/3080a2d755.jpg
http://img3.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/dec4acad45.jpg

Silver Springer

August 5th, 2006, 08:31 PM

Post properties continues its foray into Maryland. Only 1,600 sq\ft of reail kind of sucks though. I also can't believe their cutting down some of that forest!!!

NOTE: THIS CASE WAS CONTINUED FROM THE PLANNING BOARD MEETING OF JULY 6, 2006.

NOTE: THIS CASE WAS APPROVED AT THE PLANNING BOARD MEETING OF MARCH 6, 2004 AND REMANDED BY DISTRICT COUNCIL ON
APRIL 25, 2005.

DSP-03036 POST PROPERTIES (Maps)
(formerly Prince George's Center)
(TCPII/179/03)
Council District: 02 Municipality: None.
Tier: Developed.
Located in the northwest corner of the intersection of East-West Highway (MD 410) and Toledo Terrace. (PA 68)
M-X-T and T-D-O Zones (6.81 acres) (10/27/03)
Post Apartment Homes, L.P., Applicant
Request: 394 Multifamily and
1,600 Square-Feet of Retail.

STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
• DSP-03036 - APPROVAL with conditions
• TCPII/179/03 - APPROVAL with conditions
(LAREUSE)

http://img3.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/b0188374c8.jpg
http://img3.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/073ddc0fab.jpg
http://img3.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/0b4b2af915.jpg
http://img3.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/aaf80be355.jpg
http://img3.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/ec42d2b36a.jpg

Silver Springer

August 5th, 2006, 08:49 PM

Hyasttsville will never be the same!

CSP-05006 WEST HYATTSVILLE COMMONS
(Maps)
(TCPI/19/06)
Council District: 02 Municipality: Hyattsville.
Tier: Developed.
Located northwest of the intersection of Ager Road and Hamilton Street; surrounds West Hyattsville Metro Station. (PA 68)
M-X-T and T-D-O Zones (44.56 acres) (3/1/06)
West Hyattsville Metro Development, LLC, Applicant
Request: Mixed Use Development to Include Rental Apartments; 900 Condominiums, 184 Townhouses, 62,000 Square-Feet of Retail Space and 230,000 Square-Feet of Office Space.

70-day limit has been waived.

STAFF RECOMMENDATION: APPROVAL of Request for Continuance
(ESTES)

Silver Springer

August 5th, 2006, 09:25 PM

This building will be 186 feet.

NOTE: THIS CASE WAS CONTINUED FROM THE PLANNING BOARD MEETING OF JUNE 15, 2006.

DSP-05026 NORTHGATE (Maps)
(TCPII/23/04)
Council District: 03 Municipality: College Park.
Tier: Developed.
Located on the west side of US 1, across from
Quebec Street. (PA 66)
M-U-I and D-D-O Zones (.94 acre) (8/19/05)
VDA, LLC, Applicant
Request: Approximately 204 Condominium Dwelling Units and 5,670 Square Feet of Commercial Office/Retail space.

70-day limit has been waived.

STAFF RECOMMENDATION: o
• DSP-05026 - APPROVAL with conditions o
• TCPII/23/04 - APPROVAL with conditions
(ZHANG)

http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/3740/northgate1do1.jpg
http://img108.imageshack.us/img108/7654/northgate2fw7.jpg

Interesting reed.

BUILDING DESIGN B 1. Height, Scale, Massing and Size: Comment:

The sector plan is clear in that the community vision for this Main Street area is for mid-rise (four to six-story) mixed-use buildings. Specifically, the building heights map on page 201 of the sector plan indicates that the maximum height, in general, for Subarea 3a is five stories. However, the sector plan, in its economic development strategy section, reiterates that the redevelopment of this corridor is driven by the market. The sector plan’s land use and zoning strategies are aimed at establishing a flexible policy and regulatory framework to facilitate market-based decisions by the private sector. The proposed building height is 17 stories with a 16-foot high penthouse (see Finding 8 (b) below for a comparison with an existing high-rise project in close proximity to this site). The proposed building height represents a heretofore-unanticipated vision of what redevelopment opportunities and market support exist along this strip of commercial corridor. In developing height recommendations for the sector plan, the community consensus was expressed along with a recognition in the sector plan text that accommodating flexibility in redeveloping this existing commercial strip may require departure from the consensus recommendations. On page 201, Building Height, the sector plan specifically states “Upon demonstration by applicant that market and design considerations justify additional height, additional stories may be approved.” The applicant has provided a market analysis dated August 16, 2005, by Novogradac & Company LLP, demonstrating that there is a market for condominiums. In a memorandum dated October 26, 2005 (Kowaluk to Wagner), the Planning Department Information Center found that the assumptions and methodology employed by the study’s authors are valid and reasonable. The memorandum indicates that the “study is based on the projected market being faculty/staff at the University of Maryland. The market study recommends “Even though there will be a demand for one-bedroom units in the market, the preponderance of purchasers will prefer two-bedroom units;

8 DSP-05026
therefore we (Novogradac & Company LLP) suggest the developer consider altering the unit mix to include more two-bedroom units.” The staff’s memorandum also points out that “the market study only provides a justification based on market demand. This study does not attempt to provide a justification for increased density based on the project’s financial feasibility.” With regard to density, the applicant contends that “allowing the development as proposed requires a certain yield for the project to be successful.” And, “in order to provide the amenities and the mixed use called for, the project requires a certain density.” The applicant draws upon the consultant report and cites the findings and recommendations in that report, many of which are acknowledged in the sector plan text. In terms of design considerations, the Urban Design Section notes that because of the small size of the site (slightly over one acre), off-street parking has to be provided in the form of structured parking beneath the buildings, which increases the building height of residential uses by five stories. Also, given the fact that the entire site is within the 100-year floodplain of Paint Branch, that piles must be driven into the soil to support all structures, and that the parking structure cannot be below grade (or below the 100-year floodplain elevation), the additional building height is justified. Because there appear to be adequate market justification and design considerations to warrant the additional building height requested by the applicant, staff is of the opinion that the alternative development district standard will benefit the development and the development district and will not substantially impair implementation of the sector plan.

Comment: The subject application proposes a 17-story condominium complex with a penthouse. The total height of the proposed building is 186 feet (174 feet for 17 story building and 12 feet for the penthouse), which is more than three times higher than the above height requirement. The applicant indicates in the justification statement that the height of the proposed building is consistent with an existing project, University View, which is several parcels south of the subject site down US 1. University View consists of two buildings, the office and condominium, of which only the condominium building has been constructed. The office building, which fronts on US 1, is approved as 133 feet and six inches in height. The residential building, which is located behind the office building and has been built, is one inch short of 170 feet. This proposed condominium complex is 16 feet higher than the tallest building in the University View project. At the time the staff report was written, the Maryland Aviation Administration had not yet responded to the referral request. A condition of approval, which is also a condition of approval for the University View project, has been proposed to require prior to certification that the applicant provide evidence that the proposed project does not provide an airway obstruction. The site plan may be revised to reduce or eliminate any perceived obstruction identified by FAA or MAA, subject to the approval of the Planning Board or its designee in consultation with the City of College Park.

JAB323

August 5th, 2006, 11:08 PM

^^ I can't see the pictures, but...awesome! :cheers1:

Silver Springer

August 6th, 2006, 04:10 PM

^^ I can't see the pictures, but...awesome! :cheers1:

I don't know why you can't see the pictures but I will try to rehost them. Do you have this image hosting website blocked?

JAB323

August 6th, 2006, 07:50 PM

^^ I don't think so.

StevenW

August 6th, 2006, 09:57 PM

Very nice project. :)

JAB323

August 6th, 2006, 11:05 PM

I got the pictures now, looks great.

Silver Springer

August 7th, 2006, 05:40 PM

^^ Great News. BTW, has anyone heard the latest on Rosewood City, being built by Kwame Jackson (of The Apprentice fame).

Unfortunately the project is dead, very sad indeed. Check out the link for a discussion.

http://www.beyonddc.com/planning/development.shtml

http://beyonddc.com/smforum/index.php?topic=61.0

http://www.beyonddc.com/planning/images/development/md-rosewood1.jpg

http://www.beyonddc.com/planning/images/development/md-rosewood3.jpg

JAB323

August 8th, 2006, 12:20 AM

^^ :( :( :( My heart sunk when I read that.

Silver Springer

August 8th, 2006, 07:25 PM

^^ :( :( :( My heart sunk when I read that.

It was going to be a pretty big project with 8 million sq\ft of office. Pretty Ambitious. Couldn't he have at least started out on a smaller scale?

Silver Springer

August 8th, 2006, 07:27 PM

Under Armour, NFL ink footwear deal
Baltimore Business Journal - 2:42 PM EDT Mondayby Robert J. TerryStaff

Under Armour Inc. was named an authorized footwear supplier by the National Football League Monday.

The multi-year deal should help Under Armour (NASDAQ: UARM) gain traction in the competitive athletic footwear market, which the Baltimore performance apparel company officially entered in April when it launched a line of football cleats.

Under Armour issued the NFL warrants to purchase 480,000 shares of its Class A common stock as part of the agreement, the company revealed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The warrants have a term of 12 years and an exercise price of $36.99 per share. None of the warrants may be transferred or exercised until one year from the Aug. 3 issue date, the filing shows.

The agreement with the NFL enables Under Armour to supply players with branded footwear for use during games. Without a deal, current players who wear Under Armour cleats would have had to cover up the company's logo. Nike and Reebok are the NFL's only other authorized footwear suppliers.

The deal also includes advertising and marketing commitments with the NFL Network, NFL.com and the league's broadcast partners. Additionally, the company will be able to use NFL and club logos to promote its cleats.

Roger Goodell, the NFL's executive vice president and chief operating officer, said in a statement the league was "pleased to add Under Armour to the select group of companies that have on-field rights with the NFL.

"We look forward to working with Under Armour, which is an exciting, fast-growing company with a strong history in football," added Goodell, widely considered to be the front-runner to replace retired league Commissioner Paul Tagliabue.

Under Armour's moisture-wicking shirts and other products are worn by college and professional football players, and the company is the official uniform supplier for three college teams -- the University of Maryland, Auburn University and Texas Tech University.

"This is a partnership that will officially bring Under Armour's superior technology to the prestigious main stage that is the National Football League," said Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank, a former University of Maryland football player, in a statement. "This is the pinnacle of on-field authenticity and the partnership helps accomplish our mission to deliver the very best performance products to all levels of athletes. Now we have an official presence on Sundays with the best players in the world to complement the scores of student athletes wearing our products on Saturdays and under the Friday night lights."

The cleats launch this summer was a huge strategic step for Under Armour, as it takes aim at the $18 billion athletic footwear market. Retail buyers at the time were reporting strong word-of-mouth for the shoes, bringing life to a category of athletic footwear not accustomed to buzz, especially with football season months away.

Cleats comprise about $175 million of the athletic footwear business, and the company thinks it can capture $8 million to $10 million in sales this year. The cleats launch was accompanied by another buzz-building marketing campaign, dubbed "Click-Clack."

At the company's annual shareholder meeting May 31, Plank said the Click-Clack campaign held all the hallmarks of Under Armour's other forays into performance apparel markets. It takes consumers "inside the game," he said, with a sales approach that's "authentic and on-field."

The cleats retail for $46 to $110. Under Armour plans to begin selling baseball cleats next spring, Plank said during a recent earnings call with analysts.

Silver Springer

August 8th, 2006, 07:29 PM

National Aquarium celebrates birthday with free movies, other promotions

Baltimore Business Journal - 2:36 PM EDT Mondayby Julekha DashStaff

The National Aquarium in Baltimore turns 25 this year and leaders at the Inner Harbor attraction are celebrating with a series of events that will kick off Tuesday.

Baltimore City Mayor Martin O'Malley will declare tomorrow "National Aquarium in Baltimore 25th Anniversary Day" during a noon ceremony. Aquarium leaders will also dedicate the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Waterfront Park, the landscaped space in front of the popular tourist destination.

Baltimore's own Food Network star Duff Goldman, of Charm City Cakes, will serve a fish-shaped birthday cake to visitors on the pier.

With 1.6 million visitors per year, the National Aquarium in Baltimore is the Inner Harbor's top paid tourist attraction. In December, the attraction opened its $70 million expansion, which recreates a slice of an Australian river gorge.

To promote the aquarium's birthday, officials are offering 25 days of promotions including:

On Mondays, visitors can talk to the aquarium's animal experts and special guests.

On Tuesdays, free family aquatic-themed movies will be shown in the park. The
movies, which include "Shark Tale" and "The Incredible Mr. Limpet," begin at 8:30pm.

On Wednesdays, visitors can participate in hands-on activities in the park to discover how to help the Chesapeake Bay.

On Thursdays, visitors can listen to jazz and sample Australian wines, a promotion of the aquarium's Animal Planet Australia: Wild Extremes exhibit.

On Fridays, aquarium visitors can get up close and personal with some animals from the aquarium's Australia exhibit.

The events' sponsors include Hard Rock Cafe, Hyatt Regency Baltimore, Pepsi, Baltimore Magazine, and WBAL TV 11.

Silver Springer

August 8th, 2006, 07:32 PM

New Commons owners start process of redevelopment

08/03/06
By Loni Ingraham

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Western Development Corp., the new owner of Towson Commons, is looking for clearance from Baltimore County to pave the way for a redevelopment plan for the site.

After purchasing the adjacent 6-story Lafayette building at 40 W. Chesapeake Ave. in June and adding it to the Commons property, Washington-based Western is scheduled to meet with county zoning officials at an Aug. 24 hearing.

"As an out-of-state property owner, Western wants to get a handle on the parameters of what they can do," explained Western lawyer Lawrence Schmidt, who is a former county zoning commissioner.

"I think they want to move forward expeditiously."

Towson Commons was built on the corner of York Road and Pennsylvania Avenue in Towson in 1992.

The complex includes an 882-space high-rise parking garage purchased from the Baltimore County Revenue Authority, a 10-story tower with 221,195 square feet of office space - that usually has been fully leased - and 103,245 square feet of retail space, including restaurants and a movie theater, that has not met with the same success.

Western, which specializes in urban, mixed-use projects and has offices in Washington and Tokyo, purchased the complex in October.

At that time, the company announced plans to invest $30 million in the redevelopment of the Commons retail space and talked about the possibility of adding office space and residential units.

But Western doesn't want to spend significant sums on a development project that doesn't meet zoning requirements, Schmidt said.

The company doesn't have to be concerned about height restrictions as there are none in Towson's center, Schmidt said.

But size matters when it comes to other restrictions, including required open space, parking and setbacks, "since they are all based on the amount of property you're working with," he said.

Western wants a ruling by the zoning commissioner to ensure agreement on the size of the complex and on what is eligible to be included in determining the size.

Now that the offices and retail space in the Lafayette Building are Western property, Western wants the zoning commissioner to confirm that the right-of-way on Chesapeake and Pennsylvania avenues and York Road and a portion of the Bankers Way alley should be included to determine the parameters, Schmidt said.

Once Western and the zoning commissioner are on the same page, Western will submit a development plan.

"The petition before the zoning commissioner just relates to the property that Western has under its control at the present time," Schmidt said.

"However, if for some reason the zoning commissioner rules out some part of the property, it could be in the best interest of the company to acquire more property."

Any redevelopment plan has to wait for the ruling, he said. Meanwhile, Western is looking at a wide variety of options that could involve any use permitted in a town center," Schmidt said. "That's a broad range of options."

Whatever the plan turns out to be, he said, it will go through the county's full development review process, which includes public hearings.

The sooner the better, said Suzan Doordan, executive director of the Towson Chamber of Commerce.

"I think this may be just the action in the community to catapult Towson into a marketing haven," she said.

"Something like this could help every business in the community and draw more businesses into town."

JAB323

August 8th, 2006, 09:23 PM

It was going to be a pretty big project with 8 million sq\ft of office. Pretty Ambitious. Couldn't he have at least started out on a smaller scale?

It still would have been great.

bmorescottamanda

August 10th, 2006, 04:50 PM

MasonsInquiries

August 10th, 2006, 05:58 PM

JAB323

August 10th, 2006, 07:31 PM

UA + NFL = Greaet Deal!

Silver Springer

August 14th, 2006, 01:48 PM

2/3rds of Downtown Bethesda, MD in Montgomery County.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c4/Bethesda_downtown_panorama.jpg

Silver Springer

August 16th, 2006, 06:18 PM

Cover Story
The Domino Effect Corridor growth causes a chain reaction

by Amrit Dhillon

Aris Melissaratos is all business.

The secretary of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development is tasked with luring new

companies to the state by selling its strengths.

The thriving Baltimore-Washington Corridor helps him get the job done.

“The Corridor is a phenomenal place; I wouldn’t trade our four counties for anything in Northern Virginia,” Melissaratos said. “We have our challenges, but I think our challenges are manageable.”

Those challenges are a result of the immense growth the Corridor has experienced recently -— growth that has produced positive and negative effects on jobs, housing and transportation.

The Corridor counties — Anne Arundel, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George’s — are among the most affluent and educated in the country. The Corridor, with its close proximity to Baltimore and the nation’s capital, has become an ideal place to do business. The area is saturated with federal agencies, research institutions, information technology firms and biotech companies.

Photo
Aris Melissaratos, secretary of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, talks about the growth in the Corridor and its domino effect on jobs, housing and transportation. “The good news is Maryland has an abundance of economic prosperity. Everyone wants to live here,” said Robert L. Flanagan, secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation. “The bad news is everyone wants to live here.”

There were more than 2.4 million people in the Corridor in 2000, according to the U.S. Census. By 2020, the population is expected to grow about 20 percent to nearly 2.9 million people, according to the Maryland Department of Planning.

Growth is being driven by “what people are doing in the privacy of their home, their bedroom or the backseat of cars,” said Ronald Utt, senior resident fellow at the Heritage Foundation and an adjunct fellow at the Maryland Public Policy Institute.

Maturation, divorce and immigration are also responsible for surges in population, he said. This growth can have serious effects on social and economic factors that govern quality of life, Utt added.

“Education is the foundation of society … That gives you the workforce, then they have to have a place to live, then they have to be able to get to wherever they work in a very productive, low-stress fashion,” said Melissaratos.

It’s a domino effect.

In 2004, the Corridor was home to three of the top five counties in Maryland with the largest increases in jobs.

Anne Arundel, Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties were home to 22,715 of Maryland’s 47,600 new jobs. Between 1999 and 2004, the Corridor counties, along with Baltimore County, accounted for 78 percent of the new jobs in the state, according to the planning department.

The much-anticipated Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) decision, as well as the strong push to bring more informatics and biotechnology companies, or “knowledge economy jobs,” to the area, leaves the door open for more job growth.

“We push the high-end jobs,” said Melissaratos. “We’re proud of the fact that we have the No. 1 workforce in the country and we’ll continue to have that.”

As these industries grow, it creates a demand “for janitors, cleaners, dry cleaners, and bagel shops … the market drives this stuff,” he said.

But economist Anirban Basu said heavy government zoning and planning regulations

on land development mean you can’t rely on the marketplace.

This creates a problem — or “a bottleneck” — with housing, said Basu, chairman and CEO of Sage Policy Group Inc.

Though the housing market has been good to Maryland, the cost of homes has skyrocketed.

In 2005 the average median home price for the Baltimore-Washington market was $331,000, according to the Center for Housing Policy, a Washington, D.C.-based research group that examines affordable housing policies.

Photo
The Baltimore-Washington Parkway is just one of the roads in the Corridor that is jammed with daily commuters. Nearly 914,000 people in Anne Arundel, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties commute alone to work each day. Based on the center’s annual study, this means professionals like accountants, construction managers, loan officers and civil engineers don’t earn enough to comfortably afford homes.

The Corridor is seeing an escalating market partly due to those relocating from other states, said Owen J. Rouse Jr., senior vice president of Manekin LLC.

They see this area as much more affordable than properties in more expensive states like New Jersey, he said.

“It’s been so cheap for so long,” Rouse said. “Others are explaining [the value of our market] to us by taking out their checkbooks.”

The BRAC changes will only bring more of these buyers to the area, and many in Maryland might be slowly priced out of their own market, which is not a problem as long as they already own their homes, said Basu.

With limited residential zoned land left in the Corridor, developers must use permits wisely. Building to get the highest return on investment, which means less housing and even less affordable housing, is a business strategy, said Basu.

“You’ve got to believe in the invisible hands of the market — [the] supply and demand equation,” said Melissaratos.

There could be larger consequences though.

“Too few houses means too few workers,” said Basu.

The region is in jeopardy of not being able to fully capitalize on its prosperity because employers won’t be able to find employees, he said.

“People want [affordable] housing so they move outside the metro areas,” said Utt. “Now you have people on the road for two hours. Roads can’t accommodate that — they weren’t meant to.”

In 2004, nearly 914,000 people in the Corridor drove alone to work each day with an average mean commute time of 31.12 minutes, according to the U.S. Census’ American Community Survey. Just 135,000 take public transportation, according to the survey.

These issues have gotten more attention this year with the approval of the Intercounty Connector (ICC) and the green light for a study of a Metro rail expansion.

Despite an all-time high transportation budget of $13 billion for six years, “no one single project will solve all of our problems,” admitted Flanagan.

Most residents and leaders agree the No. 1 problem facing this area is transportation.

“Growth affects transportation in every place if people don’t increase capacity of roads,” Utt said.

In order to deal with the growth, a plan must be in place; the state must be accountable for goals that diminish congestion and increase mobility,

said Utt.

While Maryland is moving towards this, it’s not quite there yet, he added.

“There is a vision for creating a balanced transportation program for the entire state … it will connect people to jobs and one another,” said Flanagan. “It includes highway improvements and public transportation improvements.”

There’s a clear cycle: connecting people to jobs, means a need for housing, which means more people on the road.

Growth is an energizing force that is arguably good for the majority of the Corridor, but the way government and the private sector manage growth will determine the area’s capacity, said Basu.

Rouse and other officials said there’s definitely the capacity for more growth.

The Corridor counties each have their own limited potential.

For now, Prince George’s County has the most capacity for growth because it has not developed as fast as the others, said Melissaratos.

Those areas in the Corridor like Howard and Montgomery will adjust by “aging in place,” said Rouse. This means developers will tear down existing buildings and re-build on those sites, changing to meet market demand.

The state is also working with Prince George’s County on transit-oriented development.

“The vision is that at every Metro station there will be mixed-use development that allows a person to come down from their condo, go to work … and on the way home stop at the market at the Metro station,” said Melissaratos.

More plans like that are necessary in order to manage the growth. Experts agree forward-looking policy and coordination between governments is key.

As politicians and public priorities change over time, some of these things will fix themselves, Rouse said.

Society has a way of hearing the loudest voice, said Melissaratos.

For now, the Corridor is poised to enjoy its status, with its expensive homes and long commutes.

“There is an indisputable dynamic that doesn’t exist anywhere else but here — it’s a type of halo effect,” said Rouse. “The glow between D.C. and Baltimore always has and always will exist.” <

Silver Springer

August 16th, 2006, 06:21 PM

Struever among finalists to develop D.C. waterfront

Baltimore Business Journal - 1:38 PM EDT Tuesdayby Sean MadiganContributor

The Anacostia Waterfront Corp. has trimmed its short list of development teams vying to redevelop nearly 50 acres along the Southwest waterfront to a pair of finalists.

The corporation selected Madison/KSI Waterfront Partners and PN Hoffman/Struever Brothers Eccles & Rouse from a list of five teams. AWC says it expects to name a winner this fall, who would then work with the quasi-public corporation to redevelop the dreary stretch along the Washington Channel into a $500 million maritime-themed mixed-use development.

A team of city officials and real estate consultants assessed each proposal. The looked at each teams' qualifications, approach, strategy, financial wherewithal and commitment to local and minority participation.

PN Hoffman/ Struever's team includes almost 40 builders, developers, consultants and nonprofit partners. PN Hoffman is one of the city's most prominent high-end condo developers and Struever -- based in Baltimore --has several major projects on the Baltimore waterfront.

The Madison/KSI team includes D.C.-based Madison Marquette, Virginia housing builder KSI and as well as former hoops star Magic Johnson's Canyon-Johnson Urban Funds.

"Both teams under final consideration are world-class and highly regarded firms that would provide high-quality value to the District," says Stephen Goldsmith, AWC's chairman.

PN Hoffman/Struever and Madison/KSI beat out competing bids from teams led by Chicago's John Buck Co., Anthony Lanier's EastBanc andh e JBG Cos.

JBG, and its partners currently control about 180,000 square feet of land on the five key city-owned parcels that make up much of the proposed waterfront site.

It is not quite clear if JBG will be involved in the redevelopment program or if the winning developers will simply buy out their interests.

AWC has stuck to its schedule in moving the developer selection process forward. But the corporation and the city and the National Capital Revitalization Corp. still have not consummated a land swap -- agreed to more than two years ago -- that would give AWC clear title to key properties for the plan.

Silver Springer

August 16th, 2006, 07:05 PM

Md. firm leads nation in seed venture deals

Katie Wilmeth, The Examiner
Aug 16, 2006 5:00 AM (7 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 129 of 4,750 articles

Columbia, Md. - The Maryland Technology Development Corporation invested in more early-stage and seed companies last year than any other venture capital firm in the nation, according to a recent ranking by Entrepreneur magazine. The state-sponsored venture fund invested a total of about $1.5 million in 23 companies — all of them in Maryland — in 2005. This is the third consecutive year TEDCO ranked No. 1.

The Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, which is a similar state-sponsored venture fund, ranked No. 3 on the Entrepreneur list with 14 deals last year. Virginia’s Center For Innovative Technology came in at No. 13. It’s state-sponsored fund made seven deals in 2005.

The Technology Development Corporation’s emphasis on early-stage companies is unusual in a time when most VCs are shying away from those deals, opting for more later-stage, sure-thing investments. During the second quarter of this year, only 22.5 percent of local venture funding went to seed and early-stage companies, according to figures from PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association. More than half went to fund company expansions and 24.4 percent went to later-stage firms.

“That is precisely why we are” focusing on early-stage investments, said Steven Fritz, director of technology transfer for the Development Corporation. “Our hope is that we will provide seed funding to all of these early stage companies so they can attract bigger investments from [mainstream] venture capitalists.”

Though the investments are relatively small by venture capital standards, about half of the start-up firms have gone on to score additional venture funding since the fund was launched in 2002.

“When we first started [investing], people asked, ‘How much can you do with that much money?’ ” Fritz said. “And the answer is apparently a lot.”

kwilmeth@dcexaminer.com

Examiner

Silver Springer

August 16th, 2006, 07:07 PM

Bethesda remodeler looks to expand in Philly

Baltimore Business Journal - 2:16 PM EDT Tuesdayby Neil AdlerContributor

Case Handyman and Remodeling is looking for some love in the City of Brotherly Love.

The Bethesda-based residential remodeling company is seeking to fill two or three franchise opportunities in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

Case is targeting entrepreneurs with project and sales management experience, strong business acumen and familiarity with, and passion for, the remodeling industry.

"For entrepreneurs that are tired of suits and ties, long commutes and have decided that they are ready to take the next step to improve their income, wealth and lifestyle, we have great systems in place to help meet their financial goals," says Mark Richardson, president of Case, in a statement. "The opportunity to start your own business brings with it the freedom to control your own destiny and build for the future."

About two months ago, Case opened new franchises in St. Charles, Ill.; Columbus, Ohio; and Monmouth County, N.J. Founded in 1961, Case has franchises in more than 60 U.S. cities and also has three local offices in addition to its headquarters.

Silver Springer

August 17th, 2006, 05:00 PM

Filmmaking in Maryland sets record in fiscal 2006

(Arianne Starnes/For the Examiner)
Jack Gerbes, head of the Maryland Film Office, sits for a portrait Wednesday in Baltimore. Printer Friendly | PDF | Email
Bruce Miller, The Examiner
Aug 17, 2006 5:00 AM (5 hrs ago)
Current rank: # 16 of 6,046 articles

BALTIMORE - Beating the record set in 2003, filmmaking in Maryland generated $158 million in economic impact during fiscal 2006, more than doubling last year’s $66 million, according to figures released by the Maryland Film Office.

“This can be directly attributed to the success of the state’s wage rebate program passed last year,” said Jack Gerbes, director of the film office, which is part of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development. “It is becoming a battle of incentives, not how good your crew base is or how good your location is. It’s, ‘How much money will you give us?’ ”

The Maryland incentive program, called the Film Wage Rebate program, was passed by the General Assembly last year and was developed to compete with states such as Louisiana, Pennsylvania, New York and Illinois, which offer significant tax credits to attract film and television production.

Under the program, a qualified film or commercial production filming on location in Maryland may claim a rebate of 50 percent of the first $25,000 in wages paid per employee earning less than $1 million. The rebate is capped at $2 million a project and is given only to production companies spending a minimum of $500,000 in the state. For fiscal 2007, the state has allocated $6.875 million to the program.

Gerbes said that films taking advantage of the program in fiscal 2006 included the recently released “Step Up,” independent film “Rocket Science” and the HBO series “The Wire.” Other productions filmed in the state included “The Visiting” starring Nicole Kidman, “Failure to Launch,” the Miss USA competition and various independent films, television productions, commercials and documentaries. In total, Maryland hosted more than 770 production days.

But while the state’s Wage Rebate program is credited with bringing productions to Maryland, Hannah Byron, director of the Baltimore Film Office, said that competing states and countries are continually adding to their incentive programs. For Maryland to remain a major player, the state government needs to consistently invest in the program, she said.

“We’ve always had an excellent reputation as a filmmaking hub because of the caliber of our crew base and the cooperation between city and state agencies,” Byron said. “The incentive program is a huge help but we can’t take our eyes off the fact that this is an incentive program that we need to continue to invest in to be competitive.”

More details

» The last record set for filmmaking in the state was in fiscal 2003, when filmmaking generated $125 million in economic impact. That year, the production of major blockbuster movies such as “Head of State” and “Ladder 49” were credited with setting the record.

bmiller@baltimoreexaminer.com

Examiner

JAB323

August 17th, 2006, 07:04 PM

^^ awesome! Step Up was great. j/k

Expat

August 18th, 2006, 11:36 PM

Does anyone have information or renderings on "Annapolis Town Center" formerly Parole Plaza? I have noticed work in progress. It will be a huge project. Also noticed several new large buildings going up on West Avenue Circle (Or whatever is it is called West & Spa). There seems to be two or three large buildings called Park Plaza or something like that. Sign indicates high end condos. Any renderings or more info?

Also, any renderings or info on Odenton Town Center to be built near the MARC commuter train station? When are things going to get started?

Also, mixed use development, Village of Waugh Chapel in Gambrils/Crofton is doubling in size with a Wegmans supermarket, other retail and condos. There seems to be a lot development in the works for Anne Arundel County - pushed along by the BRAC jobs, no doubt.

Edit: I just did some googling and found www.parkplace-annapolis.com. There is a condo building, office building, and hotel. These building are already going up and making a big presence on West Avenue. The bank office building on the pie shaped lot facing the circle is making a presence, too. This area looks very different than a year ago.

Edit again: Sorry, I keep asking questions but not adding much! Today, I noticed a big sign on an empty lot near the Takoma Station for a new condo building called Ecco Park. I tried to put the website to memory, but it didn't work. Anybody with info on this building? I think it will look great and help create a nice streetscape between the station and downtown Takoma Park.

JAB323

August 19th, 2006, 04:01 PM

^^ Actually I do have some, but let me dig it up. I've been following annapolis projects closely because I live there, although I'll be in Hawaii soon.

Good link:

http://www.ggcommercial.com/projects/parole/photo_gallery.html

JAB323

August 19th, 2006, 04:04 PM

btw, a PF chang's will open in annapolis town center, if you dig through the thread you'll find i posted the Odenton town center master plan. I shop at Waugh Chapel on ocassion and my question is where is that Flagship theater they proposed? But movie theaters aren't doing so well, oh well.

JAB323

August 19th, 2006, 04:06 PM

Park Place is a huge project hat has been under way for sometime, I drive by everyday, and for its surroundings it is a colossal project.

Silver Springer

August 19th, 2006, 05:01 PM

JAB323

August 19th, 2006, 06:42 PM

^^ do you mean Park Place?

Expat

August 19th, 2006, 08:56 PM

JAB323

August 19th, 2006, 09:02 PM

^^ Yeah, they are doing this to all Westfields malls and will be open in Annapolis by Holiday 2007, just in time LOL.

Balmurfan

August 22nd, 2006, 02:39 PM

WILLIAMSPORT - Dot Foods Inc. is planning to add as many as 100 jobs over the next four years as part of a $10 million expansion of its distribution center in Williamsport.

The Mt. Sterling, Ill., company, with locations throughout the country, delivers food service and retail products to distributors in each of the 50 states, according to a written statement.

The food redistributor will add 63,000 square feet of dry storage capacity and 40,000 square feet of frozen storage capacity, increasing the total square footage at the 16301 Elliott Parkway facility to 257,000 square feet.

Brian Duffield, general manager of the Williamsport distribution center, said Monday that continued growth is driving the need for the expansion.

"Due to volume growth, we need to expand," he said.

Duffield said the business hopes to begin construction by the end of August and have the work completed in the spring of 2007.

The Williamsport distribution center delivers food service, convenience and supermarket products, and equipment and supplies to seven states in the eastern U.S., according to the statement.

The jobs that will be added include warehouse material handlers, truck drivers, supervisors and administrators.

The warehouse positions pay as much as $16 an hour, and the average salary for truck drivers in 2005 was about $64,500, Duffield said. The business guarantees first-year truck drivers will earn $50,000 in the first year, he said.

sdeclue

August 22nd, 2006, 03:54 PM

A big project was announced for the Annapolis area near the MARC station that would include two towers, a hotel, and many houses.

Also, they are having a meeting today about a possible tower in Towson. Great news. I'd love to see the Annapolis project kick start revitilization along Route 1 and it would be nice if Towson threw up some new talls and created their own skyline.

Expat

August 22nd, 2006, 04:14 PM

^Do you mean the Savage Marc Station?

sdeclue

August 22nd, 2006, 05:27 PM

Yeah I think it's the Savage MARC station.

StevenW

August 22nd, 2006, 11:28 PM

Chevy Chase firm buys tower for $245M

IIn a deal worth nearly a quarter of a billion dollars, Bethesda-based ASB Capital Management LLC bought the centerpiece of the Minneapolis, Minn., skyline.

- LOUIS LLOVIO

^^ That is too cool! :lol: :yes:

JAB323

August 22nd, 2006, 11:54 PM

Yeah I think it's the Savage MARC station.

Savage isn't really Annapolis area though.

Silver Springer

August 23rd, 2006, 04:02 AM

^^ do you mean Park Place?

Yes.

Silver Springer

August 23rd, 2006, 04:14 AM

I think Ecco Park in Takoma Park will have retail on the first floor. That is the impression I have for some reason, but not sure. This would be a great place to live, close to Metro, downtown Takoma Park and Silver Spring.

Thanks for the link to Annapolis Town Center. The development has more buildings than I realized, it is a huge development. Once it is completed, I wonder how it will change the surrounding areas. It will have an impact. I noticed Annapolis Mall is adding "lifestyle center" type development. I guess they want to stay up to date with the new developments in Parole - LOL. Though I think Westfields is doing this type of development to their malls all over the country.

Any news on Konterra in Laurel?

Watch for thre Pavilion at Takoma Park by Centex homes too. Unlike their project in Silver Spring (which I don't see on their website so I'm getting worried) it doesn't have ground floor retail but it is a LEED certified building. It should be good for the neighborhood over all.

As for Konterra, if the ICC is built then count on it being built too. Looks like the Konterra group just apllied for a new office building or two as well.

Silver Springer

August 23rd, 2006, 04:26 AM

Silver Springer

August 23rd, 2006, 04:49 AM

University Town Center

comments
Could this be Prince George's county's first real downtown? It sure is shaping up to be! If this part of Hyattsville continues to densify it would create a corridor linking two other highly urbanized, urban districts, Silver Spring and Bethesda along East-West Highway. "The Towers" can be seen hovering above the trees from Langle Park along University Blvd. This infill project is adjacent to the Mall at Prince George's, a beautiful large pedestrian bridge spanning East-West Highway links to anther project that will include a Circut city, a gym, a lot of other retailers and 300,000 square feet of office space. An new apartment community under construction as well as the metro station that is making it all happen is one this side as well.

Status
Under Construction

http://www.swirnow.com/UniversityTownCenter1.JPG

http://www.universitytowncenter.net/images/siteplan0805.gif

http://www.universitytowncenter.net/images/safeway2.gif

http://www.universitytowncenter.net/images/Utownpictures-007.gif

There is already 1.3 million square feet of existing office space.
http://www.universitytowncenter.net/images/20050507-f0035-D2Xg.jpg

The tower looks like the Gaylord Hotel at National Harbor (not bad but I hate WDG Architects even though they didn't do the National Harbor project)
http://www.universitytowncenter.net/images/towers-2.jpg

Silver Springer

August 23rd, 2006, 04:59 AM

Way-Out-of-the-Norm Dorm
Students From 9 Colleges Call Amenity-Laden Md. High-Rise Home
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/15/AR2006081501075.html
By Susan Kinzie
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 16, 2006; Page A01

http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2006/08/15/PH2006081501216.jpg

As she starts her freshman year at the University of Maryland, Alyssa Evans will not be roughing it: She'll have a furnished single room with a double bed, private bathroom, cable and high-speed Internet. Her four-person suite has a full kitchen, a washer and dryer, a dining room table and black leather couches in the living room.

Her high-rise building has a game room with video games, poker and pool tables and flat-screen TVs, a rooftop deck, a pool and -- losing track here -- okay, and a big fitness center.

And tanning beds.

Going off to school was never like this. Especially because she's not even at school. The privately developed 910-bed student housing that opened last week is in Hyattsville, not College Park, in the middle of a construction mess that will eventually be a 56-acre development with shops, restaurants, a movie theater and offices.

And it's filled with students from nine schools.

So while Evans, 17, nervously waited to meet her U-Md. roommates, a bunch of Howard University sorority sisters were reuniting downstairs with hugs. A Howard graduate student arrived from Tennessee, hoping the building would be quiet. Catholic University students moved onto a floor that was set aside for them.

http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2006/08/16/GR2006081600138.gif

And hundreds of others from American, Georgetown, George Washington and Trinity universities and Montgomery and Prince George's community colleges were dragging in duffel bags, DVD players and pillows, their college T-shirts and visors a jumble of colors.

It might just be a sign of things to come, with booming enrollments and student expectations driving changes in housing. Some experts said they believe the Towers at University Town Center is one of the first such projects in the country to serve so many schools at once.

Research has shown that college students tend to be more involved and more likely to stay in school if they live on campus.

But many schools have bulging enrollments this year, thanks to population growth and the increasing importance of a college degree, and are now struggling to provide housing. That means Catholic, for example, can't squeeze in all the students who are coming this month, so it leased 58 beds at the Towers and arranged a shuttle bus loop to its Northeast Washington campus.

Student housing is a big issue here: The D.C. area has one of the highest numbers of college students per capita in the country, according to the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area. The group's 15 schools alone enroll more than 175,000.

Many schools have sparred bitterly with neighbors over student housing as lawns and driveways fill with cars, keg parties spill into quiet neighborhoods and music shakes once-quiet apartment towers. Some have come up with creative alternatives, such as the hotels that George Washington University converted into dorms, the partnership U-Md. formed with private developers to build apartment towers, the art studios American is converting to suites and the trailers Catholic put in the middle of campus.

Developers know a growth market when they see one, said Connie Carson, president of the Association of College and University Housing Officers International. In the past decade, she said, schools have gotten more competition as private apartments sprout up nearby.

Many schools have found that dorms can lure students -- or scare them away -- as they decide on a college. Colleges have tried to adapt to the consumer mentality many have now, Carson said, with students unaccustomed to sharing rooms or bathrooms.

So the bare-bones dorm rooms -- like the one Evans's father, Hal, had at U-Md., where he stooped to avoid hitting his head on the ceiling of his cramped double and shared the bathroom down the hall with 14 guys -- are fading away.

The median cost per square foot of dorm has more than doubled since 1997, and room extras such as microwaves and mini refrigerators are not unusual anymore. GWU's new freshman dorm has a maid service to clean the bathrooms and vacuum the rooms -- no more sticky beer patches on the floor.

Students pay an average of about $800 a month for off-campus housing in the D.C. area, according to Jonathan Sawyer, dean of students at Catholic. The range is huge: Some spend as little as $500 a month for a ratty shared apartment in the College Park area, and some are lucky enough to have parents invest in elegant Georgetown rowhouses for them to reside in.

On campus, students might pay about $3,200 for an un-air-conditioned triple at Howard during an academic year, but rates from $6,000 to $8,000 at other schools are more typical. The average cost for GWU students living on campus is more than $9,000.

At the Towers, rent ranges from $695 to $930 a month per bed.

The building is right at the Prince George's Plaza Metro station, so it's an easy trip to several schools. About 40 percent of the residents are from nearby U-Md., which will run a shuttle there, and more than a third are from Howard. Some students were directed to the Towers by their colleges, and some found its Web site on their own.

Georica Gholson, who is starting the clinical psychology graduate program at Howard, liked that it was less expensive than places she checked in Northwest Washington, where the university is located. For Gholson, who will turn 24 in the fall, this is her first time away from home; she has always lived with her parents in Memphis.

She and her father, looking exhausted after driving all night in their jam-packed little gray Dodge Neon, waited in line to pick up her key card.

She hoped her suitemates would be quiet and studious -- no drinking, no smoking.

"I like that it's all students," she said, because it seems safer. "Hopefully, I'll still be saying that six months from now. I hope there isn't too much partying."

Downstairs in the garage, Amanda Murray, 19, was pulling Ralph Lauren linens from her Audi when a friend ran over to give her a hug. She and her Howard sorority sisters agreed immediately: This was the perfect mix.

Murray had just finished a summer internship at an investment bank in New York, and her boyfriend, a college basketball player, was flying in that night. She unlocked the door to one of the much larger first-floor suites, and her friend Todd Price clapped a hand to his mouth. "Whoa," he said, looking at the huge windows lining two stories on the far wall. "Okay!"

Murray showed off where she and her two suitemates would put patio furniture and grill outside, then turned back inside to where they would put barstools on the stained-cement floor. She set her pink toile lamp next to her hot-pink bed.

Out in the hall, families staggered under armloads of boxes, waiting for the elevators and dodging workers with tool belts. Hal Evans emerged a few floors up with his arms wrapped around a 27-inch television.

Alyssa Evans was admitted to U-Md. later than most, so she had to find her own housing. Her dad, who works for the federal government in Baltimore, was nervous because the cost was higher than that on campus.

"Look at my closet," Evans said, beaming.

Her 13-year-old brother, Michael, wearing an "I love the ladies" T-shirt and a baseball cap backward, ripped duct tape off a box. She pulled a toaster oven out, set it on the kitchen counter and admired it. "Yay!"

When the first of her three suitemates arrived, Evans gave her a big hug. Stephanie Faudale said her friends in the dorms on campus are already jealous.

"Let's go see the pool!" Evans said.

But when the elevator doors opened to the roof, a bunch of construction workers in red hard hats got in. Roof closed -- the pool is still a ways from being done. Workers were everywhere. Outside, machinery lumbered through the dirt and metal that will one day be condos; right now it's just loud.

It's nothing like the way Evans expected to start college. She was thrilled with the space, ready to make friends and glad that her floor seemed to be all freshmen: "I'd be creeped out living with older people. I'd feel out of place."

The only thing she wondered about was whether she would feel disconnected from campus. "Being in a dorm is part of the whole college experience," she said. "I think it'll measure up. Hopefully."

JAB323

August 23rd, 2006, 02:47 PM

Yeah, I've been through UTC a few times lately, and I must say those college kids have it really easy. I used to go to PG Plaza when I went to High Point all the time, oh wait I mean "The Mall at Prince George's". It's just like Westfields Wheaton, it will alwas be Wheaton Plaza in my heart. LOL :)

vivo

August 29th, 2006, 08:44 PM

so how is the night life there? How close is the night life to Towson?
perhaps bel air needs more non chain restaurants.

http://www.examiner.com/a-247081~Some_say_Bel_Air_is_the_area_s_next_boom_town.html
Some say Bel Air is the area’s next boom town

Where a line of trees once backed Betsy the cow near the intersection of Route 1 and Route 24 in Bel Air, a strip of stores now sit.
(Courtesy photo)
Where a line of trees once backed Betsy the cow near the intersection of Route 1 and Route 24 in Bel Air, a strip of stores now sit.

Printer Friendly | PDF | Email | digg
Mike Silvestri, The Examiner
Aug 28, 2006 5:00 AM (1 day ago)
Current rank: # 612 of 5,846 articles
Bel Air, Md. - Could Bel Air become another Fells Point or Federal Hill? Elizabeth Cook believes the potential is there.

As the executive director of the Bel Air Downtown Revitalization Alliance, predicting a rosy future is arguably part of her job. But even to an objective observer, evidence suggests the comparison is not as crazy as it would have sounded 10 or 20 years ago.

Until fairly recently, Harford County’s seat was a quaint little town flanked by farmland.

However, the town’s population has increased 60 percent since 1970, according to the Harford County Department of Economic Development, and the outlying rural area just beyond the town limits has grown increasingly suburban, with an abundance of the shopping and dining choices that newcomers want.

Betsy the cow used to be the town’s unofficial greeter, author and historian Bill Bates recalls. FedEx, Kinko’s and Aref’s Oriental Rugs have taken her place.

Chili’s Grill & Bar was the first major chain restaurant when it opened along Route 1 about 15 years ago, said Bob Syphard, the town’s senior planner. It’s since been joined by Ruby Tuesday, Outback Steakhouse, TGI Friday’s, Uno’s Chicago Grill, Red Lobster and Double T Diner, among others.

And in downtown Bel Air, Sean Bolan’s Irish Pub, Ropewalk Tavern, Looney’s Pub North, Dead Freddies and the Main Street Tower have all burst onto the scene in the past few years.

“The sidewalks used to be clear at five. Now we have a night life,” Cook says.

The Downtown Revitalization Alliance’s general development philosophy is to attract restaurants first, then retail and residential components, she explains.

The group wants Bel Air to “be a place people can park and spend the day,” she says “Basically, we want it to be a place people want to drive to, and not through.”

Like Fells Point, she says.

David Bacon, 22, moved into to a condominium in downtown Bel Air two years ago. While Bel Air doesn’t stack up to Baltimore yet for nightlife, he said he could imagine it becoming more like Fells Point. It’s already comparable to Towson, said the Towson University grad.

“I used to go to Towson a lot more before the Bel Air bars popped up,” he said.

“Young people think it’s great, because they never thought anything was happening around here,” said Gail Angel, a local real estate trainer who moved to Churchville, just outside Bel Air, in 1980.

But Angel and others admit to some trepidation about what the future might bring in terms of more crowding, crime and congestion.

“It used to take me eight or nine minutes to get to Bel Air,” said Gill Denn, 62, an Aberdeen resident for 46 years. Now it takes five times as long, he says.

Over the past 32 years, traffic has increased seven-fold near the intersection of Route 543 and Route 22 just east of town, according to the State Highway Administration.

But local officials are optimistic about managing growth while retaining Bel Air’s small town charm and sense of history.

The state recognized Bel Air’s Main Street in 2001 as one of 18 with the historic value and economic potential to warrant state funding. Historic buildings in downtown Bel Air, between Bond and Main streets, are being renovated to attract and house a variety of businesses, according to Syphard.

Meanwhile, the first “mini-skyscrapers” are also in the works — five-story buildings, higher than anything in town so far, that will have residential, office and retail space. Construction is expected to start early next year.

“People are starting to view the downtown area of Bel Air as a live-work area,” Syphard says. “It’s starting to take on a city mentality rather than a bedroom community.”

JAB323

August 29th, 2006, 09:22 PM

^^ As far as I'm conscerned it already is! :)

JAB323

August 30th, 2006, 12:23 AM

http://youtube.com/watch?v=MVwYLQVFkNQ

StevenW

September 1st, 2006, 02:46 PM

14-story height limit mulled

County considering the restriction for new construction in downtown Columbia
by a sun reporter
Originally published September 1, 2006

Responding to broad public concern, a height limitation of 14 stories for new buildings in downtown Columbia is under consideration by the county.

That has been one of thorniest issues confronting a sweeping proposal to convert downtown into a dense city, and it has become even more contentious with the approval of a 275-foot-tall luxury residential and retail complex overlooking Lake Kittamaqundi, which would be the tallest structure in Howard County and far taller than any in Town Center.

That project, by Florida-based WCI Communities Inc., would be exempt from any height limitation because it has passed through the regulatory process and received county approval.

Whether 14 stories would be an unconditional cap, or simply a general target that could be exceeded in some instances, has not been determined.

There remains the possibility that a final plan might propose the limitation but make it flexible so developers could construct taller buildings in return for public improvements, such as new roads, constructing "green," or environmentally responsible, buildings, and cultural or civic centers, said Elmina J. Hilsenrath, division chief of Environmental and Community Planning.

A draft of the plan for downtown, released to the public in February, had included a limitation of 20 stories.

Hilsenrath acknowledged the sensitivity of the issue by noting that some people "really are very concerned about height," while others advocate no limitations.

"We've been dancing around the issue for many, many months," Hilsenrath told a focus group studying the future development of Town Center. But, she said Wednesday, a computer analysis showed that virtually the entire plan could be achieved by enacting a lower height limitation.

That would permit 5,500 additional housing units, 3 million square feet of new commercial offices and 750,000 square feet for retail.

Marsha S. McLaughlin, director of the Department of Planning and Zoning, which is spearheading the downtown plan, said no decisions have been made. "You could lay this out a lot of different ways," she said.

A final plan is not expected to be completed until early next year. But the results of the analysis are certainly an indication of the form the final plan may take. It includes, by district:

• Warfield Triangle: 500 housing units, 100,000 square feet of new office space and 300,000 square feet for retail. The height limitation would be six stories, or 80 feet.

• Corporate Boulevard: 300 housing units, 2.2 million square feet of commercial offices and 100,000 square feet of retail. A height limitation of 14 stories, or 180 feet, would be imposed in that area.

• The Lakefront: 2,200 housing units, 200,000 square feet of new office space and 175,000 square feet for retail. In addition, that area could include 300 hotel rooms or a conference center. A restriction of six stories, or 80 feet, would be enacted.

• Columbia Mall: 300 housing units, a prohibition on commercial development, 100,000 square feet for retail, and 125 hotel rooms. A 14-story height limitation would be imposed.

• The Crescent: 2,200 housing units, a prohibition on commercial development, 100,000 square feet for retail, and 125 hotel rooms. In addition, Hilsenrath said, the county is considering a new library, school, fire station and community center on the site.

The issue of height divides the focus group.

"Don't give away [to developers] the maximum and then negotiate up," said Alan Klein, principal of Klein Consulting. Klein was asked to sit in for an absent member.

But Timothy J. Sosinski, a principal with ARIUM Inc., an architectural, engineering and planning firm, said greater heights and density than proposed may be appropriate.

The motivation for the plan is twofold. First, there appears to be broad appeal for converting downtown into an urban center, which encourages pedestrian use, civic and cultural activities and offers a wide assortment of retail shops, restaurants and offices. Second, it is viewed as a prime location for growth in a county that is land-starved.

McLaughlin addressed the latter point Wednesday, when she told the focus group that the county's general plan, the blueprint on where and how development should occur, has imposed sharp restrictions on growth in the western, and largely agricultural, region of the county.

"But we don't sprawl everywhere," she said. So the county also has identified several mixed-use developments, in which the greatest density is considered appropriate. Those include Waverly, Turf Valley, Emerson and Maple Lawn, Maryland.

"We're often seen as the bad guys," McLaughlin said, "because we're supporting the general plan."

Downtown Columbia also can accommodate "additional growth," she said. "We're looking at what happens long term. That needs to be the central point of the county's growth."

Despite Wednesday's presentation, several key issues are unresolved. Perhaps the greatest are: Will the traffic generated by the plan result in unacceptable congestion; working out the details of a new road system; and who will pay for the millions of dollars in improvements?

Several focus group members said the plan, in whatever final form it takes, must reflect the vision of the late James W. Rouse, the founder and principal architect of Columbia.

Douglas M. Godine, an executive of General Growth Properties Inc., the primary landowner and developer of Columbia, said, "What you miss is, that vision is here. Jim Rouse's vision is alive everyday. ... Our commitment is to Columbia and to the citizens of Howard County."

Godine said he is confident that the final plan will "make [Columbia] a better place. A place you will enjoy even more."

vivo

September 2nd, 2006, 01:19 AM

What are the thoughts on the purple line and the green line extension?

StevenW

September 2nd, 2006, 04:19 PM

I'm all for it! ;) :D ^^

Silver Springer

September 2nd, 2006, 05:39 PM

What are the thoughts on the purple line and the green line extension?

I wish we could have both under construction at the same time. I want the green line for economic benefits and the purple line for actually solving traffic problems but the majority of the purple line should be underground.

Silver Springer

September 2nd, 2006, 05:46 PM

What are your thoughts on this? What do you think the state should do?

Maryland mulls 'vaccine manufacturing capital of the world' dream

By Gregory Roumeliotis

31/08/2006 - Bruised by Novartis’s snub over a $600m (€466m) vaccine plant, Maryland has commissioned a study on what more the state can do to attract a major cell culture vaccine manufacturing facility there.

Although the study has not yet been released, In-PharmaTechnologist.com has learned that in its findings the report suggests that the city of Baltimore and the state of Maryland will need to work much harder to attract biotech investment given the financial incentives that other states provide.

The state had been in the running with North Carolina and Georgia for Novartis's plant, which will be the first facility in the US to use novel cell culture technology, but Aris Melissaratos, Maryland's secretary of the Department of Business and Economic Development, said that other states were willing to give away free land and so Maryland couldn't compete with that sweetener given this region's high real estate prices.

Nevertheless, the state still has several firms that have committed to building manufacturing plants there, such as MedImmune and Emergent BioSolutions, yet the selection of North Carolina by Novartis stroke a raw nerve among those who have higher aspirations for Maryland.

“Maryland is doing exactly what it can and should be doing to attract more biotech firms and the vaccine feasibility study is a prime example,” Morgan Wallace, of the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore, the organisation behind the report, told In-PharmaTechnologist.com.

“Through the close working relationship that has been forged between the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development (DBED) and Greater Baltimore's city and county economic development entities, we are constantly assessing our approach and our competitive advantages in terms of attracting biotech investment to this area.”

The report however mentions areas where Maryland is lagging behind, and although officials will not go into details, it is understood that high wages, apart from financial incentives such as taxbreaks, are also weighing down on the state's competitiveness.

The competitive advantage that Maryland does have in biologics R&D and production is derived from three main areas: workforce, innovation, and resources.

Maryland's workforce is top-ranked for doctoral scientists and engineers with over 85,000 in the region, and home to many established biomanufacturing training programmes.

As far as innovation is concerned, Maryland is unrivaled; the state has one of the largest biosciences clusters in the US, with more than 350 biotechnology companies.

“The report mentions several distinct areas in which Maryland is more competitive than other states in terms of attracting biotech investment,” Wallace said.

“Overall, the study reinforces why Maryland continues to rank very high in terms of biotech attraction and investment in what remains an extremely competitive environment.”

In regards to specific manufacturing resources, Maryland has a wealth of good manufacturing practice (GMP) related technologies and capabilities, including a GMP training center at the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute (UMBI) and a pilot GMP facility at the NIH's Vaccine Research Center.

Still much of the report's suggestions could eventually boil down to money – according to Melissaratos, Maryland lost the Novartis plant because other states offered incentives that were five times what Maryland was prepared to offer.

Silver Springer

September 2nd, 2006, 06:01 PM

County begins planning for BRAC

Task force begins studying how influx of jobs at base will impact Howard

08/31/06
By Nate Sandstrom

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With nearly 4,100 Defense Information Systems Agency jobs set to move to Fort Meade by 2010, there was no shortage of people asking Kent Menser, the head of Howard County's BRAC task force, questions as he worked at a local fair booth in northern Virginia this summer.

Many of the employees slated to relocate now live in the Fairfax County school district, one of the most recognized districts in the country. Four Fairfax public high schools were listed in Newsweek's May issue of the Top 100.

So when DISA employees heard Howard County students averaged one point higher than Fairfax students on the SATs, many parents' interest were piqued, Menser said.

With about 5,300 total jobs coming to Fort Meade between 2008 and 2010, Howard County's school system will likely be a draw as people moving to the region search for homes, Menser said during a public meeting on BRAC held Aug. 23.

The base realignment and closure process, or BRAC, is a Department of Defense measure to evaluate whether the military's resources are being used effectively. Last year, President George W. Bush signed into law the BRAC commission's 2005 recommendations, which called for the closure of several bases, as well as the relocation of about 5,300 jobs to Fort Meade. Fort Meade is in Anne Arundel County, just outside of Howard. The moves must be completed by 2011.

The influx of service members and military civilians and their families have school officials attempting to project how many students will move into the county and when those moves will take place, despite limited information.

"Right now we don't have enough information to answer those questions," said Sydney Cousin, superintendent of Howard County public schools and a member of the Howard County BRAC Task Force, in an interview after the meeting.

Cousin said he expects the county will likely be forced to revise its general plan, a Department of Planning and Zoning document that is updated about once a decade and is considered the guiding document for Howard County's growth.

Schools officials are focused on studying how previous job shifts from base closures have affected other areas and projecting how the moves will affect Howard public schools, Cousin said.

Staff are also looking for state and federal money to help offset the costs of increased staffing, new construction and other costs that could be associated with the possibility of thousands of new students.

Although school officials can't predict the exact number, "the schools in the county will be a magnet for folks," Cousin said.

Region prepares for new jobs

The region's transportation is also likely to receive a makeover, Menser said.

Last week, Gov. Robert Ehrlich announced plans to work with Annapolis-based developer Petrie-Ross Ventures to develop Savage Towne Center, which is slated to include offices, shops and housing near the Savage Maryland Area Rail Commuter, or MARC, train station.

The project is a key part of Maryland's steps to prepare for the new jobs and residents associated with the relocation of thousands of military staff, Ehrlich said.

The upcoming base realignment has also led to more study on extending Washington's Metro system's Green Line north toward Baltimore-Washington International Airport.

There has been more money spent studying the Green Line's expansion in the last year than in the previous decade, Menser said.

Roads such as state Route 175, Route 1 and other intercounty connecting roads are also receiving attention, Menser said.

The State Highway Administration is also studying future construction at the interchange at U.S. Highway 29 and state Route 198 as well as state Route 32 between Interstate 70 and state Route 108, according to the Maryland Department of Transportation.

Menser encouraged those who want to join the planning process for changes brought by base reorganization to do so early.

"There are a lot of bright people in Howard County. I want to put that intellect to work," Menser told an audience of about 25 people who attended last week's meeting.

He urged people with special expertise to volunteer for one of the task force's committees that work on areas from transportation to grant writing.

Menser, a retired Army colonel who served as commanding officer of Fort Meade from 1990 to 1993, stressed his office's openness, vowing to meet with anyone about their concerns and ideas.

Changes at Fort Meade are expected to generate $400 million in new construction and to have a $1 billion economic impact in central Maryland, Menser said.

But much depends on how many people choose to move to the area or if they choose to commute from Virginia, Menser said.

He reminded the audience that many figures are likely to change and not to make any big decisions based on early projections.

"Don't mortgage your house upon the numbers you see in this presentation," Menser said.

E-mail Nate Sandstrom at Nate Sandstrom@patuxent.com

Silver Springer

September 2nd, 2006, 06:10 PM

Planning Department’s move to county on hold
Thursday, Aug. 31, 2006

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— Douglas Tallman

The planned move of the Maryland Department of Planning to Largo hit a roadblock Wednesday when the Board of Public Works held off a decision on the project.

Comptroller William Donald Schaefer, the former mayor of Baltimore, objected mightily to shifting a state agency out of the city.

‘‘It’s not needed in Prince George’s County. It’s needed in a jurisdiction that’s in poor shape,“ Schaefer (D) said.

Treasurer Nancy K. Kopp (D) said some department employees are afraid to raise objections for fear of losing their jobs. She also said the relocation of state agencies should follow a plan, not be done one at a time.

After Kopp spoke, which ensured the three-member board would vote down the plan, Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) asked that action be delayed while Planning Secretary Audrey Scott, a former Prince George’s County councilwoman from Bowie, could perform more research.

The 110-employee planning department recently merged with the 37-employee Maryland Historical Trust, which has offices in Crownsville. Neither the Baltimore nor the Crownsville location had enough space for the combined agency, prompting the move.

A number of people attended the board’s meeting in the State House to support the plan. Everyone who testified suffered a rebuke from a stern-faced Schaefer.

“It’s not us against them,“ said Terry Speigner, representing the Vista Estates West Homeowners Association.

“You’re hurting Baltimore city,“ Schaefer replied.

Speigner argued the move would help the state because fewer Prince George’s residents would leave the state for jobs.

“You can call baloney sausage, but it’s still baloney,“ Schaefer shot back.

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JAB323

September 4th, 2006, 09:33 PM

Silver Springer

September 11th, 2006, 10:28 PM

Lockheed Martin Wins NASA Contract
Will build Next Generation Spaceship

By SETH BORENSTEIN
The Associated Press
Friday, September 1, 2006; 10:42 PM

http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2006/09/01/PH2006090100299.jpg

WASHINGTON -- In a setback to Northrop Grumman Corp. and Boeing Co., Lockheed Martin Corp. surprised aerospace industry observers by landing the multibillion-dollar contract to build NASA's manned lunar spaceship.

The nation's space agency on Thursday selected the Bethesda, Md., company to build the Orion space craft, though it usually builds unmanned rockets.

NASA plans to use the Orion crew exploration vehicle to replace the space shuttle fleet, take astronauts to the moon and perhaps to Mars. Unlike Apollo and earlier spacecraft perched atop rockets, it will be reusable. NASA estimated the cost at $7.5 billion through 2019 for likely eight separate spaceships.

In picking Lockheed Martin for Orion, described by NASA's chief as "Apollo on steroids," the agency bypassed Apollo throwbacks Northrop Grumman of Los Angeles and its chief subcontractor Boeing of Chicago. Northrop Grumman's predecessor built the Apollo lunar lander. Companies bought by Boeing built the Apollo, Gemini, and Mercury capsules, Skylab and the space shuttle.

"NASA decided to do something different and go with a company that has not been in manned space before, sort of spreading the wealth and making sure they've got two contractors that know the manned space business," said aerospace industry analyst Paul Nisbet, president of JSA Research.

Lockheed Martin built several unmanned probes, including: 1998's Lunar Prospector; 1976 Viking probes of Mars; Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which entered the red planet's orbit earlier this year; and the 1999 Mars Climate Orbiter, which crashed because of a Lockheed Martin/NASA mismatching of metric and English measurement units.

The last time NASA awarded a manned spaceship contract to Lockheed Martin was in 1996 for a spaceplane that was supposed to replace the space shuttle. NASA spent $912 million and the ship, called X-33, never got built because of technical problems.

Lockheed Martin Vice President John Karas said his company will succeed with Orion compared to its failure with X-33, because "we're not shooting as far... I'd say it (Orion) is within reach."

While Orion won't break much new technological ground, Karas said Lockheed is pleased because of where Orion is going: "For me it's about exploring; it's about adventure. It's great to be with NASA and go out and explore."

Doug Cooke, a NASA deputy associate administrator, said Lockheed Martin was chosen over the competing team of Northrop Grumman and Boeing because the design is "achievable."

"This is a design that is based on known capabilities. We know that this can be built so there are some differences there, perhaps," he said.

Although all of NASA's 10 centers will provide engineering support on Orion, the majority of the work will be at the Johnson Space Center in Houston and final assembly will be completed at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Lockheed Martin spokeswoman Joan Underwood said the Orion project will create about 2,300 new jobs: some 1,200 in Houston; 600 in Colorado, 300 in Florida and 200 in Louisiana.

Before the announcement Lockheed Martin released few details about its proposal. The plan was heavily open-ended, allowing NASA the ultimate decision on reusability of Orion and landing sites.

Lockheed Martin's initial proposal was vastly different from what NASA wanted. Its first submission looked more like the since-abandoned X-33 spaceplane and less like a capsule. NASA told Lockheed Martin it wanted an Apollo-like capsule, so the company changed its proposal.

If all goes well, the first test flight of Orion will be September 2014 and astronauts could return to the moon by late 2019 or 2020, NASA estimates. Karas said, if asked, his company could make the first flight in 2013.

Orion will be the Apollo capsule-like replacement for the 25-year-old space shuttle fleet that is supposed to retire in four years, after completion of the international space station.

"Space is no longer going to be a destination that we visit briefly," NASA associate administrator Scott Horowitz said Thursday. "We're going to learn to live off the land like the pioneers did."

This is hardly the first time NASA has made a big deal over a next-generation spaceship. Since the 1980s, NASA has spent about $4.8 billion on shuttle follow-up ships that never were built, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the independent auditing arm of Congress.

This time it's different, NASA claims. That's because after the Columbia accident in 2003, President Bush proposed a massive exploration plan. It would put astronauts on the moon for the first time since 1972, with plans for a home base. The plan also would ultimately send people to Mars.

Orion is just part of an exploration program called Constellation that includes the Ares I and V rockets that will power the Orion capsule and a cargo vehicle into orbit and beyond.

The program will reduce the risk of a fatal accident to astronauts from 1-in-200 currently for the shuttle to 1-in-2000 for the new Constellation program, Orion project manager Skip Hatfield said last week.

In July, the GAO warned that NASA was heading down the wrong path in choosing an Orion-builder by late August or early September.

"This approach increases the risk that the project will encounter significant cost overruns, schedule delays and decreased capability," the GAO warned.

The Orion spaceship will look familiar to the baby boomer set.

NASA told the contractors to build a capsule that looks just like Apollo and can carry four astronauts to the moon and six to the international space station orbiting Earth. It should have a service module that brings it to the moon.

___

Associated Press Writer Mike Schneider in Cape Canaveral, Fla., contributed to this report.

JAB323

September 12th, 2006, 02:16 AM

^^ cool.

Silver Springer

September 15th, 2006, 11:56 AM

MedImmune Ventures invests in Atlanta biotech
Washington Business Journal - September 7, 2006by Vandana Sinha Staff Reporter

MedImmune Ventures is one of several investors that invested $3.6 million in the first round of funding for an Atlanta biotech company that develops small-molecule drugs.

The deal also places Wayne Hockmeyer, president of MedImmune Ventures and chairman of MedImmune (NASDAQ: MEDI), on the board of Metastatix, whose lead drug candidate blocks tumor growth and metastatic cancer.

The funding round was led by Atlanta-based H.I.G. Ventures, whose managing director Bruce Robertson formerly worked at Bethesda-based Toucan Capital. Robertson, who still commutes between Atlanta and Rockville offices, will serve as chairman of Metastatix's board.

The other investors in the deal are The Aurora Funds, CM Capital, SR One, Georgia Venture Partners, Centrosome Ventures and the state of Georgia.

"Having an industry pioneer like Wayne Hockmeyer providing guidance on our board is a big win for the company," says Tony Shuker, president and CEO of the year-old Metastatix, which licensed its technology from Emory University.

MedImmune Ventures, the 4-year-old venture capital arm of Gaithersburg-based MedImmune, invests in biotech companies that align with the company's portfolio in infectious disease, immunology and cancer drugs. Collecting a total $200 million, the fund has contributed an average of $7 million to companies around the country, including Iomai and Vanda Pharmaceuticals locally.

Silver Springer

September 15th, 2006, 12:00 PM

Xceleron plans expansion in Maryland
Washington Business Journal - September 8, 2006by Neil Adler Staff Reporter
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Xceleron, which has been weighing Maryland and Florida for a new biotech laboratory, says it will invest millions of dollars to put the new facility in Maryland and hire dozens of more workers.

The United Kingdom-based company, whose technology aims to significantly speed drug development by using ultra-sensitive measuring devices, established its North American operations in Gaithersburg last year and was eyeing Maryland or Florida for its new pharmaceutical testing lab.

Xceleron says it will invest up to $7.5 million on the purchase of an accelerator mass spectrometer (AMS) to carry out analysis on drug candidates, and the company will put that equipment in a new Maryland facility, which should come on line late in 2007.

By 2011, the company expects to employ 150 and have revenue of more than $20 million from its North American unit. Currently, Xceleron employs several dozen people.

The market for the services that Xceleron delivers is estimated at $1 billion, and it's growing, company executives say.

The creation of a new U.S. lab "is a further step in ensuring that Xceleron remains the world's leading provider of AMS services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies," says company CEO Colin Garner in a statement.

Silver Springer

September 15th, 2006, 12:04 PM

Lockheed Martin to build $16M facility as part of secure border program
Washington Business Journal - 1:56 PM EDT Tuesdayby Neil Adler Staff Reporter

Lockheed Martin, hoping to win a lucrative government contract for securing the country's borders and reducing illegal immigration, says it plans to invest $16 million over two years to build a facility along the Southwest border.

Lockheed Martin's Border Enforcement Solutions Center would include a demonstration facility and land-border test site, enabling Department of Homeland Security officials and their industry partners to test and evaluate the readiness of new border-security technologies over the life of the government's Secure Border Initiative (SBInet) program.

Bethesda-based Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and its team are competing with other contractors for a six-year, multibillion-dollar contract under the SBInet program. The Department of Homeland Security is expected to award that contract by the end of this month.

Lockheed Martin says it is identifying potential locations for the new facility and, if chosen for the program, would announce site selection shortly thereafter.

Although the facility will be along the Southwest border, it would be used to test and evaluate technologies for both the Northern and Southern borders.

"This investment demonstrates Lockheed Martin's commitment to help our nation secure its borders," says Bob Stevens, the company's chairman, president and CEO, in a statement. "Through our SBInet partnership, we would provide an enduring national resource for government, industry and academia to evaluate and test emerging technologies to combat emerging threats."

The Lockheed Martin team includes eight companies: Accenture, Advanced Technology Systems of McLean, HDR, Harris, High Performance Technologies of Reston, Parsons, Science Applications International Corp. and Sandler & Travis Trade Advisory Services, which has offices in D.C. and Baltimore.

Silver Springer

September 15th, 2006, 12:08 PM

MedImmune's Frederick expansion moves ahead
Washington Business Journal - 2:06 PM EDT Thursdayby Neil Adler Staff Reporter

MedImmune is stocking up on raw materials, structural steel and other items as it gets going on a $250 million expansion in Frederick that represents the first part of a construction project to increase its manufacturing capacity.

Gaithersburg-based MedImmune says it has designated Parsons as the architectural firm responsible for the design of the new Frederick facility.

The project's first phase is expected to be completed in late 2009. It is likely to add 200 or more jobs to the existing staff that MedImmune has in Frederick.

The biotech giant, with several marketed products and dozens more in the pipeline, held an official groundbreaking ceremony Sept. 13 to dedicate the Frederick center.

"This expansion is an important component in Maryland's drive toward 'technology dominance'," Maryland Gov. Bob Ehrlich says in a statement.

The new facility will increase MedImmune's cell-culture manufacturing production capacity in preparation for future drugs under development, should they receive Food and Drug Administration approval.

MedImmune recently won a five-year, $170 million contract from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to develop cell culture-based flu vaccines, for which the Frederick facility will be the future production site.

At the company's existing Frederick facility, MedImmune (NASDAQ: MEDI) produces Synagis, its blockbuster drug for treating respiratory infections in infants.

Silver Springer

September 15th, 2006, 12:14 PM

Multiuse Complex Is Planned at Savage Station
Development Being Driven By Fort Meade Expansion

By Dina ElBoghdady
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, September 14, 2006; Page T03

An Annapolis development firm has won the right to transform a 15-acre, state-owned parking lot adjacent to the Savage MARC station into a $175 million complex of offices, residences and shops, ending a three-year search for a private company to jump-start the languishing industrial enclave along the Howard-Anne Arundel county border.

Petrie Ross Ventures plans to develop a pedestrian-friendly community that would encourage public transit use and create housing and offices for the thousands of new workers and contractors who could settle around Fort Meade as a result of the Pentagon's decision to expand operations at the Army post.

http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2006/09/13/PH2006091301146.jpg
The $175 million, pedestrian-friendly complex is planned for a 15-acre parking lot next to the Savage MARC station. (Petrie Ross Ventures)

The proposed Savage Towne Centre -- bordered by Route 32, Dorsey Run Road and the MARC station -- would include two 13-story buildings with a combined 260 apartments or condominiums, two office buildings, 53,000 square feet of retail space, two restaurants and a hotel.

Under the plan, the 914 spaces at the MARC open-air parking lot would be replaced by a five-story garage with 1,000 spaces. Another 1,000 spaces ultimately would be available for other uses throughout the development. The Savage station, which is on the MARC Camden line between Baltimore and Washington, averages about 540 trips a day.

The financial details of the deal have not been finalized, state officials said. They expect, however, to lease the land for the commuter garage to Petrie Ross and sell the remainder of the property to the company.

"It's easier for [Petrie Ross] to market and sell the housing and the hotels if they own the land," said Michelle Martin, a manager with the Maryland Department of Transportation.

Construction is to begin in 2008 and end about three years later. But the development could change dramatically, said Steve Lafferty, deputy director of the Howard County Department of Planning and Zoning.

"The county will play the role it does with every other development," Lafferty said. "It will review the development plan to make sure our standards and regulations are met. . . . The drawings and plans are conceptual." Market conditions also could alter the final plan.

The concept has been endorsed by civic groups in the area and politicians. In announcing the planned development recently, Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. described the property as a "gold mine" in part because of its proximity to Fort Meade, home to the National Security Agency and 77 other government tenants.

The Army post, about three miles from the Savage station, is expected to gain more than 5,000 jobs, most of them from the Defense Information Systems Agency in Northern Virginia in 2011. In addition, the NSA, Fort Meade's largest tenant, plans to add 1,500 jobs each year through 2008. Hundreds of defense contract workers could follow and set up shop in Howard and Anne Arundel counties.

"We became interested in the project because it's near Fort Meade and NSA and because of its location next to public transit," said Phillip L. Ross, president of Petrie Ross Ventures, which has been talking to the state for a year. The six-year-old firm has redeveloped 2 million square feet of commercial space, including Annapolis Towne Center at Parole.

State officials began shopping the property about three years ago as they pushed state agencies to take a hard look at better using their assets. For the Maryland Department of Transportation, those assets include land left over from highway construction and underused land around MARC, Metro and other rail stations. According to Sam Minnitte, director of the transportation department's planning office, the state is redeveloping or negotiating the redevelopment of a dozen sites. Robert L. Flanagan, secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation, said the state found no interest from the private sector when it first sought bids in 2003. But he said Howard County officials, eager to salvage the offering, then rezoned the area to allow for more density and a mix of housing, office and retail space.

"As a result of that, we got an unsolicited expression of interest from Petrie Ross and, based on that, we took it a step further and went through the procurement process," Flanagan said. Petrie Ross was one of three companies that ultimately submitted bids. The sale of the property still must be approved by the three-member state Board of Public Works.

Creating a vibrant community near the MARC station is consistent with Howard County's broader plan to revitalize the worn industrial strip along Route 1, which is the next interchange after Dorsey Run Road on Route 32.

The state's plan to redevelop the Savage site predates the military base realignment plan by about two years, but "it is very fortuitous that the two go hand in glove," Flanagan said.

The anticipated job gains at Fort Meade already have inspired other developers to move to or expand their presence in the area, including Corporate Office Properties Trust, the Columbia-based real estate investment trust that specializes in building and managing suburban office parks for the government and other tenants.

Last month, the company paid $26.6 million for 178 acres of land to expand the 285-acre National Business Park in Annapolis Junction, adjacent to Fort Meade. Meanwhile, directly across from Fort Meade along Route 175, developers and Anne Arundel County officials are taking a closer look at revitalizing a withered one-mile strip of retail shopping known as "Boomtown."

After decades of bureaucratic wrangling, plans to build an Odenton Town Center a few blocks from Boomtown just got the permits needed for homes, shops and offices. The federal government has appropriated $12.5 million toward widening a five-mile stretch of Route 175. A few investors are starting to sink their money into the area, including Edwin F. Hale Sr., chairman and chief executive of 1st Mariner Bank, which recently opened a branch across from the post.

But some experts warn that it's still too soon to predict the ultimate impact of the base realignment plan.

For starters, there's no telling how many of the workers who are transferred to Fort Meade will follow their jobs. Many are civilian employees who could choose to stay in Northern Virginia and look for a new job there.

The Defense Information Systems Agency, which is moving about 4,000 jobs to Fort Meade from Northern Virginia, has adopted a flexible telecommuting policy as it tries to retain workers who don't want to make the daily trip to Maryland or might try to find a job closer to their homes.

Also, evidence suggests that Maryland's economy has not been growing as quickly as it did in 2004 and 2005, said Anirban Basu, chief executive of Baltimore-based Sage Policy Group, an economic consulting firm.

"Developers are acting as if they're very confident about the future, and maybe they're right," Basu said. "But there's plenty of reason to be uncertain about the future, and it will be interesting to see how new office space that comes on line will be absorbed."

Silver Springer

September 15th, 2006, 12:21 PM

Hopkins ready to build $45M academic building
Baltimore Business Journal - 4:07 PM EDT Mondayby Alan Zibel Staff

Johns Hopkins officials are scheduled to break ground Tuesday on a $45 million, four-story academic building for medical students, the first new teaching building to be built on the East Baltimore campus in more than 25 years.

The four-story, 100,000-square-foot academic building, is to be located behind existing buildings at the southwest corner of Broadway and Monument St. The site currently holds several tennis courts.

It will be named for C. Michael Armstrong, the former chairman of AT&T Corp. and chairman of Johns Hopkins Medicine's board of trustees, and his wife, S. Anne Armstrong. The Armstrongs donated $20 million toward the building's construction. It is scheduled to be finished by 2009, Hopkins said in a statement.

Dr. David Nichols, vice dean for education at the medical school, said in a statement that "extraordinary changes have taken place in medical education" since the last Hopkins academic building opened years ago.

"The new building and its design dovetail with our redesign of the curriculum, both of which will foster fertile exchange of ideas," Nichols said.

The building is to include a 360-student lecture hall, lab space and study areas. Design is under way for classrooms, labs and offices, which be outfitted with digital technology. In addition, digital technology will replace conventional microscopes.

Dr. Edward D. Miller, dean of the medical school faculty and CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine, said in a statement that the building will provide a dramatic entrance to the medical school for prospective students.

"They will come to it through this new building and see the place where modern medical education began more than a century ago and where it is leading the way once more," Miller said in the statement.

BalWash

September 25th, 2006, 08:25 AM

What's the word on the reevaluation of the "Canyon Ranch Bethesda" in North Bethesda? They began the process in mid to late August and said they would come out with a decision in a month on whether they would go ahead with the project. This is a billion dollar project featuring two twenty story towers so I'm suprised I havn't seen any talk of it on the site.

Silver Springer

September 28th, 2006, 06:35 AM

Canyon Ranch Living — Bethesda

comments

Read the link below. I have been tracking this project closely. The main developer Penrose has been quite lazy and shady, making empty promises on the many proposals and sitting on the plans for years with nothing into existence. Today on the local news I heard the project is officially dead.

I'm not totally surprised with this project pulling out, $900,000 to $7 million for a condo at the peak of a market was a long shot. Penrose simply took too long to make a decision. I would rather see office there anyways.

http://www.gazette.net/stories/083006/rocknew221514_31954.shtml

http://www.gazette.net/stories/050306/chevnew211606_31980.shtml

Status
Withdrawn

http://www.canyonranchbethesda.com/images/photos/canyonranchbethesda2.jpg

http://www.canyonranchbethesda.com/images/photos/canyranchlineart.gif

"What is the perfect life? One filled with health and vitality. Time to focus on your inner being. Inspiration in every moment. In short: a life that transcends.

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JAB323

September 29th, 2006, 03:08 AM

^^ :cheers1: I've been waiting for some renderings, and wow! :)

BalWash

October 3rd, 2006, 05:09 AM

It's a shame they're not going through with it. I wonder if competition from White Flint Crossing was a factor in ending this project, they are only a mile apart. I suppose it's a good place for office space considering its proximity to the Beltway and 270. Then again, it's walking distance from a Starbucks, two grocery stores, a school and a few restaurants, so residential could work too.

Silver Springer

October 3rd, 2006, 05:35 PM

This is great news!!!

Biopharmaceutical firm to move HQ to Cecil office park
Baltimore Business Journal - September 29, 2006by Daniel J. SernovitzStaff

A Delaware-based biopharmaceutical company with revenues of more than $7 million has signed a deal to relocate its corporate offices to the former Bainbridge Naval Training Center near Port Deposit, a measurable result for Cecil County officials who have been hoping to create a second life for the former World War II naval training facility.

AccelaPure Corp., founded in 2004, signed a 10-year lease for the 40,000-square-foot property, according to Cecil County officials. The company, which specializes in new drug discovery and advanced purification methods for the pharmaceutical industry, plans to use the site as its headquarters and for manufacturing, research and development. It plans to hire 170 employees within the next five years and to invest about $17 million in capital equipment at the site.

"From day one, this was my target," said Vernon J. Thompson, executive director of the Cecil County Office of Economic Development. "The fact that we were able to get them in Bainbridge just opens up a whole world of potential."

In February, Cecil County secured a $2.5 million loan from the Maryland Economic Development Assistance Authority Fund to help the county convert the 1,200-acre Bainbridge property into a mixed-use site featuring residential, office, and light-industrial uses.

Maryland has been trying to attract biotech and pharmaceutical companies from Delaware and Pennsylvania for several years, and Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development Secretary Aris Melissaratos said the Bainbridge site was seen as a strong focus point for that effort.

"This is a great beginning there," Melissaratos said. "It's nice to have a life science and biotech company be the first on this particular site."

Melissaratos said he believes AccelaPure's decision to move to Bainbridge will help the county in its efforts to draw other bio-tech and pharmaceutical firms to the area because those companies typically cluster around themselves and are not inclined to be the first to venture into new geographic territory.

"It's going to be a huge economic driver as they go forward," he said, adding the strength of the Baltimore-Washington Corridor helped increase the marketability of the historically more rural Cecil County. "It's not a gamble at all. Creating an image of hi-tech, like the Bainbridge project, is very important."

In a news release, AccelaPure CEO Michael Handley praised county and state officials for their help in the company's search process.

"The growth plans of the Bainbridge Corporate Campus and AccelaPure fit together perfectly," he said. "We are looking forward to working with Cecil County and the State of Maryland to maximize the growth of our company and becoming integral part of the technology movement in Northeastern Maryland."

The Bainbridge Development Corp. partnered on the project with four development companies: Manekin LLC, Clark Turner Cos., The Michael Companies, and H & S Property Development Corp. In addition to 2.5 million square feet of technology, office, retail and service space, the site will include 1,250 single-family homes, townhomes and condominiums, a 750- to-1,000-unit Continuing Care Retirement Community and an 18,000-square-foot clubhouse.

AccelaPure's building will sit on about five acres of land at Bainbridge, and it has the option of adding up to another 15 acres for expansion over time. The county is in the process of completing plans for the structure. Manekin will oversee construction of the building, which could be completed by the summer of 2007.

Manekin, which partnered with Clark Turner Cos. in May 2005 to develop the $60 million Waters Edge Corporate Campus in Columbia, will serve as the lead developer on the project. Manekin President and CEO Richard Alter said signing a marquee name like AccelaPure will go a long way toward efforts to market the property.

"Frankly, the challenges were going to lie with the attraction of the right kind of tenants for the park," he said. "This probably jump-starts us by about four or five years further than I thought."

Alter said he anticipated some companies might be reluctant to relocate to Cecil County because of its perception as a rural area, disconnected with the growth going on in some of its neighboring counties. At the same time, he said the county is well positioned to build upon the successes of its neighbors, and geographically positioned to attract workers from across the region.

"I thought that (perception) was something that we had to overcome," he said. "Our view was that while Cecil County sat along the (Interstate) 95 corridor, it was in the growth area."

Silver Springer

October 3rd, 2006, 05:41 PM

Southwest at Dulles may hurt BWI hub
But airline insists it won't back off from Baltimore
By Meredith Cohn
Sun reporter
Originally published October 2, 2006
When Southwest Airlines launches service at Washington Dulles International Airport on Thursday, one of its largest competitors is likely to be Southwest Airlines.

Southwest is entering a market that will draw from its hub just 60 miles away at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. Taking in Southwest's presence at Philadelphia International Airport, the move to Dulles will make this region Southwest's second-largest saturation point behind Southern California, where it serves four airports in the Los Angeles area.

And it's the first time the nation's top discount carrier has moved into an airport so close to one of its top hubs.

Southwest typically doesn't use airports in close proximity because its discount fares often draw passengers from 90 miles away or more. Southwest also rarely sets its sights on such a big, busy airport as Dulles because its business model relies heavily on frequent flights and staying on schedule.

Southwest acknowledges that the move is atypical and that some business will shift from BWI. About 10 percent of BWI passengers drive in from Virginia, airport officials say, and much of the cannibalization could come from there.

"I do not enjoy the drive to and from BWI, but do it to save my employer on expenses," David Fisher, a health care consultant from Purcellville, Va., said in an e-mail. "Once Southwest enters [Dulles], I do not intend on driving to BWI ever again."

But Southwest executives insist that they will add new passengers to offset any cannibalization and that in any case, they cannot hurt themselves anywhere near the degree that Dulles-based Independence Air did while it was in business.

They say Southwest has increased its presence at nearly every airport it has entered, even after the airline has moved into a nearby airport.

"We're not backing off Baltimore because we're going to Dulles," said Richard Sweet, Southwest's senior director of marketing and sales.

"We recently announced service from BWI to Detroit. It's been the same in the Los Angeles basin and the others. We'll fly the same routes, and customers have a choice," he said. "You could fly into BWI, make three or four client calls and end up at Dulles."

Airport officials and aviation experts say there are reasons to agree with Southwest's strategy, one being that the Northern Virginia suburbs around Dulles are among the fastest-growing and wealthiest in the nation.

"I don't believe anyone can make a wrong decision going into Dulles," said Darryl Jenkins, an aviation consultant who lives in Northern Virginia.

"Wherever Southwest goes, it has an impact. I understand if the BWI guys are a little concerned, but [Southwest is] going where the population is. That's necessary for their growth and probably means they won't take too much Baltimore business."

Southwest has acknowledged that its BWI hub lost a significant amount of business to Independence Air, which operated hundreds of flights a day at deep discounts.

Convinced that Independence couldn't stay in the air for long, Southwest chose not to lower its BWI fares to match Independence's. The gamble paid off when Independence closed in January - opening space at Dulles for Southwest, as well as JetBlue Airways and United Airlines.

Southwest is taking only two gates at Dulles and plans only a dozen daily flights to start, at fares somewhat higher than Independence offered and the same as Southwest charges at BWI.

Those two factors, plus the growing pool of passengers in Northern Virginia, should mean that Southwest could thrive in both airports, said Mike Boyd, president of the Boyd Group, aviation consultants and forecasters.

"Independence didn't create a void, it created a bubble," he said. "It was selling seats for under cost and when it went away, many of those passengers went away. Southwest will stimulate more traffic at Dulles, yes, but not like Independence."

Dulles is more likely to draw from Washington west into Virginia, as far away as Charlottesville and Richmond, Jenkins said. There isn't another Southwest airport in Virginia for about 200 miles, in Norfolk.

Other carriers at Dulles will have some insulation against Southwest because they have customers entrenched in their frequent flier programs and offer amenities such as business and first-class cabins and in-flight entertainment. They also offer international service, and Southwest does not.

At BWI, Southwest controls about half the market with about 172 daily flights, many times the 12 planned at Dulles, and BWI officials say they still expect passengers to come from the Washington area. According to airport surveys, about half of its passengers drive from the Washington area.

BWI officials point out that the airport has continued to grow as Southwest has expanded in Philadelphia, even though about 15 percent of BWI passengers come from Pennsylvania.

In July, Southwest's monthly total exceeded 1 million passengers at BWI for the first time, up 6 percent from July 2005, said Jonathan Dean, a BWI spokesman. The airline again exceeded 1 million passengers in August, up 8 percent from August 2005.

In addition to the Washington area, Southwest saturates the Boston area with flights from Manchester, N.H., and Providence, R.I. That's also the case in the Los Angeles area, where Southwest flies from Los Angeles, Burbank, Ontario and Orange County. In the San Francisco area, it serves Oakland and San Jose. (The airline pulled out of San Francisco's airport in 2001 after 19 years, blaming flight delays.)

Southwest's Sweet said the airline has managed to add service at all of the other airports over time because its fares attract more people to travel - something the U.S. Department of Transportation dubbed the "Southwest effect." Also helping have been the record number of people flying and an Internet-fueled shift to low-cost carriers.

For their part, Dulles officials say the airport felt a void when Independence left. The number of domestic passengers at Dulles dropped to 1.02 million in July, from 1.54 million in July 2005.

"We knew from the beginning that Independence was not going to sustain the numbers," said Tara Hamilton, an airport spokeswoman. "They offered 600 flights, and that's highly unusual to introduce service with that many flights a day. What Independence did prove is that there is a tremendous market for low fares out of Dulles. And people and businesses continue to move in."

Southwest's success at Dulles - and BWI - will be up to passengers. They began booking Dulles flights online a few weeks ago and at the airport's recently overhauled ticket counter a few days ago. Some frequent fliers said price, convenience and perks would be factors driving their decisions.

William Beck, who lives about a half-hour from Dulles, said he can drive to BWI in about an hour to fly Southwest. That's something he did before Independence moved into Dulles and forced competitors to lower prices. It's something he expects to do again now that Independence is gone. He has a BWI flight scheduled in November.

"If [United Airlines) matches Southwest's prices, I will fly UA," he said. "If UA does not match, I will fly Southwest from Dulles. For destinations that require me to go to BWI, I will assess the trade-off of driving versus the cost savings I would receive from using Southwest as opposed to UA."

meredith.cohn@baltsun.com

Silver Springer

October 3rd, 2006, 05:45 PM

Bio gambler raises its bets
[size=3]MedImmune swells its pipeline to 43 projects in that hopes one or more will boost ailing stock[size]
By Tricia Bishop
Sun reporter
Originally published October 1, 2006
About a dozen years ago, MedImmune Inc. -- now the state's largest biotech business and among the top 10 in the world -- nearly shut down.

It had developed a respiratory treatment only to have the Food and Drug Administration reject it, and executives didn't have much in the way of a backup plan. Retooling a clinical trial eventually won FDA approval of the drug, but the lesson wasn't lost on executives: There is safety in numbers.

For every 10 tries, only one drug makes it to market, which means there needs to be a long line of potential products in the wings for a company to continue.

MedImmune has taken that philosophy to a new level over the past few years, spending millions to amass a pipeline that now includes 43 potential treatments across three areas: cancer, infectious diseases and autoimmune disorders.

Its portfolio is viewed as the biggest in the biotechnology industry, where companies typically have six to eight products in the pipeline, unlike giant pharmaceutical firms.

The research projects are a huge gamble for the state's flagship biotech, which economic leaders rely on to finance entrepreneurs through MedImmune's venture capital subsidiary. And even though the Gaithersburg company has suffered some setbacks recently, state leaders look to MedImmune to maintain Maryland's reputation as a biotechnology leader.

If a handful of the developing products become blockbusters, the rewards could be tremendous. But if they all fail or only reach small markets, MedImmune will have spent a fortune on nothing. "It scares me to death," MedImmune founder and Chairman Wayne T. Hockmeyer said last week in Baltimore, where he was speaking to a roomful of entrepreneurs and economic development types.

He pointed to the billions of dollars pharmaceutical companies spend on research and development and the relatively low rate of return.

"If Pfizer has a dry hole, or Merck has a dry hole, with the billions they spend on research and development, what does that say for the rest of us?" he asked.

MedImmune has only recently been able to afford to invest in its future. The company turned profitable in 1998, and last year it was among the world's top 10 biotechs based on 2005 product sales.

Over the past 18 months, the company has added 14 new pipeline programs, more than the entire MedImmune portfolio in 2000.

The multimillion-dollar spending spree has come in the face of recent setbacks, however, which has caused some to wonder if MedImmune's strategy is sound.

Earnings growth hasn't materialized as hoped. The company's FluMist vaccine is not doing well. And earlier this year, the company announced weak sales of its blockbuster drug Synagis, a respiratory treatment for premature infants, which accounts for about 80 percent of the company's revenue.

"I think FluMist's failure has impacted investor's perception of management and perception of the company," said Phil Nadeau, a biotechnology analyst at S.G. Cowen & Co. LLC. "Going into FluMist's launch, MedImmune had a great four or five years through the launch of Synagis, and I think generally people thought that MedImmune management could do no wrong," he said.

"That perception has changed pretty dramatically, where now investors are more skeptical in the guidance that management gives, and really taking a wait-and-see attitude."

MedImmune's stock over the past 12 months reached a high of $37.38 in February. Lately, it has been trading in the $29 range.

Back in the late 1980s, when MedImmune commenced operations under the original name of Molecular Vaccines, it had no product possibilities, about a dozen employees and a business plan that never really came to pass.

Hockmeyer had recently retired from a 20-year career as an Army immunologist, and was working for another company until a group of venture capitalists approached him about starting a vaccine business.

"We thought we knew enough, which of course we didn't, to go out and do it on our own," said James F. Young, who had collaborated with Hockmeyer on the first malaria vaccine tested in humans and was brought on to round out that first management team. "There was a lot of on-the-job training that happened once we started," Young said.

The focus veered from creating vaccines to creating the infection-fighting antibodies that vaccines stimulate, which could help people whose immune systems aren't working right, such as transplant patients and premature babies.

Synagis, which became MedImmune's blockbuster drug, was the first monoclonal antibody treatment approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 1998 to prevent infectious diseases. It had sales of $1.06 billion last year.

The company continued to dabble in vaccines through the years - working on the underlying technology that led Merck to market an anti-cancer HPV (human papilloma virus) vaccine this year. But MedImmune was really thrown back into the vaccine world in 2001, when it announced plans to acquire the makers of FluMist, a nasal spray influenza vaccine.

FluMist was supposed to take the vaccine world by storm, as an alternative to traditional flu shots. But the nasal spray came in a frozen formula that prevented it from being administered at grocery stores and pharmacies. Consumers and some in the medical community often misunderstood its use of a live, but weakened, virus. And it wasn't approved for the very young or very old - groups most in danger from the flu.

Still, FluMist was found to be 55 more effective than flu shots in a recent study. And a new, refrigerator-stable version of FluMist is in line for approval later this year.

Analysts and investors are waiting to see if the vaccine is also approved to treat kids ages 1 and up. They also are watching whether the company can figure out how to get FluMist approved for those 50 and older - both factors considered critical for success.

Young said the company has been working for three years to shore up the business, sacrificing shareholder profits in the short term to do what executives believe is best for the long term.

MedImmune has added about 300 people this year, including 125 new sales staff to improve revenue from Synagis, bringing its worldwide work force to about 2,400 people.

It has aggressively added drug candidates to its oncology pipeline and begun clinical testing of a new treatment for lupus. Last month, it also broke ground on a new manufacturing plant in Frederick.

"When you look at what we've been doing over the last three years in adding people, adding programs, acquiring technology, acquiring companies, putting up buildings - we've now sort of put in place a very strong infrastructure, a very strong team that can now take the company to the next level," said Young, now MedImmune's president of research and development.

"We're well on our way."

The company stands to reap royalties from the much-publicized HPV cancer vaccines. Biotech analyst James F. Reddoch, of Friedman Billings Ramsey Group, an Arlington, Va., investment company, believes the vaccines eventually could account for a third of MedImmune's revenue.

MedImmune also has become an increasingly important player in nationwide efforts to battle a potential flu pandemic. It announced within the past year an agreement with a division of the National Institutes of Health to create a library of possible vaccines for flu pandemics, and a $170 million contract from U.S. Health and Human Services to develop cell-based flu vaccines.

Still, Young and his colleagues are ever mindful of one sobering set of numbers: Just 1 in 100 research and development programs will lead to clinical trials. Only 1 in 10 of those tested will make it to market. And just 3 in 10 of those taken to market will recover the costs it took to get them there.

"This game is all about how many times can you get up to the plate and swing that bat," Young said. "And the more opportunities to do that, the greater the chances of success."

tricia.bishop@baltsun.com

Silver Springer

October 8th, 2006, 06:37 PM

Up your game Baltimore, we cannot afford to loose this one!
BRAC seen as boon to Baltimore
City could provide housing in base realignment process, officials say

By Mary Gail Hare
Sun Reporter

Originally published October 5, 2006

The impending military base realignment looms as Baltimore's opportunity to boost its population and contribute to the reversal in recent years of the decades-long flight of residents to the suburbs.

The plan, also known as Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), could bring as many as 40,000 jobs to Maryland as a result of expansions mainly at Fort Meade in Anne Arundel County and Aberdeen Proving Ground in Harford County.

While much attention has been focused on expanding housing and improving infrastructure in suburban counties, Baltimore could figure prominently in the BRAC process by virtue of its housing stock, public transit and cultural amenities, business and government officials said.

"The city is right in the heart of both parts of BRAC, and it has infrastructure in place," said Daraius Irani, associate director of economic and work force development at Towson University, the site of a BRAC panel discussion presented yesterday by the Maryland Business Council.

Housing stock is critical to the realignment because Maryland's recent history of low unemployment could mean thousands will relocate to the state to fill the new positions. "The lack of slackness in employment has to translate to new households -- 40,000 jobs means 40,000 new households," said Anirban Basu, an economist who is chairman of the Sage Policy Group in Baltimore. "This will unleash mixed-used development and drive residential growth in a manner that has not been seen before in Maryland."

Baltimore is better positioned for an influx of new residents, said Gene Bracken, spokesman for the Greater Baltimore Committee, an advocacy group for business in the metropolitan region. "The city has the capacity to absorb growth, whereas the counties are looking to slow growth," Bracken said, reacting to the panelists' assessment. "The state is also working hard to help people from outside understand that the city is also a cultural center."

However, Baltimore must work to market itself as a player in the BRAC process if it wants to avoid being overshadowed by the metropolitan counties, according to a state economic official who took part in the panel discussion.

"Many of these people are coming from being a half-hour from New York," said J.M. Hayes, a retired general serving as director of military and federal affairs for the state Department of Business and Economic Development. "Baltimore has to sell itself so there is not a cultural shock."

A prime obstacle to Baltimore's playing a large role in BRAC is the school system, officials said.

"Its chief impediment is its schools," said Basu, a member of the city school board. "That's unfortunate, but that is the reality."

Encouraging more charter schools could help remove that stumbling block, he said.

"Charter schools are the key to redevelopment in the city," Basu said. "They don't suffer from the reputation of city schools, and they can tailor their curriculum to the incoming populace. This would add choice for those moving here."

The cost to implement the base reconfigurations here is estimated at about $25 billion, with about 75 percent of the cost going to construction projects at Fort Meade and APG. About $10 billion will be spent on research and development centers at the Aberdeen base, an old facility in need of modernization.

"The capital improvements planned for the next 10 to 15 years must be accomplished in the next five to seven years," said J. Thomas Sadowski, vice president of the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore.

In 1995, the last time the military undertook a major realignment, St. Mary's County invested $340 million in capital improvements to accommodate about 10,000 new jobs at Patuxent River Naval Air Station. The coming reconfiguration will bring at least four times that number to a broader area of Maryland.

"BRAC will be throughout Maryland from Andrews Air Force Base to Fort Meade and up the I-95 corridor to APG," Irani said. "The good news is that it's bringing jobs -- high-tech, highly skilled and high-paying jobs -- to Maryland."

mary.gail.hare@baltsun.com

Copyright © 2006, The Baltimore Sun | Get Sun home delivery

JAB323

October 12th, 2006, 11:39 PM

^^ the boom is already happening in the Fort Meade-Odenton area.

Scba

October 14th, 2006, 03:32 PM

Anything new about the mid-rises in Bel Air?

Silver Springer

October 25th, 2006, 03:07 PM

Constellation merger with FPL is dead

Washington Business Journal - 8:35 AM EDT Wednesdayby Jeff ClabaughStaff Reporter

Constellation Energy's $12 billion acquisition by Florida Power & Light's parent FPL has been called off.

Baltimore-based Constellation asked that the deal be called off, and both companies reached an amicable agreement to end merger plans, the companies said in a joint statement.

It ends months' worth of speculation that the deal would fall through. The merger was caught up in a complicated political battle over regulatory approval and rising electricity rates in Maryland. In May, both companies suspended merger integration efforts because of uncertainty about the merger being completed.

Earlier this month, FPL sued the state of Maryland over the stalled regulatory review of the merger.

"As we considered the situation in Maryland, we determined the risks and uncertainties were too significant to overcome," said Constellation chief executive Mayo Shattuck.

Both companies say they will formally withdraw merger applications with the Maryland Public Service Commission and federal regulators.

FPL (NYSE: FPL) has about $11 billion in annual sales. Larger Constellation (NYSE: CEG) has more than $17 billion in annual revenue. Their merger would have created one of the largest electric utilities in the country.

Silver Springer

October 27th, 2006, 03:22 PM

Stem cell firm lands in Montgomery

Dena Levitz, The Examiner
Oct 26, 2006 5:00 AM (1 day ago)
Current rank: Not ranked

Montgomery County - A major South Korean stem cell research firm is making its national debut in Montgomery County, officials will announce this afternoon at a signing ceremony.

RNL Bio Inc., a leading biosciences company in Seoul, is moving its U.S. counterpart, RNL Biostar, into the county’s first business incubator in Shady Grove.

The news comes at a time when stem cell research is making headlines in a number of political races, with Michael J. Fox appearing in a series of TV ads supporting the use of embryonic cells for research.

RNL is a publicly traded company researching the use of adult stem cells for the therapeutic treatment of disease.

Wonnie Lee, representing Washington Global Fund, which is supporting the U.S. arm of the company, said the company’s three areas of research are vascular disease treatment, hair loss treatment and bone fracture treatment.

Scientists with RNL will work with personnel from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Medicine in these disciplines.

“We’re looking to collaborate for further advancement in these areas,” Lee said, explaining that in South Korea the company has already established a stem cell bank and has been highly successful. “The idea is to bring our technology to the United States.”

Initially, he said, three or four workers will be housed in the Shady Grove incubator. Then, over the next year, that number should at least quadruple.

This is the second announcement in two days about additions to Montgomery County’s Shady Grove business incubator network. That facility is one of three networks now housed in the county to help start-ups grow.

Joe Shapiro, a spokesman for the county’s Economic Development Department, said Wednesday that RNL Biostar’s highly successful parent company makes this is a different sort of addition for the incubator.

“They’re coming from a great track record, so it’s not your typical start-up,” Shapiro noted. “But it’s very exciting for Montgomery County.”

Lee added that the decision to move operations to the state also had to do with Maryland’s proactive policies in the area of stem cell research.

In July, a $15 million Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund was created to provide grants for private and public entities to advance stem cell studies.

dlevitz@dcexaminer.com

Silver Springer

October 27th, 2006, 03:23 PM

Business leaders accept science company into local network

Dena Levitz, The Examiner
Oct 25, 2006 5:00 AM (2 days ago)
Current rank: Not ranked

Montgomery County - Montgomery County business leaders announced Tuesday they accepted a groundbreaking science company into one of the county’s incubator networks.

Envisioner, a Rockville startup, last month introduced the first battery-powered, portable endoscopic camera. The camera is used to help physicians look into patients’ body cavities to better treat their ailments.

Company Founder and Chief Executive Officer Patrick Melder said the invention, which he toiled with for seven years before its introduction into the market, has the possibility to change the entire face of the ear, nose and throat medical field. For surgeons, it becomes possible to use a much more compact, less expensive tool to see into the human body.

“It’s analogous to what Apple has done with the iPod — taken a stereo rack system and put it in the palm of people’s hands,” Melder explained. “With this, you can also literally put it in your pocket. ... The implications are pretty incredible.”

For Envisioner — which has only six employees and limited funds behind its product — being involved in the incubator network provides them infrastructure and business networking resources to which they would otherwise not have access.

Montgomery County meanwhile gets the benefit of a company that is going somewhere.

Joe Shapiro, a spokesman for the county’s Economic Development Department, said the idea is not just to aid the companies in the network but also to help them graduate and then provide added jobs to county residents.

With Envisionier’s entrance into the Shady Grove network, Montgomery officials are extremely excited, according to Shapiro.

“They’re exactly the type of company we had envisioned when we started the network,” he said. “What they’re doing, it’s groundbreaking technology. We think they have a great opportunity for growth.”

Right now the county is home to three business incubator networks — Wheaton and Silver Spring on top of Shady Grove’s.

dlevitz@dcexaminer.com

StevenW

November 3rd, 2006, 11:48 AM

Office-retail complex planned at Fort Meade
Developer Trammell Crow to build two golf courses in exchange for prime site outside main gate
By Lorraine Mirabella
Sun reporter
Originally published November 3, 2006

The developer tapped by the Army to redevelop 540 acres of Fort Meade is proposing a $700 million office and retail project at the prime location just outside the main gate.

The area around the fort is rapidly expanding as thousands of new workers start to flock to Fort Meade as part of a reorganization of the nation's military bases.

Trammell Crow Co., of Dallas, has proposed building more than 2 million square feet of offices in about 15 buildings spanning three, park-like office campuses on 173 vacant acres north of Route 175, a vice president of the company said yesterday.

The developer, which was notified Monday of its selection, also plans an undetermined amount of retail space, including a health club and day care center, said Mark S. Corneal, a senior vice president at Trammell Crow.

"It's an incredible opportunity to build a Class A office park in the Baltimore-Washington corridor, outside the gates of Fort Meade, that will serve both the Army's requirements and the contracting community that serves the Army," Corneal said.

"There aren't very many large chunks of land in the Baltimore-Washington corridor available for this type of development. And the BRAC [Base Realignment and Closure] program is an exciting time for Anne Arundel County and this area of Maryland because of the win by Fort Meade of the influx of jobs."

The restructuring is expected to draw 5,400 new civilian, military and contract employees to Fort Meade, along with 4,900 family members, a base spokeswoman said yesterday.

20,000 more
That doesn't include defense-related jobs that are projected to be drawn to the area. As many as 20,000 are expected over the next five to 10 years, according to some estimates.
Under the agreement the Army is to sign with Trammell Crow next Friday, the Texas company will develop, own and manage the commercial project. In lieu of rent for the federally owned land, Trammell Crow will build two 18-hole golf courses on 360 acres south of Route 32.

"We're giving them the space and the land, and they're going to build a facility of benefit to Fort Meade and to them as well, and will pay us back in in-kind services," said Christopher Augsburger, a spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers, which selected the developer along with officials of Fort Meade.

Course to close
A golf course at Fort Meade, along Mapes Road and Cooper Avenue, will be closed and used by the Army to build facilities for the government agencies expected to relocate there as part of BRAC, said Jennifer Downing, the Fort Meade spokeswoman.
Those agencies include the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), Defense Military Department Adjudication Activities, and Defense Media and Publication Activities, she said.

The influx of highly sophisticated jobs from those agencies will help drive demand for commercial and residential growth that is beginning to transform the larger Odenton area, said Aaron J. Greenfield, president and chief executive of the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corp.

Last month, state leaders announced a $150 million residential-retail-office development next to the Odenton MARC train station.

The proposed office park at Fort Meade, which Trammell Crow hopes to call the Fort Meade Technology Center, would give that stretch of Route 175 a boost, Greenfield said.

"I think it's terrific, and I think it is needed," Greenfield said. "If you look at that area around Fort Meade, particularly the 175 area, I am of the belief it needs a nice tuneup and needs some work, so we're excited about this project. It offers significant redevelopment opportunities."

Gregory E. Masi, a vice president of Manekin LLC, the Columbia real estate company, estimated that up to 15 million square feet of office space is being planned or proposed within a 5-mile radius of the fort over the next decade.

Not overwhelming
"It won't overwhelm anybody in the market, because developers in the corridor have been smart in the way they build," Masi said. "Nobody wants to go out and build and sit and wait" for tenants.
Tenants likely will see the proposed development at Fort Meade as a prime address, he said.

"It's a good location," he said. "It has not been in the past the best location, but because of the new activity occurring in the next six to seven years at Fort Meade, it is turning into an excellent location."

lorraine.mirabella@baltsun.com

MasonsInquiries

November 3rd, 2006, 03:27 PM

StevenW

November 3rd, 2006, 10:05 PM

Ulman against tower!!!
Executive candidate says he would block construction
By Larry Carson
Sun reporter
Originally published November 3, 2006

Democratic candidate for Howard County executive Ken Ulman said yesterday that if elected Tuesday he would move to block construction of a 23-story lakefront tower in Columbia and impose a 14-story height limit on downtown buildings.

The two proposals are part of a broader plan Ulman was to announce at noon today at the lakefront for redirecting the process for developing Town Center.

Ulman said he decided to speak up now "when I saw this issue being made into a political football by my Republican opponent. I felt it was important to lay out exactly what my vision is."

Ulman, who represents west Columbia on the County Council, said he rejects Republican candidate Christopher J. Merdon's call for at least a one-year delay in the planning process.

"I will put this planning process back on track as originally intended, and my administration will work with the community to shape their vision into a plan," Ulman said.

Merdon has criticized the charrette process that Ulman sponsored last year involving hundreds of town residents in planning its future.

Ulman took credit for stopping the then-Rouse Co. plans to build 1,600 homes or big-box stores on land next to Merriweather Post Pavilion and closing or sharply reducing the size of the venue.

But Merdon has said later proposals to build up to 5,500 homes and large office and retail complexes came too fast and left residents' desires in the dust. He proposed a delay to allow the county to determine how much development and resulting traffic the town could absorb before going forward.

"I think the future of Town Center should be developed with citizen input over the course of the next year, not on the last weekend of a campaign," Merdon said in a statement after hearing of Ulman's plan. "My approach for saving Town Center includes height restrictions, open space and cultural amenities, but will not seek to predetermine an outcome."

Independent candidate C. Stephen Wallis said, "Many will see these positions as disingenuous." He said Ulman and Merdon use "empty promises as part of their electioneering."

General Growth, which owns the undeveloped land in Town Center, and WCI, developers of the proposed residential and retail tower, were not available for comment.

Some critics of the Columbia redevelopment said they like Ulman's new ideas.

"I'm pleased with what he says. I'm glad to see he's saying these things now," said Del. Elizabeth Bobo, though she refused to comment on his timing.

"Too bad he didn't put his plan out a month ago," said Harry M. Dunbar, who lost the Democratic primary to Ulman and is backing Merdon for his promises to slow growth.

Ulman said he refrained from detailing his vision for Town Center to avoid appearing to dictate to the community.

But now, he said, "I believe the voice of the community has been clear, and while all residents certainly do not agree on all points, I think there has been considerable movement toward an emerging consensus."

That includes limiting the number of new homes to "be much closer to the 1,600 units requested three years ago."

But Ulman said the Department of Planning and Zoning "has not heard the message, or has simply chosen not to listen." That disappointed him, Ulman said, and he feels he needs to change things before "it reverts to an adversarial process."

His specific proposals include:

• Converting Merriweather Post Pavilion to an indoor/outdoor year-round venue.

• Renaming Symphony Woods Rouse Park in Columbia and equipping it with a playground made up of musical instruments and public art honoring the Rouse vision of Columbia.

• Creating a "conservation commission" to review all development plans to make sure every building and feature is environmentally progressive.

• Guaranteeing "fully integrated affordable housing" with a "full range of housing options."

On the contentious height issue, Ulman said: "The community's voice has been loud and clear that a 23-story building has no place in our Town Center. As county executive, I will introduce a height limit for New Town Zoning to prohibit any building over 14 stories."

That is a reversal of the position that Ulman took in August.

At a forum, he and Merdon said they would not try to limit the height of Columbia buildings, except as part of a broader zoning plan for the Town Center.

"I will not introduce such a law," Ulman said then.

In a campaign brochure titled "Save Town Center" recently mailed to voters, Merdon said he would "put zoning regulations in place that dictate height restrictions, open-space set-asides, affordable housing."

Ulman called his change of heart on height "an evolution."

"I've always thought this building is too tall," he said. "I've heard very strongly the desire to have the building more in scale with downtown."

He said he hoped to make the downtown redevelopment a model of diversity, pedestrian access and recreation.

larry.carson@baltsun.com

BalWash

November 3rd, 2006, 10:39 PM

When is HoCo going to realize they can't be a suburban/semi-rural place anymore? If you want to live in low density suburbia, don't live within 15 miles of two of the top 25 largest cities in the country! Low density suburbia is now reserved for Fredrick, Charles, Calvert, Prince William, Loudon and Hartford County.

StevenW

November 4th, 2006, 12:19 AM

^^ I agree.
Besides, 23 stories to 14 stories. I mean, come on. 9 floors difference? :rant:
If you're going to argue height, then propose a 3 to 5 floor building. A 14 floor building will be noticed in the skyline as well. I think the tower at 23 stories was "fitting" enough. IMO, not too tall, not too short. Pretty nice design for the height, as well. :yes:

drewbwhite

November 4th, 2006, 10:19 AM

Hmm, it seems like this election has turned into "who can cave in to the NIMBYs the quickest?" The candidates simultaneously promise to keep the west rural and keep density out of the east while the county continues to grow rapidly, which shows no signs of changing regardless of how many developer fees you slap on builders (which will just get passed on to the consumer and make home ownership even more out of reach, of course). I had high hopes that Columbia might be able to develop a town center befitting of a 100,000 person suburban jurisdiction but it's not looking good.

Silver Springer

November 6th, 2006, 05:45 PM

Office-retail complex planned at Fort Meade
Developer Trammell Crow to build two golf courses in exchange for prime site outside main gate
By Lorraine Mirabella
Sun reporter
Originally published November 3, 2006

The developer tapped by the Army to redevelop 540 acres of Fort Meade is proposing a $700 million office and retail project at the prime location just outside the main gate.

The area around the fort is rapidly expanding as thousands of new workers start to flock to Fort Meade as part of a reorganization of the nation's military bases.

Trammell Crow Co., of Dallas, has proposed building more than 2 million square feet of offices in about 15 buildings spanning three, park-like office campuses on 173 vacant acres north of Route 175, a vice president of the company said yesterday.

The developer, which was notified Monday of its selection, also plans an undetermined amount of retail space, including a health club and day care center, said Mark S. Corneal, a senior vice president at Trammell Crow.

"It's an incredible opportunity to build a Class A office park in the Baltimore-Washington corridor, outside the gates of Fort Meade, that will serve both the Army's requirements and the contracting community that serves the Army," Corneal said.

"There aren't very many large chunks of land in the Baltimore-Washington corridor available for this type of development. And the BRAC program is an exciting time for Anne Arundel County and this area of Maryland because of the win by Fort Meade of the influx of jobs."

The restructuring is expected to draw 5,400 new civilian, military and contract employees to Fort Meade, along with 4,900 family members, a base spokeswoman said yesterday.

[b]20,000 more

That doesn't include defense-related jobs that are projected to be drawn to the area. As many as 20,000 are expected over the next five to 10 years, according to some estimates.

Under the agreement the Army is to sign with Trammell Crow next Friday, the Texas company will develop, own and manage the commercial project. In lieu of rent for the federally owned land, Trammell Crow will build two 18-hole golf courses on 360 acres south of Route 32.

"We're giving them the space and the land, and they're going to build a facility of benefit to Fort Meade and to them as well, and will pay us back in in-kind services," said Christopher Augsburger, a spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers, which selected the developer along with officials of Fort Meade.

Course to close

A golf course at Fort Meade, along Mapes Road and Cooper Avenue, will be closed and used by the Army to build facilities for the government agencies expected to relocate there as part of BRAC, said Jennifer Downing, the Fort Meade spokeswoman.

Those agencies include the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), Defense Military Department Adjudication Activities, and Defense Media and Publication Activities, she said.

The influx of highly sophisticated jobs from those agencies will help drive demand for commercial and residential growth that is beginning to transform the larger Odenton area, said Aaron J. Greenfield, president and chief executive of the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corp.

Last month, state leaders announced a $150 million residential-retail-office development next to the Odenton MARC train station.

The proposed office park at Fort Meade, which Trammell Crow hopes to call the Fort Meade Technology Center, would give that stretch of Route 175 a boost, Greenfield said.

"I think it's terrific, and I think it is needed," Greenfield said. "If you look at that area around Fort Meade, particularly the 175 area, I am of the belief it needs a nice tuneup and needs some work, so we're excited about this project. It offers significant redevelopment opportunities."

Gregory E. Masi, a vice president of Manekin LLC, the Columbia real estate company, estimated that up to 15 million square feet of office space is being planned or proposed within a 5-mile radius of the fort over the next decade.

Not overwhelming

"It won't overwhelm anybody in the market, because developers in the corridor have been smart in the way they build," Masi said. "Nobody wants to go out and build and sit and wait" for tenants.

Tenants likely will see the proposed development at Fort Meade as a prime address, he said.

"It's a good location," he said. "It has not been in the past the best location, but because of the new activity occurring in the next six to seven years at Fort Meade, it is turning into an excellent location."

lorraine.mirabella@baltsun.com

Silver Springer

November 7th, 2006, 05:25 PM

Sunday November 5, 2006
http://www.herald-mail.com/photos/00012176-constrain-600x600.jpeg
The corner of Lee and South streets in Hagerstown is part of an area beingargeted for redevelopment. (Photo credit: by Yvette May / Staff Photographer)

Developing community
Professionals volunteer time to develop revitalization plan for 25 acres downtown
by CANDICE BOSELY candiceb@herald-mail.com

HAGERSTOWN - It's an area that is home to slinking cats, weed-filled lots, parked truck trailers, abandoned buildings, public housing, industrial businesses and houses - many of which have been converted into apartments.

Potential is an intangible that some also see in the area.

This week a group of professionals - a professor of planning and architecture, an economic development specialist, a sustainable urban design specialist, a landscape architect, a downtown development and revitalization consultant, and a historic preservation specialist - will be in Hagerstown, studying a roughly 25-acre area bordered by Potomac Street, Summit Avenue, Baltimore Street and a small creek often called Marsh Run, said Sharon Disque, executive director of the Hagerstown Neighborhood Development Partnership.

The professionals' time is being donated, and the study is being paid for by a grant from The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Center for Communities by Design. It will provide up to $15,000, and Hagerstown Neighborhood Development Partnership will contribute another $5,000.

Hagerstown Neighborhood Development Partnership is a nonprofit organization that operates Home Store, which offers homeownership and counseling services to home buyers.

On Monday from 9:45 a.m. to noon, members of the group will tour Hagerstown and the area to be studied. That area includes older industrial buildings, some buildings that are deteriorating and brownfield areas that could have contamination problems, Disque said.

The professionals coming in will work together to come up with design solutions - a type of session referred to as a charrette, Disque said.

"We think we're going to see a lot of brainstorming," she said. "It really is fun. It's generally the kind of setting where there are no bad ideas."

Tipping the economic scale

One goal is to tie the area to downtown, given that it only is a short distance from Public Square at Washington and Potomac streets.

"(We) hope to tip the economic scale in downtown," Disque said.

Determining how to integrate the area to nearby City Park also is an aspect of the project, she said.

The team leader for the project is Robert Shibley, director of The Urban Design Project at the University at Buffalo in New York. He also is a professor in the university's planning and architecture departments.

Shibley previously visited Hagerstown.

"I left quite excited about the project," he said. "You've got a downtown that wants to be terrific."

A vibrant mixed-use development that is well-landscaped, pedestrian-friendly and respectful of the culture and people who live there could bring in-city living in the study area to a higher level, Shibley said.

Architecturally, he said there is "a great stock" of buildings of interest on the western edge of the area.

Because community input is important, open meetings about the project will be held.

The first is scheduled for Monday from 7 to 9 p.m., with another planned for Tuesday from 3 to 5 p.m. A presentation about the project will be given Wednesday from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

All of those meetings will be held at the Washington County Arts Council at 14 W. Washington St. in Hagerstown.

A marketable plan

Disque said she hopes the group's work will lead to a multifaceted plan that is design-oriented and marketable. Migrating from industrial to mixed use as business and residential is likely, Disque said.

"What we're not looking at doing is bumping people off their land," Disque said, adding that many of the houses are rented.

"We would expect that what's there would remain" as is, she said.

That was a concern of one resident of the area.

"Whatever floats their boat, as long as they don't try to mess with this neighborhood," said Doug Harris, who lives on Sycamore Street. "As long as they don't try to take any of these houses, we won't care."

Harris, who had not yet heard of the project, said that some houses in the quiet neighborhood are owned, while others are used as rental units.

Hagerstown was the only town in Maryland to receive an AIA grant. The other recipients were New Orleans; Syracuse, N.Y.; Longview, Wash.; Guemes Island, Wash.; Lawrence, Kan.; Northeast, Mich.; and Northern, Nev.

After members of the group leave Hagerstown, consultations will be offered, typically by phone or e-mail. A conference call will be held six months after delivery of the assessment report to review what progress has been made.

Finally, a one-day follow-up evaluation visit will be held a year after the group's report is delivered. That report will highlight strengths and weaknesses of the community with regard to sustainability, along with the opportunities and obstacles to change, according to an AIA press release.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you go

What: Open house meetings to discuss a revitalization project planned for the area around Lee and Sycamore streets in Hagerstown

When: Monday, 7 to 9 p.m., and Tuesday, 3 to 5 p.m. A presentation will be given Wednesday from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Where: Washington County Arts Council, 14 W. Washington St., Hagerstown

Silver Springer

November 7th, 2006, 05:32 PM

Sports and entertainment arena eyed for Montgomery
Study under way; upcounty sites floated as possible locations
Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2006
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by Melissa A. Chadwick

Staff Writer

The owner of the Maryland Nighthawks professional basketball team says he has investors ready to help fund a new sports and entertainment arena in Montgomery County.

Three upcounty sites have been mentioned as potential locations for a 7,000- to 12,000-seat facility, but officials are quick to point out that a study of the proposal is in its very early stages and will include what such a facility might look like, not where it would be.

The Maryland Stadium Authority, acting on a request from the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development, has commissioned the feasibility study.

The department and the state Department of Business and Economic Development will each contribute up to $50,000 for the study, said David W. Edgerley, director of economic development in the county.

The study will explore a number of items, including market viability; stadium design, seating and parking; and event programming options such as basketball, ice shows, concerts and graduations, Edgerley said.

After the study is completed — in December or January — Edgerley said state and local officials will review it and ‘‘see if there is an interest in forming a partnership to determine economic feasibility.”

Potomac resident Tom Doyle, president of the Maryland Nighthawks, an American Basketball Association team, said the stadium could cost between $30 million and $40 million to build. The Nighthawks currently play at Montgomery College-Rockville.

‘‘I’ve got private investors lined up ready to do this thing,” Doyle said Friday. ‘‘We’re about ready to go. In reality, this thing could be moving along next year into the following year.”

Doyle said he began researching what it would take to bring an arena to Montgomery County early last year.

After meeting with county development officials and the Maryland Stadium Authority on his ideas, Doyle was approached to form the Sports Council of Montgomery County in early 2006, he said.

Private investors and sports groups are interested in funding the arena, he said.

Doyle said arena funding would work best as a public-private partnership, with the county or state providing land or matching funds.

‘‘It’s not necessarily a county project at this point,” Edgerley said. ‘‘We’re just examining it. It may be the recommendation that we ask the state to take it on or that we ask a private partner to take it on.”

The council was formed in part to lobby for sports and recreation opportunities in a county that some say pours a majority of its resources into the arts.

‘‘We became so focused on the arts. All these dollars are being pushed there,” Doyle said. ‘‘I think you’re not serving the greater populace when you’re not supporting sports and recreation.”

Doyle said the council met a few times before group members collectively suggested they consider pushing for an arena.

‘‘[The lack of an arena] takes an awful lot of money out of the county. Not just to see the Wizards, to see Sesame on Ice or other ice shows,” Doyle said Friday. ‘‘One of the biggest factors is the whole graduation thing. It’s just obscene.”

Nearly all county high schools hold their graduation ceremonies outside of Montgomery County.

He said the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, which seats 6,000 to 8,000, is a good example of what Montgomery’s arena could look like.

But County Councilman Michael J. Knapp (D-Dist. 2) of Germantown said that the arena should have up to 12,000 seats.

‘‘If you’re going to do a facility and are going to do a real one, it’s got to be a 10,000- to 12,000-seat facility,” he said.

Knapp added that of the sites that have been mentioned as possibilities — the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Gaithersburg and the Germantown campus of Montgomery College — the college site interests him the most.

Knapp said he doesn’t believe ‘‘anyone seriously thinks” an arena should be at the SoccerPlex. ‘‘The more I think about it, the more I get excited about MC-Germantown,” Knapp said. ‘‘I think it’s certainly something this county should be looking at.”

Edgerley was quick to note that the feasibility study will not address possible locations.

‘‘Let me be brutally clear,” Edgerley said Thursday. ‘‘People are talking about sites — that is not part of the study. We are not doing a site study. We want to find out what this looks like before it would be placed. Site considerations, while fun to talk about, are not part of the work being done at this point.”

Copyright © 2006 The Gazette - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Privacy Statement

Silver Springer

November 8th, 2006, 08:07 PM

Biopark developer taps real estate exec to lead project
Baltimore Business Journal - November 3, 2006by Alan Zibel Staff

Nicholas Griner | Staff
Scott Levitan worked on a biotech park near MIT in Cambridge, Mass.
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The Cleveland company leading the development of the new east-side biotechnology park has hired a real estate development executive with experience at Georgia Tech and Harvard University to oversee its Baltimore office.

Forest City Enterprises Inc. hired Scott Levitan as its top Baltimore executive. He started Oct. 9 in Forest City's office by the Johns Hopkins medical campus, which has grown to 10 employees.

Levitan, 51, is an architect by training who was executive director for real estate development at Georgia Tech since 2001. He was director of university and commercial real estate at Harvard from 1994 to 2001.

At Georgia Tech, he oversaw the university's real estate development activities, which included Technology Square, a 1.6 million-square-foot development in Atlanta that included the university and private companies. At Harvard, he was responsible for more than 2 million square feet of university-owned properties.

Levitan said he got to know Forest City through its work on a biotechnology project next to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge.

"To be able to work for a company with that kind of commitment made me feel that this was something that was really going to happen" in Baltimore, Levitan said. He called the biotech development "a transformational project for the city of Baltimore."

Levitan replaced Suzanne Warren, a former executive and partner with Columbia real estate firm Manekin LLC who was hired by Forest City last year and left the company.

Peter Calkins, a Boston-based Forest City senior vice president who has been overseeing the Baltimore development, said Warren wanted to take a break from work and spend more time with her family.

"After about a year, she discovered that it was more all-consuming than she had hoped for," Calkins said.

Levitan, Calkins said, brings to the project "a terrific background" in neighborhood development and biotechnology-oriented development. "He's a Southerner," Calkins said. "He places importance on the value of creating strong interpersonal relationships."

Construction is under way on the first of five planned life sciences research buildings.

Silver Springer

November 8th, 2006, 08:14 PM

Fasgen among firms moving to UMB BioPark
Baltimore Business Journal - November 3, 2006by Alan Zibel Staff
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Three small companies are moving into new office space in the biotechnology park next to the University of Maryland, Baltimore's campus, filling up the project's first building.

New to the 120,000-square-foot UMB BioPark building at 800 W. Baltimore St. are: Fasgen Inc., Acidophil LLC and Irazu Biodiscovery LLC.

Of these firms, Fasgen is the best known in biotech circles. The company, founded in 2000 by four Johns Hopkins researchers, is developing drugs that target cancer, tuberculosis, obesity and diabetes. The drugs are based on compounds that inhibit the development of fatty acids in the body.

Fasgen moved in last month to 9,000 square feet on two floors of the building, which opened in July 2005, said Jim Hughes, UMB's vice president for research and development.

Hughes said it was a "little bit of a surprise" to attract a company as closely affiliated with Hopkins as Fasgen. Developers are building a biotechnology park north of the Hopkins medical campus, but the first building is not expected to be open until April 2008.

"They needed space," Hughes said of Fasgen. "They needed to go somewhere."

Irazu is affiliated with Paragon Bioservices Inc., a Baltimore company that provides cell cultures and other biological products to biotech companies and research organizations.

Irazu is developing drugs that mimic the effects of severe limitations on the intake of calories to body, a process that has long been believed to slow the biological effects of aging.

The company's CEO, Marco Chacon, said he has established a lab for Paragon and Irazu at the BioPark building and is considering whether to move more offices and lab space to the second BioPark building next summer.

The company is located at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center campus.

Hughes said Acidophil LLC is taking 1,000 square feet at the BioPark. According to UMB's Web site, the company is working on cancer and neurological disorders.

Silver Springer

November 15th, 2006, 05:58 AM

Ehrlich concedes Md. governor's race to O'Malley

Washington Business Journal - November 8, 2006by Heather Harlan Contributing Writer

Republican Gov. Bob Ehrlich has conceded the race for governor, making Democratic Mayor Martin O'Malley's victory official.

The governor placed a call to O'Malley this morning and plans to hold an 11:30 a.m. press conference to explain his decision, Ehrlich staffers say.

Even though O'Malley declared victory last night, Ehrlich was holding out hope that the absentee ballots would bring him a second term in Annapolis. He told supporters that was waiting for the results of the absentee count, expected to begin Thursday morning.

But according to the State Board of Elections, the statistics were not in Ehrlich's favor.

Although the board sent out roughly 193,000 absentee ballots, almost 144,350 were returned. About 68,400 were sent in by Democratic voters, with about 63,660 mailed back by Republicans, according to the State Board of Elections.

With O'Malley up by almost 100,000 votes at the polls, the governor's chances looked grim, his staffers say.

Silver Springer

November 15th, 2006, 06:00 AM

Bracing for a post-election shakeup
PSC, DBED officials could be gone following O’Malley victory

Friday, Nov. 10, 2006

by Kevin J. Shay

Staff Writer

Gov.-elect Martin O’Malley plans to fire members of the state Public Service Commission, and analysts say he will also likely clean house of current cabinet members, including the head of the Department of Business and Economic Development.

Observers also said they expect O’Malley to work closely with the business community on key economic development issues such as transportation, workforce development and medical insurance for small-business employees.

“Consistent with what we said during the campaign, we will have a new public service commission, and we will very shortly, I hope, have one that’s more professional,“ said O’Malley, who ousted Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) in Tuesday’s elections.

“But it is consistent with our drive to find more professional people,” O’Malley said. ‘‘There were few public agencies that failed quite so badly as the Public Service Commission.“

The commission, which regulates utilities, telecommunications companies, taxicab businesses and other businesses, has been embroiled in a controversy this year over a 72 percent residential rate hike requested by utility Baltimore Gas & Electric Co.

O’Malley takes over in January. ‘‘He’s focusing on putting together his transition team,” said spokeswoman Raquel Guillory.

Firing the PSC members would not necessarily be a negative move, said Anirban Basu, chairman and CEO of the Sage Policy Group, a Baltimore economic and policy consulting firm. The current commissioners do not have ‘‘credibility with a large portion of Maryland’s populace,” he said.

Bethany Gill, a PSC spokeswoman, said she had not heard about any plans for the four current commissioners. Former commissioner Karen Smith resigned earlier this year, so O’Malley would be making at least one appointment even if he retains the others.

As far as a new cabinet, it’s a tradition for new governors to choose their own members, especially when someone from a different political party takes over, Basu said.

‘‘Governor Ehrlich brought many talented people here. I hope they will get a close look,” said Basu, also an executive committee member of the Maryland Business Council of Baltimore.

Some officials with DBED and other departments have already done a lot of work to prepare for the thousands of jobs expected in Maryland in the near future through the Pentagon’s base realignment process, Basu said. It’s important not to ‘‘skip a beat” in that planning, he said.

During a news conference this week at Baltimore City Hall, O’Malley said he would reach out across party lines as he fills out his administration.

‘‘We are going to do our very best ... to recruit the most professional and committed people we can,” O’Malley said. ‘‘We’re going to do this regardless of party, but conscious of the fact that we also want a cabinet and a government that reflects our greatest strength as a people, which is our diversity.”

O’Malley said there will be no wholesale firing of political appointees from the Ehrlich administration. Ehrlich drew criticism for allegedly seeking to identify and fire Democrats.

‘‘I am going to go after professionalism, and we’re going to recruit the most professional people we can find,” O’Malley said.

In a brief statement outside the governor’s mansion in Annapolis this week, Ehrlich did not address his plans for the future or field questions from reporters. ‘‘One thing for sure, the next administration will inherit a state in very good shape,” he said.

Past cabinets often leave

Old cabinet members typically submit their resignations to give the new governor the opportunity to choose their own members, said Jim Brady, a former DBED secretary.

‘‘I would be surprised if any [present cabinet members] stay,” Brady said. ‘‘I would characterize [a cabinet housecleaning] as the normal state of affairs, especially when you have a party change like this one.”

DBED Secretary Aris Melissaratos, whom Ehrlich appointed in 2003, said he hasn’t really thought about what he would say if asked to remain in the position. ‘‘We’re working hard to make it a smooth transition,” Melissaratos said.

He cited the creation of thousands of jobs, work on biotechnology, nanotechnology and other high-tech development, and programs to expand Maryland exports as some of the highlights under his leadership.

‘‘I would hope the one-Maryland economic development vision we’ve put in place and the successful programs we have would be continued and accelerated,” said Melissaratos, who formerly was an executive for Westinghouse Electronics Systems.

James D. Fielder Jr., secretary of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, also served under former governors Parris N. Glendening and William Donald Schaefer, both Democrats, said Linda Sherman, a spokeswoman for the department. Fielder’s previous positions included acting, deputy and assistant DBED secretary.

‘‘It’s too early to say what will happen or what [Fielder] will do,” Sherman said.

Benjamin H. Wu, assistant secretary of business development for the capital region, which includes Montgomery, Prince George’s and Frederick counties, declined to comment on his plans. He works in DBED’s Rockville office.

‘‘The challenge ... is to continue the success [of DBED’s programs] in order for Maryland to remain on the forefront of technology and biotech,” said Wu, also the senior adviser for technology policy statewide.

Melissaratos said it was important to have a ‘‘balanced approach” between businesses and regulations, and that taxes be held in check.

During the campaign, O’Malley pledged to create new economic opportunities in biotechnology, homeland security and defense industries, plus help small businesses pay for medical insurance and reduce paperwork. He also said he would expand opportunities for minority- and woman-owned businesses, fully fund the Thornton education plan, reduce college tuition and increase the tax credit for companies that manufacture renewable fuels.

Slots on the table?

In his campaign, O’Malley voiced limited support of slot machines at Maryland racetracks. Ehrlich promoted slots relentlessly, but to no avail in the Democratic-controlled legislature.

The governor-elect might have more success on slots than his Republican predecessor, Basu said. ‘‘The legislature now has a greater interest in making this governor look effective,” he said.

House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Dist. 30) of Annapolis, a slots opponent, said he hoped the legislature wouldn’t ‘‘waste any great energy on [slots] like we did the [last] four years.”

Cricket Goodall, executive director of the Maryland Horse Breeders Association of Timonium, said she was hopeful that lawmakers would adopt slots. But she said that, like O’Malley, Ehrlich also talked about limiting slots to racetracks early in his administration. Then some lawmakers wanted to expand slots to other venues, while others wanted no part of them, and the matter died in the General Assembly.

‘‘It’s not a new idea” to limit slots to the state’s four racetracks, Goodall said.

‘He’s not anti-business’

While some have questioned O’Malley’s interest and commitment to business issues, Basu said O’Malley did have the support of many business leaders and had worked with the business community in Baltimore on economic development and other matters.

‘‘He’s not anti-business,” Basu said. ‘‘O’Malley understands how important the business community is. He understands the business community’s role in attracting jobs.”

O’Malley developed a close relationship with the Greater Baltimore Committee, a Baltimore organization of business and civic leaders, said Gene Bracken, a spokesman for the committee.

While most chambers of commerce and business organizations endorsed Ehrlich, some sent out statements following Tuesday’s election congratulating O’Malley and pledging to work with him. Those included the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Washington Board of Trade’s Maryland Political Action Committee.

The latter noted it had previously praised O’Malley for supporting the Intercounty Connector, the Purple Line and increased funding for higher education.

Divided federal government

While Maryland moved from divided government back to one-party rule, the federal government went the other way, Basu noted, as Democrats wrested control of the U.S. House and likely the Senate from Republicans.

Rep. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Dist. 3) of Pikesville, who defeated Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele (R) in the U.S. Senate race, doesn’t have a real strong following in the business community, Basu said. But that might not matter as long as Democrats don’t take positions that could hurt many companies, he said.

On the federal level, business leaders will likely be concerned about issues such as regulating industries and raising the minimum wage, Basu said.

Staff Writers Steve Monroe and Douglas Tallman, and Chris Yakaitis and David J. Silverman of Capital News Service contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2006 The Gazette - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Privacy Statement

Silver Springer

November 15th, 2006, 06:02 AM

TV One adds another million

Washington Business Journal - 12:56 PM EST Mondayby Jeff ClabaughStaff Reporter

TV One, the joint venture cable channel tailored to African-American viewers, says it will add another 1 million households with its latest cable deals.

The Silver Spring-based company says TV One will launch this fall on Time Warner cable systems in Milwaukee; Buffalo, N.Y.; and Los Angeles and on Comcast systems in San Francisco and the New Mexico cities of Albuquerque, Los Alamos and Santa Fe.

TV One is jointly owned by Lanham-based Radio One (NASDAQ: ROIA) , Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) and DirecTV (NYSE: DTV).

The channel debuted in 2004. It currently reaches about 33 million cable TV households.

Silver Springer

November 15th, 2006, 06:04 AM

BRAC spurs universities to weigh in-state tuition for defense contractors

Washington Business Journal - 6:47 PM EST Mondayby Daniel J. SernovitzContributing Writer

Officials with the Maryland's university system could vote later this week to extend in-state tuition to defense contractors expected to move here over the next five years as part of a military base realignment plan.

The University System of Maryland's board of regents is scheduled to meet Thursday morning to consider the notion, which is part of a larger push by state and local officials to entice out-of-state residents to move here when their jobs come to the Old Line State under a federal Base Military Realignment and Closure plan adopted in 2005.

Normally, university system students are not eligible for in-state tuition unless they have been living in Maryland for more than a year. Defense contractors whose jobs are moved to Maryland, under the proposal, would be eligible for the lower in-state tuition rates upon moving here if they can prove they are affected by the realignment plan.

In-state tuition for a semester at the University of Maryland, College Park is about $4,000 this year, as opposed to $10,000 for an out-of-state student. The regents adopted a similar proposal late last month for the federal military's civilian work force.

As part of the realignment plan, about 10,000 federal jobs will be added to Fort George G. Meade in Anne Arundel County and the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Harford County through the plan's 2011 implementation deadline.

J. Thomas Sadowski, executive vice president of the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore, says federal Department of Defense officials estimate another two or three defense contracting jobs will come to the state for each of those federal jobs. Just how many people who now hold those jobs will actually move to Maryland is in question, but Sadowski said it is important for the state to make the prospect as attractive as possible to help influence their decisions.

Sadowski is helping to plan the realignment effort regionally. He said base workers and defense contractors in Fort Monmouth, N.J., where many of those jobs will be coming from, have indicated a strong interest in attending University System of Maryland schools if they decide to relocate.

Joe Vivona, vice chancellor for administration and finance at the university system, said based on previous realignment efforts he expects only a few hundred students will seek in-state tuition consideration. The system can absorb as many as 135,000 students annually.

"It's not the sort of thing that would critically challenge you in that regard," Vivona says.

Vivona said he expects one out of every 18 workers coming here as a result of the realignment will have college-aged children, and the total number of potential university students the system may need to take on will be spread out through the final 2011 base realignment implementation date. Regardless, Vivona says, education is one of the primary things people consider when moving to another state, and the university system felt it important to do its part to help the state attract new residents as part of the realignment plan.

Silver Springer

November 15th, 2006, 06:06 AM

What's next for business? O'Malley win stirs talk of who will run DBED

Baltimore Business Journal - November 10, 2006by Heather HarlanStaff

As Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley prepares to become governor, just who will lead the state's top business agency remains in question.

Aris Melissaratos, the secretary of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, said O'Malley has not contacted him about continuing in the post. "It's too early,'' he said.

Melissaratos, a Democrat, said he isn't even sure he would be interested in serving as secretary for another four years. "Will I do it? Maybe, maybe not," he said.

Sources familiar with the early search for new cabinet leaders said Donald C. Fry, president of the Greater Baltimore Committee, and David Edgerly, Montgomery County's economic development director, are being considered to head the business department known as DBED. Fry's name also is being floated for Maryland Department of Transportation secretary.

During a press conference Nov. 8, O'Malley said his team is working on the framework for new initiatives and a new cabinet. "We don't have a whole lot of new information on transition and personnel right now," O'Malley said.

But the Democratic governor-elect said he plans to recruit top leaders for key posts in the new administration "regardless of party." Typically, new governors usher out existing cabinet secretaries, replacing them with people of their choice.

The DBED secretary will be critical to O'Malley's success with the business community, considering the governor-elect campaigned against business interests.

This platform was part of O'Malley's "Action Plan for Maryland Families,'' and was tested when the city sued the Public Service Commission over electricity rate hikes this past spring.

"I think there were some concerns about the mayor's populist stance that he took during the BGE and the electricity rate debate,'' Baltimore City Councilman Keiffer Mitchell said. "The mayor understands the importance of business and how it plays into the economy and job growth.''

Fry agreed with Mitchell, saying the governor knows how business works. "Having been an executive [of the city] and having to deal with a budget, he does understand the role the private sector plays in economic growth," said Fry, a former Democratic state senator.

It is possible, Fry said, that O'Malley could draw a business secretary from outside of the state. And candidates from other regions could seek out O'Malley for some of the top cabinet spots.

"The mayor's victory as governor has not only garnered state attention, but also national attention," said Fry, who described himself as happy with his current position.

Melissaratos was named secretary for the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development in 2003, leaving then-secretary David Iannucci out of a job. Iannucci, a Democrat, now heads Baltimore County's economic development department.

A former Westinghouse Electric Corp. executive, Melissaratos is credited with making Maryland more business-friendly and luring new investment to the state -- especially in the biotechnology arena.

Also during his tenure, the state won a federal competition to bring thousands of military jobs here in the next decade, and unemployment stayed below the national average.

His business acumen makes Melissaratos well-liked. Mitchell said he partnered successfully with Melissaratos to save some jobs from leaving Baltimore City in 2003.

"In a partisan atmosphere, he didn't have to return my call, but he did," Mitchell said.

Melissaratos said he is most proud of making Maryland a place of "technical dominance'' and landing the federal military jobs. Looking ahead, he said he had hoped to implement a new strategy of achieving "managed, balanced growth,'' especially considering the Pentagon's decision to transfer thousands of military positions to Maryland.

Iannucci said he cannot remember a DBED secretary who has stayed in the position more than four years. As for Iannucci's future aspirations, he said: "I loved being at DBED, but the past is the past, and I've moved on."

Silver Springer

November 17th, 2006, 04:31 PM

Under Armour stock moving to NYSE
Baltimore Business Journal - 1:37 PM EST Thursdayby Rachel SamsStaff

Performance apparel company Under Armour Inc. has applied to list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange.

Under Armour (NASDAQ: UARM) has traded on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange since its much-watched initial public offering a year ago. The Nasdaq is well-known as home to technology stocks and other fast-growing companies, including retailers such as Baltimore's Under Armour and Hampstead men's clothier Jos. A. Bank (NASDAQ: JOSB).

But no exchange has as much broad name recognition as the NYSE, where Under Armour rival Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) trades. Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank said in a statement that moving to the exchange fits Under Armour's growing profile. Under Armour's ubiquitous ad campaigns -- with slogans like "Protect This House" and "Click Clack" for its recently introduced football cleats -- have amped up the brand's name recognition.

"We are excited about our new relationship with the NYSE, and we appreciate our association with Nasdaq and thank them for their support in the growth of our company," Plank said. "As our brand and our business become more global every day, raising Under Armour's visibility in the global financial markets becomes increasingly more important."

Under Armour expects that its shares of Class A common stock will start trading on the NYSE Dec. 18 under the ticker symbol UA.

Under Armour's shares nearly doubled in price on their first day of trading last year. Since that time, the stock has risen 85 percent -- though it has been volatile at times, with big swings both up and down.

Under Armour's clothes are designed to wick moisture away from the body. Both professional athletes and weekend warriors wear them.

Silver Springer

November 25th, 2006, 08:15 PM

If D.C. feels like they want nothing to do with Maryland, then Maryland can take back the land they donated to create D.C.

Redskins have been boon to county
Moving NFL team back to District would be ‘an incredible betrayal,’ says business official
Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2006

by Marcus Moore

Staff Writer

Losing the Washington Redskins back to the District would be a stinging blow to Prince George’s County, says a business leader who helped bring the NFL to Landover.

‘‘That would be an incredible betrayal of the people and elected officials of Prince George’s County if that were to happen,” said M.H. ‘‘Jim” Estepp, who was District 9 councilman when the deal to build FedEx Field was signed in 1996.

Last week, Jack Evans, a D.C. councilman, told WRC-TV that he and team owner Daniel M. Snyder have talked informally about building a new domed stadium in the city. The stadium would be constructed at the site of Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Southeast Washington after the Nationals, who play there now, move to their new stadium in two years.

Fans have easier access to RFK Stadium than FedEx Field, Evans told the station.

Neither Evans nor Redskins officials could be reached for comment.

The Redskins played at RFK from 1961 to 1996, before moving to Jack Kent Cooke Stadium — now FedEx Field in Landover, the NFL’s biggest stadium with more than 91,000 seats — in 1997.

District officials have always wanted the Redskins to move back to the city, said Vince Morris, a spokesman for outgoing Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D).

‘‘I don’t know that [Williams] is pushing it — it’s all up to the Redskins,” Morris said. ‘‘He’s always felt it was a mistake for the team to move to Maryland.”

Morris agreed with Evans that it makes sense for the team to play in the city because of its easier access. While both stadiums are serviced by Metro trains, RFK’s rail station is closer than the one near FedEx Field.

Two years ago, the Prince George’s County Board of Appeals overturned a ban on walking the streets and sidewalks near the stadium. The county’s Department of Public Works and Transportation had imposed the ban two months earlier, particularly on game days, citing safety concerns.

Lerner Corp. of North Bethesda then charged a $15 fee for fans who park at Landover Mall and walk to FedEx Field, about a 20-minute walk. The company’s founder, Theodore N. Lerner, is new lead owner of the Nationals.

‘‘The Redskins have made a long-term commitment to Prince George’s County” is all James P. Keary, a spokesman for County Executive Jack B. Johnson (D), would say about the issue.

The Redskins signed a deal more than 10 years ago with then-County Executive Wayne K. Curry and then-Gov. Parris N. Glendening to build the stadium on a 350-acre farm in the county, but only after plans fell through in Alexandria, Va., and Anne Arundel County.

Curry could not be reached for comment.

Estepp, now president and CEO of the Greater Prince George’s Roundtable, said FedEx Field has been a major boon for the county. Prince George’s receives 10 percent of all ticket admissions, he said, and nearby property values have increased. While the stadium is now considered an economic beacon for Prince George’s, the mood was much different when the stadium deal was proposed, he said.

‘‘I was called some of the worst names in my life from people opposed to the stadium,” Estepp said. ‘‘Of course, you can’t find those people now.”

Talks about moving the Redskins back to the District have circulated for years, he said.

‘‘I don’t think there’s anything to it, and I don’t blame Mr. Evans for trying, but we as a community should stop that from happening,” Estepp said. ‘‘I can’t imagine that [Snyder] would move the team from Prince George’s County.”

E-mail Marcus Moore at mmoore@gazette.net.

Copyright © 2006 The Gazette - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Privacy Statement

StevenW

November 25th, 2006, 08:25 PM

Silver Springer

November 25th, 2006, 09:16 PM

I would not doubt that a strong effort for this to happen will probably take place.
I hope it does not, (for Maryland's sake). I mean, what would be done with the stadium if they,(Redskins), would move? :?
91,000 seats!!! :eek: Is a LOT of seats! :eek:
Would they bring it down?

I doubt anything serious will become of this but the sheer fact that D.C. officials are proposing it shows that they have great disrespect and that they easily forget the past. This is exactly why I'm not particularly fond of D.C.; they like to disregard Maryland even though they enjoy using Maryland land. In the entire D.C. region Maryland gets the short end of the stick while ironically it gave the most out of every other jurisdiction.

As long as the capital sits on land that was given by Maryland I think D.C. should be respectful of that but I only read a lot disrespect and arrogance. They signed a contract for FedEx\Cooke stadium, it would be a total waste to not use that stadium that is the biggest in the NFL. MOST IMPORTANTLY IT IS A BREACH OF CONTRACT!

There is no physical disconnect between Maryland and D.C. so I don't understand the great disparity they feel, we have had to deal with crime issues that they spewed into our state a decade before they got noticed by the housing boom that cleaned up some of their mess.

A simple act of congress would put D.C. back into the state of Maryland. With Democrats from Maryland controlling congress this could happen if a push was made by an organization of some sort.

BalWash

November 26th, 2006, 08:49 AM

A simple act of congress would put D.C. back into the state of Maryland. With Democrats from Maryland controlling congress this could happen if a push was made by an organization of some sort.
I strongly support DC retrocession. Here's a link: http://washingtonmd.org/

StevenW

November 26th, 2006, 09:26 PM

^^ Interesting link, is it for real? I like it, if it is. :yes: :)

BalWash

November 27th, 2006, 01:22 AM

It's a legitimate organization; however, they havn't updated in a long while. They present a VERY convincing argument for making it Washington, Maryland. I wish more of the general populace was educated about this alternative to "New Columbia" and a constitutional ammendment.

Silver Springer

November 28th, 2006, 06:53 PM

Arundel to lead requests for federal funding to handle BRAC growth

Baltimore Business Journal - 2:44 PM EST Mondayby Daniel J. SernovitzStaff

Anne Arundel County officials will take the lead on behalf of Howard County and Laurel officials in asking the federal government for money to accommodate the impact of a federal military base realignment plan, government leaders said Monday.

During a press conference at the Odenton Library in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County Executive Janet S. Owens said the county will be the one to request funds from the federal Office of Economic Adjustment, which is overseeing the distribution of funds as part of the Base Realignment and Closure plan adopted last year.

About 5,300 jobs will be moving to Anne Arundel's Fort George G. Meade as part of the plan, in addition to contracting positions that will come to the county in support of those jobs.

On Monday, Owens said the county has reached a memorandum of understanding with her counterparts in Howard County and Laurel which, in addition to naming Anne Arundel as the lead agency, will create an Office of Economic Adjustment Grant Advisory Task Force made up of officials from Anne Arundel and Howard Counties, the mayor of Laurel, and the Anne Arundel and Howard County BRAC officials.

The task force will be charged with identifying projects and plans needed to accommodate BRAC-related growth and for requesting grant funding from the federal government to launch those plans and projects. There will be five voting members of the task force, to be aided by others including county planning and zoning officials and the president of the Fort Meade Alliance.

Harford County, which also stands to be impacted by BRAC because of additional jobs coming to the Aberdeen Proving Ground, was not included in the task force.

Silver Springer

November 28th, 2006, 07:02 PM

[Montgomery County] cultivates new crop of biotechs from Korea

Washington Business Journal - October 27, 2006
by Vandana Sinha
Staff Reporter

Montgomery County leaders have been trekking thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean to pump up the biotech population in their back yard. They are wooing bioitechs in South Korea, more so than in any other single country, hoping that those companies pick Maryland out of a lineup of states for their U.S. expansion plans.

"We did a number of active media blitzes there," says Peter Bang, division chief of finance, administration and special projects at the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development, which counts at least 10 Korean companies that have opened offices in the county in recent years. "With our continued efforts, that number will increase."

Some of the region's latest biotech entries have hailed from Korea.
RNL Biostar, a Korean stem cell company, is moving this week into the Maryland Technology Development Center, where it will become the Rockville incubator's third Korean biotech tenant and its seventh in the past few years.

Montgomery County's overtures started in 2002 when the Korean government got the county's attention by shoveling $3.5 billion toward making its biotech and nanotech sectors among the best in the world. Much of that cash went toward a massive biotech park in Chungbuk province. The grand opening is planned for early next year.

The county's representatives returned each year since 2002 and hosted Korean delegations as recently as this week. Meanwhile, Korean companies ogled U.S. agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health as enticing neighbors. "We thought the NIH was a good market," says Jessica Joung, sales manager for Seegene, a Korean diagnostic company at the incubator. "We can directly visit the scientists and offer our services to them."

In 2003, a year before Seegene joined the local scene, Montgomery County scored one of its first Korean coups in Bioneer Life Science, which had shifted its U.S. operations from San Diego. The genomics company spent two years at the Rockville incubator before moving back last year to San Diego, one of this region's brawniest competitors thanks to its sizable Korean community and significantly shorter flight to the homeland.

County officials are in talks to lure Bioneer and a planned manufacturing plant back to Maryland by next year. They're also working to land the North American office of the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, a quasi-governmental agency that has been scoping this area Korean natives who've settled here with either biotech startups or subsidiaries have tasted success.
Seegene has signed deals with five international distributors to disperse six pathogen-testing kits launched in the last month.

This past summer, Gaithersburg's TissueGene, co-founded seven years ago by a former committee member of Korea's FDA and a guest researcher at NIH, began its first phase of trials on a drug for degenerative arthritis.

Last week another company, Rexahn Pharmaceuticals, wrapped up its Phase I trials for a cancer inhibitor it has snagged exclusive market rights to sell for seven years. The Rockville company, a one-time incubator resident, plans to top that with four Phase II trials in the first half of next year.

In some cases, Korean dollars are making the trip alone. In an $8.4 million deal this summer, including $2 million in pure equity investment, Columbia's A & G Pharmaceutical signed a development, manufacturing and commercialization agreement with South Korea's behemoth Celltrion for an anti-cancer drug.

"This is too big a market to miss by any Korean company," says Rexahn Chairman and CEO Chang Ahn, who founded the company after 15 years at the FDA and NIH and has since organized annual U.S.-Korea business partnering forums. "At least half locate to the D.C. area because of the network we built."

E-maiL: Vsinha@bizjournals.coM Phone: 703/258-0838

Silver Springer

November 28th, 2006, 07:54 PM

National Harbor

www.nationalharbor.com

http://www.gaylordhotels.com/apps/Banner/ViewBanner.cfm?BannerID=57

comments
At over $2 Billion, this is the largest single mixed-use project on the east Coast perhaps the nation. Factually, it will have the largest combined convention center and hotel on the East Coast. All on more than 300 acres.

I have high hopes for this project and believe that it is the key to a major turnaround for Prince George's County. I see it as the premier business hub for the County.

Status
Under Construction

Quick Facts,

7,300,000 sf of master plan mixed-use community in Prince George?s County, MD
2,500 Residential Units
4,000 hotel rooms and convention center
1 million sf of retail, dining, and entertainment
500,000 sf of class "A" office space
Additional office space build-out available at the Riverview at National Harbor with 1,430,000 sf.

Advantages,

The Only location in the D.C. area with full rights to an open expanse of Maryland's Potomac River.
Only location with prestine water front views of Washington, D.C. for corporate tenants.
Direct access to the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge.
A wealthy existing demographic of high income residents with homes worth $500,000+
Fairy system in planning.
Future right of way for a yellow line extention
Direct proximity to the largest combined conventioncenter\hotel on the east coast.

Tenants

McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant (8,000 sq\ft)
http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2006/09/11/story12.html
Pose, Club and Ultra Lounge

Gaylord National

http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylordnational/

http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylordnational/images/NationalNight_large.jpg

comments
One of four massive state-of-the-art meetings, entertainment and convention facilities, Gaylord National will anchor the National Harbor site. It will be the largest combined Hotel and Convention center on the east coast. It has been approved for an expansion of 500 additonal hotel rooms, brining the total up from 1,500 to 2,000.

Quick Facts,

42-acre resort
2,000 hotel rooms, including more than 100 luxurious suites
470,000 square feet of flexible convention, meeting, exhibition and pre-function space
Spectacular 18-story, 1.65 acre multi-level atrium
A high-tech entertainment sports bar, a coffee shop and a high-energy night club atop the hotel tower, offering spectacular views to our nation?s capital
Rel?che, a 20,000 square-foot luxury spa, salon and fitness center
Estimated project cost $565 million
1,850 permanent jobs
1,135 indirect jobs (Prince George?s County)
1,018 construction jobs
$51 million annual payroll
Taxes generated: $3.2 million in year one; $346 million 2008-2037

http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylordnational/images/WestView_large.jpg
http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylordnational/images/AerialView1_large.jpg

http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylordnational/images/AerialView2_large.jpg
http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylordnational/images/RiverView_large.jpg

http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylordnational/images/Plaza_large.jpg

http://nationalharbor.com/_images/nh_model1.jpg

http://nationalharbor.com/_images/nh_model2.jpg

StevenW

November 29th, 2006, 11:55 AM

very cool place. :)
Good for Maryland! :yes:

xzmattzx

December 1st, 2006, 04:59 PM

This article appeared in the News Journal up here in Delaware today. It's from the Annapolis Capital, though. Sometimes things in Maryland get coverage here (and, as I found out a few days ago, some things in Delaware get covered in Maryland).

Since 9/11, technology firms flourish in Anne Arundel, Md.
Growth driven by proximity to U.S. agencies, Northeast corridor

ANNAPOLIS -- In the 1970s, Anne Arundel County was considered the black hole of technology.

But during the past decade, tech firms -- from small startups to large companies -- have transformed the region into a thriving cluster that brings home millions of dollars in government contracts.

Five years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the local industry is flourishing more than ever. New defense companies are swarming to the county to test new ideas such as anthrax antidotes, software for the intelligence community, even glow-in-the-dark technology for the Pentagon.

The trend is driven by the county's large federal presence, trained work force, proximity to Washington and easy access to the Northeast corridor. And venture capitalists, who once fawned over Montgomery County and Northern Virginia, are turning to Anne Arundel.

"There's just a whole lot more activity than there used to be," said Steve Walker, managing partner of Walker Ventures, a Howard County-based venture capital firm. "It's a lot more visible than it used to be and there's a lot more help for small companies getting started."

Membership in the Anne Arundel Tech Council, a networking group, has nearly tripled from 74 members in February 2005 to 204 today. The base realignment process that will shuffle more than 5,300 jobs to Fort Meade is expected to spark thousands of new government contracting jobs.

"We clearly have a strong technology community," said Aaron Greenfield, president of the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corp. "I think the momentum will continue, and not just in the technology sector, but across the board, whether it's using a keypad to unlock your door or some technology that translates Arabic names."

Defense Holdings Inc. started installing glow-in-the-dark exit signs and other markings in the Pentagon in 2001. Last year, it began installing similar markers at more than 120 buildings in New York City. "If 9/11 hadn't happened, we would probably not be in the business of photoluminescent signage for buildings," said Richard Goldsby, Defense Holdings vice president of operations.

Dan Buan and his wife, Jackie, moved to Annapolis in 1995 to enjoy life close to the water and chose the city as headquarters for Buan Consulting, a software development firm, five years later.

Now, most of the firm's work is government-related. Buan is working on a roughly $1 million contract for the Department of Homeland Security to build a Web portal for first responders. With guaranteed cash flow from the contract, Buan Consulting could have moved. It didn't.

"We thought there would be employees that would want the same type of lifestyle," said Buan, company president. "I believe that one of the reasons we have innovative people is because we're able to have a balanced lifestyle."

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061201/BUSINESS/612010361/1003

BalWash

December 1st, 2006, 09:05 PM

Anything that shifts government contracting towards the Maryland "suburbs" is okay in my book...even if it does take away jobs from my own Montgomery County.
Rock on "Anny Runnel."

Silver Springer

December 1st, 2006, 09:36 PM

This article appeared in the News Journal up here in Delaware today. It's from the Annapolis Capital, though. Sometimes things in Maryland get coverage here (and, as I found out a few days ago, some things in Delaware get covered in Maryland).

http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061201/BUSINESS/612010361/1003

Thanks for posting this. I think Anne Arundel is next in line in building a large commercial base like Montgomery did.

MasonsInquiries

December 1st, 2006, 10:10 PM

42-acre resort
2,000 hotel rooms, including more than 100 luxurious suites
470,000 square feet of flexible convention, meeting, exhibition and pre-function space
Spectacular 18-story, 1.65 acre multi-level atrium
A high-tech entertainment sports bar, a coffee shop and a high-energy night club atop the hotel tower, offering spectacular views to our nation?s capital
Rel?che, a 20,000 square-foot luxury spa, salon and fitness center
Estimated project cost $565 million
1,850 permanent jobs
1,135 indirect jobs (Prince George?s County)
1,018 construction jobs
$51 million annual payroll
Taxes generated: $3.2 million in year one; $346 million 2008-2037

wow, 1,850 permanent jobs? this project is truly going to be something special.

Silver Springer

December 6th, 2006, 07:00 PM

City working to keep two HQs
Under Armour, Ad.com need more room to grow
Baltimore Business Journal - December 1, 2006by Daniel J. SernovitzStaff

Baltimore City's economic development arm is working with two of the city's fastest-growing businesses -- Under Armour Inc. and Advertising.com -- to make sure they stay in the city.

The two companies, tenants of the Tide Point complex in Locust Point, have reached capacity at their headquarters there and are in need of additional space, sources said.

The developer of the property, Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse Inc., is considering an expansion. Meanwhile, M.J. "Jay" Brodie, president of the Baltimore Development Corp., said the city considers both companies a priority.

"We have been working with both over the course of several years very closely in an effort to keep them and their expansions in Baltimore," Brodie said. "We want to make sure that those folks stay."

Losing either company would deal a significant blow to Baltimore, which has struggled to retain established firms due to outside factors such as consolidations within the insurance, banking and manufacturing industries. Investment banking firm Alex. Brown & Sons rapidly downsized after its merger with Bankers Trust in 1997 and subsequent acquisition by Deutche Bank in 1999. USF&G, likewise, left the city following the company's announcement in 1998 that it planned to be sold to St. Paul Cos.

Under Armour and Advertising.com are headquartered in the Ivory Building, one of several buildings and businesses at the Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse development along Hull Street in Baltimore. Other businesses in the complex, in addition to Struever Bros., include law firm Brown & Sheehan LLP, Blue Sky Factory, Athena Stone, public relations and advertising agency Weber Shandwick Worldwide, and architecture firm Ayers Saint Gross.

Struever Bros. spokesman Bob Rubenkonig said his firm never discloses potential expansion or leasing plans, but he ruled out neither and said the company is looking at its overall plans for Tide Point. The developer built a pair of temporary parking lots at the site this past summer, Rubenkonig said, to meet increased parking demand as it considers its long-term vision.

"We're looking at the total Tide Point master plan and even the lots," Rubenkonig said.

Companies' growing pains
From just $17,000 in sales in 1996, a year after its founding, Under Armour has grown to a global company over the past decade, with about 610 workers and $281 million in revenue last year. Its success has come with its own growing pains, and the firm moved from its cramped South Baltimore offices on Bush Street to its larger space at Tide Point in 2002. That same year the company moved its warehouse operations from Wicomico Street in the city to Todds Lane in eastern Baltimore County.

The company's distribution needs continued to swell, and it was forced to relocate its distribution operations a second time to the Marley Neck Industrial Park in Glen Burnie after Baltimore officials were unable to help them find larger space within the confines of the city. The company signed a lease earlier this month for 308,220 square feet of warehouse space at Marley Neck, adding to the 346,000 square feet it already had there.

Brodie said he regretted he was not able to aid Under Armour with its distribution needs, but he is hoping the BDC will be able to accommodate the company's continued expansion. Brodie said he is exploring several possibilities with Under Armour in addition to it staying at Tide Point. He said he is also working with officials at Advertising.com.

"When Under Armour needed a major warehouse, we realized there was nothing like that in Baltimore City," he said.

Under Armour executives could not be reached for comment. But Brodie said they are considering several options, including taking larger space at Tide Point or moving elsewhere in the city. He said the company is exploring the idea of developing a field, perhaps for recreational or product-testing purposes, attached to larger office space as part of a future expansion.

Advertising.com, likewise, has fallen prey to the trappings of a successful business model. The company has been acquired by Time Warner subsidiary AOL and, like Under Armour, has been expanding its work force. Revenue generated by Advertising.com climbed to $129 million for the three months ended Sept. 30, from $63 million during the same period last year, according to Time Warner's most recent quarterly report.

Lynda Clarizio, president of Advertising.com, said the need for increased office space has been a product of her firm's success, but she declined to go into specifics or create the appearance she is trying to negotiate through the press.

"One of the consequences of our business doing very well is your business needs to expand," she said. "We would very much like to stay in Baltimore, and we value being in Baltimore."

DBED waiting in the wings
The Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, which has had a relationship with both Advertising.com and Under Armour over the years, also has taken an interest in the firms' continued presence in Baltimore.

DBED invested $500,000 in venture capital funds in Advertising.com, and it continues to work with Under Armour as part of its Partnership Workforce Quality training effort.

DBED spokeswoman Karen Glenn Hood said her department is ready to do what it can to help both companies find larger space in the region. At this point, she said, the department is standing by as an interested observer until officials from either company reach out for aid.

"Obviously they're both great Baltimore companies, and we would like them to stay. We want to keep them here," Glenn Hood said. "I'm sure, if it becomes an issue, we would certainly work with them."

Silver Springer

December 6th, 2006, 09:27 PM

Parcel near Fort Meade could serve new BRAC-related jobs
Baltimore Business Journal - December 1, 2006by Daniel J. SernovitzStaff
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Stonebridge Carras, a Bethesda-based developer, recently bought the former Nevamar Decorative Surfaces plant in Odenton for about $3.5 million and is weighing its options for redeveloping the 31-acre Anne Arundel County site, Stonebridge owner George Carras said.

"I like the location, I think Anne Arundel County is a great place to invest if you're in the real estate business, and I think Odenton has a lot of potential when you look at it over the horizon," Carras said.

Odenton, which is near Fort George G. Meade, is one of the areas Anne Arundel County officials predict will see the most growth over the next several years, driven among other things by some 5,300 jobs expected to be added to Fort Meade as part of a federal military base realignment plan.

The Odenton area also is one of the few areas in the county with a significant amount of land available for new development. There are about 500 acres of land in the Odenton area available for new development, according to a study Nov. 13 by the Anne Arundel County Office of Planning and Zoning.

J. Scott Wimbrow, a senior vice president with MacKenzie Commercial Real Estate Services' Columbia office, said he expects the land will be developed in some sort of supporting role with the Base Realignment and Closure plans for Fort Meade.

"I'm sure anything in the Odenton area is most definitely geared toward the BRAC realignment," Wimbrow said, noting the site could be developed as jobs are added at Fort Meade. Wimbrow said he expects the property could be developed as a small office campus.

Carras said he is still considering his options.

"We're going to go through the process of looking at the property," he said.

James V. Caronna, J. William Miller and Allan Riorda of NAI KLNB Inc. Commercial Real Estate Services in Baltimore brokered the deal.

Caronna said there are several buildings at the property, most of which have reached "a form of functional obsolescence," but the location of the site makes it viable for a number of different uses including office, industrial or warehouse. He said he has confidence Carras and his firm will be able to come up with a fitting plan for the property.

Silver Springer

December 6th, 2006, 09:54 PM

This is it folks, they've been listening...

New Economic Alliance chair to tackle marketing, city's 'pathological modesty'

Baltimore Business Journal - 11:16 AM EST Wednesday
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The Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore welcomed Laura Gamble, the regional president for Bank of America, as its new chairwoman Tuesday evening during the organization's annual meeting at the Renaissance Harbor Place Hotel.

Gamble, who also serves on several city organizations including the Greater Baltimore Committee, replaces outgoing chairman David Gillece, president of Colliers Pinkard, who was honored for his service and dedication to the alliance over his term. Gamble will serve a two-year term.

The committee also announced its goals for 2007, including an effort to more strongly market Baltimore to other cities and counteract what Economic Alliance President and CEO Christian S. Johansson termed "pathological modesty."

Gamble said she believes a key role in that effort will be promoting the city and its positive news to city residents, who have a tendency to speak disparagingly about Baltimore when confronted by others who do likewise.

"In order to promote and market our region nationally we all have to be great promoters of our region," Gamble said.

Silver Springer

December 7th, 2006, 07:37 PM

Silver Springer

December 7th, 2006, 07:39 PM

Army opens new biological warfare test center
Baltimore Business Journal - 2:54 PM EST Tuesdayby Stephanie WentworthStaff
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Edgewood Chemical Biological Center unveiled a $2 million test facility to study chemical and biological threat clouds, officials said Tuesday.

The project centers on a "vortex chamber," a simulation of a chemical or biological cloud of hazardous or poisonous gases and debris that could be cause by an explosion or bomb. Scientists plan to use the facility to study detectors used to monitor threat clouds.

"The ability to rapidly and accurately detect chemical and biological warfare material is fundamental to our nation's defense," Jim Zarzycki, director of the center, based at Aberdeen Proving Ground, said in a news release.

The new research lab will be used to develop, evaluate and characterize new technology for biological detection, Zarzycki said. It has the ability to measure cloud characteristics and particle size, the news release said.

The Edgewood Chemical Biological Center includes 200 buildings that comprise 1 million square feet of laboratory, chamber and engineering space worth $1 billion. The center is the Army's primary research and development center for chemical and biological defense technology and engineering services, according to the center.

Silver Springer

December 7th, 2006, 07:42 PM

Marketing plan aimed at promoting Baltimore

Earle Eldridge, The Examiner

Dec 6, 2006 3:00 AM (1 day ago)

BALTIMORE - The Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore plans to launch an estimated $500,000 marketing campaign aimed at persuading civilian workers to relocate to Baltimore from nearby military installations.

It’s part of what the alliance calls its 2007 regional marketing initiative, focused on reaching out to contractors and employees who are considering a relocation to region as part of the military’s Base Realignment and Closure, according to David Gillece, chairman of the alliance.

The Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore calls itself a nonprofit regional business development and marketing organization focusing on bringing jobs and capital investment to Baltimore City and Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties.

Its board includes the top chief executive officers of Baltimore-area businesses, the mayor of Baltimore and the county executives of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard counties.

The marketing initiative was unveiled Tuesday evening during the alliance’s 2006 annual meeting.

“Unfortunately, the Baltimore area suffers from an unfair negative image,” Gillece said.

That may discourage employees near a military base in Northern Virginia and New Jersey from relocating to the area as part of BRAC, Gillece said.

The marketing campaign will include creating a Web site and posting billboards in Northern Virginia and New Jersey promoting the Baltimore region.

Real estate agents will also participate in trade shows and other events where they can set up booths.

eeldridge@baltimoreexaminer.com

Silver Springer

December 7th, 2006, 07:52 PM

MedImmune says sales will reach $2B by 2009
Washington Business Journal - 11:52 AM EST Wednesdayby Jeff ClabaughStaff Reporter
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FluMist flu vaccine maker MedImmune reaffirmed its financial guidance for the year, and updated its outlook for the coming years, saying revenue may reach $2 billion by 2009.

The Gaithersburg-based company, which also makes treatments for infant lung infections, told investors Wednesday it still expects to report earnings of 17 cents to 22 cents per diluted share, excluding stock-based compensation costs, in 2006. It also stuck to its forecast of 2006 revenue of $1.3 billion.

It estimated the cost of stock-based compensation to be about 10 cents per share in 2006.

MedImmune says earnings per diluted share will rise to 90 cents to 95 cents per share, excluding stock compensation expenses in 2007. The company forecasts 2007 revenue of $1.5 billion.

It also now says revenue will rise to $2 billion in 2009, with diluted per-share earnings of $2.

MedImmune is still waiting FDA approval for its next-generation refrigerator stable version of FluMist, and also hopes to win approval for wider use of the flu vaccine, which is currently limited to healthy patients between 5 and 49 years old.

MedImmune stock (NASDAQ: MEDI) was up 18 cents to $33.21 Wednesday. Its shares have lost about 5 percent this year.

Silver Springer

December 7th, 2006, 07:56 PM

Montgomery officials approve 'green building' requirements
Washington Business Journal - November 29, 2006by Neil AdlerStaff Reporter
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The Montgomery County Council has approved legislation requiring certain "green building" features for future public and private construction in the county.

The legislation requires that county-built or funded nonresidential buildings achieve a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) silver rating (33-38 points), and that private nonresidential or multifamily buildings achieve a LEED certified rating (26-32 points).

LEED is a national benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. The LEED green building rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, identifies criteria that positively impact the energy and environmental characteristics of a building, including sustainability of a site, water efficiency, energy efficiency, materials and resources.

Buildings covered by the legislation include any newly constructed or extensively modified nonresidential or multifamily residential building with at least 10,000 square feet of gross floor area. The law would take effect for private buildings one year after county regulations are finalized, but not later than September 1, 2008.

"Global warming is the greatest challenge facing our generation, and buildings are responsible for a substantial percentage of greenhouse gas emissions," says Montgomery County Council President George Leventhal in a statement. "Although an environmentally-smart building may initially cost more than a wasteful building, in the long run the energy and water savings will more than compensate for the up-front expense and the planet will benefit from reduced carbon emissions."

BalWash

December 8th, 2006, 01:49 AM

Montgomery County calls 'time out' for new development

Baltimore Business Journal - 10:12 AM EST Wednesdayby Joe CoombsContributor
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Montgomery County could be taking a step back on new development.

Marilyn Praisner wasted little time following her election as Montgomery County's new council president, proposing Tuesday a stop to all residential and commercial subdivision applications until Aug. 15, 2007, except for those in Metro station policy areas and enterprise zones. Praisner's plan comes on the heels of the election of new county executive Ike Leggett, who campaigned on a platform of controlled growth in the county.

"We need a targeted time out on development application review that will allow the planning board to make recommendations to us on how to improve the county's annual growth policy," Praisner said in a prepared statement. "I want to assure our residents that we have heard the call to moderate growth."

Praisner's proposal will be considered by the Montgomery County Council at a future date. There are already efforts within the county to slow economic development, specifically in Rockville, where city officials have approved a moratorium on all new-use permits that's effective Dec. 29.

Rockville's measure also puts a stoppage on all development applications that require variances and exemptions, starting March 15. The ruling does not affect projects that are already in the approval pipeline.
Doesn't the county realize that this is going to drive up housing costs even more and make the county more difficult to afford. Because of unprecedented job growth, people are moving to BalWash whether the county council likes it or not and they need to live somewhere. If they can't live in MoCo they're going to live in Frederick County and contribute more to the clogging of 270/Beltway than they would if they lived in a highrise in Rockville on the Metro. Not to mention the fact that policies like this discourage business from moving to MoCo. Our county council never fails to amaze me with their ineptitude. Sometimes I wonder how the most educated county in the country can elect such idiots.

drewbwhite

December 8th, 2006, 02:37 AM

To make matters even more difficult, Howard, Harford, and Anne Arundel Counties elected executives who largely based their campaigns on promises of slowed growth. It really boggles the mind that Aberdeen shot down an annexation to add new homes to the town when the proving ground will be adding thousands of military jobs in the next several years. Hopefully growth won't get pushed out to Carroll, Frederick, and Cecil Counties and Prince George's and Baltimore can pick up some slack; they could use the shot in the arm.

Silver Springer

December 8th, 2006, 04:36 PM

I can understand haulting residential development but I can't understand stopping commercial development when the County isn't even 1 to 1 with jobs and housing.

I also thought Anne Arundel had a more pro business/job growth stance.

Silver Springer

December 8th, 2006, 10:30 PM

Capital Lighting to leave Northern Virginia for Prince George's, Maryland

Washington Business Journal - 12:44 PM EST Fridayby Neil AdlerStaff Reporter
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Officials in Prince George's County got some news that brightened their day when a Northern Virginia company decided to move its headquarters and distribution center to Forestville, bringing more than 100 jobs to the county.

Lured by incentives from the county and state, Capital Lighting and Supply, which provides electrical products and lighting in the mid-Atlantic region, will move its corporate office from Alexandria to a 200,000-square-foot facility at Eastgate Business Park, near the interchange of Pennsylvania Avenue and Interstate 495 not far from Andrews Air Force Base.

Construction on the facility, which will also serve as the company's central distribution center, will begin soon, with completion slated for mid-2007.

The central distribution center currently is at Newington in Fairfax County. The company has 95 employees there and about 40 in Alexandria, according to Prince George's County officials. Many of those workers are expected to stay with Capital Lighting, which has plans to create 95 additional jobs.

The company scouted locations throughout Maryland and Virginia for the new headquarters complex, say Prince George's economic development officials

"We were very aggressive in working with them to identify sites," says Kwasi Holman, president and CEO of the Prince George's County Economic Development Corp. "We have available land and excellent transportation."

Officials with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership could not be reached for comment Friday.

Capital Lighting and Supply, which has 20 branches throughout Maryland and Virginia, expects to add six to eight more branches in Maryland over the next five years, according to Prince George's County officials.

"The economic expansion that is taking place in the county creates an excellent climate for our long-term goals and growth," says John Hardy, CEO of Capital Lighting and Supply, in a statement released by Prince George's County.

Hardy did not return a phone call Friday morning seeking additional comment.

Capital Lighting joins other companies moving to Prince George's County to take advantage of its sizable labor pool, reasonable real estate prices and other amenities, regional economists say.

"I think the world is moving in a Prince George's County kind of way," says Anirban Basu, chairman and CEO of Baltimore-based Sage Policy Group, an economic consulting firm. "Northern Virginia is built out, and Montgomery County isn't in the mood to grow. Prince George's County has become a very good option."

Silver Springer

December 8th, 2006, 11:37 PM

U.S. Pharmacopeia plans for new lab in China
Washington Business Journal - 4:22 PM EST Fridayby Neil AdlerStaff Reporter
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U.S. Pharmacopeia plans to establish a facility in China, giving the nonprofit organization its second international office and lab complex.

The Rockville-based operation sets standards for the quality of pharmaceutical products disseminated to consumers. It opened a facility in India this past February.

In China, U.S. Pharmacopeia intends to open a 10,500-square-foot site in Shanghai this coming February. The organization will hire about 15 people to staff the facility, which will support collaborative testing, technical assistance, customer service and training.

"The facility will help strengthen our relationships with Chinese manufacturers and government agencies who are similarly dedicated to promoting the availability of good quality medicines," says Roger Williams, the organization's CEO, in a statement.

U.S. Pharmacopeia also has big plans for its hometown. The organization is embarking on a roughly $70 million headquarters project in Montgomery County. It plans to construct two more buildings totaling 157,000 square feet, bringing the entire headquarters to about 220,000 square feet.

U.S. Pharmacopeia has a European sales office in Basel, Switzerland.

Keep it up MD :cheers:

Silver Springer

December 11th, 2006, 04:36 PM

In Hyattsville, a Creative Impulse

http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2006/12/08/PH2006120800026.jpg

By Barbara Ruben
Special to The Washington Post
Saturday, December 9, 2006; Page F01

When dancer Rasta Thomas saw the sign "Arts District Hyattsville" as he was driving home to Riverdale recently, he did a double take.

"The word 'arts' really caught my eye," said Thomas, who stars in the touring company of the Billy Joel-Twyla Tharp musical "Movin' Out" and also dances with the Pacific Northwest Ballet.

A huge muddy lot dotted with bulldozers and earthmovers, the site marked by the sign doesn't look like much now, but by summer, the first of 350 new brick rowhouses with corrugated sheet-metal accents are slated to be ready for residents. When complete, Arts District Hyattsville, a new development by Bethesda-based EYA, will straddle Route 1 and include 100 to 200 condominiums and 13 "live-work" homes, in which residents will set up shop in the downstairs of their rowhouses and live upstairs.

Thomas purchased a rowhouse and hopes to move in by early 2008. He is happy that he has a small role in revitalizing the run-down Route 1 corridor, today populated primarily by shuttered buildings and used-car lots.

"I believe in what Route 1 could be," he said. "A lot of areas are lagging, but this has a lot of potential."

Hyattsville sits at the north end of the Prince George's County Gateway Arts District, which stretches along Route 1, also known as Rhode Island and Baltimore avenues depending on location, from near the District line in Mount Rainier through Brentwood and North Brentwood.

Developers of the district envision it as a focal point for a variety of arts and as an area where artists will choose to live and work. Already, there are several apartment buildings in Mount Rainier for artists.

"The city of Hyattsville has been the home for many artists and musicians -- as well as other talented residents -- who like our diversity our older neighborhoods, and the easy Metro access to Washington," Mayor William F. Gardiner said in an e-mail interview.

"The Arts District helps us attract more artists and develop arts-related venues, as well as market the city to people who might not have heard about us otherwise," he said.

New residential development across the city could add as many as 4,000 new residents to the current population of about 17,000 over the next three to five years, Gardiner predicted. Combined with new stores and restaurants, Hyattsville is undergoing a renaissance, Gardiner said.

To reflect that, in October the city adopted a new logo, which mixes historic buildings and new construction, and the slogan: "A World Within Walking Distance."

It's a very different world than was portrayed on the ABC show "Commander in Chief" just days before Arts District Hyattsville started selling its rowhouses in April. The show depicted its star Geena Davis getting out of a car in front of a restaurant advertising chitterlings and pork chops and erroneously cited the city as having had 11 murders in the past six months. There were two within city limits in 2005 and two so far this year.

Stuart Eisenberg, executive director of the Hyattsville Community Development Corp. and former Hyattsville City Council president, says the city needs the financial boost it can get from the arts district.

"There is a need for redevelopment because of the simple fact that there is a need for tax revenue," he said. "The type of investment we're seeing in Hyattsville is going to improve everyone's quality of life."

While residents don't have to be artists to live in Arts District Hyattsville, there will be public art created by local artists throughout the development. A gallery is slated to be part of the renovated Lustine showroom, a 1950s-era building of soaring curved glass walls that has been abandoned for years. It will become a community center for the development.

The community will also include a swimming pool, bike trail and fitness center.

More than 60 of the rowhouses, priced from the low $400s to the upper $600s, have been sold. About 15 buyers camped out overnight to be first in line when the houses went on the market last spring.

"We didn't want Old Town Alexandria, we didn't want D.C, we wanted something unique to Hyattsville," said Aakash Thakkar, the EYA executive in charge of the project. "As Silver Spring's rents climb with all the development, people are getting priced out. People can't afford the exorbitant prices on U Street. We believe we're really an alternative."

In addition to retail space that is part of the development, the 13 live-work units, which have all been sold, will house such businesses as art galleries and a coffee and pastry shop.

A few blocks down Route 1 from Arts District Hyattsville, the city's old municipal building has been demolished to make way for Renaissance Square, a 44-unit apartment building for low- and moderate-income artists. It is being developed by the nonprofit Housing Initiative Partnership, which created a similar building in Mount Rainier in 2003.

While the Renaissance Square apartments will be for artists, the building will not include studio space.

"What we've discovered is that artists can usually afford cheap studio space. What artists can't afford is housing," said Mosi Harrington, executive director of the partnership.

The building, scheduled to open next December, will have several small workrooms and a high-ventilation room for artists working with volatile substances. A room with computers loaded with graphics software, a music practice room and a small gallery space are also part of the project.

Renaissance Square will have a number of environmentally conscious features, including Marmoleum flooring (a non-vinyl kind of linoleum made from linseed oil, cork, limestone and other materials), siding made with cement rather than vinyl and a partially green roof, on which plants will grow to absorb heat and water runoff.

The changes along Route 1 are welcome news to Mike Franklin, owner of Franklin's, an amalgam of brew pub, restaurant, grocer and general store.

"This sends a subliminal message to people driving through on Route 1 that Hyattsville is not down and out," he said.

Franklin opened his Route 1 business 12 years ago and has lived in Hyattsville for 17 years. In that time, not a lot has changed, he said. And he doesn't expect development to alter much of Hyattsville's historic district of Victorians, Sears bungalows and Arts and Crafts houses located away from the roar of Route 1 traffic.

"My feeling is, the people [in the new developments] really won't feel like they live in Hyattsville. Their center of gravity will be different," he said.

Even more new residents are expected at developments near the Prince George's Plaza Metro station on East West Highway, less than a mile from the arts district. A dormitory serving local universities opened in August, with room for 910 students, in a project still primarily under construction called University Town Center.

Within that development, a 112-unit condominium building called One Independence Plaza, with units selling from the $200s to the $490s, is scheduled to open in May. Lofts 22, consisting of 22 luxury two-story condos from the low $400s to more than $700,000, is expected to open next fall. A third condo building is also planned.

Nearby, a new 260-unit apartment building called Mosaic at Metro is also scheduled to open next fall. Most apartments will have two bedrooms, and there will be some live-work spaces.

The City of Hyattsville's community development manager, Amy Neugebauer, who currently lives in the Van Ness area of the District, recently purchased one of EYA's rowhouses with her husband.

"We liked the fact that it wasn't a cookie-cutter development. It feels like a place we can be part of a community," said Neugebauer, whose first day on the job in February coincided with the beginning of work on the Arts District Hyattsville project. "I felt it was a sign of things to come," she said.

Neugebauer wrote her master's thesis on the topic of arts districts, asking whether the designation in a growing number of communities around the country was just hype. For some, she said it seemed to be just a marketing tool. But not in Hyattsville, she maintains.

"The impetus for this arts district was driven by the citizens and artists themselves and has generated excitement and momentum," she said. "People are very dedicated to Hyattsville. They perceive it to be a very quaint small town that just happens to be next to a big city."

Silver Springer

December 12th, 2006, 04:01 PM

O'Malley floats new bio strategy
Baltimore Business Journal - December 8, 2006by Alan ZibelStaff
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Nicholas Griner | Staff

Gov.-elect Martin O'Malley wants to put together a new strategy to spur investment in the state's life sciences industry, though grim state budget forecasts could put a damper on plans for new spending.

In a document sent to biotechnology industry players during the governor's race, the Democrat and Baltimore mayor called for a new statewide life sciences authority, $100 million over five years in state venture capital funding and a new state science school for top high school students.

In an interview, O'Malley described the document as an "ideas paper and not a hard and fast commitment." He said his administration plans to discuss with lawmakers and business groups how to build the state's life sciences industry.

"There might be other and better ways to go about doing this," O'Malley said. "Certainly there are very few states that have our sort of assets when it comes to life sciences."

O'Malley's plan also criticized the administration of Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich for having "no major plan" to help life sciences companies invest more in Maryland, though Ehrlich economic development officials often promoted their strategy of "technology dominance."

Critics said the O'Malley plan was long on political ideas and promises, while lacking a serious, thoughtful analysis of what's needed to help academic scientists turn their groundbreaking research into Maryland-based companies that develop real drugs and employ local workers.

Talk of how to nurture the state's biotech companies comes as numerous states vie to put together lucrative packages to attract the high-paying jobs that the industry brings. States including Washington, Missouri and Michigan are all pouring hundreds of millions into life sciences efforts.

Walter Plosila, vice president of the technology partnership practice at the Battelle Memorial Institute, a Cleveland think tank, said Maryland has not lost its status as a top-tier state for medical research, testing and laboratories. However, as the industry grows, even rural states like Alabama and Montana are developing bioscience initiatives.

"You have a lot of other people that want to compete now," said Plosila, former executive director of a Maryland technology trade group. "You need to be even more vigilant about what are your needs, what are your focuses, what are you going to be good at, because you can't be good at everything."

For example, Plosila said, Maryland may not be able to compete for major drug manufacturing plants because of the higher cost of doing business here -- including taxes, unemployment insurance and workers' compensation insurance -- compared with states farther south.

"The cost of doing business becomes very important in these decisions," Plosila said.

Learning from past failures
A manufacturing plant, rather than a research-oriented company, is bound to be a challenge for Maryland, Plosila said. For example, drug giant Novartis AG in July picked North Carolina over Maryland and Georgia as the location for a $267 million vaccine plant that will bring 350 jobs.

One former local economic development official involved in the process of recruiting Novartis said he was frustrated by what he saw as a lack of cooperation among Democratic state lawmakers and members of the Republican Ehrlich administration who worked on luring the international drug giant.

"Novartis was an opportunity to bring a major global player here," said Nipon Das, who left the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore earlier this year to start a life sciences strategy firm in New York.

"This was probably its biggest chance to attract big pharma that [Maryland has] ever had in its history," Das said. "If you can't rally the troops around that, I don't know what kind of deal you can."

The O'Malley campaign's life science plans, developed after the Novartis deal fell through, call for greater coordination among state agencies and state planners to increase Maryland's competitiveness with other states.

O'Malley spokesman Rick Abbruzzese said the life sciences document was sent to several hundred executives and industry experts during the final weeks of the campaign.

The ideas in it, including the creation of a statewide life sciences authority with board members from federal agencies, universities and bioscience companies, will be considered as the O'Malley administration develops its economic development plans in the coming months, Abbruzzese said. That agency would be charged with developing a new strategic plan for life science and work with other agencies and business organizations to lure major biotech players, according to the campaign document.

"What's apparent is that the state of Maryland needs a coordinated strategy around life sciences and biotech," Abbruzzese said.

However, Maryland's upcoming budget woes may make it difficult for the new governor to pay for some of the campaign document's most financially ambitious plans -- such as $100 million in new state venture capital investments.

The state has a forecasted general fund budget shortfall of more than $400 million next year and projected deficits nearly four times as large for the next four years.

Donald C. Fry, president of the Greater Baltimore Committee, called O'Malley's ideas "very interesting and meritorious concepts" to look at, but he said it may be difficult to find new money for state investments.

"We certainly see the state's focus on life sciences and wanting to make the state a leader in life sciences and life sciences innovation as a step forward," Fry said. "Whether or not this is the entire answer, I don't know."

Despite the impending financial constraints, biotech executives were largely positive that O'Malley seemed likely to place a priority on their industry.

Judith Britz, CEO of Columbia biotech Cylex Inc., called O'Malley's plan a "step in the right direction" that would help unite the efforts of numerous state programs that promote life sciences.

There were some criticisms, however, of the Gov.-elect's plans.

M. James Barrett, general partner with Baltimore-based venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates and a member of a panel that made recommendations to Ehrlich on technology issues, called it "a political document, not a sober, well-thought out strategy."

In addition, Barrett was critical of another piece of O'Malley's campaign platform, and that of many Democrats -- importing drugs from Canada.

Doing so, Barrett said, would be the equivalent of "economic piracy" that would make it hard for drug companies to recoup the hundreds of millions it takes to develop new products.

Though it may be difficult for the state to come up with more venture capital money, opinions differ on whether a lack of access to venture capital is truly a major problem in Maryland.

Some experts argue that a more important initiative would be additional funding to allow scientists to translate their research into ready-to-market products. After that work is done, venture capital firms are more likely to make investments.

However, Peter Suzdak, CEO of Cardioxyl Pharmaceuticals Inc., a Towson company developing heart care technology based on Johns Hopkins medical research, said there are plenty of innovations coming out of the state's medical research institutions. Venture capital, Suzdak said, is lacking.

"I think there's really great potential in the state to start a lot of companies," said Suzdak, whose firm raised more than $14 million in its first funding round this month. "I think it's a lack of venture capital money. Obviously, the economic impact to the state when you start a new company is tremendous."

Silver Springer

December 12th, 2006, 07:05 PM

Made in Maryland

Anna Minkowski, The Examiner
Read more by Anna Minkowski
Dec 11, 2006 3:00 AM (1 day ago)

Current rank: # 272 of 13,692 articles

BALTIMORE - Make it easy on yourself this holiday season and focus your shopping energies on the bounties of our home state.

“The quality, the variety, the availability of Maryland products stand for themselves,” said Mary Ellen Morrison, director of Maryland with Pride, a program of the state’s Department of Economic and Business Development.

Founded in 1989 by Gov. William Donald Schaefer, the Pride program (marylandwithpride.choosemaryland.org) provides free marketing and promotional support to more than 8,000 local Maryland vendors.

“As Marylanders, we have a responsibility to promote products in Maryland as opposed to just going online and haphazardly selecting products that will not affect our economy,” Morrison said.

“I do all of my Christmas shopping at local retailers,” Keith Losoya, a holiday consumer from Federal Hill, said. Losoya, also the executive director of Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance, will likely walk to the Guilded Peach to purchase local handmade jewelry for his wife, he said. “The more people take that opportunity to walk down their Main Street, the less they’ll jump in the car, and it is more economically and environmentally sustainable.”

Much of Maryland — from its mountains to the shore — is reflected in a vast array of “Made In Maryland” products that are there for the giving.

Fancy wines. Unusual food, maybe with a Chesapeake Bay flavor. Western Maryland landscapes. Books. Pottery. Candies. The list goes on and on — so take your choice.

This holiday season, stay at home and boost your hometown economy. The gifts of Maryland are everywhere, and here is a sampling.

Sweet, sweet dreams

Think butter cream and pecan nougat.

Churning out sweets in South Baltimore on Caton Avenue are nationally known chocolatiers Mary Sue Candies and Naron’s, both owned and operated by candy newcomer and Baltimore native Bill Buppert, who bought the company in 2001.

“My background in the candy business is none, but I saw the business opportunity. We’re pretty happy to be doing business in Maryland,” said Buppert.

“It works to our advantage in that many Marylanders look for local products.”

During the Christmas season, a few products earn significant consumer attention.

“Our top holiday products at Mary Sue are the 3-ounce pecan log, and we have a 1.5-ounce Christmas tree in vanilla butter cream,” Buppert said.

Mary Sue Candies is also well-known for its Easter offerings, including the recognizable foil wrapped chocolate cream-filled eggs.

For information, visit www.marysue.com and www.naronscandy.com.

Keep dreaming ...

Think Berger’s cookies. No ... taste Berger’s cookies.

The Berger family — German immigrants — founded the Baltimore company in the 1830s. Berger Cookies, now owned by Debaufre Bakeries Inc., is located in an inconspicuous factory in South Baltimore, but its chocolatey fudge cookies can be found at retail locations throughout the state or purchased online.

“During December, Berger Cookies sales nearly double because they have become a signature Baltimore item,” said Dennis Graul, owner of local grocery chain Graul’s Market.

During the holiday season, DeBaufre markets the cookies in specially decorated 2-pound tins.

“Berger Cookies are a super favorite,” said M.C. Savage, resident of Baltimore City. “I’m sending them to New York to thank friends for a great dinner with them and am also sending them as Christmas gifts. A few years ago, we had about 12 boxes at a family reunion, and cousin from San Francisco called the store and ordered another 12 boxes for her friends.”

For information, visit www.bergercookies.com. Graul noted that other popular Maryland-made products are Moxley’s seasonal peppermint stick and cinnamon ice creams (www.moxleys.com) and Moore’s chocolates (www.moorescandies.com).

A taste of the Bay

Cheryl Wade believes firmly in what she calls “a living local economy.”

“When you support local businesses, you keep more money in your community,” said the owner of Mill Valley Farmer’s Market and Garden Center in Hampden. “And when you are dealing with food, you know where it comes from.”

Find products from more than 19 local vendors at Mill Valley, including ginger sauces by Gracie’s Gotcha Ginger, hot sauces and salsas from the Whiskey Island Pirate Shop and body treatments from Zensations by Jen.

“I go up to the Center because I know that my money is going into an organization that knows the community,” said Mill Valley customer and neighbor Allen Hicks.

“I don’t have to drive all over the place, it’s right there and you can get anything you want for the holidays,” Hicks said of the locally made gardening tools, soaps, teas and fruits and breads.

“The premade gift baskets have been very successful,” Wade said. “I just had to call one of the vendors to come over and make more.”

For information, visit www.mill-valley.net, or call 410-889-6482.

“We try to focus on smaller manufacturers in Maryland to help those companies get promoted,” said Jeff Bridner, who, with his wife Patty, owns Maryland Delivered. Their company has collected a number of Maryland products, which they offer from both their store in Westminster and online. They also handle all deliveries.

“All of our food products are Maryland-made, and we buy everything outright [from Maryland vendors]. They don’t have to worry about sales once we buy their product,” he said.

Among the company’s special holiday items is the Taste of Maryland tin, which includes Old Bay seasoning, a Maryland crab soup mix, Maryland jams and jellies, and Goetze’s caramel creams.

Seafood seasonings like Old Bay and crab salsa are always popular, Bridner said. For information, visit www.marylanddelivered.com, or call 1-888-284-8565.

At Kim Madden’s Frederick Basket Company in Frederick, customers can walk through the store and choose from a number of regional products to make custom gift baskets, including McCutcheon’s Apple Products, Deloache Chocolates of Annapolis and Catoctin Kettle Corn.

“Customers want gifts that are ready,” Madden said of this season’s shopping trends. “They are spending less money because they are being budget conscious. They want things that are practical and consumable, things that are not going to be sitting around.”

For information, visit www.frederickbasket.com, or call 301-696-9354.

A bottle of red ... a bottle of white ...

There are 25 licensed wineries in Maryland, which accounted for 1.6 percent of all wines sold in the state in fiscal year 2006, an 18.6 percent increase over fiscal year 2005, according to 2006 data recently released by the Maryland Wine Association.

“People can bring a bottle of wine to a holiday party, and it’s always better when there is a story behind it,” said Kevin Atticks, executive director of the Maryland Wine Association. “Local wine is something we consume a lot of over the holidays, and it’s always a great complement to a great meal.”

But giving the gift of Maryland wine is not that easy.

“No wine can be shipped through the mail to any Maryland wine consumers, even if that gift is being sent from a Maryland location,” Atticks said. “There are many people who would love to ship and receive great wines through the mail, but alcohol through the mail is not simple when you live in Maryland.”

Instead, consumers can purchase wine at local retailers or the wineries themselves and hand-deliver them to friends and families.

“People love to give wine for Christmas,” said Lynne Basignani, co-owner of the Basignani Winery in Sparks. “We’ll make custom gift baskets full of any wine.” They also offer special holiday gift bags.

Erik’s Big Zin (zinfandel) and Lorenzino’s Reserve (cabernet) are two of Lynne and Bert Basignani’s holiday recommendations. “Both are full-bodied reds and can be paired with red meat or chicken,” she said.

For information on the state’s wineries, visit www.marylandwine.com.

Arts and crafts

A great way to support the local art scene is to visit the Potters Guild Gallery in Hampden’s Meadow Mill complex.

Everything in the gallery is for sale, and prices range from $3 for ornaments to $200 for large sculptures. “I’m priced to sell,” said Carolyn Phillips of her works at the Guild. “The joy is in the production itself.”

Beautiful hand-crafted items — made by the 50 Guild members — line the walls, shelves and floors.

For information, visit ww.pottersguild.org or call 410-235-4884.

Greg Otto, a Baltimore artist famed for his colorful depictions of Baltimore landmarks and scenes, sells many pieces of art from his private studio during the holiday season.

“We get an awful lot of husbands who will call at the last minute and then come by. I tell them to bring the pieces back if their wives aren’t pleased.”

Otto, who represents himself, has been painting for more than 30 years. His advice to gift givers: “It’s very tricky to try to think like someone else, so buy something that appeals to you.”

Otto will make a holiday appearance on Dec. 16 at Hometown Girl in Hampden. For information, send an e-mail inquiry to hudmud@aol.com.

For those who are not quite comfortable choosing art, an art magazine subscription can also be a big hit.

AmericanStyle is a beautiful bi-monthly glossy art and craft magazine published in Hampden by The Rosen Group. The publication has a readership of 60,000 nationwide, and during the holiday season, it sees a 10-percent increase of gift subscriptions, said spokesperson Daniel Waldman. For information, visit www.americanstyle.com, or call 410-889-3093.

Don’t sweat the holidays

Your son could use a long-sleeve T-shirt for his outdoor soccer games; your grandmother could use updated spandex for her BodyPump classes; and your dad may need a new pair of white sweats.

There is something for everyone at Under Armour, and although the sweat-wicking fabric is not hand-sewn in town, the apparel giant has its headquarters in Locust Point.

There are many new products out for the holiday season, and customers can shop through the stacks at a discreet Under Armour factory house at 1010 Swan Creek Dr. in Curtis Bay, or join the big-box march and head to Dick’s or Sport’s Authority.

Reflective of its mass appeal, the company expects to do 46 to 49 percent more business this year than last, said spokesperson Jon Previtera. For information, visit www.underarmour.com, or call 410-454-6684.

Giving back

» For every $100 spent locally, $45 goes back into the community and state tax base. For every $100 spent at a chain store, only $14 stays in the community.

» Small businesses are one of the largest employers in the Baltimore region.

» Nonprofits receive an average 350 percent more support from local business owners than from non-locals.

Source: www.buylocalbaltimore.com

Silver Springer

December 13th, 2006, 03:11 PM

East-side biopark to spend $60M to acquire properties

Baltimore Business Journal - December 8, 2006by Alan ZibelStaff

Nicholas Griner | Staff

Jack Shannon leads the group developing a biotech park in East Baltimore.
View Larger The city's effort to revive a low-income East Baltimore neighborhood with new housing and biotechnology companies will grow next year as officials begin to acquire more than 900 properties north of Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Jack Shannon, CEO of East Baltimore Development Inc., the organization leading the east-side project, said the total cost for acquiring properties, relocating families, demolishing buildings and preparing land in the new 57-acre second phase is estimated to be $60 million.

The total project is planned for 88 acres.

Shannon said it will be a challenge to get the needed funding. So far, it has received financial backing from the city, state and federal governments and nonprofits.

"Given the positive momentum we've been able to achieve, along with the overall consensus that we need to continue to advance the work we're doing, we should be able to assemble the necessary resources," Shannon said.

With a biotech building on the 800 block of N. Wolfe Street under construction and expected to be finished by spring 2008, the 31-acre first phase of the project is well under way. Nearly 400 families have been relocated, and hundreds of rowhouses north of Johns Hopkins Hospital have been demolished.

In the project's first phase, homeowners were given an average of $153,000 to compensate for the loss of their home. Officials have pledged that residents of the second phase will get the same level of benefits.

EBDI has spent the past year meeting with neighbors and community groups to develop a plan for the next stage of the project. Shannon estimated that 300 families will be required to move from the neighborhood.

One of those people is Donald Gresham, president of the Save Middle East Action Committee, a neighborhood group representing residents of the area. Gresham, who lives on the 900 block of N. Castle St., said he would like to move into some of the new housing being built, but he worries about whether he will be able to afford to a property and pay increased property taxes.

"My desire is to stay right in the neighborhood," he said.

Gresham said his group is being heard by EBDI. "We are now at the table," he said.

Residents of more than 100 of the 1,040 properties in the second phase will be able to stay in their homes, Shannon said.

Silver Springer

December 14th, 2006, 03:28 PM

Novavax returns to Maryland
Washington Business Journal - 8:00 PM EST Wednesdayby Jeff ClabaughStaff Reporter
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Novavax, which moved its corporate headquarters from Columbia to the Philadelphia area two years ago, has officially decided to come back to Maryland.

The biotechnology company says it will move its headquarters from Malvern, Pa., to Rockville next month. Washington Business Journal reported in April that Novavax was discussing a deal with Maryland officials to bring its headquarters back to the state.

The company has maintained research facilities in Maryland since moving its corporate operations in 2004.

Novavax says its new 50,000-square foot research facility will significantly expand its current vaccine capabilities and let the company develop vaccines in-house for clinical development.

Novavax will keep a manufacturing facility outside of Philadelphia, where it makes an estrogen replacement therapy called Estrasorb.

Novavax (NASDAQ: NVAX), whose stock was added to the Nasdaq biotechnology index this year, made news this spring when it announced positive early-stage trial results from its experimental vaccine for avian flu.

The Virus-Like Particle technology is an alternative to producing traditional vaccines and would allow the production of large quantities of vaccines in a short period of time.

Silver Springer

December 14th, 2006, 06:59 PM

The Bill Is Coming Due On O'Malley's Promises
Projected Budget Shortfall May Mean Hard Choices

By John Wagner
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, December 14, 2006; Page B05

A slowing economy will mean sluggish tax collections for Maryland in the coming year, a state panel said yesterday, underscoring the stark challenge facing Gov.-elect Martin O'Malley as he tries to square some costly campaign promises with the state's worsened budget outlook.

The new projections from the Board of Revenue Estimates come as O'Malley is scrambling to determine how quickly he can make good on more than 30 campaign spending pledges without raising taxes, a step aides say O'Malley is loath to take in his first year in office. O'Malley's first budget proposal is due Jan. 19, two days after he is sworn in, and estimates have shown a shortfall exceeding $400 million in his first year and $1.6 billion by the second year of his term.

Among the questions facing him:

· Can the state afford to spend $400 million next year on school construction, as O'Malley proposed?

· Can the state fully fund an initiative steering more dollars to communities where education is more expensive to provide? Or should the plan, with its annual price tag of nearly $100 million, be phased in over several years?

· And is it realistic to freeze college tuition next year, given that it would require spending nearly $40 million not currently budgeted? During the campaign, O'Malley repeatedly said he would like to make college "more affordable, not less."

"The goals of the campaign have not changed," O'Malley spokesman Rick Abbruzzese said. "But the question now is how quickly all these things can be accomplished, given the budget realities we face."

During his campaign against Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R), O'Malley made several other specific spending promises, such as boosting state funding of stem cell research from $15 million this year to $25 million next year.

And there is a much longer list of pledges that came without an exact price tag, such as expanding the state's support for drug treatment or providing state correctional officers "the pay they deserve."

Speaking more broadly of his agenda at a recent news conference, O'Malley acknowledged that "the work of this administration isn't going to get done in three or four months. That's why they give you four years."

Barbara A. Hoffman, a former Democratic chairwoman of the state Senate's budget committee, said O'Malley was politically smart to remain vague about dollar amounts and time tables, given warning signs of a worsening budget outlook. She predicted that Marylanders would be patient.

"People aren't stupid," Hoffman said. "They understand if you don't have the money, you don't have the money. But he's going to have some hard decisions."

Ehrlich said yesterday that Democrats seem determined to make the budget outlook appear worse than it actually is. "What they're doing is getting everybody set up for a large tax increase," Ehrlich told a group of reporters. "They won, they get to raise taxes."

Already, advocacy groups are starting to press O'Malley to deliver on his promises. This week, a coalition of environmental groups called on him to make good on a pledge to spend money earmarked for land preservation on its intended purpose. During the campaign, O'Malley bashed Ehrlich for using hundreds of millions of dollars from that program to balance the state's $13 billion general fund.

Another O'Malley pledge that is proving unexpectedly costly involves the state property tax rate. During the campaign, O'Malley repeatedly said he would like to cut that tax rate, which was raised nearly 5 cents on every $100 in assessed value early in Ehrlich's term and then cut 2 cents this year as the elections loomed.

But just keeping the rate constant next year would pinch the budget. That's because Maryland uses property tax revenue to pay debt service. And legislative analysts are projecting collections will be $64 million short of what is needed next year. To avoid a tax increase, O'Malley would have to draw money from the state's general fund.

Aides say O'Malley is unlikely to embrace any kind of tax increase in his first year in office. The thinking is that the projected budget shortfall next year -- pegged at $413 million last month by legislative analysts -- can be bridged without raising taxes. That would buy O'Malley a year to scour government for savings and start building a case publicly if he determines a tax increase is necessary in future years.

The gulf, analysts say, remains largely attributable to major increases in education spending mandated by a 2002 law that was passed without a funding source. Robust growth in Maryland's economy helped Ehrlich close the shortfalls during his term.

Yesterday's report from the Board of Revenue Estimates offered the latest evidence of a slowdown, however. Growth in tax revenue is expected to "slow precipitously" compared with last year and remain sluggish into next year, the board said. Corporate income collections have been particularly weak, it said.

Given the outlook, people should temper their expectations, lawmakers say.

During the campaign, O'Malley criticized Ehrlich for allowing college tuition to rise by 40 percent at some public university campuses. O'Malley said he would work "very, very hard" to keep it frozen at current levels, and said he might propose a tuition reduction, depending on the state's revenue picture.

Sen. Patrick J. Hogan (D-Montgomery), vice chairman of the Senate's budget panel, this week called O'Malley's vision "a laudable goal." "But if you wind up somewhere between a zero percent increase and a 5 percent increase each year, that's fair," Hogan said. "People understand that."

Silver Springer

December 14th, 2006, 07:11 PM

High-Rise Backers Are Pressing Ahead
Developer Secures Permit Amid Appeal

By Susan DeFord
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, December 14, 2006; Page HO03

Retired Rouse Co. executive Bob Riedy and his wife, Kathy, wanted to stay in Howard County, their home for 38 years, but they couldn't find an urban, well-appointed condominium to replace their large suburban home.

So the empty-nesters visited Annapolis, Reston and downtown Baltimore before they learned about the Plaza Residences, planned for downtown Columbia on a 1.4-acre site at Little Patuxent Parkway and Wincopin Circle.

In Riedy's view, the 162-unit, 275-foot-tall condominium project would be built in a premier location by a leading developer. It would be Howard's tallest building, a luxury landmark overlooking Lake Kittamaqundi, with penthouse units priced at more than $2 million and the least expensive units costing $625,000, according to the developer's Web site.

The Riedys are among well-heeled residents and community leaders who say Howard should welcome an uptown, upscale project such as the Plaza Residences, as proposed by a Florida residential developer that has regional offices in Reston.

But 11 months after the Howard Planning Board said that WCI Communities Inc. could proceed, opponents of the project continue to press their case. They believe that the tower would be out of character with the surrounding area, and they are asking the county's Board of Appeals to overturn the project's approval.

Opponents say that the county's appointed Planning Board did not have the authority to rezone the land from commercial to residential in 2002 for the Rouse Co., which owned the site at the time. That power, they say, rests with the county's five-member Zoning Board, made up of the five County Council members.

But lawyers for WCI say the four residents who have challenged the Planning Board's decision lack the necessary legal standing.

WCI is moving forward, and last week it received a building permit to begin construction in the next six months, according to officials at the Howard Department of Inspections, Licenses and Permits. WCI vice president William Rowe declined to comment because of the appeal. WCI officials said earlier this year that the Plaza would cost $60 million and take two years to construct.

"It's amazing to me how time can be drawn out over these things," said Riedy, a former Rouse senior vice president, who sat with his wife through a four-hour Board of Appeals hearing last week.

Riedy said he and his wife are not in a rush but added, "The question is, how long do we want to wait?"

Also attending the hearing was Gary Kaufman, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Micros Systems Inc., one of Howard's leading employers and an information technology supplier for hospitality and retail industries.

Kaufman wants to move into the Plaza Residences and talked about his "pent-up frustration" over the project's delay. He said stopping the Plaza Residences would be bad for business.

"It will hurt Howard County with regards to companies moving in," he said. Businesses would be reluctant to embark on major capital ventures in Howard for fear that necessary government approvals would be reversed, he said.

Patrick McCuan, chief executive of MDG Cos., a residential and commercial development firm headquartered in Columbia, has reserved one of the penthouses at the Plaza. His 30-year-old firm built what he called the first high-rise in Town Center, now known as the Merrill Lynch Building, overlooking Little Patuxent Parkway. MDG also has done business with WCI Communities in southwest Florida, he said.

"The one thing developers depend on is predictability," he said. "Once government has made a decision, they should stand behind the decision they made."

McCuan said he believed it was likely that General Growth Properties Inc. would invite residential builders to purchase its remaining land holdings as part of Columbia's redevelopment, which is the subject of a county planning process.

WCI, he said, is "exactly the kind of developer that has the resources and vision and capacity to participate in the rebuilding of downtown Columbia."

Joel Broida, a Town Center resident who lives in a five-story condominium next to the project site and is one of the residents fighting the tower, said, "I feel badly for the people who have put money down on the Plaza."

But he said there is strong community sentiment that the project does not embody Columbia's character.

"It doesn't fit in the environment," Broida said. "It's a very pretty building. It should be along some beach in Naples. That's not where we are."

If opponents lose before the Board of Appeals, which will consider the matter Dec. 18, they will consider filing suit in circuit court, Broida said.

"This is not going to go away until we get some resolution on it," he said.

BalWash

December 14th, 2006, 08:09 PM

"They believe that the tower would be out of character with the surrounding area, and they are asking the county's Board of Appeals to overturn the project's approval."

The Eifel tower met fierce opposition from Parisians when it was proposed too. I really don't see how one tower could be so out of shape in Columbia as to stir such criticism. In fact, I don't think these residents have any problem with the tower destroying the towns image. I think their real problem is that they know this tower will usher in wealthier residents who will push up home values. If home values go up in Columbia, a city in a perfect location nestled between Baltimore and Washington, these residents may not be able to afford their great location. They'll be forced to move further out into the suburbs, away from 95, route 29 and the B-W Parkway, where real estate is cheaper. These NIMBYs hide behind the inane argument that "the tower is out of place" because they know their real reasons for opposing the building, that being that they feel they won't be able to afford Columbia anymore if it and similar structures are built, could never hold up in an argument against the building. The natural and appropriate way for real estate to work is that the wealthier people should get to live in the better locations. To accomodate less wealthy people, it is the government's responsibility to make sure these less wealthy individuals can have reasonable mass-transit/solo-transit opportunities to get to their jobs (which involve public works projects mostly financed by the wealthy). Perhaps it's not even the government's responsibility to provide transit for every outer suburbanite's need. If you want to buy a big house in the boondocks than it should be understood that you are prepared to take the potentially long commute compared to if you lived in a small house or townhouse closer into the city (why should people who make the smart, environmentally friendly and self-sacrificing decision to live closer in have to subsidise other people's selfish desire to live in the outer suburbs by paying for their roads). Using the government to keep out rich people is tyrrany of the majority, and accordingly, completely unfair. Effectively, these people are trying to legislate a Bill of Atainder against the rich, preventing them from living in their town and county.

The American Dream is for everyone to own a house with a big yard. However, just because it's the American Dream doesn't mean everyone is entitled to it, nor does it mean attaining it won't cause you to suffer in other ways. [/Rant]

drewbwhite

December 14th, 2006, 10:35 PM

Silver Springer

December 15th, 2006, 10:44 PM

Silver Springer

December 15th, 2006, 10:47 PM

Md. Biotech Industry Reaching Critical Mass
Dec 14th - 7:02am

BALTIMORE (AP) - Maryland's biotechnology industry is reaching a "critical mass" that will allow it to continue to grow, according to a new report.

The report, released Tuesday by MdBio Inc, a membership-based industry organization, found the state was home to 360 biotech companies last June, compared to 218 in 1998. Those companies had 23,200 employees, compared to 14,490 eight years ago, according to a survey included in the report.

The "report shows you that we're just getting to the critical mass stage of what will be a mature community," Edward M. Rudnic, chairman of the board of MdBio and president and CEO of Advancis Pharmaceutical Corp. in Germantown, told The (Baltimore) Daily Record.

"This is a pretty nice foundation for the industry," said Aris Melissaratos, secretary of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development. "It's nice it comes out at a change in administrations. It's a baseline from which to project and grow."

The report was funded in part by Melissaratos' department and the Montgomery County Department of Economic Development.

Montgomery County is now home to 55 percent of the region's bioscience firms, while the Baltimore area accounted for 23 percent and Frederick had 15 percent.

The opening of two new Baltimore biotech parks affiliated with the Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland are expected to increase the city's share of the industry, Melissaratos said.

"We are well positioned across the state for life science companies to expand beyond their current hubs and spread that work around the state," the secretary said.

About a third of the companies are profitable and most are small. About one-third had fewer than 10 people and slightly less than a third had 10 to 20 employees.

___

Information from: The (Baltimore) Daily Record, http://www.mddailyrecord.com
(Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

BalWash

December 16th, 2006, 01:54 PM

I disagree with your assessment; I don't see how you could interpret this as the upper class being picked on. Most of the people in Columbia, hardly a nest of populist values, are quite wealthy anyhow and homeowners (the property values are already too high for most working class people), and would only benefit from higher property values. More likely, the fear is that supporting dense construction in central Columbia would lead to the problems urban areas face in the minds of many - crime, poverty, traffic, poor schools, whatever - and would be too much for the area's infrastructure. You and I know that this isn't the case when dense development is well planned, but folks in a community like Columbia are especially prone to these knee-jerk reactions.
This building with $600,000 to $2,000,000 condos is going to attract residents richer than the average Columbian. Strong public opposition to this is likely to come from people in Columbia, lower than the average economically, with enough time on their hands to mount major opposition to the building (not spent at the demanding jobs of their wealtier counterparts). These people, accustomed to being amongst the wealthy ones (because by almost any other city's standards, they are very rich), don't like their pretty little view of the world, with them on top of the food chain, to be destroyed.

Maybe I'm just being overly cynical, but I really think the illogical thinking behind their opposition to this building must be a facade for a more intelligent, although indefensible, thought process.

drewbwhite

December 16th, 2006, 07:02 PM

Hmm, I don't think that's the case, at least not with most of the people. The long term plan for downtown includes plenty of affordable housing, and if anything I think people here equate density with Baltimore or Washington, aka lots of poor people, and the city scares them. Plus, I can understand that most people moved to Columbia to live in Columbia, not, say, Bethesda, but at this point the town is almost built out at the current density and it's just not practical to stop growth in such a desirable location. Another reasonable concern is that the tower circumvented normal zoning processes, but at this point it's not right to force the developer to change plans. I think it's somewhat understandable, albeit impractical, for residents to want to maintain the town as is, or at least to stop or scale back this tower, so I wouldn't suspect class related motives. Columbia may just be the worst hive of NIMBYs in the universe.

Anyhow, just 2 cents from someone who grew up there.

Silver Springer

December 18th, 2006, 04:40 PM

Advancis passes final trials, prepares for market
Advancis Pharmaceutical CEO Ed Rudnic says the biotech could hire 300 people to help it sell its new drug for strep throat.

Washington Business Journal - December 15, 2006by Vandana SinhaStaff Reporter
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View Larger For the second time in a little more than a year, Advancis Pharmaceutical executives crowded around a fax machine while others waited in a conference room at the end of the hall.

The rest of the building remained silent -- all other employees were instructed to stay home on Aug. 10, what would be a climactic day for the biotech company. The execs knew the numbers spewing out of that fax machine would make or break the company.

Turns out the second time's the charm for Advancis. The numbers were exactly what the company wanted to see.

Eighteen months after first learning that its lead drug's Phase III trials had failed and four months after seeing those results reversed in a second attempt, Advancis filed on Dec. 14 with federal regulators to debut its strep throat treatment on the market in early 2008.

After spending $35 million on clinical trials and making a round of deep layoffs, the embattled Germantown company now finds itself belonging to an elite clique of local biotechs with products a step away from store shelves.

"If it had not turned out well, it would have been a big blow for the company," says Bob Eaton, president of trade group MdBio. "This is a major step forward. You probably appreciate that more when it's a harder road to get there."

A whiplashing roller coaster ride better describes the journey.

"The good news is very few companies get to Phase III," says Ed Rudnic, Advancis president and CEO. "The bad news is the whole world was watching. If you fail, the whole world would notice."

Early clinical trials of Amoxicillin Pulsys, Advancis' brainchild and valuation-determining drug for strep throat, suggested a seven-day treatment cycle would be sufficient to cough up positive results. Not so.

On June 15, 2005, Susan Clausen and a colleague walked into Rudnic's office, clutching the faxed results and fumbling through an explanation that the drug failed its first Phase III test. The drug's failed pediatric test, faxed 36 unsettling days later, brought no relief.

That was just the beginning of Advancis' agony. The next decision was who to let go.

Fresh off of signing on up to 40 new salespeople under the presumption that Amoxicillin was nearing launch, the company instead laid off 40 percent of its staff. Advancis dwindled to 50 by August last year.

The shrunken management team took to statistically diagramming the data to detect what went wrong -- an examination they only wish they'd funded before the trial. Their conclusion: increase dosage or increase days. They were convinced of the latter, latching on to a new 10-day cycle.

They worked full-time on convincing investors, regulators and board members of the same before the window for a second Phase III closed, all the while noting publicly that all options, including shutting down the company, were on the table.

In the end, the company said it had a greater chance of survival with a Phase III sequel than without it. In November 2005, the tests began anew. And the testing stopped Aug. 10 with the good news.

As positive results whirred in, employees celebrated and prepared for more work to make a regulatory filing. If the drug wins approval, then comes the marketing expectations.

The 70-person company, which estimates it needs 300 salespeople for Amoxicillin, has already faced a rocky start in launching its higher-dose Keflex products. But it insists Keflex's problems won't plague Amoxicillin.

A marketable drug also could dress Advancis up for interested buyers. Rudnic says he's neither entertaining nor shopping for propositions, but "if an offer were to come in, it would have to be seriously considered."

For now, Rudnic is savoring the company's success. Unlike the evenings of Amoxicillin's failed trials, when reporters called him at his unlisted home number, the turnaround in August was capped with a bottle of scotch. It was a gift from John Holaday, a friend and fellow serial entrepreneur, during the rough patch to partake on the day it finally came to an end.

"I followed John's orders at least once," Rudnic says, unable to keep from smiling. "Maybe at least twice."

E-maiL: Vsinha@bizjournals.coM Phone: 703/258-0838

Silver Springer

December 18th, 2006, 09:18 PM

COVER STORY: Town Center Overhaul Pitched for Greenbelt, Prince George’s to See More than $2 Billion in Development
Quantum leaps on plan for town center in Greenbelt

Washington Business Journal - December 15, 2006by Joe CoombsSenior Staff Reporter

http://cll.bizjournals.com/story_image/65568-400-0.jpg?rev=1Greenbelt has become the newest home for mega-developments in Greater Washington.

Plans are in the works for a 1,400-unit residential project on the back side of the Beltway Plaza Mall property, and the development could include new retail and a transformation of the mall to mimic Reston Town Center, says an executive with the developer, Bethesda-based Quantum Cos.

Silver Springer

December 18th, 2006, 11:02 PM

Star Trek video game being shipped to stores

Washington Business Journal - 2:25 PM EST Mondayby Neil AdlerStaff Reporter
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"Star Trek: Legacy," a video game co-developed by Bethesda Softworks, is getting beamed up.

The game, which features the voices of all five actors who portrayed the "Star Trek" captains, is now shipping to North American retailers, according to Rockville-based Bethesda Softworks, a privately held video game developer.

The release of "Star Trek: Legacy" for the Xbox 360 completes Bethesda Softworks' current lineup of Star Trek titles, which also includes "Star Trek: Encounters" for PlayStation 2 and "Star Trek: Tactical Assault" for the PlayStation portable system and the Nintendo DS.

Star Trek: Legacy puts a player in the admiral's chair, letting the user command a hand-selected fleet of starships in battle. Officials with Bethesda Softworks say the new game marks the first time the five actors who played the Star Trek captain, including William Shatner and Patrick Stewart, have participated in a project together.

"Star Trek: Legacy" was developed at Andover, Mass.-based Mad Doc Software under the direction of Bethesda Softworks, a subsidiary of entertainment software maker ZeniMax Media.

Silver Springer

December 18th, 2006, 11:11 PM

City presses forward with 'superblock' deal

Baltimore Business Journal - 2:56 PM EST Mondayby Daniel J. SernovitzStaff
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The Baltimore Development Corp. has reached a formal deal to redevelop an economically blighted section of the city into a $250 million mixed-use project with residential and retail spaces on Baltimore's west side.

The city's economic development arm on Wednesday morning will ask the Baltimore Board of Estimates to approve the deal, through which the city will acquire and sell a block of properties in the so-called superblock to the New York-based Chera Feil Goldman Group to launch the effort.

The superblock is a collection of six blocks of properties starting at West Fayette and Liberty Streets and extending to Howard and West Clay Streets. There are very few retailers besides beauty shops and general-merchandise stores in the area, which the city is hoping to see redeveloped in order to boost its larger revitalization efforts.

Private development has occurred in the surrounding area, but little has happened with the superblock itself since the city began its efforts in 1999 to condemn properties there for its revitalization initiative. At the BDC's recommendation, the city awarded a preliminary deal in February 2005 to Chera to develop plans for the site.

Since then several factors have stalled progress of the superblock, including the city's efforts to buy a block of superblock properties from the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation Inc., and BDC President M.J. "Jay" Brodie said he told Chera not to develop more specific architectural plans for the area until the city could resolve its issues with the foundation. After trying to negotiate with the foundation, Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley -- who was elected governor in November -- decided to move ahead with condemnation efforts against the foundation's properties and several others in the superblock.

The collection of 37 properties has been appraised at $21.6 million, but the BDC expects to give Chera a reduction of about $8 million to offset the cost of environmental cleanup, building demolition and streetscape improvements as part of the project. Chera plans to build 400 residential units, 200,000 square feet of retail space, and 1,000 parking spaces, according to a memorandum prepared by the BDC slated to be approved by the city's spending arm, the Board of Estimates, on Wednesday morning.

Chera must submit a schematic and phasing plan for the project by March 31, 2007, and must begin construction no more than 12 months after settlement. Construction must be finished within five years.

In addition to Chera, other members of the superblock's development team are: Atlanta, Ga.-based minority contracting firm Harold A. Dawson Co. Inc.; architectural firm Cooper, Robertson & Partners; and law firm Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP.

Silver Springer

December 19th, 2006, 11:01 PM

GenVec releases positive results for cancer treatment

Washington Business Journal - 2:48 PM EST Tuesdayby Vandana SinhaStaff Reporter
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GenVec announced that early clinical data indicate its pancreatic-cancer treatment helped improve patients' chances for survival -- news that boosted the company's share price by more than a third Tuesday.

Over the last 18 months, the survival rate for the first 51 patients enrolled in the Gaithersburg company's Phase II/III trial increased overall by 42.5 percent when GenVec's five-week TNFerade treatment was added to the current standard care.

But in just one year, patients undergoing the TNFerade treatment had a 70 percent higher chance of survival than if they had stuck with the standard treatment, according to an analysis of preliminary data.

Five of the 33 TNFerade patients died, compared with seven deaths among 18 patients without TNFerade.

Those results are much better than the anticipated 20 percent improvement in survival rate. If the positive results continue, GenVec officials expect to finish the trial and regulatory review of the treatment earlier than initially planned.

This clinical trial is likely to continue into next year and enroll a total 330 patients.

TNFerade works as a DNA carrier for an anti-cancer immune system protein injected into the tumor in conjunction with traditional treatments, such as radiation or chemotherapy.

The company is testing the same technology in Phase II trials for rectal cancer and melanoma patients.

In midday trading, GenVec (NASDAQ: GNVC) saw its share price rise nearly 68 cents, or 36 percent, to $2.54 -- almost 20 cents higher than its previous 52-week high.

Trading volume also shot up from a three-month average of nearly 370,000 daily swaps to more than 5.3 million by Tuesday afternoon.

Silver Springer

December 19th, 2006, 11:02 PM

Human Genome Sciences gets first drug into Phase III tests

Washington Business Journal - 2:53 PM EST Tuesdayby Vandana SinhaStaff Reporter
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Human Genome Sciences, one of the area's biggest biotechs without drugs in late-stage clinical trials until now, has just pushed its first drug into Phase III testing.

The Rockville company has begun dosing chronic hepatitis C patients with its Albuferon treatment, in conjunction with the current ribavirin treatment -- one of two drugs that the company says will enter third-phase trials before the year ends.

Thomas Watkins, president and CEO of Human Genome Sciences, called this an "important step in the transformation of HGS into a commercial organization."

Silver Springer

December 19th, 2006, 11:02 PM

MedImmune gets license to develop asthma drug

Washington Business Journal - 2:23 PM EST Tuesdayby Vandana SinhaStaff Reporter
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MedImmune has licensed an potential asthma treatment from a subsidiary of a Japanese company.

The Gaithersburg company will pay BioWa, a New Jersey subsidiary of Japan's Kyowa Hakko Kogyo, upfront, milestone and royalty payments for the rights to market the drug in all countries other than Japan and a few other Asian nations. BioWa will keep those rights.

MedImmune did not disclose the size of the payments it will make.

The drug, a monoclonal antibody under development, is in the first phase of clinical trials for asthma. It also might be used for other inflammatory diseases, company officials say.

MedImmune has already been researching asthma treatments that target a separate molecule from the one that BioWa's technology targets, and they called the new collaboration "an excellent strategic fit."

MedImmune (NASDAQ: MEDI) closed this week on a deal to sell its first product, transplant drug CytoGam, to ZLB Behring, a Pennsylvania biotech for $50 million in upfront payments and up to $70 million in potential milestone payments.

Last week, a MedImmune shareholder asked the board of directors to sell the company to a large pharmaceutical corporation to provide it with more marketing power. The company responded by saying it would "continue to execute on its business plan."

Silver Springer

December 19th, 2006, 11:03 PM

The Biotech industry in Maryland is very much maturing!

Silver Springer

December 19th, 2006, 11:18 PM

O'Malley names Porcari transportation secretary

Baltimore Business Journal - 2:54 PM EST Tuesdayby Robert J. TerryStaff
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John D. Porcari is getting his old office back.

Gov.-elect Martin O'Malley named Porcari his secretary of transportation Tuesday, capping a homecoming of sorts for the University of Maryland vice president.

Porcari served as Maryland's transportation chief from 1999 to 2003 under former Gov. Parris Glendening. Porcari is known as a savvy administrator attuned to the transportation pressures gripping this region, and O'Malley said in a statement he "understands what it takes to build a world-class transportation system consistent with the principles of smart growth."

Porcari is currently vice president of administrative affairs at the University of Maryland's flagship College Park campus. He also holds the chief administrative and chief finance officer titles, managing an annual operating budget of $1.3 billion for more than 35,000 students, as well as faculty and staff.

As Glendening's transportation secretary, Porcari initiated a $9.1 billion, six-year capital program and is credited with bringing transportation planning and construction in line with Glendening's signature "Smart Growth" environmental platform. He also worked closely with Maryland's congressional delegation on securing funding for the $2.4 billion Woodrow Wilson Bridge replacement project.

Porcari said in a statement it was a "great honor" to serve Marylanders again as transportation secretary.

"Our efforts over these next four years will be vital to controlling growth and sprawl, preserving our open space, and maintaining our quality of life in Maryland," Porcari added.

Silver Springer

December 20th, 2006, 12:02 AM

Survey: One-fourth of current N.J. base employees will move to Maryland

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Matthew Santoni, The Examiner
Read more by Matthew Santoni
Dec 19, 2006 3:00 AM (13 hrs ago)
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BALTIMORE - Nearly one-quarter of employees surveyed at Fort Monmouth, N.J., say they will move to Maryland when their jobs are transferred to Aberdeen Proving Ground, according to a study that is giving state officials a better picture of the impact of military base closures.

A survey of 2,800 employees at the N.J. Army base is giving Maryland officials their first concrete numbers in a process dominated by constantly shifting projections, Cecil County Economic Development Director Vernon Thompson said.

“Everything else we’ve been looking at has been somewhat speculative. ... There’s been such a big interest in better information,” Thompson said.

About 20 percent of those who had decided to move said they planned to come to Harford County when 6,000 government and contractor jobs are shifted from Fort Monmouth.

Between 5 percent and 6 percent of those who had decided said they were interested in living in neighboring Cecil County.

Baltimore City was not an option on the survey, leading Thompson to predict the growth will spread farther around northeast Maryland, Delaware and southern Pennsylvania.

Another 39 percent of all respondents were still undecided about moving, said Brig. Gen. J. Michael Hayes, BRAC coordinator for Maryland’s Department of Business and Economic Development, while 33 percent said they would not move.

As officials in both states had predicted, many of the employees who won’t move will be nearing retirement age by the time the shifts must be completed in 2011, Hayes said.

Nearly 60 percent of them will be eligible for retirement by that time, opening those jobs up to locals and new college graduates, he said.

“None of these numbers surprise us,” Hayes said. “There will be other surveys as these people get to know more about Maryland and get closer to when they have to move.”

Because the older employees are less likely to move, that shifts the growth toward younger families who are more likely to bring children to the area’s already-crowded schools, Thompson said.

“We’d heard from the very beginning that the older ones were likely to retire,” said Don Morrison, spokesman for Harford County Schools. “The big group is going to be in that 25-to-45 age range — the child-bearing age ... and that’s even more significant for us.”

msantoni@baltimoreexaminer.com

Silver Springer

December 20th, 2006, 12:04 AM

BDC pushes to finalize west-side contract
Vote on 'superblock' sale asked tomorrow

By Lorraine Mirabella
Sun staff
Originally published December 19, 2006

Baltimore's development agency is pushing ahead to finalize the sale of properties in downtown's superblock area to a New York developer before the end of the year, shutting out the charitable foundation that is bitterly contesting the acquisition of its properties.

Baltimore Development Corp. plans to seek the city Board of Estimates' approval tomorrow for the sale to Lexington Square Partners, formerly known as the Chera Feil Goldman Group, whose exclusive negotiating privilege to acquire the properties expires Dec. 31.

Mayor Martin O'Malley, who controls three of the five votes on the board, has strongly supported the sale to the developers, selected by the city in a competitive bidding process last year, even if it means resorting to condemnation of property owned by the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation. The foundation owns more than half the buildings in the six-block redevelopment area. Negotiations with the charitable group, which has proposed its own redevelopment of the superblock, collapsed in November after months of on-again, off-again talks, with each side blaming the other for failing to reach an agreement.

But it's unclear whether O'Malley's successor, City Council President Sheila Dixon, would support seizing the foundation's property. Dixon, one of the independent votes on the city spending board, steps in as mayor Jan. 17, when O'Malley becomes governor.

Yesterday, Dixon's executive director, Ruffin Brown, said Dixon has not taken a position on the dispute.

"She's decided to wait and allow Mayor O'Malley time to resolve it," Brown said. "This is something he's been actively engaged in, and she doesn't want to interfere at this point. She wants, obviously, for the west side to continue to be developed. She wants this to move forward and has to wait until Mayor O'Malley has an opportunity to resolve it."

The second independent member of the board, Comptroller Joan M. Pratt, said yesterday that she had not finished reviewing the proposed land disposition agreement and had no comment.

BDC officials said yesterday that they had reached a final agreement with Lexington Square Partners to purchase the 37 properties in a 3.6-acre area bounded by Lexington, Liberty, Fayette and Howard streets.

The developer will pay the appraised value of $21.6 million, though the purchase price will be reduced by about $8 million the developer expects to spend on environmental cleanup and demolition, according to the sales contract.

The project would be the largest single private development in the city's west-side revitalization plan and link Charles Center on the east to the University of Maryland and the University of Maryland Medical Center complex on the west. Housing would make up the bulk of the $250 million project, known as Lexington Square, with some 400 market-rate apartments, 1,000 parking spaces and as much as 200,000 square feet of shops.

Even if the board approves the sales contract, the city could face a prolonged legal fight to acquire the property. The sales contract with Lexington gives the city until the end of 2007 to assemble the property.

City officials have said they intend to condemn property owned by the Weinberg Foundation. Yesterday, Shale D. Stiller, the foundation's chairman and chief executive, said he did not want to comment because he had not seen the land disposition agreement. He said the city has not moved forward with its eminent domain case against the foundation and that talks have not resumed between the foundation and the city. City Solicitor Ralph S. Tyler, who had been leading negotiations for the city, could not be reached.

The superblock has languished amid nearby revitalization projects on the west side, such as the restored Hippodrome Theatre, the Centerpoint apartment and retail project and the Weinberg Foundation's redevelopment of Stewart's department store, which will become the world headquarters for Catholic Relief Services next summer.

Kirby Fowler, president of the Downtown Partnership, one of the groups that has been working to resolve the dispute between the city and the foundation and avert a legal fight, said yesterday that it makes sense to put pressure on the winning developer by finalizing the land disposition agreement.

"From Liberty Street eastward, downtown is experiencing lots and lots of progress, and buildings that have been neglected for years are starting to show new life, and even a major supermarket [Super Fresh] is about to open its doors," on Charles Street, at Charles Plaza, Fowler said. "It's important we connect the progress achieved east of Liberty to the blocks west of Liberty.

"Certainly Eutaw Street is coming alive, as well as parts of Howard Street, but we've got a large north-south corridor of properties that are preventing the connection of these two healthier districts. For us to have an overall, reawakened downtown, we need the superblock vicinity to show some life."

The developer must show the city a general schematic plan no later than March 31, start building the first phase of the mixed-use project within a year of settlement and complete it within five years, according to the sales agreement with the city.

lorraine.mirabella@baltsun.com

Silver Springer

December 20th, 2006, 12:10 AM

Annapolis site eyed for National Sailing Hall of Fame

Baltimore Business Journal - December 15, 2006by Ryan SharrowStaff
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The Maryland Stadium Authority has awarded $75,000 to a team of local architects and economists to study the possibility of locating the proposed National Sailing Hall of Fame in Annapolis.

The authority, which oversees stadium design and construction projects for the state, said Baltimore's Richter Cornbrooks Gribble Architects and the Center for Applied Business and Economics at Towson University were chosen to spearhead the study.

Sailing enthusiasts hope that locating the Hall of Fame in Annapolis will be a draw for the state, especially if the city is chosen to once again co-host with Baltimore the North American stop of the 2009 Volvo Ocean Race.

The study team will focus on a waterfront, state-owned site in Maryland's capital city at the end of Dock and Prince George streets. Many aspects of the project will need to be considered before work on the building begins, including historical issues and technical analysis, state officials said.

A mix of 26 small and large firms from around the state and country vied for the project, said Gary McGuigan, a project executive with the Maryland Stadium Authority, in an interview Friday.

Lee Tawney, who is working with the National Sailing Hall of Fame project and also serves as secretary with the Ocean Race Chesapeake, hopes the building will be completed for visitors and sailing fans before the 2009 race.

"It would be a great convergence if that took place," Tawney said in an interview Friday.

The 2006 Volvo Ocean Race's week-long stop in the region saw more than 500,000 visitors flood Baltimore's Inner Harbor and Annapolis' City Dock. Spectators spent more than $40 million, according to Tawney and statistics from the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development.

The study will take around four to five months and McGuigan hopes it will begin in January.

Silver Springer

December 20th, 2006, 12:12 AM

County tries to aid industry: New city position may help jobs’ fight

By Tory Spedden, Daily Banner

CAMBRIDGE — In the aftermath of the decision to close a Cambridge’s largest production plant, city officials believe time is on the side of workers who wonder what their future holds.

Icelandic USA, which employs more than 400 people, announced Wednesday that it would close by the end of next year and that many of the employees would be out of jobs by the end of the first quarter.

The Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation will begin steps to aid displaced workers by offering help in finding new jobs, with training and facilitating advice and aid in resume writing.

“There are so many state resources to find jobs and with re-training and our role is to make sure all of that gets coordinated,” said Dorchester County Economic Development Director Brad Broadwell. “Knowing you are losing your job can be traumatic enough.”

However, Mr. Broadwell sees the next few months as crucial.

“I think worker issues and concerns can addressed in that time,” Broadwell said.

Icelandic USA, based out of Newport News, Va., cited that the closure is expected to improve production and distribution efficiencies.

“It’s a transition from the old economy to the new economy,” said Aris Melissaratos, secretary of Business and Economic Development for the state of Maryland. “For those 400 workers it is a painful process, but I believe the economy is strong enough down there to handle it.”

Putting a stop to the hemorrhaging of industrial jobs in the area continues to be a struggle as well as stimulating new job growth in the area.

At the time of the Wednesday’s announcement, Icelandic was the top employer in the city of Cambridge and second in the county behind Allen Family Foods. Three other big county employers — Hi-Tech Plastics, Mail-Well Graphics and Johnson Diversey — all announced their closings earlier this year.

The battle to rouse that growth will likely be aided by the addition of a newly created position in the city. For the first time, the city will have an economic development director. The position’s creation was under way prior to the Icelandic announcement.

“The hiring of a City Economic Development Director is a positive sign for Cambridge,” said Mr. Melissaratos. “Some municipalities have their own Economic Director and I’m excited to see the mayor get this position.”

According to Cambridge Mayor Cleveland L. Rippons, the hiring for the position will be advertised shortly and with a correct applicant, the position could be filled as early as January.

“There are little things that we would like to have and we don’t see it coming so rather than wait and wait we created our own position and we will move forward from there,” Mayor Rippons said. “It may be feasible to receive funding to cover the cost of the salary for the position so it could pay for itself. I believe that in 2007 we will see the creation of plenty of new jobs.”

StevenW

December 20th, 2006, 12:12 AM

"The developer must show the city a general schematic plan no later than March 31, start building the first phase of the mixed-use project within a year of settlement and complete it within five years, according to the sales agreement with the city."

Still, more waiting........

Silver Springer

December 20th, 2006, 12:20 AM

BRAC survey offers glimpse of who’s moving here

Friday, December 15, 2006 9:16 AM EST
By Cheryl Mattix, Cecil Whig cmattix@cecilwhig.com

A quarter of the 2,800 survey respondents affected by the closing of Fort Monmouth military installation in New Jersey plan on moving with their jobs to Aberdeen Proving Ground.

All told, 6,000 jobs are moving to Aberdeen from Fort Monmouth by 2011, when the New Jersey base closes completely as part of the Base Realignment and Closure by the U.S. Department of Defense.

“It’s clear they are looking at all their options,” Vernon Thompson, Cecil County economic development director, said Thursday at a Chamber of Commerce lunch at the Northeast River Yacht Club, where he outlined the results of the survey.

Of the 6,000 jobs, 4,200 are employed directly by the government and 1,800 are contractor positions.

Thirty-seven percent of respondents said they definitely would not move, 39 percent haven’t decided, and 24 percent intend to move to the area.

The bulk of the jobs will start moving to Aberdeen in 2008.

In addition, 60 percent of Fort Monmouth’s employees will be eligible to retire by 2011. If they don’t choose to relocate, their positions likely will be filled by new hires.

While the results are not conclusive, Thompson said they give the first glimpse into what the potential transferees are thinking.

“One thing the survey reveals is that those coming will be younger and have more children than we first expected,” Thompson said.

Thompson said 43 percent of those definitely relocating want to live in Maryland, but have not decided which county, while 20 percent have already picked Harford County as their primary residence.

About 5 percent of those coming have selected Cecil County for their new home, while 11 percent are looking at Delaware and 9 percent at Pennsylvania.

Most of those moving are looking for single-family homes, but some will buy condos or townhouses or rent.

Those making the move are willing to commute anywhere from 10 minutes to one hour to get to Aberdeen.

Almost 40 percent of the husbands and wives of those affected by the BRAC move said they will seek a job in a non-military industry, such as health care or education.

“Cooperation is the only way we’re all going to win,” Thompson told the chamber audience Thursday speaking about the preparation required from this region to be ready for the impact of BRAC.

Naming education as the key to Cecil County’s success, Thompson said there’s no reason Route 40 cannot become the future home to international companies doing business here.

“A lot of this pressure will fall on our delegation,” he said. “We will need to lobby Annapolis for many of our needs.”

About 53 percent of the government employees at Fort Monmouth responded to the survey.

Silver Springer

December 20th, 2006, 12:22 AM

Silver Springer

December 20th, 2006, 12:23 AM

The science of picking a company name
Drug companies have made a science of what to call themselves

By Tricia Bishop
sun reporter
Originally published December 17, 2006

When a judge ruled this summer that Advancis Pharmaceutical Corp. had to change its name because it was too similar to another company's, it was a significant setback. But it offered a chance for the Germantown drugmaker to do better.

"One of the things that is important to us is to have our own unique identity here, and this gives us an opportunity to do that," said Edward M. Rudnic, Advancis' chief executive. "There's an opportunity to make us a little more unique."

While biotech and pharmaceutical companies have come up with some creative titles for their drugs, they typically pick business names that make them sound like one of the pack. It is a strategy often used in the hope that the companies will capture some of their competitors' cachet, branding consultants say.

But that is beginning to change as drugmakers increasingly market directly to consumers (who are used to names with zing, such as Google and Xerox) rather than only to doctors. And some have learned to regret pigeonholing themselves by a particular science. Of the 370 biotech companies in the state, for example, 60 of them have some form of "gene" in their names -- a nod to the genome revolution of 2000 that has not delivered on its promises.

"That club is a bit tarnished now, but those companies are stuck in that moment in time. It's like having a '.com' at the end of your name," said branding consultant Steve Manning, chief executive of California's Igor International. "You don't want to do what everybody else is doing."

More companies have taken that to heart, opting to change names after they have incorporated, even without the threat of a lawsuit.

In Georgia, First Horizon Pharmaceutical Corp. recently switched its name to Sciele Pharma (a combination of the words "elegant" and "science") to sound less generic. California pain-relief company Corgentech changed its name to Anesiva, which has roots meaning life and relief, to sound less cold and corporate.

The companies were "looking for a name that's going to differentiate them," said Scott Piergrossi, director of creative development at Miami-based Brand Institute, which helped develop both new names.

Still, in a relatively young industry that focuses on serious health issues, some executives are reluctant to go too far out on a limb. They are also aware that their prime audiences are still investors and physicians, which has led many biotechs to pick names that might hold weight with those groups.

Rudnic chose the name Advancis, founded in 1999, because when you say it quickly it sounds like "advances" -- as in the "advances in medicine" that he wanted associated with the company. Five other businesses in the state, which considers biotech among its top industries, also have names that begin with some form of the word "advanced."

Biotech businesses began cropping up in the late 1980s. In the years that followed, "companies started creating names around some of the common core words," such as "bio" and "cell" and "immune," said James L. Dettore, chief executive of Brand Institute.

"Over time, it's become so cluttered that now it's becoming a real problem for a lot of biotech companies that are now starting up," Dettore said.

With fewer "core words" to choose from and concerns over trademark infringement multiplying, biotech businesses are taking cues from more creative drug names, such as Paxil and Celexa. Executives are more frequently manipulating multiple words into one, such as Sciele, or picking obscure terms that have personal meaning.

The word "alba" worked for Blake Paterson and his business partner Alessio Fasano. It is the ancient Gaelic name for Scotland, where Paterson has roots, and he says it symbolizes "rising sun," which suggests a bright future. In Spanish, which Paterson speaks, "alba" means "dawn." And then there's the Italian connection for Fassano: Alba is the name of a wine region in Italy.

"It all fits," said Paterson, chief executive of Baltimore-based Alba Therapeutics, which is developing a treatment for celiac disease and other autoimmune disorders.

Craig M. Liddell went with Amulet Pharmaceuticals for his company name, thinking of the many charms that can fit on a necklace and his technology's multiple applications. The Halethorpe business, set to move to Rockville next year, is working on projects that focus on everything from diabetes to self-disinfecting contact lens cases. Liddell, the chief executive, said he hopes "Amulet" is broad enough to encompass all those ideas.

People in the business of branding suggest biotechs pick names that can change with the business and don't lock companies into one area of science. They should be easy to remember and attention-grabbing, but not ridiculous. Industry consultants said some companies are choosing obtuse names that do not connect with consumers, investors or doctors.

"There are times when I pull a CEO aside and say 'What were you thinking?'" said Michael J. Werner, president of the Werner Group, a biotech consulting firm in Washington.

The processes that companies use to choose their names are varied. Many, like the heads of Alba Therapeutics, go it alone, while others hire consultants.

After receiving a cease-and-desist type of letter from Genome Therapeutics in 2000, Therapeutic Genomics held a contest.
"We had [employees] submit possible names, which ranged from combinations of Greek and Latin prefixes and suffixes to other, very techie kinds of names to Avalon [Pharmaceuticals]," said chief executive Kenneth C. Carter.

In a vote, the latter won, backed up by the rationale that King Arthur's Avalon is a magical place of eternal life where a woman with healing powers lives.

"In the end, we've been very pleased with it. It's fun to sort of give the connection to the king," said Carter, whose Germantown company is developing cancer therapies.

A few doors away on the same street, Advancis has pulled out all the stops.

Rudnic has hired two consultant companies and created an internal naming team. About a dozen names have made it to the short list, with three of them on the "very, very short list."

According to the criteria, the new name must be reminiscent of the old one and enable the company to keep its ticker symbol "AVNC," and, said Rudnic, "We would like to pick a name that won't get us sued."

The change was forced this summer after a judge ruled that Advancis was too similar to Aventis.

Rudnic, who expects to soon bring a new antibiotic to market based on the company's time-release technology, said he hopes to announce the new name next month and begin its rollout in February.

"Hopefully," he said, "we won't have to pull too many letters off the building."

tricia.bishop@baltsun.com

Silver Springer

December 20th, 2006, 12:27 AM

Blowing hot and cold

By David Dishneau
ASSOCIATED PRESS
December 18, 2006

http://www.washingtontimes.com/business/20061217-102008-9063r.htm

Wind-power developers frustrated by regulatory hurdles and legal challenges say Maryland lacks a strong commitment to alternative energy, putting it behind neighboring states in which wind turbines are already spinning.
The state Public Service Commission (PSC) approved two Western Maryland wind farms in 2003 and is considering a third, but none has been built. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania has six commercial wind farms operating and another in the works, and West Virginia has one running and two proposed.
Most of these projects are along the Allegheny Front, an Appalachian mountain ridge that includes the Eastern Continental Divide. Strong, relatively steady winds at elevations approaching 5,000 feet make the Allegheny Front attractive to wind-power developers.
Leaders of two Maryland projects told a state-sponsored meeting of wind-power proponents last week in Bethesda that Maryland's government lacks a strong voice on energy issues and that the state's power-plant approval process is flawed because it allows almost anyone to intervene.
Wayne Rogers, chairman of Annapolis-based Synergics Inc. and a member of Gov.-elect Martin O'Malley's transition team, referred to "a vocal minority of anti-wind extremists" who "game the system." He suggested creating a Cabinet-level energy secretary, streamlining the approval process for renewable energy projects and tightening the rules to limit intervenors to those directly affected -- such as people who live or own property near a project site.
Kevin Rackstraw, a development leader for Clipper Windpower Inc., said Maryland wind power is at a stalemate, partly because the regulatory process allows a small number of people to make "mischief" and partly because the government lacks a strong advocate for alternative energy.
"I don't see a major commitment by the government to push renewables or pull renewables into the market," Mr. Rackstraw said.
His company's proposed 40-turbine project in Garrett County won PSC approval in 2003, but is being challenged in court.
Synergics' proposed 17-turbine project, also in Garrett County, is under regulatory review. The company is fighting state Department of Natural Resources' recommendations aimed at protecting endangered-species habitats. Synergics also is battling five intervenors, including the nonprofit Maryland Alliance for Greenway Improvement and Conservation, who contend the three-bladed turbines towering 40 to 60 stories above the ground would pose an uncalculated threat to birds, bats and property values, spoil scenic views and do little to reduce consumption of fossil fuels.
Alliance President Robert DeGroot said wind farms need more regulation, not less. Unlike conventional power-plant builders, wind-farm developers aren't required to prepare comprehensive environmental-impact statements for projects that could damage miles of ridgelines and affect all kinds of wildlife, Mr. DeGroot said.
And because wind energy is relatively new, PSCs are ill-equipped to regulate wind farms, he said.
"Wind facilities are trying to get permits through PSCs without doing any basic, site-specific environmental studies that are needed to reveal the dangers they pose," he said.

Bowie-based conservation biologist D. Daniel Boone, another Synergics intervenor, said Mr. Rogers' call for less regulation indicates that amid growing opposition, the wind industry "wants to short-circuit any meaningful public participation and review process."
Opposition to wind farms has increased, even in wind-friendly Pennsylvania, which Mr. Rogers cited as a model. Kerry L. Campbell, wind-energy specialist at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, told the Maryland Wind Working Group workshop in Bethesda that people reared in his state's mountainous coal country tend to welcome wind farms as a cleaner, less-destructive energy source. But he said city folks who have moved to the countryside "don't want to see turbines."
Developers are getting more help from the federal government, which wants to reduce America's reliance on imported oil. Phil J. Dougherty, acting manager of the federal wind-energy program, said in Bethesda that the government wants to see 30 states producing at least 100 megawatts of wind-generated electricity each by 2010, compared with eight states in 2002. Maryland could reach that goal with Clipper's 101-megawatt project alone.
The Maryland Energy Administration also is working harder to promote wind power. The agency recently granted $60,000 to Frostburg State University to construct a demonstration wind turbine, about one-tenth the size of commercial turbines, to show how wind can make electricity for individual homes, farms and businesses.
Crissy Godfrey, manager of the Wind and Climate Change Program at the Maryland Energy Administration, said she hopes the Frostburg demonstration project will help dispel "some misconceptions about wind energy in Western Maryland."
"A lot of people have never seen a wind turbine, period. We're hoping that with these efforts, people will become more informed," she said.

Silver Springer

December 20th, 2006, 12:29 AM

Baltimore firm launches investing channel online

Baltimore Business Journal - December 15, 2006by Stephanie WentworthStaff
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There's a new Internet news channel in town.

Taipan Group, a Baltimore investment consulting firm, started streaming online investment videos this week.

Taipan plans to produce four videos per week discussing market views, political news and investment tips. Local and national executives are also on tap for the four-minute segments that will be hosted by Sandy Franks.

One recent topic of discussion on the site was "why to invest in ethanol," said Krista Das, a spokeswoman for Taipan.

The videos can be found at www.taipanfinancialnews.com. Taipan's Web site was recently renamed Taipan Financial News. The company plans to add an interactive stock trading game to the site in the coming weeks.

Entrepreneur J. Christoph Amberger started Taipan in 1988 as a tip sheet for what's hot in financial markets. The company launched its e-newsletter in 2000.

Silver Springer

December 20th, 2006, 12:30 AM

Work force housing nearly complete
Building is 1 of 4 in West Side project
By Katherine Crowell
Staff Writer

SALISBURY -- Developers showed little to no interest in resurrecting a neglected part of town after the Campbell Soup Co. plant moved out about 15 years ago and residents vacated dilapidated houses.

That was until one Baltimore-based development firm spearheaded a residential development aimed at Salisbury's work force.

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The Shelter Development LLC's Westbrook Apartments are meant to help revitalize the West Side of Salisbury by providing an affordable place for city workers to live, an area real estate agent said.

The developers began constructing the state-of-the-art affordable housing community at West Road and Delaware Avenue in June and the first of four buildings is expected to be completed by February, said Jeff Paxson, Shelter's development director. As of last week, the company had received 200 applications for its 96 two- and three-bedroom apartment units, he said.

"It will build a renewed spark of life to that area," said Henry Hanna of Long & Foster Real Estate.

With funds allocated from the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, the developers were able to tear up the former 9-acre employee parking lot across the street from the closed-down Campbell plant and start building the apartment community. Future tenants will have access to a number of amenities including general life skills courses, computer training at the onsite computer room, after-school programs and courses on how to better manage and budget money, Paxson said.

Over the years the property switched hands of a couple of owners, including Mountaire Farms, a meat processing company that took over when Campbell closed, Hanna said. Mountaire left and sold the property to a private purchaser, who still owns the property and leases out office space there, he said.

Two years ago Shelter, which has 30 housing projects in the works statewide, approached the owners and signed a contract to purchase the site across the street, he said.

Even though the area was zoned for industrial use, Hanna said the housing project is probably the best suited development for the site, which he described as an "abandoned eyesore."

"There's a need all over for affordable housing like that," Hanna said. "That neighborhood was targeted as needing additional low-income housing. An attractive new community spruces up that section of town."

The two- and three-bedroom units will range from 900 to 1,100 square feet and cost between $350 and $560, Paxson said. All the units should be completed by May, he said. The applicants will be chosen based on household income and background checks. Shelter is still taking applications for the apartments and interested parties can fill one out at the leasing office on site, he said.

"It's the first step in revitalization in an area of the city that needs it," Paxson said. "It provides high-quality living to a portion of Salisbury's work force that wouldn't otherwise be able to live or afford to live where they work. ... People that are targeted to live in these communities are teachers, firemen, policemen. Is it fair that a policeman and fireman can't live in the area they serve?"

kcrowell@dmg.gannett.com

410-845-4655

Silver Springer

December 20th, 2006, 04:16 PM

Housing prices fall again in D.C., Northern Virginia suburbs

Washington Business Journal - December 15, 2006by Joe CoombsSenior Staff Reporter

Greater Washington's housing market had another lukewarm performance in November, but one segment of the region appears to be snapping out of its slumber.

Sales volume fell across the region, and median prices dropped in D.C. and Northern Virginia in November, but housing costs were on the way up in Montgomery and Prince George's counties, according to reports by Metropolitan Regional Information Systems.

Prices rose about 2 percent in Montgomery and nearly 4 percent in Prince George's because of a smaller stock of homes in Maryland overall, says Kenneth Wenhold, the Washington area's regional director for research firm Metrostudy.

"Maryland is much more supply constrained, and a lot of that is connected to various moratoriums and restrictions on land use," Wenhold says. "Northern Virginia, on the other hand, saw quite a bit of inventory added in the last year, mostly from investor buyers who have now left the market. The good news is, builders cut back on their activities in response to that, and it has helped tighten supply in Northern Virginia."

D.C.'s median sales price in November was $410,000, down nearly 7 percent from $440,000 in November 2005.

Prices dropped at least 5 percent across all of Northern Virginia, but the market's breather shouldn't be misinterpreted as bust worthy, Wenhold says.

"Our firm tracks 40 markets around the country, and Greater Washington is among the strongest right now," he says. "Jobs are still coming in, and there's a demand for housing. We're in a good place."

Condominium sales and prices are also starting to level off around Greater Washington. A boom in condo construction and conversion projects in 2005 temporarily flooded the market, but many of those developments have been either canceled or switched to apartment properties.

In D.C., the median condo price in November was $355,000, down slightly from $375,000 in November 2005, according to the Greater Capital Association of Realtors, which represents the District and Montgomery County.

The median condo price rose in Montgomery in November to $285,000, up slightly from $275,000 a year ago.

"The market is off in volume, but prices don't seem to be much different," says Holly Worthington, president of the Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors. "Some of the market overall is softer, but the rest of it is ticking quite nicely."

Silver Springer

December 21st, 2006, 12:26 AM

Moratorium may backfire, council told
Real losers would be ‘average Joes’ involved in the affected projects, warn developers and residents

Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2006
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by Janel Davis

Staff Writer

A six-month building moratorium being floated by the County Council is getting mixed reviews, with detractors saying that average residents would be hurt the most.

Although it has not been enacted or even approved, the moratorium has already become an integral part of the council’s agenda and is part of the county’s conversations about transit, housing and schools.

‘‘I’ve been hearing from folks asking, ‘What the heck is the council up to without any clarity as to what problem we’re solving?’” said Councilwoman Nancy M. Floreen (D-At large) of Garrett Park, a former planning commissioner. ‘‘I see no reason for a moratorium. It doesn’t stop development and it affects a lot of what the county supports: affordable housing initiatives and nonprofits with good projects.”

Council President Marilyn J. Praisner (D-Dist. 4) of Calverton, who proposed the moratorium, maintains the temporary building halt is necessary while the county’s growth policy is being re-evaluated and possibly revised.

The proposal is to temporarily suspend the approval of preliminary subdivision development plans in areas that are not in enterprise or Metro station zones and that exceed the county’s minimum traffic standards.

The moratorium would affect about 82 projects, according to Park and Planning records. Projects such as the residential development scheduled on the Indian Spring Country Club site — whose preliminary plans have already been approved — will not be affected.

Although Praisner’s proposal has the support of five of the nine council members — Philip M. Andrews (D-Dist. 3) of Gaithersburg, Roger Berliner (D-Dist. 1) of Chevy Chase, Marc Elrich (D-At large) of Takoma Park and Duchy Trachtenberg (D-At large) of North Bethesda — Floreen said passage is not a ‘‘slam dunk.”

Have your say
What: Public hearing on proposed moratorium
When: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 16
Where: Council Office Building, 100 Maryland Ave., Rockville
To testify: Call 240-777-7931

‘‘A moratorium sends a message that Montgomery County is going to be unpredictable in terms of its decisions. It may be politically correct, but I don’t think it’s fair,” Floreen said.

More important than what is fair is what is best for the county, said Andrew Bennett of Bethesda.

‘‘The supply of housing concerns me. When the market isn’t allowed to tell developers what and where to build, the economy suffers,” said Bennett, a Vassar College student who worked for the county’s Department of Housing and Community Affairs over the summer and who wrote Praisner to oppose her plan. ‘‘The real consequences are that the people who were helped by the programs I worked with — moderate and low-income people — will not have places to live.”

Praisner and the council will have an opportunity to hear from those who could be affected by the moratorium at a public hearing on Jan. 16.

In addition to the developers and builders expected to testify, the council can expect to hear from the ‘‘average Joes” who are being hurt, said land-use attorney Jody S. Kline.

Kline, who works with the Rockville law firm Miller, Miller and Canby, represents two private school projects that would be delayed if a moratorium goes forward. One of the schools has submitted plans to relocate from Bethesda to Clarksburg.

‘‘There are honest-to-goodness hardship cases out there, and the council will hear their stories and say, ‘We didn’t mean to do that,’” Kline said. ‘‘The next step will be how do we create exceptions, then who gets the exceptions, and that’s another separate territory.”

Aside from the policy area and traffic exceptions, the moratorium proposal does not include any other exceptions. In fact, Praisner included an ‘‘anti-grandfathering” clause in the legislation, which says that any preliminary development plans pending on Dec. 5 would have to meet the guidelines.

County Executive Isiah Leggett (D), who also campaigned on a slow-growth platform, supports Praisner’s proposal but would like to see exceptions for projects such as affordable housing.

‘‘We need to be clear in the message that we send to the public,” said Councilwoman Valerie Ervin (D-Dist. 5) of Silver Spring, who challenged Praisner on the plan when it was introduced on Dec. 5. ‘‘With the moratorium, whichever way it goes, I will vote for what is best for my constituents. Right now, no one knows what the ripple effects are going to be.”

Copyright © 2006 The Gazette - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Privacy Statement

Silver Springer

December 21st, 2006, 12:43 AM

Bethesda: Second 'Smartest City' in Nation
Dec 19th - 6:36am

Forbes: America's 10 Smartest Cities Slide Show

WTOP TalkBack

BETHESDA, Md. -- A new survey finds the Bethesda area is the second "Smartest City" in the country, easily beating out D.C. and its northern Virginia neighbors.

The survey done by Sperling's BestPlaces, in conjunction with Forbes.com, gave the No. 1 distinction to Boulder, Colo.

Boulder is home to the National Center for Atmospheric Research. The National Institutes of Health and Lockheed Martin are located in Bethesda.

D.C. and its Virginia suburbs rank eighth.

Bert Sperling of Sperling's BestPlaces says the survey takes into effect fairly recent demographic changes. Bethesda used to be considered part of the D.C. metro area but now is considered a satellite metro area, in part because there are enough businesses there that people who live in Bethesda do not have to commute to the District.

(Copyright 2006 Metro Networks Communications Inc., A Westwood One Co. All Rights Reserved.)

Throws that suburb crap right out the window doesn't it?

Silver Springer

December 21st, 2006, 08:27 PM

Annapolis incubator considering relocation from current office space

Industry News of Note
December 18, 2006
Baltimore Business Journal

Daniel J. Sernovitz
Staff
The Chesapeake Innovation Center might vacate its Annapolis office space with the expiration of its lease this spring, though there is not an abundance of vacant office space in the state capital for the business incubator to relocate.

"We're evaluating all of our options, we have not made a decision to stay or whether to relocate," said Laura Neuman, interim executive director of the center, which is widely known as the CIC and has received national attention for its emphasis on attracting and developing technology-based homeland security startups.

The center moved to 175 Admiral Cochrane Drive about three years ago, Neuman said, and it is leasing between 20,000 and 30,000 square feet. There is enough space at the center, she said, but it does not easily accommodate the startup firms the center seeks to attract and help develop. Neuman said she does not plan to significantly reduce the amount of space the center now has.

The incubator lost one of its larger tenants last month, when biotechnology firm PharmAthene, which was renting about 6,000 square feet, signed a lease for more than double the space at the new Park Place Annapolis office complex. Neuman said the center now has about a dozen businesses, down from a high of 19.

The center's lease expires April 30, and in addition to seeking more information from the building's landlord, Neuman said she is looking around to see what other buildings are available in Annapolis area.

Silver Springer

December 21st, 2006, 10:22 PM

BDC approves development backed by Ray Lewis in closed session

Baltimore Business Journal - 2:55 PM EST Thursdayby Daniel J. SernovitzStaff
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The Baltimore Development Corp. voted behind closed doors Thursday morning in favor of a development team led by the Cormomy Company and linked with Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis to redevelop a group of waterfront properties in the Carroll Camden section of the city.

The vote appeared to have taken place under the same circumstances as another redevelopment project which was challenged in the courts and ultimately required the city's economic development arm to open its meetings to the public.

Following the meeting, board Chairman Arnold L. Williams and BDC President M.J. "Jay" Brodie said they consulted with an attorney from the city's law department before taking the closed door vote.

The board allowed members of the public to attend the first half of its 7:30 a.m. meeting held at the BDC's offices at 36 S. Charles Street, but asked them to leave midway through its discussion of the Gateway South redevelopment project.

Williams said the second part of the discussion was closed to the public because the board needed to consider the financial stability of the two development teams competing for the project before making its decision.

The 11-acre project area is just off the Inner Harbor near the M&T Bank stadium, by Russell and Annapolis streets. Several development teams, including the B'nai Group, Manekin LLC, Transwestern, and Turner Development applied to redevelop the site at the BDC's invitation in March 2006.

From the list of six, the BDC selected two for further consideration: Himmelrich Associates, which developed the Montgomery Ward project; and Cormomy. Both had proposed to create about 600,000 square feet of office space at the site, and neither plan included any residential uses.

Cormomy has proposed to create about 600,000 square feet of office space, some retail space, and a 90,000 square foot sports complex to include a pair of football fields and other recreational components. Raymaker Sports, which is Lewis' real estate arm, has signed on as a partner in the project. Lewis has also committed to anchoring his proposed Ray of Hope mentoring center at the complex. The development could also include a 24-hour fitness center also bearing the name of the Ravens linebacker.