New mayor must reach business beyond downtown
Too often the the mayor of Baltimore's realtionship with business is characterized by how many tax breaks she's handing out to developers and how many new buildings are going up downtown.
Baltimore business is much more than downtown and Harbor East, and the mayor needs to recognize this. Small manufacturers, retailers, office landlords across the city are coping with the usual nuisances: vandalism, service failures, safety. Incoming Mayor Stephanie Rawlings Blake said the right things at her press conference yesterday about the importance of business. But to keep her promise she needs to connect with companies across the city.
Here's some radio yacking about the topic. This morning on WBAL with Bill Vanko. And on WYPR with Sheila Kast.
Comments
Downtown is almost certainly the economic engine that pulls Baltimore's train, so the mayor must continue to support smart downtown development. However, commercial corridors and districts throughout Baltimore are key to the stability and vitality of neighborhoods. This is not an either/or question. The new mayor should make both a priority.
Posted by: David Feehan | January 9, 2010 7:19 AM
Of course, it all depends on what you mean by "Downtown." There are older parts of Downtown with increasing vacancy rates, particularly around Hopkins Plaza. If these trends continue, the region will suffer as the traditional center of business loses its lustre. None of us in the region can allow this to happen. Fortunately, I believe that our new mayor - like Mayor Dixon before her -- will recognize the importance of reinvesting in the older parts of Downtown. It's not as dramatic as creating new office districts from whole cloth elsewhere, but it must be done.
Posted by: Kirby Fowler | January 9, 2010 10:47 AM