Gallagher was a proud supporter and sponsor of the April 10 State of Downtown at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel. Drawing an impressive crowd, the sold-out event featured presenters including Downtown Partnership of Baltimore President Shelonda Stokes; Senate President Bill Ferguson; Mayor Brandon M. Scott; City Council President Nick Mosby; and Downtown Partnership Board Chairman, Carim Khouzami.
Brookings Fellow and Transformative Placemaking Expert Tracy Hadden Loh provided a substantive keynote address offering statistical analyses on metrics such as public safety, public transit, and more, in comparison to other cities’ downtown areas.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore addressed the audience virtually and joined his fellow speakers in taking a few moments to recognize the March 26 tragedy of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and its impact on the individuals who lost their lives and their families, the community, and businesses.
Senate President Ferguson noted the “ongoing grit” that will be necessary to “find a different way to reinvent ourselves.”
“We are poised to re-envision and reimagine this place,” he said.
The mayor, who was celebrating his 40th birthday, also referenced the bridge tragedy and noted, “Never in my 17 years in government have I seen people of all levels working together at lightning speed.”
He shared a video focusing on his “Downtown Rise” initiative that provides a roadmap for investment, support and equity for Downtown Baltimore.
Gallagher is a longtime supporter of the State of Downtown event, during which the Downtown Partnership shares a report (presented by MCB Real Estate this year) and discusses the future of Downtown Baltimore. Gallagher real estate attorney Mark Keener serves on DPOB’s Board of Directors. The Downtown Partnership was established in 1983 and partners with businesses and organizations to provide public safety and hospitality, host events, bring the best of urban design and planning practices to downtown Baltimore, and provide opportunities for networking.
Some of the key highlights of the report include:
- Recognizing the one-year anniversary of CFG Bank Arena, which is ranked fourth in North America in Venues Now for ticket sales;
- The first arrival of more than 5,000 State employees who will be relocating to refurbished commercial office space in 2024;
- The city’s strong pipeline for residential units;
- One concern is the fact that companies with a significant downtown footprint continue to downsize. The office market vacancy increased slightly from the previous year to 20.03%;
- Hotel visitation numbers have increased;
- Retail Occupancy rates in the Baltimore metro area are 93.5%;
- Baltimore has 41,066 residents and employs 133, 950.
About Gallagher
For more than 60 years, Gallagher Evelius & Jones has served as trusted counsel to businesses including real estate developers, regional and local healthcare systems (nonprofit), religious entities, universities and colleges, clean energy investors, and more, building longstanding relationships with organizations across the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond. Our attorneys focus on the practice areas important to our clients including litigation, employment, tax, finance, real estate, and general corporate matters.
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