Baltimore Checkbook

Podcast: GBC CEO Don Fry talks transportation,...

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Donald C. Fry has to balance a lot. As CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee, he fields concerns from business owners, negotiates with local and federal lawmakers and must stay on top of what’s going on in the city and surrounding counties. Fry’s job is to be an advocate for businesses in the Baltimore area, and his plate may only get fuller as we enter 2017. Heading into the upcoming legislative session, Fry wants to look at everything from the long-discussed Howard Street tunnel project, to…

These Maryland doctors received the most payments...

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Hundreds of Maryland doctors received millions of dollars in value from pharmaceutical or medical device manufacturers in 2015 in the form of royalties, consulting fees, and in-kind payments like food and travel. The payments show how some of the top hospitals in the state are encouraging doctors to innovate internally or consult on industry projects. And while Maryland, specifically the Baltimore area, is known for its high-profile hospitals, many of the bigger names don’t rank as high on the…

Doreen's Deals: Vote and get rewarded with...

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It’s taken months of careful thought and painstaking research to come to my decision. I’m now ready to declare my support in Tuesday’s election. I’m voting for freebies. Businesses know we voters have been through the ringer during the most divisive presidential election in our history, so they’re…

Maryland casino October revenue up just slightly...

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Maryland casinos continued a trend of revenue growth year over year in October, although not by as big a margin as other months this year. The five casinos combined to bring in $95.49 million in revenue last month, an increase of 0.8 percent over October 2015. This comes after a strong spring and summer for the casinos with them combining for more than $100 million in revenue in four out of five months. Horseshoe Casino Baltimore saw decent growth year over year in bringing in $26.6 million in…

Inside the new $160M Exelon tower in Harbor Point

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The 65,000-square-foot trading floor to the new Exelon Corp. tower at Harbor Point sat idle on Friday as the building was officially opened by the energy giant’s CEO Chris Crane and Gov. Larry Hogan, among others. But come Monday morning, the first of more than 1,500 employees — including 650 oil and energy traders — will start work in the $160 million, 21-story building to serve as local headquarters for the Fortune 100 company formed in 2012 when it acquired Constellation for $7.9 billion. “This…

Three new retailers open at BWI

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Three new retail operations have joined the Airmall offerings at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, including NYS Collection, Popsations Popcorn Co. and Be Relax Spa. NYS Collection is an eyewear boutique offering up several options on sunglasses and eyewear for both men and women. The 300-square-foot space is located in Concourse C. Be Relax Spa will also be in Concourse C with a 586-square-foot space and has numerous spa amenities from chair massages to manicures. Popsations…

Why Up to Date Laundry picked a city business park...

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As more and more linens passed through Up to Date Laundry Inc.’s massive conveyor system to be cleaned and folded, the company knew it needed some room to expand. A growing demand in the hospital laundry processing industry and a current facility that was outgrowing the needs of its clients helped prompt the lease of a new, 79,600-square-foot building at the Hollander Business Park. The new laundry facility will create 100 new jobs upon opening, with 300 more jobs to be added over the next five…

Columbia cyber firm launches internal accelerator...

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MasterPeace Solutions Ltd., a cybersecurity contractor in Columbia, opened a new accelerator Thursday to support and grow startups founded internally by company employees. MasterPeace LaunchPad will allow teams of between three and five people from within the company to work on building startups while still working on government cyber contracts for MasterPeace. “We see it as an opportunity to hire really smart tech people, engineers and software developers to work on these contracts, but at the…

If Target or Sony can be a target for cyber...

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When hackers breached Sony or Target or the IRS or the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, you probably heard about it. Without fail, data breaches at major organizations always rank high in the news, particularly because so many citizens are often affected. But, while giants of industry might prove the most high-profile targets, they’re neither the most common, nor the most susceptible. In reality, it’s smaller organizations who often prove most vulnerable, and, consequently, are the most…

BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse opening fourth...

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BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse is continuing its expansion in Maryland that began in 2014 with its fourth location that will open Columbia. The Huntington Beach, Calif., chain is bringing the restaurant to 6181 Columbia Crossing Circle in the former Romano’s Macaroni Grill location. The space is 7,742 square feet and the company said there will be seating for 245 people. While an exact date has not been set for the opening, a BJ’s spokeswoman said an early 2017 opening is being targeted. The restaurant…