Baltimore Checkbook

Chick-fil-A opens first BWI location. Will a...

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If you ever thought you were missing a chicken sandwich and some waffle fries before your flight out of Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, the airport’s first Chick-fil-A may be your answer. The Chick-fil-A opened this past Saturday in the Concourse A and B food court in the Southwest Airlines terminal, said Brett Kelly, vice president of Airmall. The restaurant occupies about 800 square feet. Kelly said there have been talks between the restaurant operator and Airmall…

Breaking down Greater Baltimore's 2016 commercial...

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Two new reports on Greater Baltimore’s commercial real estate market show that while leasing figures are slightly down, rental rates have risen. One report by Savills Studley showed that tenants leased 5 million square feet of office space last year, a 14.8 percent drop over the long-term average of 5.8 million square feet. Another report by Mackenzie Commercial Real Estate Services Inc. showed that overall real estate sales in 2016 were off in the Baltimore area, especially in the office property…

Trump's Mexican standoff puts nearly a...

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President Donald Trump’s efforts to force Mexico into funding a $15 billion border fence along the U.S. southern border has raised tensions between the two countries to levels not seen in decades. As to where things go from here, that remains to be seen. But what’s clear is that U.S. states — and businesses — have plenty of reasons (make that more than 500 billion reasons) to want a reconciliation between Trump and Mexico President Enrique Peña Nieto sooner rather than later. According to…

Foundry Row signs deals with two new restaurants,...

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Three new eateries have signed deals to open in Foundry Row, adding to the development’s growing smorgasbord of foodie delights. Sarku Japan, Bonchon Chicken and the Sunset Raw Juice Bar recently committed to move into the $140 million Owings Mills development that opened last fall. The restaurants will open in the spring and summer, developer Greenberg Gibbons and Vanguard said Friday. Sarku Japan will locate to a 1,930-square-foot space near Mission BBQ at Foundry Row and serve made-to-order…

General Growth Properties rebrands

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National mall owner General Growth Properties, Inc. has a new name as of today. Call it GGP Inc. The Chicago-based owner of 8 billion square feet of retail real estate in the U.S. and locally the Mall in Columbia, Towson Town Center, The Gallery at Harborplace, White Marsh Mall and Mondawmin Mall announced last week it was shortening its moniker. The reason for the rebranding, according to the company, was to reflect “GGP’s primary focus as a retail real estate company.” “GGP is in the retail…

These are the five largest law firms in Greater...

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The top five largest law firms in Greater Baltimore remain the same, but one has a new name this year. Ober Kaler merged with Memphis-based Baker Donelson, remaining the fourth largest law firm in Greater Baltimore. The combined firm, now one of the 50 largest in the U.S., maintained the Baker Donelson name and has more than 800 attorneys and advisers across 25 offices in nine states as well as Washington, D.C. Venable remains the largest law firm in the Baltimore area, with 190 local lawyers.…

8 things you need to know this morning

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Good morning and happy Friday! Today won’t be quite as sunny as the past two days, but we should see a bit of sunshine peak out from behind the clouds around noon. Temperatures will hover at a high of about 45 degrees today, Saturday and Sunday. Here are eight things to know to get your weekend started off right. Baltimore City will be able to install air conditioning in more than 300 classrooms thanks to a vote by the Maryland Board of Public Works yesterday. The board voted to give $5 million…

Free 6-month trial of Google Express, offering...

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Get a free 6-month membership of Google Express, the search engine giant’s answer to Instacart and Amazon Prime Delivery.

New members can use a coupon code to get an extra three months added to the three-month trial membership, which normally costs $10 per month.

The service offers free delivery…

UMd. nursing school receives $2 million from...

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The University of Maryland’s School of Nursing received a $2 million gift from Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) co-CEO and co-founder Bill Conway and his wife, Joanne. Announced Thursday, the gift comes through the Conways’ McLean, Va.-based Bedford Falls Foundation to help address nursing shortages. They hope to increase the number of nursing students being trained at the University of Maryland to become primary care providers. Specifically, the money will go toward expanding UMd.’s Family Nurse Practitioner…

BMA's 'Matisse/Diebenkorn' exhibit closes this...

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In 2007, the Baltimore Museum of Art unveiled the exhibit “Matisse: Painter as Sculptor” and it quickly became the museum’s most popular ticketed exhibit. Now, another Henri Matisse exhibit has taken that honor, this time with the French artist’s work shown alongside work from American artist Richard Diebenkorn. The “Matisse/Diebenkorn” exhibit debuted in October and by the time it wraps up this Sunday, it will have had more than 40,000 visitors. That represents a nearly 30 percent increase over…