Baltimore Checkbook

Sagamore Development's $535M TIF request to be...

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The full board of the Baltimore Development Corp. is expected to consider a $535 million in tax increment financing to Sagamore Development Co. on Thursday following three meetings of a committee that have been closed to the public. The board meeting will begin at 7:30 a.m. in the BDC’s offices at 36 S. Charles St. Sagamore Development requested the tax increment financing, or TIF, on March 9. Since then, the BDC’s committee has held three closed meetings on the request to consider its size, scope…

Wireless carriers offer free calls and texts after...

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Many major wireless carriers are offering free calls and texts in and out of Brussels after the attacks there that killed 30 on Tuesday.



from http://www.wbaltv.com/money/wireless-carriers-offer-free-calls-and-texts-after-brussels-attacks/38639364

Jordan Spieth unveils Under Armour's first line of...

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Under Armour Inc. is rolling out its first line of golf shoes ahead of next month’s Masters, where company endorser Jordan Spieth will look to defend his title. The Baltimore sportswear maker will make the shoes available at retail on April 4. The company unveiled the golf line with the help of Spieth at an event Monday night in Austin, Texas. Three different models of shoes will cost between $159.99 and $219.99. Under Armour (NYSE: UA) is also launching a campaign on digital and social media outlets…

The Chainsmokers, rapper Fetty Wap to headline...

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The musical lineup for the Preakness InfieldFest is set. DJ duo The Chainsmokers will headline the 2016 Preakness Budweiser InfieldFest Concert prior to the start of the middle leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown on May 21 at Pimlico Race Course. Rapper Fetty Wap will open for the group, the Maryland Jockey Club announced Tuesday. The Chainsmokers are known for their electronic dance music, and hit singles “Roses” and “Don’t Let Me Down.” All Time Low, a pop-punk band whose roots trace back to…

'Project X' — an entire block of planned new...

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Several offers from out of town developers have been submitted to purchase a block in Little Italy that is expected to fetch about $12 million, the real estate representative for property owners in the historic Baltimore neighborhood said Tuesday. Joe Scalia, an attorney and real estate broker who lives in Little Italy, said he has received several offers from New York, Washington and Miami developers for the block of land and is awaiting a letter of intent on the purchase by June. Scalia has declined…

Constellation starts rooftop solar program for...

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Constellation is climbing into the residential solar game. The Baltimore-based retail energy supplier has started a new effort to get solar panels on homes. Constellation said Tuesday it has a deal with San Francisco-based home solar energy company Sunrun (NASDAQ: RUN), which brands itself as the largest dedicated residential solar company in the country. The arrangement will have residential customers in four states able to have Sunrun solar panels installed through Constellation — or through…

8 things you need to know this morning

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Good morning, and happy Tuesday. It’s going to feel (a bit) like spring again today, with temperatures approaching 60. At least most of the clouds will be gone, which is sure to get people in better spirits compared to the clouds we saw all weekend. Here are eight things you need to know to get your day started. Four people were injured when a car crashed through a Starbucks in Towson. The coffee shop is located in a busy shopping center, which also holds a Giant grocery store. There’s currently…

Why Marriott sweetened its bid for Starwood. And...

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The chance to become the world’s biggest hospitality company — by far — apparently was just too appealing for Marriott International Inc. CEO Arne Sorenson. Sorenson and the Marriott board quickly and significantly upped the company’s offer to $13.8 billion for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. on Monday, despite predictions from some analysts that the Bethesda company would have a hard time topping Anbang’s March 18 all-cash offer of $13.2 billion. But the countermove is less surprising…

The number of Baltimore homes being sold in tax...

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The number of owned-occupied homes in Baltimore being auctioned in tax sales has dropped 40 percent from last year, a plunge advocates are billing as a major victory brought about by legal changes and increased outreach to at-risk homeowners. A total of 5,617 homes are being auctioned by the city in tax sales this year, the Abell Foundation said Tuesday. That’s down sharply from 9,411 in 2015. Tax sales occur once a year when the city auctions liens for unpaid bills like property taxes or water…

MTA: Plenty of room to modify Hogan's bus plan for...

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The Maryland Transit Administration is on track to hit its milestones under the $135 million BaltimoreLink bus system overhaul Gov. Larry Hogan announced in October, a top agency planning official said Monday. MTA Director of Planning and Programming Kevin Quinn said that the agency is taking large amounts of feedback into account and tweaking its plans for BaltimoreLink, a multi-step plan slated to be complete in June 2017. Planners have to juggle a relatively tight budget and the intricacies of…