Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Mayor Brandon Scott urges backing for downtown pilot to boost Baltimore recovery
Summary
Sponsor Delegate Mark Edelson and Mayor Brandon Scott urged a favorable report on HB 12‑32, a downtown Baltimore pilot to attract investment, support small businesses and reverse post‑pandemic commercial declines after testimony that downtown lost hundreds of millions in assessed value.
Delegate Mark Edelson introduced House Bill 12‑32 as a narrowly targeted downtown pilot to accelerate revitalization and support small and locally owned businesses in Baltimore's central business district. "This is a focused, data driven approach that allows us to test strategies, measure outcomes, and scale what works," Edelson said.
Mayor Brandon Scott testified in strong support and gave numbers to frame urgency. "In the most recent reassessment alone, downtown properties lost more than $326,000,000 in value," he said, and warned that the loss of nearly $12 million a year in property tax revenue erodes the city’s ability to fund recreation centers and after‑school programs. The mayor said the city developed a downtown riser master plan and needs state enabling authority to deploy the pilot, pointing to other cities with similar tools.
Questions from committee members centered on scope and the master plan’s geographic focus — stadium areas, the Inner Harbor, Lexington Market and surrounding neighborhoods — and how the pilot would coordinate infrastructure and development incentives. The sponsor said the pilot is meant to be data‑driven and scalable if effective.
No vote was taken; the committee closed the hearing and the sponsor asked for a favorable report.
