The only City Council hearing on the nearly $1 billion proposal to redevelop Baltimore’s prized downtown waterfront stretched for four hours, with elected leaders fielding emotional testimony from backers and entrenched opponents. Toward the end of the night, Chairwoman Sharon Green Middleton, the council’s vice president, assured attendees that the process for shaping the future of the beloved waterfront destination had only just begun.

If Maryland is going to become more economically productive, community colleges will be responsible for this work, as the largest number of Marylanders begin their postsecondary education at a community college. Community colleges are where Marylanders go to join the middle class. Between now and 2031, there will be 18.5 million job openings per year on average across the nation and 72 percent will require at least some college education.

MCB Real Estate’s mixed-use development plan that includes high-rise apartment buildings for Harborplace in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor is not the right development for this key location. Yet, the Baltimore Planning Commission, along with much of the city’s leadership, are saying we want this major project done quickly. The reality is we want this project done right. Baltimore has a vibrant arts, food and music scene, and showcasing these elements is essential.

The purse for the Preakness Stakes will increase to $2 million, up from $1.5 million in 2023, and it will become part of a new three-leg series with a potential bonus payout of $5 million, 1/ST Racing said Friday in a move designed to increase the appeal of Maryland’s signature race. Despite its status as the second jewel in the Triple Crown, the Preakness has struggled to draw top contenders from the Kentucky Derby in recent years because owners and trainers are increasingly reluctant to run their horses on just two weeks’ rest.

Ravens fans will pay significantly more to see quarterback Lamar Jackson and company try to return to the AFC Championship game next season. The Baltimore Ravens will raise season ticket prices by an average of 13% for the 2024-25 season in a move that team officials said is necessary to stay “competitive” with the rest of the league. Along with the ticket increases, the Ravens are also debuting pricing segmentation, meaning that not every ticket in the same section at M&T Bank Stadium will have the same price.

BigBear.ai completed its $70 million acquisition of a facial recognition artificial intelligence company Friday even as two lawsuits sought to block the deal. The Columbia technology firm (NYSE: BBAI) agreed to acquire Pangiam Intermediate Holdings in an all-stock deal in November. The company issued over 61 million shares of stock to Pangiam to complete the acquisition, based on a price per share of common stock of $1.34, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Gov. Wes Moore proclaimed March 2024 as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. The governor’s office published the proclamation Friday. “We believe in a Maryland which recognizes the unlimited potential for all our citizens, including those with developmental disabilities…” the proclamation says. March is recognized as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month by the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities – which leads the annual campaign.

 

A previous version of this article mischaracterized how GOP U.S. Senate hopeful Larry Hogan handled questions about his views on abortion upon entering the contest. The article has been updated. At a Maryland Democratic forum for U.S. Senate hopefuls Saturday afternoon, the prospect of Republican Larry Hogan on the ballot loomed large. The former governor — and his recruitment for the seat by top GOP leaders — was mentioned three times in the first 10 minutes and in closing arguments.

The University of Maryland has ordered fraternities and sororities on campus to suspend social and recruitment activities after the school received multiple reports of unsafe activities. A letter sent Friday from university officials to fraternity and sorority presidents informing them of the suspension did not describe the alleged misconduct as hazing but instead referred to “activities that have threatened the safety and well-being of members of the University community.”

The Maryland Transit Administration will seek approval next month for as much as $425 million in “relief payments” related to delays in the Purple Line light rail project. Officials announced the extra payments along with a roughly 234-day delay that will push the line’s completion back from spring of 2027 to December of that year. “The MTA team has been working incredibly hard and over the past year,” Holly Arnold, administrator of the Maryland Transit Administration, said in an interview Friday.