The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration is crafting a $1 billion economic development grant program to help bring jobs to distressed communities — and it’s looking for your help. The $1 billion “Recompete Pilot Program” was originally authorized by Congress in 2022 as part of the CHIPS Act passed by Congress that poured tens of billions of dollars into semiconductor production and manufacturing. The grant though, is unrelated to semiconductors, and its purpose is to “target long-term comprehensive economic development and job creation in selected areas by supporting workforce development, business development, and infrastructure activities,” according to the Commerce Department.

Oyster aquaculture is a growing industry in the state of Maryland. Similar to watermen, these intrepid individuals and companies utilize the water column or bottom of the Bay to cultivate and harvest farmed oysters. The industry has achieved steady growth since the allowance for aquaculture leases in 2010. In turn, generating new jobs and economic multipliers. One major contributor to pollution in the Bay and cause of subsequent harmful impact on its natural resources is the Conowingo Hydroelectric Dam (formerly owned by Exelon Generation Company, LLC, now Constellation Energy). Since beginning operations more than 90 years ago, the dam has blocked fish from traveling upstream to spawn and eels that carry the larvae of freshwater mussels. This has significantly reduced the millions of fish that once traveled up the Susquehanna River and impaired the filtration capability of freshwater mussel populations.

When Michael Moiseyev left New York City a few months ago to run Baltimore’s finance department, he became intimately aware of a major pain point in the city’s real estate market — delays with lien sheets. Those documents, sometimes called lien certificates or lien certs, show whether a property owner owes money to the city. Moiseyev said he bought a condo in the Inner Harbor, with a nice view and in walking distance to City Hall, but it took a few weeks extra to settle all the paperwork. That was due to a backlog of lien sheet requests that has been frustrating the city’s real estate industry since last fall when a few key retirements turned a typically two-week turnaround time into a seven-to-eight-week ordeal, according to industry professionals.

Undoing a controversial procurement saga from last year, Gov. Wes Moore directed the Maryland Aviation Administration on Tuesday to start over its solicitation process to find a company to manage concessions at BWI Marshall Airport. The aviation department will also ask the state’s Board of Public Works to renew a contract with BWI’s current concessionaire, Fraport, on a month-to-month basis after the current contract expires at the end of March, according to the release. Last December, the MAA chose Landover-based New Market Development to head the airport’s concessions operations. The new firm is headed by Major F. Riddick Jr., a lobbyist who was chief of staff to former Gov. Parris Glendening. The aviation department’s choice of New Market did not make it to the BPW for final approval before Moore took office in January.

About half of the Bed Bath & Beyond stores in Maryland are slated to close, including three in the Baltimore region, as the retailer adjusts to changing shopping patterns. Stores in Annapolis, Bel Air and Westminster are among dozens of locations the retailer announced it will close in a turnaround plan. Store closing sales are expected to continue over the next few weeks and months, the company said. The big box retailer plans to keep operating about 360 Bed Bath & Beyond stores and an additional 120 stores under the buybuy BABY banner across the U.S.

The Prime Rib is in historic Mt. Vernon to stay. That’s the word from owner Rebecca Dolan who late Thursday signed a 15-year lease to remain at 1101 N. Calvert St. after a couple of years of debate over whether to move the venerable restaurant to the Village of Cross Keys. Lease negotiations took months and will include an interior expansion and $4 million in upgrades and renovations expected to begin in the coming months. Gilbert Trout, principal of Trout Daniel & Associates, brokered the deal for landlord Southern Management. Southern Management owns and manages the Horizon House, a brick tower at Chase and Calvert streets with 220 apartments.

It was one of those dreary, cold and windy days — so much so that I was certain to pass on my usual neighborhood walk and spend the day in a sour mood. Then at mid-morning my daughter-in-law’s sister, Negin, called me, suggesting we go to lunch. “But the weather,” I responded. “Come on,” she said laughing, “we can do it.” She picked me up an hour later and decided we’d try a new, nearby restaurant that was built to look like a train dining car. The diner was a bright spot in our turn off the main road — literally. It was lit up with more silvery bulbs than you could count. As we entered the shiny car, we were quickly greeted by a young, smiling host, who appeared to be somewhat nervous.