Business

Baltimore-area leaders on Friday unveiled grants totaling $47.7 million to help build a series of wetlands in the Middle Branch waterways as the first part of a massive overhaul that has the potential to remake South Baltimore’s shoreline. The Middle Branch Resiliency initiative includes $32 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, to help build natural bulkheads in the Patapsco River to help prevent flooding as water levels rise due to climate change. The FEMA grant is part of a $1 billion federal infrastructure law passed this year by Congress. “The funds are another example of the work we are doing to protect the Chesapeake Bay and make our communities more resilient to the effects of climate change,” said U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume, in a statement.

Baltimore’s tourism industry, badly battered by pandemic shutdowns, is gaining ground, tourism officials said Thursday. Though visitation has not returned to pre-pandemic levels and the tourism sector remains in recovery, the city is poised to emerge as an urban retreat, industry leaders said during Visit Baltimore’s annual meeting, held this year in person at Horseshoe Casino. Officials said they see new opportunities ahead thanks to several planned developments and investments, recently formed key partnerships and advertising campaigns aimed at elevating the city’s profile and showcasing a more diverse sector of its people and neighborhoods.

University of Maryland Global Campus, one of the largest online higher education institutions in the country, is getting criticized for sudden layoffs and how it treats its workforce. The school recently eliminated 43 positions, according to a letter from school president Gregory Fowler. Six of those workers are affiliated with state’s largest public employee union — the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). Union leaders said four of the employees worked at the school for 10 years, one for 14 years and another for 16 years. And they said that a few other laid-off employees, who used to be part of the union, had worked at the school for at least 20 years. Some positions cut were executive assistants and advisers who provide writing and other technical assistance for students, the union said. It remains unclear how that will affect student instruction.

Shares of McCormick & Co. slipped Thursday after the Hunt Valley-based spice-maker reported better-than-expected third-quarter earnings and record sales but said it continued facing supply chain struggles. Last month, the company warned of a weaker-than-expected third quarter marked by supply chain issues and the impact of inflation on consumer spending. McCormick’s stock closed down 88 cents at $72.43 a share in Thursday trading. Sales during the quarter ended Aug. 31 increased 3% to $1.59 billion from $1.54 billion in the third quarter of 2021, which included an unfavorable impact from the sale of the company’s Kitchen Basics business. Analysts expected sales of $1.59 billion, according to Zacks Consensus Estimate.

Amazon will hire 150,000 full-time, part-time and seasonal employees across its warehouses ahead of the holiday season. The announcement, made Thursday, shows the e-commerce behemoth is taking a less conservative approach to its holiday planning than Walmart, which said last month it would hire 40,000 U.S. workers for the holidays, compared to 150,000 in 2021. Amazon, which typically beefs up its operations during the holidays, was looking for the same number of seasonal employees last year. Its other competitors, UPS and Target, have said their holiday hiring plans will also remain in line with the prior year.

Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport is moving ahead on the largest capital project in its history, with a $332 million construction contract up for approval by the state’s spending board next week. The multi-year project, which was delayed amid the pandemic, will renovate and expand the connector between concourses A and B, add new passenger amenities including food and retail concessions and new restrooms, install a new baggage handling system and create larger gate areas to accommodate the bigger airplanes being flown by Southwest Airlines, the airport’s largest carrier.

Baltimore’s spending board approved an additional $1 million award to a consulting firm that’s assisting with the city’s goal-setting process despite concerns raised about the cost and transparency of the deal. The Board of Estimates approved the contract extension Wednesday by a 3 to 1 vote with one abstention, extending the life of the city’s agreement with consulting firm Ernst & Young by six months and doubling the cost of the deal.