Business

Increasing development around rail stations in Prince George’s and Anne Arundel counties could add thousands of transit-friendly jobs and homes while generating tens of millions of dollars in new tax revenue, according to a study released Wednesday by the Greater Washington Partnership. The report cited seven Metro and MARC commuter rail stations with untapped potential for high-density “transit-oriented development” — the kind that planners say reduces traffic congestion and is more environmentally sustainable than auto-dependent sprawl.

JMI's new chairman and managing general partner have both been with the firm for more than 20 years and have a wealth of experience investing in software companies. The private equity firm announced Monday the promotions of Paul Barber to chairman and Peter Arrowsmith to managing general partner.

This week brought news of a little more leeway for restaurants as state and local officials slowly loosen Covid-19 restrictions. Starting Monday, local bars and restaurants will be allowed to stay open past 10 p.m., ending a curfew that was instituted in November during a spike in coronavirus cases. Gov. Larry Hogan announced the decision Thursday, saying the state is ready for the step after seeing drops in Covid-19 positivity rates, case rates and hospitalizations since the holiday season surge.

Funlayo Alabi believes that shea butter and its devotees — mostly Black women — will revolutionize the beauty industry where Black consumers already account for 86% of the ethnic beauty market, according to Neilsen, a global research company. The Ellicott City resident who owns Shea Radiance, a locally made globally sourced natural beauty brand, is well on her way to doing just that. She’s also creating more than a dozen jobs in the Baltimore region and offering a product that fills a niche for Black women, while employing women in West Africa.

Covered head to toe in sterile garments, workers inside a modern manufacturing plant in East Baltimore have been making coronavirus vaccine for months — tens of millions of doses that, for now, are being stockpiled with no date set for distribution. None of the vaccines at the Emergent BioSolutions factory has yet been authorized for use. But among the pharmaceutical companies contracting with Emergent is Johnson & Johnson, which reported promising trial results Friday and is expected to submit data to federal regulators within a week for emergency authorization.

The Downtown Partnership of Baltimore has formed a new group aimed at maintaining existing office tenants and attracting new ones to the central business district. The push is part of a campaign by the nonprofit to help stabilize the downtown area as Covid-19 pandemic restrictions and office closures begin to shift and lift amid vaccine rollouts. T. Rowe Price Group Inc.'s recent announcement that it is moving to Harbor Point and vacating a 450,000-square-foot office at 100 E. Pratt in 2024 is also of concern.

Out of 43 years in business, 2020 was far and away the most challenging yet for Race Pace Bicycles. The bike shop faced many of the same hurdles as other retailers: a spring shutdown, a pivot toward online sales, establishing new safety precautions for in-person shopping. But one challenge diverged from the experiences of many other businesses. Last year — and even now, as 2021 begins — it’s been hard to keep bikes and bike gear on the shelves.

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. and Bally's Corp. unveiled the new logos for 19 regional sports networks on Wednesday ahead of a major rebrand slated to take place in the coming months. The unveiling of the new logos and monikers, which will replace the current Fox Sports branding,  comes after Hunt Valley-based Sinclair inked a naming rights deal for its regional sports networks, or RSNS, with casino operator Bally's Corp. in November.

BWI Airport CEO Ricky Smith is taking a new look at the demand for a hotel above the airport's terminals in the wake of Covid-19. The BWI head acknowledged Wednesday that the pandemic has weakened the hospitality industry for years to come and added a new factor to consider when planning for the project.