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Towson’s RCM&D acquires Hunt Valley insurance firm, plots more deals

RCM&D has acquired a Hunt Valley insurance firm, the first in what the company says will be a string of purchases after three years without a major deal. The deal for Consolidated Insurance + Risk Management closed this month and gives Towson-based RCM&D, a large risk management, insurance and employee benefits company, a portfolio of small and midsize businesses that it didn’t previously have as clients, firm executives said this week.

Maryland CIO eyes statewide council for technology planning

Maryland will create a new council within the next few months to convene state leaders on technology issues, state Chief Information Officer Katie Savage told StateScoop on Tuesday. Savage said the committee will include IT leaders from various agencies with the aim of centralizing technology conversations. She said initial conversations will center on the projects that each agency wants to invest in and each agency’s long-term vision for technology in Maryland.

 

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Estimated $4B to be spent on Maryland mobile sports betting in first year

In its first full year, mobile sports betting in Maryland is expected to generate more spending from gamblers than the lottery and the state’s casinos, according to an estimate from the state Department of Legislative Services. Mobile sports betting opened to Marylanders in November 2022. Between then and September of this year, bettors have spent about $3 billion on mobile sports wagers.

Baltimore-area developer buys 82 acres in Southern Maryland for large retail, office complex

St. John Properties Inc. has acquired an 82-acre site in rural Southern Maryland with plans to create Berry Pointe, a sprawling business complex with retail, flex and office space. The private Woodlawn developer recently bought the property on Route 228 near Crain Highway in the Charles County town of Waldorf for an undisclosed price, the company disclosed on Tuesday. St. John is planning to launch construction next year on 635,000 square feet of single-story office, flex and retail space at Berry Pointe, a project the developer said could create up to 2,100 new jobs.

Nearly 50 restaurants opened in Greater Baltimore so far this year

Nearly 50 restaurants and drink-focused spots opened in Greater Baltimore in the first three quarters of 2023, with more planned to come by next year. In an industry still rebounding from the lingering impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, Greater Baltimore continues to add new dining options for customers. At least 47 have opened this year, with a handful still expected to debut. Many of the new spots come from new restaurant owners trying their luck in the industry for the first time, while others come from restaurant veterans who are expanding their concepts or adding new ventures to the mix.

How leaders from Baltimore to Richmond aim to reshape the area’s transportation system to achieve equitable growth

In an era where accessibility is a cornerstone of economic growth, the Greater Washington Partnership is championing a wide range of efforts to increase regional mobility. “When the partnership was formed, transportation was the top issue,” said Partnership CEO Kathy Hollinger. “We heard repeatedly it was holding the region back in terms of competitiveness and inclusivity.

Global transportation company has new HQ in Frederick, preserves historic building

A global transportation company has moved its headquarters to downtown Frederick and is involved in the historic preservation of the building it bought. Transportation Management Services (TMS) purchased a roughly century-old building at 46 S. Market St., on the south bank of Carroll Creek, for $1.35 million. The building has been vacant for more than four decades.

 

‘Think boldly,’ Bill Struever tells business leaders at Greater Baltimore Committee summit

With about $6.5 billion in new investment headed to Baltimore by 2028, plans to revamp the city’s image in the coming few years need to “go big,” veteran developer Bill Struever said on Monday. Struever’s charge was issued during a nearly four-hour forum that drew dozens of local stakeholders to debate and detail ongoing projects they say will help reinvent Baltimore and spark a transformation for generations to come.

AI represents powerful economic opportunity for Maryland region, but the technology has big risks

The benefits and risks of artificial intelligence took center stage during a panel discussion at a regional technology forum last week at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Maryland. During the Maryland Tech Council Chesapeake Regional Chapter’s Emerging Industries Forum on Wednesday, panelists expressed bullish enthusiasm on how AI might become a new powerful economic engine for our region. But there was also a great deal of concern about the nature of the technology itself.

Howard County Italian restaurant to open Baltimore location

Gino Palma’s longtime dream to open a restaurant in Baltimore will soon come true. The owner of Facci Ristorante, which has locations at the Maple Lawn development in Fulton and Ellicott City’s Turf Valley, signed a lease last week at 414 Light St. for a third location, with plans to open next year. The Italian restaurant will replace the shuttered vegan eateries from California chef Matthew Kenney, Double Zero and Liora, which closed earlier this year.

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