Business

With 10 days to go before Baltimore’s Planning Commission is scheduled to take a key vote that will affect the Inner Harbor, Mayor Brandon Scott and developer P. David Bramble are holding a public forum to answer questions about Bramble’s $500 million plan to redevelop Harborplace. The two-hour event, called the “Mayor’s Public Forum on Harborplace,” will take place at the Middle Branch Fitness and Wellness Center, 201 Reedbird Ave., on Tuesday, Dec. 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. Scott and Bramble, a managing partner of MCB Real Estate, will lead the discussion.

Bethesda-based global security and aerospace company Lockheed Martin presented Belgium’s first F-35A Lightning II to the Belgian government during a rollout ceremony Monday at Lockheed Martin’s F-35 production facility. This event marks a significant milestone in the Belgian Air Force’s history and strengthens the alliance between the United States and Belgium, a key NATO ally.

The Baltimore County Police Department is warning Asian American business owners of an increase in burglaries that has become an apparent national trend of targeting. In what appears to be a national trend, organized criminal groups are surveilling Asian-owned businesses to learn the owner’s daily routine. According to the police department, “burglars will sometimes enter the business owner’s car, while the victim is working, in order to learn where the owner lives.

Ibrahim Abdus-Sabur may not normally be a teacher, but he feels right at home in Morgan State University classrooms. “I love being on campus with so many people of color, just walking around campus on a normal day; Black people from all types of life,” Abdus-Sabur said. “I went to a PWI (predominantly white institution) and Google isn’t the most diverse place, so it’s really great for me.”

While high interest rates are prompting many sellers to drop prices at a record pace, almost 43% of homes in Baltimore are still selling above the listing price. In Baltimore, homes sold for an average of 100.12% of the listing price in October, meaning buyers had to shell out an extra sliver to secure houses. Baltimore is one of 27 metros where houses are selling above their list prices out of 90 metros examined in an analysis of data from Redfin Corp.

Thomas Ferleman was in the Air Force in 1985 when he and his wife started to buy pieces of art they found interesting. His military career, which focused on counter terrorism, led them to new places and cultures. As they traveled, the couple, high school sweethearts, acquired creative works they could afford. “We were very young and we didn’t know anything about art,” Ferleman said. “We bought what we liked.”

Six years ago, Kory Bailey left a startup in Indianapolis to bet on Baltimore and its burgeoning tech industry. Since then, the 44-year-old has helped to build a vibrant tech ecosystem that is primed to become a major industry in the city and state. “To me, tech is about making what seems impossible possible, and then real,” said Bailey, who was just named CEO of UpSurge, a nonprofit, professional ecosystem-building organization.

Tre “Memphis” Canady wants to bring his Southern hometown’s food to Baltimore with a marketplace location. The Soul of Memphis will hold a soft opening in the Patapsco Flea Market in the Cherry Hill neighborhood this weekend. Canady, an audio engineer by trade, said he uses homestyle and old-school methods of cooking Memphis barbecue along with Southern soul food classics like peach cobbler, country fried chicken, brisket and mac-and-cheese.

Bethesda Row’s Paul Bakery and Terrain Cafe appear to have permanently closed this month. Terrain Cafe, located at 7228 Woodmont Ave. inside Anthropologie & Co., served a variety of light fare, including cocktails, cheese boards, toast burgers and salmon. “It is with great sadness that we permanently close the doors to Terrain Cafe in Bethesda, MD, effective November 29, 2023,” a statement on the cafe’s website read. “Thank you to our customers, neighbors, and employees for the years of support.”