Business District

The Downtown Partnership announced yesterday that it has elected a new chairman - James L. Shea, managing partner of the downtown law firm, Venable, Baetjer and Howard. Shea replaces Frank P. Bramble, chairman of Allfirst Financial Inc. The partnership strives to improve and market the city's central business district. "I think the Downtown Partnership is well-positioned with a dynamic administration in City Hall to really tackle two major and very much related issues," Shea said. "One is the economic development of the downtown district, East and West sides, and the North Central corridor up Charles Street.

Exelon Corp.'s pledge to build a new Baltimore headquarters as part of its proposed buyout of Constellation Energy could alter the city's skyline, injecting fresh life into the traditional downtown business district or further expanding the waterfront corporate center east of the harbor. While Exelon is not revealing its short list of possible sites for the new building, local real estate brokers and others have identified several attractive potential locations, including some in the core business center and one between Harbor East and Fells Point.

CLARIFICATION An article Saturday on crime in the Belair-Edison community and another about a housing program in yesterday's editions led readers to conclude that Johns Hopkins Hospital was in charge of a new biotechnology park being built adjacent to its campus in East Baltimore. The revitalization project is run by East Baltimore Development Inc., of which Johns Hopkins is a partner. The street is mostly empty now, many of the businesses lining Belair Road closed or empty.

The old definition of downtown Baltimore - as an area encompassing Charles Center and a few blocks radiating out from Pratt and Light streets - is obsolete. Over the last several years, the city's central business district has expanded into adjacent areas, moving east along the waterfront to new neighborhoods such as Harbor East. This expansion calls for a new definition of downtown and its business district, one that properly captures the geographic breadth and diversity of the evolving neighborhoods within downtown.

Twenty-six years ago, the police station in Taneytown moved across the street. A month ago, city officials began considering moving it back.Too late, barber Marvin Flickinger told the City Council last night at a meeting during which the move was not resolved.Flickinger said moving the police station to its former location would be a traffic hazard and would eat up parking spaces that business owners on that side of the street rely on for their customers."It's your job to correct a traffic hazard and not create one," Flickinger said.

Whiteford, Taylor & Preston LLP announced yesterday that it has signed a long-term lease committing to an additional floor in the downtown tower that the law firm currently occupies. The firm's 105 lawyers and 115 support staff currently occupy four floors in the Wachovia Tower at 7 St. Paul St. and will increase that space to 89,000 square feet on five floors by 2006. "From the inception of our firm, we've always been in the central business district," said Al Mezzanotte, managing partner at the law office.

Herbert D. Kelleher of Southwest Airlines linked the destinies of the carrier and Baltimore-Washington International Airport yesterday, telling a marketing group that a growing number of passengers landing at the airport is a testament to the carrier's own growth."

Unless you've missed the news and are befuddled as to why people keep saying you're an hour late to things, we've all just "sprung forward. " How is it springtime already? With spring comes a lot of shuffling and changes in Hampden. Every year, it surprises me at how The Avenue (and our business district in general) can keep getting better and better, but it does. And if a lot of the plans and rumors I've heard come to fruition, Hampden looks poised to grow its thriving local economy.

Hampstead's Planning and Zoning Commission is expected to discuss tonight changing the zoning for three tracts of land in the Roberts Field Business Center from general business to local business use.The tracts, which are restricted as part of a "planned business center," abut the Roberts Field housing development and are part of the shopping strip that houses a Weis Supermarket, a McDonald's and a Jos. A. Bank clothing outlet.Commissioners are considering a proposal, presented Sept. 26, for Blockbuster Video, Wendy's and Yingling General Tire Center on one of the tracts, which is at North Woods Trail and Clearview Avenue.

The Westminster planning commission unanimously voted last night to recommend to the City Council zoning changes that would bar some business from moving into the central business district.Residents who prefer a downtown business district that is friendly to all-day shoppers favored the changes at a hearing before the vote, while business representatives sought more study of the proposed changes.The City Council plans to have a public hearing Sept. 11 before voting on the issue.The affected area is roughly bounded by John and Bond streets on the west, Longwell Avenue on the east, Winter's Alley and Emerald Hill Lane on the north and Green Street on the south.