Md.'s Department of Business and Economic Development moving to

Daily Record, The (Baltimore), Jul 27, 2007 by Steven Overly

Maryland's Department of Business and Economic Development will relocate to the World Trade Center along Baltimore's Inner Harbor in October 2008.

Gov. Martin O'Malley two weeks ago announced plans to reign in on state spending by asking departments to use space and supplies more efficiently, while cutting other expenses where appropriate. The governor made the announcement came shortly after trimming state spending by $280 million in an effort to curtail the state's structural deficit, which hovers between $1.2 billion and $1.5 billion.

It is unclear whether those plans motivated DBED's move, but officials spoke highly of the financial benefits.

"This is an exciting opportunity for DBED to cut costs and centralize operations in one of Maryland's most iconic structures," said David Edgerley, DBED secretary, in a news release.

In addition to savings, the new offices will put the agency closer to the building's operator, the Maryland Port Administration, which the release called a "key state partner."

About 250 of DBED's 322 employees will occupy seven of the building's 30 floors, the release said, pushing the World Trade Center to 70 percent occupancy.

Baltimore's World Trade Center is a state-owned property that former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. attempted to sell, according to the release. O'Malley said in February that the state would keep the building.

"This move puts DBED where it belongs - at a visible location in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, a compelling example of Maryland's business development," Donald C. Fry, president and CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee, said in the release. "It strongly supports the administration's decision to retain this flagship building and put it to effective use in promoting and growing our state's economy."