Good evening. What a wonderful night. Jack, my fellow board members, congratulations. Five years – that’s a real milestone. A milestone the State of Maryland is proud to be a part of.
Look at what we’ve accomplished. $1.8 BILLION – with a ‘B’ – of redevelopment across 88 acres; Job training and workforce development programs that will create 8,000 new job opportunities in the City; 2,200 residential homes; A state-of-the-art Life Science and Technology Park; Nearly 150,000 square feet of new commercial office and retail space; And, just yesterday, EBDI was recognized by U.S. Green Building Council for it’s LEED-standards in green construction and design.
This is truly a city within a city.
I want to recognize a good friend of mine, Mayor Dixon. For seven years, our friend Martin O’Malley led this great city. With your help, Mayor Dixon, Baltimore saw a renaissance:
And when Mayor O’Malley moved into a new office in Annapolis, Sheila Dixon was standing strong, ready to fill the very big shoes he left in the Mayor’s Office. Mayor Dixon, thank you for your leadership and your partnership in Baltimore. The Governor and I look forward to continuing our work with you and the City Council for years to come.
It truly is an honor to celebrate this milestone with all of you. The past five years have embodied a lot of hope and a lot of optimism. And they have served as a new model of urban redevelopment…this has never been tried before. But based on our success, I don’t question that will be the model of the 21st Century in cities far and wide.
When this project first took off five years ago, there were doubters…there were people who thought this was only about the Bio Park and that residents would be left behind. You proved the doubters wrong. You kept your promise to the community that residential housing would be the first of the projects to open. Because of that promise, 29 East Baltimore residents are returning home next week – all of them senior citizens. And, before the end of the year, we’ll be opening workforce housing units and welcoming working families into the community.
I want to close by recognizing the work of EDBI’s staff. To all of you who have been a part of this organization and this project, congratulations on the first five years. Governor O’Malley and I look forward to coming back five years from now and seeing the vibrant new neighborhood and bustling local economy.
Thank you.