BALTIMORE, MD (WEAA) — On Monday, Governor Larry Hogan and other state officials held a press conference in Baltimore to announce a new initiative to support the city's recovery and revitalization.
To help stabilize Baltimore’s downtown area, the governor announced a $50 million allocation in the supplemental budget to move 3,300 state employees from 12 state agencies to Baltimore's Central Business District.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehN5d1WNS94
More than 700 employees with the Maryland Department of Human Services will be the first to relocate. Nearly 1,200 employees with the Maryland Department of Health will relocate to downtown Baltimore shortly after.
“These two agencies will bring the first of nearly 2,000 workers —of what will become 3,300 workers in total —to this downtown area which will be a big boost for the revitalization and transformation for downtown Baltimore,” Gov. Hogan announced.
Maryland Lieutenant Governor Boyd Rutherford said, "In order to compete and attract workers and create a viable and effective state workforce going forward, we need to offer modern functional adaptable work space and options to match the flexibility that is emerging in the private sector. This pandemic era has shifted many private companies to move a large portion of their workforce to remote work".
He also said, “We recognize that many of our state facilities are in such poor conditions that it is currently costing us more money to maintain those buildings than to rent property downtown…”
Baltimore Mayor Scott released the following statement:
This afternoon, @GovLarryHogan announced a $50 million allocation in the supplemental budget to move State employees from State Center to Baltimore's Central Business District. My administration will work with stakeholders to ensure surrounding neighborhoods can also benefit. pic.twitter.com/aBquvggDTF
— Brandon M. Scott (@MayorBMScott) April 19, 2021
