Baltimore Integration Partnership Update - March 2015

Cold? This local ice cream will warm you up!
Made with Baltimore’s Zeke’s Coffee by Glen Arm based Prigel Creamery, this tasty treat comes through the leadership of Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and their food provider Parkhurst Dinning working to direct campus food purchasing to local businesses. This Zeke’s MICA Blend Ice Cream is available only on campus.

University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB) launches Food Merchant Access Initiative
The BIP recently awarded grant funding to support a new initiative to connect catering purchasing by UMB, University of Maryland Medical Center, and Bon Secours to a range of food businesses located in the Southwest Partnership area. UMB is partnering with the Small Business Development Center, CUPs Coffeehouse and Kitchen, Pigtown Main Street, and others to overcome a series of identified barriers, provide technical assistance, and facilitate food delivery.

Loyola University Maryland looks to help improve York Road
Building on local community plans as well as recommendations from the Urban Land Institute, the BIP awarded grant funding to Loyola for a consultant to help explore and formulate some of the infrastructure needed to manage and oversee longer term commercial improvement strategies for this important corridor.

Anchor Driven Centre Theater Construction moves forward with Local Hiring
Building on the leadership of non-profit developer Jubilee Baltimore, Inc., and its general contractor Southway Builders, anchor tenants Johns Hopkins University and the Maryland Institute College of Art are working with Southway Builders to make local hiring opportunities available during the fit-out of their 25,000 square foot space at the Centre Theater on North Avenue. The new center for film will house each institutions’ graduate and undergraduate film programs.With financing from The Reinvestment Fund (TRF), Jubilee and Southway successfully incorporated local hires from Project JumpStart and Greater Homewood into the $6 million core and shell renovations that are wrapping up in March.

BIP Partner to Lead City Workforce Agency
Congratulations to Jason Perkins-Cohen who will be leaving the Job Opportunities Task Force after 10 years to lead theMayor’s Office of Employment Development. JOTFhas been a critical workforce partner with the BIP over the last four years helping move forward a range of new state and local public policies and funding programs as well as project level local hiring opportunities through JumpStart. We look forward to working with Jason in his new role and continuing to partner with JOTF.

TRF Continues Success in Baltimore
Supporting the expansion of The Reinvestment Fund’s lending and investment portfolio into Baltimore was a key objective of the BIP’s first round of work. In 2014, TRF closed $25 million in debt including financing on four Baltimore charter schools, Centre Theater, and phase 2 of the Chesapeake building. In addition, they helped finance the Eastern Shore Conservation Center in Easton, Maryland and finalized an agreement with Baltimore City to manage a pool of funds for energy efficiency projects. We are excited that their role and impact in Baltimore continues to grow. 

The Baltimore Integration Partnership is funded by the national Living Cities Integration Initiative and generous local support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, The Goldseker Foundation, Associated Black Charities, The Baltimore Workforce Funders Collaborative and the Maryland Philanthropy Network (Maryland Philanthropy Network). Maryland Philanthropy Network acts as a backbone organization, coordinating and staffing the partnership.