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Mikulski, Sarbanes to speak at Gramercy
Mansion
The Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce
sponsors the Congressional Update Breakfast at the Gramercy
Mansion in Stevensonville on Thursday September 30. Invited
speakers include Senators Mikulski and Sarbanes and Representatives
Cardin, Cummings, and Ruppersberger. The cost is $25 for members,
$50 for non members and will be held from 7:30 - 9 AM. For
more information call 410-825-0047.
Business Hall Of Fame
The Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce
will hold its Business Hall of Fame Recognition Dinner on
Tuesday, October 5. The awards event will take place at Marriott's
Hunt valley Inn beginning at 7 PM. For more information call
410-825-6200.
Archives
County awards revitalization grants
Baltimore County awarded $53,000 in revitalization
grants to business groups throughout the county including
a grant to the Towson Business Association. The TBA will receive
$6,063 for holiday lights and $6,063 for street banners, which
are already on display throughout the Towson core area (see
photo home page).
TBA celebrated 40th anniversary with gala
The Towson Business Association started
its 40th year with a wonderful celebration at the Sheraton
Inn North on June 18. The night featured many honored guests,
past and present members, incredible food, live music and
a multi-media presentation of Towson
Through the Ages presented by Catalyst Multimedia.
Special recognition was given to area businesses
and individuals for their contributions to Towson revitalization
and the association. Alex Cooper Auctioneers was awarded
the 2004 Outstanding Appearance Award for its recent
renovation. Paul Ray of the Greater Towson Jaycees
was honored with the 2004 Community Volunteer Service Award
for his work with the Towsontown Spring Festival and the
Jaycees.
The Outstanding Service Business Award
was presented to Paola's Restorante for excellent service
to its customer's and the community. The 2004 Small Business
Person of the Year was awarded to Tom Washburn
of Moxley's Ice Cream Parlors. Besides growing several locations
over the last few years, Tom has served as a past TBA president,
a TBA board member, and as a Towsontown Festival volunteer.
David Harnage of Towson University was
presented the 2004 Executive of the Year for his work
with civic, community, and business organizations in developing
a master plan for Towson University. The TBA 2004 Member
of the Year Award went to Tim Brown of Paolo's
Ristorante for his generosity and promotion of the association.
The Board Member of the Year went to Gary Padussis
of Legg Mason Wood Walker, Inc. His leadership, work on chairing
the upcoming TBA golf Tournament, and work securing sponsorship
for the Spring Festival are among his accomplishments.
A new award, the Renaissance Leadership Award
recognized County Executive James T. Smith for his
work in revitalizing the county and helping push the Towson
Renaissance program. The TBA also recognized five businesses
who as charter members, joining the TBA in 1964 and
celebrating 40 years as members (some through corporate name
changes) : Bank of America, Hamilton Federal Bank, Mercantile
Safe Deposit & Trust Company, Ridgely & Ferrens Marketplace,
Wachovia.
Dulaney Plaza wins
national renovation award
Congratulations are in order for Larry
Taubman and Taubman Properties/Dulaney Plaza. The property
manager was awarded the " Best Renovati0n of retail Project
- Suburban" by the Maryland Chapter of the National Association
Of Industrial and Office Parks. The association has over 10,000
members and 48 chapters that represent interests of developers
andowners of industrial, office and commercial real estate
throughout North America. Last June, Dulaney Plaza won an
award from the Towson Business Association for its renovation.
Small Business Resource Center turns
20
The Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce
and The Baltimore County Department of Economic Development
are presenting a 20-20 celebration. The Anniversary of the
county's Small buisness Resource Center will be observed as
20 small businesses are honored. keynote speaker will be County
Executive James Smith, with a special presentation to Richard
Aarons, counselor, SBRC.
The event will open with a networking session
at 11:30 AM with lunch to follow at 12 Noon at Martin's West.
Cost is $45. Contact Pat Wointer at 410-825-0019 for details.
New tropical flavor added to Towson
It was bound to happen. With all the talk
and developing going on in Towson, there was bound to be a
little cross breeding. A new flavor will be added to the downtown
area, a sort of Moxley's meets Bahama Breeze, in Beach Bum's
Ice Cream.
The Federal Hill based parlor is opening late
April on York Road at Pennsylvania Avenue. The new venue promises
a tropical atmosphere, and a 15 minute vacation. The menu
will include 24 homemade flavors and seat 25 guests.
Eckerd shares Towson Circle vision
A representative from Eckerd Drug Stores
shared its proposal with the Towson Business Association for
a new retail store on the Towson Circle. The brick faced facade
would have its entrance on the circle and needs several zoning
variances to finalize its plans. There is a plan for the facility
to host underground parking for patrons up to 27 spots. The
company estimates however that 40% of its customer will be
walk-ins from the business and residential community.
Towson Revitalization Partnership releases
report
The Towson Revitalization Partnership has
released its final report. The recommendations of the report
center on improving neglected property, parking and transportation,
improving and making more accessable Towson resources, and
seeking a long term vision for the Towson core area. View
Report
Conterfeit Franklins spotted in Towson
The Baltomore County Police Department,
in its report at the last Towson Business Association meeting
has warned merchants to be on the lookout for conterfeit 100
dollar bills. The conterfeit "100" is a different
shade of green than the real bill. Also, on the genuine century
note the "100" color shifts from green to black
when tilted at 45 degree angle. The conterfeit watermark is
also darker, and contains additional shading around the edge
of the mouth when compared to the genuine watermark.
Police urge that if anyone attempts to pass
the described notes above, please obtain as much oinformation
about the individual(s) and contact county police or the U.S.
Secret Service at 443-263-1000.
Loch Raven plaza sold to New York company
Loch Raven Plaza, at the corner of Talyor
Avenue and Loch Raven Boulevard, has been sold to a New York
company, DLC Management Corp. Boston-based shelbourne Properties
I Inc. sold the property for 9.9 million and says it will
make about 1.9 million after paying off debt and closing costs.
Greetings & Readings is the main tennant of the plaza.
Eckerd Drugstore opens first Baltimore county
store in Timonium
Chi-Chi's old location will now be the
site of heartburn relief. Construction has begun on replacing
the Mexican restaurant with an Eckerd Drugstore at the corner
of Aylesbury and Timonium Roads. The 24 hour full service
pharmacy is scheduled to open in the spring of 2004. The redevelopment
of the area will also include a BB&T bank branch. The
Eckerd stores are in 210 states and is based in Clearwater
Florida.
Heads up Cockeysville, Butler did it!
Catherine Butler has opened a 3,000 square
foot hair salon in Cockeysville. Heads Up Hair Studio, located
at 10921 York Road is set up for six stylists, two manicurists
and massage therapist.
Ms. Butler, who has 20 years experience in the
business, credits her husband, Tim, with helping renovate
the facility. The salon will be open Tuesday through Saturday
and will also feature stylists Liz Alban and Beth Windman.
York Road commercial
corridor paves way
The Northern Gateway Charrette held on November 15 to suggest
plans to revitalize the area from Northern Parkway to Towson
generated a strong start. The charette (intensive effort to
finish a project) was located at the Church of the Nativity
in Cedarcroft. Planners for the city and county were in attendance,
along with over 100 community leaders, business owners, and
volunteer architects.
Attendees spent much of the day in smaller groups,
discussing ideas and brainstorming. Proposals emerged with
thoughts of improving aesthetic and architectural aspects
of the corridor, improving, pedestrian and auto traffic, and
creating gathering places. These suggestions were written
down and taken by city and county planners, who will compile
a report over the next few months.
Many felt that York Road is underused and needs
better walkways to encourage more pedestrian traffic, thus
better supporting the retail development many would like to
see in the area. Belvedere Square was seen by many as a project
that works and should serve as a model for development.
For the purpose of planning, the commercial
area is defined as adjoining neighborhoods such as Evesham
Park, Lake Evesham, Cedarcroft, Schwartz Avenue, Bellona-Gittings,
Rogers Forge, Anneslie, and Stoneleigh. The project has been
named "The Baltimore City/County Community Gateway District."
Additional comments will be gathered at follow up meetings
set for next year.
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to this story on the Towson Bulletin Board
Streetscape
for York road put on hold
The state of Maryland has
put many Baltimore County streetscape projects on hold due
to lack of funds. In the Towson area, the project from Charles
Street north of Northern Parkway to Bellona Avenue will be
indefinitely delayed. A project south of that area, from Northern
Parkway in the city to Stevenson Lane in Towson, is still
to go forward.
Local business boasts excellent customer
service
PHH Arval won first-place for Best Practices
in Business Continuity Planning, the highest award given at
the Top Technology Managers Forum, Hunt Valley. The business
was awarded for their plan to ensure 24 hour customer service
continuity during business interruptions. The PHH headquarters
building in Hunt Valley has survived a major blizzard, power
outages, and a major hurricane in the last year with no impact
on customer service. PHH Arval was selected out of 150 nominations.
Visit their website at www.phh.com/.
Visit www.techforum.com/
for more details.
Towson Place to get more than a new look
Changes for the Towson Place shopping center
on Goucher Boulevard and Putty Hill Avenue will include a
new entrance, new stores and restaurant, and relocation of
some existing merchants. A bigger change will take place in
how alterations are made to the center in the future.
The Talisman Partnership is rewriting the covenants
that govern the shopping with input from the surrounding neighborhoods
- Fellowship Forest, Knettishall, Towson Estates, Loch Raven
Village and Cromwell Valley. While some tweaking is still
in progress, the substantial matters are agreed upon. The
new guidlines will focus on everything from litter and landscaping
o property use and how much more development can occur.
In the meantime, several physical changes are
planned over the next year or so. Wal-Mart will fill the void
left by Montgomery Ward, and Filene's Basement will occuppy
the second floor DSW shoe emporium location, which will move
to the vacancy left by Today's Man. Score card anyone?
If approved by the county, a new right turn
only entrance and exit will fo Goucher Boulevard will be built.
Approval is also being sought for a new Red Robin Restaurant
near Blockbuster Video and for additional retail space near
Joppa Road.
Black & Decker engineers job cuts
Towson based Black & Decker has trimmed
47 jobs from its headquarters through a combination of voluntary
buyouts and layoffs. About half the employees were engineers
or in engineering support. The world's largest maker of power
tools felt its latest cost cutting move reflects the general
business and economic conditions.
Forty of the forty-seven employess took a voluntary
severance package, while the seven who were laid off received
severence pay. The non engineering positions affected fell
in various job categories. The action is part of an overall
restructuring program which will save the company $35 million
this year and $40 million next year. Black & Decker reported
a savings of $12 million in the second quarter and posted
a 15% increase in second quarter profit over 2002.
Towson Business Association to focus on
business environment
In August, the TBA Board of Directors met
to determine new goals, strategies, and ideas to carry out
its new mission statement, which is to "promote the business
environment in Towson." The business group will assess
current community programs and activities, searching for ways
to continually improve and build on past successes.
A major goal is to create a Merchants &
Restaurants Committee to develop ways to encourage cooperative
marketing among businesses in the downtown Towson area. Such
opportunities could include promotional pieces, dining guides,
and monthly shopping themes. Anyone interested in serving
on the committee should contact the TBA office by phone 410-825-1144
or email.
TBA Awards Announced
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The Towson Business Association presented
several new awards along with traditional honors at
this year's annual meeting.
Outstanding Appearance,
Larger Business - Taubman Properties (Dulaney
Plaza)
Outstanding
Appearance,
Smaller Business
- All About Me Day Spa
TBA
Member of the Year
- Samantha Sheridan, Lincoln Financial Advisors
Group
TBA
Board Member of the Year
- Steve Cupid, KAWG&F
The appearance awards are designed to
recognize and encourage landowners and businesses in
the commercial district to renovate or restore buildings
in the core area.
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Mort
Schuchman (left) and Larry Taubman (right) of Dulaney
Plaza with Suzan Doordan (center) of TBA. |
Cindy
and Keith Johnson of All
About Me Salon and Day Spa flank Suzan Doordan. |
Also honored were, Jack
Anderson, Rowles & Co., retiring board member
and former TBA president, along with outgoing president,
Tom Washburn, Moxley's Ice Cream. Incoming president,
Mark Schulman, a Towson dentist, was inducted,
as were the board members for 2003-2004.
A special posthumous award,
given to Tony Giorgio of Towson's Heritage Honda, was
accepted by his wife. Mr. Giorgio served as vice president
and was slated to become president before he died unexpectedtly
in May.
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LaSalle area to house two restaurants and
a bank
Joppa LaSalle Properties
has won approval to build two restaurants on the Southeast
corner of Joppa and LaSalle Roads, across from Applebee's.
The first facility will be a Bob Evans, slated to start construction
by February if all goes well. A smaller restaurant will occupy
the space immediately west of it. Possible tenants are Panda
Express or Season's Pizza, though negotiations are ongoing.
A bank and a one story office building will
be added to the development. The bank has been leased to the
State Employees Credit Union. The 20,000-25,000 square foot
office building will probably be built to suit more than one
tenant.
Coffee house to perk up southern gateway
After brewing several months, zoning approval
has been given for a Starbucks to open a coffee house at the
vacant Crown gas station, corner of Burke Avenue and York
Road. It will be a test for the national chain, offering a
drive through lane, as well as its usual sit down service.
The final concept is the result of a blend of
input from the Greater Towson Council of Community Associations,
Towson University, the Greater Towson Committee and Starbucks
representatives. It is hoped that the endeavor will create
jobs for students, enhance the entry into the Towson core,
and generally become an asset to the community.
Before winning approval, Starbucks had to agree
to post signs prohibiting U-turns and supply off site employee
parking. The community will press for added police enforcement
of traffic. The store is expected to open by February 2004.
Stoller Lexus plans to turn key, jump start
Towson gateway
Len Stoller, Inc. has purchased the commercial
property on the southwest corner of York and West Roads and
plans to develop a Lexus dealership there. The site has high
visibility, just inside the beltway and many consider it to
be a gateway to the core Towson area.
The site formerly housed the Pine Ridge Inn,
and was slated in 1988 for development of a 9 story office
building and hotel. The dealership would like to be under
roof by February, pending approval and acquisition of required
permits. The plan includes 34,540 square foot building with
more than 10,000 square feet serving as a showroom.
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