Now is the time for minority-owned companies to start working toward winning contracts for work at the $800-million redevelopment of the East Baltimore area around John Hopkins Medical Institute.
That message was delivered to about 65 people attending a forum Thursday at Morgan State University in Baltimore sponsored by Congressman Elijah E. Cummings, who represents the area in Congress.
“One opportunity like this could have a [positive] ripple effect for years to come for a minority business,” Cummings told the audience.
“We can create opportunity.”
Cummings was joined by Clarence Bishop, Baltimore Mayor Martin O?Malley?s chief of staff, as well as officials from the partnership and developers overseeing Phase I of the East Baltimore Development/Biotechnology Park Project.
Phase I involves about 30 acres and includes construction of the Life Science and Technology Park, a public parking garage and residential units.
The development, led and managed by nonprofit East Baltimore Development, Inc., is part of an effort to revitalize the area around Johns Hopkins Medicine in the Middle East neighborhood of East Baltimore.
The 10-year plan calls for a biotech park that will attract businesses, retail stores, 2,000 mixed-income housing units, and create an estimated 6,000 jobs.
Forest City Enterprises, a Cleveland-based $7.8 billion real estate development company, partnered with local minority companies ? Doracon/Lambda Development, Legacy-Harrison Enterprises, Banks Contracting Co. and The Wilkinson Group ? to form Forest City-New East Baltimore Partnership. The partnership was selected to handle Phase I by EBDI in November 2004.
Andrea Garris, director of inclusion for Forest City, said minority businesses should consider partnering with other companies to win contracts for the East Baltimore project. Companies can learn more at EBDI?s Web site, www.ebdi.org.
“Look ahead and pace yourself in terms of applying for contracts,” she said.
“We have an enormous amount of opportunities,” Garris told the forum.
Vic Victoriano, general manager of Skillforce, Inc., a labor contractor and training firm for the construction industry, announced that an apprenticeship training program for East Baltimore carpenters, plumbers and electricians, called JumpStart, graduated its second class this week and the graduates are off to work up to 90 days with contractors and subcontractors on the project.
He urged minority business owners in the audience to hire the workers for permanent jobs.
