Approval of April Minutes – Jane Mayrer makes a motion to approve, Jane Buccheriseconds
ABC’s of Investment Recap – Curtis
- RSVP 71, Attendees 40
- Business – Ethiopic & SoFusion Cafe
- Learned about MEP, invest own money into local businesses. Can invest 401K without penalties
- Still open for businesses to join – contact Curtis
- For investors
Tenant Improvement Funds
- Subcommittee – Commercial Capital Investment Subcommittee
- Includes Facade, Stabilization, & Tenant Improvement
- Having contest for 1400 & 1500 blocks of W. Baltimore
- One application
- Funds from SWP, BDC and CHAP
- Deadline for applications will be due end of July
- Review committee will meet in August to award funds
Committee Goals for 2021 Updates
- Retail Study/Vision Plan Conversation
- Talked to the organization who originally did our Vision Plan, strongly suggested that before we put funds into a new study that we make sure the City has buy-in
- Enterprise is wanting to partner with SWP, which includes helping us update Vision Plan and Retail Study
- Working to get Deputy of Neighborhoods to come out to the area
- Will be getting feedback on pricing
- Getting evaluation of where we are and implementation, plans for different areas, i.e. housing & commercial
- Roger: Do we have reasonably current neighborhood population and business demographics?
- Tony: We will once the Census data is released
- Roger: Bill Freeman has the data and subscriptions
Neighborhood Marketing Working Group
- Looking for volunteers from the Commercial, Housing, and Historic Preservation Committees to be a part of the Working Group focusing on coming up with creative ideas to market the seven individual neighborhoods, the SWP footprint as a whole, and W. Baltimore St.
Entrepreneurship Conference
- Tentatively Set for August 20th
- Looking for volunteers to help plan it – Ashley Watson, Nikky Davis & Phoenix Harlee volunteered, Laura will send them info. Will need more volunteers. Church of the Nativity has access to 400 volunteers – Lou will reach out to them.
- Marketing video, touring of available spaces
- Networking Pop-up Fair
- Panels and workshops – identifying and contacting speakers
Land Bank Update
- Staff will be giving a Land Bank 101 presentation in a summer Housing Committee meeting. Will send date to Commercial Committee when firm
- The SWP Land Bank will not be banking commercial properties to start but the plan is to expand to commercial properties down the road
Old Business
- West Baltimore Street Updates – Rodney & Curtis
- Met with 1410, still looking for partners
- 219 units, 20-30 commercial spaces
- will have them attend a future meeting
- Clean and Green program will be starting in June – 1300 – 1600 block
- Facade subcommittee update – Carrie
- Pigtown Mainstreet Updates – Frieda
- Charmtown Ventures moved to Bush and Washington
- 15 businesses
- Loft space still available
- Culinary Architecture is expanding
- Official Hot Mess will be moving to Barre Circle
- Tobacco and Vape Store opened Cigar shop next door
- This Little Piggy Foot Spa under new ownership
- Groundwork Kitchen opening for carryout late June
- fully open later this summers
- Maryland Crab – new business opening in July
- Trivia Night this Thursday the 27th, register online
- Citizens of Pigtown dumpster day on the 29th at elementary school
- Mobtown Live – first event indoors this Saturday
- Charmtown Ventures moved to Bush and Washington
New Business – none
Motion to adjourn – Jane Buccheri, seconded – Nikky Davis
