Mayor Brandon M. Scott's administration is working to overhaul Baltimore's notoriously sluggish permitting processes step by step. The recently released Bmore FAST (Facilitating Approvals and Streamlining Timelines) Report outlines a plan to modernize and expedite the city's development approval systems. The proposal aims to actively promote growth and make the city more business—and resident-friendly. The Mayor's office announced this plan yesterday, highlighting the need for improved coordination across city agencies, more efficient workflows, and measures to avoid unnecessary stalling of projects.
Last week's framework has more substance as the newly formed Bmore FAST Advisory Group—a diverse team of stakeholders—pledges to ensure these changes are more than paper promises. The mayor is confident in the potential to transform Baltimore's bureaucratic landscape, insisting these reforms will fully allow a $3 billion investment plan to revitalize vacant properties over the next 15 years. "To seize this historic opportunity, we must ensure that outdated development processes don't stand in the way of progress," Mayor Scott told the press in a release by the City of Baltimore.
Both Doug Schmidt, Chair for the Baltimore Development Workgroup, and Jon M. Laria, Chair for the Baltimore City Planning Commission, have expressed their confidence in Bmore FAST to reshape Baltimore into a leading destination for development. Laria, referencing his multiple roles in the city's developmental fabric, stated, "Bmore FAST should help ensure that good projects move forward efficiently, creating both housing opportunities and vibrant commercial enterprise." Their statements, offered on the record in the city's official announcement, underscore the hope attached to these proposed changes.
For developers, especially those focusing on historically underserved communities, Bmore FAST represents a shift toward more accessible processes. Victor Akinnagbe, Director for Rebirth Development, emphasized the difference these changes could make for small, minority-owned firms like his. "By streamlining approvals and creating targeted support for emerging developers, Mayor Scott's administration is making it possible for community-focused firms to rehabilitate more vacant properties and create affordable housing options where they're needed most," Akinnagbe remarked in the Mayor's Office press release. This sentiment highlights the practical impacts anticipated from the IP initiative.
Further information about the Bmore FAST report and how to get involved with the Advisory Group can be found on the City's Boards & Commissions webpage.
_(1).jpg){kind=link}