The following article first appeared in the Daily Record on Mar. 6th:
The developer behind the embattled State Center redevelopment project has sent a letter to Gov. Larry Hogan asking him for a personal meeting.
The letter, signed by Caroline Moore, CEO of Ekistics LLC and co-managing member of State Center LLC, was scheduled to arrive on Monday. It argues that Hogan's previous criticisms of the $1.5 billion proposal are contrary to a cost-benefit analysis provided to the state.
"At a time when State Center could be contributing to the city's depleted tax base, we are instead wasting money on inactivity and a politically motivated lawsuit filed by the State against the development team. There is too much at stake for the community of West Baltimore, the entire city, and the state for us not to come together," according to the letter.
Plans to redevelop the state office complex date to the administration of former Gov. Robert L. Erlich. Following a lengthy court battle that ended in 2014 the developer intended to begin work on the project.
But the state asked for modifications to the plan and eventually the project ended up in mediation last July. After months of negotiations the process collapsed, and in December the Board of Public Works rescinded state leases for the development, essentially killing the project.