Greenberg Gibbons is the right developer to complete Towson Row—and when the project is finished, it will have a transformational impact on Downtown Towson.
I believe some form of a financial assistance package is appropriate to jumpstart this project, although I would have preferred a loan than the grant proposed by the Kamenetz administration.
Ultimately, though, I have grave concerns about the speed with which this package was presented to the County Council. That is why I attempted to delay a vote by one Council meeting. This delay would not, I believe, have imperiled the project—but it would have given the public more time to review a complex proposal, and the Council more opportunity to improve the contract. I have little confidence theKamenetz administration will communicate with the Council once it gets this contract approved.
I am also concerned about how the proposed contract will bind future County Executives and County Councils to financial commitments, particularly if the county runs into economic difficulties.
As Towson’s Councilman, I have championed projects that are revitalizing our downtown core—and yes, I have made tough decisions, such as boosting open space funding despite fierce resistance from some developers. But I am not just Towson’s Councilman—I am a Baltimore County Councilman, and that requires taking the broader view to look at our long-term fiscal commitments.