Downtown Partnership announces inaugural BOOST program cohorts | The Baltimore Times Online Newspaper
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Downtown Partnership announces inaugural BOOST program cohorts
baltimoretimes-online.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from baltimoretimes-online.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Downtown Partnership announced Monday the first five businesses for a new program aimed at growing Black-owned retail in Baltimore. Some business owners told 11 News the program is a game-changer. It s hope. It s something that wouldn t be possible without this program. It s something that has accelerated our dreams and our hopes, Codetta Bake Shop owner Sumayyah Bilal said.Under the BOOST program, which stands for Black-Owned and Occupied Storefront Tenancy, Bilal and four other business owners will each get a $50,000 grant. We wanted to figure out one, how we deal with the increased vacancy rate that was happening in downtown but how we do it thoughtfully with Black and brown businesses in mind. The goal is to help make our downtown the heat of our city reflective of the demographics of our city, Downtown Partnership President Shelonda Stokes said during the announcement.The businesses will open downtown storefronts pre-identified by Downtown Partnership. And there s mo