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The Maryland Curiosity Bureau

Who is the BDC, and why do they have so much power?

The headquarters of the Baltimore Development Corporation are on the 21st floor of Charles Center in downtown Baltimore (photo credit: Aaron Henkin / WYPR)
The headquarters of the Baltimore Development Corporation are on the 21st floor of Charles Center in downtown Baltimore (photo credit: Aaron Henkin / WYPR)

Is the Baltimore Development Corporation a branch of city government, an independent company, or somehow both? What’s their agenda? Who are they accountable to? Who’s benefitting from their support? And what’s their vision for Baltimore’s future? We head downtown to 36 Charles Center, take the elevator to the 21st floor, and try to get some answers from BDC President & CEO Colin Tarbert.

Aaron creates and produces original radio programs and podcasts for WYPR. His current project is The Maryland Curiosity Bureau. Aaron's neighborhood documentary series, Out of the Blocks, earned the 2018 national Edward R Murrow Award. His past work includes the long-running weekly cultural program, The Signal, and the Smithsonian Folkways Recordings series, Tapestry of the Times. Aaron's stories have aired nationally on NPR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered.