The Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC) has released a new set of Commercial District Assessment (CDA) profile reports that provide detailed, neighborhood-level data on Baltimore’s business corridors. Drawing on more than 2,600 data points, the profiles are designed to help city leaders, community organizations, and business owners better understand local commercial conditions and make informed decisions that support small businesses and long-term economic growth.

“These new profiles give us current, block-level information that has never existed in one place before,” said Otis Rolley, president and CEO of BDC. “They reflect close collaboration between BDC and our community partners. Together, we can see how each corridor is performing today, identify the gaps, and target investments that support small businesses, residents, and long-term growth.”

Community-Driven, Data-Informed Insights

For the first round of assessments, BDC partnered with 11 community organizations to collect more than 2,300 new data points using a custom, app-based survey. Staff, volunteers, interns, students, and business owners documented storefront conditions, commercial property use, pedestrian activity, transit access, and other real-time indicators that shape the health of neighborhood business districts.

The CDA profiles also incorporate more than 300 third-party data points, including income, housing, and demographic information within a 15-minute walking radius of each corridor. Together, the data offers a comprehensive view of both the commercial environment and the surrounding community context.

Ten Commercial Corridors Profiled

The first cohort of CDA profiles includes:

Downtown Charles Street; North Harford Road; Federal Hill Light Street; Brooklyn West Patapsco Avenue; Lauraville Lower Harford Road; Highlandtown Eastern Avenue; Downtown Howard Street; Hollins Market West Baltimore Street; Walbrook West North Avenue; and Govans York Road.

Each profile highlights key indicators such as the business landscape, commercial performance, recent investment activity, and physical conditions along the corridor.

A Tool for Strategy and Investment

Community partners say the CDA reports provide actionable insights that will help guide future planning and investment.

Patrick Terranova of the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore called the initiative a “focusing moment” that captures critical on-the-ground data to inform thoughtful strategies and measure progress over time. Federal Hill Main Street Executive Director Taylor Schwartz noted that the data enables more informed decision-making and supports initiatives that create sustainable, meaningful impact.

What’s Next

BDC plans to move into a deeper analysis phase, identifying trends within and across corridors to better understand strengths, challenges, and opportunities. The findings will help direct city resources, attract new businesses and investment, identify priority properties for redevelopment, and guide capital funding to areas where it can have the greatest impact.

Residents, business owners, and community stakeholders can explore the interactive Commercial District Assessment profiles online at:
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/ca0b2b719a2f4988a72464ab8642ddf5/page/Commercial-Districts

Details on applying to participate in a future CDA cohort are expected to be released in early 2026.

Building Stronger Neighborhood Economies

By combining data with community insight, the Commercial District Assessment initiative represents a significant step toward more inclusive, transparent, and strategic economic development across Baltimore. As the city continues to invest in its neighborhoods, these profiles offer a powerful tool to ensure that growth is rooted in local realities and shared opportunity.

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