Local dessert shop signs lease at Cross Keys; MTA releases analysis of Red Line alternatives

Good morning Baltimore and happy Thursday. We're well on our way to the weekend.

I hope you have your tin foil hats on hand. The Pentagon has opened a form for current and former government employees — and anyone else! — to submit what they know about government activity related to Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAPs), or what we would call UFOs.

Per CBS News, I have learned that there is an agency dedicated to this type of thing: the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office. Unfortunately, the form says that submitting false reports "can be punished by fine or imprisonment, or both." But when talking about UFOs, who's to say what's true or false?

Have info on government activity related to UAPs and UFOs? Fill out the form here. And don't be afraid to pitch the BBJ on what you've seen. There's a business angle to everything, even UFOs.

Back down to Earth we go.

Towson jewelry company makes Oprah’s holiday gifts list

Fans of Oprah’s annual Favorite Things gifts list, there’s a local connection this holiday season. Towson-based jewelry company Sterling Forever made the 2023 list for its Perfect O-ccasion earring case, a “microsuede purple travel case” containing five sets of earrings in gold or silver, according to a press release. The case sells for $116 and will be featured in the winter issue of O Quarterly, which hits newsstands on Nov. 7. Sterling Forever made the list last winter for a different five-pair earring set, the Five Days of Hoops Advent Calendar.

Annapolis dessert shop signs lease for Cross Keys space

Scoop: The Village of Cross Keys will have a new dessert option come spring of 2024. Annapolis-based Always Ice Cream Company has signed a lease for 1,135 square feet in the development, owner Caves Valley Partners announced yesterday. The shop will sit between Atlas Restaurant Group’s planned Chinese restaurant and Cordish Cos.’ Mediterranean-style Cece’s Roland Park, according to the press release. In addition to homemade ice cream flavors like apple pie, the shop will also sell ice cream cakes, brownie sandwiches, Belgian waffles, nutty buddies and more with vegan and gluten free options, too. Please enjoy this photo of their birthday cake flavor which is apparently "made with an entire birthday cake."

Baltimore nursing home plans $65M project to transform aging buildings

One of Baltimore’s largest nursing homes plans to embark on a $65 million project to transform several aging buildings from a hospital-style design into a place that feels like home to residents, BBJ's Matt Hooke reports. Keswick is planning to start construction on the 107,000 square feet of renovations in 2024 and be finished by 2028. See what Keswick has planned for two buildings on its campus, one built in 1971 and the other in 1985.

State to transform congressman’s historic home into civic and business center

The former West Baltimore home of U.S. Rep. Parren Mitchell, Maryland’s first African American congressman, will be transformed into a civic engagement and business resource center. The vacant home in the Upton neighborhood will undergo an estimated $2.2 million in renovations and expansions from state, federal and philanthropic sources, the Upton Planning Committee announced. The expansion will add 3,000 square feet to the building and include conference spaces and a commercial kitchen. The project is led by Quinn Evans and will kick off this month with an expected completion date of early 2025.

Maryland kicks off health insurance open enrollment

Healthy readers are loyal readers. That’s why we’re selflessly keeping you in the loop on Maryland’s open enrollment period for Maryland Health Connection, the state’s health insurance marketplace. Marylanders can enroll through Jan. 15, 2024, and those eligible for Medicaid can enroll at any time throughout the year. Some additions this time around: Aetna is now in the marketplace, new discounts for younger (18-37) enrollees and a variety of lower-cost value plans. Need help enrolling? Please do not call BBJ, just go to marylandhealthconnection.gov/help.

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MTA shares analysis of Red Line options as public meetings begin

The Maryland Transit Administration has released its analysis of six options for the Red Line project, the agency announced yesterday. Three different routes were surveyed with a light rail and rapid bus option for each and evaluated on the basis of an estimated number of riders, access to workplaces, schools and homes, reliability, travel costs and more. Two proposed routes would run through tunnels and four would be above ground. Baltimoreans can attend open house feedback and Q&A meetings throughout the next week. Find the schedule and locations here and details on the analysis here.

Sparrows Point container terminal expected to open in 2028, backers say

The $1 billion Sparrows Point Container Terminal is on track to receive cargo by 2028, the Journal of Commerce reports. Tradepoint Atlantic Executive Vice President Aaron Tomarchio said last week that the permitting process for dredging the channel near the terminal has begun, and all permitting for the project should be wrapped up by spring of 2025. The project was announced in October of last year and is projected to bring 1,000 jobs. The Maryland Port Authority told the Journal of Commerce that the new terminal could boost Baltimore's intake capacity by more than a million 20-foot-equivalent units (TEUs).

Texas Rangers win first World Series in franchise history

What started quietly ended in celebration for the Texas Rangers, who defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks for their first World Series title in the 63-season history of the franchise. After six scoreless innings, the Rangers broke through in the seventh, and went on to win 5-0 behind a spotless effort from pitcher Nathan Eovaldi. Rangers shortstop Corey Seager won World Series MVP — his second time winning the honor — and the team finally got over the hump after a heartbreaking loss in the Fall Classic in 2011. Hey, Baltimore, at least the Orioles lost to a champion.

This newsletter was written by Joe Ilardi, digital producer for the Baltimore Business Journal. I can be reached at [email protected].