As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the restaurant industry, many establishments in Baltimore are struggling to stay afloat. In a bid to provide relief, the city announced it will offer grants of up to $200,000 to help restaurants with improvements. However, the grants are limited to those located within a specific downtown area, bounded by Howard Street to the west, Pratt Street to the south, and I-83 to the east. This decision excludes popular dining districts such as Little Italy, Fells Point, and Federal Hill.
Gia Blatterman, a restaurant owner, expressed frustration over the exclusion. “We don’t even have the opportunity to join in this venture from the city,” she said.
Mayor Brandon Scott defended the decision, stating, “We talked about this is all a part of Downtown Rise and it wasn’t just the city. We worked with our partners at Downtown Partnership to make sure we’re doing everything to lift up downtown.”…