Downtown Partnership Steers Vacant Storefronts

The Downtown Partnership places new business owners in vacant storefronts across the 106 blocks it covers, shaping how some empty downtown spaces get used. One result is The Black Genius Art Show, a gallery on N. Eutaw Street where owner Bryan Robinson displays his work alongside pieces by other local artists.

“It gave me a location. It gave me a way to expand my wings as an artist, bringing other creatives, young and old,” Robinson said. He added that the storefront gave him “a foundation to say, I want to run my business a little better with financials and just spreading the word.” The Boost program connected Robinson with a place to work; the article doesn’t describe its funding or the terms of the storefront arrangement.

A Storefront, and Who Controls the Space

Robinson joined Boost’s first cohort of entrepreneurs. The Downtown Partnership says the program puts new business owners into vacant storefronts across its 106-block area. That makes the Partnership an intermediary between businesses seeking a physical location and spaces sitting empty. The source doesn’t say how many storefronts the program has filled or how many entrepreneurs applied.

The gallery opened five years ago. Robinson said he had loved art since he was young but had never had a place to display it. As he describes it, the program’s practical contribution was access to a location and an opportunity to bring other creatives into the space. His account centers on artists building a presence together, not on a government program or an election campaign.

Artists Build a Gathering Place

The gallery is preparing for the “Hero is Champion” show, which opens Saturday at 6 p.m. It includes hangable and wearable art for purchase. Robinson said he wants the space to capture downtown’s character and encourage others to pursue their dreams.

“Someone to come in, feel it, take it into their community, and say, ‘Oh, I’ve been to a cool place downtown Baltimore,’ and that’s what the vision behind this building has done for the last five years,” he said. The gallery brings local artists and visitors into a storefront that Robinson says he once lacked a place to use. The account describes an artist-led project supported by the Partnership’s placement program; it doesn’t detail any broader community organizing or mutual-aid effort.

The Partnership’s Next Move

The Downtown Partnership is celebrating businesses that developed in once-vacant storefronts at its annual meeting, scheduled for Tuesday at M&T Bank Stadium. The sold-out event will include a downtown marketplace that brings local businesses together, along with awards for businesses and owners recognized for their commitment to the area. WJZ is the event’s media partner.

The Partnership’s economic development manager, Germaine Prince, described the program’s stated aim: “We want to address vacancies, but we also want to talk about and show what Baltimore has to offer.” Next year, the Partnership says it plans to keep developing major corridors, including helping businesses maintain their facades and signage. Those are the institution’s priorities. The gallery’s artists and owner make the work, build the business, and give the storefront its character.