The Maryland Department of Transportation has agreed to pay $250 million to settle a dispute over cost overruns that caused the construction contractor to quit the Purple Line light rail project in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in September. The settlement, which is pending approval by the state Board of Public Works, would allow construction to resume by ending all litigation, ... Read More

The Baltimore County Council on Monday night killed a bill that would have reduced the height of a planned four-story affordable housing building in East Towson, citing concerns that its passage would violate the Fair Housing Act. Three Democratic council members -- council chair Cathy Bevins, Councilman Tom Quirk and Councilman Julian Jones -- abstained from the vote. Republican Councilmen ... Read More

LEWES, Del. (AP) — Crews are continuing a cleanup operation from an oil spill that affected a significant stretch of coastline in Delaware and Maryland. The response crews have cleared oily debris and tar balls from the southern side of the Indian River Inlet in Delaware to the Assateague Island State Park in Maryland, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control said ... Read More

Along with selecting their representatives at the federal level, Gloucester County residents voted in favor of a 1% sales tax increase that would support school construction, repairs and maintenance. According to complete unofficial election results, 13,436 had voted in favor of the measure and 8,248 against, a split of 62% to 38%. The county says the tax would support: Gloucester High School ... Read More

After undergoing a community input meeting, two Design Panel Review sessions and revisions to the original concept plan, a housing project being planned for university students in downtown Towson is still opposed by residents in the nearby community. The 16-story project, which is planned for 706 Washington Ave., calls for 147 units and 350 beds, as well as a café, a fitness space, outdoor and ... Read More

Baltimore County Council passed legislation Monday night that will set a standard pay rate and requirement to hire locally for contractors who win county-funded projects. The legislative package introduced by Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski Jr., a Democrat, will require prevailing wage -- the typical hourly pay for local workers, often the rate for union labor -- for most ... Read More

BALTIMORE - The Enterprise Zone expansion proposed in and south of Princess Anne was formally approved in late September by Department of Commerce Secretary Kelly Schulz. Notice reached the County Commissioners on Oct. 7. The zone which previously encompassed 1,206 acres was increased by 114 acres and covers four strategic locations where development is occurring or projected to occur. The ... Read More

A subsidiary of developer Trammell Crow Co. has acquired a six-acre waterfront tract beside SEPTA’s Conshohocken Regional Rail station with plans for a 230-unit apartment building at the site. High Street Residential, the Trammell Crow unit that builds apartment and condominium projects, plans to complete the five-story building at 101 Washington St., to be known as Matson Mill, by the end of ... Read More

Oct. 15--Philadelphia City Council will consider delaying reductions to the 10-year tax abatement for three years, as well as adding a 1% tax on new construction that would fund antipoverty initiatives, according to sources familiar with the legislative proposals. The moves would set up a renewed fight over whether Philadelphia should focus more on stimulating development or increasing its own ... Read More

Finding success in the fossil fuels industries, officials at Manor Township-based RETTEW decided about five years ago to dip their toes into renewable energy, specifically looking skyward to the sun. But that interest at the engineering firm extended beyond traditional ground-mounted arrays. Instead, officials hoped to float them atop water — mimicking technology already popular in Europe. And ... Read More