3,000 jobs coming to Parole

First round of hiring to begin at Annapolis Towne Centre

By ELISHA SAUERS Staff Writer

Published 09/04/08

A job fair scheduled next week for some of the businesses coming to Annapolis Towne Centre at Parole may be a saving grace for more than 200 local job hunters.

The event will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. Sept. 11 at The Sheraton Annapolis Hotel to allow applicants to meet with some of businesses that are preparing to open next month at the massive development on the edge of the city.

Some of the 12 companies participating will have more than 20 jobs to fill, said event coordinator Douglas Burkhardt of the Monticello Group. He said the jobs will range from entry-level to management, adding that he expects to attract "north of 1,000" people.

Target, Coldwater Creek, Smyth Jewelers, J. Jill, P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant, Eastern Mountain Sports, SECU Credit Union, among other businesses that have not yet officially signed up, will have tables at the job fair, he said.

Mr. Burkhardt said the fair will focus just on the stores opening in October during the first phase of the retail development and other job fairs will follow as more stores open in the coming year.

Annapolis Towne Centre developers Greenberg Gibbons Commercial said once the project is complete, the shopping center will be home to about 3,000 new jobs.

"This is the great thing," Mr. Burkhardt said. "It's a real mix as far as the skill-level, and there will be both part-time and full-time positions available, so if there are people out there who are just looking for something to supplement their incomes, there's that available, too."

Alexis Henderson, spokesman for the Anne Arundel County Economic Development Corp., said County Executive John R. Leopold believes the retail development will provide Anne Arundel County residents with jobs not just now but for the next few years as more stores open.

Unemployment in Anne Arundel County crept from 4 percent in June to 4.2 percent by the end of July. And the number of county residents without jobs in June, which was 11,300, swelled to 12,100 people in July - an 800-person increase in those competing for work in an already tightening job market.

"We're concerned with making sure that anyone looking for a job in this county is aware of this job fair," Ms. Henderson said. "We're trying to market it and make sure that the Annapolis Towne Centre is successful in finding the right number of employees and to help them connect with jobs."

A retail development of this size could have a significant economic impact on the greater Annapolis area, Ms. Henderson said.

The Anne Arundel County Workforce Development Corp. staff has encouraged all of the individuals seeking their assistance to attend the event and bring resumes if they have them. Experts from the Department of Labor Licensing and Regulation will have a station available providing advice on how job seekers may improve their resumes.

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Parole - September 9, 2008

Will Joe Rutter and Janet Owens be at the grand opening? After all, it's their insistance on eliminating or waiving all the County's rules that's made these as yet unsold condos a reality. Now we've got a project that makes Annapolis more like Bethesda--just as the powers that be have wanted.

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Steven B. - Annapolis, MD - Karma: Bad

great - September 7, 2008

$1,000,000 plus to overlook the overcrowded route 2. ha... you would find me on the water in a spacious place. I think investors are going to buy them and sub lease them to Spanish families. Then the parole towne center that cost millions to build can become the next allen apartments.

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H. Boston - davidsonville, MD - Karma: Bad

Irony - September 5, 2008

I find it amusing that condos pushing a million dollars are built over Target, look over Shoppers Food and used car lots. If i had a million dollars to drop on a place to live, and happened to pick Annapolis area, you better bet I wouldn't pick that place for a inflated apartment. Greed over ran your logic on the planning on that complex. Major overkill guys...

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Amy S. - Crownsville, MD - Karma: Bad

How Much Will This Cost? - September 5, 2008

Why so many $7 an hour jobs come to one of the richest counties in Maryland?That makes sense. How many people and companies will suffer by this project?The Harbor ctr is ticked that they are losing their bread and butter stores, i.e. bed bath and beyond and whole foods. What about the 3 gas stations that were shut down due to this project? Does the shopping center have something against gas stations? Mobil station where shoppers extended will be was closed a few years back. Don't forget about the gas station that sat on West Street, near Suburban bank and last but not least the cash only Bowen station that sat at route 2. How nice of the shopping center to terminate their lease. I drove past their today and saw the pumps were gone. Is nothing good enough for those money driven polticians we have in this county. Where will we get fuel? Are we to drive out of Annapolis? What is the point of putting in condos and jobs, if there is not a place to get gas in this city? Oh and those traffic lights at home depot and at somerville rd are just going to make traffic a lot worse. Has Annapolis become NYC? I have news for u, none of us live close enough to work to walk! So we have nice cars that RUN off fuel and yet there are fewer gas stations. Great job Annapolis. You should be so proud of bringing in $7 an hour jobs while wiping out $30k to $100k jobs at the expense. I hope that in the end, the feelings of those people you have hurt are worth it. It is a dumb move driven by greed. Oh and those $7 workers won't be able to afford to live in your condos, and the ones who can afford to live in the condos won't want the $7 an hour workers parking by their cars, let alone sharing an elevator with them. So while to you it was probably a great idea, in reality it isn't going to work out. I hope your shopping center won't decide to hate bath and bed stores since there are 6 moving there. If this happens then maybe you can put in affordable housing for the $7an hour employees.

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H. Boston - davidsonville, MD - Karma: Bad