The Abell Foundation has tasked RESI of Towson University in conjunction with Hentschel Real Estate Services with conducting a survey of companies located in Baltimore City’s Maritime Industrial Zoning Overlay District (MIZOD) and completing an analysis of the survey. The main objectives of this study are to collect and analyze information regarding companies located in the MIZOD as well as the determination of MIZOD’s economic impact.
The survey was designed by RESI and Hentschel Real Estate Services and administered by Hentschel Real Estate Services in August 2008. A database of 186 companies located in the MIZOD was utilized. The firms were contacted by phone and asked to participate in the survey. Only the firms that agreed to take the survey were sent one via facsimile. Of the 186 firms that were contacted, only 53 (28%) of the firms were sent the survey forms. A total of 16 completed surveys were returned. While this is a small representation of the total number of companies contacted, the response rate among participants was roughly 30%.
The surveys were designed to elicit a range of information regarding the nature of the companies’ business, extent of property utilization, projected growth, workforce characteristics, tax and revenue range.