DAILY RECORD
Posted: 10:00 am Fri, June 25, 2010
By Owen Rouse, Jr.
At a recent groundbreaking ceremony, I realized that central Maryland features a lot of intelligence in a very tight geography. I do not mean there are a lot of Mensa members here (although there, undoubtedly, are quite a few); rather, I’m referring to the defense intelligence community.
We will be capitalizing on an unparalleled opportunity to expand our population, job base and purchasing power with thousands of new residents who are relocating for defense-related jobs under the BRAC (Base Realignment and Closing) initiative.
To our north, Aberdeen will receive the C4ISR group (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence Surveillance, Reconnaissance) from Ft. Monmouth, N.J. This group will occupy 1.6 million square feet on base (now complete) and total 8,200 people. Imagine the old Legg Mason tower on its side times four and you’ll have an idea of what 1.6 million square feet looks like.
To the south lies the National Security Agency at Fort Meade, the mother of all intelligence. Fort Meade will receive the Defense Information Security Agency (DISA) from Virginia, which is essentially the Internet and communication backbone for the war fighters and their associated command.
These two occurrences will form the north and south nodes of what is arguably one of the most intelligence-laden spots in the country. Here are eight ways this influx will impact us:
1. High-paying jobs will employ smart people. This includes out-of-the-box thinkers, as well as technically-proficient individuals. They will purchase cars, build homes, buy groceries, shop at our retailers, dine out and join golf and swim clubs. Additionally, they will become part of the community and socialize — on the baseball diamond and soccer fields, as well as at band practice and neighborhood socials.
2. Not all of them will work for the federal government. Some will work for private industry. Good jobs with good blue-chip companies bring stability to communities and provide good borrowers to bankers. They bring families with children enrolling in our schools, as well as cars that need maintaining and repairing.
3. They will bring new skills and talents. They will be in a position to share their expertise as members of trade associations, professional organizations, PTAs, nonprofit boards and church and synagogue committees.
4. Last I checked, the portion of the defense budget devoted to intelligence is not shrinking and will not anytime soon. This is good over the long term for everyone concerned. Families will grow up here and future generations will say they come from central Maryland.
5. Spinoffs: Smart people get bored, too. When that happens, they will spin off from their jobs, dip into their savings and follow their dreams, whatever they may be. In turn, they will become new tenants, new vendors and new sources of new jobs.
6. Conventions, meetings, gatherings, get-togethers: The very nature of what these folks do is collaborative and they will conduct meetings of various sizes which will need space, catering, lodging and tchotchkes. This brings more of an opportunity for locals to accommodate these new needs.
7. Visitors will follow. Out-of-town friends and family will come to see what their relative’s new house looks like. While here, they will see the attractions at the Inner Harbor, attend a Ravens game, go “down the ocean” or venture west for skiing. Ultimately, this brings more visibility for our great region that is being exported to others.
8. New arrivals will behave much like the existing population. They will pay taxes to local governments, rent commercial space from local landlords and purchase consumer goods –- all contributing to a rising tide in the local economy. Hopefully, infrastructure improvements required in anticipation of these new arrivals will be covered by the increase in taxes.
The sum total of all of these benefits is a major win for the region. By the end of this summer and continuing on into the next, there will be massive relocations to central Maryland. Ultimately, these newly minted, intelligent Marylanders represent our own Old Line State recovery.
Owen Rouse Jr. is senior vice president and director of capital markets at Manekin LLC and can be reached at orouse@manekin.com.