WTMD GM Highlights Arts, Benefits of New Studios

With future home just footsteps away, general manager Stephen Yasko spoke about his plans for a music and arts "clubhouse" that will help elevate the Baltimore area from what he called a "B music city" on the East Coast.

In a keynote speech at the Greater Towson Committee's annual meeting at the Towson City Center on Thursday, Yasko showed off the station's future floor plan.

WTMD is one of several functions building by the end of this year. The university is also relocating four clinics—collectively known as The Towson University Institute for Well-Being—into four floors of the 12-story tower.

WTMD will occupy an annex space on the building's plaza level. An electronic ticker along the sides facing Dulaney Valley Road—permitted under passed last year—will share what's playing on the station along with alerts, greetings and event announcements.

"It's really more about communicating with the community than it's about promoting ourselves," Yasko said.

The floor plan includes a large performance space, a classroom and two studios. Yasko said he hopes to have something public going on there every day of the week, whether it's a beginners music class or a lunch-hour concert. Musicians will be able to use the studios to record or just jam.

He also touted the economic impact, mentioning that two-thirds of the visitors to the station's largest events—the monthly First Thursday concerts in Baltimore—go on to spend money in Mount Vernon after the show.

Yasko said the new initiatives by WTMD could help put Baltimore on the musical map, instead of an afterthought on I-95 on the way to Philadelphia.

"There are a lot of folks who don't realize how creative this city really is," Yasko said.

WTMD will open its new studios by the end of the year.

City Center tenants move in

The GTC's event was one of the first held in the Towson City Center.

Arsh Mirmiran, director of development for owner Caves Valley Partners, said many of the building's tenants will start to move in over the next few weeks. Employees of MileOne subsidiary Allstate Leasing started moving in last weekend.

Caves Valley and the rest of MileOne will move into the top floors over the weekend, with Towson University's clinics setting up shop later this summer.

Caves Valley purchased the tower, once known as the Investment Building, in 2010, and then began a last year.

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