Some folks only attend the Maryland Crab Cake Tour when deviled eggs are involved. Our pal Bill Cole returns to join Mac Campbell of the Baltimore Convention Center in a wide-ranging discussion on the progress of downtown Baltimore and how to get the community to buy into the positive changes and leadership.
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
people, convention center, baltimore, deviled eggs, convention, give, eat, roofing, night, big, andy summers, love, dave grohl, city, call, bill, happen, told, part, downtown
SPEAKERS
Bill Cole, Mac Campbell, Nestor J. Aparicio
Nestor J. Aparicio 00:00
Welcome back, W N st Towson, Baltimore and Baltimore positive we are positively in a Baltimore positive place. We’re Lexington market. The old market as we’d say, here since 1782. World famous I can see right out the door so I brought to you by the Maryland lottery. I’ll be giving away some ravens scratch offs, hopefully get some winners. I’m hoping at some point somebody won $20,000 John Martin told me if they hit the thing, it just says seem MD lottery. So if you ever say C MD lottery, that’s not like, that’s they’re gonna give you a lot of money. That’s that’s the that’s the Willy Wonka. When it says, See Maryland lottery, you’ve won something that you just put the tick in your pocket and go to the car and go take care of business. also brought to you by our friends and winter nation. I did promise to wear the wacky hat during this segment. I was gonna let my hair down my rock’n’roll hair. Go Cole was here. Matt Campbell is here. It probably we talked about you in the last segment your ears. No, no. Well, I said that, that we were there and we were having a good time. A really good time. It did. You had a really good time that night. Earlier that night.
Bill Cole 01:09
It was it was all really good. It was make massive personal satisfaction about connecting people. He really
Nestor J. Aparicio 01:17
does just so we’re in secret. I told the story a little different off the air. But I’ll tell you know, best I could clean it off. We go down to Mako to get gas to have fun. I do my show down there. BEN CARDIN sat down your boss, Brandon Scott, our mayor set. So a lot of people from the state of there. And we’re at Secrets where they have the free plug. delicious chicken tenders. Right. There’s, they’re just so good. So they put them out on the buffet after we’ve had lousy food and a lot of places not like your families. And he comes over he’s like, I got a guy for you. See brings Mac over to me and Mac says to me, man, I know who you are. You’re like Alan McCallum’s guy. And I’m thinking like, anybody in my audience would know Alan, like Alan was here before the station was here. Alan was covering the Orioles for me in 9596 97 when I was at WL G before there was a station. So I haven’t asked you your connection to Alan. But you put this sort of thing together. And then he says to me, I’m doing this Oriole thing. It would be perfect for you. And I said what are you going to call it? And you said the nest and I said you don’t have to name it after me. You know, I’ll come and be a part of it without you naming it after me. You know so Matt Campbell is here. He runs the He’s the executive director because they don’t have a chief of the Baltimore Convention Center. Bill Cole was here. He’s not that Bill Cole. He’s the other bill Cole. He’s cool roofing. I did not bring your coffee mug today. I went with a duct Doctor mug for Howard. But I usually have your you get your Gordie and what’s this Gordian?
Bill Cole 02:45
Yeah, yes, I don’t know is the first shirt I grabbed this morning. Just
Nestor J. Aparicio 02:49
solar man.
Bill Cole 02:50
Okay. You’re so understated
Nestor J. Aparicio 02:51
about all this.
Bill Cole 02:53
I don’t know what to tell you. Like you didn’t give you a big accelerant speech yesterday. The the oral thing that he it wasn’t like the guardian or the coal. It was the nest. You know, it’s good point. That’s branding. I’m just saying that’s branding. You know,
03:09
what are you gonna do the cold market? Kind of good.
Bill Cole 03:12
I don’t know. I think that was good. You know,
Nestor J. Aparicio 03:16
it’s I’ve had a big week. You know, Hi, John Waters on this weekend. I’ve talked about, you know, fulfilling your dream and asking for what you want in life. So my wife said to me like the minute because I was coy about I went on the internet. I’m like, I didn’t do summers last month. And that was something I never thought would happen in my life. Because Andy Summers and I sang three songs together and Havana in a bar. I like it it really happened there’s a whole story I played go watch it a Baltimore positive relisted. But Andy Summers played in New York, Pennsylvania, ask him on and he remembered me. And he came on at some like, What songs did you say? Well, you can go listen to the whole thing with Believe it or not, I think I’m going to use pronoun. No, no, no, it’s pretty good. But my wife didn’t think so either. It does involve Jerry Coleman. Which makes it probably unlistenable. But, Scotty P for me cheese. We all went to Cuba together. And they came into the studio and told the whole story about how it all happened. It’s its own thing. We were in a boat at Domenico. They were as there was a music exchange program there. Andy Summers walked in. I recognize Patti Maloney from the chieftains because he used to come to Baltimore play. I did not recognize Andy Summers, but he’s this big. And he says, Hi, my name is Andy Summers. Nice to meet you. You know, and I’m like, like I said to Scott, I’m like, That’s Andy Summers from the police. So a band came in and played mariachi music. They had guitars. Woody Harrelson was there I left that out Woody Harrelson was there and we were doing a weird microcosm was this was a real Israel not a fever dream, do this walk
04:43
in a bar and he’s telling you the
Nestor J. Aparicio 04:45
story and I’m not even getting to the punch line yet to John Waters and Dave Grohl. But so I had Andy Summers on after this crazy what three songs we did
Bill Cole 04:55
doesn’t matter.
Nestor J. Aparicio 04:57
I well it does. Because I said I said to him, do you Well, you play the guitar with these guys. He’s like, I don’t speak any Spanish. You got to set it up and make it respectful. And I said la police you the la police. Yeah, they gave, they gave me the guitar. And Jerry Coleman sitting on the bar drinking Havana koupit Libras. And he’s yelling canary in a coal mine when the world is running down, yelling all the songs, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic. And Andy Summers holds the guitar that he just picked up up to my ear. He’s like, let’s start at the beginning mate. And he started playing every breath you take through. So like every breath he’s so so we just started singing and Woody Harrelson is harmonizing with me. We did three songs we did that. We did SOS. And I didn’t know the beginning. And thank you can thank Jerry Coleman. Just to cast away just to cast away he’s yelling at me. So just to cast away. So I did that. And then then we did Roxanne because the whole place wanted Roxanne. Of course. Yeah. So there were Italian stewardesses and pilots there. So
Bill Cole 05:54
there’ll be some sort of hyperlink that connects us to the YouTube video of this.
Nestor J. Aparicio 05:58
There’s not a lot of pictures of it, but there’s no there’s no motion. So anyway, so Andy Summers does a show and then really happen. Listen, this is inspiring. inspiration and perspiration. Okay. So Andy Summers happens in my wife says to me, you know, like, what are you gonna get Springsteen on? You know, like, what’s going to be next? And I’m like, I’m gonna chase John Waters down because he’s doing this Christmas thing. And he’s always been at the top of the bucket list. As a Baltimore since we birth Baltimore positive five years ago, you’re failing. So he came on and he said, I’ve never said no to you. And I thought I should ask a long time ago, right? So Dave Grohl is my new person. When John Waters happened. My wife said, what’s next? And I said, I’m not really getting Barack Obama. I’m not really getting Bruce Springsteen. I hadn’t those Lofgren last month. Pretty good. Pretty good. Pretty good. I probably could get little Stephen if I asked. I’ve just never asked, right. So like, what’s next? And I’m like, I don’t know. But April’s next. I just I came up with that with you. Dave Grohl wrote a song called Hero. Yeah, there goes my hero. Right. So the organization that was heavily involved in saving my wife’s life. There goes my hero. So Jen right now is eating Is it is it 11 o’clock yet? She’s eating schnitzel right now in Cologne, Germany, and drinking sooner beer. It’s pronounced zunar zunar say it the right ways Zoom Air. So anyway, Niels who saved her life and so they’re in Cologne, so they’re real miracles here. So if my wife can be with the man who saved her life and Cologne, I should be able to get a roll on the show. Right? Like think thinking I know people who know Dave Grohl? Dave Grohl is next because I don’t know if he knows about there goes my hero or not. And I want to be the one to tell it with Eric and Michelle. Of
07:43
course we found that he’s a reasonable celebrity.
Bill Cole 07:44
I think I don’t think he’s it’s an unreasonable I’d
Nestor J. Aparicio 07:49
like confidence you don’t want what if I brought him to fade Lee’s and said Dave Grohl? crabcakes from fade Lee’s Do you think that would get him here?
Bill Cole 07:58
might walk in the door.
Nestor J. Aparicio 07:59
Got You Here. Now you’re not even here for the crab cakes. This guy has no palate at all. When it comes to taste what? You can’t say this is a mustardy sort of all you care about are these Why do I don’t want to eat these things? I don’t want to touch I do care. I am not I do take these. I don’t want anyone if they’re
Mac Campbell 08:18
the best. Yeah, you’re gonna share them? Of course. We can cheers on the air.
Nestor J. Aparicio 08:21
What do you love about deviled eggs? Bilkul
Bill Cole 08:25
the devil day goodness.
Nestor J. Aparicio 08:28
I can’t believe they’re eaten is when they can be eaten this you guys cheers on all this. We’re fade Lee’s Bilco is here. Matt Campbell is here. They met on the sand on a beach with a lot of free alcohol involved and Bill and bike more later on. And I did too. And why am I always the designated driver at Mako? Because I don’t drink a lot to be really cool for Well, I walked this year so I probably probably I didn’t drink too much. I still could
Bill Cole 08:52
have Uber changed Ocean City anyway. Like there were no cabs right. You can do the boss you took the bus. Now there’s Uber.
Nestor J. Aparicio 09:01
Little excessive she replaced them already. I just got rid of more back you know, like my mother Like my aunt. My see my brainlessly
Bill Cole 09:09
she could get a cab. Yeah, that was the only place secret
Nestor J. Aparicio 09:12
movie lineup out there. Right. All right. So when we left Mack was giving his five minute elevator speech on Bill Cole for Gordian energy is going to have a solar conference here. How are these conferences you’re having a solar conference? So when you’re having a solar conference here how many more
Bill Cole 09:29
conference here in like two weeks
Nestor J. Aparicio 09:31
right so what does that mean? You’re like the legitimate Well, mentally well, I mean your whole roofing so let’s say there’s a roofing your industry whatever you’re in just because you’re always the you are Minnesota couple of weeks you go to this stuff all the time. You’ve been to a million conventions, right? Before I get to that, because I’m rambling and it’s um, add Have you guys ever seen a mashed potato bar
09:51
at us? No, they’re the best. I was.
Nestor J. Aparicio 09:54
Never event last a wedding or something. Yes. Last night Atlanta caterers Shout out to Raul was my Facebook friend. I MC the American Cancer Society. I cried a lot and showman that was there. It was unbelievable. Was it the museum industry, and I walked up with me and these two really pretty girls that were there like iron and up and I looked at it and I looked at them and I looked at it and I’m like, we’re the big potatoes because it looked like everything. It looked like there would be a baked potato in a in a sinful and it was two big mashed potato vats that looked delicious. Dude had gravy, gravy, chili, cheese, bacon, chives, sour cream, whatever you
Bill Cole 10:34
would mashed potato bar changed her life last night.
Nestor J. Aparicio 10:39
I put it on the internet, people were making fun of me. They’re like, you’ve never seen a mashed potato bar. And like, I don’t think I’ll ever see one again. First time I like. And then I say this to you. And you look at me like we’ve had plenty of mashed potato. I
10:51
mean, you don’t get looking like me without big potato bar. Yeah.
Nestor J. Aparicio 10:57
So anyway, he’s given his five minute speech. And you are what is the convention look like? What does his customer look like, from your perspective? To say if you’re in charge of the roofing administration of Maryland, and you’re gonna whatever, what he’s gonna give the speech, but how many people come to these things that you go to?
Bill Cole 11:16
The big roofing convention is probably 20,000 30,000. roofers,
11:21
there’s a convention forever. Yeah,
Nestor J. Aparicio 11:23
we do. What 20,000? That’s too big for all we can
11:26
do the 20,000. Really? Otakon was pushing 40. Wow. I mean, it depends on the setup, obviously. But
Nestor J. Aparicio 11:32
I wish I would have I wouldn’t want my Wonder Twins outfit.
Bill Cole 11:36
You were definitely change the subject. If it’s a there’s a lot of nuances to that. So roofers aren’t busy in February. So guess when our convention is? February? Do you really think everybody’s gonna buy a plane ticket to Baltimore in February? Their roofers, mind you Right? Like he’s giving you challenge. Vegas is nice. Like New Orleans. Orlando. Like that’s the circuit pretty telling me they made San Antonio every now and then. But it’s February. Right. So that’s
12:08
hard. I don’t know. We’re busy. In February. I get about the right piece of business. Right. But then you know, it. There’s a world of asphalt. There’s a tow truck convention. There’s the nurses of gastroenterology. Literally everything. We love to
Nestor J. Aparicio 12:27
do music we love to nurses and Coco crabcakes. And nobody nurses of what
12:31
gastroenterology right. I don’t want him there as a convention.
Nestor J. Aparicio 12:35
I mean, I’m sure they’re nice people, but I don’t want to meet him professionally.
12:37
You know what I mean? I mean, we did brony con.
Bill Cole 12:42
Convention for everybody. My, my our complete, outsider’s view is like once your convention center has the ability to show that it’s logistically and structurally capable of handling the event is literally about things that are mostly out of your control that you try and push people to produce. You know, what’s the food scene? Like? What’s your I mean? Like, like, what, why is it a hot place that people are gonna want to go? And then that’s, I mean, you know, that’s why that’s the crossover when talking to him is like, I get it. There’s lots of crazy stuff there. But how do you get the whole ecosystem to buy into, oh, we have to support the convention center. And here’s the things that I can do to help with that. That’s the That’s it right?
13:38
And at the same time, it’s also how we can help them right. Like we talked, we were talking about harborplace In the first segment, right? Like, de Bramble needs us as much as we need a bramble. We need vibrancy, and we all create that. And we all feed off of each other’s missions, right? So I think it’s it’s a collaborative thing, right? Sure.
Bill Cole 13:55
When there’s a convention, if there’s an Oriole game that happens at the same time, or a concert at the arena at the same time, like those are additive, or things that get on the list and be like, oh, cool, we can do that.
Nestor J. Aparicio 14:07
We’ll go back to five years ago, no offense when the baseball team sucked that wasn’t as much of a draw for sure.
Bill Cole 14:12
Well, Cam yards is still on people’s bucket list anything when the product on the field is terrible or not. You’d rather have
Nestor J. Aparicio 14:20
the baseball team here than not here from a sales perspective that it’s a better weekend when it’s here. Right? Well, but
14:25
let me tell you even something crazier, and so we had the China Chinese American volleyball tournament here a couple months ago, they were doing a night market, traditional Chinese night market and they couldn’t find a place to do it they were going to do on Camden street permitting was was not the right for what they were doing. So they activated Utah street on a dark night in the in the warehouse, lit the whole thing up and activated that as part of their convention. So now we have space we have spans these really cool assets that can be used in a whole bunch of different ways. And so it’s just it’s weird bedfellows so to speak, but it’s it worked. And then we had drone flyovers of how cool it was. And then we use that to show other conventions, like look at all this cool stuff you can do within a block
Nestor J. Aparicio 15:14
of our building to never tell you about the time I walked on fire in the parking lot at the convention. No, you didn’t. You didn’t. Yeah, Tony Robbins 2000 in maybe one. My Sunday two. Absolutely. Did a fire walk walk on fire. Absolutely. It’s how Baltimore positive applicants Amy was asking. Well, I’ll tell her about that later. But it’s been five years for Baltimore positive this month. And it happened at a convention center Mac you’ll appreciate this max about the eater crab cake and I’m losing him as a guest now because once he starts eating, I’ll storytel for a moment then Bill wants to crab cake mean all these deviled eggs. Deniz, bring it over here at Bally’s. So Baltimore positive celebrates five years next month. It happened in the middle of the night at a convention center. I was at Tony Robbins date with destiny. It was the weekend that that mahomes threw the Jedi pass in 18 against you remember Jedi everybody remembers that Jedi pass you can’t sit it right. I was watching that game on television at the convention center in West Palm Beach. Lovely convention center right off in 95 there and Tony Robbins says his annual seven day all in all night school. David destiny. It’s really he invited me personally I saw him at the capitals. playoffs and he invited my wife because my wife’s a two time survivor. So it’s called date with destiny. It’s about finding your mission in life and, and then applying yourself right so this is you know, I told the story once or twice but but never to you guys so but involves the convention center. So part of Robins Mustang is the convention halls, 50 degrees, everybody has jackets on you learn better when it’s cold, you focus better when it’s cold, like all all of these sorts of techniques that a guy like Robbins would have but you go out into a garden and we went for like a walk. It was like just sort of not a mantra walk. It wasn’t a fire walk. But it was kind of like get out of the convention. It’s nice. It’s Florida. It was in December. It was nice out. And it was walking through there that I like can see Baltimore positive. So as something to do it was a thought process. So here’s the punchline. I come back Jamie says yes, Don molars leaving government, we start the thing we get everybody from governors and Nancy Pelosi is and athletes and do gooders and wonderful organizations and all this stuff. And two years ago, I found myself in West Palm Beach and I wanted to go back and pay respect to the space where I sort of walked out into this thing and I’ve been to downtown West Palm one of
Bill Cole 17:30
my best friends. I’m not a big West Palm Beach fan, by the way, just okay.
Nestor J. Aparicio 17:34
But my my buddy lives downtown near clematis, and they have a Rocco’s tacos. It’s lovely. So I pulled the car over, parked it. And I went out just to pay respect to this place that’s created this next part of my life that allows me to do things like bnmc at the American Cancer, do good things, right. And the first thing I saw was beware allocators. And the first thing I thought is, this is a total Robin’s mind F thing that if I would have known there were alligators there. I never would have gone into that park.
18:07
You don’t have to worry about
Nestor J. Aparicio 18:11
so there’s a challenge for you, right? Alligators, alligators, you know, it’s an alligator sign. And I had to laugh because I thought there’s your first challenge. I never would have walked into that. Never. Bill Cole was here from coal roofing. He asked me if I’ve ever had the two goals together.
Bill Cole 18:27
We’ve never done it together. But he and I have been in the same race. They’re a black hole does not open.
Nestor J. Aparicio 18:32
So okay, so that that does happen. Your five minute elevator speech that you’ve had a crabcake you’re inspired Mac what what do you say to someone that says Baltimore crime Freddie, great damping there. Were you saying that baseball? weather’s bad is February? What what what are the sales? Just
18:50
pile it on? Why don’t you Yeah, good. So you look at Baltimore as a as a destination of easy access, right? Whether you’re driving in the 95 corridor, we’re one of the easiest destinations to get to by car, literally right off 395 Bam, you’re at the building. airlift, BWI Airport, trot.
Nestor J. Aparicio 19:11
Around little crumb. Sorry,
19:13
we’re not picking it out hard, died a little bit. I know it’s a crab.
Bill Cole 19:16
So you would think different of me if I bent down and ate it right now. So and we’re on cameras, I can’t do that.
Nestor J. Aparicio 19:21
He’s thinking about it. He’s thinking about it nonetheless. So,
19:25
airlift right BWI Airport, a major hub for Southwest and other other other other outlets. Light Rail straight to the building, quick drive straight from the airport. Really easy
Nestor J. Aparicio 19:38
to get in and out. And that’s not true in a lot of places as someone that travels well, right. A lot of I fly to Denver, they land me in Wyoming, you know, talking about the Kansas City you land in Kansas, not Missouri cities in Missouri, you know, the president of it’s true.
19:53
I mean, a lot of the major convention centers you mentioned and we’re talking about Orlando, I mean, they’re there, they’ve got a parking lot. They’re out and they’re not anywhere near Your major transportation, you got to get there. We’re right in the heart of the city. It’s 9000 hotel rooms within a walking distance of the convention center. But it’s an incredibly attractive position in terms of how many people can actually attend easily. Well,
Nestor J. Aparicio 20:15
I’ll say this for other things. I have a friend that lives West Coast, East Coast. She works for ABC. And I saw her up in New York this summer. So our for literally 20 minutes. But she was on and on and on. About like, she’s a New Yorker. She lives in LA, but she spent time in New York back and forth. Sure, sure. Good Morning, America. She said, New York so much more expensive. She’s like, the minute you show up here, everything cost so much more than that. She’s in California. And I think I used to go to California all time. I think 9% tax and it’s an add gas is six bucks a gallon or whatever. But there are places that are really expensive. Do we compete in that way? We’re incredibly affordable. That’s where I’m thinking we might we might win, we might win because we can win on price and value.
20:59
Our hotel room nights are very competitive from like, Nashville is insane. Well, Nashville is like the bachelor capital of the world right now. It’s you go down there, and it’s just absolutely. I
Nestor J. Aparicio 21:10
mean, it’s your pricing. And that’s like, you know, no offense to New York or Nashville, but like, Baltimore pricing probably is really attractive to a lot of people and I, I hope that we’re still that I don’t I think living everybody, which is about everything being expensive, but like I’m like, Yeah, I don’t know, you know,
21:28
the food. I would say from a from a show presenter standpoint, the cost of of doing business in Baltimore is reasonable. Our organized labor situation is very amenable. The cost of of materials here seem to be cheaper from from a shipping and manufacturing standpoint. I think we’re incredibly good there but we’re walkable. Right? I and that’s when I when I started the convention center in 2012, whose celebration, I had I they knew I was coming and we had a Blue Angel flyover. We had the Tall Ships, we had vibrancy all been down Pratt street, you know, and I was reminded of that. One opening day, Bruce Springsteen convention of the convention center, it’s still there right right. We just went
Nestor J. Aparicio 22:15
arena has been a big part of this, you know, and I’ve invited bill we don’t want from CFG again, for the holidays. I just, it’s gotten me downtown.
22:21
You know what I mean? And oh, yeah, because there was Eagles it was Bruce Springsteen and what are their kids
Nestor J. Aparicio 22:25
sent me a come on the other day sales pitch right. And I think I sent it over to you because we were talking about the city and the support and whether the city stepping up for the Orioles or the Ravens or CFT things they get by hippodrome things you could buy subscriptions to things you can be you know a part of the club’s so to speak and become a regular for whatever the value whether it’s the zoo, what anything you’re going to be regular for to support. And I said to him, I’ve been in that building all my life. I went there. I loved it when it was a dump, right? Like I spoke of it. I always loved it. I was never adverse to. Oh, well, Van Halen is playing there, Iowa, I want to go to Philadelphia. I was always like, I live four blocks from that arena. So we let it scattered there or when any name any act that used to be there. But it was few I mean, that was a few and far between me Frank did a great job and The Rolling Stones, eagles. So all those who played there you too, right? In the modern era, this century, right. But what we’ve seen in the last nine months, is it’s a heart transplant to to Queen and John Mayer and the Eagles and I didn’t go to lizard but I’m thinking of things I went to Bryan Adams. I’ve been there once a month for eight months to see big acts that weren’t there when the skip Jacks game or last game, no offense, but what the city is. That’s such an incredible thing for our city. I think the baseball team being better. I think even the discussion even though I’m clearly I have some questions for the Angelo’s family, the shotty family and for the governor and for the legislature. But I want to see a vision. You know, I mean, it’s nice to he began the segment, Bill calls here, Matt Campbell from the Baltimore convention. He began an hour and a half ago, this whole thing would tell them money, since he’s 6.2 built was just
24:12
$6.5 billion between 2018 and 2028. capital investment within a mile McKeldin Plaza.
Nestor J. Aparicio 24:20
Does that sound right to public money or no
24:22
private money? Yeah, well, yes. All money in that case, right? Because you got you have everything from the medicine. I
Nestor J. Aparicio 24:27
said to him. Money would improve. Let’s see Hippodrome. Right? Lexington market CFG Bank Arena. And then the next thing is the team, the baseball team and then everything that lives in the golf thing is part of that right? All
24:42
right. Okay. Fair here. Yep.
Bill Cole 24:44
I mean, I tell people all the time that you know, we we do stuff in spite of whatever is going on, right. Like, like we are just determined and don’t don’t sleep on the fact that this is a buyers market. Right like if You’re a buyer of an asset, what are you looking for value, right? You’re looking for value, you’re looking for depressed assets, something that somebody else doesn’t want any more that I can improve that I can do something else with. That is our entire city. Right? An entire city is this playground for people who want to buy cheap, put some blood, sweat and tears into something and make it into something else. It’s it’s like the opportunity of opportunities here. That’s why things keep happening. And
25:28
so you have that. And then was a two weeks ago, the Greater Baltimore committee was on stage with the president announcing that Baltimore was wonderful. That was amazing. Right, you had Mark Anthony Thomas, next to the President talking about Baltimore, and they chose Baltimore, out of all 41 destinations to be that intro, and to be that spotlight for that hub program. So I mean, you got you’ve got you’ve got by low but you’ve also got all these fantastic assets when
Nestor J. Aparicio 25:54
you drive by 95 Just look into port Covington. Yeah, I’ll always call it that, by the way. It’ll never be the more Peninsula boy BP we got to Baltimore positive mechanicals from the Baltimore Convention Center. He runs things down there Bill cold for coal roofing, of course, our partner and friend. We’re at a fade leads. It’s all brought to you by the Maryland lottery. I got ravens scratch offs. I’ve been remiss I gotta give some more of these out. I got a bunch of mirror. I’ll have some winners. We’re gonna be a Costas on Tuesday. We’re gonna be at Coco’s on the 29th. We’re going to be at a church regional authorities with Dan Rodricks. We’re going to be curial wellness December 15. We’re going to be at state fair on December the fifth I believe so we’re going to be a lot of different places. Big appreciation to damy Nancy bill, the divine family for all they do here and also Linda Raskin who gave me this great crab mallet and crab claw and his annual event too. And, of course, we have crab cakes, deviled eggs for the boys here and all that while
Bill Cole 26:49
you’re sleeping on what truly refined palate and then you’re gonna put your nose up to the first thing
Nestor J. Aparicio 26:57
it’s a mustard and mayonnaise, which is a combination of things that I didn’t and an egg which and paprika and stuff like that, that they were always a little curdled on the table when my mother made him. I didn’t really trust it, whether we had shells in them and stuff like that. My mother didn’t see well. So I probably was traumatizing that way. First thing. I can’t say what I think it’s four letter word, but I think they taste like ish. And when I was a boy and I told my aunt this my aunt’s at 81 or 82 years old now my Tia Angela. She’s an Aparicio. She’s Venezuelan, came here. She was my aunt who lived in Timonium, my father’s brother’s wife. She’s the mother of all my cousins that I love that I spent time with. And I hadn’t seen her in May 20 years. She was living in Venezuela. She now lives in Houston, Texas. So once she Springsteen down in Houston, Valentine’s week, and I drove out to Katy, Texas, I took her to a beautiful breakfast, and I really wanted to hear more of her life story and hear more like it was my time to and she wasn’t as loquacious about she’s very doing well love use your laundry percent good. But she didn’t have a lot of stories to tell. But I had to tell her this story. Let’s see at Angela. I hated you when I was a kid. So why why do you not like me? I said, Because you made me eat issues like this that I didn’t want. And you would sit there and I would try to like throw it on the floor. She made me tuna fish. Don’t bring that near me. Bologna man. So she made me eat things that were good for you. Gross and creamy and man easy and mustardy that I did not want as a child. And I like I would get him on I would cry. I’d be like Don’t Don’t make me this. My you know my parents. So it probably created a problem with the Latin part of my culture and my background is that I didn’t trust these people if they’re making me eat this, so I’m not eating that. And that’s that. Wow, you bring me macaroni salad. I’ll do the same thing. You bring me potato salad. I won’t eat it. Right if you like so shrimp salad le bring it over macaroni
Bill Cole 29:02
salad is not allowed. No
Nestor J. Aparicio 29:04
potato salad. No, what’s wrong salad? No. Tuna salad. No, I wouldn’t eat most of the things in that cooler over but then
29:11
shrimp salad is fine. So you’re a hypocrite. Yes.
Nestor J. Aparicio 29:14
Are those beats? No, no.
Bill Cole 29:17
No might be with you on the beats.
Nestor J. Aparicio 29:19
Right most everyday but I don’t eat that. I
Bill Cole 29:22
like I like raw beets. I don’t like pickled beets. People have asked
Nestor J. Aparicio 29:25
me like I have never gone on a rant in five years about a food I don’t like more than I just did. Right? Because all I do is talk about the food because I love so many. Why would I eat that when I get eat this? Well, that’s
Bill Cole 29:38
not that. I know what it is, though. I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you what it is. This is this is 100% The story of deviled eggs. If you ever take the time to actually make deviled eggs, you will understand it’s an art form, the effort and the love that has to go into making deviled eggs that you fundamentally want to eat all of them because of the level of
Nestor J. Aparicio 30:06
effort show of hands. How many people eat deviled eggs? God, I’ve just been everybody, everybody. Oh my god. It’s
Bill Cole 30:13
like yeah, it’s totally an a labor of love. Like,
Nestor J. Aparicio 30:19
I wanted to take them off the venue because this is my life. I’m calling all of you wrong. So anything else for us here to keep you around? Because you’re here. I gotta get Damian Jeff’s here. We’re gonna talk developments. I’m gonna bring you I’m gonna let you go. Because you it’s a holiday. You sure you want another deviled egg? I got one. Oh, don’t worry. Right now these here are God’s gift. You know, there are people like my daughter in law doesn’t eat tomatoes. And I’m like, oh, what’s wrong? Like, these are? These are like little bites of heaven. My call she brings him over for me was on Convention Center. What do people need to know other than the nest is opening on opening day and I’ll be there flying the flag. On the show more often with told me more about Castro in turn gastroenterology?
31:06
Yeah, sure. Why don’t you just conventions? We have to you know, look, we’ve got the holiday season coming up. We were doing a lot of events for the for the community. We’re doing the do a couple of Thanksgiving events, hanging out having a Thanksgiving meals. Lauren McLean’s 53 foundations going to the convention center sweater, you know. So we’re focused on that. Obviously, you can find out more about us at BC senator.org. But the mayor just announced a new problem, a new program called Baltimore rise. So it’s an initiative to engage downtown and do all the things that people have been asking for, in a very strategic way. Everything from cleaning up tree wells to new signs to infrastructure enhancements to public safety enhancements in collaboration with all the downtown folks including Shalonda at Downtown Partnership. So partnership met at your place on Thursday night is their 40th year this 40th anniversary annual meeting last night. Yeah, you
Nestor J. Aparicio 32:09
know, I was at the American Cancer Society event. So I saw people showing up and doing things. It was something else did happen. On Thursday night was like a big it was a big night there were there was there was another soiree that was pretty significant. Oh well, Sports Hall of Fame stock. Our show went in. Jermaine Lewis went in friends of mine. I’m Oh, my friend, Mike African, all sorts of people were that shows. Uh, it was a busy night in the city.
32:31
We had about 750 people. Wow, including Senator Cardin. Senator Van Hollen, West Governor more. Mayor Scott
Nestor J. Aparicio 32:39
was a meal was
32:41
a big big, you know,
Bill Cole 32:42
did they have a match receipt? Or they didn’t okay, but but they missed the boat.
32:47
The best carp Turkey we had the best reef, a fantastic action donut station, Flom bait and all that stuff. Do you like donuts? Can you eat donuts?
Nestor J. Aparicio 32:56
Just eat that
33:00
data. But but it was I don’t.
Nestor J. Aparicio 33:02
I don’t eat liver. I don’t eat deviled eggs.
Bill Cole 33:04
So no.
Nestor J. Aparicio 33:06
I don’t need you know, venison. But there’s
Bill Cole 33:08
actually a point here. Let’s not get lost. He got so this program. I want to be on the record of saying that I like literally just read one article this morning. And I knew nothing else I could I tried to find the video couldn’t find the video. But it makes me think of two things. One is patience. And two is like optimistic participation. Yep. Right. So. So I had the opportunity to go to Philadelphia, on one of our like learning John’s that we take. And Philly did a really good job of finding these different little public spaces and activating them. Yep. You know, you put a Starbucks kiosk anywhere, like all of a sudden there’s people right? You serve booze after four o’clock in a little park area people show up? Well, I mean, one of the strategies, and I’m by no means like a public safety expert. I don’t know what I’m talking about. Right? I’m literally just talking about but if there’s a whole bunch of people there, that breeds better public
34:11
safety, yep. vibrancy solves crime. So
Bill Cole 34:15
so if you activate space, you’re improving public safety. The patient’s part is like things don’t happen overnight. That’s right. So maybe he was influenced by what we saw in Philadelphia. Maybe he wasn’t I don’t know, maybe all this was his own ideas. Regardless, my point is that there are a lot of people trying to do really good stuff right now. We all lack the patience. Because we want it right now. Right? These are the problems we have to fix them right now. And then I think in our world today, it’s almost like our default position is skeptical and like you know, semi negative
Nestor J. Aparicio 34:56
was why put positive ad on the screen right here. You know what I mean? Remember Like, not everything on here, you know, and we’re done. And I we get so I was, it’s not all a PR endeavor for me. But it is all PR endeavor. And sharing for shedding light on things that are wrong, is how they get right. And then celebrating when they get right, whatever. I mean, celebrating the CFG Bank Arena, which a year ago, we’re sitting here and saying nothing ever gonna get done, as I’m sitting here in the old Lexington market with damy, who’s had the patience of Job at this point, to get Gainesville open to get the stall open the right way. 50 feet from here. And like she has to believe it’s going to it’s going to happen, because I’ve seen everything else happened
35:36
last night at that at that event. Downtown Partnership awarded CFG bank Oakview group and Frank as as a as a kind of revitalization award winner because of the work they did at no expense to the city to reengage and really raise the bar, right. But the the four the four concepts of this downtown RISE program are public safety and cleanliness, Community and Economic Development, arts, culture, entertainment and placemaking. And infrastructure development. And I just have to work well, yeah, well, and the convention center needs to be top notch and the sidewalks need to get us from the arena to the convention center in a safe way. And the bike lanes and and the scooters, and all that stuff has to be done intentionally.
Bill Cole 36:17
So like if, and I’ll just say, because maybe I have to be the guy because I’m like the dumb roofer guy. So I’ll be the one that I love about I’ll be bring you on the show, I’ll be the one to say. Like, if we can’t figure out a way to put our egos aside, and just lean in on whoever’s idea it was and whatever, constantly just lean in, give it some energy, give it some don’t get in the way. Let’s try things like Hey, okay, if it’s an epic disaster, everybody’s gonna raise their hand and we’re gonna pivot and we’re gonna change and we’re gonna do it better. But so much of what stands in the way is this friction around? Well, we can’t support that, because isn’t the right people or the right party or the right group? Or the right whatever?
Nestor J. Aparicio 37:02
Why bring in Jeff right now on just advance, you’re gonna be with him? Yeah. In the development space. You know, I’ve asked David Bramble on I hope he comes on at some point in the next 90 days. Shalonda was busy last, I mean, I’ve invited all of these folks
Bill Cole 37:15
to get on because right now, the story is being told by others. I know that he had an opportunity, he put his story out. And now all the reverberations and the ripple effect from that are like, Oh, my gosh, or Wow, that’s awesome. And he needs to continue to tell the story.
Nestor J. Aparicio 37:34
Well, and I think that I’m here today with Jeff to talk about just the general because Jeff was, came out on LinkedIn and said, Hey, give this a chance. And that’s where I am on this. What? From a development from a civic planning what makes it a good idea? What makes it? What makes it a bad idea? It’s gonna fail. It’s not harborplace it’s not a mall. It’s not, it’s not telling me what it’s not tell me what it is. And then then we can figure out how to make some of the knots maybe still, you know, don’t over with
Bill Cole 38:03
I don’t know what’s right. I don’t know where I sit on that yet. Because I haven’t been old enough for the store. I
Nestor J. Aparicio 38:08
don’t have an opinion. People have what I know about. I know, it can’t be what it is. It needs to be something else. You know, what
Bill Cole 38:13
I know about? briefly what I read again, I don’t know a lot about that program from last night. But I know that it is low risk to invest in activate space that already exists that isn’t being used. It is low risk, right? You everybody just leans in, and it becomes something wonderful or it doesn’t put the downside, there really is no downside to it. It’s open space that isn’t doing anything. Right. It’s trash in tree wells. Like what could possibly be the downside of cleaning that up? Right? Like literally somebody’s going to do it get a job. Somebody’s gonna clean it up. It’s gonna look better. It’s gonna make the make the city that’s low risk, lean in support the you know, support it. Let’s make it happen.
Nestor J. Aparicio 39:03
I love it.
39:04
Downtown Baltimore. rise.com. Okay. That’s the city’s platform website.
Nestor J. Aparicio 39:09
See, I just I didn’t even need the mayor. I got you. It’s good.
39:11
You need the mirror
Nestor J. Aparicio 39:12
I need to Matt Campbell is here he is running all things Baltimore Convention Center Bill coals. Here. He runs coal roofing as well as Gordian energy. I usually have my cold roofing mug here with my royal farms, coffee, marital lotteries giving these out it’s Raven scratch offs. They have a gingerbread and a peppermint seasonal. I made a mistake. I called them sniffers. John Martin didn’t appreciate that. They’re, they’re scented.
Bill Cole 39:36
They’re scented Scratchers
Nestor J. Aparicio 39:38
scented scratch offs, right? We have these don’t stink. They and the Ravens old stinky.
Bill Cole 39:47
Scented scratch off.
Nestor J. Aparicio 39:48
They smell like victory. So I’m going to use that that’s going to give me another sponsorship. Maryland lottery or friends or window nation. I’ve won the wacky at 866 90 nation your bike do you get to free 0% financing Five years. And uh, last but never least I don’t have a Jiffy Lube widget or thing. They’re gonna give me something to hold up I think before it’s maybe t shirt or French chicken you multi care sponsoring the Maryland crap game this year one
Bill Cole 40:12
for you go just before we lose him. Like, it’s really important that all the millions of listeners that love this city, find more people like him that are in the city that are committed to the city that are trying to make good stuff happen. And then we embrace them and we make sure they feel love. Right, and Convention Center. But not just that. But just personally like there are good people, when we find them. We have to embrace them. We have to help them in any way we can. So So
Nestor J. Aparicio 40:41
I’ve told a million stories about my father over 32 years on the air. I call them my pop because that’s what I call them. His name was Mac. I don’t have a lot of maxeon. So there you go. So my dad’s name was your name. So you have to be a good human good one.
40:55
Right? Absolutely.
Nestor J. Aparicio 40:56
I don’t think I brought that up to there. My dad Big Mac.
Bill Cole 41:00
I will I will continue to press on the deviled eggs while you’re good. I
41:04
appreciate that. We’re not gonna let this we’ll check in on you in a couple of weeks we’ll get we’ll turn it will turn
Nestor J. Aparicio 41:10
it you’re obeying it or like Jao or No, no, you don’t need to cancel short. You can think of what you could do to your leg. You can if you own deviled it and just gave me like a boiled egg. I’d be happy to eat it with a little no pepper. What we’re
Bill Cole 41:24
gonna tell her is take that deviled egg. Put a little piece of lump crab on top of it charges three times as much. People will buy it every day. Buy in every day. Take the same thing. Drop a little jalapeno on top of it. Drop a little jalapeno on top of it. Charge twice as much. People will buy it every day.
Nestor J. Aparicio 41:43
He’s always thinking bilkul just why he’s I’ve experienced
Bill Cole 41:48
all of that and that is wonderful. You like that will expand you just you know you’re you’re allowed to change it up every now and
Nestor J. Aparicio 41:54
then he’s here for the deviled eggs. I’m here for the shrimp salad. We all come here for the crab cakes were families in Lexington market the old market will be in the new market. I keep saying this is gonna be the last show, but it’s not. Yeah, you know, I thought when I left 33rd Street the last time that I drive by there and I get all wistful all over again. So for Clint Yeah, I got for Clint last night in front of people. It wasn’t it wasn’t comfortable. I was still like I drove out of there last night all my pictures. I’m a wreck. So but it was a beautiful tribute to David Modell. So it’s football season, Luke’s out knowings mills. We’re in Lexington market. We’re gonna come back and talk about development in our harbor harbor place. My old neighborhood. We’re WNS da 1570, Towson Baltimore. from Lexington markets. They were this it’s the crabcake tour.
