No. 6-seed Maryland women’s basketball had a chance to earn the final shot Thursday night.
Maryland
Finmarc Buys Maryland Retail Plaza for $30M
Bethesda, Md.-based Finmarc Management wants to build a $250 million diverse real estate portfolio by the end of 2025, and the acquisition of a retail plaza not far from their home base keeps them well on target.
The firm has purchased Riverview Plaza, at 5425 Urbana Pike in Frederick, Md., for $30 million, Commercial Observer has learned. A joint venture between Edens and J.P. Morgan Chase sold the 185,275-square-foot shopping center, represented by Ryan Sciullo and Casey Benson Smith of CBRE. Finmarc was self-represented in the deal.
Riverview Plaza is currently 95 percent leased, anchored by TJ Maxx, Michaels, PetSmart and Bob’s Discount Furniture. Staples, The Home Depot and Target are also tenants.
It’s now the second plaza in Finmarc’s Federick-area cadre. The firm acquired the neighboring Frederick Corporate Park for $43 million in 2020.
“Riverview Plaza in an institutional-quality regional shopping center with a proven track record
of high occupancy, tenant retention and strong sales,” David Fink, Finmarc’s co-founder and principal, said in a statement. “During a time when other retail venues suffered during the pandemic, the center’s national tenant mix pushed sales to new heights and more than 4 million shoppers visited Riverview Plaza last year, marking another high.”
Finmarc’s stated goal of building a robust portfolio doesn’t mean that the firm is afraid to shed some properties, however.
The Riverview Plaza purchase follows the firm’s sale earlier this year of 8000 Granier Court, an 88,000-square-foot flex/warehouse property in Northern Virginia, for about $16 million to C2 Imaging. The building is part of an 11-building group Finmarc acquired in mid-2022 for $128 million.
“We are especially interested in underperforming properties that provide our team opportunities to build value with proven leasing and asset management tactics,” Fink said. “We view our private, internal capital as an advantage, as we are not constrained by a particular period for holding an investment or defined internal rate of return goals for any investor or partner that other companies may have.”
Nick Trombola can be reached at NTrombola@commercialobserver.com.
Maryland
Maryland Senate Republicans push to roll back MVA fees as drivers complain of costs
MARYLAND (WBFF) — Maryland drivers frustrated by rising costs at the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) are watching a push in Annapolis to roll back recent vehicle registration fee hikes.
At the MVA on Reisterstown Road, motorists said the cost of driving has become too high.
“It’s too expensive to drive,” one driver said.
Another driver said, “The cost is ridiculous. They want me to pay almost $400 (for my vehicle registration).”
ALSO READ | Maryland residents react to soaring vehicle registration fees, rank fifth highest in U.S.
Delores Howell, a Maryland motorist at the MVA, said the increases are hitting her hard.
“I think it’s awful. Who can afford it? It’s too much money,” Howell said.
She added, “I’m a senior citizen, and I’m on social security. I’m one person, live by myself. I can’t afford all this stuff. They keep going up, up, up, how high are they gonna go?”
Senate Republicans in Annapolis are pushing legislation this week to roll back the vehicle registration fee increases that were implemented in 2024. Those increases raised registration costs by about 60% to 70%, adding between $70 and $162 a year for many drivers.
The bill’s sponsor, Senate Minority Leader Steve Hershey, said the higher fees are hitting families as the cost of gas, insurance and everyday essentials continues to climb.
Critics have warned the fees help fund transportation projects across Maryland and argue that reducing them could create new budget challenges for road maintenance and infrastructure.
During a recent hearing, Sen. Mary-Dulany James, D-Harford County, questioned how the state would meet transportation needs with less revenue.
“I’ve never had a hearing with the transportation department where we don’t have extraordinary demands and inadequate revenue,” James said. “So, that’s what I’m wondering about with this bill. How would you respond to that?”
Hershey responded by arguing there are competing views of what transportation funding should prioritize.
“There’s two different opinions on what transportation is in the state of Maryland,” Hershey said. “Many of us believe that it’s roads and highways, many of us believe that it’s transit.
The problem is transit is not sustainable on itself.”
James replied, “Well that’s true we should have a separate transportation trust fund for transit.”
“And that’s what’s important to get that conversation going… because the reality is you’re funding mass transit on the backs of motorists,” Hershey said.
ALSO READ | Maryland Judiciary warns of parking violation scam, directs recipients to Baltimore court
Back at the MVA, Howell said she hopes the proposed legislation could bring relief.
“Every time you look around, it’s not taxes. They put fees. Fees is a tax. So what can we do?” Howell said.
For now, the bill remains up for debate as lawmakers continue discussing the potential impacts on transportation funding.
Follow FOX45 reporter Keith Daniels on X and Facebook. Send tips to Kdaniels@sbgtv.com.
Maryland
Around Town: Maryland Home and Garden Show returns to the State Fairgrounds
Watch CBS News
Maryland
No. 6-seed Maryland women’s basketball stunned by No. 11-seed Oregon, 73-68, in Big Ten Tournament second round
Oluchi Okananwa drew an and-one opportunity to potentially cut the deficit to one point. But she missed the free throw.
No. 11-seed Oregon went the other way and head coach Brenda Frese decided not to foul. With 4.4 seconds remaining, guard Avary Cain knocked down a 3-pointer to end Maryland’s run in the Big Ten Tournament after just one game with a 73-68 loss in Indianapolis.
“It felt like deja vu,” Frese said.
Just like the last time it faced Oregon — in College Park in late January — Maryland led by a slim margin heading into the fourth quarter.
That night, the Terps were outscored 24-11 in the fourth. It was 21-11 in favor of Oregon on Thursday.
“They just made a few more plays than we did late game that sent us home,” Frese said.
Maryland’s offense didn’t come through when it needed it most — it made just one 3-pointer on 15 attempts on the night.
The Terps relied on interior scoring in the first half. Of its first 23 points, 22 came from inside the paint — the only other score was a free throw. The game finished with Maryland scoring 48 points in the paint. The other 15 points came from free throws.
But that was too one-dimensional offensively. The Terps attempted 21 layups and seven 3-pointers in the first half. It finished with 33 layups and 16 3-pointers, and made 20 layups compared to one 3-pointer.
As the first half progressed, Oregon adjusted to take away that gameplan. The second quarter started with an 11-2 Ducks run — they simply found more ways to score. Maryland could not find scoring outside of the paint or the charity stripe — its only 3-pointer came with 1:50 remained in the first half.
The Ducks weren’t dominating from deep, either; the game consisted mostly of back-and-forth layups. Still, the lack of success from beyond the arc was relatively uncharted territory for head coach Brenda Frese.
Early on, the Terps were overly cautious in avoiding foul trouble. But it backfired.
Oluchi Okananwa started the game on 3-of-3 shooting and scored six of Maryland’s first eight points. She has dealt with foul trouble in recent games. So Frese opted to have her sit for the remaining six minutes of the first quarter after committing a foul.
But amid the intention to avoid foul trouble, Yarden Garzon committed two quick fouls early in the second quarter.
The referees continued to call a tight game in the third quarter. Okananwa got up to three fouls, and so did Isi Ozzy-Momodu. The Terps were in the exact position they were looking to avoid.
Due to its cautiousness regarding foul trouble, Maryland’s rotations were altered. Breanna Williams had some extended playing time — though it started out well, it turned sour quickly. She made an early layup, but also had some defensive lapses and looked largely out of place.
Maryland relied on its freshmen for 35 collective minutes in the first half. They were impactful, but not as much as its senior leadership, which was hampered by foul trouble.
Okananwa finished with 27 points and was Maryland’s main workhorse. It didn’t end up being enough, but her ability to drive inside gave her team a fighting chance.
“Just be aggressive. Be my normal self. A lot of good things happen for me when I drive,” Okananwa said. “Whether it’s me getting to the line or finishing the bucket. So that was my mentality. Just be aggressive.”
With a loss in the first game of the Big Ten Tournament, what seemed like a sure thing that Maryland would host NCAA Tournament games now looks in jeopardy.
1. A shocking loss. Since joining the Big Ten, this is the first time Maryland failed to reach the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament. Last year, the Terps lost their first game but had a double-bye; this was their worst outing ever in the Big Ten Tournament.
2. What now? With the Terps’ run in Indianapolis now over, they will wait to see if they will host in the NCAA Tournament. Maryland was not the only Big Ten team slated to host that lost on Thursday — Michigan State did too. It remains to be seen what that means for the Terps.
“It shouldn’t be judged off of one game, and I think our conference prepares you night in and night out,” Frese said. “I think you should be rewarded for your body of work.”
3. Garzon’s bad game. Maryland needed more from Garzon on Thursday and simply didn’t get it, as she shot 1-of-11 from the field and 1-of-9 from deep. If she made one or two of those shots, there’s a good chance Maryland would have won.
-
World1 week agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Wisconsin5 days agoSetting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin
-
Massachusetts4 days agoMassachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Maryland6 days agoAM showers Sunday in Maryland
-
Florida6 days agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Denver, CO1 week ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Oregon1 week ago2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling