Bernard Berkowitz

Bernard L. Berkowitz, who played a prominent role in Baltimore City's economic development and planning during the Schaefer Administration, died of natural causes on Thursday, September 21, 2023. The resident of The Towers Condominium in Cheswolde was 96.

Mr. Berkowitz was born in 1927 in New York City to immigrant parents from rural Hungary who worked in the garment industry. According to his son, David, his dad's growing up poor in working class neighborhoods in the Bronx and his family's experience with unemployment in the 1930's made a lasting impression on Mr. Berkowitz and underlay a lifelong commitment to social justice and economic development.

Mr. Berkowitz attended public schools, graduating from Stuyvesant High School in 1944. His education at C.C.N.Y. was interrupted when he was drafted into the U.S. Army in July 1945. After basic training at Camp Wheeler in Georgia, he served in the occupation forces in Japan and Korea. Upon discharge in early 1947, Mr. Berkowitz returned to C.C.N.Y., from which he graduated cum laude with a major in economics. This was followed by a year of graduate study of economics at Columbia University.

Mr. Berkowitz met Judith Herz on a blind date in Brooklyn, N.Y. in early 1949. According to Mr. Berkowitz' son, David, it was the start of a lifelong love affair and they were soon engaged and were married in June of 1950. Judith died in February of 2017 in the 67th year of their marriage. Mr. Berkowitz' son, Stephen, died in December of 2021.

After working for the U.S. Census Bureau's Industry Division in Suitland, Maryland from 1951 to 1953, Mr. Berkowitz and his family moved to Baltimore, where he joined the City Housing Bureau, then a branch of the Health Department. A growing interest in housing and urban planning led to a move back to New York in September 1954 to begin part-time studies in urban planning at Columbia University and to work for the Westchester County Planning Department. Mr. Berkowitz received a Master's in Urban Planning in 1959 from Columbia University which also awarded him a traveling fellowship for six months to study urban planning in Western Europe.

He came to work as a Principal Planner in the Baltimore City Department of Planning in 1961 and became Deputy Director in 1968. While at Planning, he was responsible for the economic development and community facilities components of the City's comprehensive plan, the capital budget and long-range capital improvement program and neighborhood planning.

From 1974 to 1980, Mr. Berkowitz was Mayor Schaefer's Development Coordinator with responsibility for overseeing the City's economic development, urban renewal, environmental, planning and other development programs. In 1980, he was named President of the Baltimore Economic Development Corporation (BEDCO), the City's economic development arm. Major initiatives at BEDCO included the Holabird Industrial Park, Seton Business Park, Park Circle Industrial Park, Johns Hopkins Bayview Research Campus, multi-tenant buildings, business incubators, innovative financing including a City venture capital fund and an emphasis on biotechnology development. He received a number of awards including the National Council of Urban Economic Development's 1990 award as the nation's outstanding economic development professional.

After leaving BEDCO in 1988, Mr. Berkowitz worked at UMBC where he initiated a technology business incubator and began the planning and development of the UMBC Research Park. He retired from UMBC in 1995 and has remained so except for occasional consulting.

Mr. Berkowitz was very active in the Black/Jewish Forum of Baltimore (BLEWS), serving as President from 1997-1999. He was also President of the Lexington Market Board during the 1990's and 2000's and served on the boards of Baltimore Neighborhoods Inc., Provident Hospital, Mt. Washington Swim Club and Bolton Street Synagogue.

Mr. Berkowitz' son, David, said that his father and mother enjoyed travel, reading, movies, art museums, walking and just being together. He said that his parents loved Baltimore and Mt. Washington, the neighborhood where they had lived for 45 years until 2012. He also said that they loved walking in different parts of the City and one of their favorite activities was a Sunday breakfast at the former Rollo's Restaurant on Fort Avenue followed by a walk at Fort McHenry.

In addition to his son, David Berkowitz of New York City, Mr. Berkowitz is survived by his Grandson, Joseph Berkowitz; Joseph's wife, Lynn; a Great Grandson, Troy Yeh Berkowitz; a Great Granddaughter, Olivia Yeh Berkowitz, all of Porter Ranch, California; and his son Stephen's wife, Sally Berkowitz of Visalia, California.

Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday, September 26, 2023, at 12 pm, at Sol Levinson's Chapel, 8900 Reisterstown Road, Pikesville, Maryland 21208. Interment at Baltimore Hebrew Berrymans Lane Cemetery, Reisterstown, Maryland.