BALTIMORE (AP) — Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced a plan Monday to help downtown Baltimore by relocating about 3,300 state employees to the city’s central business district.

The state will move 700 employees from the Maryland Department of Human Services downtown. Another 1,200 employees from the Maryland Health Department also will be relocating there.

They will be the first of the 3,300 state employees who will work downtown. The governor said the state is budgeting $50 million for the relocation.

Hogan said the plan is to help revitalize the central business district, where office vacancies are up nearly 34% because of the pandemic, and major businesses have announced plans to relocate to other parts of the city.

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