The Cordish Companies' VP of Development, Taylor Gray, Recognized as One of the Baltimore Business Journal's 40 Under 40 Class of 2015
Baltimore, MD – The Baltimore Business Journal (BBJ) has selected Taylor Gray as one of this year’s 40 Under 40, an award given to 40 select individuals under the age of 40 who demonstrate leading roles in their industry, their company and the community. Mr. Gray was selected from more than 350 nominations and recommendations by the BBJ’s editorial staff.
Mr. Gray currently serves as Vice President of Development for The Cordish Companies, as well as an attorney for the Company’s Real Estate Division. During his 13 years of employment with The Cordish Companies, Mr. Gray has overseen the planning and development of numerous projects within the Company’s portfolio of urban developments both nationally and locally. Mr. Gray oversaw the planning, design and development of Bayou Place and Bayou Place Offices in downtown Houston, TX, which transformed a vacated convention center into a thriving dining, entertainment and corporate office development. More recently, Mr. Gray managed every aspect of the planning, design, development of the new Towson Square dining & entertainment district in Towson, MD, which has brought over 1,500 new jobs to the area, as well as generate an approximate $1.75 million in County taxes each year, including $840,000 from amusement taxes, and an estimated $2.9 million each year in State sales tax. Mr. Gray is currently a leading member of the development team overseeing $700 million in new development: Waterside District in Norfolk, VA; Live! Hotel & Casino in Philadelphia, PA; and Live! Hotel at Maryland Live! Casino in Hanover, MD. As an attorney for The Cordish Companies, Mr. Gray has secured over $500 million in financing for several projects including the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casinos in Hollywood and Tampa, FL; Fourth Street Live! in Louisville, KY; Bayou Place and Bayou Place Offices in Houston, TX; Towson Square in Towson, MD; and Maryland Live! Casino in Hanover, MD.
Mr. Gray is a member of the American Bar Association and the Maryland Bar Association, as well as a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and the National and Baltimore Chapters of the Urban Land Institute. Mr. Gray was recognized by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in 2007 for his work during the Bayou Place Offices development and was honored with the Award of Excellence for Renovation & Restoration for Design for the project. Mr. Gray was also awarded the Paul L. Cordish Achievement Award in 2010, the highest and most prestigious award given each year on behalf of the Cordish Family to an individual who possesses and implements the family’s core values of quality, entrepreneurial spirit, long-term personal relationships and integrity with the highest regard.
“We are extremely proud of Taylor and appreciate the tremendous contributions he has made to our Company over many years, in many different ways,” said Blake Cordish, Vice President of The Cordish Companies. “Most importantly, as a family-owned business, we are most proud that Taylor embodies the core values of our Company including a steadfast commitment to building developments of the highest quality that give back and enrich local communities.”
Mr. Gray will be honored tonight at this year’s 40 Under 40 event at Port Discovery Children’s Museum in Baltimore.
About The Cordish Companies
The Cordish Companies’ origins date back to 1910 and encompass four generations of privately-held, family ownership. During the past ten decades, The Cordish Companies has grown into a global leader in Real Estate Development, Gaming & Hospitality, Entertainment Management and International Urban Planning & Development. One of the largest and most respected developers in the world, The Cordish Companies has been awarded an unprecedented seven Urban Land Institute Awards for Excellence for public-private developments that are of unique significance to the cities in which they are located. Prime examples are The Cordish Companies’ prominent role in the redevelopment of Baltimore’s world famous Inner Harbor; Philadelphia, PA; Atlantic City, NJ; Charleston, SC; Houston, TX; Louisville, KY; Kansas City, MO and St. Louis, MO. In addition, The Cordish Companies has developed and operates multiple highly acclaimed entertainment destinations throughout the United States which welcome over 50 million visitors per year and are the most visited destinations in their respective regions. Over the generations, The Cordish Companies has remained true to the family’s core values of quality, entrepreneurial spirit, long-term personal relationships and integrity. As a testimony to the long-term vision of its family leadership, The Cordish Companies still owns and manages virtually every business it has created. For more information visit www.cordish.com.
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