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Baltimore's Board of Estimates approved plans for Johns Hopkins University's Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Institute, despite opposition from local residents. The university will construct two buildings totaling approximately 500,000 square feet on Wyman Park Drive, aiming to establish Baltimore as a tech hub with 140 new faculty positions and 750 doctoral students.

Residents expressed concerns about disruption during the four years of construction, including street closures and parking issues. The board's approval includes a nearly $52,000 investment for street improvements and mandates a new storm management system to be maintained for 25 years.

University officials assured that the facility would not function as a traditional data center. The vote was unanimous, with Council President Zeke Cohen supporting the project as crucial for the city's future.