The Baltimore Banner, a Baltimore news website that will launch later this year, has signed a lease for a newsroom at the Pier IV office building at 621 E. Pratt St. at the Inner Harbor. The Baltimore Banner is part of newly-formed nonprofit organization The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism.

The Venetoulis Institute signed a 15,000 sq. ft. lease in the Spark Flex space at Pier IV. The company says it can accommodate up to 100 employees at its new office and plans to launch with “more than 50” employees.

Spark Flex is the second location for Spark, which is a co-working space started by Cordish Cos. at its Power Plant Live! complex in Downtown. Spark has grown to 85,000 sq. ft. at Power Plant Live! and Spark Flex will add an additional 40,000 sq. ft. of co-working space a couple blocks south.

Pier IV is also the home to the Inside Lacrosse offices and newsroom.

Maryland businessman, philanthropist, and former Democrat Maryland State Delegate and Senator Stewart Bainum, Jr. launched The Venetoulis Institute last year. Bainum made a bid to purchase The Baltimore Sun last year, but it was ultimately purchased by Alden Capital.

The Venetoulis Institute hired former The Wall Street Journal CEO Imtiaz Patel as its Chief Executive Officer and Los Angeles Times veteran Kimi Yoshino as the editor-in-chief of The Baltimore Banner. The Baltimore Sun reporters Justin Fenton, Liz Bowie, and Tim Prudente will also join the team at The Baltimore Banner.

The Baltimore Banner is currently hiring.

The Baltimore Banner plans to cover Baltimore issues such as health, crime and justice, education, and arts and culture.

“A newsroom should be in the heart of the city, close to the institutions we seek to hold accountable and integrated into the communities we serve and are a part of,” said Patel in a press release. “We will be bringing more than 100 jobs to the area over the next year, helping to support the ongoing efforts to revitalize downtown Baltimore.”

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