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QUARTERLY UPDATE VOLUME I - ISSUE 2
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I'm pleased to send you this quarterly update on DHCD progress. The work of our agency to preserve and lift every community continues to advance.
Over the last several months, we’ve made significant awards for development in Historic Upton and in Coldstream Homestead Montebello. We’ve also issued our Spring Requests for Proposals, promoting key city sites for future development including the Henry Highland Garnet School in Upton, which is the former elementary school of Chief Justice Thurgood Marshall; the old Waverly Elementary-Middle School; the Mercantile Building, in Coldspring Newtown; and the historic Upton Mansion.
Under the leadership of our Chief Operations Officer, Jalal “Jay” Greene, meetings of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund (AHTF) Commission have begun. Those meetings are taking place monthly in various parts of the city. David Bowers, Vice President and Mid-Atlantic market leader for Enterprise Community Partners, has agreed to serve as President of the Commission. We’re very fortunate to have his leadership and commitment to this historic effort.
In June, we held an event with the Governor and the Mayor to acknowledge the progress on blight elimination in the City and the boost that our efforts have received because of the Project C.O.R.E.(Creating Opportunities for Renewal and Enterprise) Investment. We've truly made significant headway and expect to reduce the number of vacant properties in the city to the lowest number in decades by the end of 2020.
Please see additional information on these efforts and other highlights of DHCD's involvement in community revitalization below.
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Not long ago, the 2700 block of Tivoly Avenue was littered with blighted homes and overtaken by illegal activity. DHCD and its partners have worked over the years to prepare the area for positive growth and development.
The area, known as the Tivoly Triangle, is slated for revitalization as part of the City’s larger commitment to a new era of neighborhood investment. The Coldstream Homestead Montebello (CHM) neighborhood sits within the City’s designated East Impact Investment Area – an area identified as located strategically near anchor institutions, major redevelopments, and recent neighborhood investments.
On May 24, DHCD and the community came together to celebrate a plan that will transform this Northeast Baltimore street. At the event, DHCD awarded Urban Green – LNW&A Development Team the development rights for the first phase of the Tivoly Triangle Redevelopment Area. The now vacant land will soon be the City’s first net-zero homeownership community. Net-zero energy homes generate 100 percent of the energy they consume by using renewable energy sources such as solar. As currently configured, this development will include 79 units, featuring 59 duplexes and 20 single-family homes - a Tivoly eco-village. Learn more.
View the event photo gallery
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On April 30, City and community leaders met on the 800 block of Harlem Avenue ― a street lined with 28 city-owned properties that have been vacant for decades. Residents were excited and hopeful as Mayor Bernard C. "Jack" Young identified Upton Renaissance, LLC as DHCD's "Developer of Choice" to revitalize both the 800 blocks of Harlem and Edmondson Avenues in Historic Upton.
Upton Renaissance, LLC is a team of experienced developers including Tower Hill Harrison Development, Parris Development, and Stanton View Development. Their winning proposal includes a total of approximately $8 million for the development of this home ownership project.
The State and City have also committed considerable resources to ensure the success of this project, long awaited by both Upton and Heritage Crossing. Learn more.
View the event photo gallery.
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Governor Larry Hogan and Mayor Bernard C. "Jack" Young recently celebrated the ongoing, cooperative effort between the City and the State of Maryland dedicated to blight elimination and community revitalization in Baltimore City.
On June 13, the Governor announced that Project C.O.R.E. had reached the 4,000th unit of blight marked for demolition, deconstruction, or stabilization since our partnership began in 2016.
During the Governor's first term, Project C.O.R.E. provided $75 million for blight removal activities in Baltimore City, which the City has matched by more than $69 million. The Governor announced that this historic, combined investment, has triggered nearly $420 million in financing for revitalization efforts through the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development and has leveraged an additional $1.8 billion in private, public, and philanthropic dollars in the City.
View the event photo gallery.
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The U.S. Economic Development Administration recently awarded $1.6 million to City Life Community Builders of Baltimore to support the $30 million renovation and reuse of the long vacant and blighted Hoen Lithograph Building in East Baltimore.
Located in Collington Square, the 85,000 square foot facility -- which has been vacant for 35 years -- will be a mixed-used complex to include a workforce training center. The facility will house construction apprenticeship and business training programs to support higher-education opportunities in the fields of architecture, engineering, marketing, technology, and construction. DHCD has contributed $1.4 million of funding towards the project.
Since 2010, the City and State have teamed to invest more than $17 million in the redevelopment efforts in the area, including site assembly work, greening efforts and demolition. The Hoen Lithograph project will continue to catalyze further revitalization activity in the area. Learn more.
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Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young and Commissioner Michael Braverman joined the Penn North, Upton, Pennsylvania Ave. Main Streets, and Druid Heights communities to celebrate the launch of the West Baltimore Gateway. The event was hosted by City Councilmen John T. Bullock, District 9; Eric Costello, District 11; and Leon F. Pinkett, District 7.
West Baltimore Gateway is an organization that unifies local community associations across districts to foster economic growth and sustainable development. The overarching goal is to improve the lives of the residents. The three West Baltimore Gateway communities have been identified in DHCD's Community Development Framework as in the West Impact Investment Area. West Baltimore Gateway has a ten-year vision and will be DHCD's partner in community-driven development efforts described in our Framework that will empower residents and transform the area.
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The Affordable Housing Trust Fund Commission, established to oversee the City’s Affordable Housing Trust Fund, is now convening regular meetings. A 12-member panel, the Commission includes representation from housing advocates, developers, financiers, and others with expertise in housing and community development -- including those who experience housing instability. The Commission meets to provide policy guidance to DHCD, which is responsible for administering the Fund. Jalal "Jay" Greene, Chief Operations Officer, is a member of the panel. Meetings take place at various locations and are open to the public. Learn more.
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