News-Letter

Media Credit: Angeli Bueno Carolyn Hutton, an East Baltimore resident, shares the story of her housing troubles with a student.

Media Credit: Angeli Bueno SMEAC President Donald Gresham is skeptical that 20 houses will be built this year.

For the first time, Middle East Baltimore residents were invited to speak at a Hopkins campus about concerns they have with area development - changes they feel that are destroying their community.

Representatives from Save Middle Action Committee (SMEAC) held a discussion forum last Tuesday with members of the Hopkins community, local residents and a Baltimore City Councilman delegate.

Members of the grassroots organization felt that while many Hopkins students have heard of the 80-acre redevelopment project, which includes creation of a biotech park near the medical campus, the real impact on residents has not been heard.

"I don't have a problem with change. I don't have a problem with them fixing up the community, but why build you up and tear us down? I'm really hurt by this," said Caroline Hutton, a resident of the 800-block bordering the redevelopment site.

Discussion focused on what SMEAC saw as lack of communication and openness between the neighborhood and developers like East Baltimore Development Inc. (EBDI). EBDI is a non-profit group that was established to mediate relations between the community and the groups behind the development, including both the city and Hopkins, but has so far failed to do so.

"Hopkins and the biotech lab haven't done anything for us. They've destroyed our property. EBDI refuses to fix it. They are saying that they're not responsible," Hutton said.

EBDI President and CEO Jack Shannon said he recognized "that in any undertaking with more than 600 houses, there will inevitably be circumstances where you fall short. In those cases we have sat down with residents and community representatives."

SMEAC Executive Director Nathan Sooy expressed concerns over the composition of the EBDI executive board. The board includes University President William Brody and local business executives and politicians, but only one person with the official title of community representative.

"The community had to take some kind of initiative to taking charge of what was already in place by the developers who were going to take over the community," SMEAC President Donald Gresham said of the group's origins.

Another focal point of the discussion was the delay in the "House for a House" initiative, an idea put forth by SMEAC and agreed to by EBDI.

This initiative would allow East Baltimore residents to remain in the neighborhood throughout the redevelopment. All residents are granted relocation benefit funds upon leaving their houses that they could use to buy or rent another property during construction. Under "House for a House," this money would be invested in fixing up nearby vacant buildings that are not a part of the redevelopment area, allowing residents to stay in the neighborhood.

The program, however, is running several months behind schedule.

"In September we were supposed to move into the houses - the first five houses. By the end of the year they were supposed to have 20 houses ready for the community," Gresham said.

According to SMEAC, EBDI has cited financial issues, such as the contractor having problems with performance bonds sold by the city of Baltimore through tax increment financing, as reasons for the construction delays.

EBDI has already publicly apologized for any delays thus far. "We own the issue and we have to take responsibility ... We have redoubled efforts in the area and are being as creative and flexible as possible," Shannon said.

Sooy said he thought there was sufficient money available and that there should be no delays in the "House for a House" construction.

According to Sooy, EBDI will have $85 million in the sale of bonds, which is budgeted towards acquisition, demolition and relocation. In addition, the Annie E. Casey Foundation has given $27 million to EBDI, and Hopkins has added $5 million to the effort.

Sooy estimated the cost of "House for a House" could be covered by $4 million and chastised Hopkins for what he considered a small contribution to the project.

"Johns Hopkins University has donated considerable time, money and effort ... [and is] one of the leading forces in making this program work," Hopkins Executive Director of Communications and Public Affairs Dennis O'Shea said.

At the moment, none of the homes for residents who wish to stay near the community have been completed. In protest, Gresham and others designated to be relocated have decided to stay until their new houses are ready. There are only four other occupied houses on Gresham's block.

Some East Baltimore residents who will not be relocated but own property that borders the redevelopment area spoke as well, expressing concern about the way the construction is being handled.

In one case, they said, several people's homes were left against an open pit where the abutting foundations used to be. They could not convince the construction company to shore up the pit with support beams until their walls began to buckle from lack of support and sections of ceiling collapsed.

Hutton, who runs a nursery, brought photographs to the meeting to show damages done to her property. "I worked hard to get my home. Now sometimes I'm afraid to sleep in it because of our ceiling," Hutton said, adding that her income is less than half of what it used to be because of the effects of the redevelopment.

"None of our direct activities caused damage," Shannon said about the homeowners' claims. He continued that EBDI has already met and talked with the residents in question.

William Gaskins, a homeowner and landlord who rents primarily to single mothers, expressed frustration at "losing twice" because he can no longer allow tenants to stay in their homes.

"When you have people you're trying to help and then you have to throw them back out onto the street, that bothers me . . . The young lady and kids had just gone through the door and the ceiling collapsed. No one was injured but what if she had said, 'Let me stop to tie my shoe?'" Gaskins asked.

"Even the sidewalk is tilted now," he added.

The redevelopment area is also a part of Hopkins's "Live Near Your Work" program, an initiative that facilitates University employees purchasing houses near their workplaces.

"We are trying to encourage University employees to live in the area and near Homewood ... for the sake of the employees and to strengthen the neighborhoods, which is important for the University and the city," O'Shea said.

"There is nothing wrong with a biotech building ... but the question is you're moving people out of the community that should also benefit from some of those benefits as well," Gresham said.

As Sooy and Gresham took questions, one audience member wondered what role the area's city councilmember was playing. Robert Gilliard, a representative for City Councilman Warren Branch, addressed the crowd.

"Things will change, and some of the things you were talking about tonight, Councilman Branch was not too pleased about and did make it known," he said.

"I don't want you to think that there is nobody at City Hall who knows about it and will not fight for it. You've got to let us know and talk to us because we'll hear one thing, but then another thing, and what we want to hear is the truth," he said.

Gresham invited the councilman and the concerned community members to attend the "Rally for Justice" protest SMEAC will be holding on Oct. 18 at the John Wesley AME Church on Ashland Ave.

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