Officials unveil plan for East Baltimore revival

East Baltimore residents gathered on Nov. 5 for the unveiling of plans for the first phase of the local neighborhood revitalization project by East Baltimore Development Incorporated (EBDI) and Forrest City Enterprises.

Public officials presented the plan and as tried to address residents' concerns regarding their relocation as well as how they will move back into the community when the development is completed.

Baltimore City Mayor Martin O'Malley reported that the development is representative of the interest of the residents.

"We've spent about two years going through all this with the neighbors. We said to them, 'We don't need to do this if you're happy with the pace of progress,'" he said.

"Whenever you redevelop a city there are always people who are greatly inconvenienced, but we've tried to make these compensation benefits much more generous than required under federal law," O'Malley added.

As residents have accused EBDI of not originally complying with Housing and Urban Development (HUD) standard for compensation benefits, O'Malley reported that such was not the fault of EBDI, but rather because HUD has neglected to update its standards.

"HUD had not updated what you have to pay people who are relocated since the 1970s, but we've updated that to make it more generous," O'Malley said.

Both Sheila Dixon, city council president, and Ron Peterson, director of Hopkins Health Systems, addressed the concern that many residents hold about increases in post-relocation property taxes.

"As ... taxes go up, something's coming up real soon because we don't want to tax people out of their community," Dixon said.

"The City Council is looking to help cap property tax. I think it's a very good thing to look at for people on fixed income," Peterson said.

He also said that residents who were forced to relocate will be given the first priority to return to redeveloped area: "Uprooted residents will get the first crack at new housing."

Congressman Elijah Cummings also addressed the crowd, explaining why Hopkins was involved in the project.

"We wanted to make sure that our citizens were not forgotten and we wanted to make sure that we had a great partner -- Hopkins," Cummings said.

"Someday people will see not only the greatest medical institution in the world but also a proud, working neighborhood," he added.

Peterson spoke on behalf of Hopkins Health Systems, discussing not only the redevelopment project but also the history of the medical institute's interaction with the community.

"We are about to turn the blighted area into a vibrant community with this project," Peterson said.

"As this renewal begins to take shape, Johns Hopkins is committed to working in fellowship to bring forth a strong community," he added.

"Johns Hopkins has been part of this since the early years. They've made a commitment to the project," he added.

Residents attending the event also said that they recognize that Hopkins has been involved with the East Baltimore community for decades.

"Everybody is dissatisfied with Hopkins because of their relocating," said resident Lucille Gorham. "Whenever there is the word 'urban renewal' and 'displacement,' they will attach Hopkins' name to it."

"Over the years relations [with Hopkins] have been seriously hostile because people have had to move out of their houses for parking garages," Gorham added.

Peterson noted that the area "went over the tipping point 15 to 20 years ago" because of the abundance of property being held by absentee landlords.

"If you don't have people living there, the landlords don't keep up the area. That's why there is, by reality, some relocation," he said.

"For Johns Hopkins, a strong, thriving community is essential," Peterson said, adding that Hopkins "wants occupied homes in this part of Baltimore, like on the other side towards the water."

Resident Hattie Harrison, a neighborhood delegate to EBDI, said that she sees the redevelopment as a culmination of years of strained relations between the residents and Hopkins.

"During the years it's gotten better, but back in 1969 it was rough," Harrison said, adding that relations between Hopkins and residents improved when the Medical Institute discontinued having segregating toilets between whites and blacks.

Gorham, who was active in community relations even before the formation of the Historic East Baltimore Community Action Coalition in 1994, will be relocated on Nov. 19. She said that although she believes compensation is fair, she doesn't think that the project itself is.

"I've been relocated by Hopkins three times. This will be the fourth time," Gorham said.

"I've been in this area for 85 years -- I feel terrible because so many people had to relocate who weren't ready for it," said resident Lorraine Chapman.

Resident Skip Harrison, however, disagreed.

"It doesn't upset me because the area needs to be redeveloped and there is promise that residents can return," he said.

Doug Nelson, president of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Lisa Williams, president of the Save Middle East Action Committee (SMEAC), Marilyn Duker, president of The Shelter Group, Councilwoman Paula Johnson Branch and Deborah Ratner Salzburg of Forest City Washington also spoke at the event.