Coldstream Homestead Montebello: Implementation Strategy

Coldstream Homestead Montebello:

Implementation Strategy

Summer 2023

Introduction

A New Era of Neighborhood Development

As established in the Framework for Community Development, the City of Baltimore is at a unique

inflection point with a substantial physical transformation and growing employment

opportunities. However, a history of segregation and racial discrimination has left a disparity

amongst neighborhoods, some thriving under new investment and others facing continued

effects of poverty and disinvestment. Middle income neighborhood health is threatened by aging

residential housing stock and limited access to capital. Low income neighborhoods face stagnant

values and lack adequate, safe affordable housing options. This combination of challenges proves

the urgency and necessity for continued development of a coherent, increasingly comprehensive

community development strategy as initially detailed in the Framework.

Our Continued Commitment to the Framework

The City will continue to promote thriving, economically sustainable communities through an

equity lens. Baltimore has a once in a generation opportunity to “get community development

right” through development without displacement. The City understands the need to support

community-based development efforts and strengthen social capital to empower stakeholders to

participate as full partners in the process.

This begins with authentic, collaborative community planning.

The City is dedicated to working

directly with communities which include the following consensus-based planning work:

• Identifying target blocks for re-development, in Impact Investment Areas

• Implementing community development strategies and priorities based on a

neighborhood’s specific physical and social characteristics

• Building support with existing residents

• Envisioning outcomes for key sites

Finally, we remain committed to supporting existing homeowners and renters to ensure these

long-term residents benefit from rising home values and improved neighborhood conditions. At

the same time, the preservation and creation of quality, affordable housing - both rental and

homeownership - must be planned at the outset to achieve successful mixed-income

communities. Supporting long-term residents will not be an after-thought.

CHM IIA’s Implementation Strategies

The Coldstream Homestead Montebello (CHM) Implementation Strategy provides a

recommended set of actions and investments which the City and its community partners will

implement. These recommendations are based on our iterative, detailed planning process and

engagement over the last 24 months. In addition to monthly Work Groups where community

representatives meet with City agencies to discuss action items and ongoing development, as

referenced in the Implementation Strategy, City staff also engaged in data-driven property by

property planning workshops across multiple divisions at DHCD and at DOP. These workshops

provided an opportunity to create a detailed, data-driven understanding of opportunities and

challenges in CHM. The purpose of the Implementation Strategy is to draw on these workshops

to codify existing commitments and to strengthen the platform for ongoing collaboration with

community partners and stakeholders. This plan emphasizes a hyper-local focus that plans for

legacy homeowners, builds off of existing and upcoming neighborhood assets, and identifies

property-level interventions based on available housing stock to make strategic community-

based development decisions.

Table 1, Summary Short Term (0 – 3 years) Priorities

This is a proposed list of priority sites for the next 36 months. The rationale behind these priority

sites and blocks is detailed in this Project Tracker

Figure 1, Map of all Impact Investment Areas

Area Overview

Overview

The Coldstream Homestead Montebello community, also known as CHM, is located in northeast

Baltimore, due west of the great Clifton Park. With City College High School serving as a visual

community anchor, to the northwest, Coldstream Homestead Montebello’s boundaries are

Harford Road on the East, Loch Raven Boulevard on the west, 33rd Street on the north and 25th

Street on the south. The community’s triple identification springs directly from the historic late

18th century summer estates of Thomas Gorsuch and Robert Gorsuch Jr, (Homestead), the

Dulaney family (Coldstream), and General Samuel Smith’s former 473 acre site across from Clifton

Park (the grand Montebello).

Figure 2, Map of CHM Impact Investment Area

Land Use and Zoning

Land Use

Coldstream Homestead Montebello is a predominately residential community in character with a

rich variety of early 19th and 20th century porch front rowhomes and single-family frame houses.

This neighborhood also includes apartment buildings constructed during the mid to late 20th

century. CHM is well appointed with a number of religious institutions and community facilities

that are eligible for historic designation. Clifton Park boasts a tapestry of historic landmarks

including the Clifton Park Mansion House, and the Clifton Gate House. Examples of historically

significant structures and blocks include:

• Historic Firehouse 33 located at 1749 Gorsuch Avenue, opened in 1920, featured in the

film Ladder 49, and now occupied by Civic Works.

• The entire community north of The Alameda is eligible as a National Register historic

district.

The rowhouses in this area retain significant architectural detail, and, together,

they create an excellent example of rowhouse development and design looked like, in the

1910s and 1920s. Most of the development was constructed by E.J. Gallagher who also

built most of Ednor Gardens

(https://mht.maryland.gov/nr/NRDetail.aspx?NRID=1624).

• The former Enoch Pratt Library and now First Church of Our Lord Jesus, located at 1443

Gorsuch Avenue, was constructed in 1917.

• Friends Burial Ground

• William Patterson Family Cemetery

• City College High School

• The Clifton School

Mixed commercial, residential, and institutional uses are predominant along the Harford Road

corridor. Some remaining corner stores exist throughout the neighborhood, while a concentration

of convenience retail stands at the intersection of Hugo Avenue and Harford Road. The 25th Street

corridor straddles the CSX Railroad, and historically included light industrial uses. Current uses

include warehouses, auto–oriented uses, gas stations, a bank, fitness center and older, established

commercial uses.

Loch Raven Boulevard, on CHM’s western border, is the gateway for long-standing commercial

uses, including the Cloverland Dairy complex and the former Coca Cola Plant Building. The latter

was re-purposed for the former Monarch Academy Charter School and currently the Baltimore

Collegiate School for Boys. Nino’s Pizza Distribution Center, US Post Office

Additional details about the history of Coldstream Homestead Montebello can be found on the

CHAP website (

Coldstream Homestead Montebello | Historical and Architectural Preservation

(baltimorecity.gov)

Zoning

Zoning districts in CHM are closely aligned to the land use patterns in CHM. Residential zoning

districts, namely R-6 cover the vast majority of CHM. R-6 allows for single-family semi-detached

(14.5 units per acre), single-family attached townhouses (29 units per acre) and multi-family

housing (29 units per acre). A major portion of Harford Road is located in C-1, neighborhood

commercial zoning district. The area north of the CSX Rail line is defined by the I-1, light industrial

zoning district, while the C-4, heavy commercial zoning district aligns with are area south of the

rail line. The OS, Open Space zoning district is the zoning district that covers Clifton Park, while

Montebello Elementary School is located in the EC-2, educational campus district.

Parks and Recreation

A variety of park, open and greenspaces enhance CHM. Clifton Park, a 267- acre oasis, is a major

center for visual respite as well as active and passive recreation for CHM and the greater northeast

Baltimore community. It includes the historic Clifton Mansion, an 18-hole golf course, a First Tee

driving range, tennis and pickle ball courts, the Rita Church Community Center with pool and

gymnasium and Mothers Garden and several historic places. Lake Montebello, a former City

reservoir, is located just north of CHM, and was dredged and landscaped. improved in recent

years with CHM’s addition of two disc golf courses around the lake. Other community parks

include Coldstream Park and Recreation Center, Adams Park, Briscoe Park, and Martin Luther

Monument and Park.

Schools

CHM is served by schools of all educational levels, including the newly renovated 21

Century

school, REACH! Partnership/Harford Heights High School – Lake Clifton Park Campus, City College

High School, Montebello Elementary School, and Abbotston Elementary School. The former

Monarch Academy, a community sponsored charter school, was established in the former Coca

Cola Bottling Plant, and is now the Baltimore Collegiate School for Boys.

Major Corridors

Major north-south corridors in CHM are The Alameda, designed by the Olmsted brothers as a

connection to Clifton Park, Harford Road, Kirk Avenue, Hillen Road and Loch Raven. The north-

south arterials of Tivoly, Hugo and Fenwick Avenues will define the new Tivoly Eco Village

residential development. The major east-west arterial and collector streets within CHM are 33

Street, Gorsuch Avenue, and Exeter Hall Avenue. Finally, St. Lo Drive is the central vehicular road

for Clifton Park.

Community Partners

• The Coldstream Homestead Montebello Community Corporation has established strong

partnerships with several community, State and local partners. Among them, its

partnerships with Healthy Neighborhoods, Civic Works, and Govans Ecumenical

Development Corporation (GEDCO) provide a central network of mutual support for the

CHM community.

• Healthy Neighborhoods is a nonprofit organization founded in 2004, which helps strong

but undervalued Baltimore neighborhoods increase home values, market their

communities, create high standards for property improvements, and forge strong

connections among neighbors. Healthy Neighborhoods has been partnering with CHM for

over a decade to market the community and offer low interest rehabilitation loans to

residents.

• Civic Works, working in Baltimore for over 20 years as a non-profit organization, focuses

on education, jobs and skills training and community service. Civic Works’ headquarters

is located on Clifton Park in the Clifton Mansion. Civic Works has forged a strong

partnership with Coldstream Homestead Montebello community, and works with them on

several projects, including hosting the Real Food Farm in Clifton Park, and providing home

rehabilitation services to senior residents.

• Govans Ecumenical Development Corporation (GEDCO) is a 30+ year old non profit that

provides affordable housing, supportive services, and emergency services to residents of

the community. Coldstream Homestead Montebello Community Corporation is a member

organization of GEDCO and has been for over 20 years. In 2021, Coldstream Homestead

Montebello Community Coportation invited GEDCO to assist the community with the

development plans for the 2800 block of Harford Road. As a development partner and

consultant, they plan to convert three vacant units into single family homes for individuals

and families.

Key Community Issues

o Redevelopment of the Harford Road Corridor, that address pedestrian crossing issues

and the physical condition of faith-based institutions and retail establishments along

Harford Road.

o Stop illegal dumping and improve streetscaping at commercial businesses along

2500 block of Harford Road. Research alternate uses for sites, other than industrial

and work on outreach to potential new owners.

o Redevelopment of vacant housing and housing in poor condition along 2700-2800

blocks of The Alameda, south of 30

Street.

o Complete rehab and development of long standing vacant and abandoned

properties in the central sector of the community – including 15-1700 blocks of

Gorsuch Avenue, Carswell Avenue, Abbotston Street, and Kennedy Avenue.

o Address the issue of poor property management from recent influx of group homes

within community boundaries, through a residential code of conduct.

o Violent crime and drug trafficking near select corner stores.

o Severe dumping near select apartment complexes and alleys.

o Poor quality of housing renovation among selected developers. Educate and allow

for stricter enforcement by Code Enforcement with URP guidelines, and the rules as it

relates to licensing rental properties and commercial locations.

o Need for housing rehabilitation for blocks within central community sectors.

o Request for development and implementation of pedestrian network in Clifton Park.

o Completion of demolition for Tivoly Eco Village.

o Ensuring legally codified community-lead policy initiatives, such as CHM’s Urban

Renewal Plan, that protects CHM’s housing stock, remain intact and uninfringed.

o Protecting CHM’s historic Olmstead medians from any changes that would alter the

current design and remove green space.

o Correcting changes made by DOT to the 33

/32

/Hillen Road intersection and the

entrance to Lake Montebello

o Identifying sites that would be amenable to attracting a supermarket

o Constructing well-lighted pedestrian walkways and bikeways throughout Clifton Park.

Key Successes to Date

o Establishment of the Coldstream Homestead Montebello Community Corporation.

o Creation of the Coldstream Homestead Montebello Community Development Plan

o Designation of the CHM neighborhood by HCD as an Impact Investment Area.

o Strong community association with large core of active resident members. Strong

and successful community outreach and communications structure.

o Partnership with the Baltimore City’s DHCD to plan for and establish the Tivoly Eco

Village development site DHCD secured $10M in ARPA funds for pre-development,

construction of infrastructure and partial construction of Phase 1, if funds allow.

o Partnerships with Civic Works, Healthy Neighborhoods, and GEDCO to market the

neighborhood and support housing renovation. CHM was awarded a Community

Catalyst Grant to rehab three city-owned properties on Harford Rd. in partnership

with GEDCO.

o Partnerships with Morgan State University and Baltimore City to support the

redevelopment of the former Lake Clifton High School Campus by Morgan State

University.

o Partnership with Northeastern Police District to address crime hotspots.

o Partnership with DPW and HCD’s Special Investigations Unit to address severe

dumping sites – camera installation at selected locations.

o Advocated to create and expand community recreational opportunities along Lake

Montebello.

o Facilitation of year-round neighborhood youth programs.

o Completion of 21

Century Renovation of REACH! Partnership/Harford Heights –

Lake Clifton Park High School Campus

o Montebello Elementary School – 21

Century School – Complete with ribbon cutting

in December 2022.

o City College High School – 21

Century School – Most recent meeting in March 2023

about swing space. Design phase will take 1 year and construction is expected to be

complete by 2027.

o Lake Clifton – Harford Heights INSPIRE Plan – Department of Planning is working

with six communities adjacent to Harford Heights Elementary to create a

comprehensive plan that benefits all communities (CHM, S. Clifton Park, Darley Park,

East Baltimore Midway, Oliver, and Broadway East). The final draft is in progress and

will go to Planning Commission in Summer 2023.

o Strong ties with Cloverland Dairy and Melnick Industries.

Melnick Industries (remove

Industries) participated in the development of the Coldstream Homestead

Montebello Area Master Plan approved by the City of Baltimore Planning

Commission in 2006. Cloverland Dairy is in Coldstream Homestead Montebello and

provides over 300 jobs for local residents.

Table 2 Coldstream Homestead Montebello Property Characteristics

Properties

Commercial

Residential

Vacant Lots

Vacant

Buildings

Private Rental

Homeowner

Occupied

3,104 45 2,776 303 452 (16%) 1,256 (56%) 972 (44%)

Figure 3, Asset and Opportunity Map

Figure 4, Selected Highlights from the Asset and Opportunity Map

1. Johns Hopkins University at Eastern &

Waverly Park

2. Baltimore City College High School

3. Lake Montebello

4. Lake Montebello Elem. School – 21

Century Schools & INSPIRE

5. Briscoe Park Expansion

6. Tivoly Avenue RFP Site – Future Eco

Village

7. Montebello Park

8. Clifton Park Golf Course and Historic

Clifton Mansion

9. Coldstream Park Elem. School

10. Coldstream Rec. Center

11. Adams Park

12. Rehab blocks

13. Harford Road Commercial Corridor and

rehab blocks

14. Cloverland Green Spring Dairy

15. New REACH Partnership School

16. Former Lake Clifton High School, which

will become part of Morgan State

University Campus

17. Maryland Transit Authority (MTA) Kirk

Ave. Bus Terminal

Comprehensive Neighborhood Planning

Planning Efforts

Building and sustaining economically and culturally diverse communities requires comprehensive

neighborhood planning. While the City’s goal is for all people to live in decent, healthy, and

affordable housing, strong neighborhoods are more than housing. They should include retail and

private amenities, parks and recreation opportunities, schools, public safety, transportation, and

access to jobs. The City is committed to working in a coordinated fashion across departments,

with residents, and community-based stakeholders to promote great neighborhoods.

Comprehensive Neighborhood Planning in Practice

In practice, comprehensive neighborhood planning is a complex process that requires

coordination among City agencies (DHCD, Department of Planning, DOT, DPW, Rec and Parks,

and BDC) and a wide and growing set of community stakeholders (neighborhood leaders,

community associations, small and large businesses, local institutions, as well as trusted

development partners). The strategies and projects outlined in this document reflect hundreds of

hours of coordination among DHCD homeownership staff, attorneys, and Neighborhood

Development Officers, Community Planners, City senior leadership, and Community partners.

This process included data-driven, block-level analysis and deliberation of existing structural

assets, community support and capacity, available capital, and selection of the right type of

intervention for each block or property.

And yet, the City acknowledges that this is a living document, subject to multiple iterations and

refinements over time. The City commits to working collaboratively with stakeholders to ensure

the plan adapts to changing conditions to best serve the positive, equitable growth of the

neighborhood.

Table 3, Zone 1 Property Characteristics

Neighborhood Properties Commercial Residential

Vacant

Lots

Vacant

Buildings

Private

Rental

Homeowner

Occupied

CHM 3,104 70 2,748 307

389

(14%)

1,782

(65%)

966 (35%)

Figure 5, Comprehensive Block Level Planning in the CHM IIA

Comprehensive Interagency Planning in the CHM Impact Investment Area

• Tivoly Eco Village re-development requires coordinated strategies with DHCD, DPW, and

DOT, to establish new physical connections for redeveloped blocks, re-designed entrance

points, and controlled traffic patterns to create a thriving residential community.

• The 2800 block of Harford Road is a planned redevelopment area, where CHM has

partnered with GEDCO to develop 3 City owned vacant buildings. This block is an entry

point into the Tivoly Eco Village development, and is critical in sustaining and maintaining

the projected improved property values surrounding the site.

• The entire Harford Road Corridor is a mix of residential and commercial uses that interface

with Clifton Park and Lake Clifton High School Campus, requiring coordination with BDC,

HCD, BCRP, DOT and Planning to create a more attractive environment for the CHM

community because the quality of the physical environment has a direct impact on the

livability and the economic health of the neighborhood.

• The sale of the former Lake Clifton High School (within Clifton Park) to Morgan State

University requires coordination with the Department of Recreation and Parks, Planning,

HCD, and DOT to facilitate the creation of continuity between the CHM and Morgan State

University communities.

• Implementation of INPSIRE recommendations in CHM for the new 21

Century Montebello

Elementary/Middle School in which Planning, City Schools, HCD, DOT, Recreation and

Parks, Police, and DPW collaborate on improving the surrounding neighborhood.

• Expansion and improvements to Briscoe Park as part of the Impact Investment Area (IIA)

and potential to positively impact surrounding blocks.

• Offer cleared parcels south of The Alameda for infill redevelopment of affordable housing

and homeownership opportunities.

• Expansion and completion of the blight elimination efforts for the Abbotston Street

housing project in the 1600 and 1500 blocks of Abbotston Street and Kennedy Avenue.

Placemaking Opportunities in the CHM Impact Investment Area

Holistic community development requires consideration of more than creation of housing units

or the individual components of a plan but also a commitment to “placemaking”. Placemaking

captures physical upgrades to both public and private spaces – including parks, plazas, and

streetscapes – to provide for positive social interaction, offer cohesion to urban setting and

strengthen residential communities through shared access to aesthetically pleasing public spaces.

To bring this concept to reality, the Department of Planning is working with community partners

throughout the City to facilitate creative visioning sessions that can serve as the springboard for

actionable neighborhood-based plans.

Placemaking Opportunities

• 2500-2600 blocks of Harford Road, near Tivoly, Hillen, and Hugo, are ideally suited for

redevelopment as a vibrant and thriving residential and commercial corridor.

• Tivoly Eco Village Redevelopment

• Former Lake Clifton Campus in Clifton Park, acquired by Morgan State University (MSU)

for redevelopment and the expansion of the relationship between MSU and CHM.

• Clifton Park and the development of pedestrian paths and nodes, across from Rita Church

Community Center.

• Briscoe Park is a former urban renewal development park with play equipment and seating

areas. This park has been known to be a place of repeated crime and dumping and does

not meet the rules of defensible space. The community led an effort to have new

playground equipment installed and has made a continuous effort to keep the park clean

and user friendly through neighborhood cleanups and community events. Briscoe Park is

a community asset that can be expanded as part of the Impact Investment Area.

• The Alameda corridor was designed to connect Thirty-Third Street to Clifton Park and

designed as a formal approach to Clifton Park. Rehabilitation of the properties along the

Alameda corridor will restore the fabric of the block with the intent of bringing the corridor

back to its original Olmstead grandeur. Rehabilitating the park’s architectural entry

columns will complete The Alameda experience.

• Lots on Abbottston, Carswell and Gorsuch

Homeowner Support

Why Homeownership is Important

Supporting future and existing homeowners is a key component of equitable community

development. DHCD is dedicated to helping homeowners and landlords make repairs to their

homes to respond to emergencies and code violations, as well as address health and safety issues.

Our programs help eligible low- and moderate-income applicants finance home improvements

including the repair and replacement of roofing, heating, plumbing and electrical systems, energy

efficiency measures, lead hazard reduction, and disability accessibility modifications. In addition,

expanding and reducing barriers to maintaining homeownership is an effective method to foster

wealth accumulation in low-income households and stabilize neighborhoods. While these

programs existing Citywide, efforts are being made to provide targeted assistance to homeowners

in Impact Investment Areas.

DHCD’s Homeowner Toolkit

There are several direct ways in which the City supports existing, legacy, and new homeowners.

DHCD conducts a “no wrong door”, single point-of-entry for programs through the LIGHT

Program to best coordinate the delivery of a variety of no- and low-cost services to help

homeowners become more self-sufficient, safer, more stable and healthier in their homes.

• Housing Rehabilitation and Repairs: The Office of Homeownership initiates the repair

process that addresses emergencies, code violations, and health and safety issues for

owner-occupied properties. Available only for eligible owner-occupied properties.

• W

eatherization: The Office of Homeownership initiates the process for energy efficiency

improvements that lower utility bills and make homes safer and more comfortable.

Available for eligible owner-and tenant-occupied properties.

• Le

ad Hazard Reduction: The Office of Homeownership manages lead remediation

projects for eligible owner- and tenant-occupied properties. Household must include a

pregnant woman or a child under 6. Available for eligible owner-and tenant-occupied

properties.

• T

ax Sale Prevention: DHCD’s Tax Sale Services Coordination and Prevention division

assists homeowners in avoiding tax sale and in understanding and navigating the tax sale

process

The City offers a range of programs to support home buyers and businesses in CHM:

• Baltimore City Employee Homeownership Program: $5,000 for employees of City

and quasi-City agencies who have been employed for at least six months.

• Buying Into Baltimore: $5,000 awarded by lottery to people who attend a Live

Baltimore Trolley Tour and meet other conditions.

• Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Homeownership Assistance Program:

$10,000 for first-time homebuyers with a household income at or below 80% of area

median income. For City Fiscal Year 2023, this is $62,600 for a household of one, $71,550

for two, or $89,400 for four.

• D

irect Homeownership Assistance Program: An additional $5,000 for CDBG

Homeownership Assistance Program recipients who (a) purchase the house they have

rented and occupied for at least six months, or (b) have a household member with a

disability.

• Live Near Your Work: This partnership with participating employers encourages

homeownership near places of employment. The City matches employers' contributions

between $1,000 and $2,500, for total incentives of $2,000-$5,000+, depending on the

employer.

• V

acants to Value Booster: $10,000 incentive for properties that were subject to a Vacant

Building Notice for at least one year prior to (a) rehabilitation of the property by an

investor/developer, or (b) sale of the property to a homebuyer who intends to renovate

the property using an acquisition/rehabilitation loan.

• Façade I

mprovement Grants (FIG): This grant through Baltimore Development

Corporation provides funds to make exterior improvements to commercial buildings. The

grants are to be used to enhance the appearance of individual buildings facades, signs,

awnings and other exterior improvements. Both businesses and property owners are

eligible.

The above listed homebuyer funds are city-wide. No money from these specific programs has

been explicitly set aside in the CHM Impact Investment Area, yet residents in this geography are

highly encouraged to utilize these resources. For more information, please visit the Housing and

Homeownership website,

with more information and access to the initial online application.

Table 4, Homeowners, including long term

Properties

Homeowner

Occupied

Private Rental Occupied

% Long-term Homeowner /

Homeowner Occupied

3,104

972 (44%)

1,256 (56%)

399 (41%)

Figure 6, Current Homeowners in the CHM IIA

Targeted Homeownership Support Opportunities in CHM

• Healthy Neighborhoods, Inc. provides low interest loans to purchase and/or rehab houses

to make them safe and code-compliant, and to restore market values so people can invest

confidently. Healthy Neighborhoods programs offer a variety of market-oriented incentives

and loan produces, as well as a range of consumer support to market the neighborhood and

encourage block projects through resident leadership.

• Briscoe Park is a community asset in an area that has decent occupied housing, as well as

vacant properties ideal for blight elimination through rehab projects and for demolition and

site assembly opportunities, to expand Briscoe Park.

• DHCD’s Rehab Subsidies and Homeowner Support would be highly effective in stabilizing

and improving home values in the current Zone 1 footprint surrounding the Tivoly Eco Village.

It would be beneficial to extend the Zone 1 in the south of the Tivoly Eco-Village footprint, to

include Abbottston, Carswell and Gorsuch Avenues, where homeownership exists in pockets,

but must be carefully supported and encouraged with targeted programs such as repair grants

for homeowners, and assistance to new homebuyers.

Rehab Priorities:

High Priority Blocks: Community Development Zones (CDZs)

Many Baltimore neighborhoods, including CHM, suffer from blight and vacancies which inhibit

comprehensive community development. By working with local communities and stakeholders,

and developing detailed data and planning analyses, the City has identified high priority blocks in

Impact Investment Areas and is committed to proactively addressing conditions on these blocks.

Called “Community Development Zones”, these blocks represent transformative opportunities

that could leverage neighborhood-wide outcomes. The City is committed to providing

investment of staff and resources and securing capital needed to address vacancies through a

range of strategies. These CDZs have been ranked by priority through these analyses and

discussions with community partners in CHM. The top priority areas are identified as Zone 1, next

is Zone 2, and so on.

Community Development Zones (CDZs) are defined by the following criteria:

1. Collaboration to develop vacant properties with community partners, neighborhood

associations, and quality developers

2. Targeted resources for existing and legacy homeowners

3. Proactive stabilization of vacant properties which are missing roofs or otherwise in danger

of further decline.

Figure 7, CHM CDZs

Table 5, CHM CDZ Zone 1 Property Rehabilitation Data

Properties

Private VBN

HABC

Owned

VBN

City

Owned

VBN

Receiverships

Filed

VBN High

LTV City

Owned

Homeowner

Occupied

Private

Rental

Occupied

545

184

The Rehab Toolkit

• Receivership: Receivership is an effective code enforcement mechanism to address

vacant properties at a large scale and low cost. The City is able to sue owners who fail to

make their vacant property code compliant and ask a judge to appoint a receiver to

auction the property. Bidders who have been pre-qualified to renovate participate in the

action. Receivership has accounted for hundreds of vacant building rehabs in the city and

Baltimore is nationally-recognized as a leader in the practice.

• Homeowner Supports: As discussed above, support for legacy homeowners in Impact

Investment Areas, with a focus on Community Development Clusters as possible, is a

critical strategy to ensure existing residents benefit as neighborhood’s improve.

• S

tabilization: For some vacant properties which are roofless or otherwise in severely

deteriorated condition, stabilization is a preferred method of intervention before the

property reaches an emergency situation. Many buildings are in the middle of stable and

resilient blocks and so, demolition would require further substantial construction.

Additionally, Baltimore is home to many unique and beautiful buildings. Stabilization

would preserve their inherent value for future use.

• Ac

quisition through Tax Sale Foreclosure and Condemnation: In many situations,

the City has the authority to actually take title to a vacant property. This provides the City

significant leverage in supporting specific outcomes for the redevelopment of the property

through a subsequent competitive bid process. This could include production of

affordable units and/or homeownership units.

o For abandoned properties where owners fail to pay property taxes for a significant

period of time, the City may exercise tax sale foreclosure in order to positively

repurpose the property. DHCD pursues tax sale foreclosure only on vacant

properties where the value of the lien owed to the City is above or near the actual

market value of the property. In many instances, the properties are literally

abandoned: owned by defunct corporate entities or deceased parties.

o There are also situations in which the City may utilize powers of eminent domain

to acquire vacant properties through “condemnation” as a result of blighting

conditions, code violations or through legislation. The City uses this power

selectively and in concert with community development plans. Property owners are

compensated at market value through court processes, therefore, DHCD must have

an identified budget for any properties that will be acquired through this method.

o The City can also engage in Donations, Negotiated Sales, and Property Swaps as

methods of property acquisition.

Table 6, Priority Rehab Sites in the CHM CDZs

Project Location

Description

Site

Lead/Developer

1500-1600 Abbotston

Tax Sale Certificates and Foreclosures

DHCD

1500-1600 Carswell

Tax Sale Certificates and Foreclosures

DHCD

1500-1600 Gorsuch

Tax Sale Certificates and Foreclosures

DHCD

2600 Block of Kirk Ave.

Foreclosures

DHCD

1700 Block of Montpelier St.

Foreclosures

DHCD

2700, 2800, 2900, 3000 Block of

The Alameda

Rehab & Subsidy, Homeowner

Support

DHCD

2700 & 2800 Block of Harford Rd.

Rehab & Subsidy, Homeowner

Support

DHCD

1600, 1700 & 1800 Blocks of E.

St.

Rehab & Subsidy, Homeowner

Support

DHCD

Whole Block Rehab Example

Three city owned properties on the 2800 block of Harford Rd. will be rehabbed by the partnership

of CHM CDC and GEDCO. CHM received a Community Catalyst Grant award of $300,000 to

redevelop 2854, 2874 & 2876 Harford Rd. The planned development project will coincide with

the development of the Tivoly Eco Village, to maximize the sales value of the rehabbed properties.

Why These Zones Were Selected

The Zone 1 in CHM was chosen because the City through DHCD and Planning, have ongoing

projects in the neighborhood focused on redevelopment, homeownership and new

construction/rehab. These are areas that we believe, if given the right investment, can be built

upon to strengthen the areas around these zones. In most cases, there is also some funding for

these projects. Block-level housing strategies have been developed and are being modified as

needed. Examples include:

The 2017 Housing Market Typology (HMT) map is another visual and analytical tool that informed

the prioritization outlined in this document. The HMT uses 8 variables to assign an “A” through

“J” for all 270+ neighborhoods across the City; “A” being the strongest housing markets and “J”

being the weakest. The majority of the CHM Impact Investment Area falls within the I & J

categories. While the neighborhood to the north - Ednor Gardens-Lakeside, fall within the D & E

categories. Armed with this information, the Zone 1 in CHM was prioritized to build off of the

strong housing market to the immediate north as well as Clifton Park on the east boundary.

The current Zone 1 (bordered by The Alameda, Kirk Ave, E. 29

, Harford) consists of the Tivoly Eco

Village in which DHCD engaged in site assembly of properties on Tivoly, Fenwick and Hugo. The

project will be a Net-Zero Homeownership development includes100-120 units, featuring

duplexes and single-family homes.

The Tivoly Eco Village is a major development initiative that will anchor and attract future

development in the Coldstream-Homestead-Montebello community. Targeting the perimeter

blocks for Rehab and Subsidy and Homeowner Support will not only improve the aesthetics of

the community but more importantly support the new development taking place in the interior

of the Zone 1 footprint.

New Development:

Disinvestment in Baltimore neighborhoods, including the CHM Impact Investment Area, has led

to specific blocks with near-total vacancy, partial demolition, incoherent ownership patterns and

obsolete organization of parcels, streets and alleys. Until these conditions are remediated it is not

reasonable to expect re-investment or any positive outcomes for the neighborhood. In these

cases, the public sector must play the central role in clearing, acquiring, appropriately stewarding,

and repurposing the land to the benefit of the neighborhood.

Such new development can fundamentally reposition a neighborhood for investment. In addition

to removing the current blighting conditions, rebuilding on these medium- and larger-scale sites

can diversity housing stock – allowing for a range of income and provide opportunities for

affordable housing. These sites also could be re-visioned for large scale greening and passive

uses.

The City engages with community stakeholders to envision the future re-uses and uses a variety

of tools for this purpose including blight-remediating demolition and the acquisition methods

discussed above. The cost of clearing land and title is substantial, and the time required for legal

and regulatory processes is measure in years. Nonetheless, these types of sites are critical

components of the holistic neighborhood vision.

Site Clearance / New Development Example

The Tivoly Eco Village project includes100-120 units, featuring duplexes and single-family homes.

Targeted sales prices for duplex units will range from $250,000-$260,000, and single-family units

are estimated to range from $280,000-$290,000. The homes will be locally manufactured by

Blueprint Robotics – a Baltimore housing manufacturer that uses computer-based design and

robotic technology to manufacture the framework and housing system. Developer hopes to break

ground in Fall 2024.

Table 7, Potential Housing Development Opportunities in the CHM IIA

Project Location

Neighborhood

Strategy/Notes

Status

2700, 2800, 2900 &

3000 Blocks of

Tivoly, Hugo &

Fenwick

CHM

New Construction of 100-120

Homes

Funding for

infrastructure

development

committed

through ARPA

1700, 1600, 1500

blocks of Abbotston

& Carswell Streets

1700, 1600 blocks of

Gorsuch Avenue

Conclusion

The CHM Impact Investment Area has experienced a significant resurgence in recent years.

Community-centric planning combined with strong community organizations and an increased

focus from City and State partners has helped to leverage investment and guide strategies that

will help the area to continue to grow. Now is the time to double down and build on the many

assets in CHM.

We must continue to follow the lead of the community to make sure that these neighborhoods

can experience sustainable revitalization without displacement. Collaboration is key to success,

so it is critical that all the stakeholders continue to work toward the goal of incremental change

over time. This is a living document and will be regularly updated as we progress in partnership

with our residents in the CHM Impact Investment Area.