City-Owned Blight: 607, 609, 611, and 613 Pitcher Street

Property Address:  605 Pitcher Street, Baltimore, MD 21217

Property Owner:  Reservoir Hill Limited Partnership IX, 1800 N Charles Street, Suite 202, Baltimore, MD 21201

Resident Agent for Reservoir Hill Limited Partnership IX: Harold M Hersch, 330 E 25th Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 (Harold Hersch is also the president of Hersch/Lauren Real Estate.)

Right to left: 605, 607, 609, 611, and 613 Pitcher Street. Your tax dollars at work! Why have a fully-funded fire department when you can have this drek instead?

Property Address:  607, 609, 611, and 613 Pitcher Street, Baltimore, MD 21217

Property Owner:  Mayor and City Council, 417 E Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 21202

City Council District and Contact:  District 9, “Pistol” Pete Welch

City-Owned Blight: 601 and 603 Pitcher Street

Property Address:  601 and 603 Pitcher Street, Baltimore, MD 21217

Property Owner:  Mayor and City Council, 417 E Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 21202

City Council District and Contact:  District 9, “Pistol” Pete Welch

601 and 603 Pitcher Street, owned by the city, paid for by taxpayers. We can purchase a bunch of decaying blighted real estate, but we can’t have a fully-funded fire department? What’s wrong with that picture?

City-Owned Blight: 1034, 1030, 1028, 1024, W Saratoga

Property Address:  1034, 1030, 1028, 1024 W Saratoga Street, Baltimore, MD 21223

Property Owner:  Mayor and City Council, 417 E Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 21202

Property Address:  1026 W Saratoga Street, Baltimore, MD 21223

Property Owner:  William R Connelly Jr. 30 E 25th Street, Baltimore, MD 21218

Property Address:  1022 W Saratoga Street, Baltimore, MD 21223

Property Owner:  Guardian Foundation, LLC, same address (Not in good standing, charter has been forfeited)

Resident Agent for Guardian Foundation:  Walter P Hammond, 735 Intrepid Way, Davidsonville, MD 21035

Property Address:  1020 W Saratoga Street, Baltimore, MD 21223

Property Owner:  Nathan Carter, 3700 Captain Wyndale Court Way, Ft Washington, MD 20744

City Council District and Contact:  District 9, “Pistol” Pete Welch

1034, 1032, 1030, 1028, 1026, 1024, 1022, and 1020 W Saratoga Street. Note the BCFD placard, indicating an unsafe structure.

 

BCFD Was Here: 1042, 1040, 1038, and 1036 W Saratoga Street

Property Address:  1042 W Saratoga Street, Baltimore, MD 21223

Property Owner:  Art Management, LLC, 1054 A W Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21223 (Company is not in good standing.)

Resident Agent for Art Management:  Andrew Thoms, same address.

Property Address:  1040, 1038, and 1036 W Saratoga Street, Baltimore, MD 21223

Property Owner:  Mayor and City Council, 417 E Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 21202

City Council District and Contact:  District 9, “Pistol” Pete Welch

1042, 1040, 1038, and 1036 W Saratoga Street, all owned by the city, except one. Notice the red placard on 1036, indicating the structure is not safe for firefighters to enter.

BCFD Was Here: 413, 419, and 423 Whitridge Avenue

Thanks to Reader M for the photos!

Imagine living in one of these occupied homes, next to a structurally unsound vacant.  Note the red placards placed by the fire department to indicate a structural hazard — would you want that home as your next-door neighbor?

413, 419, and 423 Whitridge Avenue, unsafe vacants that could collapse — dotted between occupied homes.

Owner of 413 Whitridge Avenue:  Bruno Mpoko-Grela, PO Box 2949, Montgomery Village, MD 20886 or 17 Granite Place, #380, Gaithersburg, MD 20878

Closeup of 419 Whitridge — the rear of this home, and the roof, have caved in. Only the front facade remains.

Owner of 419 Whitridge Avenue:  Equity Trust Co., 5401 Elsrode Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21214/Terry Trimble and Janet Marnien-Trimble, same address.

Owner of 423 Whitridge Avenue:  Mayor and City Council, 417 E Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 21202

City Council District and Contact: District 12, Carl Stokes

City-Owned Historic Blight

Property Address:  811 W Lanvale Street, Baltimore, MD 21217

Property Owner:  Mayor and City Council, 417 E Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 21202

City Council District and Contact:  District 9, “Pistol” Pete Welch

811 W Lanvale Street, Upton Mansion

Some of the remaining historic ironwork around Upton Mansion

No trespassing sign, left over from when Upton Mansion was occupied by the Baltimore City School Commissioners

It’s always a shame to walk around neighborhoods in Baltimore and see all of the blighted vacant homes. It’s even more disturbing when they’re of great historic significance, like Upton Mansion.  As if that wasn’t bad enough — this grand home is owned by the City, and has obviously been neglected for quite some time.

For a photo of this home in its heyday, and information on its history, visit Baltimore Heritage and West Baltimore Squares .

City-Owned Blight: 1402 Druid Hill Avenue

Property Address:  1402 Druid Hill Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21217

Property Owner:  Mayor and City Council, 417 E Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 21202

City Council District and Contact:  District 11, William Cole

1402 Druid Hill Avenue

City-Owned Blight: 1340 Druid Hill Avenue

Property Address:  1340 Druid Hill Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21217

Property Owner:  Mayor and City Council, 417 E Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 21202

City Council District and Contact: District 11, William Cole IV

Many thanks to “Reader LP” for this submisson!

1340 Druid Hill Avenue

City-Owned Blight: 536 Baker Street

Property Address:  536 Baker Street, Baltimore, MD 21217

Property Owner:  Mayor and City Council, 417 E Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 21202

City Council District and Contact: District 7, Nick Mosby

Many thanks to “Reader LP” for this submisson!

536 Baker Street

Nonprofit Plans to Renovate Hundreds of Baltimore Homes

According to a Baltimore Sun article, Builders of Hope, a North Carolina-based nonprofit chosen by Ray Lewis, will be renovating hundreds of homes in Baltimore City — near Johns Hopkins University in East Baltimore.

Unfortunately, like most “good news” in Baltimore, this also comes with a tinge of scandal — Builders of Hope is also in an ongoing dispute with the City of New Orleans and two contractors, allegedly for nonpayment of invoices.

Hopefully the City will employ a vetting process before spending taxpayer money on a project that needs a closer look.