702 N. Curley Street

Property address:  702 N. Curley Street, Baltimore, MD 21205

Property owner:  702 N. Curley, LLC, 6409 Belair Road, 21206

Owner of 702 N. Curley, LLC:  Russell A. Frost, 824 Eastern Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21221

City Council District and contact:  District 13, Warren Branch

You may remember Russell Frost (aka “Dr. Rex Frost”) from our post about 1135 and 1137 Nanticoke Street. Mr. Frost is part of the same slumlord stew that involves the usual players — people from the Sun’s Ground Rent series (including local attorney Heidi Kenny) and other slumlords we’ve written about here, as well as drug kingpin Milton Tillman.

702 N. Curley Street

Rear of 702 N. Curley.

2929 E. Madison Street

Property address:  2929 E. Madison Street, Baltimore, MD 21205

Property owner:  Jerome McNeill, 33 Shady Tree Court, York, PA 17493 and  Scarlett McNeill, 2869 Forest Glen Road, Baltimore, MD 21216

City Council District and Contact: District 13, Warren Branch

This property is a complete mess — boarded up windows, broken steps and crumbling porch, and the rear yard is full of trash — it’s clear that nobody has been checking on this property or taking care of it for quite some time

2929 E. Madison Street

2929 E. Madison Street, rear

Closeup of trash at the rear of 2929 E. Madison

This is one of five homes on a sad little block in East Baltimore.  One by one, four families have been driven away by crime and drugs, and the one remaining family is planning to leave as soon as possible.  It’s a tragic tale — one that’s repeated over and over, in so many neighborhoods in Baltimore.  One bad house really can bring down an entire neighborhood, like a cancer left unchecked.  Luckily, the house has been recently placed into receivership — we hope the house finds a new owner soon, and the block can begin to recover

Outer Harbor Initiative Report

From a colleague who attended the hearing:

The Outer Harbor Initiative community development hearing took place Thursday, May 23 at City Hall, in front of a full council chambers. The two-hour meeting was met with a mixed reception from city officials and ended with discussions to take the initiative back to affected communities to further refine the terms of the legislation.

Councilman William Cole (11th District) sponsored the resolution. He was joined by fellow councilmembers Warren Branch, Mary Pat Clarke, James Kraft and Bill Henry. Officials from the Housing Authority testified that they supported the initiative’s goals, although had some reservations about the way the legislation in its current form might be implemented. The strongest opposition to the initiative came from Andrew Kleine, Chief of the Bureau of the Budget & Management Research, who testified that the city’s Finance Department could not justify the funding of a new initiative while other city programs were being cut in a slumping economy. Councilmembers Kraft and Henry also expressed strong concerns about how the initiative would be funded.

Mike Mitchell, director of Chesapeake Habitat for Habitat for Humanity, argued for the urgent need to take aggressive action on the 30 thousand abandoned properties in the city. He cited the success of the redevelopment of the Inner Harbor, suggesting that the same success could spread to neglected neighborhoods if the city had the resources to pursue speculators who are sitting on neglected housing stock.  In response to concerns about funding the initiative, Mitchell argued that the city would reap returns on its investment in the form of increased property tax receipts. Mitchell helped draft the Outer Harbor resolution and has been organizing supporters.

14 speakers were on hand in favor of the initiative, although not all were able to talk due to time contraints. They included a Habitat for Humanity homeowner who spoke of the benefits of homeownership, a local marketing expert who spoke about the effectiveness of promoting emerging neighborhoods via the internet, and a neighborhood activist who talked about ongoing efforts to revitalize the district around Patterson Park.

There were other questions about the initiative:  The suggested use of Tax Increment Financing for redevelopment efforts raised concerns. Councilmember Clarke repeatedly expressed worries about the intitiative interfering with community development block grant process, raising questions about a redevelopment she is supporting on Dumbarton Avenue in Pen Lucy. A number of questions were asked about which communities would be served by the initiative and how they would be identified. Councilmember Henry suggested that the name “Outer Harbor” was too restrictive, and should be changed to something more inclusive for neighborhoods across the city. Mitchell ended the hearing by calling for a broader array of neighborhood meetings to continue to discuss and refine the provisions of the proposal, using City Council and community feedback.

Updates on the initiative will be available at http://www.outerharborinitiative.com

A Spectacular Piece of Blight in HOT HOT HOT Patterson Park!!

Here at Baltimore Slumlord Watch, we’ve wondered what a realtor would say when trying to market a derelict property.  Thanks to a tip from Patterson Park, we can stop wondering.  Yes, we know we agreed to never get snarky in any of our posts, but this particular property just deserves a little snark, and we think you’ll agree.  So without further ado, let us introduce you to 3026 E. Fayette Street.

Property Address:  3026 E. Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 21224

Property Owner:  Robert W. Anderson, 3026 E. Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 21224

City Council District and Contact: 13th District, Warren Branch!

Fun Features: Everything is destroyed! Windows: gone!! Cornice: blackened to a crisp! Siding? Melted!!!! Conveniently located across the street from a bus stop!!

Extras: Wheelbarrow in the back yard, if you want it. Also, a very nice collection of cinder blocks!!

How long it’s been like this: Longer than anyone can remember! At least three years!!

front view of 3026 fayette street

charred siding on 3026 fayette street

open windows on 3026 fayette street

Thanks again to our readers in Patterson Park!!