Baltimore’s West Side “Redevelopment”

This is a shame, and a pretty big blow to Baltimore’s attempts at redeveloping (in some cases, just developing) the West Side.

A plan to build luxury condominiums on Baltimore’s west side that has stalled amid the recession is being reborn as an affordable housing project, M.J. “Jay” Brodie, president of the Baltimore Development Corp., said Thursday. Brodie said Washington, D.C.-based Oak Street Developers Ltd. presented revised plans to the BDC’s project committee and plans to proceed with new housing at North Howard and Madison streets, across from Maryland General Hospital. Oak Street had acquired the property and razed existing buildings but was unable to get financing to proceed with M on Madison, originally planned as a 72-unit mix of studio, townhouse-style and penthouse homes with private rooftop terraces. Brodie said the developer has formed a new partnership and plans to write down the cost of the project with the help of state low-income housing tax credits. A representative of the partner heading the project could not be immediately reached Thursday for comment.

Call it “affordable” or low income housing, it is most certainly not what the city needs on the West Side to continue any redevelopment of the area.  I think it’s one more nail in the coffin (perhaps the final one), unfortunately they just can’t overcome the issues in that area.  More low income housing will only add to those issues.