Staff Presentation: Proposal for 1504/1506 W. Baltimore St
Carrie: presented background and proposal for 1504 & 1506 West Baltimore Street.
Kimberly:Is someone going to live in there?
Possibly but not necessarily.
Laura: Is the broker report going to give the value now? Is it going to give the value in the future? Not sure – assumed the value now but maybe the future value could be included – will check.
Will it include the cost to renovate it?
Probably not – that would depend on what it’s being turned into.
What would be written into the covenant? We still need to flesh that out. Hoping to talk to Eric from CHAP and Johns Hopkins – maybe others to help with the language for the covenant but the idea is to protect the buildings in perpetuity.
Tonya – Do we know the zoning? Codemap is down and we need to double check but assuming it is business or light commercial.
How tall? 1506 is 3 stories and 1504 is 1 story with a loft.
Could the project include a historic plaque of some kind on the outside and a warm box on the inside that could potentially house a variety of businesses. Yes.
We will be scheduling a site visit. Maybe we can have CHAP join us at the site visit to discuss the requirements and what could be possible.
Laura: So people could submit a [proposal for one or the other of the two buildings – Yes – but there is a preference for both together. Maybe we could discount the properties if sold together – definitely get extra points on the project evaluation for taking both properties together.
Betsey: Likes the idea – Add someone to the review committee that understands how a historic building should look (doors/ windows, etc.) maybe add CHAP to the review committee. And for the site visit.
Marina: Why would we undervalue the property? Do you think it will be difficult to sell?
That’s why we are getting a BPO.
Laura: Can the buildings be connected? It’s possible – probably doesn’t affect the historic integrity – there’s nothing historic inside 1504. Just the exterior.
Marina: What is our vision? We want something that is good for the neighborhood but otherwise are reserving judgment – Looking forward to seeing ideas.
She had a property that was zoned residential even though it was commercial on the bottom and residential on the top. Strongly urges us to verify the zoning.
Should we vote?
Kimberly feels rushed. Going to Dorchester County soon. To research…
Sonia also feels rushed. Would like to see what Eric or Johns suggest.
Laura – What is the alternative if we don’t move forward with this?
SWP Staff don’t have the capacity to take on two development projects so the buildings will sit and we will maintain the best we can until we can do something with them…
Betsey – it’s a good concept. We could agree in concept and then bring back the details. The building has already burned several times. It’s not good to just let them sit indefinitely.
Also it’s been sold several times but nothing happened with the building. We need to hold people accountable if we decide to move forward with this. Yes – there will be a schedule agreed to and a clause that if they are not renovated we will take the property back.
Sonia – agrees with concept…
The committee is comfortable with the concept and we should take the concept to the board. We will bring back the details of the agreements to the committee to review before releasing an RFP. (All in favor – No one opposed this idea)
Next month we are planning to join the housing committee for a combined meeting with code enforcement. 4/13.
We will bring the Baltimore Street proposal back to the committee in May.
Updates
- St. Luke’s
Amanda – St Luke’s update – Working with Episcopal Housing and the Diocese to renovate the Clergy house.
Last month the Diocese sent a letter to SLYC – they are going to fence the church and turn off the utilities because of structural issues. SLYC, SWP, Franklin Square, and Poppleton responded with a letter requesting a meeting and keeping the utilities on. We did not get the meeting yet but the utilities will remain on and the church will not be fenced in.
She’s not sure the extent of stabilization needed on the church and needs to figure out how to establish that.
Scott recommends partnering with a general contractor offered to connect a couple.
- 1100 block of Saratoga
Scott – Poppleton has concerns about the houses on the 1100 block of Saratoga Street potentially being torn down – They sent an email to the City requesting that they not be demolished and the City responded that they are not doing any demolition in Poppleton for the last two years.
The hope is that the homes can be renovated and that displaced Poppleton residents can return to them.
Sonia – Spoke to the City about these properties at the public meeting last week. Also spoke to Shelley Hallstead of Black Women Build to see if she is interested in rehabilitating these homes. She is.
Maybe these homes can also be included in the historic district.
There is also a property in the 300 block of N Schroeder Street – that used to be a funeral home – that the neighborhood is interested in preserving.
- Next steps from February’s CHAP discussion
Scott – Carrie and I are continuing to work with the CHAP office on the discussion we held last month.
Betsey – suggests that a committee with representatives from each neighborhood working together would be best.
