For decades, disinvestment in Greenmount West began on its east side, where long-term abandonment along the Greenmount Avenue corridor undermined the ability of local residents to benefit economically from their close proximity to Baltimore Penn Station and several major arts establishments. When Greenmount West community members sought our support in changing their outlook, we began by looking at opportunities on Greenmount Avenue.
In 2011, we partnered with Homes for America and Jubilee Baltimore to complete our first major redevelopment in Greenmount West. We transformed a series of vacant lots into City Arts, a new building with 69 loft-style apartments with studio space for artists—all of which are affordable to households earning below 60% of area median income—as well a first-floor gallery and a common workshop area. Following our completion of the four-story apartment building, we created 7 new homeownership opportunities along the same block and rehabbed 9 vacant homes into affordable rental housing one block over. In 2016, we partnered on the City Arts II project just two blocks north, bringing another 60 affordable apartments and shared studio spaces to the neighborhood, as well as completing 7 rehabs of abandoned homes on the adjacent block.
Today, this part of Greenmount West has a self-sustaining market and hosts a mixed-income community full of opportunities. As the community continues to thrive, the City Arts projects ensure that at least 129 homes in the area remain affordable over the long-term.
