‘A breach of trust’
Developer demolishes 1840s Woodberry homes despite telling neighbors the buildings would be saved
Two 19th-century stone homes in Woodberry that neighbors had waged a battle to save last year were demolished Tuesday to make way for an apartment building.
The demolition marks a reversal by the developer, CLD Partners, which plans the new apartments on the narrow property between Clipper Road and the Light Rail tracks.
The developer relented on plans to raze the stone and brick buildings that date to the 1840s amid calls from outraged nearby residents. The developer instead said it would incorporate the houses — at 3511 and 3523 Clipper Road — into the design for the apartment building, perhaps using the structures for a lobby, lounge space and a small office or shop.
Christopher Mfume, managing partner of CLD Partners, said Tuesday that such a plan turned out to be “not financially feasible.”
Neighbors, however, thought the matter was settled, and some were surprised to learn the old houses were knocked down Tuesday.
“The developer didn’t come to the Clipper Mill Associations or seek any community input from our neighborhood. I was unaware the plans changed,” said Jessica Meyer, a neighbor whoopposed more development in the Clipper Mill neighborhood because of its density. “It’s a shame the project couldn’t be built while keeping the houses intact. The historical significance of those homes and their part in the wider Woodberry neighborhood is undeniable.”
The houses had been significantly altered, posing preservation challenges, said the developer, which had no obligation to save any part of the buildings, even though they are part of the Woodberry Historic District and on the National Register of Historic Places.
“For the past year since receiving our original demolition permit we worked extremely hard to save the existing structures, including the cost of a complete redesign of the project,” Mfume said in a statement Tuesday. “However, as discussed with the community on multiple occasions, economics would ultimately drive the final decision.
“Unfortunately, after careful evaluation the project was not financially feasible with the existing buildings in place. We are very excited nonetheless to move this project forward and deliver on our commitment to bring more housing to our city.”
The Clipper Road apartment building was slated to include 60 to 80 mostly studio apartments renting for $1,100 to $1,300 per month. The property is within an area considered ideal for transit-oriented development, where developers can build housing appealing to those taking public transportation or biking or walking.
Christy Bergland, who lives across the street, said Mfume broke a promise to the neighborhood.
“As far as I know, the developer promised the community that the houses would be saved,” Bergland said. “I had not heard that this had changed. I am dismayed by this development and the lack of communication on their part, especially to me right across from this project.”
Sheri Higgins, president of the Woodberry Community Association, called the demolition “a breach of trust.”
“We thought we had a working relationship that would benefit both the developer and the community,” Higgins said. “That appears not to be the case any longer.”
City Councilman Leon F. Pinkett III, who represents the area, stood across the street with neighbors as a demolition crew removed the rubble from the sidewalk Tuesday morning.
Pinkett called the surprise demolition “disappointing, to say the least” given the yearlong effort to preserve the houses. He said he had left messages with Mfume to ask why they were knocked down, despite the company’s assurances to neighbors to the contrary.
“I will continue until I get an explanation on what happened that the agreement that was in place with the community was all of a sudden ignored,” Pinkett said. “These buildings that were supposed to be incorporated into this development were all of a sudden demolished. … Not only were the buildings demolished, but the confidence and trust that this community placed in this developer was destroyed. ”
As Baltimore seeks to grow while preserving its history, the proposed development could have been a “shining example of how it can work,” Pinkett said. Instead, he said, it was a “missed opportunity.”
“If our history is important — if preserving these structures and the legacy of the individuals wholived and worked and played in these historic structures — if that’s important, we’ve got to make certain we put the proper measures in place so that things like this don’t happen again,” Pinkett said.
CLD Partners had secured a six-month extension on the city demolition permits for the buildings through June 18 and had its general contractor, Paradise Homes, call last Tuesday to schedule it, said Paula Richardson, CEO of Demolition Man Contractors, which did the work.
The demolition company had previously removed wooden additions from the houses, but Richardson had been told the historic stone houses themselves were not slated to be knocked down.