The Baltimore City Department of Housing & Community Development (DHCD) has issued its Fall 2020 Requests for Proposals (RFPs), offering key sites for future development.  Multiple sites are being offered in the Broadway East, Coldspring Newtown, Fells Point, Grove Park, Harlem Park, and Marble Hill neighborhoods.

DHCD explored interest in developing various locations in the Spring through an Expression of Interest process. The Agency identified several City-owned properties with sufficient interest that are primed for redevelopment.  Formal proposals are now being accepted for the following sites:

• 1313 Druid Hill Avenue (approximately 13,300 square feet of developable space on a 6,825 square-foot lot) Located in Upton’s Marble Hill neighborhood, this four-level historic property is adjacent to the newly renovated Marble Hill Park. It is also in walking distance of many of Baltimore’s landmarks, including the Maryland State Center complex, Maryland Institute College of Art, University of Baltimore, and more. The Marble Hill neighborhood, located in the Historic Old West Baltimore Neighborhood of Upton, is an emerging neighborhood that has seen an increase in development and homeownership in recent years.
   
• 1701 E. North Avenue (approximately 37,784 square feet of developable space) Located in the Broadway East neighborhood, the Gompers School ― also known as Eastern High School and Samuel Gompers General Vocational School ― features neoclassical architecture. The property, built in 1905, is located at the corner of North Broadway and East North Avenue − a key location in Baltimore’s North Avenue corridor.  The site is adjacent to the proposed $75-million expansion of The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum and sits across from the recently renovated Harford Heights Elementary School.  
   
• 4701 Yellowwood Road (approximately 14,924 square feet of developable space on 3.69 acres of land) – This property is located within a relatively secluded, forested portion of the Jones Fallsway. Constructed in the 1950s, the Mercantile Building, located in northwest Baltimore, previously served as the location for the Waldorf School and a private country club.  Currently, the building is Zoned R-6, which is designed to accommodate single-family units in both detached and semidetached dwellings, rowhouse developments, and multi-family developments of a moderate density. 
   
• 5545 Kennison Avenue (approximately 58,589 square feet of developable space on 5.2 acres of land) – Originally built in 1958, and renovated in 1970, this building is located in a residential neighborhood in Grove Park located in northwest Baltimore.  The neighborhood has a mix of detached, semi-detached, and rowhouses.  It is less than a half mile from Rogers Avenue Metro Station and is close to Wabash Avenue and Northern Parkway. 
   
• 606-610 S. Ann Street (approximately 16,580 square feet of developable space) – Built in 1922, the former Enoch Pratt Free Library Branch No. 19, is an attractive property in the Fells Point neighborhood.  Fells Point is an upscale residential area and tourist destination. The property has been designated to the Fells Point historic district by the Baltimore City Commission for Historic and Architectural Preservation (CHAP) and is in the Fells Point National Register Historic District.

Harlem Park Bundle (approximately 1.8 acres of developable vacant land) – This redevelopment opportunity is in the Harlem Park neighborhood which is located south of the Sandtown Winchester neighborhood and north of the Franklin Square neighborhood. Conveniently located minutes from the West Baltimore MARC Penn Line train station, and along the corridor of U.S. Route 40, this area is an up-and-coming community in West Baltimore. The Harlem Park bundle includes the 800 block of N. Mount Street and the 1700 blocks of W. Lafayette Avenue and W. Lanvale Street, totaling 34 city-owned, vacant lots.

Submissions are due by Wednesday, November 11, at 11:59 p.m. (EST). DHCD is seeking creative and competitive proposals from experienced and qualified developers with a proven track record in delivering urban development projects. DHCD’s Development Division will evaluate proposals considering many factors, including but not limited to the diversity of development teams, proposed financing planning structure as well as an interest in accomplishing specific goals and objectives of the respective neighborhoods and their stakeholders. The department will also work closely with CHAP on sites that are designated historical districts.  

DHCD is hosting a virtual pre-proposal conference on Wednesday, October 7, at 5 p.m., to provide details on each site, proposal submission criteria, and timelines. Learn more.

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