At the June BHCA meeting, Matt Hugel with the Midtown Community Benefits District updated the community with the latest information about the lot renovation at Park and North Avenues. Part of the larger project called Unity@Park Avenue, the lot renovation aims to rejuvenate the southeast corner of the intersection and strengthen ties between Bolton Hill and Reservoir Hill. It will enliven the area around the bus shelter with improved hardscaping and native-plant landscaping while acting as a retention zone for storm water runoff.
The engineered design for the lot, which Baltimore-based CityScape and EnviroCollab have developed as the implementation blueprint for the renovation, is nearly complete as the lighting in the space is finalized. Meanwhile, the site, which is mainly under the jurisdiction of Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development, is undergoing a transition in control to Baltimore Green Space so that it can remain a park into perpetuity. Once the lighting plans are set and the lot is under the control of Baltimore Green Space, the work of implementing the engineered design can be released for contractor bidding.
The Midtown Community Fund, the nonprofit community development outgrowth of the Midtown Community Benefits District, is the fiscal sponsor for the lot renovation, with project representatives affiliated with the Bolton Hill Community Association. Funding for the technical design and implementation costs has been raised from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the West North Avenue Development Authority (WNADA), the France-Merrick Foundation, Baltimore National Heritage Area, and the Baltimore City Sustainability Office.
–David Nyweide and Chris Kingsley
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