The Madison Park North Apartments property, located on the north side of North Avenue just west of Park Ave., has been a locus for crime and violence for decades. After years of negotiations involving Baltimore Housing and neighborhood groups, including MRIA, the property is now under contract. The buyer has indicated an intention to solicit input from the community, so we should expect community meetings to be announced soon. Either the seller or buyer must demolish the buildings that are currently standing before rebuilding can occur; the cost of demolition is currently being assessed.
At October’s MRIA meeting, the issue of covenants was raised. If any exist on the property, new uses may be limited. Many at the meeting expressed interest in mixed-use development for the property. The land is part of the Bolton Hill planning district, so Bolton Hill must be part of the process.
At the meeting, Jacob Green introduced himself as a representative of the Friends of Reservoir Hill, a resident coalition that has been meeting for roughly six months to try to give voice to neighborhood residents and organizations on the fate of the Madison Park North property. John Kyle, Michael Marcus, and David Nyweide currently attend meetings on behalf of MRIA, but the meetings are open to the public and more residents of Bolton Hill are invited to attend and be involved.
The meetings are the last Mondays of the month at 7 pm at the St. Francis Neighborhood Center, 2405 Linden Ave. (corner of Linden and Whitelock in Reservoir Hill). Meetings have been posted to the Bolton Hill calendar. Let’s help turn this problem into a benefit to the neighborhood, and do what we can to continue the transformation of North Avenue.