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Joe Nathanson: Getting ‘Value’ out of ‘Vacants to Value’
About a decade ago, before the collapse of the U.S. housing market and the global economic meltdown, I was given a challenging consulting assignment focused on Baltimore city’s housing market. The Baltimore Efficiency and Economy Foundation (BEEF), the independent, nonprofit policy research group focused on city government operations, wanted to understand how what was then […]
C. Fraser Smith: In praise of modest
To the growing number of brave men and women who say they want to be mayor of Baltimore, a few suggestions:
Plaudits and brickbats for Baltimore’s signature anti-blight program
A new report from the Abell Foundation finds Baltimore’s Vacants to Value program to be ambitious but seriously flawed. In the detailed report, authored by former Baltimore Sun reporter Joan Jacobson, the program is called the city’s most enterprising attempt in 40 years to address blighted empty homes pockmarking large swaths of the city. It […]
Vacants to Value a qualified success at 5-year mark
As the Vacants to Value initiative approaches its fifth anniversary, the program that was touted at its outset as a bold new approach to addressing city-owned blight in Baltimore is now viewed as a useful, if not game-changing, tool to promote redevelopment. Since Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced the initiative in the fall of 2010, the […]
Red Line lifeline
If the proposed $2.6 billion Red Line light rail route is built, it has two ways to go. It could be a catalyst in transforming West Baltimore from an economically distressed area with an abundance of vacant properties into a revitalized urban area. Or it could be just another poorly thought-out transportation project that fails to capitalize on its potential.
The Hotel at Arundel Preserve opens its doors
The Fresh Market Inc. will hold a grand opening on Aug. 24 at 838 Dulaney Valley Rd. with chef demonstrations, and ample food samples throughout the store. A drawing will be held to give away a $1,000 “pantry,” which will provide a stock of The Fresh Market’s own brand of goodies, sold under the TFM […]
Melody Simmons’ real estate notebook, 6/24/11
Have you noticed “CODE X-RAY” on Baltimore’s streets? No, it’s not an alien invasion or early signs of the zombie apocalypse. It’s a new program by the Baltimore City Fire Department to warn firefighters that certain dwellings are vacant and unstable. Chief Kevin Cartwright, director of communication for the department, said these structures bear a […]
Photo of the Day – Demolishing vacant homes
Check out a slideshow of our past Photos of the Day from The Daily Record’s staff photographers. We also have a SmugMug page, where you can purchase photos taken by The Daily Record staff
The Daily Record News Quiz – April 25-29
Have you been keeping up with The Daily Record’s news this week? Take our 10-question weekly news quiz in this new interactive feature. Leave a comment below and tell us how many questions you got right!
Baltimore Board of Estimates OKs budget proposal
Baltimore’s Board of Estimates has approved Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s proposed $2.7 billion budget. The panel’s approval Wednesday clears the way for the city council to consider the proposed fiscal year 2012 spending plan, which closes a projected shortfall with cuts, but does not raise taxes. The original budget proposal included cuts to library hours, the […]
Photo of the Day – Vacants to Value
Check out a slideshow of our past Photos of the Day from The Daily Record’s staff photographers. We also have a SmugMug page, where you can purchase photos taken by The Daily Record staff
Baltimore summit will discuss ways to reduce vacant homes
Baltimore’s mayor and housing officials are holding a summit as part of a move to reduce the number of vacant houses in the city. Thursday’s summit at the Convention Center is part of Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s “Vacants to Value” program. Organizers say participants will learn details of the initiative, including how to buy city-owned property, […]
