Three weeks before the deadline, I had noth- ing. No, strike that. I had an idea about
what and where, but no sponsor (and I
needed at least five), no firm location (only
needed one), and little experience in renovating a vacant lot.
It was last summer, and the City of
Baltimore was hosting a competition to
renovate a city-owned vacated lot, and
there were literally hundreds to choose
from. I narrowed my search to lots that had
significant hard surfaces; were close to a
drainage basin; and located in reasonable
proximity to a school, church, or both. I
wanted community involvement coupled
with the potential to reduce polluted
runoff from the property. The hour to
develop a thoughtful proposal was nearing,
and I had beaten the bushes for a month
without success. Then came the voice mail
message that changed everything.
The city lead for the lot competition
and Growing Green Initiative, Jenny
Guillaume, connected me with Meldon
Dickens, a pastor and organizer for the
Copping Heights Community Develop-
ment Corporation. Pastor Dickens helped
me identify a lot that was two blocks from
Mosher Elementary School, three from the
local Episcopal Church, and uphill from
Gwynns Falls, a major stream running the
length of Baltimore. Bang! We were off. In
three weeks, with the help of Church
Member Donald Covington, Community
President John Carrington, and CBF
Environmental Restoration Intern Lanae
Jackson, we had nine letters of support, a
design crafted by Biohabitats, a contractor,
and a winning proposal.
Four weeks later, our project and six others
were selected and awarded grants to reinvigorate these underutilized, dilapidated
parcels. Projects ran from fruit gardens and a
flower factory to an environmentally friendly
parking area and a community green space.
In September 2015 with permits approved,
the real work of removing 10,000-square
feet of concrete and asphalt, grading
almost an acre, placing new topsoil on the
tract, and finally planting trees and shrubs,
began. Although the design was simple,
construction and grading were not. The
contractor found the remnant foundation
of the old apartment building just below
the surface. More soil had to be rearranged
and sculpted than first envisioned. And of
course, it rained. Yet in four weeks, the
heavy lifting was done. The Baltimore Tree
Trust brought in beautiful three-inch diam-
eter trees donated by WGL Energy. Civic
Works, another local non-profit, built
raised beds for the elementary school kids
to sow seeds of herbs, vegetables, and flow-
ers. Mulch and seed were spread and the
site is now being readied for the grand
opening in the spring of 2016.
Although the lot is smaller than an acre, the
project has huge benefits. It creates “
something from nothing,” as Lanae puts it, and
turns a vacant lot into a community asset.
One very strategic plus is its replicability.
This is a demonstration project, an experimental teaching platform to show that renovating a vacant lot can be done and not at
great cost.
CBF is grateful for the profound and enthusiastic support of the community, our partners, and the city. We look forward to
finding other lots in other neighborhoods
and working with the community to reduce
pollution and improve living conditions.
It creates ‘something from nothing,’ as Lanae puts it,
and turns a vacant lot into a community asset. “ ”
Caption TK
19
The partnership team, pictured above, were responsible for the success of the project. Left to right: Isaiah Baptist Church’s Pastor Meldon Dickens;
Bridgeview/Greenlawn Community Association President John Carrington and Vice President Charles Hutchinson;
CBF Intern Lanae Jackson; Holy Trinity Church’s Donald Covington; and CBF’s Baltimore Initiative Director Terry Cummings.
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