Howard Park Super Pride: The End of an Era

On Saturday September 10th, the Howard Park Super Pride Pride Sign came down signaling the end of the Local Chain's tenure in Baltimore. Actually, the store has been closed for 11 years, it's just that it's taken that long to remove the sign. I don't see what the big deal was, it was done in a matter of hours. I just happened to be there at the corner of Liberty Heights and Hillsdale Road as it happened.

The fate of the Super Pride was sealed as "Neighborhood" Supermarkets began to expand to sizes that were up to three times that of the Super Pride. The Supermarket mentality has been go big or go home. I guess Super Pride swallowed its Pride and went home.

Howard Park began as a few estate homes that lined Liberty Heights Avenue at around the turn of the Century. Back then this was still the County. I believe Howard Park was part of the 1918 annex (correct me if I'm wrong). Howard Park acted as a flight to the suburbs before there were real suburbs. Howard Park, to the naked eye looks like a Suburb being that it's located on the extreme outskirts of the City.

Between World War I and the Great Depression Howard Park saw unprecedented growth. The stately Victorians that line Howard Park's Main Streets were joined by small bungalows, duplexes, and a few row homes and Apartments. Liberty Heights Avenue quickly became the Neighborhood's Make shift Main Street. The Retail has always been Liberty Heights and Gwynn Oak and the blocks immediately surrounding the intersection.

The Grocery Store located at the corner of Liberty Heights and Gwynn Oak showed that Howard Park was indeed a suburb. Although located in the City, the Corner Store that to this day so many Baltimorons depend on were absent. Instead what was then a large suburban style Grocery Store was built. As cars became the norm, this new Grocery Store became a magnet for all of Northwest Baltimore.

I couldn't find much information about Super Pride itself so I pieced together what little information I had in hopes that someone who reads this has more info and can fill me in via the comments field. Super Pride was the Grocery Store by the 1970s. The little building that housed the Super Pride has three spaces. Eventually the Super Pride had expanded into all three spaces. This was the beginning of the go big or go home mentality. Business had slowly begun to dwindle as newer and therefore bigger Grocery Stores and Northwest Plaza (Food King) and Reisterstown Road plaza (Giant) had opened.

The Super Pride had become compromised as Convience Stores and large Drug Stores that were almost equal in size begun popping up along Liberty Heights Avenue. Eventually in 2000, the Super Pride shut its doors and pulled down its metal latch for the last time. The once proud suburban Grocery Store that was Super Pride had become a vacant eyesore although the sign remains. At least one interim business took space in the old Super Pride. Around 2008-2009 a Tennis Shoe Warehouse took the space and there are still signs advertising it although the business is shuttered.

Howard Park Residents in the first part of the 21st Century worked tirelessly to get a new Grocery Store and redevelop the site of the old Super Pride. Sadly there were no takers. During the O'Malley years a Strategic Neighborhood Neighborhood Action Plan (SNAP) that includes Howard Park and a redevelopment scenario for the intersection of Liberty Heights and Gwynn Oak that calls for a new Grocery Store and additional Retail Space as well as the demolition of the Super Pride.

Well here we are in late 2011 in the middle of the worst economy since the great depression. Against all odds Howard Park has landed a new Grocery Store. Up & Comer Shop Rite has decided to open up shop at the site of the former Super Pride. The announcement came just three days before the City Primary Elections in a very public spectacle with City Officials including the Mayor. Congressmen Elijah Cummings even showed up and spoke. How do I know? I was there. The highly puclicized event inluded the demolition of the Super Pride sign (that had still been up 11 years after its closure) and the unveiling of the Artist's rendering of the Shop Rite.

The demolition of the old Super Pride sign signaled the end of an era although said era ended in 2000 when the aforementioned store actually closed but with addition of Shop Rite it also signals the beginning of a new one.

Uplands: Where's the Retail?

Where's the Retail? That's a simple question right? The problem with a simple question is that they don't always have a simple answer. Such is the case with the new Uplands Development and its relationship (or lack there of) with the Community and responding to requests Community Members whether they're prospective buyers or residents in adjacent Communities. I can't really answer the question of where the Retail is but what I can do is make a good case for adding to make ALL parties happy.

Uplands has a very interesting history and hopefully a future that is equally interesting. Uplands grew up with the Edmondson Village Community as an all White Garden Apartment Complex that was meant to be a stepping ground for upwardly mobile World War II Veterans . In the early 1960s Uplands went from all White to all Black as did the greater Edmondson Village Community as a whole. I know in other rental Communities, to speed up the blockbusting process, evicted all White Residents and replaced them with Black Residents. Whether or not this was done with Uplands I don't know, I haven't found evidence to support either scenario.

The Greater Edmondson Village Area went into decline in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was at this point that Uplands became a Public Housing Project that the City turned over to the residents as an attempted Co-Op. This did not work as the distressed Uplands grew more and more crime ridden and vacancy rates rose. Uplands was eventually turned over to HUD where the dilapidated were emptied out by the few remaining Residents and were boarded up.

In 2004 the City decided to turn Developer and they set their site on the vacant Uplands Complex. They acquired it from HUD either free of charge or an amount very small like $1. The City envisioned turning Uplands into a mixed income Community of more than 600 units featuring all housing types. The City then realized that if the property of New Psalmist Baptist Church were to be added, another 400+ plus units could be added to the redevelopment, the grand total of new housing units would be bumped up to 1100. The acquisition of New Psalmist was a success and the total number of units is now 1100.

In 2008 demolition began on the entire Uplands Neighborhood. Once demolition was complete work began on upgrading the infrastructure in preparation for the new development. The official groundbreaking was on October 1st, 2010 and Phase I is just now getting underway at Edmondson and Athol Avenues. Apartment and Condo Buildings will flank Edmondson Avenue in keeping with the philosophy that higher density housing should be near the busy streets.

Upon glancing at the Master Plan, I noticed that something was amiss; Retail! Where is it? Surely a development of this size would warrant it right? Well I think so. Apparently the City and the Developers don't. They seem to be promoting Edmondson Village Shopping Center as the "Premier Retail Destination" for the new Uplands Community.

Now don't get me wrong, I love Edmondson Village, it's one of my favorite Neighborhoods from a Researcher/Planner's stand point. The Shopping Center on the other hand, is not conducive to Uplands or Edmondson Village itself for that matter.

I think that the new Apartments along Edmondson Avenue in the new Uplands should include Ground Floor Retail that is more upscale because the new development as well as existing developments more than warrant it. I'm not suggesting a Ruth's Chris Steakhouse but I'm also not suggesting a Family Dollar.

Good Tenants should include but aren't limited to; Starbucks, Coldstone Creamery, Walgreens, Dry Cleaners, Wine& Spirits Shop, Five Guys, Mens Warehouse, Quiznos, Pier 1 imports, and a Bank.

I know that the relationship between the Developer and the Community is not optimal. The Community feels that the Developer is taking their money and running and that the Developer is not listening. Keeping that in mind, I would like to speak to the developer in their own language; money.

Uplands as is will be a big pay day for you, but selling privately owned homes will only be a one time payment. Allowing for Retail will be the gift that keeps on giving. Charging rent to Retail Tenants in what will be a prime location after the Red Line is built will literally take you to the Bank. Not only that, with a good selection of Retail Tenants, you can raise the home prices and the rents for the Market Rate Units.

Like I said at the beginning, Retail at Uplands will make all parties happy. And I never had an intention to renege on it.

Writer's Block!!!

Sorry folks got a bit of writers block which I've had for a couple of months. Hopefully new ideas are on their way and with ideas come posts....well usually it does it might take a little while for an idea to become a post, putting pen to paper can be a difficult process. Hopefully I'll get a flood of ideas that can easily become posts.

Poppleton: At a Crititcal Juncture

I recently was contacted by Suzanne Gunther, a reader of this blog who made me aware of some new affordable housing in Poppleton.

She also told me about the Michael Group, a firm that is very committed to providing affordable housing in Baltimore via Section 8. Their mission is to provide a second chance to young males who would otherwise be homeless, many times through no fault of their own. Their mission of "human redevelopment" a phrase I coined a while back that, in a nutshell means that physical redevelopment won't be successful unless programs are set in place to mend social problems that new housing alone can't fix. Hats off to the Michael Group.

Now back to Poppleton, I told Suzanne that I would be happy to write a post about Poppleton II, the 111 unit affordable housing development proposed to be built on what is currently dilapidated vacant row homes. Now when I'm asked to write a post by a reader or any other interested party, I do so the way I see fit. I think Poppleton II will be a great addition to the existing Poppleton Community but I do have concerns about what direction this could take the Neighborhood in and I would like to take this opportunity to voice them. Poppleton right now is at a critical juncture and any new development must be examined carefully so mistakes from the past aren't repeated.

To fully understand Poppleton as it is now I must start from the beginning. Poppleton was a product of the B&O Railroad and the slaughter houses located south of it in Pigtown. Poppleton housed the many railroad workers that were required for its successful operation and expansion. Poppleon was a successful working class Neighborhood where employment opportunities and hard work almost guaranteed a secure future.

The Job Market in Poppleton (as well as everywhere on the planet) came to a screeching halt as the Great Depression devastated America. The proud working class Community of Poppleton not only was loosing its employers but its population as well. As the Great Depression continued along seemingly endlessly the City erected a Public Housing Development known as Poe Homes. A glimmer of hope came through at the end of the 1930s; America's Entrance into World War II.

World War II not only new brought jobs to Poppleton and Baltimore as a whole but tens of thousands of new residents from rural areas seeking employment. Although Bethlehem Steel had a huge contract with the US Government during the War they couldn't magically create additional housing for all the migrant workers. Overcrowding became a way of life in Baltimore especially in the segregated Black Neighborhoods which weren't allowed to expand despite a surge in population. Poppleton, still a White Neighborhood at the time was assured that the color line wouldn't change and that the overcrowding would stop once the War ended and the need for Migrant Workers would dry up.

Well they were half right, at War's end the need for Migrant Workers did dry up however, they chose to stay in Baltimore anyway. Obviously the overcrowding brought on by Migrant Workers didn't diminish in fact it was exacerbated by the fact they were unemployed and relying on the City for financial help. Not surprisingly allowed for the Black Neighborhoods to expand west and south into Poppleton.

This caused massive White Flight from Poppleton into the newly booming Suburbs and Poppleton became a Black Neighborhood in a few very short years. East of Poe Homes, Slums began forming and as part of a sum removal effort a new public housing high rise community known as Lexington Terrace was built as were Murphy Homes and McCulloh Homes (above) in the adjacent Upton Neighborhood. It seems as though Inner Cities were beginning to become nothing more than a place to house Blacks. As blockbusting occurred in White Middle Class City Neighborhoods such as Edmondson Village, Poppleton's Middle Class Black Residents took advantage and by 1965, Poppleton was home only to poor Blacks. This led to a decades long downward spiral.

Poppleton continued on a downward spiral until the late 1990s when it was determined that the failed Lexington Terrace High Rises had to be demolished. With help of HOPE VI Federal Funds this was accomplished and a Town House Development known as Townes at the Terraces which has been successful in reducing a crime and has given that area of Poppleton a new face. Although most units of the new Terrace Development are still public housing there are some that are market rate. Newer High Rise Demolitions have gained a higher number of Market Rate Units versus Public Housing.

More good news graced Poppleton's front doors in the early 2000s when UMB announced that its new Biotech Park will be located in Poppleton. Although the Hopkins Biotech Park on the east side was accompanied by the redevelopment of close to 1600 homes in the Middle East Neighborhood, the stand alone Biotech Park in Poppleton should attract the attention of developers as well.

And wouldn't you know it? It has! Hampstead Co-Op and the National Housing Trust has teamed up to both Renovate Poppleton Place Apartments and build Poppleton II 111 new units of affordable housing. Now Poppleton II is very much needed but as far as low income housing goes that should be it.

Upon completion of Poppleton II, the Neighborhood as a whole should be stabilized enough to attract a broader mix of incomes. Whether or not additional new development will come in the form of solely low income housing or a mixture of incomes is a question that's hanging in the balance. If too much affordable or low income housing comes to Poppleton, we will be making the same mistakes that were made when Lexington Terrace was built.

Since the Hampstead Co-Op is focused on building only affordable housing, I think it would be better to seek another developer for future projects. Future projects should focus on Home ownership which will ensure a solid population base that isn't on the move like it is with rentals. As more dilapidated properties are acquired and requests for proposals for the bundled properties, the aim should be a mixture of Market Rate Home Ownership 65%, Market Rate Rentals 15%, and Affordable Home Ownership 20%. This should further stabilize Poppleton and if Poe Homes were to be demolished, it could be replaced with upscale TOD as the Red Line will be at its Front Door.

With Poppleton becoming a reality, the City and Developers will be at a Critical Juncture concerning the direction Poppleton should go in. Should it be solely low income units? Or should it be a broad mix of incomes? Once it goes one way, it will be very hard to change the course. In short, Poppleton is at a Critical Juncture.

Baltimore Rail Transit: Epc Fail

Well I gave 8 solid examples of how Baltimore Rail Transit lines both actual and proposed are failures. I started this series thinking I would make a post from the pictures I took with fellow Bloggers and Colleagues Gerald Neily and Peter Tocco at MARC Stations on the Camden Line.
When asked what post or posts would come from these pictures I took I had no idea at the time. Looking through the pictures from that fateful day I realized that these MARC Stops were an "Epic Failure" and when something goes really wrong the current saying is "Epic Fail"
Although this saying applies to the MARC Camden Line as far as TOD and encouraging ridership, I realized I couldn't address just this one Epic Fail, I had to address them all. So with that I began the series of Epic Failures designating the term "Epic Fail" only for the system as a whole and downgrading individual lines to just a "Fail" Now after carefully researching the entire Rail Transit system both existing and proposed I have put out eight "Fail" posts and it's time I wrapped it up and write posts that have been put on the back burner as I was focusing on the transit fail series.So without further ado I dub Baltimore Rail Transit an Epic Fail.

Howard St. Light Rail:Fail

Now how could I end my series of Rail Transit failures without the creme de la creme of failures? Not only is the Howard St. fiasco a failure but it is spawning new and future failures all throughout the Red Line like a mutated transit virus that can't be stopped. Now there is some light at end of the the non existent tunnel for Howard St but the Red Line and its future might not be so "lucky."
Now to say that the Light Rail was built on the cheap would be like saying Owings Mills Mall has "a few vacant storefronts." The Howard St. surface portion is not the only evidence of this. Throughout the Light Rail's run south of Downtown it meets the CSX Line and runs side by side with it although never sharing tracks. This suggests that the MTA used the existing right of way in an agreement with CSX so that it wouldn't have to purchase the right of way from homes and businesses.The BWI Spur, although it doesn't share a right of way with the CSX was probably given the right of way through the owners of Airport Parking Lots as a means of drumming up business for Short Term Parkers, ie Light Rail Riders. The MTA may have promised a connection with the BWI MARC/Amtrak Station which doesn't exist. Although the connection distance between the southern terminus of the Light Rail is small, the MTA appears not to have anybody to cozy up to for the right of way. Like I said, this was done on the cheap.
Now Howard St. itself proves the tightness of the MTA's pockets not once but twice. First is the obvious, it's surface rail being rammed down the spine of one of the City's busiest north south arterys. Second, the MTA yet again is using the right of way of the CSX. This is achieved through a tunnel running below Howard St. which is outdated and the amount of Cargo bring imported and exported has suffered drastically because of this.
This sweet heart deal with the CSX lasts through Downtown and ends abruptly at North Avenue. Worry not! The MTA still has some tricks up its sleeves. Like I said, the CSX right of way ends at North Avenue but of all the parts of North Avenue for the Light Rail to have its Station it has to be at its intersection with I-83! That's right, for quite some time the Light Rail shares the Right of Way with I-83 provided by the State Highway Administration and the Feds.
At roughly the City/County Line, the Light Rail parts ways with I-83. It appears that the Light Rail would have had to purchase the Right of Way for the first time. However, I have a theory. Since nothing is ever quite what it seems (just look at any Beatles Album Cover and play said Record Backwards if you don't believe me.) I'm going to make a hypothesis that there was indeed a right of way that was the MTA's for the taking.
When the Light Rail goes through the Riderwood/Ruxton Area, it seems to "connect" the two portions of I-83 that if driving your car you would have to get on the Beltway for a couple of miles to "stay" on I-83. My claim that I'm going to assert is that at one point during the Interstate Building Frenzy there was the attempt to have I-83 be one contiguous route and that land was purchased for that purpose 50 some odd years ago and was long forgotten until the building of the Light Rail in the early 1990s when the MTA was looking not to purchase any rights of way. This theory of mine is probably not true and I have zero evidence to back this up but it's food for thought.
Now this post was about the failure of Howard St. and the part the Light Rail plays in it. It appears my brain shifted elsewhere so lets get back on track (pun very much intended.) Howard St. was part of Downtown's hurting Westside before the construction of the Light Rail. Today the status of Howard St. hasn't changed nor has the Westside of Downtown as a whole. Some parts are two way vehicular traffic while other parts are northbound only. Although this configuration of Howard St. is not ideal it's better than the pedestrian that was built as urban renewal in the 1960s. Howard St. needs to be a two way street through its entire run Downtown and accomplishing this would be impossible with the Light Rail remaining at surface level. I dub thee a FAIL.Not only has the MTA been blinded by the ramifications of the Light Rail being at surface level on Howard St. but they have built on its "success." I think they measure success in money not spent rather than by the quality and efficiency of their finished product. Notice I didn't say they saved money because the Howard St. fiasco probably cost them more money many times over in lost ridership than if they initially spent the money for a tunnel somewhere else perhaps along Eutaw St. where it could share stops with the Subway.
Now with the construction of the Red Line coming closer, I see many "Howard Sts." in that plan. The Red Line is slated to run at surface level on Security Boulevard, Edmondson Avenue, MLK Boluvard, and Boston St. It appears that the failure of Howard St. is spreading like a blight wildfire all over the City kind of like the Interstates did. Yikes! It seems as if history is repeating itself, Will there be a Transit Line to Nowhere?
Now I figured I would my series of Transit "Fail" posts with the most obvious one and that is Howard St. My biggest gripe with the MTA doesn't realize that this is indeed a failure and that building the Red Line in the same manner won't magically produce a quality product. FAIL!