There was plenty of talk from politicians and public officials during yesterday's ceremonial opening of Heritage Crossing, the $63 million housing complex along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. But a little boy seemed to sum up the community's feelings when he stepped out of a model home and said: "It is pretty in there."

Though mountains of dirt remain on the West Baltimore site and months of work lie ahead, the neighborhood is beginning to take shape. Houses, some no more than wood-frame skeletons, can be seen everywhere. Streets closed for years are being reopened. Soon work will begin on the 1.5-acre park developers hope will become the area's spiritual heart. The park will be built around the Perkins Spring Square gazebo, which dates to 1860.

The first residents are expected to move in by the end of the month. To celebrate the progress, officials held what they termed a "grand opening" at a model home at 800 George St. Visitors paraded through, seemingly impressed with the walk-in closets, the sizes of the bedrooms, the gas stove, the space in the basement.

"I'm so glad we're bringing a little county life to the city," said Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, a 7th District Democrat, who told the crowd that as a boy he went door to door through the neighborhood Tuesdays and Fridays, trying to sell copies of the Afro-American newspaper.

Many people remember the neighborhood from long ago. City Councilwoman Agnes Welch said she grew up in the area long before the federal government built the George B. Murphy public housing complex. The 758-unit complex, once nicknamed "Murder Homes" because of the violence that raged within its borders, was demolished in 1999 to make way for Heritage Crossing.

The high-rise apartment towers that once dominated the city landscape had become symbols of failed urban policies. As with several other high-rise public housing complexes in Baltimore, the demolition of Murphy Homes was part of a $293 million plan financed by the city, state and federal governments to replace them with mixed-income communities.

Enterprise Homes Inc., the for-profit arm of the Enterprise Foundation, which builds homes for low- and moderate-income people, and A&R; Development Corp. of Baltimore won the bid to develop Heritage Crossing. Harkins Builders Inc. of Silver Spring is the general contractor.

Seventy-five of Heritage Crossing's units will be rented to former public housing tenants. The remaining 185 units will sell for $70,750 to $93,000. The mix reflects a change in federal housing philosophy that emphasizes homeownership over rentals.

Residents will include people like Darrick and Allyson West, city dwellers with a toddler, Ryan, and another baby on the way. The Wests needed more room and were fast losing a sense of comfort in Coppin Heights.

They tried to buy a home at The Terraces, a townhouse development just south of U.S. 40 at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Built on the site of the old Lexington Terrace housing complex, The Terraces was also part of the housing strategy that is changing the look of Baltimore.

The development was sold out by the time the Wests started looking, so they turned to Heritage Crossing, a short walk away on the north side of U.S. 40. They hope to move in by the end of the month.

"It turned out to be better than I thought it would be," said Allyson West. "I like that they kept the [gazebo]."

Housing Commissioner Paul T. Graziano noted that Heritage Crossing is only part of the revitalization effort in West Baltimore. A short walk away in the 1700 block of Edmondson Ave., Bank of America and the Harlem Park Revitalization Corp. are building an $8.6 million apartment building for senior citizens.

Also, there are plans for a $23 million project to buy 360 homes and lots in the six blocks around Mount Street and Harlem Avenue, clear the land and build 160 single-family homes.

"One day these two communities will come together literally and figuratively," said Graziano. "There will be a rebirth throughout the area."