Recent events are enough to cause Job to despair.
First, the Poppleton fiasco. Which elected and appointed officials were the champions of this project and why (“Major Poppleton redevelopment drowning in delays,” May 27)?
There are many questions to be answered such as the amount of bank loans, the amount in arrears, what caused the damage to the building, etc. An easy trip to the Internet reveals that there are City Paper articles in 2011 and 2015 which revealed problems at that time and are predictive of this abject failure. The City Paper article names competent local development groups passed over for the Poppleton group. Why? It would be helpful if there was some research done by your reporters.
Elsewhere, the groundbreaking for a project on Tivoly Avenue is extolled as a panacea for the area (“City’s vision for a Northeast Baltimore neighborhood: $250,000 solar-powered homes in an ‘eco-village,’” May 24). Of course, construction will not begin for 18 months for houses that will cost $250,000 in a $60,000 market. And, by God, they will be energy efficient. It is easy to predict what will happen at the end — a shortfall of cash flow, discount prices and more taxpayer dollars wasted.
These projects are a great source of campaign funding and photo opportunities for Baltimore’s alleged leaders. It would be far better if the money were spent on meaningful jobs training programs rather than welfare for inept developers. And it would be wonderful if your reporters would do some homework and reveal to your readers exactly who benefits from these boondoggles.
I can appreciate the instinct to do something, but your paper always gets it wrong, confusing activity and spending with accomplishment.
F. Patrick Hughes, Baltimore