Displaced residents critical of EBDI policies
As construction of a biotech park in East Baltimore moves forward, residents fear losing their neighborhood's identity as the area is transformed.
"I'm going to lose all of my heritage," said William Weaver, who has lived in the area for 53 years.
Many residents have been forced from their homes under eminent domain by the nonprofit organization East Baltimore Development, Inc (EBDI) in partnership with the City of Baltimore.
Even if displaced residents move back to their former neighborhoods, many are worried that the $1.8 billion project will completely change the area.
"I was born and raised in East Baltimore, and I do not want to move now," Donald Gresham said. A lifelong resident turned activist, Gresham is president of Save Middle East Action Committee (SMEAC), an organization dedicated to representing community residents.
Resident Douglas Marion-Buy believes, however, that the rewards a biotech park promises are worth the sacrifices.
"If there is going to be improvement, it is welcome," he said. "If you gotta lose something to gain something, it's good."
Along the 900 block of North Castle Street, only eight of the 38 homes are not boarded up. According to a report from the Mayor's office, about half of the houses in this neighborhood are abandoned.
Marion-Buy hoped that with richer tenants and homeowners moving in, the city would focus more attention on the neighborhood. But with new residents moving in, he worried that the issues of crime and drugs in the neighborhood would not disappear, but would simply spread into different parts of the city.
"[Previous] developments on the East side shouldn't have been done. It made the city dirty. It was contained to one area, but now it spread everywhere. Same thing could happen here," he said.
Business owners expressed concerns over losing customers to relocation. "I'm very worried about losing business," said Mimi Oh, owner and operator of Mimi's Grocery, adding that she believed that EBDI has not been focusing enough on existing businesses.
"I'm going to lose all of my heritage," said William Weaver, who has lived in the area for 53 years.
Many residents have been forced from their homes under eminent domain by the nonprofit organization East Baltimore Development, Inc (EBDI) in partnership with the City of Baltimore.
Even if displaced residents move back to their former neighborhoods, many are worried that the $1.8 billion project will completely change the area.
"I was born and raised in East Baltimore, and I do not want to move now," Donald Gresham said. A lifelong resident turned activist, Gresham is president of Save Middle East Action Committee (SMEAC), an organization dedicated to representing community residents.
Resident Douglas Marion-Buy believes, however, that the rewards a biotech park promises are worth the sacrifices.
"If there is going to be improvement, it is welcome," he said. "If you gotta lose something to gain something, it's good."
Along the 900 block of North Castle Street, only eight of the 38 homes are not boarded up. According to a report from the Mayor's office, about half of the houses in this neighborhood are abandoned.
Marion-Buy hoped that with richer tenants and homeowners moving in, the city would focus more attention on the neighborhood. But with new residents moving in, he worried that the issues of crime and drugs in the neighborhood would not disappear, but would simply spread into different parts of the city.
"[Previous] developments on the East side shouldn't have been done. It made the city dirty. It was contained to one area, but now it spread everywhere. Same thing could happen here," he said.
Business owners expressed concerns over losing customers to relocation. "I'm very worried about losing business," said Mimi Oh, owner and operator of Mimi's Grocery, adding that she believed that EBDI has not been focusing enough on existing businesses.
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