BALTIMORE — NVR Ryan Homes just signed an agreement with New York-based La Cité Development to build 180 single-family homes to West Baltimore's Poppleton neighborhood.
It's part of the Center/West development on nearly 33 acres, and construction is slated to start later this year.
But a community leader says she doesn't think La Cité is allowed to move forward with the project. The residents have even been looking for a new developer because they weren't seeing any progress.
The announcement of the mixed-income development comes after tension between Poppleton residents and the city, including a complaint filed by a consumer-rights group last year for lack of progress on the site, despite residents losing their homes through eminent domain. Residents had been trying to save homes by getting them listed as historic.
Community activist Sonia Eaddy said she was "shocked" to hear La Cité plans to break ground on the single-family homes. She said she believes that would require another change to the city's Land Disposition and Development Agreement regarding Poppleton.
A representative for La Cité refuted claims the planned townhome project violated any agreement with the city, sending WMAR a city-approved copy of the Land Agreement from 2006, which says "the developer plans to construct approximately 293 rental units, and 1,356 homeownership units." The city at that time approved "1,650 units of new rental and for-sale housing and 100,000 square feet of commercial retail space."
La Cité also sent a copy of the 2007 Planning Commission report, which notes the project is expected to include "1,367 units for residential homeownership, including 321 townhomes. The Phase 1 area, the most ambitious phase of the project, will result in the creation of approximately 633 units of housing [of which] 20% will be affordable, including both rental and homeownership units."
La Cité's representative added that the documents "show from the first page that construction of homeownership units was contemplated as part of the full development approach to revitalizing a once-blighted neighborhood."
Asked for comment about whether the single-family homes would be in violation of any formal agreements, the city's housing department said:
This matter is under review at this time.
City housing spokesperson Tammy Hawley noted Thursday that the developer does have the right to build on the land, but "what happens going forward is still under review."
The new homes, on which La Cité is spending about $60 million, include 48 condo units and 132 townhomes and will take up 7 acres.
The price points for the homes are estimated at $300,000 to $500,000.
La Cité Development president and CEO Dan Bythewood said in the original press release:
We have a real sense of pride around this next chapter of home ownership in our fast-growing Center\West community, especially one that includes teaming up with such an established partner as NVR Ryan Homes.
The development will have a mix of studios, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom units, and duplex units, with parking.
