Opportunity Through Partnership

Tucked between Baltimore’s Butcher’s Hill and Canton neighborhoods is Patterson Park, with over 2,200 homes that surround a 155-acre green space. The median household income here is almost 50% lower than the City average. But things are slowly improving in this historic neighborhood where homes that once sold for $50,000 are now valued at close to $300,000.

Much of the change has been due to the efforts of the Patterson Park Community Development Corporation (PPCDC). Established in 1986, PPCDC has steadily worked to remove blight from this neighborhood, rehabilitating over 350 houses and generating millions in private investment, while preserving affordable housing for the neighborhood’s lowerincome residents.

In 2005, PPCDC took its vision a step further, partnering with TRF to develop a mixed-use investment strategy for Library Square, the neighborhood’s commercial center whose commercial presence was limited.

“Patterson Park is full of potential,” explains PPCDC Executive Director, Ed Rutkowski. “It is centrally located, and surrounded by some of the city’s best assets. Revitalizing Library Square as a commercial hub will give Patterson Park the services and amenities it needs to sustain the vibrant community.”

Based on data analysis and community interviews, TRF developed a detailed revitalization strategy for Library Square that includes a feasibility analysis, a suggested investment sequence and a proposed budget. The plan helped PPCDC move to implementation. It also received federal funding for the acquisition and development of vacant and deteriorating properties in Library Square.