We hope everyone has managed to stay safe and warm. Baltimore City schools are again closed today. Many kids rely on the schools for meals, so we wanted to ensure you knew who was distributing meals today.
The Family League continues to partner with Baltimore City Recreation Centers to ensure youth have access to meals and they have provided a list on their website. Today, 26 January 2016, brown bag lunches will be delivered to 19 recreation centers around the city and Arundel Elementary/Middle School from 1:00pm to 2:00pm. Families can call 211 for open meal locations.
Well – if the weather predictions are right – there’s a lot of snow that is headed our way. The most recent predictions say that Baltimore City will receive approximately 24 inches of snow between Friday night and into Saturday morning, possibly continuing until Sunday.
Review your medical prescriptions to be sure that you have enough medications to last a week.
After the snow stops:
SAFELY shovel your sidewalks.
Shovel the neighbor’s sidewalk if they need help.
Shovel out that storm drain nearby.
If you use Ice Melt, or similar products, please use it appropriately. Be mindful of the environment, and don’t kill trees or wash it down storm drains.
Come out to St Mary’s Park to build a snowman!
Know that transportation WILL be disrupted. Metro/Subway will return to normal first, followed by the LightRail, then bus and private car. Plan accordingly.
Resources:
BGE: Please contact BGE at 1877.778.2222 or 1800.685.0123 if you have a power outage or see downed power lines.
311: Please dial 311(443.263.2220 for cell phones) to report any downed trees and/or debris in your neighborhood from the high winds, or if you see any homeless citizens on the street.
404 George Street in Seton Hill up for auction next Thursday Learn more about this opportunity to turn a vacant house back into a home
Tucked away on a narrow street, 404 George Street has had our attention since concerned neighbors first contacted us in 2012 about this three-story rowhouse in Seton Hill. Next Thursday, January 7, the building is up for auction—offering a unique opportunity to buy a historic house just steps away from the famed Mother Seton House.
In July 2012, local residents pushed Baltimore Housing to file a receivership case against the owner who held the building since 1986. Receivership is a process where a municipality or a qualified non-profit applies for a court to appoint them as the receiver of the property and move to restore the property to use.
Courtesy MRIS, 2014.
Unfortunately, years of neglect took a toll on the structure. At the first auction in October 2014, the 404 George Street received no bids from interested buyers. Thankfully, Baltimore Housing quickly responded and stabilized the building to make the property more attractive to prospective developers. Stabilizing distressed vacant houses is a key strategy for encouraging private reinvestment and is often more cost-effective than demolition.
On Thursday, January 7 at 1:00 pm, 404 George Street is up for auction again. If you are a local builder, developer or an enthusiastic home rehabber, we invite you to come out next Thursday and invest in this beautiful community. If you are a neighbor, we need you to help spread the word!
Built in the 19th century, 404 George Street is less than a block away from the Mother Seton House and St. Mary’s Seminary Chapel—an 1808 landmark designed by architect Maximilian Godefroy. St. Mary’s Park boasts a recently restored fountain and won recognition from Baltimore City Paper as the city’s best park in 2014. The 2012 master plan for Seton Hill has much more information on the neighborhood. Of course, the property is eligible for city and state historic tax credits—review our historic tax credit guide for more details.
Please help make 2016 the year that the vacant house at 404 George Street turns back into a home.
Learn more about 404 George Street and the auction process from the Ashland Auction Group. For questions or more information, contact auctioneer Adam Shpritz by phone at 410-365-3595 (cell) or 410-488-3124 (office) or by email at adam@ashlandauction.com. Bids start at $30,000. Pre-bid offers are accepted by phone at 410-488-3124 or by email to adam@ashlandauction.com.
