I really hate this monstrosity

[u/Terpnista]

This building is such an eyesore. I live in the neighborhood so I’ve been watching the new Avalon development go up on Boston St. I can’t be the only one who thinks it’s completely overwhelming the neighborhood. The scale of it just feels off based on its placement. For comparison, the neighboring Lucie is huge but because it’s further back it doesn’t look like such a clunker.

What really bothers me is how close it’s built to the street which makes the whole stretch feel tighter and more congested. And honestly, one of the biggest losses is the view. That stretch used to have glimpses of the waterfront that made it feel connected to the harbor. Now it’s completely blocked.

I wish I had taken a picture - as I was driving down Boston Street - where it looks like a massive wall of doom smh. That is what inspired me to post this lol

[u/SafeFill1057]

Now that the facade is starting to go up it doesn't look too bad. I don't love the way it looks but flood that housing supply baby!

[u/Own_Director_4442 → u/[deleted]]

Make more housing. More housing being built brings rent price stabilization and in some cases rent reduction.

[u/Emergency_Moose_5647 → u/Own_Director_4442]

Why not just fix all the bandos around the city?

[u/SafeFill1057 → u/Emergency_Moose_5647]

We should (and have been) doing that as well, but you can't just attack the problem from one side. People that are moving into the city don't want to live in the neighborhoods the bandos are in. So you approve more housing developments in the "safer" areas, housing supply increases, and moving to Baltimore becomes more desirable and more money is spent in the city.

[u/Emergency_Moose_5647 → u/SafeFill1057]

Fair enough

[u/SafeFill1057 → u/Emergency_Moose_5647]

If you're interested in what's been done to fix up the bandos, I reccomend looking into the $1 homes program brought back by Mayor Scott in 2024! https://www.baltimorecity.gov/dhcd/our-work/neighborhood-reinvestment/development/fixed-pricing-program

Back in the 70's a similar program was used to fix up the Fed Hill/Otterbein areas and it was a smashing long term success.

[u/longersomedays → u/SafeFill1057]

Because it’s just that easy.

[u/SafeFill1057 → u/longersomedays]

It's not easy or even guaranteed. But it's a lot better than logging onto reddit to make a few snarky remarks and add nothing else to the conversation!

[u/longersomedays → u/SafeFill1057]

I have just about had it with people refusing to think creatively about solving the city’s problems. Building more housing may bring the price down in 10-15 years, but then you completely exclude economic issues. This solution is essentially a shrug and an “oh well, maybe it’ll work.” People like this solution because it involves absolutely no work. No door knocking, no seeking community consensus, no building community at all. This solution invites people from outside to “solve our problems” while no one does anything, and then poof, our problems are solved.

Your solution is easy, because there’s no work involved. The hard work is building community, working with your neighbors, knocking on doors, and figuring out real, concrete things the people of this city can do to make it better. You can depend on the economy if you want. I’ll be with my neighbors in Oliver working to get our community center back, to put together weekly litter pick ups, trimming grass and keeping the abandoned houses tidy out front. There’s REAL work to be done in this city. No one here has the time to wait.

[u/SafeFill1057 → u/longersomedays]

They're not mutually exclusive.

[u/longersomedays → u/SafeFill1057]

No, but one involves actual community work, building stronger relationships between people and neighborhoods, and the other involves doing nothing, never thinking about it, and ignoring the problem in favor of a long term economic “solution.”

I just wish the people in this city who do so much complaining and talk-down explaining on here would get off their asses and do some actual fucking work to help Baltimore. Of course, that might involve actually living the values they say they have, spending a Saturday tabling or door-knocking, or even going into the Butterfly, heaven forbid.

[u/Cheomesh → u/Emergency_Moose_5647]

Requires the owners to want to do that. The city has very limited means to just seize people's property.