Update
Great news! The proposal to develop all of the properties in the picture (V.A.6) was tabled for the 8/9/2022 meeting. At this time, we have (at least) stalled the development of these properties; the Land Bank Board of Directors will discuss the proposal at a later date.
More Info
Agendas and full proposals are all posted to the Land Bank Board's website, which you can find here. To see the details of the V.A.6 proposal, see here. We will keep track of upcoming board agendas to attend and present our case when the proposal resurfaces.
Next Steps
Please keep sharing and promoting! We have stalled the development of our shared green spaces in Brewerytown, but the proposal will resurface at a later meeting, and we want to show the Board what value these spaces have to our community!
The Details
A few details from the proposal:
- 67 properties in Brewerytown are proposed to be sold to Frankel Enterprises for $1 per property. A conservative estimate puts the properties' actual collective worth over $4.7 million.
- After being developed, these properties will be sold at ≈$280k each.
Based on data from the 2020 Census, median household income in Brewerytown is just over $27k. For white families, the median is about $84k; for black families, about $20k. The discrepancy between the proposed sale prices and the income data begs the question: is this "affordable housing" initiative actually equitable, or is it exacerbating gentrification?
In contrast, shared green space is accessible to all members of the community, regardless of income, age, home ownership, or anything else. These spaces promote sustainability, health, neighborhood safety, and generally a stronger sense of community.
Thank you for your support,
Josiah Kuiper