South Baltimore residents start grassroots effort to improve community

By Khiree Stewart

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    BALTIMORE, Maryland (WBAL) — Residents are making a new push to improve neighborhoods in south Baltimore.

“We want our neighborhood to be heard. We want our community to be heard. We want Brooklyn (and) Curtis Bay to get heard,” resident Rocio Bolanos.

Bolanos lives in Brooklyn and is one of many taking part in an initiative to improve south Baltimore.

Five teams of 30 residents and community partners have worked over the past two months to research specific areas that need improvement and develop solutions.

Bolanos was part of a team working to improve diversity and address youth conflicts around Ben Franklin High School.

“Aside from just bringing them together, I’m hoping that kids have a place where they can call a safe zone,” Bolanos said.

Some of the other projects include improving safety in Brooklyn Park’s Riverside Park, addressing vacant and nuisance properties, improving safety along the Hanover Street business corridor and re-imagining the Brooklyn Homes community basketball courts and outdoor space.

Meredith Chaiken is the executive director of the Greater Baybrook Alliance.

“Not just the shooting last year, but overall, there’s been a lot of hardship that this community is working through. This is a really positive way that the community members are dealing with this. They’re really focused on solutions and how to address some of the issues in the neighborhood to make it better for everybody that lives there,” she said.

Residents are hoping the project lays the blueprint for a better community.

“I think we’re feeling like we kept being put on the back-burner. We just want our voice to be heard,” Bolanos said.

The group has already received feedback from residents. Now, they’re planning how to get started on each of their goals.

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