The city/BDC is on the verge of seizing the Parkway Theater from its owner Charles Dodson.
I have spoken to Charles Dodson a few times and he has told me a lot about the situation. The man had every intention of fixing up the place. I have been by the building many times and compared to the rest of the North Avenue area it is in fine shape. Dodson legally purchased this property in an area where the BDC already had plans. It's clear to me that Dodson did not fit in to their plans. You see Dodson is not a connected developer or a political contributer. He is not an insider and when you are not an insider the big boys find ways to beat you.
How many empty buildings does the city of Baltimore own? How many empty buildings does the BDC own? Shouldn't we as tax payers be able to "quick take" them since we are the ones who fund the city and BDC?
Why is an unelected shadow government type organization allowed to decide who gets to keep what they own and who does not?
So now the BDC will give Dodson less than what the building is worth and then they will give it to a connected "developer" (who will take his time to renovate it by the way) in better shape than it was in 2002 when Dodson purchased it. Meanwhile thousands of city owned properties sit vacant and trashed.
Comments
The slimeballs who wreck peoples lives like this are a lot like the gangs of street thugs who vandalize and rob people in neighborhoods. They can't seem to stop because there's no accountability. There's a great name for this:
Kleptocracy: (a rule by thieves)
Kleptocracies are often dictatorships or some other form of autocratic and nepotist government, or lapsed democracies that have transformed into oligarchies.
Kleptocracy in a government often results in a severe deficit of outside investment, and drastic weakening in the market. As the kleptocracy often embezzles its money from its citizens by misusing funds derived from tax payments, or money laundering schemes
The BDC seiezed several properties along Washington Blvd. in Pigtown a few years back with the plan to revdevelop the area and the buildings are still sitting there vacant; only now they have a BDC banner hanging on them.
The buildings in Pigtown have sat stagnant because of many things, but most notably litigation initiated by John Murphy. Good luck Station North. My grandchildren are going to love it someday.
Steve
You gave me a terrific idea! We'll have to knock out a bunch of these BDC banners and place them on other deserving buildings. Foreclosed homes and crack houses come to mind but I'm sure there are others. Want to get rid of an irritating neighbor? Put a BDC sign on your house and watch em head for the hills with the rest of the neighbors close behind. Thats how they buy on the cheap...kinda like advertising you have an anthrax lab.
This agency has been responsible for hopelessly blighting this City and eliminating ALL development or competition for their friends then sending us the bill for the blight.That is unless they can get their fat fingers in the pie.
They get the top shelf stuff way above SCOPE where big numbers can be hidden.Only City Hall cronies need apply since every one of their pals will have to participate in the pork fest.When they're done stuffing themselves they'll toss a wad to the politicians and send us the bill..laughing all the way to the bank.
Ain't Baltimo great?
How's their Hotel doin? Last I heard the bond rating was cut to one notch above junk. Maybe your grandkids wont get to see much of Baltimore unless they can walk there barefoot.
Kleptocracy... absolutely, you have hit the nail on the head. We have the most gullible, lazy citizenry in this town who are so easily led and fooled by these crooks. I knew a small developer who was shaken down by the city with a several thousand dollar fine for nothing (he was told it was to encourage him to finish his properties in a timely manner, ironically) and when he asked what he had to do to make it go away, he was told to make a substantial donation to a city non-profit organization. The big non-profits are unfortunately can be a part of the problem too, with their overpaid execs and star-studded boards of directors.
Adam-
I saw this article linked to your recent article about the Senator...it's time for an update, however, on the Parkway. Has the city stolen it yet from Dodson? btw I went thru the building just before Dodson bought it; before him, a guy named John Grant had a contract on it, and let me and a friend in for a a little tour. At that time, the basement was a swimming pool and it was really in a bad way. The contract fell thru, and Mr. Dodson did indeed do a LOT of work on the place, totallyout of love for the building, and also totally in vain, it seems. Something has to be done about this - we can't keep letting the city get away w/ this kind of stuff.
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