Research · cited sources
Community profile
Prepared 9/16/2026 for the LLAYD / Tyjuan Amor LLC resubmission to Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC). Every fact has a source. Items I could not verify are marked UNVERIFIED.
1. Site identification
| Item | Finding | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1820 N. Charles St. — Block/Lot | Ward 12, Section 09, Block 0388, Lot 009; land ≈1,655 SF; 4 floors above grade plus a basement, masonry; originally part of a historic mansion later split into three buildings | BDC RFP (10/14/2025), p. 4 — https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62e950e477a7d341ded26c5a/68eeba5cb327e7a92b1ee080_1820%20N%20Charles%20Street%20RFP_FINAL.pdf |
| Zoning | C-2 (commercial; allows offices, retail, services, and live entertainment as an accessory use) | BDC RFP, pp. 4–5 (same URL) |
| Overlays | Charles North Urban Renewal Plan (CNURP); Station North Arts & Entertainment District; North Central National Register Historic District | BDC RFP, pp. 3–5 (same URL) |
| Incentive zones named in the RFP | Opportunity Zone, Enterprise Zone, CHAP historic credit, MHT state historic credit, High-Performance Market-Rate Rental Housing credit | BDC RFP, pp. 6–7 (same URL) |
| City subsidy | "No discretionary City financial assistance is offered or anticipated for this Property" | BDC RFP, p. 4 (same URL) |
| Census tract | Tract 1205 (GEOID 24510120500) for both 1816 and 1820 N. Charles | U.S. Census Geocoder — https://geocoding.geo.census.gov/geocoder/geographies/onelineaddress?address=1820+N+Charles+St,+Baltimore,+MD+21201&benchmark=Public_AR_Current&vintage=Current_Current&layers=all&format=json |
| State legislative district | District 40 (Senate and House). Congressional District 7. | Same Census Geocoder query |
| District 40 legislators (2023–2027) | Sen. Antonio L. Hayes; Dels. Marlon D. Amprey, Frank M. Conaway Jr., Melissa R. Wells | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryland_Legislative_District_40 |
| 1816 N. Charles FY2026 tax bill | Assessment $230,000; state rate 0.112%, city rate 2.248%; total tax $5,428. The bill shows no Special Benefits District surcharge line. | LLAYD project file: research/source_text/1816 N Charles St__new files__Real Property _ City of Baltimore.pdf.txt (City bill from https://pay.baltimorecity.gov/realproperty/bill) |
2. Neighborhood context: Charles North, Station North, Greenmount West, Old Goucher
- Station North Arts & Entertainment District. Established in 2002 as Baltimore's first state-designated Arts & Entertainment District. It covers parts of Charles North, Greenmount West, and Barclay. — https://www.stationnorth.org/district-history ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Station_North_Arts_and_Entertainment_District
- Boundaries. The district is roughly triangular: 20th Street to the north, Greenmount Avenue to the east, and the Amtrak Northeast Corridor tracks to the south and west. — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Station_North_Arts_and_Entertainment_District
- A&E district incentives. These include property-tax credits for qualifying artist renovations, income-tax credits on art sales, and admissions-and-amusement tax waivers. — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Station_North_Arts_and_Entertainment_District
- Charles North Vision Plan (2008). Endorsed by Mayor Dixon with a 30-year horizon. It calls for 1,900 residences, 557,000 SF of retail, and 300,000 SF of office. It also names the expansion of Penn Station and the redevelopment of the Parkway Theatre, North Avenue Market, and the former Chesapeake Restaurant. — https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2008-10-30-0810290151-story.html
- North Central National Register Historic District. Listed 12/27/2002. It covers about 25 blocks and 630 buildings north of downtown, mostly 2–4-story late-19th-century rowhouses plus commercial and industrial buildings and theaters. — https://www.baltimorecity.gov/chap/our-work/historic-districts/maps/north-central ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Central_Historic_District_(Baltimore,_Maryland)
- BNIA geography. BNIA's "Midtown" Community Statistical Area (CSA) includes Bolton Hill, Charles North, Greenmount West, Mid-Town Belvedere, and Mount Vernon. — BNIA community page https://bniajfi.org/community/Midtown/ (the neighborhood list was reported in search results for this page)
- Neighboring CSA. Old Goucher and Barclay fall in the "Greater Charles Village/Barclay" CSA. UNVERIFIED from the BNIA crosswalk; that CSA's figures are shown below for comparison.
3. Demographics and economics
3a. Census Tract 1205 (the site tract), ACS 2024 5-year
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 2,126 |
| Median age | 35.5 |
| Median household income | $61,338 |
| Per-capita income | $59,263 |
| Poverty rate | 12.4% |
| Housing units | 1,450 |
| Median home value | $336,400 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 60% |
| Mean commute time | 26.6 min |
Source: Census Reporter — https://censusreporter.org/profiles/14000US24510120500-census-tract-1205-baltimore-md/
3b. Baltimore City, for comparison (ACS 2024 1-year)
Population 568,271; median household income $64,778; per-capita income $41,644; poverty rate 17.7%; median home value $247,400. Source: https://censusreporter.org/profiles/16000US2404000-baltimore-md/
3c. BNIA Vital Signs, pulled from BNIA's ArcGIS feature services
| Indicator | Midtown CSA | Greater Charles Village/Barclay CSA | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income (2019–2023 ACS) | $56,606 (2018–22: $65,017; 2014–18: $52,477; 2006–10: $35,394) | $63,578 | BNIA "Median Household Income – CSA": https://services1.arcgis.com/mVFRs7NF4iFitgbY/arcgis/rest/services/Mhhi/FeatureServer/0 (portal: https://vital-signs-bniajfi.hub.arcgis.com/datasets/median-household-income-community-statistical-area) |
| % of residential properties vacant and abandoned (2023) | 0.94% (2010: 5.31%) | 3.2% | BNIA "Vacant" layer: https://services1.arcgis.com/mVFRs7NF4iFitgbY/arcgis/rest/services/Vacant/FeatureServer/0 |
| % of family households below poverty (2019–2023) | 2.2% | 14.6% | BNIA "Hhpov" layer: https://services1.arcgis.com/mVFRs7NF4iFitgbY/arcgis/rest/services/Hhpov/FeatureServer/0 |
| Median home sale price (2023) | $287,500 (2022: $325,000) | $256,500 | BNIA "Salepr" layer: https://services1.arcgis.com/mVFRs7NF4iFitgbY/arcgis/rest/services/Salepr/FeatureServer/0 |
| Part 1 crime rate per 1,000 residents (2022) | 64.5 (2019: 87.7; 2011: 99.5) | 54.4 | BNIA "Crime" layer: https://services1.arcgis.com/mVFRs7NF4iFitgbY/arcgis/rest/services/Crime/FeatureServer/0 |
How to read these numbers.
- Midtown's median income has roughly risen 60% since 2010, and its official vacant-and-abandoned rate has fallen below 1%. That shows a market that has largely stabilized.
- The 1800 block of N. Charles still has visible vacancy. The 2023 appraisal for 1816 noted "some of the neighboring buildings are currently vacant and many have been graffitied." (LLAYD file: Bowery Appraisal, research/source_text/...Bowery Appraisal...txt, rent reconciliation section.)
- This redevelopment would remove blight on a block that is behind the rest of the CSA.
4. Major investments and anchors nearby
| Asset | Facts | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Penn Station (≈3 blocks away, per the RFP) | Exterior renovation is complete. A new Acela platform opened in early 2024 and a second platform is under construction. FRA awarded $123M in late 2024; Amtrak committed $90M to the expansion. June 2026: Amtrak and Penn Station Partners (Cross Street Partners + Beatty Development) paused the planned new north station building on E. Lanvale St. and restructured their partnership. PSP stays master developer for the surrounding streetscape and parcels. Amtrak will renovate the historic headhouse interior on its own. The two planned E. Lanvale residential/commercial buildings have no timeline. Weekday Acela trips rose from 26 to 32 on 6/22/2026. | The Banner: https://www.thebanner.com/community/transportation/penn-station-amtrak-development-pause-NJPH6XC33VARFLQGD7GGDEME4A/ ; CBS Baltimore: https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/penn-station-paused-construction-baltimore-maryland/ ; Baltimore Sun (paywalled): https://www.baltimoresun.com/2026/06/03/penn-station-amtrak-redevelopment/ |
| Nelson Kohl Apartments, 20 E. Lanvale St. | Described as the first Class-A mid-rise market-rate apartment building in Station North. 103 units, 8 stories, built 2018. | https://www.apartmentfinder.com/Maryland/Baltimore-Apartments/Nelson-Kohl-Apartments-sd3wj85 ; https://www.zahlco.com/nelsonkohl |
| SNF Parkway Theatre (Maryland Film Festival), 5 W. North Ave. | 1915 movie palace, vacant for about 40 years. Reopened in 2017 after an ≈$18.2M renovation (SNF $5M lead gift). It is used by MICA and JHU film programs. | https://hub.jhu.edu/2017/04/21/parkway-theater-grand-opening ; https://www.baltimorebrew.com/2015/10/24/parkway-theatre-turns-100-passes-15m-mark-in-renovation-funds/ |
| Charles Theatre | On the same block as 1816, and cited by the appraiser as a strength | Bowery appraisal SWOT (LLAYD file) |
| Motor House, 120 W. North Ave. | A 1914 Ford dealership. BARCO bought it in 2013 and turned it into an arts hub with a bar, black-box theater, and studios. | https://explore.baltimoreheritage.org/items/show/560 ; https://www.baltimoreartsrealty.com/ |
| North Avenue Market | Acquired in 2024 by a group led by Central Baltimore Partnership. NIIF made a $1.69M acquisition bridge loan; the State, Johns Hopkins University, and the seller also funded it. Full redevelopment is ≈$30M. In FY27 DHCD proposed $400,000 in BRNI for façade and storefront restoration. | https://www.baltimoreniif.org/niif-investments/group-led-by-central-baltimore-partnership-acquires-north-avenue-market/ ; https://dhcd.maryland.gov/Documents/PressReleases/FY27-State-Revitalization-Program-Proposed-Amounts.pdf |
| AREA 405 (Greenmount West) | Preserved as artist space. NIIF and Reinvestment Fund provided ≈$2.7M toward a $5.9M total development cost. | CDFI Fund 30th Anniversary case study: https://cdfi.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/case_65.pdf |
| Art House Baltimore (1900 blocks of Maryland Ave. and Howard St.) | Proposed 160 affordable units (30–60% AMI), ≈$37M, artist preference, ≈13,000 SF of ground-floor studio and café space. Presented to UDAAP 8/2024. | https://baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/artists-housing-six-story-160-unit-37-million-apartment-building-proposed-for-baltimores-station-north-area/ |
| Central Baltimore Partnership (CBP) FY27 BRNI items | CBFF Strategic Acquisition Fund $300K; Neil Muldrow Small Business Fund $200K (façades, fit-out, acquisition); Greater Greenmount Rowhouse Rehab $250K; Spruce Up $135K; Safe & Healthy Homes $150K; operating $75K | DHCD FY27 proposed amounts: https://dhcd.maryland.gov/Documents/PressReleases/FY27-State-Revitalization-Program-Proposed-Amounts.pdf |
| Institutions | MICA is within walking distance. The Mt. Royal/MICA light-rail stop serves MICA, the University of Baltimore, and the Lyric, about 3 blocks from Penn Station. JHU partners on the Parkway and North Avenue Market. | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Station_North_Arts_and_Entertainment_District ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mt._Royal/MICA_station |
| 1816 N. Charles (LLAYD, underway) | Active DHCD BRNI award BRNI-2026-LLAYD-00539-R, $250,000 ("LLAYD Small Business Hub"; term 1/1/2026–6/30/2028; DHCD PM Kate Howard). A $125,000 advance request package has been prepared. | LLAYD files: research/source_text/1816 N Charles St__BRNI Funding Request.pdf.txt and ...__BRVI__README.md.txt |
5. Transit and walkability
- Penn Station. Serves Amtrak (Acela and Northeast Regional) and MARC Penn Line. The appraisal puts 1816 about a 7-minute walk away. — Bowery appraisal (LLAYD file); https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore_Penn_Station
- Light rail. The Penn Station light-rail spur has been closed for several years during Amtrak's rebuild. Mt. Royal/MICA is the nearest active stop. — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore_Penn_Station ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mt._Royal/MICA_station
- Charm City Circulator. Free. The Purple Route runs 33rd St. → Penn Station → Federal Hill every ~13 minutes (as of 2026). — https://www.jhunewsletter.com/article/2026/08/baltimore-transit-101-a-guide-to-going-carless-in-charm-city ; https://transportation.baltimorecity.gov/charm-city-circulator
- Walk Score at N. Charles & E. 23rd St. (nearest scored point). Walk 96 ("Walker's Paradise"), Transit 83, Bike 85. Light rail is 0.4 mi away and MARC is 0.6 mi. — https://www.walkscore.com/score/n-charles-st-and-e-23rd-st-baltimore-md-21218
- Search results also report a Charles North neighborhood Walk Score of 94. UNVERIFIED directly.
- Traffic. About 10,000 vehicles per day past 1816 N. Charles. — Bowery appraisal (LLAYD file)
6. Opportunity Zone and other designations
| Designation | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Qualified Opportunity Zone (current map) | Yes. Tract 1205 is one of Baltimore's 42 OZ tracts, and the BDC RFP says the site is in an OZ. | https://opportunitydb.com/zones/24510120500/ ; BDC RFP p. 6 |
| OZ 2.0 (OBBBA) | New map takes effect 1/1/2027; governors nominate tracts starting 7/1/2026. Maryland's submission of up to 113 tracts to Treasury is due 9/29/2026 (county nominations were due to DHCD 8/7/2026). The current map stays in effect through end of 2028. Eligibility tightens: median family income below 70% of the benchmark, or 20%+ poverty with a 125% income cap. Risk: Tract 1205's median household income ($61,338) is close to the citywide figure ($64,778), so it may not qualify for the 2027 map. UNVERIFIED — check DHCD's final nomination list. | https://eig.org/opportunity-zones-2-0-where-things-stand/ ; https://conduitstreet.mdcounties.org/2026/05/22/webinar-recap-what-counties-need-to-know-about-opportunity-zones-2-0/ ; https://dhcd.maryland.gov/business-development/maryland-opportunity-zones |
| Baltimore Enterprise Zone | Yes — "The Site is located within an Enterprise Zone" (BDC contact: Shevon Kaintuck, 410-837-9305) | BDC RFP p. 7 |
| Sustainable Community / BRNI area | 1816 already holds a BRNI award, so the block is inside a BRNI target area. Confirm 1818/1820 on DHCD's Neighborhood Revitalization Mapper. | LLAYD BRNI award file; https://dhcd.maryland.gov/neighborhood-revitalization/community-development-funding/state-revitalization-programs/baltimore-regional-neighborhood-initiative |
| NIIF eligible neighborhood | Likely yes, UNVERIFIED. NIIF has financed North Avenue Market (Station North) and AREA 405 (Greenmount West). Confirm on NIIF's eligibility map. | https://www.baltimoreniif.org/eligible-neighborhoods/ |
| Healthy Neighborhoods area | Charles North, Greenmount West, and Mount Vernon are listed. The loan products are for owner-occupants. | https://healthyneighborhoods.org/target-blocks/ (via search summary) |
| Baltimore Main Streets | No. The nine districts are Belair-Edison, Federal Hill, Fells Point, Hamilton-Lauraville, Highlandtown, Park Heights, Pennsylvania Ave., Pigtown, and Waverly. | https://baltimoremainstreets.lovable.app/ (redirect from baltimorecity.gov/smbad) |
| Special Benefits District surcharge | The 1816 FY26 tax bill shows no surcharge. The Midtown CBD ($0.132/$100) covers parts of Charles North, so confirm the 1818 and 1820 bills. | LLAYD tax bill file; https://www.midtownbaltimore.org/surcharge |
7. Public safety (high level)
- Citywide 2025. 133 homicides, the fewest in nearly 50 years and a 31% year-over-year drop. Non-fatal shootings fell from 423 to 311 (−24.5%). Since 2021, homicides are down 58.7% and shootings 57.3%. — https://www.baltimorecity.gov/mayor/news-media/press-releases/2026-01-05-mayor-brandon-m-scott-highlights-historic-reductions-in-violent-crime-in-2025 ; https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/1/baltimore-records-nearly-50-year-low-homicides-2025/ ; https://foxbaltimore.com/news/local/crime-drop-fewest-homicides-shootings-baltimore-police-mayor-brandon-scott
- Northern District. The Mayor planned to expand the group-violence-reduction strategy to the Northern District first. Station North's assignment to the Northern District is UNVERIFIED. — same sources
- Midtown CSA trend. The Part 1 crime rate fell from 99.5 per 1,000 (2011) to 64.5 (2022). — BNIA Crime layer (above)
8. Why the project matters (points for the narrative)
- Removes blight next to major public investment. Three historic rowhouses on the 1800 block of N. Charles sit within walking distance of Penn Station (a $123M FRA award plus a $90M Amtrak commitment, as reported separately), the Parkway, the Charles Theatre, and North Avenue Market (≈$30M).
- Adds density where transit already exists. With Walk Score 96 / Transit 83 and Acela service growing, 18 apartments plus ground-floor retail fits the Charles North Vision Plan and Amtrak's new station-district TOD approach.
- Preserves a contributing historic mansion. The North Central National Register district and CNURP both require this, and it opens up CHAP, MHT, and federal historic credits (see file 03).
- Builds on the state's existing investment. 1816 already holds a $250K BRNI award, so finishing 1818/1820 completes the reunited mansion and protects the State's money.
- Advances equity goals. The project is led by a Black-owned developer/contractor team, which matches BDC's equity statement and its 27% MBE / 10% WBE goals (BDC RFP Exhibit I).
- Tightens the corridor. Midtown's residential vacancy is under 1%, but this block still has visible vacancy. Filling it strengthens the Charles Street link between Mount Vernon and Charles Village.