Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Baltimore City, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Chesapeake Bay Trust announce a brand new, unique opportunity for community groups, design firms, and non-profit and private partners to showcase innovative ideas for transforming vacant lots in Baltimore City. Many urban centers are faced with significant challenges posed by vacant lots. Vacant areas can be unaesthetic, bring down property values, have human health and safety impacts, and negatively impact communities.

Through the Growing Green Initiative, Baltimore City is pioneering a new “Green Pattern Book” designed to provide communities and non-profits with ideas for how, working with City assistance, to improve these properties. With this competition, teams of community groups and designers will have the opportunity to use the Green Pattern Book to develop creative greening projects for vacant land in their communities as well as reduce and treat stormwater runoff. The top ideas will be selected as winners, and all winners will be provided with the resources to fully design and construct their winning ideas.

The winners of the 2014 Growing Green Design Competition: Vacant Lots Transformed competition are:

1) Civic Works, $50,000: This project will transform the Dayspring Green Parking Lot into a pocket park with usable space for visitors and locals. The project will provide artfully designed, communal green space that will decrease stormwater runoff, increase filtration for water contaminants, remove impervious surfaces and serve as a model for other green parking sites.
Contributing partner includes: Floura Teeter Landscape Architects

2) Jane’s House of Inspiration, $43,590: The proposed project, entitled “The A-MAZE-N Recovery Fruit Garden,” aims to build a garden on an abandoned lot in northeast Baltimore. The main objectives of this project are to increase access to fresh food for residents, to educate community members about healthy food choices, and to beautify the neighborhood. Contributing partners include: Morgan State University and Baltimore Orchard.

3) Hollins Roundhouse Association, $13,010: This project entails repurposing two vacant corner lots into a green space that can be used for passive recreation by community members as well as a public arts and entertainment space while providing stormwater management. Contributing partner includes: Neighborhood Design Center

4) Chesapeake Bay Foundation, $56,450: The project focuses on impervious removal, pollutant load reduction, and the restoration of native plants. The stormwater efforts will result in 242,000 fewer gallons of annual runoff and will also beautify the area, resulting in a significant community transformation.Contributing partners include: Biohabitats and Ecological Restoration and Management (ER&M)

5) Civic Works, $15,800: The Gateway Garden will be an ornamental, interactive ecological community green space. Main project objectives include stormwater filtration and runoff management, drinking water filtration, the creation of a welcoming entranceway to the area, a children’s walk-through to school, a wildlife habitat, an educational demonstration garden and a showcase for public art. Contributing partner includes: Brent Figlestahler

6) Real Food Farm, $63,800: Real Food Farm’s ‘Flower Factory at Broadway East’ employs community-minded design principles to integrate stormwater management and a new brand of urban agriculture – cut flower production. The Flower Factory will provide passerby with a welcoming introduction to the neighborhood for residents and visitors alike to enjoy the neighborhood sights. Contributing partner includes: Mahan Rykiel Associates

7) Druid Heights Community Development Corporation, $49,700: This project seeks to redevelop two adjacent lots and provide a “Peace Park” that will help to revitalize the community. This project will unite a cross-section of partners in order to create a colorful, functional, environmentally conscious and sustainable site that will serve as a gathering place for members of the community. Contributing partners include: URS Corporation and TDH Landscaping

To read the full press release click here and for questions about this competition, please contact Jana Davis at 410-974-2941, ex 100.

Deadline to enter the competition was August 15, 2014. To view the RFP click here.

IMPORTANT APPLICATION INFORMATION

Potential Project Locations:
Applicants are strongly encouraged, though not required, to select project sites from the list of vacant lots identified by the Baltimore Office of Sustainability and the HCD Adopt A Lot List. Lot information including basic topographic information and existing storm drain location can be found by clicking here.

Max request: Funders anticipate projects that can be implemented and designed in the $20,000-$50,000 range and that will treat stormwater.

Resources:

Growing Green Design Competition – Frequently Asked Questions
Competition workshop power-point

Required Documents:
Design Competition Budget Form

For questions about this competition, please contact Jana Davis at 410-974-2941, ex 100.