Little Italy Could Soon Get Major Revitalization

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- An entire city block in a very popular part of Baltimore City is up for sale. This move could revolutionize Little Italy.

Ava-joye Burnett has more on the major push to transform the city.

For decades, Little Italy had a vibrant life that seemed unstoppable but over time, a decline came and people moved out.

"Growth is success. It's a sign of success and Lord knows, we haven't had a taste of that, what it used to be," said Tony Gambino, Caio Bella.

But a bold move is coming that could flip things around: an entire city block will go up for sale. Brokers haven't officially released the location yet but once the deal's done, new apartments and businesses will move in.

"This will give it the kick in the pants it sort of needs---the shot in the arm---to get it to be the vibrant neighborhood that it's always been," said broker Joseph Scalia.

What Little Italy is trying to accomplish is what other areas of the city have already done---for example, Harbor East, just a few blocks away.

"It's gone nothing but up with a lot of businesses, a lot of apartments, a lot of places where people can live and spend money," said Tomas Radowich.

From Harbor East over to Canton, the busy streets---even on a cold day---show the evolution in other parts of the city.

"All the new shops there, the Target is huge. You know, we haven't had anything like that for a while, so that's big," said Canton resident Bryan Harrison.

That's the kind of growth Little Italy can't wait to see, hopefully not too far down the road.

Word's gotten around in Little Italy and many say they already know what block is up for sale, but developers will not make the location public until they get proposals and designs.

Developers are keeping the location secret because there are still businesses operating on the 19,000 square foot piece of land.