Demolition Begins At Perkins Homes To Make Way For Redevelopment
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Demolition began today at the historic Perkins Homes public housing. The demolition is making way for a brighter future in Baltimore City - a development to house over 1,000 residents.
"You are seeing history," said Janet Abrahams, CEO of the Baltimore City Housing Authority. "This is the end of an era."
The building was torn away after over 80 years.
"We lived down here for a long long time," said Sharon Henderson. Henderson raised her three daughters at the Perkins Homes and she said the demolition is bittersweet.
"We had so much fun down here, but it's time for it to go," said Henderson.
"It needed to come down because it was just old!" said resident Denise Street.
The demolition is making way for new development.
"You will have new schools, you will have new parks, you will have restaurants, grocery stores," said Abrahams.
The people that live here get an opportunity to come back and live in a world-class neighborhood," said District 12 Councilman Robert Stokes.
The development is set to be completed in the year 2025.
"I know it's the beginning of something that's going to be really great," said Rhonda Richetta, principal of City Springs Elementary School. "They're going to come back and it's going to be beautiful."
Street said she just hopes her new home will be safe.
"Children can have somewhere to come out and play and hopefully, there's not a whole lot of gun violence," said Street.
