In 2003 Mayor Martin O’Malley announced an ambitious campaign to revitalize Reservoir Hill. About a year earlier, the Reservoir Hill Improvement Council had made a momentous decision to fully invest in the necessary infrastructure to move the community revitalization process forward. What had been mostly a volunteer organization evolved to a professionally staffed neighborhood umbrella organization. The charge to staff was to advance the revitalization process forward and create organizational sustainability. For a while, the spotlight was on Reservoir Hill. But as quickly as the attention was focused on this community, it was diverted to other neighborhoods, other priorities. The organization’s investment in its infrastructure, however, is beginning to pay off. An esprit de corps and feeling of community togetherness has taken root. A “community blooming with opportunity” became not only a marketing slogan to promote our neighborhood, but also a battle cry for our community leaders and stakeholders.
As the umbrella organization for Reservoir Hill, we are the designated voice for the community. We wear many hats -- as a fiduciary agent, as a partner in the community development process, as an organizer, as an advocate. We take our role and our job very seriously, and as you view this updated website you will see all of these roles showcased. The investment resulting from such organizing and advocacy has been, and will be continue to be, substantial. During this recent Reservoir Hill revitalization initiative, investment is estimated at $100 million dollars or more.
Public Capital investments include:
Historic lighting | $ .25 million |
Rehabilitation John Eager Howard School | $1.2 million |
Rehabilitation of John Eager Howard Recreation Center | $5 million |
City acquisition of vacant and boarded buildings | $1 million |
Public-Private investments:
Rehabilitation of the Chateau & Riviera apartment buildings | $8 million |
Mid rise multi-family buildings, to be constructed on Druid Park Lake Drive | $40 million |
Private owner rehabilitation | $37.5 million |
Rehab of scattered site public housing | $12.5 million |
Whitelock Street corridor revitalization | still to come |
These are mind-boggling numbers by anybody’s count. The investment in staff and infrastructure was critical to reaching the point where this kind of investment came to Reservoir Hill.
RHIC’s model is simple. We believe that communities can and should be involved in the neighborhood revitalization process. We believe that everyone should benefit from the community revitalization process; and, finally, we believe that the neighborhood should directly benefit and share in the development fees generated as a result of its advocacy.
To be effectively involved, to be an influential advocate, communities must have organization, must have leadership, and there must be public and private investment in that organization and leadership if communities are to be more than just passive participants, if neighborhoods really do come first. Being involved in public policy that affects our city and communities, shaping how land and buildings are used, advocating for the needs of our families – that’s all part of democracy, political and economic democracy, and Democracy is not a Spectator Sport.
Communities don’t have anything more than organization and numbers with which to engage in the public arena. Investing in that organization is fundamental to any success that follows. We have assembled a highly committed team of community development professionals who are working with community residents and stakeholders to realize a Reservoir Hill renaissance. We appreciate and thank our philanthropic and governmental partners who have provided support and the investment of financial resources to the Reservoir Hill Improvement Council to fulfill our mission.
We have engaged a wide array of support from the political, philanthropic, public, and private sectors. We’ve created a paradigm of success and supported our western neighbors in organizing and advocating for community improvements. We must continue to build strong neighbor-to-neighbor bonds across lines of race and income because only together will we create the model of urban revitalization we hope for. Our responsibility is to facilitate the community planning process in a fair and open manner.
Our newly designed website allows you to easily make a gift to support our work. Please consider doing so now. Thank you for your interest in Reservoir Hill.
John H. Ruffin
Executive Director
