National Trust for Historic Preservation Shows Support for the Preservation of Baltimore's Historic West Side

Statement by Paul Edmondson, Chief Legal Officer for the National Trust for Historic Preservation

Posted December 2, 2011 | Contact pr@savingplaces.org or 202-588-6141

Today, the National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a friend of the court brief in the Maryland Court of Appeals regarding the revitalization of Baltimore’s historic West Side.  Preservation Maryland and Baltimore Heritage, Inc. joined in the brief.  The following is a statement by Paul Edmondson, Chief Legal Officer for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. 

“Our brief in this case is intended to defend the interest of the public in the ongoing revitalization of Baltimore’s historic West Side. If it stands, the September 2011 ruling of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City would limit the ability of property owners, developers, preservationists and other interested parties to bring a legal challenge should the State of Maryland and the City of Baltimore make decisions that would damage the irreplaceable historic fabric of the West Side. The West Side’s historic buildings are the neighborhood’s primary assets, and they will be integral to ensuring its economic future. The National Trust named Baltimore’s historic West Side one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places in 1999, and we continue to believe that preserving the area’s historic assets is the best way to ensure a brighter economic future for this important part of Baltimore.”