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WEBVTT LISA TEARING DOWN THE 1700 BLOCK: OF NORTH CHESTER STREET MARKSTHE LASTEST PHASE OF PROJECTCORE, A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THECITY, STATE AND COMMUNITYORGANIZATIONS.THE CITY IS INVESTING 18MILLION, THE STATE SOME TO MAYOR$5 MILLION.CATHERINE PUGH SAYS HOUSING ISJUST PART OF THE BIGGER PICTURE.>> YOU WANT TO SEE MOVIETHEATERS, HOUSES, PLACES WE CANCOME AND RESIDE AND BEENTERTAINED AS WELL IN OURNEIGHBORHOODS.LISA THE COMMITTEMENT IS TO: DEMOLISH AS MANY BLIGHTED CITYBLOCKS AS POSSIBLE IN FOURYEARS, CREATING GREEN SPACE INSOME, AND DEVELOPING OTHERS.REBA HAWKINS IS A MEMBER OFSOUTHERN BAPTIST CHURCH WHICHSITS NEXT TO THE BLIGHTED BLOCK.SHE'S GLAD TO SEE IT GO.>> NUMBER ONE, IT TAKES AWAY THE[INAUDIBLE]MANIFESTING WITHIN A LOT OFTHESE PROPERTIES.IT TAKES AWAY THAT CRIME ELEMENTIN WHICH THEY MIGHT BE LURKINGWITH SOME OF THESE DRAWINGS THATHAVE SAT ABANDONED FOR SOME MUCHTIME.RIGHT NOW, THIS IS JUST A SPARKAND IT IS SOMETHING THAT ISPOSITIVE FOR US.LISA: WHAT WILL GO HERE IS THEEXTENSION OF THE SOUTHERNBAPTIST CHURCH.THEY WILL PUT HEALTH SERVICES,FINANCIAL, AND JOB TRAINING ANDIT WILL BE A PLACE FOR THECOMMUNITY TOGETHER.COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS SAY A LOTOF THE CREDIT FOR BRINGINGDEVELOPMENT TO AREAS ONCEFORGOTTEN GOES TO THE PASTORSAND RESIDENTS WHO DID NOTABANDON THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS INTHEIR DARKEST HOURS.>> ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOTHAD A CHOICE OF WHERE THEY COULDGO HAD TO ENDURE THE BLIGHT, HADTO INJURE OR MS. JOHNSON'S STORECLOSING DOWN, BROWN'S ASUPERMARKET, BUT WE ARE STILLHERE.

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Project Core is removing Baltimore City's vacant and dilapidated buildings and rebuilding those areas with much-needed housing and services. Tearing down the 1700 block of North Chester Street marks the latest phase of Project Core, a partnership between the city, state and community organizations. The city is investing $18 million and the state is investing $75 million in the program. Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh said housing is just a part of the bigger picture. "We want to see more than just houses. We want to see restaurants, we want to see cleaners, we want to see movie theatres, we want to see places where we can come and reside in our neighborhoods and entertain as well," Pugh said. The commitment is to demolish as many blighted city blocks as possible in four years, creating green space in some and developing others. Reba Hawkins, a member of the Southern Baptist Church, which sits next to the blighted block on Chester Street, is glad to see the blight go. "No. 1, it takes away the rodents manifesting within a lot of these properties. It takes away that crime element in which they might be lurking in some of these dwellings that have sat abandoned for so much time. Right now, this is just a spark, but it is something positive for us," Hawkins said. What will be built includes an extension of the Southern Baptist Church, a family life center that will offer health, financial and job services, and a place for the community to gather. Community organizers said much of the credit for bringing development to areas once forgotten goes to the pastors and residents who did not abandon their neighborhoods in their darkest hours. "All of the people who have not had a choice of where they can go had to endure blight ... but we're still here and now our time has come," said Eric Booker, with the New Broadway East Community Association.