Early this week, Baltimore City essentially fired a New York City developer that held a nearly two-decades old agreement to revitalize Poppleton — one of the city’s oldest historically Black neighborhoods.

La Cite asked for an extension on a May financing paperwork deadline for a senior building on Schroeder Street.

Housing Commissioner Alice Kennedy denied it on Monday.  

“We've worked to accommodate the developer over the years, and the community can't wait any longer,” said Kennedy in a Tuesday interview after sending the letter to La Cite. In that letter, Kennedy wrote that the declination “effectively places the developer in default of their agreement with the City of Baltimore.”

The developer has received millions of taxpayer dollars for projects that have not yet materialized. Meanwhile, hundreds of West Baltimore residents and businesses were displaced.

“We absolutely want to see the revitalization of Poppleton. And I think that's the key component here,” said Kennedy to WYPR, noting that the revitalization of Poppleton is “ 20 years in the making, and we still want to see… investment and a thriving community.”

The developer is now also barred from beginning construction on any other planned buildings in the city.

The news of the termination with La Cite was first reported by The Baltimore Banner.

Commissioner Kennedy of Mayor Brandon Scott declined on Tuesday to go into details about what the next steps look like in terms of parting ways with La Cite.

“We're going to be moving forward with how we want to see that project go forth… But what we want to see ultimately is the redevelopment and Poppleton,” said Scott.

La Cite could not be immediately reached for comment on Tuesday.

La Cite first entered into an agreement with Baltimore in 2006. The developer planned to build hotels, mixed-use housing, and hundreds of rowhomes. The plan has been amended multiple times, including timeline extensions.

So far, the developer has built one 262-unit apartment complex called Center/West.