Clarke Wants City to Purchase Former Uncle Lee's
The restaurant, once a popular place to eat before attending games at Memorial Stadium, is now in rough shape.
The Baltimore City Council is considering condemning and purchasing the building that was home to Uncle Lee’s Szechuan Restaurant.
Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke introduced legislation on Monday for the city to condemn, purchase and then sell the building near 3313 Greenmount Ave. that was once a popular place to eat before games at the old Memorial Stadium.
Clarke said the city should to take control of the property because its owner has no interest in improving the building’s deteriorated state.
"I’ve had enough," Clarke said.
According to a 1993 article from the Baltimore Sun, Uncle Lee’s acutely felt the sting from the loss of people coming to the neighborhood after 1991 when the Orioles moved downtown.
Read this blog post about the rise and fall of Uncle Lee’s.
The side of the building is also home to a mural referred to as the Great Wall of Waverly, which depicts life in the neighborhood.
"When you start messing with murals on Greenmount Avenue you’ve gone too far," Clarke said.
slangwhang
8:04 am on Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Imagine that, between voting tax increases for bottle taxes to hurt the poor,
and telling everyone else how to run their lives, MPC has the audacity to try to remove a Baltimore landmark, I had many good meals there and that building still serves as a bullet barrier from the Chicken Joint and Gas Station! (2 summers ago)
Marty would of claimed eminent domain, like at the Giant, that would of been the end of it. Gonads MPC get some! I can hear Harry How turning in his grave!
BBetterBallt
10:13 am on Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Maybe MPC wants the property for one of her development friends. She talks out of both sides of her mouth on issues that REALLY mean something to the citizens of Baltimore
Sean Tully
9:44 pm on Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Yes, just what the city needs, more abandoned property.
Kerry Craven
8:53 am on Wednesday, May 2, 2012
How about we trash the dead beat owner of this property?.....I am sick and tired of seeing business owners letting their buildings deteriorate. Mary Pat is encouraging the use of the building, not the destruction of it.....she doesn't want to remove this landmark.....you don't read too well.
karen
3:00 pm on Wednesday, May 2, 2012
It's empty, vacant, an eyesore and a drag on the neighborhood, people. Read the article and drive by for goodness sakes. Sometimes we need to step in and deal with properties that private owners have abandoned.
betterbaltimoredev
2:05 pm on Sunday, May 6, 2012
Interesting.....Karen. And I agree with to a point. The city has laws and regulations that cover this type of issue. Why not use them rather than having the government try to take a private person's property?