Residents of Baltimore's Poppelton community are set to rally over a controversial land deal that they say led to the demolition of historic homes, and the displacement of more than 500 Black residents.

Why are residents rallying?

According to a lawsuit filed in August of last year, the Housing Authority of Baltimore City unlawfully granted 13.8 acres of Poppleton to La Cité Development, a New York-based real estate agency.

According to the Baltimore Banner , La Cité has been trying to revitalize the West Baltimore neighborhood for two decades.

While the original purpose of the project was to construct new housing and commercial space, the lawsuit alleges it instead resulted in widespread displacement, indefinite land control by a private developer, and the destruction of a historic Black neighborhood without delivering the promised public benefits.

"There were maybe 70-80 houses just like mine in Poppleton...They were wiped off the face of the earth," plaintiff and third-generation Poppleton homeowner Yvonne Gunn said in court filings.

According to the lawsuit, in 2022 and 2023, the City paid La Cité hundreds of thousands of dollars to remove parcels from the development area—land that plaintiffs allege had already been acquired by the City through eminent domain. They argue this raises serious constitutional concerns, including the misuse of public funds.

On Feb. 13, a judge ordered La Cité to cease its operations and hand over the next phase of development to Arctaris Impact Investors .

The lawsuit further claims that City officials ignored public opposition and their own review panel's findings to push the deal through. In one striking allegation, the plaintiffs cite a reversal of the development bid shortly after then-City Council President Sheila Dixon appeared in a fashion spread sponsored by individuals linked to La Cité.

Christian Olaniran is a digital producer for CBS Baltimore, where he writes stories on diverse topics including politics, arts and culture. With a passion for storytelling and content creation, he produces engaging visual content for social media, and other platforms.