Did Baltimore's Empowerment Zone Work?

"Baltimore's selection in late December 1994 as one of six cities to receive $100 million each in federal funds plus tax breaks for businesses was hailed by political leaders as an unprecedented 10-year opportunity to spark a renaissance beyond the Inner Harbor.

In the areas hit hardest, some residents and leaders had envisioned that the empowerment zone would clear their neighborhoods of open-air drug markets and blighted buildings, turning trash-laden streets into tree-lined boulevards.

...'If you look at the overall results, it is a bit of a disappointment.' "

Thanks to Urban-Policy Discussion Group