Fred Dedrick

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Fred Dedrick

Fred Dedrick was nominated as a Good Neighbor by the neighbors he has lead in their efforts to deal with Mayfair House, the large apartment building on the corner of Johnson Street and Lincoln Drive. After a ten-year struggle, this 13-story apartment building will be demolished. Fred is not entirely happy with the result. Indeed, he calls it a “tragedy,” for the building is, he recognizes, of some architectural significance. It is, like Alden Park, an early example of the notion of creating apartments in the park. But Fred and his neighbors eventually came to realize that there was no alternative but to demolish the building.

Mayfair House was only half occupied when Fred moved into the neighborhood. As he tells the story: “It soon deteriorated due to a series of fires and problems with a water tank that made the elevators inoperable. In January 1989, the building was closed. Vandals easily got into the building. I began to organize the neighbors about what we should do about it. Our goal was first to get the building securely closed and then to meet with the new owners to get it rebuilt. But the city could not get it securely closed. In the next few years, the building was systematically stripped of anything of value. We had many, many community meetings to try to find a resolution to this problem. The Historical Preservation Society wanted the building to be restored and rehabilitated. And we agreed. But we had one developer after another come through, present an idea, and then fail. At one point a developer began to rehab the building, but then went bankrupt. And then we began to see other problems: drug dealers, prostitutes, and squatters. We went through everything a bunch of neighbors could do. Finally we just said it has to be torn down. Most of us didn’t want this to happen. But we saw no alternative. It was a terrible battle to convince people that there was nothing else to do. Lots of people looked at the building, but no one could come up with the money or a sound plan to save it. Eventually we got the city to agree to demolish it. It is a tragedy that this building has to be torn down. But it is a tremendous relief to the neighbors.”

Throughout this struggle, Fred was the leader of his neighborhood. His neighbors say Fred has “responded to each change in the situation by acquiring and sharing knowledge, and contacting the appropriate individuals. At each step he has demonstrated his philosophy of inclusion and democracy… via frequent mailings and neighborhood meetings, and developing an atmosphere of group decision-making.”

Though disappointed by the result of this long battle, Fred hopes that something good will come out of it besides removing a blight from the neighborhood. “The land, which is really the entrance to West Mt. Airy, will become part of Fairmount Park. We hope to get it landscaped and develop some ideas to turn into a real asset to West Mt. Airy. Fred plans to say involved in this next part of the story.