The city of Baltimore spent years acquiring properties, removing residents, tearing down homes and businesses to create a half-acre of vacant land that it sold to a developer for $40.

Now, with nothing built, an investor is trying to offload that parcel.

The city created the parcel as part of the ambitious — now failed — plan to turn the West Baltimore neighborhood of Poppleton into a dense, upscale community, similar to Manhattan.

This particular plot of land at the intersection of West Saratoga and North Schroeder streets was supposed to be one of the first sites redeveloped under a 2006 deal between the city and La Cité Development. Instead, photos from Google Streetview show it’s been sitting empty for more than a decade.

While La Cité’s plans in Poppleton have shifted over the years, it most recently planned an apartment building for senior adults on that site. In 2022, the developer got a big boost when it teamed up with an investment firm based in Boston, Arctaris Impact Investors.

Arctaris invested more than $13 million in the project, but La Cité never secured any other financing, and shovels never hit the ground. As deadlines passed, Arctaris sued La Cité in a Massachusetts courtroom for control of the project.

While both sides continue to litigate the issue, a judge issued an injunction earlier this year, effectively giving Arctaris control of the site while the lawsuit plays out.

La Cité and its president, Dan Bythewood Jr., did not immediately respond for a request for comment. But in a federal courtroom last week for a different lawsuit, an attorney for La Cité said the project — known as Phase 1B — was moving forward.

Meanwhile, Arctaris has listed the property for sale.

The listing on the commercial real estate site LoopNet notes that any purchaser would have the opportunity to take over a project that’s practically shovel-ready. No asking price is listed.

In a statement, Arctaris said it remained “committed” to the project in Poppleton.

“We are simultaneously evaluating partnerships with experienced development partners to advance this project as well as opportunities to sell the land to a developer to carry it forward,“ the statement said.

The parcel is a small part — less than 4% — of the almost 14 acres pledged to La Cite under its 2006 deal with the city. The city cancelled that deal last year, but officials recently acknowledged that the developer still controls about 7 acres of vacant, city-owned land in Poppleton.