East of the River | June 2008

Ward 7 & 8 News

by: Virginia Avniel Spatz and David Garber

The State of Ward 7
Good and Getting Better – but How?
by Virginia Avniel Spatz

“The state of the ward is good and getting better,” Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander told a May 29 gathering for her “State of the Ward” address held at Kelly Miller Middle School. Alexander delineated $224 million in Ward 7 government investments garnered throughout the year, much of it funding construction and renovation: nearly $100 million for the long-awaited Woodson SHS modernization; $15 million to Benning Road/Minnesota Avenue, through the Great Streets initiative; $14 million for a new Benning Neighborhood Library; $30 million for the Deanwood Recreation Center, which is also to include a full-service library. Alexander noted $4.1 million in funding for nonprofits at work in the ward.

Alexander introduced the “Children's Optical Health Expansion Act” in October. This legislation would provide free eye screenings and eyeglasses to young people. Alexander said other highlights of her first year on the council include tax legislation supporting Mayfair Mansions and developing chemistry with Council Chair Vincent Gray and At-Large Councilmember Kwame Brown, both also from Ward 7.

In addition to outlining the past year's successes, Alexander said she looks forward to residents being able to “choose from several sit-down restaurants” and “health care dictated by what you need, not what you can afford.”

Declaring “Stand for Children” a theme of the evening, Alexander asked advisory neighborhood commissioners to do so quite literally. She invited those present to stand for recognition and then announced her intention to “preach a little,” calling on commissioners to “involve more young people in the ANCs.”

Alexander noted that Ward 7 will be experiencing school consolidations and temporary relocations in the fall. “We need everyone in the ward, especially our leaders, to help make this transition work,” she said.

Following the address, Villareal Johnson, a declared challenger for the Ward 7 council seat, said, “My question is ‘How?’ … how these lofty ideas will be brought to the average resident, and how people will be involved.”

Johnson says his six years of grassroots experience in the ward have taught him that funding alone is not of much use. The real work, he believes, is in “sitting with developers, creating community benefit agreements.” How, he asks again, “will the $224 million in allocation benefit residents? How will the incumbent manage those opportunities to create jobs and programs for our youth?”

In addition, Alexander spoke of “saving Ron Brown and Smothers schools.”

Johnson says, “but Merritt and Benning were lost. How does this benefit Ward 7? Is there any evidence that money will be saved from the consolidations?” Johnson believes Alexander has not done enough to “bring parents into the process” regarding school reform and building reuse.

The May 29 event included a warm-up performance by the school's higher achievement program and a rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by the Woodson Chorale Ensemble. Ayana Hay, a Ward 7 graduate of Friendship Collegiate High School, sang the national anthem, while the Woodson Color Guard presented the flags. Displays provided information on programs and planned construction across the ward.

Anacostia Neighborhood Library Demolition Signals Positive Changes to Come
by David Garber

“It’s a beautiful day for a demolition,” remarked Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander to a crowd of 30-odd community members, construction workers, students and press gathered behind the old bunker-like Anacostia Neighborhood Library for the ceremonial first phase of its demolition. Standing next to library officials, a group of students from nearby Ketcham Elementary, and in front of the heavy machine that quickly began tearing down portions of the building’s exterior, the councilwoman recognized all of the young people in the audience and added, “We are building this library for you.”

The old library building, located at the corner of 18th Street SE and Good Hope Road, has long been a reminder of the neglect and disinvestment shown to public institutions in this part of the city. Although an interim library opened on the site last year, the neighborhood library building has been closed since 2004. The day’s gathering, however, was less about what has been and more about what is soon to come.

The new library, which is in its final design phase, will have two floors and approximately 20,000 square feet of space. Clad mostly in glass and with a uniquely sloping roofline and clock tower beacon at its entrance on Good Hope Road, the building will have a distinctly modern feel. Designed by The Freelon Group out of Atlanta, Georgia, a firm known for its fresh take on urban cultural buildings, the new library is intended to paint a new face on this stretch of the Southeast landscape, and will contribute significantly to the regeneration of the Anacostia community on the whole.

Donning a hard hat and a wide grin, DC Chief Librarian Ginnie Cooper talked about her excitement surrounding the existing building’s demolition. “You wouldn’t think any librarian would celebrate that!” She continued, “This building will tell people across the District that [the community has] made the commitment to have good libraries.” But this project doesn’t fully embrace the “out with the old, in with the new” mentality of many area projects. Part of what makes this demolition so exciting is that all of the materials from the old building are being recycled. Cooper noted, “It’s not just about getting a new library building, but it’s about this one and what these materials can still give us.”

After everyone had had a chance to speak and the wrecking machine roared to life, eating away at the bricks and mortar, the crowd erupted in cheers. But even louder than the hoots, hollers and applause of those in attendance was the universal sigh of relief felt by all present, and the recognition that yes, a new Anacostia Neighborhood Library is finally on its way.

The Anacostia Neighborhood Library is one of five DC public libraries planned for reconstruction, including Benning Road, Tenley-Friendship and Watha T. Daniel/Shaw. For more information on this and other library projects, please see the DCPL Construction Main Page linked at www.dclibrary.org.

A meeting regarding the design of the Anacostia Neighborhood Library will be held at the Interim Library at 1800 Good Hope Road SE on June 12 at 6 p.m.

Redeveloper Chosen for Strand Theater, Local Team Takes on Challenging Project
by Virginia Avniel Spatz

The corner of Division Avenue and Nannie Helen Burroughs Road NE will soon be transformed from a dilapidated vacant property to retail and office space with a 1,600-square-foot cultural/community space on the ground floor. In late May, the mayor chose a locally based team – the Washington Metropolitan Community Development Corporation and Banneker Ventures, with Green Door Advisors, Blue Skye Construction and Martinez and Johnson architects – as the District's redevelopment partner.

Built in 1928, the two-story structure once housed a 600-seat movie theater, a pool hall and a dance hall. The redevelopment proposal calls for 18,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, 17,000 square feet of commercial and office space, and a 1,614-square-foot community/cultural space on the ground floor.

At the May meeting of ANC 7C – held around the corner from the site – Ayris Scales, of the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, introduced the team as one with “commitment to Ward 7 and experience in the ward.”

In response to the presentation, meeting participants noted the importance of the former theater to the Deanwood community and asked about additional cultural space, which many thought would be a more prominent aspect of the redevelopment. Marisa Gaither, of Green Door Advisors, said additional space could be possible through grants or another funding avenue, but the project would not support additional, rent-free space.

The architecture team of Martinez and Johnson – experienced in commercial, historical and performing arts venues, including Cady's Alley and Howard Theater in DC – will work with the community on design.

ANC commissioners expressed concerns about stability of tenants and the overall sustainability of the project, given public safety and other challenges in the area. Some meeting participants objected to the proposal's identification of potential tenants without asking for community input. Gaither explained that letters of interest are required to show viability of a project but that no leases have been promised. The team committed to working with community residents and stakeholders, through a Development Retail Committee, to facilitate input for the types of retailers, services and businesses they would like to see occupy the redeveloped space.

Once the agreement is finalized, the team estimates an 18-24 month timeline for the project.

Lack of Attention to ANC Duties Forces Action
by David Garber

For former Ward 8 Councilmember and current Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 8E Commissioner Sandra “SS” Seegars, standing by while fellow ANC commissioners bow out of their duties is not part of her operation. Which is why last week, Seegars filed nonfeasance grievances against Leon Swain, current vice president of ANC 8E as well as the DC Taxicab Commission chairman, and with Wanda Lockridge, chair of the ANC.

At issue is not any personal dissatisfaction with the way they operated the ANC, but rather the fact that neither showed up to prescheduled community and internal meetings. “Since Swain was appointed to the DC Taxicab Commission he has not attended any ANC meetings. He won’t attend, and he won’t resign,” said Seegars.

By September 2007, ANC 8E became inoperative. No bills were paid, and the post office box has been closed. Because it is the duty of the ANC to comment on development projects and local initiatives, any lack of support from the commission means that they aren’t getting the kinds of review needed. Speaking to the roll of the current Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry in all of this, Seegars added “It’s as if he doesn’t care because he is not doing anything. And I have spoken to him more than once.”

Calls into Leon Swain’s office were left unanswered.

School Restructuring, Consolidation Plans Released
Woodson Grades Temporarily Split, Programs ‘Deleted’
by Virginia Avniel Spatz

The newly consolidated Ron Brown-Merritt Middle School will also host the ninth grade academy for Woodson Senior High School during rebuilding of that school. The academy targets specific needs of early high school students, providing a dedicated space and staff for that grade. Instructional assistant principals and math and literacy coaches will join the leadership team for the middle school.

Along with other restructuring middle schools, Ron Brown-Merritt will become a “full service school,” designed to provide positive behavioral intervention and foster a safe school climate. This model includes student-family and wraparound care coordinators and mental health providers. All middle schools will also participate in District-wide math and literacy initiatives.

Ron Brown-Merritt is to become a Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) school. Little specific information is available about this program's implementation, which is slated to begin in the 2010-2011 school year. General information is available at www.stemEdCoalition.org.

Woodson is also to become a STEM school in 2010, and the new building is designed to support that program. Plans designate the follow programs as “deleted”: business and finance, tourism/hospitality, cosmetology/barbering and JROTC.

During construction, grades 10-12 will use the old Fletcher Johnson education center on Benning Road SE. Renovations, including walls for the open-space building have been promised.

Woodson is scheduled to begin the new year with a new principal, who will establish a transition team to “focus on both the cultural and academic transformation required at Woodson.”

Copies of DCPS restructuring plans are available at www.k12.dc.us or by calling 202-442-4885.

A Fresh Take on Increasing Neighborhood Quality of Life
by David Garber

When Nikki Peele moved into her new condominium in Congress Heights in the fall of last year, she was attracted to the neighborhood’s large trees, graceful old homes and the kind of small-town feel she remembered from visiting other older neighborhoods along the East Coast as a child. “You don’t hear of Southeast having beautiful homes and neighborhoods, you just hear the bad things,” noted Peele, who had her pick of any of the city’s four quadrants but chose Southeast based on its attractiveness as well as its potential.

It wasn’t until she started walking her foster dog that Peele began to notice some things in and around her neighborhood that she wanted changed. “I saw this foundation for a great neighborhood, and it was being neglected.” Things like litter, graffiti and the lack of trashcans at the bus stops first caught her eye. When she began voicing her concerns to her new neighbors and friends within her condo community, she decided to make her efforts more official, founding the Concerned Citizens of Oakwood Street SE. The group’s early successes have been new trashcans – that were replaced within only two days of her request to the Department of Public Works – as well as the mostly positive reaction of local officials and police.

For Peele, it’s all about increasing the neighborhood quality of life. “I am a voice for people in this neighborhood … you just have to make some noise.”

Ward 8 ANC Notes

ANC 8A:
Vernon Hawkins of Union Temple Baptist Church confirmed that the date of Unifest would be moved to July 12-13 because of the incident last year with Ms. Bell. Mr. Hawkins will be at the next meeting for more input concerning Unifest.

A special election was held to replace Commissioner Kearney of 8A05; Carolyn B. Ward was the winner. Executive Director of the Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions Gottlieb Simon conducted the election.

ANC 8B:
Elizabeth Tylander from the DDOT Urban Forestry Administration promoted the District's tree watering campaign and will supply Ooze Tubes to residents of newly planted trees. To report dead or damaged trees for removal or to replant sidewalk tree boxes, contact the mayor’s citywide command center at 311.

Ward 8 Farmer's Market Cooperative reminded the community that there is a farmer’s market every Saturday between June 7 and Nov. 22, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The market is located at the Old Congress Heights School parking lot at Alabama and Martin Luther King avenues SE. W.I.C. coupons and food stamps are accepted.


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Ward 7 & 8 News

by: Virginia Avniel Spatz and David Garber
The State of Ward 7 Good and Getting Better – but How? by Virginia Avniel Spatz “The state of the ward is good and getting better,” Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander told a May 29 gathering for her “State of the Ward” address held at Kelly Miller Middle School. Alexander delineated $224 million in Ward 7 government investments garnered throughout the year, much of it funding construction and renovation: nearly $100 million for the long-awaited Woodson SHS modernization; $15 million to Benning Road/Minnesota Avenue, through the Great Streets initiative; $14 million for a new Benning Neighborhood Library; $30 million for the Deanwood Recreation Center, which is also to include a full-service library. Alexander noted $4.1 million in funding for nonprofits at work in the ward. Alexander introduced the “Children's Optical Health Expansion Act” in October. This legislation would provide free eye screenings and eyeglasses to young people. Alexander said other highlights of her first year on the council include tax legislation supporting Mayfair Mansions and developing chemistry with Council Chair Vincent Gray and At-Large Councilmember Kwame Brown, both also from Ward 7. In addition to outlining the past year's successes, Alexander said she looks forward to residents being able to “choose from several sit-down restaurants” and “health care dictated by what you need, not what you can afford.” Declaring “Stand for Children” a theme of the evening, Alexander asked advisory neighborhood commissioners to do so quite literally. She invited those present to stand for recognition and then announced her intention to “preach a little,” calling on commissioners to “involve more young people in the ANCs.” Alexander noted that Ward 7 will be experiencing school consolidations and temporary relocations in the fall. “We need everyone in the ward, especially our leaders, to help make this transition work,” she said. Following the address, Villareal Johnson, a declared challenger for the Ward 7 council seat, said, “My question is ‘How?’ … how these lofty ideas will be brought to the average resident, and how people will be involved.” Johnson says his six years of grassroots experience in the ward have taught him that funding alone is not of much use. The real work, he believes, is in “sitting with developers, creating community benefit agreements.” How, he asks again, “will the $224 million in allocation benefit residents? How will the incumbent manage those opportunities to create jobs and programs for our youth?” In addition, Alexander spoke of “saving Ron Brown and Smothers schools.” Johnson says, “but Merritt and Benning were lost. How does this benefit Ward 7? Is there any evidence that money will be saved from the consolidations?” Johnson believes Alexander has not done enough to “bring parents into the process” regarding school reform and building reuse. The May 29 event included a warm-up performance by the school's higher achievement program and a rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by the Woodson Chorale Ensemble. Ayana Hay, a Ward 7 graduate of Friendship Collegiate High School, sang the national anthem, while the Woodson Color Guard presented the flags. Displays provided information on programs and planned construction across the ward. Anacostia Neighborhood Library Demolition Signals Positive Changes to Come by David Garber “It’s a beautiful day for a demolition,” remarked Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander to a crowd of 30-odd community members, construction workers, students and press gathered behind the old bunker-like Anacostia Neighborhood Library for the ceremonial first phase of its demolition. Standing next to library officials, a group of students from nearby Ketcham Elementary, and in front of the heavy machine that quickly began tearing down portions of the building’s exterior, the councilwoman recognized all of the young people in the audience and added, “We are building this library for you.” The old library building, located at the corner of 18th Street SE and Good Hope Road, has long been a reminder of the neglect and disinvestment shown to public institutions in this part of the city. Although an interim library opened on the site last year, the neighborhood library building has been closed since 2004. The day’s gathering, however, was less about what has been and more about what is soon to come. The new library, which is in its final design phase, will have two floors and approximately 20,000 square feet of space. Clad mostly in glass and with a uniquely sloping roofline and clock tower beacon at its entrance on Good Hope Road, the building will have a distinctly modern feel. Designed by The Freelon Group out of Atlanta, Georgia, a firm known for its fresh take on urban cultural buildings, the new library is intended to paint a new face on this stretch of the Southeast landscape, and will contribute significantly to the regeneration of the Anacostia community on the whole. Donning a hard hat and a wide grin, DC Chief Librarian Ginnie Cooper talked about her excitement surrounding the existing building’s demolition. “You wouldn’t think any librarian would celebrate that!” She continued, “This building will tell people across the District that [the community has] made the commitment to have good libraries.” But this project doesn’t fully embrace the “out with the old, in with the new” mentality of many area projects. Part of what makes this demolition so exciting is that all of the materials from the old building are being recycled. Cooper noted, “It’s not just about getting a new library building, but it’s about this one and what these materials can still give us.” After everyone had had a chance to speak and the wrecking machine roared to life, eating away at the bricks and mortar, the crowd erupted in cheers. But even louder than the hoots, hollers and applause of those in attendance was the universal sigh of relief felt by all present, and the recognition that yes, a new Anacostia Neighborhood Library is finally on its way. The Anacostia Neighborhood Library is one of five DC public libraries planned for reconstruction, including Benning Road, Tenley-Friendship and Watha T. Daniel/Shaw. For more information on this and other library projects, please see the DCPL Construction Main Page linked at www.dclibrary.org. A meeting regarding the design of the Anacostia Neighborhood Library will be held at the Interim Library at 1800 Good Hope Road SE on June 12 at 6 p.m. Redeveloper Chosen for Strand Theater, Local Team Takes on Challenging Project by Virginia Avniel Spatz The corner of Division Avenue and Nannie Helen Burroughs Road NE will soon be transformed from a dilapidated vacant property to retail and office space with a 1,600-square-foot cultural/community space on the ground floor. In late May, the mayor chose a locally based team – the Washington Metropolitan Community Development Corporation and Banneker Ventures, with Green Door Advisors, Blue Skye Construction and Martinez and Johnson architects – as the District's redevelopment partner. Built in 1928, the two-story structure once housed a 600-seat movie theater, a pool hall and a dance hall. The redevelopment proposal calls for 18,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, 17,000 square feet of commercial and office space, and a 1,614-square-foot community/cultural space on the ground floor. At the May meeting of ANC 7C – held around the corner from the site – Ayris Scales, of the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, introduced the team as one with “commitment to Ward 7 and experience in the ward.” In response to the presentation, meeting participants noted the importance of the former theater to the Deanwood community and asked about additional cultural space, which many thought would be a more prominent aspect of the redevelopment. Marisa Gaither, of Green Door Advisors, said additional space could be possible through grants or another funding avenue, but the project would not support additional, rent-free space. The architecture team of Martinez and Johnson – experienced in commercial, historical and performing arts venues, including Cady's Alley and Howard Theater in DC – will work with the community on design. ANC commissioners expressed concerns about stability of tenants and the overall sustainability of the project, given public safety and other challenges in the area. Some meeting participants objected to the proposal's identification of potential tenants without asking for community input. Gaither explained that letters of interest are required to show viability of a project but that no leases have been promised. The team committed to working with community residents and stakeholders, through a Development Retail Committee, to facilitate input for the types of retailers, services and businesses they would like to see occupy the redeveloped space. Once the agreement is finalized, the team estimates an 18-24 month timeline for the project. Lack of Attention to ANC Duties Forces Action by David Garber For former Ward 8 Councilmember and current Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 8E Commissioner Sandra “SS” Seegars, standing by while fellow ANC commissioners bow out of their duties is not part of her operation. Which is why last week, Seegars filed nonfeasance grievances against Leon Swain, current vice president of ANC 8E as well as the DC Taxicab Commission chairman, and with Wanda Lockridge, chair of the ANC. At issue is not any personal dissatisfaction with the way they operated the ANC, but rather the fact that neither showed up to prescheduled community and internal meetings. “Since Swain was appointed to the DC Taxicab Commission he has not attended any ANC meetings. He won’t attend, and he won’t resign,” said Seegars. By September 2007, ANC 8E became inoperative. No bills were paid, and the post office box has been closed. Because it is the duty of the ANC to comment on development projects and local initiatives, any lack of support from the commission means that they aren’t getting the kinds of review needed. Speaking to the roll of the current Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry in all of this, Seegars added “It’s as if he doesn’t care because he is not doing anything. And I have spoken to him more than once.” Calls into Leon Swain’s office were left unanswered. School Restructuring, Consolidation Plans Released Woodson Grades Temporarily Split, Programs ‘Deleted’ by Virginia Avniel Spatz The newly consolidated Ron Brown-Merritt Middle School will also host the ninth grade academy for Woodson Senior High School during rebuilding of that school. The academy targets specific needs of early high school students, providing a dedicated space and staff for that grade. Instructional assistant principals and math and literacy coaches will join the leadership team for the middle school. Along with other restructuring middle schools, Ron Brown-Merritt will become a “full service school,” designed to provide positive behavioral intervention and foster a safe school climate. This model includes student-family and wraparound care coordinators and mental health providers. All middle schools will also participate in District-wide math and literacy initiatives. Ron Brown-Merritt is to become a Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) school. Little specific information is available about this program's implementation, which is slated to begin in the 2010-2011 school year. General information is available at www.stemEdCoalition.org. Woodson is also to become a STEM school in 2010, and the new building is designed to support that program. Plans designate the follow programs as “deleted”: business and finance, tourism/hospitality, cosmetology/barbering and JROTC. During construction, grades 10-12 will use the old Fletcher Johnson education center on Benning Road SE. Renovations, including walls for the open-space building have been promised. Woodson is scheduled to begin the new year with a new principal, who will establish a transition team to “focus on both the cultural and academic transformation required at Woodson.” Copies of DCPS restructuring plans are available at www.k12.dc.us or by calling 202-442-4885. A Fresh Take on Increasing Neighborhood Quality of Life by David Garber When Nikki Peele moved into her new condominium in Congress Heights in the fall of last year, she was attracted to the neighborhood’s large trees, graceful old homes and the kind of small-town feel she remembered from visiting other older neighborhoods along the East Coast as a child. “You don’t hear of Southeast having beautiful homes and neighborhoods, you just hear the bad things,” noted Peele, who had her pick of any of the city’s four quadrants but chose Southeast based on its attractiveness as well as its potential. It wasn’t until she started walking her foster dog that Peele began to notice some things in and around her neighborhood that she wanted changed. “I saw this foundation for a great neighborhood, and it was being neglected.” Things like litter, graffiti and the lack of trashcans at the bus stops first caught her eye. When she began voicing her concerns to her new neighbors and friends within her condo community, she decided to make her efforts more official, founding the Concerned Citizens of Oakwood Street SE. The group’s early successes have been new trashcans – that were replaced within only two days of her request to the Department of Public Works – as well as the mostly positive reaction of local officials and police. For Peele, it’s all about increasing the neighborhood quality of life. “I am a voice for people in this neighborhood … you just have to make some noise.” Ward 8 ANC Notes ANC 8A: Vernon Hawkins of Union Temple Baptist Church confirmed that the date of Unifest would be moved to July 12-13 because of the incident last year with Ms. Bell. Mr. Hawkins will be at the next meeting for more input concerning Unifest. A special election was held to replace Commissioner Kearney of 8A05; Carolyn B. Ward was the winner. Executive Director of the Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions Gottlieb Simon conducted the election. ANC 8B: Elizabeth Tylander from the DDOT Urban Forestry Administration promoted the District's tree watering campaign and will supply Ooze Tubes to residents of newly planted trees. To report dead or damaged trees for removal or to replant sidewalk tree boxes, contact the mayor’s citywide command center at 311. Ward 8 Farmer's Market Cooperative reminded the community that there is a farmer’s market every Saturday between June 7 and Nov. 22, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The market is located at the Old Congress Heights School parking lot at Alabama and Martin Luther King avenues SE. W.I.C. coupons and food stamps are accepted.