The DC Line - Jonetta Rose Barras: Reunion Square and the future of Ward 8

September 26, 2019 The Advoc8te

Rendering courtesy of Four Points

The economic development solution for what ails communities east of the Anacostia River is complicated. There are legitimate concerns about displacement of residents. Simultaneously, there are real issues about expanding the middle class that could also effectively grow small businesses capable of providing meaningful employment opportunities over the long term. Those two considerations aren’t mutually exclusive — although some elected officials and special-interest groups often present them as if they are. The answer to economic challenges cannot be driven by fear or quick fixes. Unfortunately, that’s the mixture that has been suffocating the proposed Reunion Square development in Ward 8. The big squeeze has been aided by DC Council member Trayon White and his posse of supporters, who haven’t seen a development project they didn’t want to block or bilk for their own personal gain under the guise of protecting the community. As initially designed, Reunion Square was an ambitious mixed-use development that Mayor Muriel Bowser, many Ward 8 residents, small-business owners and longtime community leaders have called critical to the future of Anacostia. The project, by the development team of Four Points LLC, Curtis Investment Group and Blue Sky Housing LLC, was to include retail stores, offices, workforce housing, and space for cultural and arts organizations.

JONETTA ROSE BARRAS, September 26, 2019