Will Anacostia Be The Next Georgetown?

Philip Pannell, one of Ward 8’s most effective political and civic activists, stated at a recent meeting that the number of development projects and new residents coming to Anacostia will turn the Southeast neighborhood to “Georgetown East.” A few members of the audience nodded their head to this statement and no one challenged Pannell against his statement.

Pannell first heard the “Georgetown East” phrase from a statement by Leo Bernstein, the founder of The Bernstein Company, in an article that ran in the Washingtonian magazine in the mid-1990s.

Marcus Goodwin, director of acquisitions and development at the Neighborhood Development Company, knows the development landscape of Anacostia very well and says it is H Street NE, not Georgetown, that Anacostia should be modeled after.

“We are seeing a lot of investment coming to Anacostia. There are dramatic changes taking place and with that you will see a rise in property values and some people will opt to sell to leave Anacostia.” said Marcus Goodwin.

Goodwin said he does not know the timeline of Anacostia’s development but he did say that within the next 10 years the intersection of MLK and Good Hope Road SE will be different from what it is now and from the standpoint of today you would not recognize it. He advised residents in the area to refrain from selling their properties and should encourage the D.C. Council to pass a property tax freeze and push to bring profitable businesses to the Anacostia neighborhood.

“The District government has to do a better job planning affordable housing and moderate-priced housing than it has throughout D.C.,” said Dorcas Agyei, an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for Single-Member District 8A05.

 

Background Information about Anacostia

The Anacostia neighborhood is located in Southeast, D.C. on the banks of the Anacostia River in the economically depleted East End of the District.. The area consist of the residential and commercial areas close to the intersection of Good Hope Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue.

A couple years ago, economic activity took place in the area which gave Anacostia a bad reputation of being crime infested with disarrayed housing. This year Anacostia had sort of rebirth within an the area, Busboys and Poet opened up a shop right on Martin Luther King Jr Avenue, just a couple of steps away from Anacostia Organics, which is the only store that sells marijuana herbs and medicines.

96.8 percent of Anacostia’s population is made up from African-Americans while 81 percent of Georgetown’s population is Whites. According to realtor.com, in Anacostia the average house income is $54, 354 and the average cost of a house is $357,500. Compared to Georgetown, where the average house income is $1.18 million and the average cost of a house is $75, 984. As of right now, there are no major projects that will be taking place in Georgetown.

Georgetown is located on the other side of the District. It is a internationally known neighborhood known for it’s retail mecca, fine dining, entertainment, events, and famous residents. The area has over 450 retailers (including shops and residential buildings) and is the home of Georgetown University.

What’s Next For Anacostia?

Two block south of the Martin Luther King Jr Ave will soon be Maple View Flats, a housing project that will have 114 residential units (some declared as affordable) and a 15,000 square feet retail space that will be the home of a Starbucks coffee shop.

The development project Reunion Square which is supported by a $60 million tax incremental financing component will include the following

• The first full service hotel in the District’s East End
• 133 residential units with some dedicated as affordable housing
• 310,000 square feet of office space
• 20,000 square for retail and cultural use.

Also coming to Anacostia will be the MLK Gateway. A mixed-use, 48,500-square-foot development that will have 10,000 square feet of retail that will house the headquarters for cybersecurity firm Enlightened Inc.

Source: The Washington Informer