DC Revitalization
How has the building of Nationals Park impacted Southeast DC?
For those of us who have lived in the area long enough to remember DC without a baseball team, the changes in Southeast over the past decade are eye-popping. With a new, state of the art stadium sitting on the banks of the Anacostia, proudly facing the Capitol dome, as if to say, “Hey, look at me!” there is no denying that things are different. Southeast, once a scene of social and economic blight, is now one of the up-and-coming areas in DC. The differences in Southeast are both tangible and intangible. New parks, including the lovely Anacostia Riverwalk, and new businesses beckon locals and tourists alike, while underneath it all, a neighborhood quietly transforms.
Statistics show that crime rates have dropped, property values and incomes have increased and diversity has become the way of life. In its May 2011 review of Census data, the non-profit organization DC Action for Children states that Ward 6 is “more economically diverse than the wards considered affluent (2 and 3) and low-income (Wards 7 and 8)” (p 9). This is quite a statement for a Ward that was 65% black in 1990 and 63% black in 2000.
This trend toward racial and economic diversity in Ward 6 was the basis for a proposal by Councilman Marion Barry to redraw Ward boundaries to include the Nationals Park area in Ward 8. Ward 8 sits across the Anacostia River from Nationals Park. It is predominately black and is struggling with poverty, unemployment, and lack of economic opportunity. According to an April 24, 2011 article in the Washington Post, Barry is quoted as saying, “What we need is diversity. We need economic diversity; we need racial diversity.” In his opinion, the Nationals Park area has such a shiny reputation for success that just redrawing the boundaries to include it in Ward 8 would draw investors, businesses, and new residents to his Ward.
If diversity is drawing the attention of the politicians, the atmosphere is drawing the attention of everyday people. The focus on neighborhood development, in particular convenient public transportation, parks, libraries, and supermarkets, is one of the reasons the Nationals Park area is thriving. According to Brett Abrams in his 2008 book Capital Sporting Grounds, when DC built RFK stadium in Southeast in the 1960s, DC city officials foresaw the development of a grand corridor from the Capitol to the stadium (p. 202). One of the reasons this vision never came to fruition was the lack of infrastructure at the location, particularly roads and parking (p. 193). Nationals Park faced some of those same problems, especially parking (see timeline for numerous articles regarding parking issues), but managed to address them before the stadium opened. The emphasis placed on beautification, community parks, and a neighborhood feel has made Nationals Park Area a great place to go--even if there isn’t a game.
In short, the answer to “How has the building of Nationals Park impacted Southeast DC?” is that it has transformed a struggling community. The changes are not just superficial; they are across the board, and they are positive. Crime is down while property values and incomes are up. Economic and racial diversity numbers are some of the best in the city. All this positive change doesn’t mean there aren’t problems. While the overall economic diversity of Ward 6 is commendable, the neighborhood cluster of Near Southeast/Navy Yard experienced one of the largest drops in shares of homebuyers with very low or low incomes between 1997 and 2005. While those numbers are pre-stadium, there is no reason to believe the trend has not continued as property values have risen. While economic and ethnic diversity are good for the city and the neighborhood, the same cannot necessarily be said for lower income families. As the area became more diverse, lower income black families may well have been the ones leaving. Unfortunately, whether the gentrification of the neighborhood surrounding Nationals Park was good or bad for the lower income residence who lived there before the process started falls outside the scope of this project, but it is certainly an area of controversy. That being said, within the limited parameters set by this project, Nationals Park has certainly been good for the area.
On a personal note, I have to say that I expected to see some improvement in Southeast, but the actual numbers shocked me. The diversity and crime rate numbers in particular were well beyond my expectations. I think the numbers have been so good because the city took the time to involve community planners and to do more than just throw up a stadium and some parking garages and put their trust in the "if we build it they will come" Field of Dreams approach. The city wanted revitalization and they used the stadium as the impetus for it. Unlike the building of RFK in the 60s, this time building a new stadium achieved a community transformation. Perhaps the city learned from its mistakes. Whatever the reasons may be, the revitalization of Southeast seems to be working, and working well. I can only hope that Wards 2 and 8 soon see revitalizations of their own.
Conclusion
