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Before cutting the ribbon on the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development’s new Anacostia headquarters Thursday, Mayor Muriel E. Bowser recalled the time 10 years ago when she first inquired about the spot — a formerly vacant parcel of land near Martin Luther King Avenue and the street once known as Good Hope Road SE.

“They said, ‘The District owns it,’” said Bowser, who was running her first mayoral campaign. “And I made a commitment to myself that if I had the opportunity to be mayor, we would not only say that we would change this intersection, that we would actually do it.”

Bowser doubled down on that promise in her <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dc-mayor-muriel-bowsers-prepared-remarks-for-citywide-address/2015/03/31/4bf92066-d80c-11e4-b3f2-607bd612aeac_story.html" target="_blank">State of the District</a> address<b> </b>the next year, vowing to support the historically underserved Ward 8 neighborhood by “reimagining” its <a href="https://www.mlkgatewaydc.com/neighborhood" target="_blank">Gateway</a>. On Thursday, after four years and <a href="https://dgs.dc.gov/event/mayor-bowser-celebrates-mlk-gateway-phase-i-ribbon-cutting-phase-ii-groundbreaking" target="_blank">two phases</a> of development, Bowser sounded a celebratory note.

“I want to acknowledge that we are here delivering on another promise to Ward 8,” the mayor said.

For Bowser (D) and her administration, completing the MLK Gateway project marks the latest in recent developments that, under her watch, have helped reshape an area containing two of Anacostia’s busiest corridors, including the bustling Good Hope Road SE that was <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/11/18/marion-barry-good-hope-dc-anacostia/" target=_blank>recently renamed Marion Barry Avenue</a>.

In 2017, Bowser helped bring the first <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/first-stand-alone-starbucks-east-of-anacostia-brings-both-excitement-and-worries-about-displacement/2017/10/22/adf0e6dc-b4e6-11e7-be94-fabb0f1e9ffb_story.html" target=_blank>Starbucks</a> to the ward. Ensuing years saw the arrival of a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/a-new-eatery-a-red-carpet-and-hope-in-a-part-of-dc-starved-for-nice-places-to-dine/2019/03/07/05d4992e-40e7-11e9-9361-301ffb5bd5e6_story.html" target=_blank>Busboys and Poets</a> and other restaurants to a community that still has just a fraction of the sit-down eateries that are staples elsewhere in the city. In 2022, Ward 8 welcomed its first-ever <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/10/07/dc-ward-8-urgent-care/" target=_blank>urgent care center</a>, and earlier this month, Bowser cut the ribbon at <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/03/01/dc-health-equity-anacostia-economy/" target=_blank>D.C. Health’s</a> new headquarters there — part of a collective effort to direct more city resources east of the Anacostia River and help fortify the area’s economy.

“We chose to open our store here in Anacostia to address the lack of green spaces and access of wellness amenities, which is starkly different in contrast to other wards,” Danuelle Doswell, co-founder of the plant subscription service Grounded, which is opening its first brick-and-mortar store at the MLK Gateway this year, told the crowd.

But as Bowser and others spoke Thursday on the roof of DHCD’s new headquarters, there was a shared understanding that these new<b> </b>developments were only a step toward rectifying decades of disinvestment. Local business owners who attended the celebration said that while they are excited about the rapid development, they expressed concern about what the new amenities could eventually mean for the neighborhood’s affordability.

“To walk this corridor even in the last three years and see the change is mind-blowing. But then in another three to four years, what you see now is just going to be even better,” said Darrell Gaston, founder of Kitchen Savages, a Southern cuisine restaurant that opened on Marion Barry Avenue last year. “So my commitment is that while we welcome the new owners, new businesses, new residents, that we make sure those that have sustained through this time have a piece of the pie.”

Gaston, who was born and raised in Anacostia, is hoping to open another restaurant about two blocks away in October. He explained that he runs his business with the knowledge that some of his Anacostia neighbors need a boost. So he hires locally, with a focus on residents who are returning from prison. He praised targeted city programs like the <a href="https://www.capitalimpact.org/nourish-dc-2023-grant-funding/" target=_blank>Nourish DC Collaborative</a> and <a href="https://dmped.dc.gov/page/neighborhood-prosperity-fund-npf" target=_blank>Neighborhood Prosperity Fund</a> that helped him start and expand his business, and he seeks to educate others about the opportunities available.

For example, he said, the Department of Housing and Community Development has programs for aspiring homeowners. And the city’s Employment Services agency hosts job centers and hiring fairs. The D.C. Infrastructure Academy, based in nearby Barry Farm, helps train residents in industries like energy and construction. And grant programs are available to those interested in starting a business like he did. City officials have said that relocating major agencies like D.C. Health to Ward 8 will make it even easier to get residents there resources that can help them.

Still, Gaston said that the community’s transformation and new amenities could pose a threat to residents who are already struggling to afford D.C.’s high cost of living.

“There’s some parts of change where people may be forced to move out, you might have gentrification, those types of things,” he said. “But then we have to do a much better job of connecting people to resources, opportunities.”

Nina Albert, D.C.’s deputy mayor for planning and economic development, said in an interview that bringing new amenities to an under-resourced area, while also maintaining its authenticity and preventing displacement, is a true challenge for the city. But to help mitigate displacement, she said, the District’s focus must remain on creating affordably priced housing opportunities for residents in the ward.

“When you’re coming in at the ground floor thinking about those things, you can make sure that you don’t let the market forces get away from you,” she said.

Ron Moten, an activist who last year broke ground on Anacostia’s <a href="https://dcist.com/story/23/11/15/dc-gogo-museum-anacostia-groundbreaking-mobile-museum-ron-moten/" target="_blank">Go-Go Museum</a> and Cafe, said that being priced out is a real concern. He described a friend who recently bought a home in the neighborhood and saw his property taxes increase by $3,000 in one year.

Moten said the D.C. Council should explore legislation that could help residents and businesses avoid being pushed out as the area gets more expensive — similar to a bill passed years ago by council member Anita Bonds (D-At Large) to <a href="https://lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/B20-0318" target=_blank>protect low-income seniors</a> from rising property taxes and the cost of living.

“I think we’ve got an opportunity to do it right: You can make things better without pushing the people out who wanted to be here when nobody else did,” he said. “When you do that, sometimes you can make the growth balanced.”

A previous version of this article incorrectly reported that activist Ron Moten said his friend's property taxes increased by $300 in one year. They increased by $3,000 in one year. The article has been corrected.

University of Maryland, College Park, BA in journalism

Michael Brice-Saddler covers D.C. government and politics for The Washington Post's Metro desk. He joined The Post in June 2018 as a crime reporting intern after graduating from the University of Maryland. Before moving to local politics, he covered national and breaking news on the general assignment desk. 

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