Anger in the gym swelled into irate shouts at times. Residents raised hands and even clutched at the microphone to confront Boys & Girls Club officials.
"This is a critical battle. . . . You should put a nail in this sale," said Malik Shabazz, a lawyer and community activist with the New Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. "This plan, to me, looks like a scheme. This is impossible."
Resident Felicia Pearson-Locke demands that the club be retained. At left is Trammell Crow executive Marie L. Karl.
(Photos Rich Lipski -- The Washington Post)
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Graham's public stance drew raucous applause, as he added that he would oppose applications for zoning changes.
Marie L. Karl, a senior vice president for Trammell Crow, told residents that the developer has not finalized any sketches for the proposal but would make those available once they were completed, perhaps within 30 to 45 days.
"We have every intention of showing you our plans when we get there," Karl said. "We're not there yet."
After the meeting, Karl expressed surprise at Graham's statements.
Graham told those at the meeting that he will talk to Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D) about finding city funds to support the clubhouse in Columbia Heights. He said he needed more details about the club's financial woes.
Officials from Trammell Crow and the Boys & Girls Club said they still hope to complete the sale. They said they will shift from making presentations before large groups to smaller meetings with community leaders.
Reflecting on what took place, Jeffrey J. Sherman, managing partner of Trammell Crow, said that "emotions tend to get in the way of logical interaction" in large group settings.
And he said the officials learned another lesson.
"It's best that we spend more time listening and doing a better job of explaining ourselves," he said.
