Georgia Avenue Has Already Awakened

Businesses, Residents and the D.C. Government Have Joined Forces to Fight the Blight

The Post recently informed readers about the hundreds of millions of dollars in future investment along the District's historic Georgia Avenue. I'd like to inform readers of the many good things already happening on Georgia Avenue.

Those good things were overshadowed, I think, by the portrayal in the article and accompanying photographs of Georgia Avenue as a place of extremes. A place of either coming gentrification (mixed-use density) or existing dilapidation (shanty storefronts and desperate patrons seeking beer), with nothing in between. A place where racial minorities sit in hair curlers and members of the majority population preside over wine tastings and business openings.

The Avenue has many layers, many facets and many good things happening:

· The Washington chapter of the American Institute of Architects awarded my organization, the Gateway Georgia Avenue Revitalization Corp., its 2003 Catalyst Award for upgrading 33 rundown storefronts. Since then, 12 new businesses have opened, including two designer fashion stores, a neighborhood restaurant, an upscale day spa, an art gallery, a furniture store, a boutique crafts store and two national chains.

· Locally owned Ledo Pizza selected Georgia Avenue for its second District store. Since opening last August, Ledo has hired 20 young adults from surrounding neighborhoods and has been a business success. The pizzeria has also hosted parties for the neighborhood soccer team, the Coolidge High School PTA and Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

· Manoukian Brothers Oriental Rugs, a certified rug appraiser, recently opened a store. The longtime District retailer was attracted to upper Georgia Avenue's stable middle-income households, which boast an aggregate yearly income of $240 million, and a $93,015 average household income.

· The National Trust for Historic Preservation declared the D.C. Georgia Gateway corridor a National Main Street in 2003. Since then, local businesses, residents and the District government have joined forces to eradicate graffiti, organize business grand openings, install 37 new lamppost banners, organize spring plantings and negotiate agreements with some property owners to landscape and install public art.