October 18, 2011 | 10:00 AM | By

Organizing to Have a Say in Georgia Avenue Gentrification

Rather than wait to see what the forces of development will come up with for Georgia Avenue, a group of residents have organized to influence the future direction of the corridor. But as with gentrification in any community, the problem is being able to balance the desire to attract new residents and businesses while not displacing those who want to remain.

… Lower Georgia Avenue is still a mixed bag. There are pesky liquor stores and vacant storefronts, but also nonprofit organizations and artists’ studios, the kind of neighborhood-friendly businesses many neighbors want to see.

Shirikiana Gerima, co-owner of Sankofa Video Books & Cafe, which sells African heritage books and items, worries about what gentrification could mean for her business.

“We’re like a black church,” Gerima said. “We depend on a black clientele. Without a black clientele, there’s no store. I would like to see businesses that are here be supported. A lot of the businesses up and down Georgia Avenue have been there for decades. You don’t always have to bring in Whole Foods.”

— www.washingtonpost.com:80