October 29, 2020: Council of DC Committee on Business & Economic Development holds a public hearing on B23-884, “Bruce Monroe Extension of Disposition Authority Act of 2020” on the five year extension of the Bruce Monroe site.
October 2020: ANC1A and Ward 1, which includes Park Morton, passed a resolution in full support of the Park Morton Equity Plan.
September 2020: Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2020 includes change to commercial zoning at Bruce Monroe Park. The hearing on this legislation will take place on Thursday, November 12 (10:00 am) and Friday, November 13, 2020 (9:00 a.m.). All residents and neighbors of Bruce Monroe Park are encouraged to testify or submit written testimony prior to the hearing in order to prevent this redevelopment from occurring on the park.
July 6, 2020: Councilmember Brianne Nadeau issues remarks on Court of Appeals decision regarding Park Morton Public Housing replacement, indicating she is disappointed by the Court of Appeals ruling on the case regarding the Bruce Monroe site on Georgia Avenue. She indicates that the new plan is to move forward to enable the construction of a modified Phase 1 of the Park Morton project, and a new build-first site on the Park Morton property that does not displace any of the current residents. She also indicates she is aware of proposals to allow The Wren to act as the build-first site for Park Morton, and supports Park Morton residents using individual vouchers to live in that building, but claims there is no avenue to claim or reserve portions of that property for use as a fully-fledged build-first site.
June 2020: Court of Appeals decision finds that the zoning commission erred in numerous ways when they issued the approval of the Planned Unit Development (PUD) for the project slated for the Bruce Monroe Park site, and vacate the commissions order nullifying it.
February 2019: The Council at Park Morton proposes the Park Morton Equity Plan (PMEP) proposing that Park Morton residents use The Wren apartment building located at 965 Floria Avenue NW (already built) as the “build-first” site while redevelopment occurs at Park Morton site. This highlights a number of common sense wins, such as: a building that is already built and ready to move into, a win-win business proposition, a public-private partnership with 130 affordable units, the best timeline opportunity, Park Morton residents remaining as Georgia Avenue neighbors, Park Morton residents achieving deserved progress & equity, the Wren sharing costs & management of an affordable program, a win-win in meeting employment goals, and a model for the city. The Equity Plan would provide options for a timeline for residents to return to the redeveloped Park Morton site.
September 2018: The Council at Park Morton forms a resident and community led team. Residents of the Park Morton housing units repeatedly ask for a change to the first build site to an alternate site that will meet their needs more expediently with the District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) redevelopment of their existing buildings moving forward and many residents being displaced throughout the District and outside of DC. The Park Morton residents requests fall on deaf ears.
2018: A small hearing regarding the reauthorization of the surplus designation is conducted at the D.C. council. Brianne Nadeau ignores concerns brought by neighbhood residents, including the concerns of the Park Morton Resident Council President. The Resident Council President and petitioners call for the rescinding of the surplus designation on the Bruce Monroe Park site. Surplus designation is renewed for 2 additional years to expire in 2020.
March 2017: Four petitioners, who are neighbors of Bruce Monroe Park, file an appeal with the D.C. Court of Appeals to review zoning commission order. The appeal cites numerous errors in logic and procedure.
January/February 2017: The zoning commission holds hearings pretending to care about the community’s concerns, but clearly does not as the commission moves forward to pass a zoning order approving the project. The zoning order is verbatim from the developers’ words as submitted.
2016: Council holds hearings on the surplus designation of the Bruce Monroe Park on November 29th, 2016 and receives hundreds of letters and testimony against the use of the park site and scolds DMPED for not properly engaging the community in the decision-making process. Yet, in December of 2016 DC council approves the surplus designation of Bruce Monroe Park against the objections of many Park View neighbors, including chairpersons of neighborhood organizations. The measure is quietly included as part of the year end consent decree, no additional consideration is given at that time
2015: Quietly announced only at the Park Morton Steering Committee meetings that the Bruce Monroe Park site will be used as the first build site for a development that has been chosen by the mayor’s office from 5 different proposals that were presented for redevelopment of that site. Bruce Monroe Park was not mentioned in the RFP nor was it used in all the other proposals.
Developer and Department of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) hold sham meetings where neighborhood concerns are to be collected regarding the surplusing of the Bruce Monroe Park. Lee Goldstein, coordinator of those meetings, is later found to be having a sexual relationship with the employee of the developer who was the working to convince Park Morton residents to support the use of the Bruce Monroe Park site for development.
November 2014: DCHA issues a press release on November 12, 2014 announcing that Park View Community Partners had been selected as the new developer for Park Morton.
2014: Gray Administration cancels contract with Landex for Park Morton Redevelopment in February. On March 31, 2014 DC Housing Authority released a Request for Proposals to redevelop Park Morton. Section G.2. “Evaluation Factors” on page 37, section G.2. of the RFP requires the applicant to, “Provide evidence of control of the site and the proposed development plan for the Off-Site parcel.” Bruce Monroe Park is not mentioned in the RFP.
2013: additional $200,000+ is spent to work on continued improvements to the park, including construction of a pavilion at the center of the park. Steve Seusaer, garden coordinator, worked with Department of Parks and Recreation to develop plans for further improvements at the park (improvement plan included in zoning case exhibits).
March 2013: Landex acquired rights to lease and develop on lots along Georgia Avenue.
September 2012: Ribbon cutting ceremony held in September 2012 for The Avenue, an 83 until building comprising Phase 1 of the Landex Park Morton Redevelopment plan. Of the 83 new units, 27 served as replacement units for Park Morton residents.
2011: Community Garden at Bruce Monroe Park constructed June 25th.
2010: Neighborhood survey shows over overwhelming support that park remain for primary use, along with possible school, recreation center, or other public recreation facility.
Summer 2009: The city plans to use the vacant lot where the Bruce Monroe School previously stood as a parking lot that will be rented to Washington Hospital Center.
Council member Jim Graham works with neighborhood activists to provide a park on the school site pending the return of the school. $2 million is allocated toward the park, a fence is installed, as well as playground equipment, basketball courts, tennis court, and planned community garden.
August 2009: On August 10, 2009 the Fenty Administration issued a press release announcing that the demolition of the Bruce Monroe School had begun. The press release also announced that an Request for Proposals (RFP) would be issued in the fall for a mixed use development on the school site. The RFP did not ultimately result in any bids being awarded due to the lack of interest from developers in the midst of a global financial crisis.
The Fenty Administration selected the Landex Corporation in October 2009 as the developer for the Park Morton Redevelopment. According to Washington Business Journal, “The developers say they have secured a contract to buy property from Central Union Mission, a homeless shelter, nearby on Georgia Avenue that likely helped secure the deal with the city. The shelter had planned to build a new shelter there but was turned away by opposition from neighbors and D.C. Councilman Jim Graham, D-Ward 1.”
May 2008: Michele Rhee, DC Public Schools Chancellor, sends a letter to parents and staff of Park View Elementary School indicating that it will merge with Bruce Monroe Elementary School at the Park View building while Bruce Monroe is rebuilt. The memo indicates that once Bruce Monroe is rebuilt, the consolidated student body will move back to Bruce Monroe School.
2008: Park Morton Redevelopment Plan approved by City Council. Original plan to acquire parcels of property along Georgia Avenue and adjacent to the existing Park Morton Site.
2007: Kick off meeting for the New Communities Initiative for the revitalization of Park Morton housing held.
