Barry Frustrated With Fenty's Waterfront Development Plan
posted 9:20 pm Tue September 04, 2007 - Washington
D.C. Council member Marion Barry says he is outraged at Mayor Adrian Fenty's changes to plans for development on a 110 acre riverfront park in Barry's ward.
Officials have been planning for years to build a new soccer stadium for D.C. United Poplar Point in Ward 8. It would have included restaurants, shops and affordable housing.
But after Fenty cut off negotiations with the soccer team, he revised the plan and opened development options up to competitive bidding. Fenty says Poplar Point is a critical piece of land because it's near historic Anacostia, and the Metro and has the potential for a lot of great things. He says it was responsible of the administration to hear other development ideas before committing to something.
But Barry says he feels it's another example of the community being disrespected, and that the soccer stadium and surrounding development would have been the best option. He says the community felt not only disappointed, but outraged that Fenty misled them.
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