Future of Eastern Branch

Originally uploaded to flickr by Esparta

Ward 6 D.C. Council member Tommy Wells shared the first draft report developed by the Eastern Branch Task Force charged with envisioning the future of the former Eastern Branch Boys & Girls Club building. You can find the draft report on Wells’ website.

In the meantime, Neighbors United, the community group that had long tried to gain control of the building at 261 17th St. SE,  still hopes to use some space in the facility for recreational programs.

The 46,000-square-foot building had been operated as a recreation center in the Hill East neighborhood since 1937. The Eastern Branch Boys & Girls Clubs closed more than two years ago with significant debt and waning enrollment numbers. The city agreed in June to pay the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington $20 million for the Eastern Branch and two clubhouses in Northwest.

As detailed in August by Voice of the Hill Managing Editor Julie Westfall, Neighbors United tried unsuccessfully to use the site for their youth tutoring program. Instead, the group ultimately started an after-school program at the nearby Payne Elementary School, with money from the city’s Youth Investment Fund.

The group, now chaired by Francis Campbell, an ANC6-B neighborhood commissioner, is on the task force. According to Westfall, he claimed his position after an episode of infighting, “including allegations of financial misconduct — and the controversial ousting of its founding chair, Ellen Opper-Weiner — has left the group in limbo. The Youth Investment Fund has frozen the group’s money until it can prove it is on solid ground.”

Wells’ chief of staff, Charles Allen, said the Councilmember wants to host a community meeting to review the Task Force recommendations with neighbors, and get more resident feedback and suggestions.

Chuck Burger, realtor and community activist, lead the Task Force in their first assignment of taking an inventory of the property. “Second, we immediately identified  that the task force wasn’t there to make suggestions or develop what should go in the building – that’s the community’s job.  What we did do was take an inventory of possibilities.  We examined all these elements primarily to raise the questions the community will need to consider as this moves forward.”

The Task Force will  meet on Tuesday to discuss a timeline, how they envision moving forward and how to maximize community participation going forward.

“I think we have a very smart neighborhood out there.  It’s okay to have different opinions, but we want everyone to have the same facts.  If we all have the facts, we can thrash it out.  Everybody will flesh it out.  That’s what we want to help with as a task force.”

Hill East resident Amy Caspari calls the building a gem and is excited about the city’s purchase of the Eastern Branch, but is disappointed in the report.

“First, it narrows a geographic area for its ‘targeted area.’ Such wording, even if not intended to exclude people, does not promote a merge with Eastern Market folks, and Capitol Hill Proper neighborhoods,” she complained. “Hill East is currently plagued with empty condo buildings and lots of crime.  The report should have seriously encouraged folks from all neighborhoods to come out and participate in the use of the building.”

Additionally, she is concerned that proposed ‘youth programs’ will simply mean aftercare programs from local schools.  “If children need tutoring, they can do it after school at their school location. They do not need a five million dollar building to get tutoring.  Such spending by the city is irresponsible and a sign of poor planning.  Chancellor Rhee is doing a fantastic job addressing these matters, and such programs should be done through DCPS.“

Burger said he anticipates holding an open community meeting in the next 60 days so the project can start moving forward.