To: Muriel Bowser, Mayor - District of Columbia, Muriel Bowser, Mayor - D.C., Phil Mendelson, Chairman - D.C. City Council, Vincent Orange, At-large Councilmember - D.C., Anita Bonds, At-large Councilmember - D.C., David Grosso, At-large Cou...

Save Bruce Monroe Community Park!

Stop the proposed redevelopment of the Park Morton public housing community at Bruce Monroe Community Park.

Bruce Monroe Park is an asset to the community - it is highly used and valued by many. Park Morton must be redeveloped, but not at the expense of this community asset.

D.C. has other options for redevelopment of Park Morton. The city must meet the immediate needs of Park Morton families and redesign a plan to redevelop Park Morton while maintaining the Bruce Monroe Community Park.

D.C. residents deserve better.

Why is this important?

D.C. recently announced a proposal to redevelop the Park Morton public housing community at the Bruce Monroe Park in the Park View neighborhood in NW D.C.

The community can't afford to lose Bruce Monroe Park. The park includes basketball courts, tennis courts, a playground, a pavilion, a dog run and a community garden. The park is highly used and loved by the whole neighborhood.

This is not an issue of choosing Park Morton redevelopment OR keeping the Bruce Monroe Community Park. There are alternative options to redevelop Park Morton and keep Bruce Monroe Community Park.

For example, the old Hebrew Home site is close to Park Morton and has key qualifications, like close proximity to a school and rec center as well as public transportation, grocery stores, a public library, and more. Another option would be to develop a number of the smaller and abandoned properties on Georgia Ave instead.

The city of D.C. should:
1. Meet Park Morton families’ immediate needs now.
2. Take Bruce Monroe Park off the table as a first build site.
3. Reconsider alternative sites like the Hebrew Home site or additional options along the Georgia Ave. corridor.

Everyone deserves open space to play in, feel the sun on our faces, and talk with our neighbors. We should use this as an opportunity to build a stronger neighborhood.