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Once home to dilapidated garages and a magnet for illegal dumping of garbage, truckloads of rubble, and abandoned vehicles, the lot now known as the Columbia Heights Green was a vision that many thought couldn’t happen. The first call to Washington Parks & People for help on the Columbia Heights lot came in 2006 from frustrated neighbors — both immigrants and long-time African American residents — who worried that the site was becoming a permanent eyesore and crime magnet. Chip Fawcett, the late chair of Parks & People and a lifelong champion of DC’s parks, saw the opportunity to transform the site into a lasting community green. 

Thus began the creation of a community coalition led by neighborhood residents such as local designers, Washington Parks & People, and many other partners including Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham. Determined and mobilized, they established a unified plan to transform this blighted vacant lot into an organic raised-bed community urban farm featuring butterfly gardens, berry patches, a greenhouse, native flowering and shade trees, green job training, and a learning and gathering space.

For awhile, the effort seemed hopeless due to more than 40 tax liens on the site, miring it in what appeared to be permanent limbo. It took special legislation by the DC Council, coupled with a massive legal effort donated by a local law firm, to wipe out the tax liens and at last deliver the site to community ownership. Even after the community acquisition, the Green face entrenched illegal dumping and enforcement challenges, complex stormwater engineering requirements, and bureaucratic and permitting hurdles.

Despite the long process, WPP and the Columbia Heights community were persistent and their perseverance ultimately led to the successful opening of the Columbia Heights Green on September 11, 2010.

The Green is now a blueprint and model for communities across the city to undertake similar green conversions of forgotten spaces. As part of the nationwide surge in community greening and gardening, Parks & People has provided mini-grants, tools, and technical assistance to 60 community greening sites across the city with the help of thousands of community volunteers and over 250 Green Corps graduates. 

Today, the Green thrives under the management of Parks & People and the leadership of a dedicated cadre of community volunteers. In 2019, the Green grew over 700 lbs of produce, the majority of which was donated to the Sacred Heart food program and Martha’s Table. As well as growing fresh, organic produce this past year, Parks & People partnered with cultural organizations to host a wide-range of cultural programs at the Green such as SudorFest with partner Son La Lucha, which brought together DC musicians across all genres of music to celebrate their art, and the Park’N Lot Stories, a program with GALA Hispanic Theatre that is addressing the challenges of gentrification, displacement, and changing communities.

If you’re interested in volunteering or hosting an event at the Columbia Heights Green, head here for more information.

For more information on the Columbia Heights Green and how to get involved head here: http://www.columbiaheightsgreen.org/