Ritchie visits revitalized area of Washington

Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie MLA today toured a major regeneration project in Washington – and learnt valuable lessons to take back to Northern Ireland.

The Minister was in the 8th Street area, a historic commercial centre near Capitol Hill which has declined over the years and which was the scene of riots and looting in the 1960s. It has since literally risen from the ashes thanks to a local alliance of key citizens who worked with government on what was one of the first major regeneration project in the city. She visited the Barracks Row Main Street which links Capitol Hill to the Anacostia River.

Among the key projects was a two million dollar restoration of the tallest building in the area, the Oddfellows Building, which had its exterior restored and the interior transformed into offices and an acting academy for the Shakespeare Theatre. The alliance has since worked with the Department of Transportation to transform the streetscape with improved parking, transportation, lighting and urban forestry.

The Minister said: “I was very impressed with what I saw in Barracks Row Main Street area of 8th Street. Where once there was despair, now there is hope and confidence. A problem area has been made into a bustling commercial corridor. All this has been achieved by forward thinking partnership between local citizens, public authorities and the private sector.

“There are some parallels to what we are doing in regenerating cities like Belfast, Derry and Newry. Our strategy is also to work in partnership with all the local and government representatives to create a better environment for all the people. I have also been struck by the significant role played by the private sector which has worked closely and very successfully with the public sector and the local community. I want to learn from the work that has been carried out here and any lessons that we can apply to our regeneration programmes in Northern Ireland.”

Notes to Editors:

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