Some in Washington DC’s Chinese American community see opposition to a new high rise redevelopment project as “Chinatown’s last stand.”
Others say DC’s Chinatown must change with the times and support the 10 story residential and commercial building in Chinatown.
Asian Fortune is reporting both sides of the issue.
“The block where the project located is the central and major block on Chinatown historical area. said Chinese American architect Alfred Liu. “If this block could not be protected, this area would become no more Chinatown.”
DC’s Chinatown has been eaten up by major retailers and commercial development ever since the arrival of the Verizon Center in 1997. The Monument Realty Project would be located on one of the last streets in DC that’s home to its Chinese immigrant population.
But some Chinatown business owners who would be included in the Monument project see it differently.
“Chinatown must move forward with this modernization process in order to continue with economic revitalization,” said Linda Lee.
You can read more about the project and its impact on Chinatown in Asian Fortune.
Asian Fortune: Is this DC Chinatown’s last stand? : I understand there is a German American Museum in DC’s Chinatown, but nothing for Chinese Americans. This to me is very shameful if someone doesn’t not include something along the scale of at least a storefront Chinese American museum…let the ground breaking discussions begin…