Once threatened by development, the club’s recent historic designation now offers it protection and potential partnerships as the 11th Street Bridge Park and the reimagined Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium development transforms the Anacostia waterfront.Ěý

In a prime, almost hidden corner of Boathouse Row, Seafarers was founded by mariner and educator Lewis Thomas Green in 1945 with the support of First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune. ĚýAt a time when boat clubs were exclusively “white-only,” Seafarers stood as a haven for Black boaters and a symbol of resilience. Ěý

“It’s not about nostalgia. It’s about protecting what still serves the people,” said Roger Legerwood, Seafarers Yacht Club historian and 30-year member.

Historical designation offers legal protectionsĚý

Seafarers gained its historic designation in 2022, sponsored by the D.C. Office of Planning—shepherding in new protections against emerging developments.Ěý

“We’re not scared, we’re historic. We’re in partnership with the D.C. government,” said Seafarers Yacht Club Commodore Tony Ford. Ěý

Seafarers falls within Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, which requires federal projects to assess and mitigate adverse effects on historic properties. Ěý Ěý

“If the review identifies potential adverse effects, the parties will coordinate to resolve them,” the D.C. Office of Planning said.Ěý

Legerwood began documenting the history of the club about 25 years ago, almost by accident. ĚýHe said he found the history fascinating, and his chronicled account eventually became the basis for filing historic preservation.Ěý

“They just can’t run through here without checking,” Legerwood said. “When we see or hear of threats, we look at it as an opportunity to engage.” Ěý

The designation opens new doors for grant funding and restoration support. Seafarers partnered with the 11th Street Bridge Park team—the project to transform the abandoned 11th Street Bridge piers into a state-of-the-art park—to ensure the club’s legacy is cemented in the future of the waterfront. ĚýĚý

“Connecting to the river has always been one of our key goals,” said Scott Kratz, director of the Bridge Park project.Ěý “Seafarers started the Anacostia River Cleanup in 1985.Ěý They’ve been critical to restoring and healing the river.”Ěý

Kratz’s team secured a U.S. Coast Guard permit to maintain the navigational envelope—increasing visibility for organizations like Seafarers. ĚýThe new park will include an environmental education center, which could feature Seafarers’ history and community programming. ĚýĚý

Ford, who has led the club for seven years, said he views the Bridge Park partnership as a model for respectful collaboration. Ěý

“We’re already partners,” Ford said. “We offer free boat rides during cherry blossom week and talk about the history. ĚýIt’s not adversarial; it’s community.”Ěý

Ford is less certain about the RFK Stadium development, a $3-billion project expected to generate thousands of jobs and billions in tax revenue. Ěý

“We haven’t had a mutually respectful conversation with those developers,” Ford said. The club’s relationship is only through the mayor’s office, he said.Ěý

Over the years, Ford said developers have used intimidation tactics. In one case, Ford said a developer sent an email alluding that Seafarer would sell its property before even having a conversation. Ford said he is used to the tactics—and some have already begun.

“Forming, storming, norming and performing, that’s how we figure out where we fit in,” Ford said. He added this is a teambuilding process that goes through different stages to understand their relationship and roles in the development projects.Ěý

Despite concerns, Ford said he remains optimistic.ĚýĚý

“We are the oldest African American boat club in the country—not DC—in the country,” Ford said. Ěý

Seafarers started the Anacostia River clean up, and we will continue to do what serves the community, Ford said.Ěý

It’s about the communityĚý

For longtime D.C. resident and recreational fisherman Derick Jones, this is personal.Ěý Fishing on the Anacostia River for over 20 years, Jones acknowledged that the RFK development is good for the city.ĚýĚýĚý

“I hope they don’t mess it up—a lot of young brothers come here to fish instead of getting in trouble,” Jones said.Ěý

Jones urged developers to protect community spaces.ĚýĚý

“This is my fishing spot,” Jones said while laughing. “This is my peace of mind.” Ěý

Seafarers Business Manager Captain Anthony Hood echoed the sentiment.Ěý

“We are a working club. Members bring their skills—woodwork, law, electrical—to keep things going.” ĚýĚý

Hood joined the club in 2020 after his wife passed. He said she always had encouraged him to buy a boat. ĚýĚý

“It has occupied my time and helped me heal—now I’m part of something bigger,” Hood said.Ěý

As the business manager for Seafarers, Hood focuses on infrastructure and restoration efforts. ĚýPartnered with Anacostia Riverkeeper and the Council of Governments, Seafarer received a grant to remove abandoned boats as part of an initiative for cleaner waterways, Hood said.Ěý

With work-in-progress projects all around the club, Hood said the infrastructure needs attention. ĚýMembers are replacing old dock woods themselves, but with development funds, Hood said. Ěý

“We could rebuild the docks, the rail system and even the clubhouse,” Hood said.Ěý

Legerwood said the club wants to amplify Seafarers’ legacy and make boating more affordable and inclusive. Ěý

“Inclusivity was our original mission,” Legerwood said. “Mr. Green built boats by hand but couldn’t find a place to dock because of his race—that’s why this place exist.”Ěý

The D.C. Preservation League, which maintains the city’s historic inventory, said it added Seafarers to its public database after the designation and is now part of the public record. Ěý

D.C. Preservation League said, “That visibility matters.” Ěý

“We’re not just a boating club.” said Legerwood. “We’re a living archive of Black maritime history.”Ěý

The post This last Black institution along the Anacostia is navigating development with intention first appeared on 91ÇŃ×Ó.

What was the groove? “,” a go-go style, funk track rooted in the D.C. sound. The song, which will serve as the official anthem of the 11th Street Bridge Park, was released Oct. 5 at the Go-Go Museum.

The 11^th Street Bridge Park, a transformational elevated bridge park development, held its song release party to celebrate development and determination—honoring the city’s past and future.

The song was written by D.C.’s own grammy-nominated artist Raheem DeVaughn, produced by the famed Lorenzo Johnson aka Zo Smooth and co-produced by go-go legend, Salih Williams, better known by his stage name Bootsy Vegas, brings local rhythms interwoven with community spirit.

Devaughn and Williams said they took on this project because it was more than just a musical endeavor; it was a community driven initiative to create positive change and celebrate D.C.’s rich cultural history.

“Through music, we can communicate,” Williams said, “There’s a lack of historical understanding about a lot of these projects.”

A bridge like no other.

Thirteen years in the making, the project is now fully funded, is expected to break ground in spring of 2026 and launch in 2028.

A collaboration between the D.C. government and Building Bridges Across the River non-profit, Bridge Park strives to be the model for equitable development—strategically focused on housing, the arts, workforce and small business development.

Scott Kratz, the president and CEO of Building Bridges Across the River, said Bridge Park is a different kind of project.

“We’ve learned from projects of the past where residents have been displaced,” Kratz said. Gentrification, emblematic of D.C. evolving neighborhoods, has long plagued well-intentioned projects across the District.

“We had to be intentional about this work,” Kratz said. “It would have been easy to say, gentrification is a serious issue, but that’s not our job—we’re building a park.”

Kratz said before engaging a single designer, Bridge Park spent two years talking to residents, asking, “What did they think about transforming an old freeway into a park?”

The inclusive, community-led development will be the first of its kind—transforming the old, abandoned 11^th Street Bridge piers into a cutting-edge, elevated park. The vision is to create a community space that integrates historically disenfranchised neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River and the surrounding communities.

The Bridge Park will include playgrounds, urban agriculture, an Environmental Education Center and a 250-seat outdoor River Amphitheater.

Lovail Long, a Ward 8 resident and owner of DC Black Broadway, said, “This project means everything to me.”

Long, who produces stage plays and musicals, said the amphitheater will offer a space where he’ll be able to perform live for the community. Like his fond childhood memories of performances in Anacostia Park, Long said he and his wife wants to create memories through arts and music for a new generation of children.

Kratz said intentional development puts the community at the center.Ěý Building Bridges has invested more than $100 million in the community—more than needed to build the park.Ěý Through community-based initiatives like Homebuyer’s Club, 182 Ward 8 renters became homeowners and Bridge Park has secured 230 units of permanently affordable housing.

Bridge Park even worked with local artists and the community to create the anthem song befitting of this visionary park.

And the go-go beat goes on.

The percussion-driven go-go anthem was commissioned and curated by Ronald Moten, co-founder of the Go-Go Museum, along with Bridge Park leaders to symbolize the partnership between the Bridge Park development and the community.

Natalie Hopkinson, co-founder and chief curator of the Go-Go Museum and professor at American University, said, “go-go music is the official music of the D.C., codified in legislation,” so elevating the music is only natural.

Just as Moten cofounded the museum to preserve the culture and history of his beloved go-go music, he said he partnered with the 11^th Street Bridge Park because of its community-led, community-driven approach.

Through the loud, reverberating music, Moten said, “We started differently from most museums—most opened with an endowment—we opened with no money and people banging on the door asking us why aren’t you open,” noting parallels to the Bridge Park grassroots development approach.

DeVaughn, host of “The Original Quiet Storm,” the number one night-time show in D.C., said creating the anthem was a passion project to help the community and elevate go-go music.

After being “schooled” on the historical context of the bridge and learning enslaved people walked the original 11 Street Bridge every day, he said the project resonated with is lifelong commitment to the music and community.

DeVaughn said he views the song and performance as a way to bridge gaps and support black-owned businesses and create a platform that celebrates go-go—the heartbeat of D.C.

“Most importantly, we’re about having a footprint in the community and being of service,” DeVaughn said.

A former co-host of the famed Donnie Simpson Show, Williams said he came to “perform with a purpose.” Co-producing the song not only honors go-go pioneer Chuck Brown’s legacy, Williams said, “it brings people together who might not have been checking for go-go but left with an appreciation.”

In addition to creating music, Williams now dedicates his time to teaching kids broadcast journalism. He said he partnered with the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation to teach journalism and provide scholarships to high school students in Ward 7 and 8.

Williams said creating the Bridge Park anthem with Johnson and DeVaughn was a natural extension of his work supporting his community where he was born, raised and still lives.

It’s about the community.

“A community on the river,” Kratz said. “Many people in the community have never been out on boats.”

Building Bridges works with local boating organizations like Seafarer’s Yacht Club and Anacostia Boathouse Association to connect the community with the Anacostia River.Ěý Bridge Park partners to offer free boat rides and to give community members an opportunity to kayak and canoe along the river.

D.C. transplant and American University Alum Jayra Collier’s employer Plum Good has been a Bridge Park sponsor for eight years.Ěý Collier said through its partnership, Park Bridge has promoted its teas, spices and sauces.

Collier said she hopes other transplants like herself will get to see “The real D.C.,” to promote local businesses and have a space to enjoy and rest.

Residents living along the Anacostia River deserve a waterfront just as beautiful as the residents of Georgetown,” Kratz said.

The song release party symbolizes a celebratory reflection of where the project started. Kratz said, “Long term residents who’ve been here through some of the challenging times, through the disinvestment, can be here for the good times.”

Much like D.C.’s syncopated go-go music, the future of the Anacostia community history must be preserved, said Dr. Deborah Evans, board member of the Go-Go Museum.

“Progress is good, but we have to maintain the history of the community.”

The post “Take it to the Bridge”: Go-go song release party celebrates 11th Street Bridge Park first appeared on 91ÇŃ×Ó.

According to the 2020 Census, the Capitol Riverfront saw one of the largest in the region, and developers are jumping at the opportunity to try their hand in the market.Ěý

But Southwest D.C. native Colletta Paylor said the plethora of new development had squashed green space throughout the neighborhood, and it’s become a pattern.Ěý

“When I was growing up, we had a lot of playgrounds that were surrounded by parks and stuff. Every four blocks is literally a condo now, “ she said.ĚýĚý

D.C.-based developer is one company looking to add to those rows of concrete towers. They have been negotiating with the ANC 6D for months over their designs for a new residential high rise on 850 South Capitol St. SE.Ěý

The proposed design is a that extends under the Interstate 695 freeway.Ěý

But the design is centered in a unique location. The land is in the , which means it is exempt from regulations. In other words, WC Smith does not have to include any retail or affordable housing options for the neighborhood.

Commissioner Rhonda Hamilton vocalized her concerns about the lack of affordable housing following WC Smith’s presentation during the October ANC meeting.

“I don’t think it’s fair that you bring a project with no real benefits to the community…and then you want us to embrace it,” she said.Ěý

Commissioner Jared Weiss said with affordable housing is an issue developers shouldn’t ignore, even if they’re not required to take action.Ěý

“I believe I speak for a lot of my neighbors in saying that we have no interest living in an area that is totally exclusionary to certain types of people. We want to live in a neighborhood where everyone is welcome,” he said.Ěý

In response to the attack on the plan’s lack of affordable housing during the October ANC meeting, WC Smith Attorney Leila Batties of Holland & Knight said city leaders need to look at WC Smith’s track record in Washington, D.C.Ěý

“[WC Smith] has for more than 50 years been a leader in providing housing opportunities and amenities throughout the city for some of the city’s most deserving communities and families,” she said.

Former ANC 6D Chair Gail Fast told 91ÇŃ×Ó that legally, developers don’t have to seek approval from the ANC for their final plans, but they do go through a design review process with the commissioners. During that review, the ANC can make suggestions and ask for changes.

“ANC’s have what’s known as great weight,” Fast said.Ěý

So while the ANC can’t change the fact that the building won’t include any units for lower-income individuals and families in the Capitol Riverfront neighborhood, Commissioner Jared Weiss said, the ANC asked WC Smith to add something else that would benefit the community.Ěý

“We feel it is our responsibility to get the benefit for the community we can. But a developer such as this one is only legally required to do very little. So it becomes a negotiation,” he said.Ěý

WC Smith responded, and came back with a design for a dog park and run. The park will be placed underneath the 695 freeway in a space that would have otherwise gone un-utilized.Ěý

Commissioner Andy Litsky said this was a decent addition, but ultimately he told WC Smith to be more ambitious.Ěý

“This was one of only a couple of options. It was the easy one, and that’s what you went with. So I’d like to see more under the Expressway,” he said.Ěý

Locals agreed. Paylor said while the addition of a dog park might look good on paper, in her experience, accommodations added by developers only benefit a small population.

“They don’t benefit the actual community that is from there; it’s more so for the people who can afford to live there,” she said.Ěý

91ÇŃ×Ó reached out to WC Smith for a comment on their design negotiations with the ANC on South Capitol Street, but did not hear back in time.

Fast said there are many ways developers can benefit the community, they just need to get creative.Ěý

“It could be a park, it could be a playground, the community benefit could even be contributions to the schools,” she said.Ěý

Another way the commissioners get developers to accommodate the neighborhood is through what Litsky called “community serving retail.”

“Community serving retail would be like a tailor, barbershop, a cleaners, something with service, versus just bars and restaurants,” he said.Ěý

An example is a project green-lighted in September by the same ANC. It is expected to bring , where a grocery store didn’t previously exist.Ěý

WC Smith is scheduled to bring their final designs for 850 South Capitol St. SE to the Zoning Commission for approval on November 8th.Ěý

The post Southeast city leaders negotiate a dog park out of developer WC Smith amid controversial design review first appeared on 91ÇŃ×Ó.