Barry Feels 'Disrespected' by Mayor Fenty

WASHINGTON -- Changes to the District's plans for a riverfront park has left former D.C. Mayor and current D.C. Council member Marion Barry frustrated with Mayor Adrian Fenty.

Plans have been in the works for years to build a new soccer stadium for D.C. United on the 110-acre site, as well as restaurants, shops, a hotel and affordable housing.

But several weeks ago, Fenty revised the plan, cutting off negotiations with D.C. United, and instead opening up the land for competitive bidding for development.

"We are not only disappointed, but also outraged at the way that [Mayor Fenty and his] administration have disrespected and misled us about the development of Poplar Point," Barry said Tuesday.

Flanked by members of the Ward 8 community, Barry said he was discouraged by the changes.

"Many of us have attended meetings, given our time because we care deeply about this community. We spent a lot of time working on this together. What we resent the most, is the fact that we certainly respect the mayor's right to change direction, but why months later? Otherwise we are just wasting time."

Last week, Fenty discussed his decision to change course with Poplar Point on The Politics Program with WTOP's Mark Plotkin.

"The issue around Poplar Point is that it is just a critical piece of land. It backs right up into historic Anacostia, near the Metro, it is just a great opportunity for so many things. I think this administration did the responsible thing in saying, "Let's see what the development community has as ideas,' before we say this is definitely what we are going to do."

However, Barry says the current plans take a lot of emphasis away from Ward 8 and has written to Fenty, voicing his displeasure.

"We don't mind competition, we just happen to think the D.C. United plan is the best we can get. It has affordable housing in it... it deals with the environment, it deals with jobs for Ward 8 residents and it deals with establishing businesses in the community. It bothers us over here east of the river, that we have been disrespected for so long that people just expect us to take this kind of stuff. We are not taking it no more," Barry said.

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