Gentrification has fueled a controversy in Columbia Heights where residents fear a plan recently discovered by local citizens would either close the existing Boys & Girls Club forever, or replace it with a facility where their children wouldn’t feel welcome:

” … Residents have watched aging rowhouses in their neighborhood transformed from multi-unit rentals into single-family residences selling for $600,000 or more. They see the construction signs posted on 14th Street, advertising new apartments, shops and condos on parcels that have stood vacant since the riots of 1968. They say some new residents eye their children with suspicion — or call police to report youths shuttling between the club and a nearby convenience store for snacks. … “

After the controversial and highly publicized opening of ‘the Ellington” on U Street earlier this summer, and over 20 luxury “loft” buildings slated to open around the city this year alone, DCist expects gentrification will become a major issue in city politics.

The boom includes, both just blocks from the Ellington, the Metropolis DC’s “Langston Lofts”, and 2020 Lofts (pictured), both currently under construction.