When Le’Greg Harrison was growing up in Congress Heights, people would warn him against riding his bicycle through the neighborhood. Back then, he says, many thought of Wards 7 and 8 as unsafe.

Despite that stigma, Harrison says he always had a positive vision for his community. He went on to become the co-founder of the Museum DC, a premium retail boutique. And he’s among the 13 Black business owners opening up shop at The Retail Village at Sycamore & Oak – a brand-new 23,000 square-foot retail space in Ward 8. The development held a preview event and a ribbon-cutting ceremony this week.

Located at the St. Elizabeths East Campus, the village features a health-forward grocery store, a beauty supply shop, and boutiques for fashion and art.

“They never thought this would happen, but I dreamed about this,” says Harrison. “Now our dollar doesn’t have to leave our community right away because we’re no longer a food desert or a retail desert.”

The all-timber development is home to several food vendors and will include spaces for events, along with an outdoor playground. Sycamore & Oak also is also the site of WeFitDC, the first privately owned gym in Ward 8.

“At one time, statistically, the residents of this area were dying 15% sooner than the other counterparts – the other wards of D.C.,” says fitness instructor Walter Hilliard. “We’re here to change the conditions of this environment and abroad.”

In addition to touting its environmental sustainability, the mission of the development is to make health and wellness services accessible to local residents. WeFitDC owner Joe Houston Jr. says that’s a “full circle moment” for him and his family. His mother used to be a patient at the nearby psychiatric hospital, which has a long history of alleged abuse and bad conditions.

“To be honest, cutting the ribbon, I got a little emotional,” says Houston.

Amanda Stephenson, the owner of Fresh Food Factory Market, hopes her business can provide the community with high-quality groceries and ingredients. She says her father was once given a cancer prognosis of six months to a year to live but surpassed that by 18 months – something she attributes in part to healthy food access.

“So bringing fresh, healthy, ethnic options to them to boost their immunity, that’s what it’s all about,” says Stephenson, who is from Virginia and now lives in Ward 8. “I love my community. I want them to live long and strong.”

Mayor Muriel Bowser and Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White Sr. were at the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, praising the new retail space and the business owners – all of whom live in Wards 7 and 8.

“This shit is dope,” said White. “It’s amazing what we can do in our own community, right?”

According to White, less than 2% of businesses throughout the U.S. are owned by African Americans, many of who struggle without access to technical support and capital. But with the debut of Sycamore & Oak, White says they will change “the narrative.”

Bowser said that the village will create more than 100 jobs, including some for clients of the District’s Department of Employment Services. She also proclaimed that the new Congress Heights Library would open at St. Elizabeths East campus and that she would be releasing the request for proposals for new parcel developments nearby.

“There are so many good things that we expect. More jobs, more business opportunities, better health care opportunities, and more opportunities for home ownership for D.C. residents. And I’m proud to say that we are delivering on that for Ward 8 every single day,” said Bowser.

In addition to storefronts, Sycamore & Oak will provide support and business incubation, as well as a mentorship program for food vendors through the José Andres Group. And as the largest structure of its kind in the District, it will relocate after 3 to 5 years in order to provide the same economic opportunities in other neighborhoods.

Keyonna Jones, the owner of the art boutique Soufside Creative, says her business is all about Black representation and the shared experiences across the African diaspora. Through her space, she hopes to provide residents with access to art that they might not have otherwise. What’s more, she says the economic development could make way for Wards 7 and 8 to thrive.

“We’re creating a Black Wall Street in Southeast that like – this has never been done before,” says Jones.

Yarné Glasco, the owner of Vaya Beauty, says she’s looking forward to providing the community with beauty supplies that are representative of Black skin. Her shop will only carry products from local and national Black-owned brands.

“It’s important for me to be in this community and open a retail space that celebrates Black beauty,” says Glasco.

As immigrants from Ethiopia, Elias Abubaker and Meryem Yusuf say the opening of their shop – Buna Talk Café – is an achievement that’s years in the making. The couple met at a coffee shop in their home country and have always wanted to provide a family-friendly space in Congress Heights, where they’ve raised their three children. The business will also be their way of sharing their culture with others, and they plan on creating a program where children can read books and redeem rewards at the café.

“In Ethiopia, coffee is everything,” says Yusuf. “We have been thinking about this for a long time, but now it’s a dream come true.”

The grand opening of the Retail Village at Sycamore & Oak will be held on Juneteenth – Monday, June 19 from 2 to 6 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to wear vintage D.C. streetwear for a “Go-Go memory lane.” You can visit the village website for more scheduled events.