Crosscut Blog delves into White Center’s Changing Character
Vashon resident, author and contributor to the Crosscut.com blog, Daniel Jack Chasan, has a couple of informative posts on current developments in White Center. The first post, “Gentrifying White Center” deals generally with the issue of affordable housing and how it is being impacted by gentrification and more specifically by the Greenbridge Project. Greenbridge is housing development of mixed income community taking shape in the old Park Lake housing project site. The model for Greenbridge is the Holly Park development in the Rainier Valley. Chasan points out the paradox that bedevils the economic revitalization of previously poor areas such as White Center. In the process of providing new jobs, businesses and higher income residents the area pushes out the very people who it was designed to assist. In the process, the area loses the flavor that the refugee and immigrant community imparted to the neighborhood. As well, Chasan takes King County to task for reducing the number of affordable housing units. I am not sure that I feel quite as pessimistic about gentrification destroying the character of White Center but Chasan’s concerns are certainly valid.
The second post by Chasan, “Social Progress in White Center” deals more broadly with the various social initiatives by foundations such as the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The White Center Early Learning Initiative is nicely described. As with the first post, Chasen voices some concern for the changing character of the community. This post is a good primer for anyone wanting to understand some of the dynamics at play in White Center. Unlike the housing issue, it is hard to fault a program that invests heavily in the betterment of children. All the more so, as success would mean that the Initiative would become a model for other communities. In any event both posts are highly recommended reading.
Tags: Crosscut, Greenbridge, White Center Early Learning Initiative
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August 19th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Don’t get too excited about WCELI-it’s not what it says it is.
$13,000,000. (yes that’s 13 million)is going to build a building to serve 134 children.
WCELI has little to do with the children and families of White Center and ALL to do with big shiny ‘I’m so generous’ buildings.
What the families of White Center want and NEED is MORE space in high quality and affordable preschool and childcare programs-any chance WCELI could help with that???