Beltway Area Indymedia

Today, Tuesday, July 10, at the Committee of the Whole Meeting of the DC City Council, City Council Members Jack Evans (Ward 2) and Kwame Brown (At-Large) will push emergency legislation to sell the West End Library and Special Operations Division properties in the West End neighborhood. In addition to being a blatant misuse of "emergency legislation", Mr. Evans and Mr. Brown want to sell, without any public input, a library to the notorious developer Anthony Lanier, of Eastbanc (affectionately known as the 'King of Georgetown'). Lanier has sought to buy much of the property, successfully, in the area of Square 37 in the West End Neighborhood.

On Friday, June 29th, DC Superior Court Judge Bruce Beaudin ordered that no demolition of the Benning Library, abruptly closed in 2004 without community input, shall take place before July 20th, 2007. On that date, the involved parties will appear before Judge Retchin to argue more of the merits of the case. Community members had sought a temporary restraining order (TRO) and preliminary injunction to prevent the demolition of their library.

Concerned and outraged members of the community, including Dorothy Douglas (Chair of ANC Commission 7D), Rick Tingling-Clemmons (ANC 7D05), Betty Diggs (concerned community member), Eddie Rhodes, Cynthia Payne-Davis (President of Central NorthEast Civic Association), and Jane Zara (ANC 1D01) were forced to take legal action, after being consistently shut out of matters relating to their library. The Benning Library was closed in 2004, along with the Anacostia, Tenley, and Watha T. Daniel (Shaw) branches, supposedly for renovation, and without community input.