Anwar Saleem, who grew up in the neighborhood and has run a hair salon on H Street for 10 years, said he isn’t waiting for the city to act, especially after seeing the new citywide economic development plan unveiled Nov. 12 that focuses mostly on downtown.

Armed with a $250,000 community development block grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Saleem is leading about 35 H Street merchants in a drive to clean up the corridor and attract new businesses.

"We are going to employ people in the neighborhood for cleaning and security. We’re going to make them proud of where they live and where they work," he said.

Saleem, 44, dreams of making H Street the next "new U," with loft apartments, professional offices, boutiques and sit-down restaurants. He’s already started talking to Starbucks.

"The neighborhood is ready for it," he said. "There are people living within walking distance of H Street who earn six-figure salaries. But they never shop here because we don’t offer them any reason to."

Before the riots, the H Street corridor was a thriving business district, home to furniture and clothing stores, nightclubs and live performances at the Atlas Theater.

Today, the street is home to storefront churches, barber shops, sportswear stores, carry-out restaurants and check-cashing places. But there are no bookstores or coffee shops and few restaurants with chairs. "For Sale" and "For Rent" signs are everywhere.

One of the main obstacles to development, Saleem said, is the high bridge from North Capitol Street that blocks the view down H Street. People won’t go to a place they can’t see, he said. "It really killed the businesses on that end of the street."

As a first step toward revitalization, the H Street Merchants Association hopes to move into the old Nations-Bank office at 10th and H streets by early January. The association plans to share the building, rent free, with a community policing center serving the corridor.

The merchants association recently hired New York community development specialist Karen Alpert as its business improvement project coordinator. Part of her job will be helping business owners on the street prepare to purchase their buildings, Saleem said.

Most of the grant money will be spent on new tree boxes, lighting, trash cans, street banners and marketing, and to employ security and sanitation crews.

A related project will create a community job training center at 7th and H streets. Pilgrim Baptist Church plans to renovate the abandoned Apollo liquor store and the surrounding buildings, said the Rev. Louis Jones Jr., pastor of the church at 7th and I streets NE. The center will train former welfare recipients for jobs as computer technicians, he said.

"We want to show that we are part of the revitalization of H Street," Jones said. "That block of stores will make a significant difference. Once revitalization starts, it’s contagious."

Copyright 1998, The Common Denominator