More News

Although it had a successful 2009, the membership of The Port Towns Community Development Corp year, focused on the coming year during its July 28 meeting at the Bostwick House in Bladensburg.

The corporation will focus in the coming year on helping residents prevent home foreclosures and encouraging the creation of green jobs in the area in response to the economic downturn, President Trina Brown said.

The CDC is a nonprofit that encourages new business development in the towns of Bladensburg, Colmar Manor, Cottage City and Edmonston.

Many of the projects the CDC supports are funded by the state and federal governments, including one of the state's first ‘green streets' in Edmonston, which improved sidewalks, added trees, and rain gardens to conserve rain water.

CDC members said they would like to continue green streets programs with the help of federal aid.

"We will continue to meet to crack the nut on how to deal with federal funds," said State Sen. David Harrington (D-Dist. 47) of Cheverly.

The corporation also will promote tourism by encouraging the development of the Anacostia River Education and Battle of Bladensburg visitor center and planning for the Battle of Bladensburg's bicentennial on Aug. 14, 2014.

The bicentennial will commemorate the American defeat in Bladensburg that allowed British forces to take Washington, D.C., in the War of 1812.

The CDC also celebrated several achievements from 2009, including selecting developers for the Port Towns Riverview project, which will provide retail space and new homes to the area.