2008 in Waiting: Local Bloggers Look Ahead

Stadium workers installed grass on the infield at the new Nationals stadium in November. The ballpark is set to host its first game in March. Photo by Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post

AS 2007 DRAWS TO A CLOSE, D.C.-area residents can look back with a deeply exhaled breath on the news that garnered big local headlines: the beginning of District Mayor Adrian Fenty's term, the approaching completion of the Nationals' new stadium, the fires that gutted Eastern Market and the Georgetown Public Library, the death of Redskins safety Sean Taylor, the continuing growth of hot spots like Columbia Heights, Rosslyn, Anacostia and Silver Spring.

Which stories will be on our minds in the coming year? Nobody knows for sure, of course — the future is, as Donald Rumsfeld might say, a known unknown. But we asked for educated guesses from people who watch these things very closely: neighborhood bloggers.

Neighborhood evolution was the topic that topped their lists.

"I've got my eye on continued economic development in Silver Spring," said Jennifer Deseo, editor of The Silver Spring Penguin. "Each new business has the ability to destroy or define a neighborhood, depending on who you ask."

The team of five writers behind Penn Quarter Living, which covers the burgeoning area downtown near the Verizon Center, also said development was on their minds. Among their spots to watch:

» The old Convention Center site: "Will the MLK Library be supplanted by a new library? Will this development be the third (final?) leg of a downtown revival (Penn Quarter and Mt. Vernon Triangle being the two other legs)?"
» Mt. Vernon Triangle: "How will the influx of new residents impact city life (new retail, new grocery store at 5th and K and demand for city services)?"
» Penn Quarter: "Will 7th and H become the Times Square of D.C.?"

They said they'll also turn their collective focus on museums — a safe bet for a neighborhood that's seeing an influx of new ones, such as the Textile Museum (scheduled to open in the fall), the Museum of Crime and Punishment (set to debut in the spring) and the Newseum (opening sometime next year).

Blogger Rusty from why.i.hate.dc focused on one major local project: "I'd expect the [Nationals] stadium to be the big story until March 30th or so," he said. "The parking situation isn't clear yet, and I'd be shocked if [Nats owners] the Lerners didn't try to get a sponsor for Nationals Park. If it becomes Pepsi Park or something like that, I'd expect a good deal of people will complain."

The bloggers also predicted that — no surprise — local leaders will continue to see their share of scrutiny in '08 as that development continues.

"Residents are ... itching for transparency in the county's negotiations with private developers," Deseo said. "With belt tightening in Rockville and Annapolis, county residents want to be sure they get their tax dollars' worth."

Asked the Penn Quarter group: "Will the [District] respond adequately to the shift from a purely commercial downtown to a mixed-use (residential, commercial, retail) downtown, especially as it relates to police coverage?"

Why.i.hate.dc's Rusty predicted it would be curtains for one local official next year: "I ... think Natwar Gandhi will be forced to resign over the tax fraud scandal the course of 2008." Gandhi, the District's chief financial officer (pictured at left), has faced criticism over the scandal, in which eight people, including two D.C. tax office workers, have been charged with stealing more than $20 million in through bogus property tax refunds. Gandhi apologized to city residents for the scandal last week.

So, while no one can say with certainty what the big story of 2008 will be, the most plausible prediction came from Rusty: "Obviously," he said, "something wacky will happen that will catch everyone off guard."

We'll place our bets on that one.

» WHAT DO YOU THINK next year's big local stories will be? Continue the discussion below in comments.

Natwar Gandhi photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post

Posted By Greg Barber at 3:48 PM on December 28, 2007 Tagged in Free Ride , Local Blogs , Maryland , The District , Top Stories , Virginia

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