Vietnamese Community Organizes To Make Demands
A new Vietnamese community organization
In response to the City staff proposal for the East End Small Area Plan (SAP), the Vietnamese community, and especially the younger generation, formed a group called the Viet Place Collective (VPC) in early 2022. They claim to represent the interests of the Vietnamese and other Asian businesses at the Eden Center. There are approximately 115 businesses in the Eden Center and more than 125 businesses in the larger East End area.
The group played a significant role in encouraging participation in the City online survey on the East End. Conducted from October to December 2022, this survey received 2,005 responses, 342 of which came from participants who live in the City. When the City staff conducted four pop-ups at the Eden Center from March to April 2023, the VPC helped by providing interpreters.
Many members of the VPC also spoke at the various City Council and Planning Commission meetings held about this SAP. The VPC asked the City to take steps now to prevent the displacement of small businesses as a result of rent increases from future redevelopment. Their criticism of the City’s outreach efforts led to the pop-up meetings being held at the Eden Center. The group also supported further strengthening the recognition of the East End area as a Vietnamese cultural center.
The Viet Place Collective demands
The VPC submitted a letter dated April 19, 2023, listing seven community demands:
- Make anti-displacement a primary goal of the SAP
- Add a legally binding agreement to fund anti-displacement using tax revenues
- Implement culturally relevant anti-displacement strategies
- Increase total amount of free parking spaces
- Formally designate the area as “Little Saigon East”
- Ensure infrastructure improvements and community safety as a requirement of any development plan
- Commission Vietnamese artists for any public art
Many of these demands were incorporated into the final East End SAP as the Anti-Displacement Toolkit in the Economic Development chapter, shown below.
Small Area Plan addresses community concerns
The SAP suggests renaming the Eden Center area to “Little Saigon East” although the size of that area is not specified. The renaming of the section of Wilson Boulevard to “Saigon Boulevard” would require the cooperation of the Virginia Department of Transportation and Fairfax County.
The City attorney pointed out that more work needs to be done to explore the legal mechanisms for providing financial assistance to prevent displacement, noting that directly giving money to particular tenants or property owners would not be allowed. Council members also expressed concern that providing City funding for anti-displacement would set an expensive precedent for other projects and SAPs.
The City Council voted unanimously to approve the plan on June 26, 2023. While the VPC is generally pleased with the final East End Small Area Plan, the group has asked that the City provide funding to implement the plan’s recommendations.
References
The VPC activities may be found on their Facebook page. The VPC letter with their “Community Demands” can be viewed here. To see VPC speakers addressing the Planning Commission and the City Council, visit the City webpage on the East End SAP for the links to the meetings here.
