Investing in Southeast D.C. (EOTR)

[Andre Gillett]

I believe you should invest east of the river (EOTR) before it's too late. By the end 2023, the new 11th Street Bridge, Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, and the rehabilitation of I-295 bridges will be completed. Bridges propel economic activity, especially when they join two places that complement each other economically. On a smaller scale, look at Navy Yard and Capital Hill as Manhattan, New York. Look at Anacostia and Congress Heights becoming DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights in Brooklyn, New York. When the bridge projects are completed, more commercial, retail, and restaurant space will be available EOTR. By the end of 2025, properties will be out of reach within a mile of Anacostia and Congress Heights Metro Station. By 2030, Southeast D.C as a whole will have propertie values similar to the other quadrants of D.C. What are your thoughts about this hypothesis?

[Leo Watts]

I’m personally somewhat skeptical on EOTR, though I want to be a believer. I invested heavily in a similar area of my hometown of Dallas (South Dallas) and saw good returns but my cost basis was low. EOTR pricing seems to already factor some anticipated explosive growth which seems more like a 10 - 15 year timeline than a 2 or 3 year timeline. Also, a river is always a huge natural barrier anyway. The divide between most of dc and eotr is huge in so many ways. I’m sure there’s still tons of money and impact to be made if you know the neighborhood and have a good strategy, but it being a place for anyone to come in and invest and make good money, anticipating a huge radical appreciation, I’m skeptical.