{"id":7476,"date":"2026-06-02T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gridalt.wpenginepowered.com\/the-current\/rooted-community-how-sycamore-oak-rewriting-story-congress-heights\/"},"modified":"2026-10-26T17:52:36","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T21:52:36","slug":"rooted-community-how-sycamore-oak-rewriting-story-congress-heights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gridalternatives.org\/es\/the-current\/rooted-community-how-sycamore-oak-rewriting-story-congress-heights\/","title":{"rendered":"Enraizado en la comunidad: C\u00f3mo Sycamore & Oak est\u00e1 reescribiendo la historia de Congress Heights"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hay un barrio en el sureste de Washington, D.C., donde dos calles se encuentran \u2014Oak Drive y Sycamore Drive \u2014 y all\u00ed est\u00e1 creciendo algo extraordinario: no solo un edificio, sino un movimiento.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sycamore & Oak, un desarrollo liderado por la comunidad que se erige en los terrenos hist\u00f3ricos del antiguo campus St. Elizabeths East, es parte de un centro empresarial, una parte fundamental cultural y una declaraci\u00f3n de amor total al barrio de Congress Heights. All\u00ed donde antes hab\u00eda un lugar marcado por la descapitalizaci\u00f3n, ahora se est\u00e1 perfilando un centro futurista para negocios propiedad de personas negras, emprendimiento y beneficio comunitario.<\/p>\n

Construido desde cero \u2014 Literalmente<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

El centro de desarrollo es un centro comercial de 2.000 metros cuadrados, y es diferente de cualquier espacio comercial que hayas visto. La estructura de madera maciza y al aire libre est\u00e1 dotada de once claraboyas estrat\u00e9gicamente colocadas, que iluminan el interior con luz natural. Una sombrilla imponente ofrece protecci\u00f3n contra los elementos mientras crea una sensaci\u00f3n de intimidad \u2014 un comunidad dentro de la comunidad<\/em>, como lo definieron los dise\u00f1adores.<\/p>\n

Desde materiales de origen sostenible hasta t\u00e9cnicas de construcci\u00f3n con bajo impacto ambiental, cada elecci\u00f3n de dise\u00f1o refleja los valores de las personas a las que est\u00e1 destinado. Concebido como un espacio completamente p\u00fablico, el edificio es un \u201ckit de piezas\u201d modular que utiliza juntas reciclables \u2014un modelo que no solo se aplica a Congress Heights, sino tambi\u00e9n a comunidades desatendidas en todo el pa\u00eds.<\/p>\n

\"Sycamore<\/p>\n

GRID Alternatives: impulsando a la gente, no solo a los edificios<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cuando Sycamore & Oak busc\u00f3 un socio solar, encontr\u00f3 uno que comparte su filosof\u00eda fundamental: GRID Alternatives, una organizaci\u00f3n sin fines de lucro que lleva d\u00e9cadas demostrando que la energ\u00eda limpia no solo es para los barrios ricos.<\/p>\n

La misi\u00f3n de GRID Alternatives es crear soluciones impulsadas por la comunidad que promuevan la justicia ambiental \u2014y su colaboraci\u00f3n con Sycamore & Oak es una demostraci\u00f3n de esa misi\u00f3n en acci\u00f3n. El a\u00f1o pasado, aportaron energ\u00eda solar y<\/em> un programa de formaci\u00f3n laboral verde en el lugar, que aborda dos desaf\u00edos a la vez: reducir los costos energ\u00e9ticos para peque\u00f1as empresas y crear nuevas v\u00edas profesionales para los residentes del Distrito 8.<\/p>\n

Un grupo de aprendices locales de comunidades hist\u00f3ricamente subrepresentadas instal\u00f3 el sistema solar ellos mismos, adquiriendo experiencia pr\u00e1ctica y acreditada en la instalaci\u00f3n solar, la seguridad el\u00e9ctrica y los oficios de construcci\u00f3n. Estos no eran solo conocimientos pr\u00e1cticos \u2014simplemente eran una puerta de entrada a una de las industrias de mayor crecimiento del pa\u00eds\u2014. GRID Alternatives dot\u00f3 a cada aprendiz con los instrumentos y certificaciones necesarios para seguir carreras a largo plazo en energ\u00eda limpia y \u00e1reas relacionadas.<\/p>\n

Los resultados se propagan hacia fuera en m\u00faltiples direcciones. La instalaci\u00f3n solar reduce los costos de energ\u00eda para las peque\u00f1as empresas y emprendedores que operan en Sycamore & Oak \u2014 una reducci\u00f3n real de costos que se puede invertir en crecimiento. Mientras tanto, el programa de formaci\u00f3n laboral brinda a los solicitantes de empleo del Distrito 8 una oportunidad para ingresar a una industria que est\u00e1 creciendo r\u00e1pidamente y que ofrece buenas condiciones salariales.<\/p>\n

Para GRID Alternatives, este es exactamente el punto. Al alinear la acci\u00f3n clim\u00e1tica con la movilidad econ\u00f3mica, demuestran que la sostenibilidad y la equidad no son conversaciones separadas \u2014son la misma cosa. El proyecto Sycamore & Oak representa un modelo replicable: una infraestructura de energ\u00eda limpia construida por<\/em> la comunidad, para<\/em> la comunidad, con beneficios econ\u00f3micos duraderos que se quedan en el lugar.<\/p>\n

Conoce a Josei Harris: El coraz\u00f3n detr\u00e1s de Black Bella Spa<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Sycamore<\/p>\n

Entre las empresas que han encontrado su lugar en Sycamore & Oak se encuentra Black Bella Spa \u2014 y su historia de origen merece la pena ser analizada detenidamente.<\/p>\n

Cuando Josei Harris fund\u00f3 Black Bella Spa en 2014, no estaba pensando en la escalabilidad ni en la estrategia de mercado. Ten\u00eda unas pocas sillas de masaje, una casa en Congress Heights y el prop\u00f3sito de servir a sus vecinos. Diez a\u00f1os despu\u00e9s, esa chispa se ha convertido en un colectivo de bienestar completo dedicado a la salud hol\u00edstica para las comunidades de color.<\/p>\n

Hoy, Black Bella opera como una cooperativa en la que profesionales de la salud construyen sus propios negocios con el apoyo de mentores y recursos compartidos. Josei se conecta tanto con personas mayores como con j\u00f3venes, ofreciendo educaci\u00f3n sobre temas de salud como el lymphedema y el cuidado hol\u00edstico. Y como inquilina del edificio Sycamore & Oak, que funciona con energ\u00eda solar, ella considera la energ\u00eda limpia como una forma adicional de invertir en el barrio.<\/p>\n

\u201cConstruir una comunidad es mi pasi\u00f3n\u201d, dice ella. \u201cTodo lo que hacemos en Black Bella Spa \u2014desde servicios de bienestar hasta energ\u00eda limpia\u2014 tiene como objetivo ayudar a que nuestro barrio prospere\u201d.\u201d<\/p>\n

Para Josei, la conexi\u00f3n entre el bienestar, la emprendedur\u00eda y la sostenibilidad no es complicada: empresas m\u00e1s fuertes crean barrios m\u00e1s fuertes. Punto final.<\/p>\n

Programas que ponen a los locales primero<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sycamore & Oak no solo ofrece espacio, sino que tambi\u00e9n ofrece una escalera.<\/p>\n

El \u201cIncubate the Eight\u201d<\/strong> El programa brinda a los emprendedores negros emergentes y a los propietarios de negocios locales acceso a apoyo t\u00e9cnico y de marketing dise\u00f1ado para ayudarles a mantener y ampliar sus negocios en la industria de la alimentaci\u00f3n y la venta al por menor. \u201cChef-In-Residence\u201d<\/strong> El programa vincula a los operadores de alimentos y bebidas con la mentor\u00eda del renombrado Grupo Jos\u00e9 Andr\u00e9s.<\/p>\n

De los 100 empleos creados en Sycamore & Oak, 60 est\u00e1n reservados para residentes que participan en programas de formaci\u00f3n laboral a trav\u00e9s del Departamento de Servicios de Empleo de D.C. El Departamento de Parques y Recreaci\u00f3n tambi\u00e9n se involucra, apoyando el sitio mediante una subvenci\u00f3n Rec for ALL Community Grant que permite llevar la programaci\u00f3n recreativa a espacios no tradicionales.<\/p>\n

\"Sycamore<\/p>\n

\u00bfQu\u00e9 sigue: un campus transformado<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sycamore & Oak es el \u00faltimo hito en la transformaci\u00f3n completa del campus St. Elizabeths East \u2014un proyecto que ya ha entregado la Arena de Entretenimiento y Deportes, nuevas comunidades residenciales, un moderno centro de atenci\u00f3n para hombres, una instalaci\u00f3n de salud Whitman-Walker y el pr\u00f3ximo Centro M\u00e9dico Regional de Cedar Hill.<\/p>\n

El alcalde Bowser anunci\u00f3 recientemente la publicaci\u00f3n de un Llamamiento a la Presentaci\u00f3n de Proyectos para desarrollar la Parcela 6 del campus, invitando a presentar propuestas que promuevan la actividad econ\u00f3mica a lo largo de la calle 13 y aporten oportunidades de vivienda a la comunidad. Tambi\u00e9n se est\u00e1 trabajando en la construcci\u00f3n de una nueva biblioteca de Congress Heights de 20.000 pies cuadrados \u2014en sustituci\u00f3n de la ya existente Biblioteca Parklands-Turner\u2014 que se espera que est\u00e9 en funcionamiento a finales de 2027.<\/p>\n

El barrio est\u00e1 ganando impulso y Sycamore & Oak est\u00e1 en el centro de todo esto.<\/p>\n

Un plan para lo que es posible<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sycamore & Oak es m\u00e1s que un centro comercial, un proyecto solar o una colecci\u00f3n de peque\u00f1as empresas. Es una prueba de concepto: evidencia de que cuando el desarrollo se basa en las prioridades de la comunidad, se gu\u00eda por las voces locales y se compromete con la equidad, puede transformar no solo un terreno, sino la trayectoria de todo un barrio.<\/p>\n

El trabajo de GRID Alternatives en este caso captura precisamente ese esp\u00edritu: una instalaci\u00f3n solar que reduce los costos, un programa de formaci\u00f3n que construye carreras profesionales y una colaboraci\u00f3n que demuestra que la justicia ambiental y la oportunidad econ\u00f3mica pueden surgir de las mismas ra\u00edces.<\/p>\n

El Distrito 8 siempre ha tenido potencial. Sycamore & Oak \u2014y los socios que lo creyeron\u2014 est\u00e1n proporcion\u00e1ndole las infraestructuras necesarias para alcanzar el m\u00e1ximo rendimiento.<\/p>\n

\"Sycamore<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sycamore & Oak, a community-led development rising on the historic grounds of the former St. Elizabeths East Campus, is part business hub, part cultural anchor, and entirely a love letter to the Congress Heights neighborhood. Where a site long marked by disinvestment once stood, a future-focused hub for Black-owned businesses, entrepreneurship, and community benefit is now taking shape.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":6287,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[78],"tags":[],"audience":[],"content-type":[12],"focus-area":[],"region":[65],"series":[],"content-author":[],"class_list":["post-7476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-equity-community","content-type-news","region-mid-atlantic"],"acf":{"hero_media_type":"image","hero_media_image":"","hero_media_url":"","hero_media_poster":null,"hero_video_play":"inline","related_stories":{"post_types":"post","taxonomies":"","terms":"","relation":"OR","posts":""},"pattern_override":"","story_callouts":null,"media":null,"featured_blog_post":null,"featured_event":null,"pdf_download":null,"blockquote":null,"author":null,"notice":null,"social_embed":null,"contact_card":null,"meta_details":null,"faq":null,"table":null},"yoast_head":"\nRooted in the Community: How Sycamore & Oak Is Rewriting the Story of Congress Heights - GRID Alternatives<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Sycamore & Oak, a community-led development rising on the historic grounds of the former St. Elizabeths East Campus, is part business hub, part cultural anchor, and entirely a love letter to the Congress Heights neighborhood. 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