Marion Barry Avenue street renaming gains support at hearing

• You would one day be able to stand on the intersection of Marion Barry and Martin Luther King Jr. avenues.

Driving the news: Most civic leaders and residents said Barry deserves to be honored in the majority Black neighborhood. They argued that — despite his many faults — Barry is fondly remembered for providing economic opportunities for lower- and middle-income Washingtonians.

• “I can’t wait for my GPS to say, turn right on Marion Barry Avenue,” said advisory neighborhood commissioner Monique Diop.

The other side: Not everybody shared that view. “We live on Good Hope,” countered resident Barbara Cooper. “We gotta change everything. Our addresses, our ID. We got [elderly] people in this building who can barely get out of this building.”

• Approximately 1,200 addresses would need to be updated, according to D.C. Council chair Phil Mendelson.

Flashback: Back in November, Mendelson and Ward 8 council member Trayon White feuded over how fast to move on the renaming.

• Mendelson rejected White’s attempts to fast-track the approval, pushing to host yesterday’s hearing instead.

What's next: The council is unlikely to act on the legislation before this year ends, so the fight over the name may be rekindled next year.