Chinatown on the 'brink of erasure,' says group as two legacy businesses close for $75M hotel

Chinatown on the 'brink of erasure,' local activist group says
Two legacy Chinese businesses closed in D.C.'s Chinatown Monday night, leaving just a handful of actual Chinese businesses left as the neighborhood continues to change.
WASHINGTON - Two legacy Chinese businesses closed in D.C.'s Chinatown Monday night, leaving just a handful of actual Chinese businesses left as the neighborhood continues to change.
The latest threat: A luxury hotel deal.
Big picture view:
Two small businesses, Gao Ya Hair Salon and Full Kee Restaurant, closed July 1, to make way for a planned $75 million Marriott Tribute Hotel.
"Downtown D.C.’s only cultural district is on the brink of erasure. The number of legacy AAPI-owned businesses in Chinatown is now falling to single digits," said the Save Chinatown Solidarity Network in a statement.
SCSN claims the closure of the two long-standing small businesses are due to the "D.C. government's decades-long prioritization of luxury development over community preservation."
Dig deeper:
Rift Valley Capital and property owner Eddie Moy are behind the hotel project in Chinatown, with plans to redevelop seven historic row homes into a nine-story hotel that they say is a "perfect combination of historic preservation and new construction."

Photo: Rift Valley Capital
Three months ago, Rift Valley Capital issued eviction notices to Gao Ya Hair Salon and Full Kee Restaurant, both businesses that have operated for decades along H Street. Up next to close is Japanese restaurant Momiji.
SCSN says that leaves just nine AAPI-owned small businesses left in Chinatown.
What they're saying:
"They're cornerstones for the community. Full Kee has been in operation for 40 plus years. It's not just about a restaurant and a hair salon, it's about a community and institutions that serve the community and the remaining residents of Chinatown," said Cassie He of SCSN.
"Chinatown has a really, really long history. At its peak, there were 3,000 residents living, working, and playing in Chinatown," said He to FOX 5's Melanie Alnwick. "With the incoming luxury developments in the last few decades, there's been really intense displacement pressures that residents have faced over the last years. And so now we're at about 300 residents left, with the closure of Full Kee and Gao Ya, we're at nine legacy small businesses left. So it would be really devastating for this history to be lost."

WASHINGTON,DC-FEBRUARY 12: An exterior of Walgreens where a security guard shot an alleged armed robber inside the store in Chinatown, Washington, DC on February 12, 2024. (Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
He says preserving the community in Chinatown is not putting "Chinese characters on big box stores."
"What we're asking for is real preservation and protection for long-term working-class communities and small businesses that actually keep communities vibrant and actually are the heartbeat of culture and community and history."
"The District is committed to supporting Chinatown as a vibrant hub of heritage and culture," said Deputy Mayor Nina Albert in a statement. "The Task Force’s recommendations include fostering growth and success of Asian-owned businesses, enhancing cultural offerings, preserving the character of Chinatown, and engaging Chinese residents. We look forward to supporting that work as part of our overall effort to reinvigorate this important neighborhood."
The other side:
The current owner of Full Kee Restaurant and Gao Ya Salon is in support of the planned development.
"I have discussed my intention with Eddie to close both businesses, not due to the development project, but rather to enjoy my grandchildren and focus on family matters in my older age. I am not being displaced but am refocusing my business interests and how I spend my time," said owner Feng Liu in a letter to the D.C. Board of Zoning Adjustment.
Liu has owned and operated both businesses since taking over from previous owners in 2019.

Washington, United States - October 2 : Feng Fang Liu is the owner of Full Kee Restaurant and Gaoya hair salon. She is pictured on Wednesday, October 2, 2024. (Photo by Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Moy, in a letter to D.C. Councilmembers, said his father dreamed of opening a hotel in Chinatown.
"Our family has been a part of Chinatown for three generations," said Moy. "While my dad dreamed of a Ramada, the plan we have developed with Rift Valley expands our land and with a vision that highlights the unique history, foods, and culture of DC’s Chinatown – a Marriott Tribute."
New statement:
D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto released a statement Tuesday evening. Read it in full below:
"We are lucky in DC to have one of the most prominent Chinatowns in the country. It is critical to the success of our city that we focus resources and conscientious attention to preserve, protect, and build Chinatown in supporting the residents and Chinese owned and focused businesses who are there now and ensure our tourism efforts are inclusive and a draw for visitors from around the world.
During my first term, I worked with Chinatown residents and stakeholders on grants to support local businesses in Chinatown, protect housing for Chinatown residents, and safety supports to support the neighborhood. I am also proud to serve on the Gallery Place/Chinatown Task Force, which is focusing on the future of the neighborhood and ways in which we can build on current successes and more family focused activations and long-term vibrancy. We are now in the process of implementing some of the immediately actionable ideas, such as activating Gallery Place with events like Open Streets 7th Street NW and planning ahead for larger capital projects. We are working on bringing a new grocery store to Chinatown to serve its current residents and attract visitors.
There is a new hotel proposed to come to H and 6th – an area that has long been in need of investment. Last year, I wrote a letter to the zoning commission urging them to consider the need to maintain legacy Chinatown businesses in new development. There were two establishments already there – a nail salon and a restaurant – which are not going to continue operation. It is my understanding that they do not want to continue operating; however, I will be meeting with the Save Chinatown Solidarity network soon to hear from them and strategize together about the best path forward to ensure that we are supporting existing and new Chinese owned and operated businesses in the neighborhood."
The Source: Information in this story comes from SCSN, Rift Valley Capital and an interview conducted by FOX 5's Melanie Alnwick.