Saying Goodbye To The Kojo Nnamdi Show
On this last episode, we look back on 23 years of joyous, difficult and always informative conversation.
Kojo hosted a town hall at the Synetic Theater on Monday, December 3, 2018.
After a lengthy bidding process, tech giant Amazon chose Northern Virginia as the site of one of two major new headquarters on the East Coast. The move will bring as many as 25,000 jobs to the Washington region in the next twelve years, but residents are already expressing concerns about rising housing prices, stress on local transportation networks, changes in the character of the local area, and overcrowding schools.
As part of a series of events marking Kojo’s 20th anniversary on the air, we traveled to the Synetic Theater in Crystal City for a town hall-style discussion about how local officials, businesses, and community members in Northern Virginia and the region are reacting to the Amazon deal.
This conversation has been pre-recorded and edited for air.
Produced by Margaret Barthel
Guests
- Katie Cristol Chair, Arlington County Board; @kcristol
- Justin Wilson Vice Mayor, Alexandria (D); Democratic nominee, Mayor of Alexandria; @justindotnet
- Carmen Romero Vice President of Real Estate, Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing
- Roshan Abraham Roshan Abraham, Steering Committee Member, Our Revolution Arlington; @roshabra
Photo Gallery
Carmen Romero, vice president of real estate at Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing, was one of four panelists at the town hall.
Host Kojo Nnamdi is celebrating his 20th year on air.
The panel at Synetic Theater (from the left): Katie Cristol, Justin Wilson, Carmen Romero, and Roshan Abraham.
"Amazon's not coming to Alexandria. So our partnership is with Virginia Tech Innovation campus," said Alexandria Mayor-Elect Justin Wilson.
Dennis Leach, head of Arlington transportation, joined the town hall to talk about how Northern Virginia will address the population surge from HQ2.
Christian Dorsey, vice chair of the Arlington County board, discussed Amazon's effect on metro.
Kojo interviews Allison Silberberg, current mayor of Alexandria City.
"The one thing we haven't talked about is just adding housing period," said Arlington Board Chair Katie Cristol.
Arlington Tech Principal Margaret Chung (left) chats with C.O.O. of Alexandria City Public Schools Mignon Anthony.
"The fact of Amazon coming here is going to increase rents, it's going to increase home prices," said Roshan Abraham.
"Small businesses are really the ones that create long-lasting jobs," said one audience member.
Synetic Theater, where the town hall took place, recently lost its lease.
"My question is: How are you guys going to hold Amazon accountable if they try to do things we don't like in this county?"
This event was the second in a series marking Kojo's 20th year on air.
"What steps are we taking to ensure that everyone is actually welcome in tech environments?"
Brandy Salmon, associate vice president for innovation and partnerships at Virginia Tech, spoke about the school's Innovation Campus -- which is coming to Arlington.
Full Audio: Kojo Roadshow On Amazon's Arrival in Crystal City
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