Surprise! Heritage Park Is Not Hell on Earth

"I hope it's a catalyst for the surrounding area," Washington adds. "The development would fail if it did not create interest in folks surrounding the development to increase investment in their properties. It would fail if it didn't inspire businesses to come in on Plymouth and Broadway. The city does not succeed by maintaining a status quo. It will fail if the level of investment does not increase."

As we turned our cart back toward the main office, I asked my guides, Lara and Malafa, whether they lived at Heritage Park. Lara answered yes. Malafa admitted to living in the suburbs, but added: "I think I might move here sometime down the line. It's really great."

Michael Knapp

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And, of course, white people like Malafa, with his clean-cut, middle-class sheen, are exactly the point.