“It’s always just encroachment…so the people are steadily moving out or being pushed out, and my fear is the community; how long would it last?”
The Brown Grove community has been the recipient of industrial sprawl and displacement over the past half-century including the development of Interstate 95, a municipal airport, a truck stop, a concrete plant, and an expansion of I-95. The latest impending assault is the planned construction of a Wegmans distribution center. The planned distribution center measures more than 1.1 million square feet.
Please watch a recent production on the Brown Grove community and their efforts to fight back against environmental justice. VPM News Focal Point, a local public television program presented by PBP’s, highlights the recent issues regarding Wegmans attempt to build a new 24/7 facility. The film anchors the discussion of industrial sprawl with the Brown Grove Baptist Church, an over 150-year-old predominantly Black church.
AARN is working alongside Brown Grove Preservation Group to stop the development of Wegmans and preserve the African American historical sites. To learn more about these efforts, visit our Technical Assistance page here.