Last Spring we tracked Positive Nature's struggle to keep its doors open. The non-profit, which provides tons of services for at-risk kids, was renting a building just blocks from the new Nationals Park. Within the last few years, it had become clear that Positive Nature was being priced out of the neighborhood. The area used to include a housing project. Now it has a Courtyard Marriott. You can read our previous reportage here, here, here, here, and here. If you feel like skipping all those links, here's a quick summary: the non-profit owed thousands of dollars in property taxes, they held a rally and reached out for support, legislation was introduced before the D.C. Council, nothing much happened with the legislation, the non-profit sought out a new location.

Now comes the news that Positive Nature has found a new space through the Department of Parks And Recreation in what looks like a new partnership.

"We are so appreciative of all of the outpouring of care and support that so many people have extended to us in recent months, and we are privileged to have the opportunity to continue to provide services to the District's children and families," wrote Jennifer Murphy, the non-profit's co-founder and co-executive director.

The new location: The TR Center at 3030 G Street SE.

We will of course be following up with a visit to the TR Center. Stay tuned.

For months we have chronicled Positive Nature's struggle to keep its doors open just a short walk from the Navy Yard metro and the new Nationals Park.

With the new stadium, new condo developments, and new Courtyard Marriott, the non-profit---which provides a vast safety net for at-risk kids---found itself with a huge property tax bill. In the last few months, they have held a rally, lobbied various city officials, attended countless meetings, and heard all kinds of promises and messages of support. In mid-April, Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray introduced legislation that would effectively save the non-profit. The bill was co-introduced by Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells. It seemed like a big deal.

That big deal has turned---at least for right now---into nothing. When I last spoke with Wells about the legislation---a few weeks ago---he seemed surprised that I would even bring it up. His look was total deer-in-the-headlights. He spent the next several minutes filibustering on why the legislation might not even be necessary.

I wondered: If you thought the legislation wasn't completely needed then why bother spending the time to write it up and introduce it?

Read More "Positive Nature’s Future Still Uncertain" »

On Tuesday, the struggling nonprofit Positive Nature has received some possible help from Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray. He introduced the "Positive Nature Property Tax Exemption Forgiveness Act."

According to the press release, the bill would:

Provide property tax relief to a unique, high-quality after school program that is threatened with closing due to skyrocketing real estate taxes around its location near the Nationals stadium. The bill was co-introduced by Councilmember Tommy Wells of Ward 6, where Positive Nature is located. Gray said Positive Nature is a non-profit organization that has operated a valuable, therapeutic after school program for D.C. youth with behavioral problems, not just in Ward 6, but from across the city for several years.

We had heard from several sources that the D.C. Council was inclined to not introduce any legislation to assist the nonprofit with its huge property tax bill (caused by Nationals Park). We wrote about Positive Nature here and followed-up with items here and here and here, among other items. The nonprofit held a rally and even resorted to asking for money outside the stadium. It wasn't pretty.

So it was a huge shock---especially to Positive Nature. The news of the legislation came from this reporter's blog. But who knows if this legislation will ever come up for a vote.

The Gray press release goes on to state:

"Gray’s tax relief legislation is designed to keep the program from having to shut down while a long-term solution, including relocation to more affordable facilities, is found. Wells and Councilmember David Catania, who chairs the Committee on Health, have been working with the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development to identify District-owned or other space for relocation. Gray said, 'The Council must step in to ensure these much-needed services for some of the District’s most vulnerable children remain available until a permanent solution is found.'"

Today, the Washington Post published a front-page piece on Positive Nature and the non-profit's on-going struggle to pay off its huge property tax bill. We have a story or two on this issue as well.

This afternoon we got the chance to talk to Stephen T. Baron, Director of the Department of Mental Health, about the non-profit.

“We think very highly of them," Baron said. "We are trying to do everything we can to support them. They’ve done great work.”

On the property tax issue: "Where I come from I thought most non-profits get their taxes abated. They do great work. If you do a whole cost analysis….it’s much better for the kids and much cheaper for the kids to be served [by Positive Nature]."

Now if only the D.C. Council would actually do something. In the meantime, you can step up.

Update: In another conversation with DMH, they wanted to stress that Mr. Baron was arguing that having kids enrolled in Positive Nature is cost effective considering the alternative. Without Positive Nature, kids could have possible trouble with the law, require extra tutoring at school, and other social services.

Positive Nature Update: The non-profit that's struggling near the new baseball stadium is seeking volunteers for its upcoming fundraising efforts. Here are the details from a PNI staffer just wrote me:

"As the Nationals stadium prepares to open it's doors to the public, we're reminded that we need your help, now, more than ever. 100 volunteers are needed this Saturday, March 28th from 4:00-6:30PM and/or Sunday, March 29th from 6:00-8:30PM as we collect funds through a massive bucket fundraiser."

For more details on volunteering, go here.--Jason Cherkis

Correction came in my inbox: 100 volunteers are needed this Saturday, March 29th from 4:00-6:30PM and/or Sunday, March 30th from 6:00-8:30PM. No big deal. Just volunteer.

Positive Nature Gets Wonkette's Attention: Thanks to a wonderful colleague, we were directed to this post. The non-profit also has set up a page on Facebook so check it out. The news is spreading!--Jason Cherkis

On Saturday afternoon, Positive Nature held a rally in front of its building at 1017 New Jersey Avenue SE. The rally was meant to gather support for the non-profit's efforts to prevent its eviction.

Positive Nature, which runs an afterschool program for at-risk kids, faces a huge property-tax bill. Its taxes have increased significantly due to its proximity to Nationals Park. (I wrote a piece on their predicament.) Despite what they're facing, Positive Nature's staff and supporters tried to keep the rally festive. There were free hamburgers and hot dogs, chips, sodas, balloons, old soul songs blasting from speakers, and intermittent games of football. Side note: Some of Positive Nature's kids can really throw a football; one 13-year-old girl, who came to just support them, has a real rocket for an arm.

The rally drew a big crowd of kids, parents, and a platoon of non-profit bigwigs from the Children's Law Center to the Peaceoholics. But there was one significant no-show: D.C. Councilmember Tommy Wells. This possible eviction is happening in his ward. And at-risk kids are supposedly his issue.

If he had shown, Wells would have heard some great speeches. The speakers offered a stark contrast to the boosterism from condo developers, and Nats fans worried about parking. But don't take it from me. Just watch:

Read More "Watch: Positive Nature Rally" »

Reminder: Positive Nature Inc. is hosting a rally in front of its building, located at 1017 New Jersey Avenue SE. The rally is tomorrow and will begin at noon. It is part of the non-profit's efforts to bring awareness to their efforts to pay off their huge property tax bill. Positive Nature had the bad luck to rent a property just blocks from the new Nationals stadium.--Jason Cherkis

More on Positive Nature's fight for its building: Yesterday Fox-5 visited the non-profit on New Jersey Avenue SE and filed a story. This follows our reports and follow-ups.

Two weeks ago, I wrote about the Nats stadium's impact on the surrounding neighborhood. No one feels the sting of all that stadium-related development more than the non-profit Positive Nature. The higher property taxes may put them out of business.

It is hard to estimate the impact of a place like Positive Nature. They run an after-school program for some of the most vulnerable kids in the city. These are kids who have gone through countless case workers and foster care moms. These are kids who actually need city government to function properly. For most of them, Positive Nature amounts to a real home. It is hard to write a grant proposal around that.

And no grant can make up for the stadium's impact. In the last two years, Positive Nature has seen its property taxes skyrocket. Now, those kids are in serious jeopardy of losing that home. The non-profit simply can not afford those taxes.

Read More "Positive Nature Fights On" »

While writing my story this week on the influence of Nationals Park on the surrounding neighborhood, I focused a lot of time on a non-profit called Positive Nature. The non-profit runs an after-school program that includes tutoring, sports, art and movement therapy, and a lot of one-on-one stuff for at-risk kids. I spent several days there just hanging out. This included playing a serious game of whiffle ball, sitting in on group discussions, and watching some of the more courageous kids lip sync and dance in a Motown revue.

My reason for being there: Positive Nature was/is contemplating shutting down because it can't afford the property taxes on its building. Its taxes have increased 755 percent in the last two years.

But I think I shortchanged the non-profit in what I wrote up. I described the kids--as I do in the above graph--as "at risk." This is journalistic shorthand, a cliche to be used when you just don't have enough space for actually writing who these kids really are. Here are some of Positive Nature's kids that I met or at least heard about:

*A set of twins who lost their parents when they were little. The majority of their relatives have also died. They spent a lot of years worrying if they were going to be split up into two different foster families. For a time, I think they were split up.

*A teenager who recently graduated the sixth grade. When he first came to Positive Nature, it was unclear whether he was homeless or not.

*A little girl who already has gone through about 10 foster families.

*A teenager who claimed that if she wasn't at Positive Nature she'd be out drinking.

*A 17-year-old who is one of 11 kids in his family. There were issues of neglect. One of his brothers was murdered. When he came to Positive Nature, he was a kid who could curse in whole paragraphs. Now he has a job cleaning the building. When he's not sweeping the floors, he can often been seen counseling kids.

I wonder what's going to happen to all these kids if Positive Nature can't keep its building.