ABE POLLIN: A LIFE DEDICATED TO
WASHINGTON, D.C., AND ITS PEOPLE.

The idea behind MetroTowns at Parkside came from the legendary District of Columbia civic leader, Abe Pollin. Throughout a long and distinguished career as a builder, sports and entertainment impresario and philanthropist, Abe Pollin spent virtually his entire life in Washington, D.C., a city he loved and was extremely proud to call home. From his first foray into building in 1948 to his passing in 2009, Pollin was absolutely dedicated to improving the quality of life for his fellow Washingtonians. Astute and successful in business, Pollin tirelessly labored on behalf of the citizens of the District of Columbia.

DEDICATION TO THE FUTURE

Long recognized for owning sports teams during his career, Abe Pollin actually began his career in construction in the 1940s, one of the first builders to construct homes under the GI bill. In the 1970s, Pollin brought his professional sports teams, the Bullets (now Wizards) and Capitals, to the Washington, D.C. area and with them the city's first World Championship, when the Washington Bullets won the NBA Championship in 1978.

DEDICATION TO THE CITY

Perhaps Pollin's crowning achievement was the Verizon Center, a landmark $220 million, 20,000-seat sports and entertainment facility in D.C.'s forgotten and neglected Chinatown neighborhood that he personally financed, risking his entire fortune. "I had two goals when I decided to build this building," Pollin said. "The first was that if I was building in downtown Washington, the nation's capital, it had to be the best building of its kind in the country. The second was to be the catalyst that turned the city around."

As today's thriving downtown shows, Pollin did just that.

DEDICATION TO ITS PEOPLE

Abe Pollin once said, "There is nothing more important than helping others." In his final years, as he battled severe health problems, Abe Pollin became even more concerned with the needs of the city's residents, spending his days marshaling his considerable determination and resources to assist others.

MetroTowns at Parkside represents one of Pollin's final wishes: to honor the memories of the children he and his wife Irene tragically lost, Linda Joy and Kenneth Jay Pollin, by developing affordable homeownership opportunities for the District of Columbia's hard-working residents. Dedicating his energy and resources to improving the quality of life for the people of Washington, D.C., was a hallmark of Abe Pollin's character. MetroTowns stands as a testament to a great man and the children he loved.