Leading the Nation in Green Technology
Last week, DC Water unveiled a new and innovative thermal hydrolysis system that will yield clean, renewable energy. DC Water will use waste to generate electricity and create a valuable soil byproduct. We are the first city in North America to use this kind of technology, which will save ratepayers money and remove tons of greenhouse gas emissions. This is just another great example of how DC is leading the nation in sustainable practices. Read more about the project HERE.
Making Key Investments to Create More Pathways to the Middle Class
Last Friday, I announced $47 million in funding for programs that support education, enhance city infrastructure, improve parks, and
bolster small business. The funding for these initiatives came from
agency underspending from the 2015 fiscal year and a sponsorship
agreement emanating from the DC United Stadium development. My
team worked closely with members of the DC Council to identify
enhancements that will benefit the communities they represent, making
this effort a partnership across District government and ultimately
placing more residents on a pathway to the middle class. For more
information on the programs and initiatives, click HERE.
District Strikes Deal to Move Ward 7’s Skyland Center Forward
On Wednesday, we announced that a deal has been reached to remove a long-standing covenant with Safeway at Skyland Town Center at 2650 Naylor Road, SE. The $265 million Skyland Town Center, as originally envisioned by residents years ago, will create a high-quality, destination retail town center that will feature a new Walmart, neighborhood retailers and restaurants, and hundreds of jobs for District residents. Additional key benefits include 300 construction and 300 permanent jobs, nearly $65 million in sales and real-property taxes to the District over 10 years and approximately 450-500 residential units, with nearly 150 of those being affordable units. At completion, the Skyland Town Center will be the first pedestrian-oriented mixed-use project in the heart of Ward 7 and 8, and will include transportation infrastructure improvements as well as a $5 million community amenities package. I thank Councilmember Yvette Alexander for her steadfast support of this transformative project. For more information, visit HERE.
#IAmMBSYEP Job Spotlight: Odion Ohio, Assistant IT Technician, Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO)
This week’s #IAmMBSYEP is Odion Ohio, a sophomore student from Ward 6 studying mechanical engineering at the University of the District of Columbia.
This summer, Odion interned as an Assistant IT Technician for the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO). When asked how MBSYEP helped him start a career, he replied,
“SYEP gave me the opportunity to challenge myself and try new things. I had the opportunity to re-image computers and develop a web application. Also, working as an IT Technician is about teamwork and working together to achieve a common goal.”
Odion also shared how his SYEP supervisor helped him grow his skills.
“My SYEP supervisor, Ronald McDonald, a project manager at IT ServUS within OCTO was responsible for creating challenging tasks and the right tools for us to accomplish our work. He gave us an avenue to present all the projects we prepared at OCTO and made the experience exciting overall.”
Odion is now a part-time IT ServUS Technician at OCTO. I am proud of Odion for using his experience to gain a job, and I thank Mr. McDonald and the IT ServUS team for providing a great learning environment for the Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program participants this past summer.
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