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On April 24, Mayor Bowser, city officials and development partners
broke ground on The Parks at Walter Reed, a redevelopment project that will
create 3.1 million square-feet of residential, office, and retail space
in Ward 4. The project will also create 6,000 jobs, 2,100 units of
housing, 432 of which will be affordable, and nearly one billion
dollars in tax-generated revenue over 30 years. The Mayor was
joined at the groundbreaking by Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon Todd, the Ward 4
community, DMPED, and representatives from the master development team Hines,
Urban Atlantic, and Triden.
This groundbreaking makes way for the first phase of
infrastructure improvements, including: demolition of Building 2, the 1970s era
hospital, which will set the stage for the development of a new town center;
preservation of historic buildings; development of a new water main and other
utility services; and landscape improvements. The Parks at Walter Reed
will be phased over a 10-15 year period. Read more about the development plan at: www.walterreedtomorrow.com.
 City officials and developers "turn dirt" at the groundbreaking for the Parks at Walter Reed on April 24.
 On Saturday April 29, the first public community event and
celebration was held at the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center, now the
Parks at Walter Reed. The Walter Reed Dreams Block Party hosted by
CulturalDC, the Office on Planning, DMPED, Councilmember Todd’s office and the
Master Development Team (Hines, Urban-Atlantic and Triden), brought together
more than 500 community members to enjoy music, activities and art
inspired by the past and future of Walter Reed.
Walter Reed Dreams is part
of a citywide initiative called “Crossing the Street” which promotes
community-building through creative placemaking in neighborhoods that are
experiencing rapid change. To read more about this project, visit www.walterreeddreams.com.
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 Top photo: Mayor Bowser and city officials welcome Ward 4 community to the new Parks at Walter Reed. Above photo: Guests enjoyed art, food, activities, music and more at the event held April 29.
As
the District grows, so do international investment, businesses and tourism opportunities. Last week,
DMPED led an economic and business development
mission to the Middle East. The activities ranged from investment meetings
with Qatari and United Arab Emirates sovereign wealth funds to learning from
some of the leading innovative cities in the world and even included riding
level 5 fully autonomous vehicles. Fun fact: Masdar City, outside Abu
Dhabi, is the leading smart city in world!
 The DC delegation tours Masdar City during economic development mission to the Middle East.
 In partnership with Washington, D.C.’s Mayor Muriel Bowser and
Howard University, the Inclusive Innovation Incubator (In3), the
nation’s first affordable co-working incubator focused on diversity and
inclusion, officially opened April 20 during their ‘Week of Welcome’.
Located on the edge of Howard University’s campus, it will support
entrepreneurs and businesses from underrepresented communities that provide
products and services benefiting underserved communities.
Following
the Mayor’s specific goals as outlined in a report called Pathways to Inclusion to make DC the number
one city for technology inclusion, In3 addresses a critical need for more
inclusivity within the District’s growing tech sector. The District’s
partnership with Howard University and In3 will focus on cultivating and
creating an ecosystem for technology and innovative startups and entrepreneurs
no matter their stage of development. Read more on IN3 here.
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DC tech community joins Mayor Bowser and DMPED at the launch of DC's Inclusive Innovation Incubator on April 20.
 On April 15, DC fashion was the main attraction at an underground fashion show
hosted by DC Commission on Fashion, Arts and Events (CFAE) and National Cherry
Blossom Festival at Dupont Underground. More than 300 people came out to see
six DC-based designers present their latest looks in the first underground
fashion show ever in D.C.
During the closing week of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, Underneath It All: An Underground Fashion Showcase, celebrated the cultural and historical diversity of our nation’s capital, while paying homage to the international relationships that built this festival.
See more photos here and follow the CFAE on social media Facebook and Instagram.
#DCisFashion
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 DC fashion and the creative arts on display at runway show held April 15 in Dupont Underground. Photos courtesy of Tony Brown.
 On April 8, the New Communities Initiative partnered with 30+ government,
service providers and development partners to launch WARD 8 WORKS with the goal
of better connecting Ward 8 residents to construction jobs on Ward 8
development projects that will begin hiring in the next 9 – 18 months. More
than 120 Ward 8 residents attended, excited about potential career
opportunities.
Are you a Ward 8 resident
interested in construction work on Ward 8 development projects? Fill out the participant profile. Download
and return the completed form to: darnetta.tyus@dc.gov or click HERE to complete the form online.
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On April 3, the Department of Housing and Community
Development (DHCD) announced that $100 million in federal and local
funding sources is available to produce or preserve affordable housing through
a new RFP. The RFP is available for review at: https://goo.gl/DvyJ6R.
Applications must be submitted in DHCD’s online submission system
before May 31, 2017. More information can be found here.
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