|
DMPED learned the news recently that Leif Dormsjo, director
of the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), will resign from his
position effective Aug. 11. Leif has been a key member of the Bowser
Administration and leader in the DMPED cluster.
Among his accomplishments as DDOT Director, Leif led the effort to
create the DC's Vision Zero plan, which aims to eliminate traffic fatalities by
2024, got the Streetcar project off the ground and was one of the strongest
advocates for transportation safety in the District.
Leif, on behalf of DMPED, the District of Columbia government
and community, we want to say it has been an honor to work with you and thank
you for your service.
He will be entering the private sector and taking a job at the
engineering firm Louis Berger, where he will be working on infrastructure
asset management. Well wishes!
For more info click here.
 DDOT Director Leif Dormsjo speaks at the June 6, 2016 press conference with Mayor Bowser on SafeTrack plans for Metro.
On July, 28, Mayor Bowser and Deputy Mayor Kenner delivered remarks at the 2nd Annual Great Streets Conference and recognized FY17 grant recipients. This was an
opportunity to engage with the small business community and demonstrate how the
administration is providing opportunities for local and small businesses to
grow across the District.
The purpose of the Great Streets to transform 13
designated retail priority areas by fostering small business development with
new and existing businesses, stimulate job growth, and increase the District’s
tax base to improve commercial vibrancy along the city’s corridors and
surrounding neighborhoods.
There are a total of
98 grantees funded in FY17 receiving over $4.7 million in grant monies. Since
2015, the Bowser Administration has awarded over 10 million dollars to small
businesses through Great Streets and created an estimated 1,600 job opportunities.
 Mayor Bowser and Deputy Mayor Kenner celebrate with Great Streets recipients on July 28 at the Great Streets Conference.
 The District now has a direct flight to India! On July 7, Air India’s inaugural flight became the first nonstop route between the National Capital Region and New Delhi, directly connecting the world’s strongest democracy and the world’s largest democracy with three weekly round-trip flights.
The new route, which
will offer three nonstop, round trip flights per week,
is estimated to bring $10 million to the District in total economic impact and
$30 million annually to the region.
The Bowser
Administration worked closely with Governor McAuliffe of the Commonwealth of
Virginia, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and Air India to
attract this new service. The District of
Columbia plans to provide $250,000 in fiscal year 2017 to support the new
partnership.
In 2015, Washington, D.C.
welcomed 80,000 visitors from India, making it D.C.’s sixth largest overseas
market. Visitation from India to Washington, D.C. has grown 40% since 2013,
when it ranked ninth. Also in 2015, one out of every 10 Indian visitors to the
U.S. visited the capital region. An estimated 30,000 tourists and business
travelers will visit the region on this new flight annually.
|
 Washington, D.C. celebrates Air India and the inaugural flight from New Delhi at Dulles Airport.
 On July 6, Deputy Mayor Kenner welcomed Sichuan Province Governor Li to the
District for the Cooperative Agreement Announcement – here to promote commerce
between their province and the United States!
DC
Government has a long relationship with China beginning with our 1984 Sister
Cities Agreement. Since
then, there have been educational and cultural exchanges, and more recently
economic exchanges.
In
2012, we established offices in Shanghai and in 2014, Beijing.
Just to list a few accomplishments:
o
A
successful Air China direct flight between Beijing and Washington Dulles - which subsequently increased Chinese tourism to DC
o
Over
$300 million in EB-5 investment in DC real estate
o
Tri-lateral
MBA Program with Central University of Finance and Economics (CUFE)
o
Alibaba
office opening in fall 2016
And
DC Government wants to expand these and other types of success to Sichuan
Province. We are looking forward to new opportunities between DC and Sichuan
businesses!
|
 On July 27, Deputy Mayor Kenner and Secretary Lauren Vaughan welcomed a group of foreign press outlets to the Wilson Building. Kenner spoke about future development in DC and our relations with international markets. Their next stop was touring our project, The Wharf!
The State Department’s Foreign Press Center
takes journalists on reporting tours developed to inform foreign media on key
policy themes and aspects of American society, culture, and politics. Their mission is to deepen understanding of U.S.
policy and American values by working with foreign media and providing clear
and accurate information to a global audience via first-hand access. We enjoyed hosting the group here and look forward to seeing them again!
|
 On July 27, Anacostia Waterfront Interagency Workgroup went on a water tour to chat about Waterfront planning opportunities with our fellow D.C. agencies: Office of Planning, Department of Energy and Environment, DC Department of Transportation, DC Water, Department of Public Recreation and Anacostia Riverkepper.
With development projects underway and planned, the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative focuses on the District of Columbia's fastest-growing area of employment, entertainment and residential growth. Substantial improvements to the Anacostia Waterfront's transportation network will improve access to the new and existing destinations while appropriately linking adjacent communities within the Washington metropolitan region.
|
Sustainable DC 2.0 wants to hear from you!
Three minutes is all it takes to shape the sustainable future of our city! Take our quick survey to share your ideas, needs, wants, & goals to help DC become the healthiest, greenest, most livable city by 2032.
To reflect changes in the District since the initial release of the Sustainable DC plan five years ago, we launched a collaborative community engagement process – Sustainable DC 2.0 – to get public feedback on what the District’s sustainability priorities and goals should be for the plan update.
Learn more about the Sustainable DC 2.0 process and get involved here.
|
|
 |
 The DC Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) closed two loan agreements totaling more than $5 million that will help preserve nearly 100 affordable housing units—capable of housing over 250 residents—in Wards 5 and 7. The funding was made available through the Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF).
DHCD provided Residence at Minnesota Gardens Cooperative Inc. with $3.9 million in HPTF financing for the acquisition and preservation 48 affordable housing units at 3501 Minnesota Avenue SE. Thirty-six affordable units will be available for households with incomes at or below 50 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI) and remain affordable for no less than 40 years; 12 units will be available for household at or below 80 percent AMI.
DHCD financing will also help Housing Up, a nonprofit organization that advocates for the homeless and at-risk families, rehabilitate Hedin House, a 48-unit apartment building at 2900 Newton Street NE. The project also received an allocation of more than $763,000 in 9 percent low-income housing tax credits. All units will be available for households at or below 60 percent AMI.
See full release here.
|
|
