DMPED's Closer: January Edition

District of Columbia sent this bulletin at 02/01/2018 02:17 PM EST
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CLoser

January Edition 2018

Celebrating the Entertainment and Sports Arena "Topping Out"

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On January 11, Mayor Muriel Bowser and Deputy Mayor Kenner celebrated the topping out of the Entertainment and Sports Arena at St. Elizabeths East with Smoot-Gilbane construction workers and the Ward 8 community, signifying that the 4,200-seat arena and sports facility has reached its final construction height.

The venue will act as home court for DC’s WNBA team, the Washington Mystics, and new G League team, Capital City Go-Go, as well as the official practice facility for DC’s NBA team, the Washington Wizards. In addition, the Entertainment and Sports Arena will also serve as a world-class destination site within Ward 8 that will host cultural and community-based events.

The 120,000 square-foot facility is projected to produce $90 million in new tax revenue over 20 years and attract more than 380,000 visitors per year. The project has already created 600 construction jobs, and the arena will create another 300 permanent jobs once completed. Additionally, eleven Ward 7 and 8 businesses have been hired as subcontractors in trades such as excavation, flooring, roofing, and concrete; 62 percent of the contracts have been awarded to CBEs; and $8.8 million in contracts have been awarded to Ward 7 and 8 businesses.

The topping out represents a significant milestone for this community-changing project with completion scheduled for September 2018. Events DC will operate and manage the arena. 

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We Are Open 4 You, DC

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Also on January 11, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Brian Kenner hosted the second annual open house for the agencies of the District of Columbia Economic Development Cluster at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center!

Our goal is to keep an open, transparent government. The Open House gave an opportunity for the community to learn about our programs for residents, access resident services, ask questions, and meet directly with Deputy Mayor Kenner, senior leadership, cluster agency directors, and staff.

The DC Economic Development cluster is made up of 14 DC Government agencies overseeing arts, environment, housing, regulation, transportation, business development, real estate and more. DMPED cluster agency directors and staff were in attendance to engage with residents, stakeholders and community and discuss their agency initiatives and take questions.

New this year, the open house also featured “DC Makers” such as small businesses, artists and entrepreneurs as well as other partner DC agencies and private sector organizations working in the DC economic development space.

Thanks for coming out! There were about 800 attendees in total. See you next year!

#Open4YouDC

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accountability

Earlier this month, Mayor Bowser released her Year Three Transition Plan Accountability Report. The report shows that in the Bowser Administration’s first three years in office, the Mayor has either delivered, launched, or prepared to launch 96 percent of the promises she committed to during the 2014/2015 mayoral transition. The report delivers on Mayor Bowser’s commitment to transparency and accountability, and offers a comprehensive look into the Administration’s goals and priorities.

Over the past three years, 15 percent of the Mayor’s 131 goals have been completed and 81 percent have launched and are currently being implemented. While emphasizing the need to continue building on the District’s progress, the Mayor highlighted a number of accomplishments, including:

  • since 2014, violent crime has decreased by 28 percent, property crime has decreased by 11 percent, and total crime has decreased by 14 percent;

  • between 2016 and 2017, after the first full year of implementing Homeward DC, the District saw a 10.5 percent reduction in overall homelessness, a 22 percent reduction in homelessness among families, a 15 percent reduction among veterans experiencing homelessness, and a three percent reduction among individuals experiencing homelessness;

  • since the beginning of the Bowser Administration, unemployment has decreased by 1.1. percentage points, 19,700 more residents are employed, and the city has added an additional 42,700 jobs;

  • in three years, the Bowser Administration has sparked the preservation or production of more than 9,900 affordable units, with another 3,000 units in preconstruction; and

  • over the last year, the Mayor’s cabinet and outreach team attended more than 3,500 community meetings.

The Year One Transition Plan Accountability Report can be found HERE.

Engaging with Employers!

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Our Business Development team has been busy this month meeting with directors and CEOs of major companies and organizations in the District! These organizations included Catholic University, Howard University's Business School, Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum, the American Red Cross, and Enlightened Inc. a tech company focused on cybersecurity.

This past fall, DMPED's business development team launched EE100 (Employer Engagement 100), a campaign to meet face-to-face with DC's 100 largest employers and fastest growing companies.

Through EE100, the business development team aims to better understand the needs and opportunities of these employers, identify resources available to support them and common trends, and explore opportunities for collaboration. They have completed nearly 50% of meetings. You can follow the campaign's progress on social at #EE100. 

Affordable Housing Spotlight: Mayor Bowser Announces a Win in Affordable Housing Preservation

Mayor Bowser announced that the DC Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) closed a $2.5 million loan agreement that will help preserve 49 affordable housing units in Ward 5. This achievement is a result of a tenant association’s use of the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA) and funding made available through the Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF).

DHCD provided $2.57 million in HPTF financing to Tivoli Gardens LLC, a joint venture between non-profit developer Manna Inc. and Equity Plus LLC, a private equity investment firm, for the acquisition of a 49-unit apartment building at 4811 North Capitol Street, NE. Thirty-seven affordable units will be available for households at or below $66,180 (60 percent of the Area Median Income) and remain affordable for no less than 40 years; eight units will be available for households at or below $55,150 (50 percent of the Area Median Income); and four units will be available for households at or below $33,090 (30 percent of the Area Median Income).

Since coming into office, the Bowser Administration has sparked the preservation or production of more than 9,900 affordable units, with another 3,000 units in preconstruction. In Fiscal Year 2017, the Administration made historic investments in affordable housing, getting more than $138 million in Housing Production Trust Fund financing out the door to support 23 projects that will produce or preserve more than 1,900 affordable units.

#inclusiveprosperity #DCValues

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Deputy Mayor Brian Kenner and DHCD Director Polly Donaldson chat affordable housing wins on Mayor Bowser's Facebook Live.