The Strand Theatre development team, comprised of The Warrenton Group and the National Housing Partnership, has entered into a Letter of Intent with Ivy City Smokehouse to bring a new restaurant to the Deanwood Hills Community. The restaurant will be located in the former theatre space and will include an arts and entertainment program that reflects the former use of the historic space. 

Ivy City Smokehouse has one location at 1356 Okie St. NE. The second Deanwood Hills restaurant will occupy 6,000 square feet of ground level space and 1,200 square feet of space on the mezzanine level. The build out of the restaurant is expected to begin in January 2020. The total development package of the Strand Theatre also includes additional ground floor retail/commercial space and 86 units of affordable housing.

Read more about this exciting project below.

Dreaming Out Loud, a local food justice non-profit aiming to increase access to healthy food options in the District, is offering a new program called DREAM - a four month apprenticeship program for food entrepreneurs residing in the District. Applications are currently being accepted for the program which runs from June through September. 

Benefits of the program include: 1-on-1 personal business coaching; access to commercial kitchen space; and eligibility for the microgrant program. Click below to learn more about DREAM and to access the online application.

DC Scores, a local youth development organization, provides sports, arts and service-learning programs to enhance the lives of children in Ward 7 and throughout the District. On May 17, DC Scores will start Do More 24, a 24-hour fundraising drive. Their goal is to raise at least $10,000 to fund a full year of activities for ten school aged children. Learn more about Do More 24 and make a donation to support DC Scores and their activities at the link below.

We'd like to congratulate the "Ujima Group" cohort for completing their 10-week program! The Ujima Group is a group of residents from Lincoln Heights, Richardson Dwellings, and the larger Deanwood community who come together weekly to work on personal goals and to achieve a higher quality of life in the community. This group focuses on identifying, taking steps towards achieving, and supporting each other around concrete goals in areas such as personal power, economic well-being, personal health, and more. Congratulations to all who participated!