On June 13, Mayor Bowser
announced the selection of nine projects that will produce or preserve affordable housing
for more than 1,700 residents—including seniors and residents experiencing
homelessness—with approximately $103 million in funding from DC Government.
This announcement came
during June Housing Bloom, a month-long initiative launched by Mayor Bowser to
showcase how the public and private sectors are partnering to produce and
preserve affordable housing and revitalize neighborhoods across Washington, DC.
Throughout June Housing Bloom, which is designed to complement National
Homeownership Month, the Bowser Administration held events celebrating
homeownership opportunities, the production and preservation of affordable
housing units, and the transformation of vacant spaces.
The nine selected
projects will provide affordable housing across five wards—Wards 2, 4, 5, 7,
and 8 (no proposals were received for Wards 1, 3, and 6). The projects consist
of four new production projects, three preservation projects, and two mixed
projects that preserve existing units but will also add new affordable units.
All projects will serve households making no more than 60 percent of the Median
Family Income (MFI, $70,320 in FY 2018).
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 On June 22, Mayor Muriel Bowser, Deputy Mayor Kenner, and DHCD Director Polly Donaldson celebrated the conclusion of June Housing Bloom by breaking ground on 71
affordable housing units at Liberty Place Apartments in the growing and
transit-centric Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood in Ward 6.
"I love working with churches on affordable housing because churches don't just have the profit and bottom-line motive at the end of the day," said Mayor Bowser. "They have a greater purpose and have been invested in Washington, DC for decades, and for some, centuries."
Located at 901 3rd Street NW, the $34.1 million new construction
of Liberty Place Apartments will be comprised of 71 studio-, one-, and
two-bedrooms units, with 80% serving households below 60% Area Median Income
(AMI) ($70,320
in 2018) and 20 percent at or below 30% AMI ($35,160). Fourteen
units of permanent supportive housing are designated for those
experiencing homelessness and seven units for
veterans, complementing Mayor Bowser’s goals to end homelessness and house our
city’s veterans.
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Franklin School
On June 4, we celebrated the start of a renovation that will transform the historic Franklin
School into Planet Word – a
museum dedicated to the power and fun of words and language. Delivering
on the Bowser Administration’s commitment to the creative economy, the proposed
development will transform the historic space at
13th and K Streets, NW into an interactive language arts museum and
education space. The Franklin School, a National Historic Landmark built in
1869, was selected
to house Planet Word in large part for its historic connection to the
museum’s mission. It was at Franklin School that Alexander Graham Bell
made the first wireless transmission of the human voice – words – using a
photophone in 1880.
“Given
the Franklin School’s historic role as a place of learning and exploration, it
is fitting that Planet Word will continue using the space in such a unique way
to promote creativity and knowledge,” said Mayor Bowser. “This
one-of-a-kind museum will fit right into the culture and fabric of the District
and we are proud to be part of this exciting project.”
 Stevens School
On June 18, we celebrated the start
of renovations that will transform the Thaddeus Stevens Elementary School, a national historic landmark, into a DC Public Schools
(DCPS) Early Childhood Education Center with PK3 and PK4 classes and a child
care center for infants and toddlers ages 0 to 3 that will be managed by a
community-based organization. The adjacent parcel (2100 L Street, NW),
soon-to-be Stevens Place, will feature a new 190,000 square-foot commercial
office building with underground parking.
"I entered this building in 1944, as a student, and finished in 1951." said long-time DC resident Colby King. "A lot of things have changed, but a lot of things have stayed the same - it's the dedication of this building to the young minds coming along [in the future]."
 The
Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED)
issued Request for Proposals (RFPs) for the development of four sites – three
of which are east of the Anacostia River. These projects were previewed at DMPED’s
March Madness event earlier this year, an annual economic development showcase
where the District announces upcoming community development projects.
The RFPs
include 2 Patterson Street, NE (Ward 6); 400-414 Eastern Avenue NE and 6100
block of Dix Street, NE – Eden Place Phase 2 (Ward 7); 1004-1018 Howard Road SE and Shannon Place SE
(Ward 8); and St. Elizabeths - Parcel 15 (Ward 8).
To view information on the projects and RFPs, visit this link.
“We invite you to invest in, and be part of, the continued growth of
the District of Columbia,” said Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic
Development Brian Kenner. “It is my job to create more quality affordable
housing, support small and local businesses, and expand job opportunities for
DC residents. Development of these sites will help us do just that.”
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The
inaugural "By the People" festival took place June 21-24, Washington’s newest international arts and dialogue
festival taking place in every quadrant of the city. It was a full-on arts
takeover of Washington during the four-day extravaganza,
with interactive visual art installations, performances ranging
from ballet to go-go, high-profile speakers, and an augmented reality
art hunt. Deputy Mayor Kenner dropped by the By the People activation
at the Parks at Walter Reed on June 22 – you can view the Facebook Live of
his tour by going this link.
Intended to promote empathy and spark civil discourse, the
festival was organized by Halcyon with support from DMPED and the Bowser
Administration, in association with the
Smithsonian, Destination DC, ARTECHOUSE and dozens of other D.C. organizations.
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 On Tuesday, June 12th, 2018, the Washington Capitals celebrated winning the 2018 Stanley Cup Championship with a parade in downtown
Washington, DC!
DMPED is proud of our Caps!
The Mayor said it
best: (in #ALLCAPS of course!)
“WE
ARE ALL DC PROUD OF THE EFFORT, TENACITY, AND DETERMINATION OUR BELOVED
CAPITALS DISPLAYED ALL SEASON LONG, CAPTURING THEIR FIRST-EVER STANLEY CUP. WHAT
HAPPENED IN VEGAS TONIGHT WON’T STAY THERE, AND THE SPORTS CAPITAL CAN’T WAIT
TO CELEBRATE WITH THE TEAM IN THE DAYS TO COME. CONGRATS TO THE FANS WHO
SUPPORTED THIS TEAM, MONUMENTAL SPORTS FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO DC, AND ALL OF
THE GOVERNMENT WORKERS WHO MADE THE EXPERIENCE SO MEMORABLE FOR THE FANS IN AND
AROUND THE ARENA.”
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Deputy Mayor Brian T.
Kenner joined Rhode Island Avenue podcast hosts Kyle Todd and Michelle Yancy to talk about the role our office plays in supporting
the economic growth of DC, from housing and small business support (click to see which ones!), and our
strategies for attracting and retaining industry giants like Amazon to our city.
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The District of Columbia Building Industry Association (DCBIA) held a opportunity zones seminar that touched on the new federal program established by Congress in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. DC has established a map of nominated census tracts and our economic strategy leader Sharon Carney spoke on the panel on how the city is getting involved.
More information here.
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On June 20, Deputy Mayor
Kenner joined DHCD to highlight the partnership with Casey Trees with a
ceremonial ribbon cutting and place signage.
Vacant to Vibrant DC was announced
by Mayor Bowser in December 2017 to move the balance of DHCD’s PADD inventory
into some form of productive use.
The initiative will transform over 40 sites
into nearly 70 units of workforce housing, representing over 150 residents;
will spur more than $5 million in economic development for small businesses; create green space to help keep the District beautiful;
and ensure the city is setting the bar higher by using more of its assets to
build pathways to homeownership for residents. #PathwaystotheMiddleClass
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