As we now close out Fiscal Year 2018 and move into Fiscal Year 2019, we want to touch on a few wins since Mayor Bowser took office in 2015.

As DC's population climbed to 700,000 residents, our administration created 34,200 private sector jobs, delivered approximately 6,000 affordable housing units with 5,200 more being produced or preserved, collected $1.18 billion more tax revenue than in FY14, have 12.1 million square feet of developments under construction, employed over 10,000 more residents and lowered the unemployment rate by 1.8% points. And we have more work to do!

In fact, we have already been working toward final approvals for Parcel 42 (82 market rate units, 36 affordable units), Crummell School (262 market rate units, 113 affordable units), and 8th & O (59 market rate units, 26 affordable units). And just this month, we introduced Northwest One (20 market rate units, 9 affordable units) with a few more projects to come!

We want to thank our residents for attending community meetings and supporting us in our efforts to make the District THE place to live, work, and play!

Regards,

Deputy Mayor Brian T. Kenner

#DMPEDdelivers

On September 13, Mayor Muriel Bowser and Deputy Mayor Brian Kenner celebrated the opening of Plaza West, a 223-unit affordable housing community for seniors and families in Ward 6. This unique development includes 50 units designed for grandfamilies, the first residential housing of its kind designed for grandparents raising grandchildren in the District.

“Mayor Bowser has made commitments to keeping seniors in the District of Columbia, as well as, creating communities that deserve, and serve, into generational families. I welcome you to our refuge.” said Olivia Chase, new resident of Plaza West. 

Plaza West, located at 1035 4th Street, NW and 307 K Street, NW, is a 12-story development in the growing and transit-centric Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood. The Plaza West-Grandfamily Community Life Program was designed to create a grandfamilies “village,” rich with activities, on-site resources, and connections to services in the nearby community. In addition, the development has over 9,500 square feet of outdoor recreational space and a range of amenities, including a library, a kids activity space, a fitness room, and a community room. Plaza West is within walking distance of four Metro stations and bus routes, and close to a grocery store, multiple churches, recreation and restaurants, and a library. The District is the ninth city nationwide to have a residential grandfamilies program.

Mayor Bowser and Events DC cut the ribbon on the Entertainment and Sports Arena in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Ward 8. The new venue in the sports capital will be the home of the Washington Mystics and the Capital City Go-Go, the NBA G-League team, as well as the official practice facility for the Washington Wizards. The Entertainment and Sports Arena will also serve as a world-class destination site that will host cultural and community events for residents and visitors across all eight wards.

“Today, we celebrate not just the opening of a state-of-the-art sports and entertainment facility, but the promise and opportunity that this project brings to our city,” said Mayor Bowser. “The Entertainment and Sports Arena is the home our Mystics deserve. But this project is even bigger than basketball. The ESA is about jobs, opportunity, and community; it’s about ensuring that every neighborhood, in every corner of our city has world-class housing and amenities”

The 4,200-seat venue will be a hub for entertainment, sporting events, esports, and more. Earlier this month, the Mayor and Events DC announced the ESA’s opening events, including concerts by Grammy Award winning Mary J. Blige on October 6 and Cage the Elephant on October 13.

On September 18, Mayor Bowser and Deputy Mayor Brian Kenner cut the ribbon at the Residences at Hayes Street, a 150-unit affordable housing community in Ward 7 and the first New Communities Initiative development delivered during the Bowser Administration.

“We are making sure the New Communities Initiative is focused on providing replacement units for many of the public housing projects that are here in the city,” said Deputy Mayor Brian Kenner. “This project provides 50 great replacement units for our Lincoln Heights/ Richardson Dwellings residents.”

The New Communities Initiative is a District effort to revitalize severely distressed subsidized housing and ensure that residents are able to stay in their neighborhoods while enjoying a high quality of life. With 50 replacement units prioritized for households earning up to 60 percent of the Median Family Income (MFI) from Lincoln Heights and Richardson Dwellings, the Residences at Hayes Street represents the largest single development to date under the New Communities Initiative. The remaining 100 units will be made available to other households earning up to 60 percent MFI.

On September 27, Director Polly Donaldson (DHCD) and Director Todd Lee (DCHFA) broke ground on Cynthia Townhomes with the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Brian Kenner, adding 15 new townhouse community in Marshall Heights in Ward 7. These townhouses will be priced for buyers earning up to 120% AMI and is a development from DCHFA’s Housing Investment Platform.

Director Polly Donaldson kicked off #RootstoRoofs Housing Week by unveiling two tiny homes in the Deanwood neighborhood in Ward 7. This demonstration showcased how tiny house living can fit into the District of Columbia's residential landscape. This project is part of Mayor Bowser’s five-point Vacant to Vibrant DC initiative, where vacant spaces are being transformed into productive solutions, such as affordable housing and green space.

"We have to be more focused than ever on preserving affordable housing and building more where we need more," said Director Polly Donaldson. "This is a great example of one of the vacant lots, owned by the District, that needed to be turned to productive use in this neighborhood."

On September 26, Deputy Mayor Brian Kenner and WDCEP welcomed everyone to the inaugural #WEDC Fest - a three-day conference for the innovators, entrepreneurs, investors and government leaders who make Washington, DC the nation's Capital of Inclusive Innovation.The event featured unique programming and networking opportunities to showcase collaboration and innovation in the world’s most powerful global city.

Why WeDC Fest? “To capture the energy and highlight the talent taking place in the District from our creative economy & the economic impacts accounting for over $2B! There is a reason why people aren’t just visiting DC, but STAYING!” said Deputy Mayor Brien Kenner.

The DMPED-led panel was called Changing Lanes: Alternative Entry Points to Technology discussing ways coding and IT training are providing new opportunities for the District’s technology workforce and how to take advantage of them. Other highlights included the BEACON awards reception and the closing out of #202Creates at Ivy City Smokehouse!

On August 29, the DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music & Entertainment (OCTFME), the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH), and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) celebrated the launch of the third annual 202Creates Month, a designation by Mayor Muriel Bowser for the month of September in honor of the District's vibrant creative community, culture and economy. Several milestones that will be celebrated during September include the launch of the 202Creates Residency Program, celebrating go-go in the District,  and the one-year anniversary of the DC Radio Network in partnership with DC's WHUR-FM.

"From go-go to street art to jazz, we know that Washington, DC has always been - and will always be - a leader in the arts," said Mayor Bowser. "The Washington, DC we know and love today has been shaped by generations of artists and creatives who helped carve out our vibrant neighborhoods and develop the District's distinct personality and culture. Throughout September, we are proud to showcase the entrepreneurs and artists who are keeping DC creative."

202Creates is a citywide effort to highlight the District's multi-billion dollar creative economy and its diverse and vibrant creative community. The celebration will include DC's culinary, cosmetology, fashion industries, musicians, performing artists, filmmakers, tech entrepreneurs, visual artists and production support companies.  The month-long campaign showcases and engages the District's entrepreneurial and creative community through an array of events taking place across all 8 wards.

 DC’s Economic Strategy outlines not only how we will grow our economy, but how we will make sure that growth benefits all Washingtonians. The strategy is focused on increasing the commercial tax base, creating jobs, fostering entrepreneurship and innovation, and advancing inclusive prosperity in DC. Below is the 18th month update:

Goal Highlights:

• 4.7% private sector annual GDP growth from 2016 to 2017 
• 1.9% percentage point decrease in unemployment for those with a high school diploma and those with an associates degree
• 1.3% percentage point decrease in unemployment for African-Americans

Select Initiative Highlights: 

• Opened Inclusive Innovation Incubator (In3)
• Selected investment partner for Inclusive Innovation Fund
• Launched Neighborhood Prosperity Fund
• Opened Made in DC Shop
• Launched Infrastructure Academy
• 0% recidivism rate for the 50 DC returning citizens who participated in Aspire for Entrepreneurship

To stay up-to-date moving forward, check out this link.

On September 17, at the tenth Economic Intelligence Roundtable in partnership with the DC Chamber of Commerce, we brought together researchers, providers, business development representatives, startups, academia, and the technology industry and policy makers to explore what data tells us about the growing technology industry and how data is being used to inform public policy making in the District to further support health tech that improve the lives of DC residents.

"We have an incredible health economy in the city - we have over 4,500 doctors, contributing more than $8 billion in economic impact, and supported more than 34,000 jobs in 2015 - while being a national center for patient care and medical research with 16 medical centers and hospitals throughout the District." said Chief of Staff Andrew Trueblood.

Since our first Economic Intelligence Roundtable in Spring 2015, we have been providing avenues of data-driven and technology-driven context for economic development policy and decision-making across several sectors. Like previous roundtables, this session supported an ongoing effort led by DMPED to increase access to opportunities that support all businesses and residents and strengthens vulnerable communities.

The Bowser Administration announced a historic partnership between the District of Columbia Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment (OCTFME) and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 22 (IATSE Local 22) Training Fund. The agreement established a first of its kind training assistance program that provides subsidies to District residents interested in gaining skills in theatrical staging.

“Through this partnership, we’re keeping DC the capital of creativity and building new pathways to the middle class for Washingtonians,” said Mayor Bowser. “Together, we’re giving more residents the supports and opportunities they need to pursue their dreams and prepare for good-paying careers in the District’s thriving creative economy.”

The training classes supervised by the IATSE Local 22 Training Fund provide individuals on the IATSE Local 22 referral list specialized technical training classes covering a full range of skills used in the entertainment industry, including carpentry, lighting, rigging, audio, and projection.

The new agreement between the city and IATSE Local 22 supports the District government’s commitment for high-level creative economy vocational training for DC residents on the IATSE Local 22 referral list, and offers participating residents an opportunity to obtain the professional technical skills required to advance up the IATSE classification tier.