February flew by! We successfully pitched Washington, DC as the place to do business from the East to the West Coasts… we cut ribbons on a 100 percent affordable housing development and new office spaces in the District.. and we had an chance to talk about opportunity zones and what we are doing as a city to provide tax incentives for investments in new businesses and commercial projects in low-income communities.

But, we tend to be extra excited for the month of March because for us that means DMPED March Madness – the DC economic development version! At this annual event, DMPED and other District agencies announce city-wide economic development opportunities and host the public and private development community in the largest networking opportunity of its kind in DC. Watch for a save the date coming soon with more details!

Thank you to all the community members who participate in our events and continue to give us feedback on what we can do to make the District THE place to live, work and play.

Regards,

Deputy Mayor Brian T. Kenner

#ObviouslyDC #DMPEDdelivers #DCGoesWest

During the week of February 17, Deputy Mayor Brian Kenner and that his team hosted its Obviously DC West Coast Mission to build on the Bowser Administration’s effort to pitch Washington, DC as the capital of inclusive innovation, identify opportunities for investment and tech growth, and explore the future of transit mobility as a pathway to sustainability and job creation.  

“We are continuing our efforts to reach beyond our borders to identify opportunities for strengthening the District’s economy and creating jobs for District residents,” said Deputy Mayor Kenner. “This mission allows us to directly connect with tech companies and investors while collaborating with policy leaders to develop ideas that can help shape the future of Washington, DC.”

The week-long mission, with support from the Washington DC Economic Partnership (WDCEP), had stops in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland. The mission included meetings with LA Cleantech Incubator, Postmates, Backstage Capital, and the Portland Business Alliance. Additionally, the team participated in panel discussions hosted by organizations such as Alice in partnership with Pivotal Labs, Impact Hub San Francisco, and Alley Powered by Verizon. Panel discussions focused on topics such as transit mobility, inclusive investment, and impact economy. The team closed out the mission with a visit to Portland where they met with Mayor Ted Wheeler to discuss opportunities for the two cities to share vision for inclusive investment, strengthening the tech sector and mobility policy ideas.

“My administration and our local partners are proud to exchange ideas, best practices and our vision for shared prosperity with the delegation from Washington, DC,” said Portland Mayor Wheeler. “Portland and other west coast cities will always seek to be on the leading edge of innovation and will support incubation spaces for the creation of technology advancements that contribute to overall quality of life and economic vitality of our regions, states, and nation.”

On February 5, Mayor Bowser, Deputy Mayor Kenner and Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen cut the ribbon on the Baldwin Apartments, a new 100 percent affordable housing community on the thriving H Street corridor.

“On day one, Mayor Bowser charged me with making affordable housing a priority so that people who want to live in the District can do so,” said Deputy Mayor Kenner. “We work on fulfilling this commitment every day and will continue to deliver affordable housing units in all areas of the city.”

The Baldwin is located at 1300 H Street, NE, the former site of the R.L. Christian Library and in close proximity to the DC Streetcar, bus routes, multiple grocery stores, churches, recreation centers, restaurants, and more. The building is comprised of 33 units of deeply affordable housing – a mix of units for residents making up to 30 percent of the Median Family Income (approximately $30,160 a year for a family of four) and up to 50 percent of the Median Family Income ($58,600 a year). The building includes six three-bedroom, family-sized units.

On February 7, Deputy Mayor Brian Kenner and Director of the DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment Angie Gates, attended the second annual District of Fashion Runway Show at the National Museum of Women in the Arts to preview Fall/Winter 2019 season collections from 11 local, national and international designers.

The event, presented by the DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) in partnership with Mayor Muriel Bowser's Commission on Fashion Arts and Events (CFAE) and 202Creates, offered hundreds of guests a look at the next season's best collections, hosted by celebrity stylist and television personality Paul Wharton.

“202Creates is proud to be in partnership with the DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) and Mayor Bowser’s Commission on Fashion Arts and Events (CFAE) to present this year’s District of Fashion Runway Show,” stated Angie M. Gates, Director, DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment. “This event is an opportunity to showcase DC Fashion and the economic impact it has on our community. Mayor Bowser’s 202Creates initiative celebrates the District’s vibrant and creative community in which the fashion industry plays a key role.”

The District of Fashion seeks to bridge the gap between DC and New York City by aligning the District with industry standard practices in fashion and highlighting the unique talent in the DC metro area. In addition to promoting local designers, the show itself employs local models, hair and makeup staff and other fashion industry related local talent.

The CFAE and the BID will host a third runway show in Sept. 2019, showcasing Spring/Summer 2020 fashion. To receive updates from the CFAE on fashion events, use this link to sign up for emails.  

On February 12, Sarosh Olpadwala, DMPED's Director of Real Estate, participated in a ribbon cutting at 1701 Rhode Island Avenue, NW in the DuPont neighborhood. It was announced that WeWork is leasing the entire office space as their flagship property in the District.

"1701 Rhode Island Avenue is one of the latest project in the re-awakening of Washington’s business district – a transformation that is doing more to meet the needs of our modern business community," said Sarosh Olpadwala. "As we know, Washington, DC is a city of vibrant neighborhoods and the DuPont area is an important center of commerce."

1701 Rhode Island is an artfully designed, 104,000-square-foot office building located in the Central Business District. Akridge and Alcion Ventures, L.P., transformed the former YMCA National Capital building into this boutique office building.

On February 19, Sarosh Olpadwala participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony for 1101 Sixteeth Street, NW. Akridge and Stars Investments renovated 1101 and 1111 Sixteenth Street, NW into one, freestanding, 100,000-square-foot office building. The new property includes a full host of amenities including a fitness center, rooftop terrace, and ample parking. Located on a prominent corner adjacent to the new Fannie Mae headquarters, the property will boast a prestigious Sixteenth Street address and will offer views of the White House.

"Our office is all about job creation – in fact, Deputy Mayor Kenner is tasked with three jobs: increasing tax revenue, creating & preserving affordable housing and creating job opportunities for our residents," said Sarosh Olpadwala. "And, this development employed approximately 300 jobs during the tenure of construction!"

On February 26, DMPED's Business Development Director Karima Woods, kicked off the first Opportunity Zone (OZ) Workshop, in partnership with the DC Chamber of Commerce, geared toward educating businesses! This workshop covered how DC businesses can leverage the OZ incentive and featured a panel including local businesses and experts in the opportunity zone field.

“We see the opportunity zones program as a tool that can bring new amenities like grocery stores and other retail, jobs, and affordable housing to the 25 census tracts in undeserved areas of the District,” said Karima Woods. “As we stay focused on making DC’s prosperity more inclusive and creating DC jobs for DC residents, we need to be sure we’re working hand in hand with our local businesses along the way.”