On August 28, Mayor Muriel Bowser, Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent Gray, and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) broke ground on two 100% affordable housing communities, Providence Place and the Strand Residences, which will deliver 179 affordable units in the Deanwood neighborhood of Ward 7 through the New Communities Initiative (NCI).

“After years of delays on these projects, Mayor Bowser charged us with making sure that we delivered for the residents of Ward 7, ” said Interim Deputy Mayor Planning and Economic Development John Falcicchio. “Thanks to the commitment and hard work of District agencies, the community and our development partners, we are realizing the future for this historic Deanwood community.”

Providence Place is a 93-unit community with a mix of family-size apartments located at 601 50^th Street, NE on the campus of the historic Progressive National Baptist Convention headquarters. The Strand Residences, located at 5119 Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, NE, next to the historic local landmark, the Strand Theater, will include 86 one- and two-bedroom affordable apartments and first floor retail space for a neighborhood non-profit and a community-based retailer.

Both properties include units prioritized for residents from Lincoln Heights and Richardson Dwellings – 35 units at Providence Place and 28 at the Strand Residences reserved for households at less than 30% median family income (MFI), or approximately $35,150 for a family of four. The remaining units at both properties, 116 units total, will be made available to other households earning up to 60% MFI, or approximately $70,320 for a family of four.

Providence Place and Strand Residences were made possible through a collaboration of District government agencies including DMPED, the DC Housing Finance Agency, and the DC Housing Authority. Development partners for Providence Place include Urban Matters and Atlantic|Pacific Communities with the Progressive National Baptist Convention. Developers for the Strand Residences are NHP Foundation, The Warrenton Group, and the Washington Metropolitan CDC.

On August 5, Mayor Bowser and DMPED relaunched #ObviouslyDC to provide companies of all scales with valuable information and resources on starting and growing a business in Washington, DC. The redesigned website is a refresh of the Bowser Administration’s digital proposal for attracting Amazon’s second headquarters.

“ObviouslyDC is more than just a campaign – it is our success story. We’re proud to have built Washington, DC into an ideal place for businesses of all sizes to grow and thrive,” said Mayor Bowser. “This one-stop shop provides businesses with the critical data and resources to navigate the landscape and makes clear the choice is simple: it’s Obviously DC.”

The website outline key topic areas that are important for business growth: talent, quality of life, transportation and infrastructure network, and resiliency. The website drills down on the strengths of Washington, DC and how that impacts the growth and viability of a company. Users can also learn about the various resources and programs that support their business goals, as well as connect with key stakeholders that encourage job creation and growth in Washington, DC. The website also provides a concierge service that helps users navigate the process of becoming a business in the District.

To learn more about why DC is an obvious place to start and grow a business, visit ObviouslyDC.com.

On August 29, at the Eaton Hotel, Mayor Muriel Bowser kicked off 202Creates, a month-long celebration of DC’s vibrant and diverse creative community.

Launched in September 2016, 202Creates is a citywide effort to amplify, celebrate, and highlight the District’s multi-billion dollar creative economy. The celebration includes 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 eight wards.

This year, 202Creates celebrates two creative milestones for the District: the new fall class for the 202Creates Residency Program and the second anniversary of the DC Radio Network. The 202Creates Residency Program, which was launched by OCTFME in the fall of 2018, will welcome 36 new creative entrepreneurs from all eight wards for its fourth class. These creatives consist of photographers, media makers, filmmakers, visual artists, musicians, small business entrepreneurs, designers, and more.

The celebration of DC Radio 96.3HD4 will take place on Thursday, September 19 at the Union District Oyster Bar and Lounge. The event will feature hosts from DC Radio programs, national recording artists, special guests, and other DC creatives. The station is housed and managed by OCTFME in partnership with WHUR Radio, features programming on government resources, news, emergency updates, community affairs, education, current events, arts, music, and entertainment.

On August 6, Karima Woods, DMPED’s Director of Business Development and Strategy, joined JPMorgan and Chase Chief Executive Officer Jaime Dimon, Steve Glaude with the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing & Economic Development (CNHED), Calvin Smith with BridgePoint Healthcare and Marissa McKeever with Sibley Memorial Hospital for a roundtable discussion on how small businesses help strengthen the District’s economy.  Joining the discussion were small businesses owners Shinar Little, founder and owner of FogHill Inc., and Pinkey Reddick, founder of Pinke’s Eats Catering.