COMING SOON TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD:
BROWN TO HOLD ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ROUNDTABLES
Councilmember Kwame R. Brown announces that the Council Committee on Economic Development will hold a series of neighborhood development roundtables to be held in communities where projects designed to enrich to the lives of District residents are lagging.
The spring meetings will serve as public roundtables of the Committee on Economic Development to evaluate progress of greatly anticipated development projects in the District of Columbia. The first public meeting will review the status of Main Streets programs in the District of Columbia. All lead developers will be invited to present a full report to the Committee on the progress of pending projects and outline the additional resources needed for completion. In addition to providing testimony, local developers, construction authorities and companies involved will exhibit the details of each phase of the projects and will be available to answer inquiries from local businesses and residents. As Chair of the Council's Committee on Economic Development, Brown's desire to establish opportunities for growth where residents are the primary benefactors to the city's economic abundance continues, as he looks forward bringing projects to completion to enrich the lives of District residents. In addition to the neighborhood tours that Councilmember Brown conducts with community development corporations and main streets organizations, Brown looks forward to taking aggressive steps towards restoring hope and maximizing growth of District communities. “Both sides of Washington’s Pennsylvania Avenue should mirror each other, reflecting the value we have for our citizens, welcoming new employment and recreational opportunities to our residents,” said Brown. “Our communities have grown frustrated by the expedited process of development of major projects to draw tourism and the delayed process to bring dining and retail establishments to neighborhoods that serve as the tax base of our revitalization efforts,” he added. We must move beyond the ground-breaking ceremonies to ribbon cutting ceremonies so that our communities will no longer feel left, lost and forgotten.” The roundtables will be held in wards 4, 6, 7 and 8. Dates will soon be announced. ****************************************************************************************************** BROWN URGES THE DISTRICT TO STOP INVESTMENT IN COMPANIES DOING BUSINESS WITH SUDAN
Councilmember Brown introduced a resolution to urge the District government and the District of Columbia Retirement Board to ensure that no District funds and no public employee retirement funds are invested in non-humanitarian companies doing business in the Sudan. The “Sense of the Council Sudan Divestment Resolution of 2007,” outlines that as long as the genocide and fighting continue in Darfur, D.C. must decide where, how and by whom financial resources in its control should be invested.
Brown believes that the Council must take a stand against the atrocities and demonstrate the city’s intolerance to genocide. “How long will we continue to believe the lie that it is not our place, nor our responsibility to speak out?” questioned Brown. “By allowing investors to scrutinize the role that these companies play in perpetuating the genocide in Sudan, companies are forced to change their behavior and if they choose to ignore stockholder demands, the investors can divest from that company,” he added.
The government of Sudan and its allies the Janjaweed have killed 300,000-400,000 people and more than 2 million refugees have been displaced from the Darfur region.
The divestment model seeks to put economic pressure on the genocidal government engaging with companies that help to fund the genocide.
The current Sudan Divestment Movement encompasses nearly 100 universities, cities, states and private pension plans. The resolution received unanimous support from members of the D.C. Council. ********************************************************************************************************* BROWN URGES THE NAACP TO FINALIZE DECISION FOR RELOCATION OF NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS TO D.C. Washington (DC)- Councilmember Kwame Brown encourages the board of directors of the National Association of Colored People (NAACP) to finalize the decision for relocation of its national headquarters from Baltimore, Maryland to Southeast Washington. As reported by the Associated Press on February 17, 2007, the civil rights group’s 64-member board of directors failed to finalize details on moving to Washington, DC. Last year, the group searched in the Washington Metropolitan Area for a new home and announced late Fall its plan to establish its headquarters at the Anacostia Gateway Project in Southeast, which would contribute to the economic revitalization of the community. To further encourage NAACP’s efforts, the D.C. Council approved a $3.5 million grant to help it acquire the property. Councilmember Brown looks forward to NAACP’s arrival and hopes that all plans are voted on and finalized by the national board expeditiously. “ It’s exciting news to hear that in its 20th year of outstanding advocacy for minority development, the NAACP will come to the Nation’s Capitol,” exclaimed Brown. “After hearing of its interest to move closer to government officials and lobbyists and attending the National Conference at the Washington Convention Center, I along with my colleagues worked to identify resources to make D.C. their home. If relocating to Anacostia is becoming less a reality, I hope that we can concretely move forward to ensure that development that promotes the best interests of the community is materialized. We have quite a few open projects on a never-ending timetable for grand opening. I hope that in we can celebrate their arrival sooner rather than later.”
********************************************************************************************************* BROWN CALLS FOR EXTENSIVE STUDY OF HOUSE OF BLUES
FINANCIAL IMPACT ON LOCAL VENUES As a result of the findings presented by multiple public witnesses during the Committee on Economic Development’s 2006/2007 public oversight hearing where owners of local venues such as 9:30 Club, LOVE and the Black Cat expressed concerns with a pending project to bring the House of Blues, owned by Clear Channel Communications to be built near the Washington Convention Center. Below, Councilmember Brown expresses the need to thoroughly review House of Blue’s possible location in the District of Columbia:
“I am both shocked and concerned with the findings recently discussed during the Committee’s oversight hearing in which many expressed the potential for what is intended to bring more national and international artists to the District, may demolish the operations of our venues that have helped to entertain us for decades. Rather than assume that the new addition will not severely threaten business as usual, I will look for ways to table the negotiations with LiveNation/House of Blues so that all stakeholders can evaluate how this investment will add to our communities. The Committee desires to hear more from the local business community and will schedule a roundtable to clearly weigh all options.”
********************************************************************************************************** COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: UPCOMING HEARINGS Public Hearing on
PR17-0062 “Commission on the Arts and Humanities Anne Ashmore-Hudson Confirmation Resolution of 2007”; PR17-0063 “Commission on the Arts and Humanities Rodney Trent Little Confirmation Resolution of 2007”; PR17-0064 “Commission on the Arts and Humanities Judith F. Terra Confirmation Resolution of 2007”; And PR17-0065 “Commission on the Arts and Humanities Rhona Wolfe Friedman Confirmation Resolution of 2007” On Today, March 12, 2007 at 10:00am
Room 412
The John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20004 *********** Public Hearing On B17-0022 “NCRC and AWC Reorganization Act of 2007” Tuesday, March 13, 2007 at 10:00am
Room 412
The John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20004 The Committee on Economic Development will hold a public hearing on B17-0022 “NCRC and AWC Reorganization Act of 2007”. The purpose this hearing is to review the legislation: “NCRC and AWC Reorganization Act of 2007”. The public is invited to offer testimony before the Committee. Oral testimony may be limited to three minutes. Please contact Sharlene Kranz at the Committee on Economic Development at (202) 727-6683 or Skranz@DCCouncil.us by Friday, March 9, 2007 to be placed on the witness list. Witnesses should bring 15 copies of their written testimony to the hearing. If you are unable to attend the Hearing, written statements are encouraged and will be made a part of the official record. Copies of written statements should be submitted to the Secretary to the Council, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 5, Washington, D.C. 20004 no later than 5:30pm Friday, March 23, 2007.
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COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE AND THE COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
JOINT PUBLIC HEARING
ON B17-11, "BALLPARK HARD AND SOFT COSTS CAP ACT OF 2007" AND B17-21 "BALLPARK PARKING COMPLETION AMENDMENT ACT OF 2007" THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 2007
10:00 AM
ROOM 412
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC Bill 17-11 is the permanent version of emergency and temporary legislation previously adopted by the Council, which established a cap on the District’s cost of building the new baseball stadium. Bill 17-21 is the permanent version of emergency and temporary legislation previously adopted by the Council, which exempted the stadium’s parking garages from the zoning requirement that the parking be built underground. Committee on Economic Development
The Wilson Building, Room 119
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20004
202-727-6683; FAX 724-4726
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