BROWN TOURS 14TH STREET IMPROVEMENTS WITH LATINO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
On Friday, July 11, Coucilmember Kwame Brown joined DC Department of Housing and Community Development Director Leila Edmonds and staff of the Latino Economic Development Corporation(LEDC) for a walking tour to view first hand the results and impact of the facade improvements on 14th Street, NW between Monroe and Shepherd Streets. LEDC’s Facade Improvement Project on Mid 14th St leveraged $600,000 of construction funds from the Department of Housing and Community Development with over $100,000 in contributions from business owners to renovate the facades of 18 commercial buildings in Columbia Heights. Throughout the duration of the project LEDC worked with participating business owners to help them adjust to the changes taking place in Columbia Heights.
"The walking tour of 14th Street demonstrates what our city can do, by working collectively with our residents and local businesses to improve our neighborhoods," commented Brown. "When we include our business owners in the process, everyone wins." The 22 facades that were improved house over 26 businesses, of which 65% are owned by Latinos. Business and property owners were actively involved in the design phase. During multiple meetings with the architects, business owners were able to craft a vision for the future of their businesses to ensure success in the changing environment of Columbia Heights. The project was completed in 14 months. Participating businesses include convenience stores, restaurants, a hardware and furniture store, cleaners and hair salons. "The program has served as a catalyst for change for these participating businesses as well as for other businesses in the community," said Manny Hidalgo, LEDC's Executive Director. LEDC is currently working on a similar project with 18 business owners in Georgia Ave between New Hampshire Avenue and Kennedy St.
pictured left: Before & After
G&T Sports
3913 14th St NW
About LEDC
www.ledcdc.org LEDC is a community-based economic development organization. The organization works with Latinos and other groups that are underserved and under-represented in the decision-making processes that impact our communities. LEDC provides services in three fields—small business development, homeownership counseling, and affordable housing preservation.
BROWN CONTINUES HIS COMMITMENT TO MOVE NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS FORWARD
Committee on Economic Development schedules hearing on Southwest Waterfront Disposition Revised Approval Resolution of 2008 for September 18, 2008
As the DC Council’s 17th Legislative session adjourns for the summer, Councilmember Brown looks forward to bringing neighborhood projects to completion, where residents are the primary benefactors of development. This session as Chair of the Committee on Economic Development, At-Large Councilmember Kwame Brown passed land dispositions for: the Riggs Road Extension in Ward 5; Properties in the 2200 Block of Georgia Avenue in Ward 1; Old Congress Heights School in Ward 8; 6428 Georgia Avenue in Ward 4; and the Barnaby Road Site in Ward 7. The Committee on Economic Development continues to work to move legislation that will revitalize our neighborhoods. While a hearing has been scheduled to move the proposed land disposition for the Southwest Waterfront project on September 18, 2008; Councilmember Brown has requested that the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development provide all information needed in order to prepare for the upcoming hearing. As of July 2, 2008, the only information that the Committee on Economic Development has received is an unsigned Operating Agreement and a draft Land Disposition Agreement from the Hoffman-Struever Waterfront LLC team located at 4725 Wisconsin Avenue, NW. On July 8, a draft version of the Certified Business Enterprise Agreement was received from the Interim Director of the Department of Small and Local Business Development. “I am excited about the Southwest Waterfront Development deal moving forward and eagerly anticipate receiving comprehensive information from the Deputy Mayor’s Office. I look forward to holding a public hearing on September 18th. This is the most valuable piece of property in the District and it requires more than a thirteen day review,” said Brown. “This project has the potential to transform our waterfront into the best waterfront in the world.” For more information, please contact the Committee on Economic Development, (202) 727-6683.
TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION: BILL TO RAISE NATIONAL AWARENESS OF THE DISTRICT'S DENIED VOTING REPRESENTATION PASSES 1ST READING
On July 1, the members of the D.C. Council passed its first reading of the “Taxation Without Representation Federal Tax Pay-Out Message Board Installation Act of 2008,” to educate visitors of the lack of the District’s voting representation in Congress. The bill mandates the installation of a programmable LED message board on the exterior of the District’s city hall, the John A. Wilson Building and on public space near the new Nationals baseball stadium, to show the dollar amount of federal taxes paid by District residents. According to 2006 Internal Revenue Service records, District residents pay the second highest federal income taxes per capita in the country, yet have no voice and vote in neither the U.S. House of Representatives nor the U.S. Senate. Councilmember Brown, authored and first introduced the bill on September 16, 2006, following Congressional review of the DC Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act (H.R. 5388), which passed unanimously by the House Committee on Government Reform. “We’ve made tremendous strides in this long-fought desire to see equal representation with a voice and a vote in Congress, however statehood is not yet a reality,” said Councilmember Brown. “Each step taken on the path to gaining statehood is a victory not taken lightly.” Councilmember Brown believes that the message board will not only serve as a visual element but an alarm to action. “We need to educate and inform every visitor to our Nation’s Capital, every passerby, every national event spectator that treads down Pennsylvania Avenue that our money counts, our people count and our voice should count also,” said Brown. Councilmember Brown looks forward to the bill passing on second reading and be implemented immediately.
SUMMER FUN! New Partnerships Abound This Summer at DC Department of Parks and Recreation
Last week, DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) announced a list of new programmatic partnerships which will enhance its youth programming this summer. A few of the partnerships include:
CityDance Ensemble
This summer, the CityDance Ensemble will provide six (6) weeks of classes at the Trinidad Recreation Center, 1310 Childress Street, NE, during a special performing arts summer camp for children ages 8 to 12. Earlier this spring, the organization began teaching “Beginner Ballet” classes to youngsters three days a week after school and “Introduction to Urban Dance” classes on Saturdays at the recreation center. Per its agreement with DPR, as participants in these classes progress, the organization will render performances open to the public.
Girls, Inc.
Earlier this spring, new programmatic partner Girls, Inc. began bringing its outstanding program and resources to the Trinidad Recreation Center, 1310 Childress Street, NE, three (3) evenings a week. Per its agreement with DC DPR, this summer, Girls, Inc. will continue to provide young District females with violence prevention programming focused on conflict resolution and finding constructive outlets. Girls, Inc. will also actively engage in community outreach in order to enroll a minimum of 40 middle school girls between the ages of 11 and 14 years to participate in its Partner Program at the Center. Furthermore, the organization will collaborate with DPR’s critically-acclaimed Young Ladies on the Rise Program. Beacon House
Through its new partnership with DPR, Beacon House will enroll a minimum of 40 youth and young adults between the ages of 5 and 24 years (with an emphasis on ages 12 and up) in its program at the Edgewood Recreation Center, 3rd and Evarts Streets, NE. Beacon House hosts its program at Edgewood Mondays through Fridays from 4 pm to 9 pm. The agreement, which began earlier this spring, allows Beacon House to provide services to District teenagers at the Center, including homework assistance, Xtreme Teens Mentoring, “Our Whole Lives” sex education/awareness teaching and SAT Preparation tutoring. Registration for these new programs and partnerships can be found and completed online at DPR's website, dpr.dc.gov, or by visiting a DPR recreation center. For more information or to become a DPR partner, contact the DPR Office of Partnerships and Development at (202) 671-1462 or by email at DPRpartnerships@dc.gov.
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