Committee on Economic Development
Commissioner Chair: Tucker Jones
Community Chair: Krishna Kumar
Meeting: Third Thursday of the month and must be noted on the calendar
The Economic Development Committee manages the engagement process for the disposition of public property in ANC 1B as well as other changes that have the ability to substantially impact our neighborhood.
Please check the calendar for our meeting dates. We will regularly schedule meetings pending the need for discussion.
Reeves Center Fall 2023 update:
In December 2022, the DC government issued a new Request for Proposals (RFP) for revised bids for the site currently occupied by the Reeves Center (at 14th and U St. NW). There were some changes in this RFP compared to the previous RFP.
ANC 1B had previously passed resolutions regarding the site in 2020 and 2021. Those can be found at the below:
In June 2023, the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development announced the selection of Reeves CMC Venture to redevelop the Frank D. Reeves Center of Municipal Affairs site. The project will deliver a hotel, a permanent home and headquarters for the National Association for Advancement of Color People (NAACP), municipal office space, and much-needed affordable and market-rate housing to the U Street Corridor. CSG Urban Partners, a resident, woman, and minority-owned business will lead the redevelopment.
On September 14, 2023, the ANC 1B Economic Development Committee discussed and voted on a letter to DMPED to reiterate our support of the planned development and flag several issues that were raised during the community engagement process that are not explicitly addressed in the RFP. The full Commission approved this letter at their October meeting.
1617 U Street January 2024 update:
In 2022, the DC government announced a potential surplus designation and disposition of the District-owned property at 1617 U Street NW and 1620 V Street NW. The site is comprised of two parcels that front 17th Street NW, U Street NW, and V Street NW and is currently home to the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Third District Police headquarters and Fire and Emergency Services (FEMS) Engine Company 9 and its related uses. No RFP has been released yet but DMPED reports that planned redevelopment will incorporate new facilities for each of these uses. You can learn more in the 1617 U Street DMPED portal: https://dmped.dc.gov/page/1617U
The Zoning Commission is considering a map amendment to rezone the property from MU-4 to MU-10 to allow mixed-use development including residential and retail in conjunction with municipal facilities including new police and fire stations, which is an early step in the broader disposition process. You can learn more by visiting the 1617 U Street Zoning application: https://app.dcoz.dc.gov/Home/ViewCase?case_id=23-02
Office of Planning Setdown Report
The ANC 1B Economic Development Committee held public meetings on this project with a focus on the zoning map amendment on February 16 and March 16. On April 6, 2023, the full ANC 1B discussed and passed on the following resolution regarding the map amendment:
On October 19, 2023, the ANC 1B Economic Development Committee held a public meeting on this project with a focus on what the community would like to see at the site regardless of the zoning decision. The presentations from that meeting can be found here:
1617 U Street DMPED Presentation (From October 2023)
Office of Planning Presentation (From October 2023)
Office of Planning Presentation (From November 2023)
On Thursday, November 16 the ANC 1B Economic Development Committee discussed and approved a Resolution re: Community Interest re: 1617 U Street. The full ANC 1B will discuss and the full ANC voted on Thursday, December 7.
In September 2023, the ANC 1B Economic Development Committee discussed and approved a Resolution regarding vacant and blighted properties that called for the creation of a Task Force to recommend a set of policies and programs to reduce the numbers of vacant and blighted properties in the District. This full ANC approved at their October 5, 2023 meeting.
Resolution re: Vacant and Blighted Properties
The ANC 1B Economic Development Committee continues to monitor the progress of the Grimke School Building redevelopment, a site for which DMPED released a solicitation for redevelopment in 2014 and includes the property at 912 U Street NW. You can learn more here: https://dmped.dc.gov/page/grimke-school