Mayor Muriel Bowser suggested she was following in Marion Barry’s footsteps as she officially opened a new building on Minnesota Avenue NE Monday, a leased facility to house two DC Departments: Corrections and General Services.
She recalled how the late Mayor Marion Barry established the city-owned Reeves Center at 14th and U, NW in the 1980s, then a blighted area and spurred growth. She indicated she’s hoping for the same result in opening the new building at Minnesota and Dix, NE.
The area around the new building has had 9 homicides so far this year. Those PSA—Police Service Areas 602 and 602 have also had 150 ADWs-- Assaults with a Dangerous Weapon.
Increasingly, Bowser has moved city department headquarters east of the Anacostia River in hopes of sparking economic activity.
The ground floor of the new building has “leasing” signs for retail or other businesses. It has also already had a broken window, now boarded up.
The new Department of General Services (DGS) headquarters made its grand opening Monday morning in northeast D.C.
Mayor Muriel Bowser spoke at the grand opening and announced $3 million in funding from the Great Streets Retail Small Business grant program. The Ward 7 businesses include:
- Best Nails
- Justina's Hair Gallery LLC
- PENN WAY MARKET INC
- Nashrah LLC
- E Market
- Global Government and Industry Partners, LLC
- Powell Manufacturing Inc.
“We understand how powerful the District’s leasing power is for spurring economic growth. In fact, we know that the previous home of DGS – the Reeves Center – was one of the original driving forces behind the transformation of the U Street and 14th Street corridors,” said Bowser. “Mayor Barry had that vision, and now we’re building on that vision to attract business and amenities to neighborhoods East of the River.”
Watch the full ribbon-cutting ceremony below:
Officials said they will be sharing the space with the D.C. Department of Corrections by the end of the month. The new headquarters will have 500 workers operating out of the facility including shops and dining establishments on the ground floor, according to Bowser's office.
"The new headquarters is the first government office building to open utilizing Mayor Bowser’s East of the River leasing strategy," officials said.
The new headquarters cost $52,500,000 and is part of a larger “Northeast Heights” community development.
Bowser also announced that the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) will launch the second round of applications for the Small Medium Business Growth fund.
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