Norton Forum Will Urge Federal Agencies to Move to Capitol Riverfront and Other Developing D.C. Areas

June 30, 2008

Washington, DC - Continuing her efforts to encourage federal agencies to locate in developing D.C. areas, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), chair of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, which approves the locations for federal agencies, will host a Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District briefing tomorrow, Tuesday, July 1, at 10 a.m., at the new Department of Transportation (DOT) headquarters located at Third and M Streets Southeast. At 10:30 a.m. a light breakfast will be served in the DOT courtyard as the Tuesday Farmer's Market bustles with merchants offering fresh produce, baked goods, and hand-made items. The briefing will be 10:30 a.m. -12 p.m. in the media room.

Capitol Riverfront is prime real estate, located five minutes from the Capitol Complex near the new Nationals Stadium. "Too many federal agencies are in need of space here, and yet want to crowd into overdeveloped sections of downtown, where leases are high and office space is less desirable than in Capitol Riverfront and NoMa," said Norton. "Most agencies want to consolidate or find additional space in the District, where the Capitol and other major federal agencies they need are located. These new multi-use areas provide the most desirable work place environment and the newest and most modern space in the city," she added. "There is a serious lack of space here today, and the subcommittee will no longer approve agency moves to the typical, high-cost space now that newly constructed, Class A space is available in rapidly developing downtown areas close to public transportation, highways, and the Federal Triangle."

In 2000, Norton was instrumental in bringing the Naval Sea Systems Command to the Capitol Riverfront, M Street Southeast area, resulting in the newly renovated Navy Yard, housing more than 5,000 federal employees. Many signature businesses and federal agencies already are located at the Capitol Riverfront, among them the William C. Smith company, BAE systems and MacDonald Douglas. The $2 billion dollar development, "The Yards," near DOT is rapidly going up on M Street. The briefing will update officials on retail outlets to open at "The Yards" by the end of 2009, with additional retail, entertainment and housing to follow quickly. Four new parks, new commercial corridors, waterfront housing, and two first class supermarkets are planned.

The briefing is organized in cooperation with the Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District, and its Executive Director Michael Stevens will speak. Other speakers are Winifred Turner, DOT Deputy Director, Office of Real and Personal Property and Asset Management Project Office; Alex Nyhan, development manager, Forest City; Jim DeMartino, Capitol Riverfront resident and local employee; Steve Cohen, vice president of real estate, Opus East; Chris Smith, CEO and owner of William C. Smith and DCBIA President; and Sharon Bosworth, events and marketing manager, Barracks Row Main Street.

"Office space in a community near the river in any city is always exciting and usually fairly costly," Norton said. "However, for the time being, the rapid development of the waterfront here is providing important and exciting opportunities for the location of private and public facilities at reasonable lease rates."