Mayor Fenty DC Guide Residents Business Visitors District of Columbia Government Kids
 
Economic Development & Affordable Housing: A City of Opportunity

The District of Columbia’s economic development and affordable housing strategies should benefit residents as well as the business community. All corners of the city deserve to benefit from the economic boom, and must do so before the District of Columbia is a “City of Opportunity.”


Appoint a new Planning Director (immediate)

Restructure the Deputy Mayor’s Office of Planning and Economic Development (45 days)

Appoint an Affordable Housing Coordinator under the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (30 Days)

Design a comprehensive workforce development strategy (60 days)

Appoint a business advisory team of the top 25 CEOs to recruit new businesses to the District. (60 Days)

Initiate a publicized program that targets fraudulent home contractors Launch operation “Nail Gun,” a multi-agency effort to “nail” unscrupulous, unlicensed contractors. (60 Days)

Issue report analyzing alternatives for the structure of AWC and NCRC (100 days)

Announce a restructuring proposal for DOES (90 days)

Explore transferring Consumer Protection Activities to OAG (90 days)

Announce a retail action strategy (90 days)

Working with a private non-profit, initiate a community-based planning effort for economic development along Mississippi Ave. and three other targeted areas (90 days)

Working with a private non-profit, initiate a Housing First policy to address homelessness (90 days)

Enforce and implement the new authority that will allow DCRA to immediately enclose hazardous and/or vacant properties (60 - 90 Days)

Provide additional downtown shelter space by resolving the Franklin School issue or other means

Secure commitments to open new bank branches in underserved communities, determine target communities and number of branches (100 Days)

Open a new, customer-oriented permit center at DCRA, and examine the possibilities of conducting online permitting (100 Days)

Announce the locations of the 4 storefront libraries and expedite procurement of construction for the 4 permanent neighborhood libraries (100 Days)

Issue RFI for master developer for the proposed Howard Town Center in Ward 1 (100 days)

Sign land lease with developer and approve design for old Convention Center site in Ward 2 (100 days)

Release request for joint development partner for the 24th and L Streets, NW site in Ward 2 (100 days)

Sign land disposition agreement for the Riggs Road Project in Ward 4 (100 days)

Approve IRB financing package for 3910 Georgia Avenue, NW in Ward 4 (100 days)

Sign site acquisition agreement with NCRC for NW One New Communities (100 Days)

Approve revised Tax increment Financing for Skyland Shopping Center in Ward 7 and submit to City Council (100 days)

Approve bond financing package for new NAACP headquarters in Ward 8 (100 Days)

Groundbreaking at old Convention Center site (24 months)

Appoint a new DCRA Director (6 months)

Appoint a new DOES Director (6 months)

Appoint a new DHCD Director (6 months)

Begin initiative to offer banking and surety bonding services directly to the LSDBE community (6 months)

Working with a private non-profit, develop a strategy to meet DC's goal of 2,000 units of supportive housing (1st year)

Eliminate the entire backlog of LSDBE certification applications (1st year)

Develop a plan for implementing an online LSDBE certification compliance program (1st year)

Initiate a comprehensive rewrite of Zoning Regulations (1st year)