Neighborhood Revitalization Funding Available
Filed under Economic Development Committee, Local Investment, Neighborhood Revitalization, The People's Blog
2 Comments
At-Large Councilmember Kwame Brown has been fighting for neighborhood revitalization as Chair of the Committee on Economic Development. Last year, the Committee and the Council approved competitive dollars for key neighborhoods throughout the District in the budget. The funding is now being made available through a competitive application process.
Here’s what you need to know to apply for funding:
The deadline for applications to request Neighborhood Investment Fund money from the Deputy Mayor’s Office of Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) is at 5:00PM on May 3, 2010.
The Neighborhood Investment Fund (NIF) finances economic development and neighborhood revitalization in 12 different areas of the city: Anacostia, Bellevue, Bloomingdale/Eckington, Brightwood/Upper Georgia Ave., Brookland/Edgewood, Columbia Heights, Congress Heights, Deanwood Heights, H Street, Logan Circle, Shaw, and Washington Highlands.
This particular call for applications relates to one half of the NIF, the Predevelopment Grant and Project Development Grant Program (PDG).
Eligibility is limited to non-profit or non-profit-controlled developers, and projects funded by PDG must be either Housing, Community-based Facility Projects or Mixed Use projects.
There is over $5 million available for this round of funding, with individual grants capped at a $145,000 maximum.
For more information on applicant and project eligibility, please see here.
To Apply: Read and fill out the Request for Applications (RFA).
Hi Kwame, I simply do “not” under stand how you can continue to identify all of the above neighborhoods for revitalizatioon, and leave us completely “out!” You have not identifed ONE neighborhoods within ANC7B! I simply don’t get it! Do you rerpresent us or not as Chairman of the Committee on Economic Development, or just “SOME” neighborhoods and Wards??? We are not getting any thing done either from you or from any any other At-lARGE Member of DC City Council! WHY??? We did better than this when we only had one Ward 7 Councilmember!! This is chameful and is totally unacceptable!!! You should also know this: I personally intend to do something about this lack of response from you and others on DC City Council. WE WILL ALSO DEAL WITH THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF DC GOVERNMENT. You and others could not even deliver DC Circulator Bus to East Washington DC! You and others could not even keep our much needed Police Substation OPEN! Yet DC GOVERNMENT CAN obligate $20,000,000 as incentive to try and attract a defence business to DC!!! AS YOU WELL KNOW THIS KIND OF INVESTMENT WIL NEVER BE RECOUPED! THIS IS FINANCIAL STUPIDITY AT ITS HIGHEST. You can count on this: I will be working with others to make shure that these and other unfairness is taken to all of our media outlets. It is past time for US TO START RECIEVING EQUIT AND FAIRNESS!!!
Paul Savage
Hillcrest, Ward 7, East Washington DC.
Thank you for feedback Mr. Savage. As you may know, Councilmember Brown and his family are residents of the Hillcrest community. He understands your frustration and would also like to ensure there’s equity and fairness for all Wards in the District. Please take some of the following items into consideration.
Councilmember Brown has been an outspoken advocate for the revitalization Ward 7, in particular Penn Branch shopping center is a top priority for him. He pushed heavily for the DMV to renew its lease with the owner of Penn Branch so that a major facade improvement project could begin. A lease agreement was finally reached last month. The Washington Business Journal wrote the following about the project:
Penn Branch developer wins DMV lease extension
“Another neighbor, councilman Kwame Brown, D-At large and chair of the economic development committee, has been pushing for the lease extension so possible tenants, like restaurant operators, can began considering opening in Penn Branch. One of the new retail pavilions will be just under 1,000 square feet, which would fit a coffee shop nicely, while the other will be just under 2,000 square feet, which could fit a small restaurant. “It will be the first sit-down restaurant on that side of Ward 7,” Brown said.
More recently, Councilmember Brown sent the following message about Penn Branch to his Twitter followers:
“Finally the lease agreement with the owners of penn branch shopping center in ward 7 is complete. The executive should send to Council now!” Mar 2nd
He also authored an amendment in the Council’s Public Works Committee that would have extended the Circulator along Pennsylvania Ave. SE to Southern Ave. SE. He was the most outspoken member on this issue. If the amendment had not been defeated in committee, it would have been the first Circulator route East of the River. He argued that it was fundamentally about fairness. Click here to read more.
Councilmember Brown has led the effort to create and maintain Main Street programs throughout the city, including the Deanwood Heights Main Street in Ward 7. You can read more about Deanwood Heights by clicking here.
There’s more to do and the Councilmember will keep fighting for all Wards. We hope that this helps answer some of your concerns and we’re excited to see you fighting for your community.