Kimberly Black King, the Director of the New Communities Initiative (NCI), has accepted a position with the DC Housing Authority as their Chief Development Officer. In her new role, Ms. King will oversee planning and development activities for the Housing Authority’s portfolio of over 8,000 units of public housing. Ms. King will still be actively involved in the redevelopment of the four neighborhoods under NCI.
Last December, the New Communities Initiative celebrated two important ribbon cuttings on projects that bring quality affordable housing and recreational opportunities to District residents. On Saturday, December 13, 2014, city officials, community leaders and residents celebrated the opening of the new Barry Farm indoor Aquatic Center in Ward 8. The Barry Farm Aquatic Center is […]
The District of Columbia Housing Authority Board of Commissioners selected Park View Community Partners to be the team to lead redevelopment of Park Morton apartments. Park View Community Partners is comprised of The Community Builders, Inc.; Dantes Partners, LLC; Torti Gallas Urban; Harkins Builders, Inc.; and Klein Hornig, LLP. “This redevelopment team was chosen based […]
Last week, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the highest rated applications for the prestigious Investing in Innovation (i3) grant competition. Higher Achievement, a New Communities human capital grantee, was among the top applications and will receive a “Validation Grant” of nearly $12 million over five years for expansion within their four affiliates (Baltimore, DC Metro, Pittsburgh, and Richmond). This success is a significant accomplishment for Higher Achievement, and the success is a testament to the quality of the program, the hard work of the staff and board, and most importantly the student scholars who participate in the program. New Communities is a proud supporter of Higher Achievement, which has several programs serving student scholars in the Lincoln Heights and Richardson Dwellings neighborhoods.
“Of course this type of milestone would not have been possible without supporters like ODMPED and the New Communities Initiative. Thanks for helping us further our mission and reach more students than ever before.” –Emerald Stewart, Grants Manager, Higher Achievement.
Receiving the i3 grant is one of the highest honors in the education field. Of note, over 400 organizations applied this year and only three were awarded the Validation level grant.
To get involved, and for more information on Higher Achievements program, please contact info@higherachievement.org.
On Monday, October 20, 2014, the Zoning Commission for the District of Columbia approved the application for the first stage Planned Unit Development (“PUD”) and related zoning map amendment for the Barry Farm redevelopment. The approval by the Zoning Commission will help to implement the New Communities Barry Farm Redevelopment Plan which was approved by […]
Earlier this year, the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development commissioned a team of affordable housing experts, led by Quadel Consulting, to examine the New Communities Initiative (NCI) and make recommendations to enhance the program. The final report provides analysis on key lessons learned since the development of NCI, as well as the challenges, opportunities, and solutions to facilitate successful implementation.
The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) invites the submission of applications for the Great Streets Small Business Capital Improvement Grants beginning on TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9th, 2014. DMPED will award individual grants of up to a maximum of $85,000 for small business owners to improve their place of business. The grant application will be available on the Great Streets website at greatstreets.dc.gov beginning on September 9th.
The Great Streets Initiative began in 2006, the same time the New Communities Initiative was established by former Mayor Anthony Williams. Great Streets is a commercial revitalization initiative to transform emerging corridors throughout the District of Columbia into thriving and inviting neighborhood centers. Three New Communities neighborhoods are located near a Great Streets Corridor:
The DC Housing Authority (DCHA) and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) received four responses to the Park Morton Request for Proposals (RFP) for a master developer. DCHA and DMPED will be working together on the redevelopment and expect to select a development team by the end of 2014. CLICK HERE to read the full press release.
The New Communities website now features interactive maps for each of the four NCI neighborhoods. Viewers can select maps for each neighborhood, which include separate categories that highlight the existing housing in the neighborhood, redevelopment to date, public amenities that have been created through NCI, and plans for future development activity. Links for each neighborhood can be found on the homepage, as well as each neighborhood page, and can also be accessed here:
The DC Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development is pleased to share with you its 2014 Annual Report for New Communities. The Annual Report provides an overview and background on the Initiative, and highlights overall progress to date. Additionally, the report provides project updates on each of the four neighborhoods, and offers a preview for the year ahead.
New Communities seeks to create vibrant mixed-income neighborhoods that address both the physical architecture and human capital needs, where residents have quality affordable housing options, economic opportunities and access to appropriate human services. To date, the Initiative has produced over 1,000 new housing units with an investment of gap financing of over $66million, created over 250 new jobs, and served over 500 heads of households through case managementservice annually. The Initiaitve has also produced new community anchors, such as the new HD Woodson High School in Lincoln Heights, or the new flagship Recreation Center under construction in Barry Farm. This past year, New Communities has seen much progress, with the continued build out of Sheridan Station in Barry Farm, the construction of SeVerna Phase II and 2 M Street in Northwest One, and the successful opening and leasing up of the Nannie Helen at 4800 in Lincoln Heights.