GOVERNMENT OF THE
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
| OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS |
ONE JUDICIARY SQUARE
441 FOURTH STREET, N.W. SUITE 1100
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20001
(202) 727-6224 |
EMBARGOED UNTIL 6:30 PM
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28, 2000 |
CONTACT: ELENA TEMPLE (202) 727-6853
MARIA WALLACE (202) 442-7636 |
MAYOR ANNOUNCES $111 MILLION GEORGIA AVENUE
INITIATIVE
DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES TO RELOCATE TO PETWORTH
Washington, DC - Mayor Anthony A. Williams announced today an
initiative to revitalize Georgia Avenue -- one of the District's most important commercial
corridors -- that will produce infrastructure improvements, historic preservation,
homeownership promotion, small business development, and streetscape and commercial facade
enhancements.
A pivotal component of this plan is the development of a new
Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) headquarters at the recently opened Georgia
Avenue/Petworth Metro Station. Mayor Williams' commitment of $111 million dollars over the
next five years toward this project, which involves many District agencies and encompasses
approximately 65 city blocks, was unveiled at a special town hall meeting at the Nativity
Catholic Church at 6000 Georgia Avenue in Ward 4.
"I am committed to the revitalization of the Georgia
Avenue corridor," said Mayor Williams. "Our purpose is to strategically identify
District resources that, when partnered with the assets of the community, create a climate
for sustained economic growth. If Georgia Avenue is to survive, its identity must be
redefined as a corridor of neighborhoods anchored by commercial development."
This plan offers a vision for revival of the corridor "I
am very excited about what is happening on Georgia Avenue," said Charlene Drew
Jarvis, Ward 4 Council member and Chair of the DC Council Committee on Economic
Development. "We have been working toward this recovery for years. In 1995, I asked
that the Department of Motor Vehicles be relocated in Ward 4. Now, under the leadership of
Mayor Anthony A. Williams, it is finally being delivered."
Georgia Avenue has historically played a significant role in
the image of the city. Its identity has evolved as a result of the character of the
neighborhoods along its path -- Shaw, Columbia Heights, Park View, Petworth, Brightwood
Park, Brightwood, Shepherd Park and Takoma Park. However, civil unrest in the 1960s and a
loss of population and retail competition from Maryland and Virginia have contributed to
its decline. This renewed commitment represents two key components of Mayor Williams'
Neighborhood Action plan to make government work for District residents and promote
economic development.
The Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development and the
Office of Planning have convened an Intra-Agency Task Force to focus on new actions to
jump-start the revitalization process. Representative agencies include the Department of
Housing and Community Development, the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, the
Office of Property Management, the Office of Banking, the Department of Public Works, the
Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Tax and Revenue and the Metropolitan
Police Department.
For further information, please contact Vanessa C. Akins of
the Georgia Avenue Revitalization Initiative Project at the Washington, D.C. Office of
Planning. The phone number is (202) 4427620.
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Georgia Avenue Stakeholders/Partners
The following have been instrumental in assisting the District
in shaping the vision for the revitalization of Georgia Avenue. This represents the true
spirit of Neighborhood Action.
Advisory Neighborhood Commission
County Executive Douglas Duncan, Montgomery County
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of Transportation
Department of Labor
Department of Commerce
DC Chamber of Commerce
DC Agenda
Fannie Mae
Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
First Union Bank
Georgia Avenue Business Association
Georgia Avenue Community Revitalization Initiative (GACRI)
MANNA
Enterprise Foundation
Center for Urban Progress (Howard University)
Howard University Community Association
Peoples Involvement Corporation
Georgia Avenue Gateway Revitalization Corporation
General Service Administration
Howard University
Industrial Bank
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
Lutheran Social Services of the National Capitol Area
Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (Capitol Gateway Initiative)
Montgomery County-Silver Spring Regional Service Center
Small Business Administration
Ward Four Georgia Avenue Task Force
Ward One Georgia Avenue Task Force
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Washington Convention Center
White House Task Force on Georgia Avenue |
