Urban Revitalization Strategies:

Transcription

1 Urban Revitalization Strategies: Leveraging Federal Land to Expand the Economic Base The Case of Washington, D.C. Valerie Santos Young Chief Operating Officer Government of the District of Columbia Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development The Federal City: The Heart of the Washington Region Federal presence, city-state role, structural imbalance 61 square miles 40 percent of the District s land un-taxable, occupied by government and non profits institutions uses No commuter tax DC Tax collections don t cover total expense of being the seat of the federal government Additional cost of providing services related to federal presence: $470 million to $1.1 billion imbalance

2 Remedy: Transfer of Key Federal Properties for Economic Development with the Purpose of Expanding the District s Tax Base To the District: Transfers 17 properties to the District, including: 110 acres at Poplar Point 67 acres at Hill East Waterfront 1/3 acre site at former Convention Center site. To the Feds: Five bldgs. at St. Elizabeths 12 acres for Architect of the Capitol mail sorting site Replacement facilities for NPS at Pop. Point Urban Renewal: Columbia Heights We ve taken on former federal sites before, learned many lessons Riot-ravaged in 1968, transferred to the District Various development authorities established to steer redevelopment Struggled to move projects Metro introduced in 1990s Transit expedited transformation Coincided with major development boom Now more than $1 billion in investment within a mile of the site

3 Key Federally Controlled Sites Center City DC Southwest Waterfront US CAPITOL South Capitol Waterfront Washington Canal Park Hill East Kingman and Heritage Islands Kenilworth Parkside Anacostia Metro Station Poplar Point Three of 17 federal sites to be transferred to District Hill East Waterfront a mixed-use waterfront district Site is currently occupied by a vacant hospital, under-used health care facilities and DC Jail

4 Master list of properties to be transferred to the District Hill East Waterfront 5 million square feet of total development Development Plan Housing, both for sale and apartments Office space Retail Reconnecting the Capitol Hill neighborhoods to the Anacostia River Challenges 12 acre mail screening facility, a response the anthrax attacks on the Capitol in 2001 Status: Solicitation issued, awaiting approval from the Architect of the Capitol for suggested relocation options

5 Poplar Point A Neglected Treasure Poplar Point 4-5 million square feet of total development Development Plan Housing, both for-sale and apartment units 30 % affordable units Neighborhood and destination retail Environmental-themed office development Challenges 70-acre world-class waterfront park Relocate NPS facilities Extensive environmental assessment Status: Undergoing community planning and environmental review process

6 Former Convention Center Site 10 acre Downtown Retail and Entertainment Destination City Center DC Mixed-use downtown retail and entertainment destination Development Plan 300,000 sq ft of retail space 770 units of new housing new hotel rooms Public plaza Norman Foster-designed apartments and condos Challenges Federal land must remain public, programable space Status: Groundbreaking 2009

7 Challenges Ahead Bureaucratic inertia Limited availability of alternative sites Lack of clarity in the law Unfunded expenses Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development