Pepco to start burying power lines on RIA
Today’s issue of the Washington Post brings Good Ward 5 News! On Monday, Mayor Gray signed legislation authorizing $1B to bury feeder lines over the course of five to seven years. Work could begin later this year, with the RIA corridor slated for the 2nd year of the project. The DC Public Service Commission must provide final approval on a surcharge that will be billed to Pepco customers. This is in response to the “Derecho” of 2012 that left many neighborhoods without power for days. The areas targeted in this large undergrounding initiative were hit the hardest by the Derecho. While grid reliability is the primary reason for burying the power lines, this project has also been supported by many in the RIA community for aesthetic reasons, so this is great news for us. The large trees that line RIA between the RIA metro station and Eastern Avenue have been aggressively trimmed by Pepco over the years in order to reduce damage to power lines during storm events. The beautiful green canopy of trees is left looking mangled and warped. A tour of highly successful revitalization zones in DC shows that underground power lines is a key component to a successful streetscape design. In fact, when FoRIA participated in the DC Vibrant Retail Streets program last year, one of the top recommendations that we received was to push for undergrounding of the power...
Read MoreFoRIA Wins Rhode Island Avenue Main Street Bid
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: DECEMBER 18, 2013—The DC Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) has selected Friends of Rhode Island Avenue NE (FoRIA) to manage the new Rhode Island Avenue Main Street program, effective immediately. Mayor Vincent Gray and Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie made the announcement today at 10 a.m., as part of Mayor Gray’s regular bi-weekly press conference. Rhode Island Avenue Main Street will be the newest of eight independent, non-profit Main Street programs in the District. The boundaries will run from 4th Street NE to 24th Street NE along Rhode Island Avenue NE, which is also a section of the historic Route 1 corridor, and one of DC’s designated Great Streets. “We are thrilled to have this opportunity,” said James Holloway, Chair of the FoRIA Board of Directors. “For a long time, the communities that surround Rhode Island Avenue NE have asked for more restaurant and retail options within walking distance of their homes. FoRIA’s goal has always been to work with the community to build the type of vibrant commercial corridor that will not only serve this amazing and diverse community, but will also be an opportunity zone where locally-owned businesses can thrive.” The DC Main Street program has been in existence since 2002, and provides resources for local organizations to leverage private investment through public and private partnerships while revitalizing existing commercial corridors and historic landmarks. The program serves small businesses, which are a driving force for the local economy. In the last year alone, DC Main Streets programs have created more than 470 new jobs in the District. DC’s program was created through the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and utilizes the National Trust’s Main Street Four-Point Approach® for commercial...
Read MoreCongratulations to RIA Businesses!
Earlier this summer, we reported that the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) announced the first round of grant applications for the Great Streets Small Business Capital Improvement Grants. At Monday’s Great Streets Award ceremony, Mayor Vincent Gray, Deputy Mayor Victor Hoskins, and our own Council member Kenyan McDuffie announced that seven Rhode Island Avenue NE businesses have been awarded grants totaling over $567,000 to improve their properties. The ceremony, which took place at DC Dragons Martial Arts Studio, was packed with business owners and community members, all celebrating this great opportunity for some much-needed improvements to retail properties along the Rhode Island Avenue NE commercial corridor. Take a look at some of the improvements you’ll see coming to the Avenue soon: The Avenue Day Spa, located at 2125 Rhode Island Avenue NE, is a new salon that will use its $85,000 award for store improvements and to install new signage. DC Dragons Martial Arts Training Center, a long-time business located at 1731 Rhode Island Avenue NE, is a family owned and operated martial arts studio that will use its $69,500 award to renovate its facility. The Material World Boutique, located at 2121 Rhode Island Avenue NE, a new retail store on the Rhode Island Avenue corridor will use its $85,000 award for façade improvements and equipment upgrades. Provost, located at 2129 Rhode Island Avenue NE, is a new restaurant that will use its $85,000 award for façade and space improvements. AA Enterprise, located at 3010 Rhode Island Avenue NE, is an automobile repair shop that will use its $73,000 award to install digital signage. ICHPROP, located at 1601 Rhode Island Avenue NE, a new restaurant that will serve the RIA communities, will use its $85,000 award for streetscape and rear outdoor area upgrades. P & G Counseling and Educational Institute, located at 2218 Rhode Island Avenue NE, is a mental health services company that will use its $84,996 award to renovate both its interior and exterior space. Stay tuned – we’ll be posting photos of the various projects as they get under way. Plus, additional rounds of grant opportunities are expected soon, so it is perfect time to think about investing on the Avenue! We’ll be helping to spread the word as soon as the next round is...
Read MoreGreat Streets Awards Ceremony!
Join us on Monday to learn which RIA businesses will be receiving grants to improve their buildings and businesses! For more information about the Great Streets Small Business Capital Improvement grants, visit DMPED‘s Great Streets website. And congratulations to the winners!...
Read MoreMayor’s FY2014 Budget Town Hall Meeting
Tomorrow evening, Mayor Vincent Gray will visit Ward 5 to get feedback from the community on the FY2014 budget. Come out and support an investment in Ward 5! Many of you wrote to the Mayor in support of increased funding for RIA projects, such as grants for new and existing businesses, as well as funding for streetscape and infrastructure improvements. While the current draft of the budget includes money for the various Retail Priority Areas in the District (RIA is one of these), and for money to be allocated to DDOT for streetscape improvements, the language of the budget seems very vague with regards to RIA. We’d like to impress upon the Mayor the need for some clarification and investment in Ward 5. If we want our small businesses to thrive, and if we want more jobs to be created right here in our community, we need Mayor Gray and the DC Council to make a commitment to economic development investment in Ward 5. Hope to see you tomorrow – 6:30 – 8:30 pm, at the Luke Moore...
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