In 2007, the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development issued a Solicitation for Offers to redevelop two District-owned properties, 4427 Hayes Street, NE and 4808-4826 Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, NE located in the Lincoln Heights and Richardson Dwellings neighborhood in Ward 7. In March 2008, the District selected Blue Skye Development to redevelop 4427 Hayes Street, NE, a long-vacant apartment building.
In September 2009, the District broke ground on the $5 million, twenty-six unit, mixed-use housing development at 4427 Hayes Street. The project is a key to the city's efforts to revitalize the Lincoln Heights/Richardson Dwellings and surrounding Deanwood community. The project will be used to provide off-site replacement housing for some current residents of the Lincoln Heights/Richardson Dwellings community. The community is being rebuilt into nearly 1,500 new units of housing, both homeownership and rental, as a part of the New Communities Initiative (NCI). Under the auspices of the New Communities program, Blue Skye Development has reserved nine of the twenty-six units for residents currently living in the Lincoln Heights/Richardson Dwellings.
The PNC Financial Services Group, working with Vornado/Charles E. Smith, contributed $700,000 toward the $5 million project. The developer and the bank are building 800 17th Street/PNC Place, a 365,000 square foot office building downtown that will house PNC’s regional headquarters. The contribution was made as part of a community benefits package tied to the building’s zoning approvals.
The goal of The New Communities Initiative is to combat the social challenges that exist in these communities by transforming highly concentrated low-income neighborhoods into healthy mixed-income neighborhoods that protect housing for low-income residents with a one-for-one replacement of existing affordable housing around improved community anchors, such as schools and recreation centers.
Development Partner
Community Investments
- Off-site replacement housing for some current residents of the Lincoln Heights/Richardson Dwellings community.
Economic Opportunities
- The New Communities Initiative is a comprehensive partnership designed to improve the quality of life for families and individuals living in distressed neighborhoods in the District.
Next Steps
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Relocate residents in completed replacement units