(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, during Roots to Roofs Week, Mayor Muriel Bowser and Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) Brian Kenner revealed more than 10 projects soon to be available to Washington, DC’s development and construction community. The announcement came at DMPED’s March Madness, an annual effort to create more quality affordable housing, support small and local businesses, and expand job opportunities for DC residents.

“As our city continues to grow, we remain laser-focused on ensuring the District remains diverse, inclusive, and accessible,” said Mayor Bowser. “March Madness is one more way that we can connect local small businesses and District residents to opportunities that give them a fair shot at building their own pathways to the middle class.”

The Bowser Administration launched March Madness in 2015 and to date has introduced more than 40 projects through the annual event. Today, 10 additional projects were unveiled that feature parks, libraries, housing, retail and more.

DMPED announced four projects:

• 2 Patterson Street, NE (Ward 6)
• 1004-1018 Howard Road and Shannon Place (Ward 8)
• St. Elizabeths - Parcel 15 (Ward 8)
• 400-414 Eastern Avenue NE and 6100 block of Dix Street, NE – Eden Place (Ward 7)

“For the fourth straight year, March Madness allows us to showcase development opportunities that will meet the needs of our residents and create jobs and affordable housing, many of which are in our underserved communities,” said Deputy Mayor Kenner. “The event also provides an opportunity for local CBEs and small businesses to network and potentially build teams to respond to future solicitations.”

The Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) announced four opportunities:

• Stead Park Recreation Center, 1625 P Street, NW (Ward 2)
• Fort Lincoln Park and Theodore Hagans Recreation Center, 3201 Ft Lincoln Drive, NE (Ward 5)
• Therapeutic Recreation Center, 3030 G Street, SE (Ward 7)

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) highlighted contracting and construction opportunities for the new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, the chief facet of the South Capitol Street Corridor Project which is the largest public infrastructure project in the history of DDOT. For more information, go to ddot.dc.gov.

The DC Public Library (DCPL) highlighted its Request for Proposals (RFP) for its Ten-Year Libraries Master Plan that comprehensively assesses that state of current facilities and the need for future investments in libraries across all eight wards. DCPL also showcased three opportunities:

• Lamond-Riggs Library, 5401 South Dakota Avenue, NE (Ward 5)
• Southeast Library, 403 7th Street, SE (Ward 6)
• Southwest Library, 900 Wesley Place, SW (Ward 6)

Since coming into office, the Bowser Administration has sparked the creation or preservation of more 10,400 affordable units, with another 2,950 in preconstruction. In Fiscal Year 2017, the District made historic investments in affordable housing, getting more than $138 million in Housing Production Trust Fund financing out the door to support 23 projects that will produce or preserve more than 1,900 affordable units.

The District’s multi-pronged approach to housing production and preservation, homeownership, and development of vacant properties is winning national recognition. In September 2017, the District was selected for the Urban Land Institute’s Larson Housing Policy Leadership Award. This annual award, provided by ULI’s Terwilliger Center for Housing, recognizes innovative ways the public sector is addressing the nation’s affordable housing crisis.

The Mayor and Deputy Mayor were joined at March Madness by Department of Housing and Community Development Director Polly Donaldson, DDOT Director Jeff Marootian, Department of General Services Director Greer Gillis, Director of Capital Planning and Design for DPR Ella Faulkner, DMPED Real Estate Director Sarosh Olpadwala, and DCPL Chief Business Officer Jonathan Butler.

Throughout Roots to Roofs Week, Mayor Bowser is highlighting the programs, tools, and resources her Administration is using to make Washington, DC more affordable for residents in all eight wards.