(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) selected the St. Elizabeths Legacy Partners (SELP) proposal for the development of Parcels 7, 8, and 9 on the St. Elizabeths East Campus to build a mixed-use, residential, retail and Class-A office building to house the District’s Department of Behavioral Health (DBH). The project centered around connectivity, access to goods and services, and local empowerment will fit within the historic aesthetics of the resilient Ward 8 Campus. This award completes DMPED’s redevelopment opportunities on the most Southern portion of the St. Elizabeths East Campus, near the Congress Heights Metro.
“With the selection of the team for Parcels 7, 8, and 9, we are delivering more affordable housing and homeownership opportunities on the Saint Elizabeths East Resilience Campus,” said Deputy Mayor John Falcicchio. “In addition to housing, this project will deliver brand new space for the community and arts & culture nonprofits.”
The SELP team, led by The Menkiti Group, consists of a collaboration of 12 local black, brown, and women-led development firms with extensive track records of delivering projects for the District. The proposal from SELP will deliver a new office building for the DBH, 277 affordable residences for district residents making between 30 and 80% Medium Family Income (MFI), 18 for-sale workforce and affordable townhomes, 30,000 plus square feet of neighborhood-serving retail, 90,000 square feet of intergenerational community-serving space, and 245 parking spaces. SELP has identified potential tenants such as Safe Shores, the University of the District of Columbia (UDC), Shop Made in D.C., Jubilee Jumpstart, DC Credit Union, and Grub Rockstar to name a few. The project will combine new and historical development, including walkable connections to the Congress Heights Metro Station, Martin Luther King Jr. Ave, and the Entertainment and Sports Arena (ESA). The R.I.S.E. facility will be regenerated with a community center of equal or greater space in the new project before decommissioning of the existing R.I.S.E. facility. During this process and throughout the overall development project, there will be no gaps in the provision of amenities, and any current services will continue in the new location. This award grants the SELP team exclusive rights to negotiate with the District for their proposal to redevelop.
The transformation of the St. Elizabeths East campus started with the RISE Center and Gateway Pavilion and followed with Mayor Bowser’s opening of the Entertainment and Sports Arena. The ESA was the first project completed in the St. Elizabeths East campus redevelopment since 2014. In April 2018, Mayor Bowser announced the 136-bed Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center at St. Elizabeths East, operated by Universal Health Services in conjunction with George Washington University and George Washington Medical Faculty Associates (GWMFA) and announced the 50-bed hospital expansion in September 2022. In 2019, the Mayor opened the second major redevelopment phase, the Residences at St. Elizabeths East, it marked the first time people lived on the campus since 2010. Other completed projects include a new 750-space parking garage behind the ESA and a new facility to replace the 801 East Men’s Shelter. In April 2022, The Mayor welcomed the first homeowners to the District Towns at St. Elizabeths East, and Whitman Walker Health’s new health care facility on Parcel 17, is expected to open in summer of 2023.
“Saint Elizabeths Hospital operated by the Department of Behavioral Health already is a critical provider in the community. We are excited to expand our services and join in the growth and vibrancy of Ward 8,” said Barbara J. Bazron, Ph.D., Director of the Department of Behavioral Health.
Black Homeownership Strike Force
Mayor Bowser committed to addressing the racial disparities in homeownership with a $10 million investment in her FY23 budget. This summer, Mayor Bowser launched the Black Homeownership Strike Force made up of government and public experts in housing and financial counseling, lending/ underwriting, real estate development and services, as well as representatives from the faith-based, senior, immigrant, and LGBTQ + community and advocates and representatives that address social and racial equity. The Strike Force met over the summer and released its final report in October. The final report included 10 recommendations to address racial disparities in homeownership and set a goal to create 20,000 Black homeowners by 2030.
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CONTACT:
Natalia Vanegas (EOM) - (202) 716 –3185; [email protected]