(Washington, DC) Mayor Adrian M. Fenty on Friday signed a bill merging the Anacostia Waterfront Corp. (AWC) and the National Capital Revitalization Corp. (NCRC) with the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED).
“Today we are taking on several billion dollars worth of neighborhood-transforming economic development projects,” said Mayor Fenty. “At the end of the day, the residents of the District of Columbia will hold me and my administration accountable for the success of these projects and this legislation gives us the clear authority to get the job done.”
Mayor Fenty also expressed his gratitude to the board of directors and staff of AWC and NCRC for their service to the residents of the District of Columbia and promised to build on the momentum these two organizations started.
Earlier this month, the DC Council approved a bill that folds the District’s two quasi-public corporations into the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. The bill effectively dissolves the boards of the two corporations immediately and sets a date for the powers of the corporation to sunset on September 30, 2007, the last day of the current fiscal year.
The Fenty Administration has hired Accenture, a consulting firm that specializes in merger integrations, and is working with staff from both organizations to ensure a smooth transition. Personnel, assets, and contracts will be transferred to the District before the end of the fiscal year. At the same time, project managers from all three organizations are moving aggressively to keep all current projects on track, and striving to accelerate the pace of progress.
Earlier this month, the District announced a new development team led by EYA to prepare the 25-acre site of the former McMillan Reservoir Sand Filtration site for redevelopment. The DC Council also recently passed key legislation to advance the redevelopment of the Skyland Shopping Center. Demolition and redevelopment of the Waterside Mall is expected to begin soon.
Established in 2004, the Anacostia Waterfront Corp. was tasked with implementing the Anacostia Waterfront Initiative, a visionary plan that calls for the creation of 6,500 units of new housing, 32-acres of new parks, 3 million square feet of office space and a 20-mile riverwalk as well as restoring the health of the city’s long-neglected river.
The National Capital Revitalization Corp. began its operations in 2001. The organization was charged with a citywide slate of neighborhood revitalization projects and given the property portfolio of the now defunct Redevelopment Land Agency. The organization was instrumental in the transformation of 14th Street in Columbia Heights.