Washington Business Journal by Karen Goff
The Menkiti Group and tech company Enlightened Inc. have been selected by the District's Deputy Mayor for Economic Development to lead the development of MLK Gateway, a project aimed at revitalizing five parcels at Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE and Good Hope Road SE.
DMPED offered MLK Gateway as a potential project as part of this year’s March Madness, an annual economic development showcase. Deputy Mayor Brian Kenner said Friday that the development will deliver on his office’s mission “to drive economic development in all corners of the District.”
Kenner said in a statement that the $25 million project will deliver economic opportunities to an underserved community, bringing a tech incubator, more than 200 jobs and needed retail to Ward 8.
The development team has proposed a 100-percent commercial project with more than 50,500 square feet of new development. The plan for 1201-1215 Good Hope Road SE and 1909 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE includes 28,500 square feet of commercial office space and nearly 22,000 square feet of restaurant, grocery, and retail, The Menkiti Group said.
Tenants of the site will include a Keller Williams real estate brokerage office with a Real Estate Entrepreneurship Career Academy and office space for Enlightened Inc.’s tech incubator, which will be the first of its kind in Anacostia. The incubator will provide mentorship, training and development for the creation of local technology firms; the Real Estate Academy will give area residents the tools to enter the real estate profession, a DMPED spokesman said.
Enlightened Inc., which specializes in cybersecurity, will also move its headquarters from Northwest D.C. to a new office at MLK Gateway, bringing 150 jobs to Ward 8. DMPED says the site will also include local retailers Filter Coffee, Good Food Markets, Smith Commons and City First Bank.
The Menkiti Group will redevelop its own property at 1301 Good Hope Road to include a new Retro Fitness gym and office space for Menkiti Residential.
Runner-up in the MLK Gateway request for proposals was the Anacostia Economic Development Corp. and Republic Properties Corp. That team proposed retail, residential, a 8,970-square-foot hydroponic farm, a two-level cultural retail conference and event space, and an office incubator space.
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