(Washington, DC) – Mayor Adrian M. Fenty on Friday announced the District has selected Washington Metropolitan Community Development Corp. and Banneker Ventures as the District's partners on the redevelopment of the historic Strand Theatre, a long-time landmark in the heart of the Lincoln Heights community.

“The Strand was once a true centerpiece to a great neighborhood,” Fenty said. “This is a great team and I am confident they’ve got the vision and the skills to revitalize the Strand so that it can serve – once again – as a real destination for the community.”

The development team also includes Green Door Advisors and Blue Skye Construction. Their proposal calls for building an 18,000 square foot restaurant, 18,000 square feet of office space or additional retail space as well as a space dedicated for community and cultural uses. The Deputy Mayor's Office will begin negotiations with WMCDC and Banneker Ventures to finalize a development agreement in order to move the project forward. The team is already working with community residents and stakeholders to allow additional community input for the types of retailers, services and businesses they would like to see occupy the redeveloped space.

Late last year, the District issued a competitive solicitation for development partners for the site. Prior to issuing the solicitation, the District held a series of Strand Theatre-specific planning meetings with the community during 2007. At the same time, the Office of Planning led the community planning process for the surrounding Deanwood neighborhood.