(Washington, DC) – Mayor Adrian M. Fenty on Wednesday announced the District has selected a development team led by Landex Corp. to transform the Park Morton housing complex into a $130 million New Community with more than 500 units of new housing for residents at all income levels.

“We are building a stronger, healthier, safer Georgia Avenue,” said Mayor Fenty. “And this team has the vision and the capacity to do just that at Park Morton.”

Currently, Park Morton consists of 174-units of low income housing managed by the District of Columbia Housing Authority. Last year, as a first step in implementing the Park Morton Redevelopment Initiative plan, the District issued a competitive solicitation seeking development partners to rebuild Park Morton into a mixed-income new community where each public housing unit will be replaced – one for one – with a new unit in the project. The new development will also include a mix of new market-rate and workforce housing units.

Park Morton is bounded by Georgia Avenue to the west, Warder Street to the east, Park Road to the north and Lamont Street to the south. It is one of four designated New Communities across the District. The others include Barry Farm/Park Chester/Wade Road in Ward 8; Northwest One in Ward 6 and Lincoln Heights/Richardson Dwellings in Ward 7.

In addition to the physical development project, the New Communities model also calls for supportive social services – a human capital program – focused on health care, adult education, employment, youth development, and public safety programs.

The District selected the Landex team based on several criteria including its vision for the site, its financial capacity, past experience and community feedback. Landex specializes in rebuilding distressed urban housing and has successfully completed projects in cities along the East Coast including federal HOPE VI redevelopment projects.

In the coming weeks, the District, lead by the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, will begin exclusive negotiations with the Landex team. A ground breaking for the first replacement units will occur next year.

Media Contacts

• Sean Madigan, (202) 615-2029