New Communities Get Underway with Sursum Corda
On Thursday, June 9, City Administrator Robert Bobb and other District officials joined residents of Sursum Corda, one of the city’s New Community Revitalization Focus Areas, to celebrate the development of a strategy to improve the quality of life for neighborhood families.
The Northwest Revitalization Focus Area is bounded by New York Avenue, North Capitol Street, K Street, M Street and New Jersey Avenue. Other communities proposed for revitalization include: Barry Farm, Woodland Terrace, Potomac Hopkins, Lincoln Heights/Richardson Dwellings, Highland Addition, Shepard Street, Park Morton and Langston Terrace.
City Administrator Bobb encouraged community leaders, residents and government officials to participate in a process that would ensure the protection of affordable housing and create a holistic approach to physical, social and economic development of neighborhoods.
“We need all of you to participate in this process, and we need your help in getting the word out that the opportunity to help shape our city’s future is here before us,” Bobb said. “We must continue to water and fertilize our most beleaguered communities and not just throw up our hands. By making a commitment to these communities and if we persevere, along with the residents, we will reap a harvest-an inclusive city and a thriving Nation’s capital.”
The District’s Metropolitan Police Department supervised grilling detail, while District-wide agency administrators and staff served hot dogs and hamburgers. Several lucky raffle ticket holders won a range of prizes that included National’s T-shirts, hats and tickets. Residents and community leaders used the event to discuss details of the New Communities and how they could become more involved.
June 22 will mark the kick-off for the upcoming Community Planning Workshop process. City officials hope to cement relationships with community residents in an effort to move forward with development activities. Following this will be an intensive four-day design charette scheduled July 6 through 9. Mayor Anthony A. Williams, City Administrator Bobb, Stanley Jackson, deputy mayor for planning and economic development, council members and a host of other District officials will join residents and community leaders for the strategic planning session.
New Communities is designed to stabilize the District’s most distressed neighborhoods by transforming them into mixed-income communities that protect housing for poor and moderate income households. In these areas, the District will create more opportunity through better jobs, education and training, and human services, around rebuilt community anchors like schools and recreation centers.
Capital Columns On-Line will continue to follow and report the progress of the New Communities Initiative.