Save the Date! DDOT Public Meetings for RIA Streetscape Improvements
We’ve been talking about it for a while, and after delays on new contract awards during the Federal Government shut-down, DDOT has finally announced the first date for public meetings to get community input about streetscape improvements to Rhode Island Avenue. On December 11th, DDOT will host the first of several public meetings to solicit your input on what types of streetscape improvements are needed on Rhode Island Avenue NE. The phrase “streetscape” refers to improvements in the physical appearance and condition of RIA – including options for improved lighting for pedestrian safety, better crosswalks, more trees, decorative sidewalks, benches, planters, etc. The RIA corridor is YOUR neighborhood commercial corridor, and YOUR input will provide the direction that DDOT takes for improving the safety and appearance of the Avenue. The time and location for the Dec. 11 meeting are still to be determined, so save the date and stay tuned for more...
Read MoreCongratulations to RIA Businesses!
Earlier this summer, we reported that the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) announced the first round of grant applications for the Great Streets Small Business Capital Improvement Grants. At Monday’s Great Streets Award ceremony, Mayor Vincent Gray, Deputy Mayor Victor Hoskins, and our own Council member Kenyan McDuffie announced that seven Rhode Island Avenue NE businesses have been awarded grants totaling over $567,000 to improve their properties. The ceremony, which took place at DC Dragons Martial Arts Studio, was packed with business owners and community members, all celebrating this great opportunity for some much-needed improvements to retail properties along the Rhode Island Avenue NE commercial corridor. Take a look at some of the improvements you’ll see coming to the Avenue soon: The Avenue Day Spa, located at 2125 Rhode Island Avenue NE, is a new salon that will use its $85,000 award for store improvements and to install new signage. DC Dragons Martial Arts Training Center, a long-time business located at 1731 Rhode Island Avenue NE, is a family owned and operated martial arts studio that will use its $69,500 award to renovate its facility. The Material World Boutique, located at 2121 Rhode Island Avenue NE, a new retail store on the Rhode Island Avenue corridor will use its $85,000 award for façade improvements and equipment upgrades. Provost, located at 2129 Rhode Island Avenue NE, is a new restaurant that will use its $85,000 award for façade and space improvements. AA Enterprise, located at 3010 Rhode Island Avenue NE, is an automobile repair shop that will use its $73,000 award to install digital signage. ICHPROP, located at 1601 Rhode Island Avenue NE, a new restaurant that will serve the RIA communities, will use its $85,000 award for streetscape and rear outdoor area upgrades. P & G Counseling and Educational Institute, located at 2218 Rhode Island Avenue NE, is a mental health services company that will use its $84,996 award to renovate both its interior and exterior space. Stay tuned – we’ll be posting photos of the various projects as they get under way. Plus, additional rounds of grant opportunities are expected soon, so it is perfect time to think about investing on the Avenue! We’ll be helping to spread the word as soon as the next round is...
Read MoreGreat Streets Awards Ceremony!
Join us on Monday to learn which RIA businesses will be receiving grants to improve their buildings and businesses! For more information about the Great Streets Small Business Capital Improvement grants, visit DMPED‘s Great Streets website. And congratulations to the winners!...
Read MoreRhode Island Avenue Main Street – Some FAQs
Earlier this year, the DC Council included funds for a Rhode Island Avenue Main Street program in the FY2014 budget. By the end of July, a request for applications was released by the Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) to solicit applications from non-profit organizations to manage the program. The application closing date was August 28th, and the announcement of the organization selection is expected to happen in September. FoRIA submitted an application, and we’re eagerly awaiting the final decision. This is an amazing opportunity for all of the residents and businesses along the RIA-NE corridor. We’ve received a lot of questions the Main Street program, so we thought we’d take a minute to share the questions we’ve been asked, and our responses. • What is a “Main Street program”? The National Main Street program has been in existence for over 30 years, and it is part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. In 2002, the DC Main Streets program was created through the national program, and it is managed by DSLBD. In 2012 alone, the DC Main Streets Program contributed some impressive numbers to the local economy: Net Job Gain: 471 Net new businesses: 29 Rehabilitation projects completed: 31 Value – Private: $51,981,000 Public improvement projects completed: 2 Value – Public: $2,740,000 At its core, the Main Street program is essentially a tool, or template, that is used to strengthen and revitalize traditional commercial corridors. Historically, when “big box” stores and strip malls go into small towns in rural America, those communities would lose their downtown areas – their town squares or central “Main Street” district. Urban neighborhoods were seeing the same trend, as the suburbs expanded with malls and other retail destinations. Some beautiful and historic architecture was being lost in these areas, and the National Trust saw an opportunity to not only save historic buildings, but to really provide communities with the tools to save their downtowns. So the National Trust developed The Main Street Four Point Approach® to community revitalization, and the Main Street program was created. • What is the “The Main Street Four Point Approach®”? The Main Street Four Point Approach® refers to 4 areas of focus: Design – which means getting the area in top physical shape. Capitalizing on the assets, like historic buildings. But it also means creating an inviting atmosphere through improved landscaping, street/sidewalk infrastructure improvements, window displays, signage, etc., to convey a visual message about what a community’s Main Street is all about and what it has to offer. Promotion – selling the image – and promise – of a community’s Main Street. It means marketing the area’s unique characteristics to shoppers, investors, visitors, and new businesses. For our community, that means events like Fall Fest, which is all about getting the community to spend time on RIA and to begin seeing it again as a preferred destination. It means creating promotional material to attract new businesses and new customers. Economic Restructuring – this is about helping existing businesses expand, and recruiting new ones to respond to the market needs. It is about creating a cohesive business retention strategy that is more than just pushing for new businesses to open – it is about really understanding the market and being able to build an economically vibrant Main Street where the businesses thrive because they are in the right market for their product. Organization – this is pretty much the backbone of the Main Street program. It creates a cohesive program by getting everyone working towards the same goal. This means...
Read MoreDDOT Starting Work on Bridge to RIA Metro Station
With construction starting Monday, August 19 there will soon be a new bridge connecting Rhode Island Ave Metro with the Edgewood neighborhood and the Met Branch Trail. Construction is expected to take 16 – 18 months, putting completion around Dec 2014 – Feb 2015. This is exciting news for folks in Edgewood! This means if you’re walking from Edgewood Terrace or the Big Lots (from the northwest), you no longer have to walk under the tracks, next to fast moving traffic on a narrow sidewalk, then up a long, winding ramp up to the Metro station entrance. You’d instead go to the Met Branch Trail entrance off the parking lot and walk up those steps to the Metro. DDOT has put up a website to track this project, which you should be sure to check back on over the next 16 – 18 months: www.rhodeislandavepedbridge.com All photos...
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