Mayor Bowser unveils $400M plan to revitalize Downtown DC

Bowser unveils $400M plan to revitalize Downton DC

Mayor Muriel Bowser unveiled a $400 million plan Monday she hopes will help revitalize Downtown D.C. FOX 5's Bob Barnard has the story.

WASHINGTON - Mayor Muriel Bowser unveiled a $400 million plan Monday she hopes will help revitalize Downtown D.C.

Joined by several city leaders, including Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto, and the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Nina Albert, Bowser said she and her team have been working on two initiatives that will pump some life into the area, regardless of whether the Caps and Wizards stick around.

"What I don’t want anyone to think is that the Capital One Arena just the way it is, is good enough. Because part of what we know is that it could be more interactive with the streets that are around it. And part of our visioning process for what’s next for Gallery Place and Chinatown includes a vision with the Capitals and Wizards and one without," Mayor Bowser said.

The mayor's multi-million dollar strategy is a five-year campaign to help kickstart a comeback for Downtown D.C. by attracting more businesses and keeping the ones already here, with less burdensome regulations and permits. The goal is also to increase the number of people who live downtown from 25,000 to 40,000 by converting empty office space into residential units.

Washington,DC- AUGUST 9: Downtown Washington DC has undergone dramatic changes over the last thirty years. Chinatown at 7th and H St. NW is an example of an area that has exploded with new bars and restaurants because of the Verizon Center next door,

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Part of the idea involves thinking of downtown not as one giant region, but as five distinct areas with names like "Penn West" and "Historic Green Triangle."

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The Downtown Action Plan, which was developed by the DowntownDC and Golden Triangle Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), is a roadmap that focuses on five foundational elements: 1) anchoring downtown’s comeback in public safety; 2) creating a place of choice to locate and do business; 3) building a residential base; 4) planning for transportation as an asset; and 5) making it all happen efficiently.

The Downtown Public Realm Plan was developed by the District’s Office of Planning to complement the Downtown Action Plan by improving public spaces like streets, sidewalks, and plazas, and help the city do a better job tapping into the average 16 million tourists who visit our nation's capital each year.

The city is starting by allocating $39 million toward the project in its next fiscal year's budget.

Learn more about this new effort at Reimaginedowntowdc.com