St. Elizabeths-Congress Heights EcoDistrict Overview

Directors Meeting – DC Office of PlanningMay 18, 2015

2

Agenda

- Foundation and Purpose

- EcoDistrict Formation

- Collaboration and Deliverables

- Next Steps and Discussion

3

Foundation and Purpose

What are EcoDistricts?

“EcoDistricts are neighborhoods or districts that integrate building and infrastructure projects with community and individual action to create just, resilient and sustainable cities.

They are an important scale to accelerate sustainability — small enough to innovate quickly and big enough to have a meaningful impact.”

4

In just one generation—20

years—the District of

Columbia will be the healthiest, greenest, and

most livable city in the United

States.

5

• Comprehensive Plan• Congress Heights, Anacostia, St. Elizabeths -

C.H.A.S.E. Action Agenda• C.H.A.S.E. Pattern Book• DC Vibrant Retail Streets Toolkit• St. Elizabeths Master Plan • St. Elizabeths East Redevelopment Framework

6

Planning Initiatives

7

ASSETS TO LEVERAGE• Historic St. Elizabeths East Campus –

rehabilitation and redevelopment • Cultural, educational, institutional and

recreational anchors• Natural habitat restoration• Retail/Main Street• Metro Station; highway access• Major boulevards • Nearby Federal Campus • Significant public investment

Why Congress Heights?

St. Elizabeths - Congress Heights EcoDistrict Focus Area

Opportunity to achieve greater economic

opportunities for existing residents while

enhancing the District’s leadership in sustainability

Project Area Stats and Approach

8

POPULATION Race: 95.7% African-American Population: 13,926 # Households: 4, 897 Bachelor’s Degree: 15%

ECONOMICS Average Income: $48, 390 Median Income: $34,162 Owner/Renter: 28%/72% Living in Poverty: 36.3 % Unemployment: 22.6% Public Investments: $250 million

St. Elizabeths - Congress Heights EcoDistrict Focus Area

Projects & Opportunities

9

Programs• Gateway to Health/STEAM• Great Streets/Main Street

Initiative• Vibrant Retail Streets Toolkit• Stormwater Retention Credits• DDOE: RiverSmart, LIHEAP, WAP• Bike Share• Sustainable DC

Infrastructure• St. Elizabeths Infrastructure

Updates• Oxon Run Trail Improvements• Oxon Creek Trail Restoration• District Energy Feasibility Study• Anacostia Line, DC Streetcar• Frederick Douglas Memorial

Bridge

Ballou High School ModernizationCongress Heights Metro

DevelopmentSt. E’s East Re-developmentRISE Demonstration Center

Gateway PavilionMLK/Malcolm X Commercial

Corridor

VIRTUAL TOUR

St. Elizabeths East - Gateway Pavilion$8 Million

3 State-of-the-Art Schools$124 Million

St. Elizabeths East-RISE Demonstration Center$8 Million

Trail Rehabilitation$1 Million

Southeast Tennis & Learning Center

$18 Million

St. Elizabeths East-Phase 1 Redevelopment

Infrastructure and Stabilization Festivals and Programming

11

EcoDistrict Formation

Target Cities Pilot

• Launched in 2009 by EcoDistrict Organization • 2 year program to accelerate neighborhood

revitalization through ‘EcoDistricts’• Collaborative effort between ‘Target Cities’, experts &

implementation partners• Target Cities ‘cohort’ includes projects from:

Los Angeles, CA Denver, CO Atlanta, GA Boston, MA Cambridge, MA Ottawa, ON Vancouver, BC Washington, D.C

St. Elizabeths-Congress Heights EcoDistrict

Downtown DC EcoDistrict

SW EcoDistrict

12

Three DC EcoDistricts

13

Why EcoDistricts for Washington, DC?

14

Opportunity to Advance Sustainability Agenda• Leverage technical expertise to implement innovative projects• Take a holistic approach to interagency collaboration • Provide meaningful & positive community impacts• Create a long term stewardship model• Showcase, measure and monitor impacts• Coordinate disparate stakeholders• Create an enhanced process• Address access and equity issues• Implement catalytic projects

Municipal

Agencies

Utilities

Community

Based

Organizations

Developers

Businesses

Residents

15

The Goal for Congress Heights

WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO DO?

Apply the Sustainable DC Plan at the neighborhood scale and move beyond individual projects and building-level efforts to make Congress Heights an economically vibrant, socially equitable and environmentally responsible community.

HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO IT?

Implement innovative projects through enhanced collaboration and cooperation among District agencies, community-based organizations and local partners and create a collaborative governance model for sustainable neighborhood revitalization.

16

Collaboration and Deliverables

St. Elizabeths- Congress Heights EcoDistrict Financial Support

• Washington, D.C. is an EcoDistrict ‘Founding Member’• District sponsored 2014 EcoDistrict Conference• DDOE-OP Interagency MOU• Agency Financial Contributions

- $35,000 (DDOE) - $30,000 (OP)- $10,000 (DMPED)- $10,000 (DGS)

17

EcoDistrict Resources• Monthly webinars with ‘Target Cities cohort’• Quarterly workshops to guide EcoDistricts through ‘Global Protocol’• Technical Assistance with subject matter experts • Think & Do Tanks to address common cohort challenges• An online tool with resources for future EcoDistricts

Project Deliverables• Project Work Plan & Roadmap• Summary of pilot program learning outcomes and results• Declaration of Cooperation

18

Resources & Deliverables

NATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION PARTNERS

19

EcoDistrict Partners

20

St. Elizabeths–Congress Heights EcoDistrictOrganization ChartAlexis Goggans, Project Manager & OP Project SupportLaine Cidlowski, OP & Sustainable DC Project Support

Tracy Gabriel, OP Project AdvisorZach Dobelbower, DGS Project SupportJames Parks, DMPED Project Support

Jay Wilson, DDOE Project Support & Technical AdvisorWilliam Updike, DDOE Project Support & Technical Advisor Project Team

ANC 8C, ANC 8E, ANC 8DCongress Heights Main Streets,

St. E's ambassadors,Community Task

Force

Energy EfficiencyAccess & Mobility

Stormwater ManagementMaterials ManagementEconomic & Workforce

DevelopmentHousing Affordability & Stability

Healthy & Active LivingInteragency Working

Groups

Career Path DC, NRDC, LISC, Urban Green,

Georgetown University, George Washington University, Research & Technical

Partners

Key Priority Areas for St. Elizabeths – Congress Heights EcoDistrict

HEALTHY & ACTIVE LIVING

MATERIALS MANAGEMENT

ENERGY & RESILIENCE

ACCESS &

MOBILITY

ECONOMIC & WORKFORCE

DEVELOPMENT

HOUSING AFFORDABILITY

& STABILITY

WATERSHED & HABITAT

MANAGEMENT

22

Interagency Working

Groups

Economic & Workforce

DevelopmentSakina Kahn (OP)Polina Bakhteiarov

(DMPEDHousing Affordability & Stability

Evelyn Kasongo (OP)Molly Simpson (DDOE)

Energy & ResilienceZach (Dobelbower DGS)

Bill Updike (DDOE)

Materials ManagementMaryLynn Wilhere

(DDOE)Hallie Clemm (DPW)

Watershed & Habitat

ManagementJay Wilson (DDOE)

Access & MobilityDan Emerine (OP)

Alexis Goggans (OP)

Healthy & Active Living

Nick Kushner (EOM) & Laine Cidlowski (OP)

Working Group Charge• Data Collection• Target Setting• Coordinating Efforts• Identifying Activities &

Strategies

Participating Agencies• DMPED• DOH• DSLBD• DOES• DDOT• DHCD• DCHA• EOM• DDOE• OP• DGS• DPR• OTA• DPW

ROADMAP

ROADMAP

25

Engagement FrameworkEngagement

Consensus BuildingTransparencyInclusivenessCollaboration

Implementation

Data CollectionTarget SettingImpact & InvestmentsCapacity Building

Governance

StewardshipDecision MakingMonitoring & Management

Community Stakeholders| Research & Technical Partners| DC Government Agencies

26

Engagement Framework

• Form a Community Task Force or Advisory Committee• Consult advisors from existing Boards and Commissions• Initiate a “launch” community event to gain knowledge

and feedback on community priorities• - “What’s an EcoDistrict to Congress Heights?”

• Continue action-oriented community events built around Interagency Working Groups and Key Priority Areas

• Utilize partners and technical advisors for capacity-building and implementation

• Realize community stewardship opportunities

27

Next Steps and Discussion

28

EcoDistrict Outlook

Next Steps Community Task Force Kick Off Complete Roadmap with EcoDistrict

Targets Pursue Declaration of Cooperation Project Implementation

29

Discussion Areas

What are activities you are doing that could tie into this effort or be leveraged?

Ideas on distinguishing this EcoDistrict as a District-run initiative versus the other EcoDistricts being led by non-District entities.

Are there any community sensitivities that we should be aware of as we continue this initiative?

Are there any topics that we should dig deeper in terms of technical assistance from the EcoDistrict partners?