St. Elizabeths-Congress Heights EcoDistrict
Overview
Directors Meeting – DC Office of Planning
May 18, 2015
Agenda
- Foundation and Purpose
- EcoDistrict Formation
- Collaboration and Deliverables
- Next Steps and Discussion
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Foundation and Purpose
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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.”
In just one
generation—20
years—the
District of
Columbia will be
the healthiest,
greenest, and
most livable city
in the United
States.
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Planning Initiatives
• 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
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Why Congress Heights?
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
Opportunity to achieve greater economic
opportunities for existing residents while
enhancing the District’s leadership
in sustainability
St. Elizabeths - Congress Heights EcoDistrict Focus Area
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Project Area Stats
and Approach
POPULATION
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Race: 95.7% African-American
Population: 13,926
# Households: 4, 897
Bachelor’s Degree: 15%
ECONOMICS
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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
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Projects & Opportunities
Programs
Infrastructure
Buildings
• Gateway to Health/STEAM
• St. Elizabeths Infrastructure Updates
• Ballou High School Modernization
• Great Streets/Main Street Initiative
• Oxon Run Trail Improvements
• Congress Heights Metro Development
• Vibrant Retail Streets Toolkit
• Oxon Creek Trail Restoration
• St. E’s East Re-development
• Stormwater Retention Credits
• District Energy Feasibility Study
• RISE Demonstration Center
• DDOE: RiverSmart, LIHEAP, WAP
• Anacostia Line, DC Streetcar
• Gateway Pavilion
• Bike Share
• Frederick Douglas Memorial Bridge
• MLK/Malcolm X Commercial Corridor
• Sustainable DC
VIRTUAL TOUR
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St. Elizabeths East Gateway Pavilion
$8 Million
3 State-of-the-Art
Schools
$124 Million
Southeast Tennis &
Learning Center
$18 Million
St. Elizabeths EastRISE Demonstration Center
$8 Million
Trail Rehabilitation
$1 Million
St. Elizabeths EastPhase 1 Redevelopment
Infrastructure and Stabilization
Festivals and Programming
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EcoDistrict Formation
Target Cities Pilot
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Launched in 2009 by EcoDistrict Organization
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2 year program to accelerate neighborhood
revitalization through ‘EcoDistricts’
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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
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Three DC EcoDistricts
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Why EcoDistricts for Washington, DC?
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
Developers
• Coordinate disparate stakeholders
• Create an enhanced process
Businesses
• Address access and equity issues
• Implement catalytic projects
Residents
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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.
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Collaboration and
Deliverables
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St. Elizabeths- Congress Heights EcoDistrict
Financial Support
•
Washington, D.C. is an EcoDistrict ‘Founding Member’
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District sponsored 2014 EcoDistrict Conference
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DDOE-OP Interagency MOU
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Agency Financial Contributions
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$35,000 (DDOE)
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$30,000 (OP)
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$10,000 (DMPED)
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$10,000 (DGS)
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Resources & Deliverables
EcoDistrict Resources
•
Monthly webinars with ‘Target Cities cohort’
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Quarterly workshops to guide EcoDistricts through ‘Global Protocol’
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Technical Assistance with subject matter experts
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Think & Do Tanks to address common cohort challenges
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An online tool with resources for future EcoDistricts
Project Deliverables
•
Project Work Plan & Roadmap
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Summary of pilot program learning outcomes and results
•
Declaration of Cooperation
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EcoDistrict Partners
NATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION PARTNERS
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St. Elizabeths–Congress Heights EcoDistrict
Organization Chart
Alexis Goggans, Project Manager & OP Project Support
Laine Cidlowski, OP & Sustainable DC Project Support
Tracy Gabriel, OP Project Advisor
Zach Dobelbower, DGS Project Support
James Parks, DMPED Project Support
Jay Wilson, DDOE Project Support & Technical Advisor
William Updike, DDOE Project Support & Technical Advisor
Project Team
Energy Efficiency
ANC 8C, ANC 8E, ANC 8D
Congress Heights Main Streets,
St. E's ambassadors,
Access & Mobility
Stormwater Management
Materials Management
Economic & Workforce Development
Community Task Force
Housing Affordability & Stability
Career Path DC, NRDC, LISC, Urban Green,
Georgetown University,
George Washington University,
Research & Technical Partners
Healthy & Active Living
Interagency Working Groups
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Key Priority Areas for St. Elizabeths –
Congress Heights EcoDistrict
HEALTHY & ACTIVE
LIVING
MATERIALS
MANAGEMENT
ACCESS &
MOBILITY
WATERSHED & HABITAT
MANAGEMENT
ENERGY &
RESILIENCE
ECONOMIC & WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT
HOUSING
AFFORDABILITY
& STABILITY
Working Group Charge
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Data Collection
Target Setting
Coordinating Efforts
Identifying Activities &
Strategies
Economic & Workforce
Development
Sakina Kahn (OP)
Polina Bakhteiarov (DMPED
Healthy &
Active Living
Housing Affordability
& Stability
Nick Kushner (EOM) &
Laine Cidlowski (OP)
Evelyn Kasongo (OP)
Molly Simpson (DDOE)
Participating Agencies
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DMPED
DOH
DSLBD
DOES
DDOT
DHCD
DCHA
EOM
DDOE
OP
DGS
DPR
OTA
DPW
Access & Mobility
Interagency
Working
Groups
Energy & Resilience
Dan Emerine (OP)
Alexis Goggans (OP)
Zach (Dobelbower DGS)
Bill Updike (DDOE)
Watershed & Habitat
Management
Jay Wilson (DDOE)
Materials
Management
MaryLynn Wilhere (DDOE)
Hallie Clemm (DPW)
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ROADMAP
ROADMAP
Engagement Framework
Community Stakeholders| Research & Technical Partners| DC Government Agencies
Engagement
• Consensus Building
• Transparency
• Inclusiveness
• Collaboration
Implementation
• Data Collection
• Target Setting
• Impact & Investments
• Capacity Building
Governance
• Stewardship
• Decision Making
• Monitoring & Management
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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 capacitybuilding and implementation
• Realize community stewardship opportunities
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Next Steps and Discussion
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EcoDistrict Outlook
Next Steps
 Community Task Force Kick Off
 Complete Roadmap with EcoDistrict
Targets
 Pursue Declaration of Cooperation
 Project Implementation
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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?
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