After a few weeks of processing the news of Walmart's arrival, it looks like at least one neighborhood–Brightwood–is mobilizing in attempt to bend the company to its will.
Funny thing is, the outcry wouldn't be as loud if developer Foulger-Pratt hadn't backed out of a planned community meeting on the subject, calling it "unecessary."
Rebecca Mills, who [...]
The Washington D.C. Association of REALTORs–yes, they capitalize the term–just announced their endorsement of Council Chairman Vince Gray for Mayor and Councilmember Kwame Brown for Chairman. The organization also backed incumbent Councilmembers Phil Mendelson, David Catania, Tommy Wells, and Harry Thomas.
The release reads: "WDCAR PAC endorsed after face-to-face interviews with candidates, a review of candidate's [...]
On Monday, the news broke that the land on far New York Avenue Northeast once slated for a mixed-use development was now expected to get a Wal-Mart. Listserv chatter since then has been conflicted: Does D.C. really want to host the biggest and boxiest of the U.S.' bix box stores?
Last night, though, Ward 5 Councilmember [...]
Hidden in the mayor's reprogramming of money from the Kenilworth Recreation Center to Hill East–which Councilmember Yvette Alexander held up to the last moment–was a little-noticed line item: Funding for traffic and historic preservation studies at the McMillan Sand filtration plant, which has been stalled for about half a year now. Today, Michael Neibauer reports [...]
Campaign finance reports due last night show that First Cash Financial Services, which is fighting legislation that would cap fees and interest rates on payday lenders check cashers and pawnbrokers in the District, has made some strategic investments in this year's political races: At least $8,000 to sitting councilmembers, all in the ten days after [...]
Michael Niebauer reports today that city agencies have failed to enforce the four-year-old First Source and Living Wage laws, which require developers of projects using city funds to employ district residents and pay them over $12 an hour. He writes:
Only four of 16 development projects that [D.C. Auditor Deborah Nichols] reviewed met the 51 percent [...]
In its legislative meeting just now, the D.C. City Council voted to put off its decision on the confirmation of developer Stanley Wall to chair the Zoning Commission. A couple weeks ago, Councilman Phil Mendelson raised objections to the nomination of Wall, who would replace esteemed civic figure Anthony Hood, and reiterated them today.
"There is [...]
Last week, Councilmember Harry Thomas floated a proposal to impose an income tax on the 70 percent of city workers who live outside the District, aiming to raise $70 million. City Administrator Neil Albert quickly wrote it off as a non-starter in Congress, but it seemed to garner significant Council support.
This Wednesday, the Greater Washington [...]
The Rhode Island Ave.-Brentwood metro stop has some dubious distinctions. According to WMATA’s February Safety and Security report, it’s one of the ten most dangerous stations in the system. Situated behind a shopping center full of big-box stores and a sprawling parking lot, its entry point is the south side of busy Rhode [...]
Last Friday, the Business Journal reported that Councilmember Harry Thomas had scrounged up $3 million from the Library capital budget to pay for stormwater management on the site of a huge new development at the intersection of New York and South Dakota Avenues, in his own Ward 5. That's on top of an expected increase [...]
