View Mayor Bowser’s introduction on DC's COVID-19 situation update on December 2, 2021
(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) launched #FairShot week to highlight the area on apparently DC.com And start the next round of the Great Streets Retail Small Business Subsidy Program for FY22. The $3.3 million Great Streets investment continues Mayor Bowser's efforts to support local businesses, create new jobs for DC residents, and develop emerging communities in the area. Since 2015, Great Streets has provided more than $21 million in bonuses to 412 companies and helped create more than 2,000 jobs.
"These types of grants recognize that the strength of our small business reflects the strength of our city," said Mayor Bowser. "Washingtonians are proud to support local businesses. When our neighbors go all out to start a business, we will do our best to support them to show our gratitude. The Great Streets grant is a way of doing this at the government level. In this way, I hope that our local businesses will pay close attention to how they can use these grants to grow their businesses and create more jobs and opportunities in Washington."
The announcement was made on the Pop-Up Collaborative, a year-round pop-up store owned by local women that caters to companies that create products owned by women or ethnic minorities. All members are located in the DMV area, including artists, candle manufacturers, costume designers, and jewelry manufacturers. They currently own three locations: H Street, Downtown Holiday Market and DCA Airport.
The Great Streets Grant Program supports existing small businesses, attracts new businesses, and transforms designated commercial corridors into prosperous and attractive community centers. The program provides rewards of up to $50,000 to eligible companies for store renovations, equipment purchases, and technology improvements to support e-commerce. Eligible businesses include small local entities located in designated Great Streets corridors and art-based non-profit organizations.
This year, the Great Streets program received an additional $800,000 in funding, bringing the total available funds to $3.3 million. In addition, the 4 existing Great Streets corridors in Ward 2 have been temporarily extended, increasing the number of businesses eligible for funding. The extended corridors include Connecticut Avenue, Wisconsin Avenue, 7th Street/Georgia Avenue, and 14th Street/U Street/Adams Morgan/Mountain. Delightful.
"Our small business owners deserve to be treated fairly because they hire our residents and keep our communities alive," said John Falcicchio, the deputy mayor in charge of planning and economic development. "Mayor Bowser has provided us with a powerful economic toolkit, including traditional projects such as Great Streets and new projects such as Vitality Fund, to ensure that we become a comeback zone. We encourage our businesses to take advantage of all the information published on DC.com. Tools have become part of our collective comeback."
The Great Streets project highlights the diversity of the business community in the area. Fund recipients include internationally recognized chocolate masters, music training centers, pet shops, restaurants, barber shops and hair salons, yoga studios, artisanal jewelers, urban farms, and More.
The 13 street corridors in the area are located along Pennsylvania Avenue Southeast; Georgia Avenue, Northwest; Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, NE; 7th Street, NW, North Capitol Street, NW & NE; Rhode Island Avenue, Nebraska; Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE and South Capitol Street, SE; Minnesota Avenue and Benning Road, northeast and southeast; Bradensberg Road, Nebraska; Connecticut Avenue, northwest; 14th Street/U Street/Adams Morgan/Mountain. Pleasant Northwest, Northwest; Wisconsin Avenue, Northwest; H Street-Bradensberg Road, Nebraska.
Throughout the #FairShot week, the Bowser administration will highlight various new and existing programs designed to provide fair opportunities for Washingtonians and accelerate the region’s economic recovery. The mayor will promote apparently some of the many tools listed on DC.com that provide financial assistance and guidance to local businesses and businesses that want to open, expand, and create jobs and opportunities in Washington, DC.