October 21, 2020 | Destination Congress Heights: 2020 Great American Main Street Award Semifinalist Spotlight |

Congress Heights' Art All Night is a yearly festival that brings the community together for live music, interactive art installations, food, and other dynamic performances. Credit: Dionne Baux

On Oct. 30, we’ll announce the three winners of the 2020 Great American Main Street Award (GAMSA). In anticipation of the big reveal, we’re highlighting one GAMSA semifinalist per day on our blog, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter from Oct. 20-29.

Destination Congress Heights • Washington, DC

Year Founded: 2016 | Population: 684,000 | Square Blocks in Commercial District: 23
 

Through inclusive economic development, community engagement, mixed-use development projects, and placemaking, Destination Congress Heights (DCH) has changed the narrative around their corridor in just four years. The proof is in their reinvestment statistics: since 2016, the district’s vacancy rate has shrunk from 29 percent to 13 percent, and they’ve created 7,291 new jobs. DCH rebranded Congress Heights as the “Soul of the City,” and that tagline certainly rings true today.

Boasting an eclectic mix of shops that are nearly 85 percent owned by African Americans, DCH has trained and supported small business owners through an array of programs, including an entrepreneurship bootcamp for women, pop-up shops, and pitch competitions. DCH has brought significant investment to the corridor through working with pubic and private partners to develop the St. Elizabeth’s East development, which features mixed-use neighborhoods of retail, office, housing, open space, cultural amenities, and an arena. DCH has shown that development does not have to mean displacement. They negotiated an unprecedented community benefits agreement that included both grants for neighborhood organizations and set-asides for local businesses.

Follow Destination Congress Heights on social media to keep up with their efforts:

Facebook: @destinationcongressheights

Instagram: @destinationcongressheights

Join us as we announce the GAMSA winners on Oct. 30 at 12pm EST during a special Main Street plenary at PastForward, the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s digital conference. The plenary is free to attend but registration is required! Tune in to the awards ceremony by registering  for the session via Zoom or the PastForward site. We will also be streaming the ceremony via Facebook Live.

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