With many people still working from home, the hustle and bustle of downtown D.C. has slowed, and many office buildings now sit vacant, something Mayor Muriel Bowser says should concern all District residents.
"Downtown has been the economic engine of our city. It's the reason why we have been able to make huge investments in schools, in transportation, in social services, in public safety," Bowser said Monday.
Bowser, along with other city officials, revealed on Monday a "Comeback Plan" she says would jump-start that economic engine.
"Not just more revenue, but more vibrancy in all parts of our city," Bowser said.
The plan outlines six major goals for the city to complete over the next five years, including:
- Creating 35,000 new jobs in targeted fields
- Increasing the percentage of non-white-owned businesses from 27% to 33%
- Improving access to fresh food, housing and internet for all neighborhoods
- Adding 15,000 residents to Downtown D.C.'s population
- Increasing the city's total population to 725,000
- Lifting the median household income of Black residents by $25,000 a year
"Bring people back to a 24/7 economy. You heard me - 24/7," Bowser said.
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D.C. officials are still working on how the city will pay for the economic plan.
"Part of the work that this plan enables is for the District to submit this plan to the federal government, to the economic
development agency, and that allows for the District, as well as stakeholders like universities and nonprofits, to go after certain federal funding," D.C. Deputy Mayor for Economic Development John Falcicchio said.
The Comeback Plan is open to to public comment until Feb. 1.