[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},"mediaId",6545386,"mediaKeyId","3674308-0f5d507acc09688c35d7929de87708e9","parentId",3674308,"title","Developers ask for Office-to-Anything eligibility change; Chinatown residents warn of displacement","audioSeconds",5307,"startMs",843000,"endMs",6150000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3674308-0f5d507acc09688c35d7929de87708e9&start=843&end=6150","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3674308-0f5d507acc09688c35d7929de87708e9/thumbnail_843000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6545386/Developers-ask-for-Office-to-Anything-eligibility-change-Chinatown-residents-warn-of-displacement","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6545386-721b546cc4a3a4f7231100d8bd09743a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771066213&Signature=ovAbl23JsfhpyyWlo3KB3o8WFHJrvs4JvdBEA6RvRUpqxnX9KE-dU1GPMhZe-WFrH6MPtSFhNRqFyPFtLjpU6hjiq8YGGMaPWcwd7oiOS8qYYs8~HGZfMdS-sjCzZWXReji0aDBwT09SJOv9LxaKSibTkJKqVUTc~xOej~556nOjSYx7Zt6Fr9k~W8~lDxcMCKwG7oSBrbtnrlsaIfuX6U6aUCltPDh5DEdxHHjVP-KoqVTkFmrPUGguQOe9TuzVsu3aEkqs2muuDX890UU1VPaEqxzTdGnaYE7oDk-ncVZ-SRaMzyGzGm275ExZHTm3OL9PBbvO762Lvk2j8aOaJg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","District of Columbia (Business and Economic Development)","date","2025-06-04T00:00:00Z","article","A dispute over eligibility for the city's Office-to-Anything-style tax abatement surfaced when Chinatown project sponsors requested an amendment that would change program rules and potentially make their boutique hotel eligible for tax relief.

Refali Capital's Barakat Selassie and partner Stephen Roediger told the Committee the Chinatown Marriott Tribute Hotel is a shovel-ready, $75 million project that repurposes contiguous row homes and would rely on a tax abatement to close a financing gap. \"We are ready to begin construction... We just need language changes to make our project eligible for the program,\" Roediger testified.

Developers asked the Committee to advance the Central Washington Activation Program Amendment Act of 2025, which would, among other changes discussed in testimony, remove the requirement that buildings must currently be designated as office use and allow smaller projects (under 50,000 square feet) to qualify if they expand after repositioning.

But community witnesses said the same project is displacing long-serving Chinatown businesses and that the proposed hotel would reduce ground-floor retail spaces that serve the neighborhood's residents. \"They've given official orders to vacate by July 1,\" said a neighborhood advocate, describing storefronts recently told to leave to make room for construction.

Multiple speakers warned that tax abatements targeted to downtown office conversions can accelerate displacement of neighborhood-serving retail unless the Committee and agencies build strong protections and community benefits into any program expansion. Critics also pressed for clear assurances that any conversion incentives would preserve affordable ground-floor spaces and not preempt tenant protections.

Committee staff acknowledged the competing claims and asked developers and agency staff for documentation and written follow-up, with the goal of reconciling eligibility questions and neighborhood impacts before any statutory changes are adopted.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","District of Columbia (Business and Economic Development) - Committee on Business & Economic Development, Budget Oversight Hearing, Kenyan McDuffie, Chairperson - Jun 04, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A dispute over eligibility for the city's Office-to-Anything-style tax abatement surfaced when Chinatown project sponsors requested an amendment that would change program rules and potentially make their boutique hotel eligible for tax relief.","taxTitle","Committee on Business and Economic Development, Committees, Legislative, District of Columbia","taxId",16178,"location","","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6545381,"Advocates urge Council to restore Child Tax Credit, baby bonds and guaranteed income funding cut in mayor's FY26 proposal",2255,2565000,4820000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3674308-0f5d507acc09688c35d7929de87708e9&start=2565&end=4820","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3674308-0f5d507acc09688c35d7929de87708e9/thumbnail_2565000.jpg","/articles/6545381/Advocates-urge-Council-to-restore-Child-Tax-Credit-baby-bonds-and-guaranteed-income-funding-cut-in-mayors-FY26-proposal","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6545381-f5e3d301118a743824b06a9cb1d8e67c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771066213&Signature=dt2VZz~E~GRfg8Y2uodWURXg7KGhN8KhrGpySIYXWSxYu~Rc54vMm~Yzt0TUtUmSIFm~sF8oCa6KGQ3s-c2HdyMW~CmcbhhrfD9cIhWcwEAexy7XbaoXCtmJaXswIPAvARnoHqrfZa7eLWa~2m~zas1ZZicjNkQjz0~z6IxhoC8geR7i2h393NoN~MIho~x~IAYpudO7ES27d~bWM53TxG1Xgib8aUkQSFZutkaXJ4VCZ25C5homXwLT0bWOBmcZuzdyn9lIl57MY8KcIYTSKluV0fwNuFTT0EwyCFM~~cwnzrVKLqAduU4aKsO4trGNddv4QbRldgk~Tgkixb2NOw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A large group of nonprofit leaders, community advocates and participants in local cash transfer pilots urged the Committee to restore the District Child Tax Credit, the Child Wealth Building (\"baby bonds\") program and guaranteed-income pilots in the FY26 budget.

Speakers described direct impacts from existing cash supports and pilots. \"Since April 2024, I have received $500 a month through the mothers' guaranteed income pilot program,\" Morgan Hicks, a program participant, told the Committee. \"Because of this extra income, I was able to get my driver's license... I was able to afford driving school... I was able to afford transportation to do family activities.\"

Advocates said the local child tax credit and baby bonds are targeted tools to reduce child poverty and the racial wealth gap. \"Child poverty is anti-growth,\" Erica Williams, executive director of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, said. She urged the Committee to reject the mayor's proposal to eliminate the District Child Tax Credit and to restore funding for the baby bonds program.

Witnesses proposed specific changes and revenue sources: expanding the credit to older children (up to age 18), raising the per-child amount (witnesses suggested $1,000 to $1,500), removing caps on the total number of children per family, and ensuring eligibility regardless of immigration status. Several witnesses, including the Fair Budget Coalition and Bread for the City, called for adopting progressive local revenue measures to pay for restorations: higher rates on capital gains, a surtax on incomes above $1,000,000, and a land-value tax or business activity tax to create dedicated revenue streams.

The Committee engaged with witnesses about the size and timing of restorations and asked for written testimony and fiscal analyses linking proposed tax changes to specific program restorations. No formal actions were taken during the hearing.","A coalition of nonprofit leaders, advocates, and program participants urged the Committee to restore funding for the District Child Tax Credit, baby bonds and local guaranteed-income pilots that the mayor's FY26 proposal would reduce or eliminate.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6545377,"Main Street directors tell Committee that stagnant base grants limit services as costs rise",106,8034000,8140000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3674308-0f5d507acc09688c35d7929de87708e9&start=8034&end=8140","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3674308-0f5d507acc09688c35d7929de87708e9/thumbnail_8034000.jpg","/articles/6545377/Main-Street-directors-tell-Committee-that-stagnant-base-grants-limit-services-as-costs-rise","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6545377-3ec1a7b444cb573760aa825c26977495/orig.mp4?Expires=1771066213&Signature=VKBOs~nRf1WBzJnuDnO7Ss-snd8FLhA4Spu7PtR2P3SN~QEiAYlbgaQRThkxYPct6kt49McdzKLXuFYJwIR-hAoXzBjv~iKeeChcrfSRE-DnOjsd8~3MVrnwF-ErX0tjqwQvxgY3Fjk~ZNjDpApiNoXwlxWWLnp8nYm3Aro3~CUKSwZzNHKju6eoa1Anm0Vd0bp1VDNPtG9HVoOQ5-1ap-vnLQ1PATHKlIu2WUNxkjHwP5MG-qvUJAmATvkaPaek7qbVRT-dAKQGRNugMKQp-b9kuFiEqhSvPjsvkUoBw0Ca25by5jQHeYTr3xDzNpT~IL1yqQDrMBo0RgXcnXDJDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Directors of multiple DC Main Street programs urged the Committee to convert one-time enhancements into recurring baseline funding and to commission a program review to explore new delivery models.

\"The annual grant award was $150,000. Adjusting for inflation that same amount is nearly $200,000 today,\" Brianne Dornbush, executive director of District Bridges, told the Committee, adding that stagnant core funding hampers staff retention, program capacity, and the ability to respond to both shocks and opportunities in neighborhood commercial corridors.

Witnesses described uses of recent enhancements and specific outcomes: Columbia Heights and Mount Pleasant programming helped a local business purchase property through the Commercial Property Acquisition Fund; Georgetown Main Street used a growth-fund grant to launch a Stick Around Georgetown lease-renegotiation assistance initiative; and Tenleytown Main Street reported $10,000 in incremental sales for a participating retailer following an Art All Night event.

Main Street managers asked the Committee for two measures: (1) make the recent Council enhancement funding permanent and (2) commission a formal evaluation of Main Streets to consider models like a ward-based multi-main-street approach, stronger technical-assistance platforms, and neighborhood management authorities.

Committee members acknowledged the requests and said they will consider written budget language and a program review to determine sustainable funding mechanisms.","Main Street program leaders said baseline grants have not kept pace with inflation and that the one-time enhancements the Council added helped, but they need permanent increases and a review of delivery models to serve more of the city's small businesses.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6545391,"Unions and community groups press Council for binding labor commitments and neighborhood protections in RFK redevelopment",1500,1965000,3465000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3674308-0f5d507acc09688c35d7929de87708e9&start=1965&end=3465","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3674308-0f5d507acc09688c35d7929de87708e9/thumbnail_1965000.jpg","/articles/6545391/Unions-and-community-groups-press-Council-for-binding-labor-commitments-and-neighborhood-protections-in-RFK-redevelopment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6545391-dd56df044fb7ac904737b388397c423e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771066213&Signature=RVA0Z4pfWVO~tAIFl5jtY4IdaMgv-6JJpQv-UgjLH0I-opNkxsF98PTwRMMQGGZugtz7YheICUK5XLNTpEbAbZgAgPlO-ZiH8dtrEdvQlJGinlcl8wjmBav9CG7-i42ggsgcnPO1~xMrkMDdc5qpgbTwdtzwwDzo7yQ~ZdCX1BOgE28FfhwVOpCxAxWgrCdFnjGO3ejSxlHXR~Dx~zqkscd-aqkKjLSHgKamy8sZBJQ2j9wcjs~MJcgDeUXVh00gaNJgnJWTOMe54qoLJi73ojHx~5I7OU1-4IqAEfpNZBWD0HSSTLdgO2fpYHL-04dAtTACVWPX~SY~fdpKnutdeg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Union representatives, construction apprentices and community leaders urged the Committee on Business and Economic Development to secure stronger labor and community commitments in any RFK redevelopment deal before the Council considers financial support in the FY26 package.

\"We support the project labor agreement covering the stadium district, but the plaza and riverfront districts must also be built with PLAs,\" Greg Ackerman of the Baltimore-DC Metro Building Trades told the Committee. Multiple speakers made a closely related point: a labor agreement limited to the stadium and parking garages would leave the larger development without protections that generate family-sustaining jobs for District residents.

Union witnesses described tangible outcomes from prior publicly supported projects. \"The Cedar Hill project showed the success of the PLA model,\" Ackerman said, citing workforce numbers and local contracting outcomes. Several apprentices and union members testified about life-changing effects of trade careers and city-first hiring targets. \"Working in the trades has been life changing,\" said Elishante Lindsay, a graduate of Plumbers Local 5, adding that agreements should cover all major parcels so \"this investment creates lasting opportunity for DC residents.\"

Hospitality unions sought binding commitments that would ensure good, unionized jobs inside the venues and in hotels and restaurants planned for the surrounding entertainment district. \"This deal is bad for workers and DC taxpayers unless there is a public commitment to good hospitality jobs at the stadium and at hotels and restaurants planned for the plaza and riverfront,\" Paul Schwab of Unite Here Local 25 said.

Community advocates and some civic groups also raised zoning, planning, and affordable housing questions tied to the RFK term sheet. The Committee received requests for fuller public review outside the compressed budget timeline, including concerns that Council action in a BSA timetable could short-circuit more extensive hearings. \"A deal of this size deserves time, consideration, and public engagement,\" a representative of Committee of 100 on the Federal City said.

Committee members said they would continue hearings and follow-up with the Mayor's team and developer representatives ahead of any formal action. No votes were taken during the session.","Union leaders, tradespeople and community advocates told the committee they support redevelopment of the RFK site only if the city secures project labor agreements for the stadium and the adjoining plaza and riverfront districts, and guarantees living-wage hospitality jobs for residents.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":72,"_74":72},6545396,"Witnesses urge preserving FY26 downtown economic investments while debating subsidies and priorities",1302,224000,1526000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3674308-0f5d507acc09688c35d7929de87708e9&start=224&end=1526","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3674308-0f5d507acc09688c35d7929de87708e9/thumbnail_224000.jpg","/articles/6545396/Witnesses-urge-preserving-FY26-downtown-economic-investments-while-debating-subsidies-and-priorities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6545396-77eae657c70f5e706d368e2ae504d450/orig.mp4?Expires=1771066213&Signature=JDaw3~M1Ljl5xGpjRXppOsd5n2Yk~L9NPDhrN0ql600PV1qS36mFOMpVQUdRmHDnOxNvyJZ30DN06q9qEt8OepJW78lSwy8mAkFiHyYvK0jkau3hDp4SdCxYO5Pdt6nYJ~Ttdiw2E~cqZAZKMaqLXLqVPVcmORicdfhpfJamC6NFDBxthOMKz5tMmRD4nUOOXSYPGcrwWi28DoIYV32UsiKq1SJy-de~vGY-vVXp5W5TwYtpYk81tbsY9d78X5pWQKcT1ICEDZX6RzyyqxJ-PmH90Ewj90u1rHgfWaYm0bx3SqNTv2Af29gICjSYiDuDbUp-G5St~f65O27fqEBE7w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Council members heard competing views Thursday on the mayor's FY26 economic development proposals, particularly a package of downtown investments and tax incentives included in the Budget Support Act (BSA).

Pro-development speakers said select changes and funding will help reactivate downtown and support projects converting underused office space. \"We strongly support the economic revitalization initiatives in this budget,\" Liz DeBarrows, chief executive officer of the DC Building Industry Association, told the Committee. She listed line items the association supports, including $8,000,000 for a public plaza at Gallery Place/Chinatown and $2,400,000 to launch a DC Tech Ecosystem Fund.

The BSA also contains an Office-to-Anything-type program (referred to in testimony as the Central Washington Activation Program amendment) designed to encourage repurposing downtown office stock into other uses. Developers said modest statutory edits would make several near-ready projects eligible for tax relief that would bridge financing gaps. \"We just need language changes to make our project eligible for the program,\" Stephen Roediger of Rift Valley Capital said of a planned boutique hotel in Chinatown.

But budget critics warned the same downtown-focused proposals risk skewing limited public resources toward high-profile commercial projects rather than basic services and neighborhood needs. \"The mayor's economic development vision prioritizes public money for a stadium and corporate giveaways over the people who are the backbone of DC's economy,\" Shira Markoff, director of economic policy at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute, told the Committee. She argued that elements of the mayor's agenda concentrate benefits downtown while providing little specific support East of the River.

Other witnesses urged caution on new or expanded tax incentives. DCBIA and several business representatives said program simplifications, such as changes to the Parking Benefit Equivalent rules, reduce compliance burdens for employers. At the same time, nonprofit advocates and policy groups pressed the Committee for greater transparency on who benefits from incentives such as the Qualified High Technology Company credits (QHTC) and other abatements.

Committee staff and witnesses also discussed implementation tools: enhanced small-business supports such as Main Street grants, targeted grants for neighborhood commercial districts, and a stronger permitting and technical-assistance pipeline to capture conversions and retain neighborhood-serving retail.

The hearing produced no final vote; council members and staff said they will continue to solicit written comments and agency responses as the markup process proceeds.","Developers, business groups and civic advocates testified to the Committee on Business and Economic Development about downtown revitalization proposals in the mayor's FY26 budget support act, backing some plaza-and-parks funding and the Office-to-Anything program while urging scrutiny of large subsidies and transparency on tax incentives.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Developers ask for Office-to-Anything eligibility change; Chinatown residents warn of displacement

Advocates urge Council to restore Child Tax Credit, baby bonds and guaranteed income funding cut in mayor's FY26 proposal

Main Street directors tell Committee that stagnant base grants limit services as costs rise

Unions and community groups press Council for binding labor commitments and neighborhood protections in RFK redevelopment

Witnesses urge preserving FY26 downtown economic investments while debating subsidies and priorities