Contact: Liz DeBarros, Senior Advisor
(202)
498-5862
edebarros@dcbia.org
DCBIA Build Day: Hundreds of
Volunteers to Create East Capitol Urban Farm
The City’s Largest-Scale Urban
Farm and Aquaponics Facility
(Washington, DC) – On Saturday, September 26,
2015, hundreds of volunteers will come together to build the East Capitol Urban
Farm – a model for temporary use of vacant lots – as part of DCBIA (the District
of Columbia Building Industry Association) 23rd Annual Community Improvement
Day.
The Day is a
result of a major local, federal, public and private alliance between the
University of the District of Columbia, the District of Columbia Housing
Authority, the Urban Waters Federal Partnership, several District of Columbia
government agencies, community organizations, churches, and businesses to
transform a vacant, three-acre parcel of land to become the city’s
largest-scale urban farm to increase access to local and sustainable produce
and fish for Ward 7. Features of the Farm also include community garden space,
demonstration area, exercise trails, nature discovery area, public art, rain
and pollinator gardens, market place and later this fall, an aquaponics
facility.
"DCBIA
members are laser-focused on building community and adding to the fabric of
this vibrant City,” said Sean C. Cahill, President of DCBIA and Senior Vice
President of Property Group Partners. “This year’s Build Day is bigger than
ever bringing in more local and federal partners than one could have ever
imagined, resulting in a Ward 7 community asset that can become a model for
access to fresh produce and fish, sustainability, and the use of vacant land.”
Over a year
ago, the University of the District of Columbia’s College of Agriculture, Urban
Sustainability, and Environmental Sciences (CAUSES) partnered with the DC
Housing Authority (DCHA) to lease the vacant lot located at 5900 East Capitol
Street SE, Washington, DC to transform the parcel into a remarkable community
asset. Select agencies of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership—14 federal
agencies working collectively to address environmental and economic challenges
in cities across the country in underserved communities also partnered in the
effort. Specifically, the U.S. Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife
Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry have contributed to
the vision of and provided resources for the Farm which will promote urban
agriculture, improve food access and nutrition through a community-centered
farmers market, offer nutrition education, youth engagement, provide community
gardening, and create opportunities for entrepreneurship.
The
challenge and opportunity with the site is to develop the Farm as a model for
temporary use of vacant lots while demonstrating on-site storm water management
and local food production. To that end, the project’s designer and DCBIA
member, Bradley Site Design, created a leaf-design for the site that includes
raised beds and portable aquaponics/fish tanks. UDC has also mapped the
District’s underused properties to ensure a continued, viable future of the
site. Bradley Site Design will also evaluate the farm’s social, economic and
ecological impacts.
"The
East Capitol Urban Farm is one of the Urban Food Hubs pioneered by UDC to
improve Food Security and Sustainability in DC neighborhoods through food
production, food preparation, food distribution, and waste and water
management,” said Dr. Sabine O’Hara, Dean of the College of Agriculture, Urban
Sustainability, and Environmental Sciences (CAUSES) of the University of the District
of Columbia. “We are thrilled to see this project become a reality.”
“This unique
project exemplifies the very best of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership and
how government is working with communities to help address their
priorities--whether its job development, more green space, or improving public
health," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. "By working collectively
local, state, and federal partnerships can help communities transform abandoned
or underused urban spaces into community assets like the East Capitol Urban
Farm-- improving quality of life and improving the local environment.”
“Groundwork
Anacostia River DC greatly looks forward to the East Capitol Urban Farm's build
out as to engage our Green Team youth and the larger community in the farm's
service learning aspects and opportunities,” said Dennis Chestnut, Executive
Director of Groundwork Anacostia River DC.
DCBIA members Forest City
Washington, Hines, HITT Contracting, and Property Group Partners provided
funding for the construction of the project. Additional funding provided by
Balfour Beatty Construction, Clark Construction, Fidelity National Title
Insurance Company, Fort Lincoln New Town Corp., Grunley Construction, JLL,
Quadrangle Development, and WC Smith. Through community engagement and
partnership which began earlier this year, DCBIA design and general contracting
teams held design charrettes to envision the site. Companies who have
volunteered their time to this effort include individuals from Cunningham Quill
Architects, David M. Schwarz Architects, HOK, RTKL Associates,
SmithGroupJJR, Balfour Beatty Construction, Clark Construction, Corenic
Construction, DAVIS Construction, Gilbane, HITT Contracting, Langan
Engineering, LendLease, Monarc Construction, Turner Construction, among others.
“We are
pleased to partner with UDC and DCBIA on this innovative project, said Adrianne
Todman, executive director, District of Columbia Housing Authority. “It will
benefit this neighborhood by bringing together volunteerism, sustainable
practices, and fresh produce.”
“Reflecting
our denomination’s historic commitment to social justice, Metropolitan Memorial
United Methodist Church is very excited to be part of a project that promises
to bring economic opportunity and food security to the residents of Ward 7,
said Reverend Dottie Yunger, Associate Pastor. “We join with the churches in
Ward 7 in seeking to ensure that our city’s economic prosperity is shared by all
of her residents.”
“Walmart and
the Walmart Foundation are committed to increasing access to healthier foods
and eliminating hunger in all of the communities we serve,” said Nina Albert,
Director of Public Affairs and Government Relations, Walmart. “We are proud to
support the East Capitol Urban Farm Project because it has a holistic approach
to local food sourcing and community entrepreneurship, which can truly make a
difference in sustaining food access in our community.”
Build Day
begins at 7:30 am at 5900 East Capitol Street, SE. A ribbon-cutting will take
place at 11:45 am with District and Federal Officials and representatives of
the following partners: American Forests, DC Building Industry Association
(DCBIA), DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, DC Housing Authority,
Department of Energy & Environment, Groundwork Anacostia River DC,
Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church, Urban Waters Federal
Partnership, and Walmart.
“The DC
Commission on the Arts and Humanities is pleased to be a partner in this
amazing effort,” said Kay Kendall Chair of the DC Commission on the Arts and
Humanities. “We are honored that this distinguished alliance recognizes the
arts and public art as essential elements of the project – and the city’s
overall landscape. We hope that this inaugural project becomes a spring board
for additional urban farms throughout the District of Columbia and look forward
to continued service to all wards of the city!”
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The District of Columbia Building Industry Association (DCBIA) is
the voice of the DC real estate development industry providing educational,
social, research, and community service programming for a membership of over
500 member companies representing thousands of real estate development industry
professionals, including developers, general contractors, subcontractors,
architects, engineers, lenders, attorneys, brokers, title companies, utility
companies, community development organizations and other real estate
development industry professionals. DCBIA also advocates on behalf of its
members before the District of Columbia and federal governments.
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