Mayor Muriel Bowser has pledged to bring thousands of residents to downtown D.C. in her third term as mayor. News4’s Dominique Moody reports.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has pledged to bring thousands of new residents to downtown D.C. in her third term as mayor.
During her swearing in on Monday, she said she would work to covert unused office buildings downtown into residential units.
"Right now, 25,000 people call downtown home. Here's our goal: we will add 15,000 residents over the next five years, and 87,000 before it's all said and done," Bowser said. "That's right, a new 100,000 resident goal."
“For Lease” signs can be seen on buildings throughout downtown, which is still recovering after the pandemic sent workers home and away from traditional office spaces.
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Leona Agouridis, the executive director of the Golden Triangle BID, said they are working to bring people back to the area.
“The fact that they are spending less time in it means that there's a lot more space available that is not being used and that there is a different level of activity, of hustle and bustle,” Agouridis said.
The BID’s effort to convert empty office buildings into residential apartments is one way that Bowser will aim to fulfill her pledge over the next few years. She is also pushing the Biden administration to bring back federal workers or get rid of their office spaces.
“We need decisive action by the White House, to either get most federal workers back to the office most of the time, or to realign their vast property holdings,” Bowser said.
One D.C. resident said he's in favor of the empty spaces being used and would like to see more affordable housing options.
“Leaving the buildings empty and doing nothing, I think is worse than not trying in my opinion,” D.C. resident Theo Horn said.
