Reeves CMC Venture Selected by Mayor Bowser and the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development to Redevelop Reeves Center
Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) have selected the Reeves CMC Venture team to redevelop the Frank D. Reeves Center of Municipal Affairs (Reeves Center) site.
The Reeves Center is a significant District of Columbia asset located at the intersection of 14th and U Streets NW, the historic crossroads directly linked to Black history and culture, the District of Columbia Home Rule movement, and civil rights activism. The Reeves CMC Venture redevelopment vision will honor the community’s history as Black Broadway, the center of African American business, arts and entertainment.
Reeves CMC Venture is comprised of CSG Urban Partners, a resident-, woman-, and minority-owned business; Capri Investment Group; and MRP Realty. The project team includes Michael Marshall Design; PGN Architects; Smoot Construction Co. DC; and Bradley Site Design.
The team was selected as the fifth awardee of the seven EquityRFPs issued, and to date, is one of the largest EquityRFPs awarded. The EquityRFP Initiative was created by Mayor Bowser to enhance racial equity and make DC’s prosperity even more inclusive by increasing access to development opportunities for entities or organizations that are owned, or majority controlled by individuals determined to be part of a socially disadvantaged population.
As Mayor Bowser emphasized when announcing the selection of Reeves CMC Venture, the redevelopment is an opportunity “to double down on our commitment making our prosperity more inclusive and preserving the history and culture of our community.” Reeves CMC Venture approached the task as a once-in-a-generation project that will have a substantial and uniquely positive impact on the District of Columbia. The Reeves redevelopment will help to achieve the goals and objectives of DC’s Comeback Plan, Mayor Bowser’s comprehensive strategy aimed at revitalizing and recovering DC’s economy and community following the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, while focusing on inclusivity and preserving the history and culture of the community.
“Reeves CMC Venture is honored to have been awarded this opportunity by Mayor Bowser and the Office of the Deputy Mayor of Planning and Economic Development,” said Simone Goring Devaney of CSG Urban Partners. “It is a privilege to lead the transformation of a building that holds such a historical significance with a deep cultural tie in the District of Columbia and the 14th and U Street community.”
The winning proposal from Reeves CMC Venture is a mixed-use project focused on African American culture and arts and will include the new headquarters of the National Association for Advancement of Color People (NAACP), municipal office space, a hotel, as well as affordable and market-rate housing. Of the 322 housing units slated, at least 30% will be affordable, and of that 30% at least one quarter will be for families at or below 30% MFI, and the remainder will be for families at or below 50% MFI.
It also plans to include an Alvin Ailey American Dance School, Washington Jazz Arts Institute, VIVA School of Dance, a restaurant by Food Network celebrity chef Carla Hall, a Dave Chappelle Comedy Club, a Love First Child Development Center, and a plaza and amphitheater named for Frederick Douglass and Marion Barry, respectively. The building will honor the legacy of its namesake, Frank D. Reeves, a civil rights attorney who helped to shape the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case.
“We would like to thank the community, including the Ward 1 Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC 1B), residents, and local business leaders who have supported us and shared their vision with us during our many Saturday sidewalk sessions to help inform the work ahead,” said Michael Marshall of Michael Marshall Design on behalf of the project team. “We are excited to continue this dialogue with the community as planning and building get underway.”
Construction on the new Reeves Center is expected to begin in 2025.
About CSG Urban Partners
CSG Urban Partners (CSG) is a locally based, minority- and woman-owned real estate development firm established in 2003. CSG has been selected by the District of Columbia to develop two real estate projects awarded under Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Equity RFP initiative. For more information, visit www.csgurban.com.
About Capri Investment Group
A minority-owned Chicago- and Los Angeles-based real estate investment and development firm founded in 1992 by Quintin E. Primo III that has completed over $14 billion in commercial investments globally.
About MRP Realty
MRP Realty is a District of Columbia-based real estate development firm established in 2005, that has completed 34.3 million square feet of development projects, representing $6.6 billion in capital investment. For more information, visit www.mrprealty.com.
About Michael Marshall Design
MMD is a DC-based architecture and design firm, serving clients in the public and private sectors since 1989. A seasoned collective of architects, brand strategists and creative thinkers, MMD understands the power of the built environment, bringing broad-based design thinking to create greater opportunities and drive positive change in our communities. For more information, visit www.michaelmarshalldesign.com.
About PGN Architects
PGN Architects (PGN) is a full-service architectural firm with experience in residential and commercial planning and architecture. PGN has navigated successfully over 100 projects through the DC regulatory processes. The firm’s experience ranges from 250-unit residential mixed-use projects to 275-acre master planning projects. For more information, visit www.pgnarchitects.com.
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Read the official press release here and follow our channels for continued project updates.
Media Coverage of the Announcement:
Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/06/09/dc-black-broadway-reeves-building-development/
Washington Business Journal
https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2023/06/02/reeves-center-mrp-realty-csg-capri-dave-chappelle.html
DCist
https://dcist.com/story/23/06/02/dc-picks-team-reeves-center-redevelopment/