District of Columbia: District seeks hotel, housing, office space bids adjacent to Lincoln Theatre
Issue date: 5/5/08 Section: Neighborhood
Mayor Adrian Fenty said the District will develop two city-owned properties behind U Street's historic Lincoln Theatre and use a portion of the funds generated by the project to support the theater's ongoing operations.
"The Lincoln Theatre has an incredible history and great potential," said Mayor Fenty. "This is a perfect example of what we can do when we leverage our assets to get better amenities for our neighborhoods."
The District has issued a solicitation seeking development partners to build on two city-owned properties and above an alley located behind the 88-year-old theater. The site could accommodate about 90,000 square feet of development and the potential uses include office, hotel or housing - any housing built on the site must reserve at least 30 percent of the units for affordable housing.
The Lincoln Theatre is owned by the District government, but it is managed by the nonprofit U Street Theatre Foundation. The non-profit organization is slated to receive a five-year license agreement beginning this summer with the District to continue and expand its management of the theater. The District is also requiring that any development will provides ongoing financial support for the theater and include at least 7,500 square feet of flexible event space, including a restaurant-quality kitchen, which would be managed by the theater management.
The District's support of the theater has been ongoing, including $1.5 million for capital improvements that are nearly complete. For years, the District has provided the non profit with annual operating support directly from the city budget. Mayor Fenty in his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2009 proposed $500,000 in operating support for the theater. Bids for are due July 18.
The Lincoln Theatre project is an important element of the "DUKE: Development Framework Plan for a Cultural Destination District within Washington, D.C.'s Greater Shaw/U Street" plan, which was approved by the D.C. Council in 2005.
"The Lincoln Theatre has an incredible history and great potential," said Mayor Fenty. "This is a perfect example of what we can do when we leverage our assets to get better amenities for our neighborhoods."
The District has issued a solicitation seeking development partners to build on two city-owned properties and above an alley located behind the 88-year-old theater. The site could accommodate about 90,000 square feet of development and the potential uses include office, hotel or housing - any housing built on the site must reserve at least 30 percent of the units for affordable housing.
The Lincoln Theatre is owned by the District government, but it is managed by the nonprofit U Street Theatre Foundation. The non-profit organization is slated to receive a five-year license agreement beginning this summer with the District to continue and expand its management of the theater. The District is also requiring that any development will provides ongoing financial support for the theater and include at least 7,500 square feet of flexible event space, including a restaurant-quality kitchen, which would be managed by the theater management.
The District's support of the theater has been ongoing, including $1.5 million for capital improvements that are nearly complete. For years, the District has provided the non profit with annual operating support directly from the city budget. Mayor Fenty in his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2009 proposed $500,000 in operating support for the theater. Bids for are due July 18.
The Lincoln Theatre project is an important element of the "DUKE: Development Framework Plan for a Cultural Destination District within Washington, D.C.'s Greater Shaw/U Street" plan, which was approved by the D.C. Council in 2005.
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