GDA recently completed a commercial market analysis for the Anacostia, Ivy City, and Trinidad neighborhoods of Washington, D.C. as part of the planning effort through the second round of the HUD National Stabilization Program (NSP2) to revitalize and restore these neighborhoods.    

GDA was retained by the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) to conduct a retail and commercial office market analysis for the Anacostia neighborhood and the Ivy City and Trinidad neighborhoods of Washington, D.C. This analysis was conducted as part of a larger planning effort through the second round of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) National Stabilization Program (NSP2).  NCRC has partnered with the District Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to employ a citizen engagement and planning process for these neighborhoods, in order to provide DHCD with strategic recommendations on where and how to invest in housing and community revitalization within the neighborhoods. This planning process will also advise DHCD on how to leverage the NSP2 funds to catalyze commercial and civic revitalization.

GDA was part of a multi-disciplinary team that looked comprehensively at neighborhood transformation through job growth, housing, retail and services, neighborhood safety, redevelopment of distressed properties, and community visioning. GDA’s specific role within this comprehensive approach was to conduct a retail and commercial office market analysis for the Anacostia and Ivy City & Trinidad neighborhoods and to conduct community focus groups to further understand the challenges and opportunities to commercial redevelopment.  The market analysis included a detailed demographic and economic analysis, identification of retail and office market trends, analysis of future demand potential for retail and office uses, identification of catalytic redevelopment sites, and strategic parcel-level recommendations for implementation. 

GDA participated in the citizen engagement process, including regularly presenting findings and recommendations to community members and providing guidance to the community advisory committee.  GDA led focus group and conducted a resident survey to identify resident needs for different retail and services and challenges with the existing supply of retail and services.  This community outreach, coupled with GDA’s analytical expertise, allowed us to provide a comprehensive understanding of the challenges, opportunities, and needs for retail and commercial office space in these neighborhoods.