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Boston is very explicitly doing that and plans for that. has many pages on that intention. Indeed, MDAllstar made me aware a black-owned grocer from DC just announced they're making their first expansion into Roxbury's Nubian Square. Maybe NYC, probably NYC. But it already exists in abundance in NYC so it is not necessary.
That's it though. SF isn't doing it. Nor is Philly or Baltimore. I might have seen something in Chicago. I'm looking at similar density cities.
The ATLs and Charlottes of the world do that in the suburbs.
While Good Foods Market is coming to Boston, I don’t know if they received a grant or loan from Boston through local public funding. They are part of an affordable housing development which doesn’t allow Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) dollar allocation to go to the construction of any portion of the building outside of the housing portion of a development. That portion of the building is called applicable fraction in affordable housing LIHTC deals.
They may be receiving new market tax credits, but those don’t come from local funds. They are Federal funds. Does Boston have a program that gives local funds in the form of loans and grants to Black food operators for the construction and operation of their businesses?
One thing in the DC deals that is very unique is the ability to use the funding for operations of the business in addition to construction. Even LIHTC construction deals don’t allow any of that funding to go towards operations of the building. Operations comes completely from rent paid by the residents which is probably the biggest misconception in affordable housing.
Last edited by MDAllstar; 03-10-2022 at 08:06 AM..
While Good Foods Market is coming to Boston, I don’t know if they received a grant or loan from Boston through local public funding. They are part of an affordable housing development which doesn’t allow Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) dollar allocation to go to the construction of any portion of the building outside of the housing portion of a development. That portion of the building is called applicable fraction in affordable housing LIHTC deals.
They may be receiving new market tax credits, but those don’t come from local funds. They are Federal funds. Does Boston have a program that gives local funds in the form of loans and grants to Black food operators for the construction and operation of their businesses?
One thing in the DC deals that is very unique is the ability to use the funding for operations of the business in addition to construction. Even LIHTC construction deals don’t allow any of that funding to go towards operations of the building. Operations come completely from rent paid by the residents which is probably the biggest misconception in affordable housing.
No, not directly. Boston Resiliency Fund and Community Preservation Act serve mostly to preserve or fund affordable housing, open spaces, food gardens, etc. but what the city does is buy up vacant lots and then open up city-owned lots and only sell it to "diverse" development teams with requirements for black- or Latino-owned businesses (depending on the neighborhood- it may be Latino). Particularly in Nubian Square. Tropical Food Market did get 1+ M dollars from the state to open a new grocery store in Nubian Square but the owner is Latino, and not Afro-Latino.
So for instance the Nubian Square PLAN is meant to revitalize Nubian as a commercial district with a black focus. The land owned by the city is sold at well below the market rate. I was talking about that strategy of using city funds to buy vacant lotand then only sell it to businesses (not necessarily food businesses) that have at least 25% black ownership- typically its 100% at below market rate. Its
Upham's Corner Arts and Innovation District and the Blue Hill Avenue Action Plan is similar to this in that they aim to bring retail back and offer below-market interest rates. With the expressed intent to prevent displacement.
THe city also has a separate liquor license available only to minority-owned businesses in minority neighborhoods that are discounted ~$400,000. These are meant to increase the number of sit down restaurants in Roxbury Dorchester and Mattapan and to an extent-they have worked in Roxbury and Dorchester but they found no takers in Mattapan. 75 were made available in 2014. In 2020 plans were made to advance another 184 licenses were advanced idk if it came to fruition, it needed state approval DC doesn’t have those issues.
Boston is very explicitly doing that and plans for that. has many pages on that intention. Indeed, MDAllstar made me aware a black-owned grocer from DC just announced they're making their first expansion into Roxbury's Nubian Square. Maybe NYC, probably NYC. But it already exists in abundance in NYC so it is not necessary.
That's it though. SF isn't doing it. Nor is Philly or Baltimore. I might have seen something in Chicago. I'm looking at similar density cities.
The ATLs and Charlottes of the world do that in the suburbs.
So I just did a bit of Googling and essentially, what DC is doing in Wards 7 and 8 is establishing TIFs and moving District agencies into those wards to serve as anchors for new development. DC city government has between 35K-40K employees and the mayor has leasing authority for city agencies, and Mayor Bowser has prioritized relocating agencies across the river to be the anchor tenants in the mixed-use developments planned in SE and NE DC, and this helps secure desired retailers like grocers. Atlanta, by contrast, only employs around 10K people and I don't think its mayor has the same leasing authority. One significant difference here is that in some key respects, DC functions as a state and this gives it advantages that other cities don't have.
Also it should be kept in mind that DC covers 61.4 square miles of land with about 18 square miles, or 29% of its land area, occupied or controlled by the federal government. Atlanta occupies 132 square miles and although I don't know how much land state government owns and occupies, it's obviously a good bit less than the amount of land the federal government owns and occupies in DC. I found an old source from circa 1990 that said the state owned less than five percent of land in the entire metropolitan area but of course, that's dated information. The core of DC, containing the National Mall, Capitol Hill, Federal Triangle, Penn Quarter, Foggy Bottom, etc., has a built-in development advantage via the federal government and WMATA was exceptionally proactive with respect to TOD/TJD early on which also contributed to the development of DC's core. Atlanta's core is, of course, very different in all respects but particularly its development history which means that several city-initiated moves to spur investment are happening within the core which results in less such opportunities for outlying areas like south and far west Atlanta. And of course, DC has about 150K-200K more residents than Atlanta and WMATA gets significantly more annual funding than MARTA and is a national leader in transit-oriented/transit-joint development projects.
The most effective ways to get more investment in outer SW Atlanta will either be MARTA-related TOD/TJD or Beltline-related development IMO. But in Atlanta, TOD/TJD has historically often included a sizable office component (e.g., Lindbergh) which tends to have a different impact in the area compared to public-sector agencies.
I'm not sure what's your criteria for thriving or urban, but Atlanta does have Cascade and the West End.
Cascade is not urban AT ALL. it ranges from semi rural to regular suburbia, the difference being its filled with a bunch of upper middle class black folks.
the West End is THE HOOD. Is this suppose to be urban/thriving?
So I just did a bit of Googling and essentially, what DC is doing in Wards 7 and 8 is establishing TIFs and moving District agencies into those wards to serve as anchors for new development. DC city government has between 35K-40K employees and the mayor has leasing authority for city agencies, and Mayor Bowser has prioritized relocating agencies across the river to be the anchor tenants in the mixed-use developments planned in SE and NE DC, and this helps secure desired retailers like grocers. Atlanta, by contrast, only employs around 10K people and I don't think its mayor has the same leasing authority. One significant difference here is that in some key respects, DC functions as a state and this gives it advantages that other cities don't have.
Also it should be kept in mind that DC covers 61.4 square miles of land with about 18 square miles, or 29% of its land area, occupied or controlled by the federal government. Atlanta occupies 132 square miles and although I don't know how much land state government owns and occupies, it's obviously a good bit less than the amount of land the federal government owns and occupies in DC. I found an old source from circa 1990 that said the state owned less than five percent of land in the entire metropolitan area but of course, that's dated information. The core of DC, containing the National Mall, Capitol Hill, Federal Triangle, Penn Quarter, Foggy Bottom, etc., has a built-in development advantage via the federal government and WMATA was exceptionally proactive with respect to TOD/TJD early on which also contributed to the development of DC's core. Atlanta's core is, of course, very different in all respects but particularly its development history which means that several city-initiated moves to spur investment are happening within the core which results in less such opportunities for outlying areas like south and far west Atlanta. And of course, DC has about 150K-200K more residents than Atlanta and WMATA gets significantly more annual funding than MARTA and is a national leader in transit-oriented/transit-joint development projects.
The most effective ways to get more investment in outer SW Atlanta will either be MARTA-related TOD/TJD or Beltline-related development IMO. But in Atlanta, TOD/TJD has historically often included a sizable office component (e.g., Lindbergh) which tends to have a different impact in the area compared to public-sector agencies.
Atlanta could provide funding in the form of grants for Black business owners like DC similar to the Food Access Fund created for Ward 7 and Ward 8.
DCity Smokehouse, a Black-owned business serving smokehouse BBQ since 2013 on Florida & North Capitol St, will open a new location in Anacostia in Ward 8.
Fresh Food Factory, a grocery store that sells affordably priced fresh and healthy food, will open a new location in Kenilworth in Ward 7.
Atlanta could also provide grant funding for grocery stores to open in Black neighborhoods like the Neighborhood Properity Fund. Go to the 7:50 mark of this video below where Mayor Bowser discussed the model for grocery stores and sit-down restaurants in Black neighborhoods in Ward 7 and Ward 8:
Through the Neighborhood Prosperity Fund, new restaurants are opening in developments throughout Ward 7 and Ward 8 to compliment the Food Access Fund. One of those Black owned restaurants is Kitchen Savages which is currently building out their space in the MLK Gateway development in Ward 8.
Last edited by MDAllstar; 03-10-2022 at 11:52 AM..
No, not directly. Boston Resiliency Fund and Community Preservation Act serve mostly to preserve or fund affordable housing, open spaces, food gardens, etc. but what the city does is buy up vacant lots and then open up city-owned lots and only sell it to "diverse" development teams with requirements for black- or Latino-owned businesses (depending on the neighborhood- it may be Latino). Particularly in Nubian Square. Tropical Food Market did get 1+ M dollars from the state to open a new grocery store in Nubian Square but the owner is Latino, and not Afro-Latino.
So for instance the Nubian Square PLAN is meant to revitalize Nubian as a commercial district with a black focus. The land owned by the city is sold at well below the market rate. I was talking about that strategy of using city funds to buy vacant lotand then only sell it to businesses (not necessarily food businesses) that have at least 25% black ownership- typically its 100% at below market rate. Its
Upham's Corner Arts and Innovation District and the Blue Hill Avenue Action Plan is similar to this in that they aim to bring retail back and offer below-market interest rates. With the expressed intent to prevent displacement.
THe city also has a separate liquor license available only to minority-owned businesses in minority neighborhoods that are discounted ~$400,000. These are meant to increase the number of sit down restaurants in Roxbury Dorchester and Mattapan and to an extent-they have worked in Roxbury and Dorchester but they found no takers in Mattapan. 75 were made available in 2014. In 2020 plans were made to advance another 184 licenses were advanced idk if it came to fruition, it needed state approval DC doesn’t have those issues.
Yeah, that is different than what DC is doing to bring Black owned food businesses to Ward 7 and Ward 8:
These programs provide gap funding grants to bring Black owned sit-down restaurants and grocery stores to Ward 7 and Ward 8. There are 5 retail corridors given priority in this. The goal is to build five Black downtown corridor areas in Ward 7 and Ward 8. Those include:
Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE/South Capitol Street SE/SW
Minnesota Avenue NE/Benning Road NE
Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue NE
Pennsylvania Avenue SE
Historic Anacostia
Skyland Town Center
Nourish DC just awarded grants to nine recipients. They also provide gap funding for loans which Benning Market in Ward 7 just received. Market 7 along with a food hall for Black owned businesses will anchor Benning Market. Market 7 opens later this year when internal buildout is complete.
In addition to these nine grant awardees, Nourish DC has supported the disbursement of six loans and 88 businesses have received 1:1 or cohort-based technical assistance. For example, the Benning Market project is receiving a $15 million loan package from multiple lenders including Capital Impact Partners, with Nourish DC providing the gap financing to establish Market 7 as the project's anchor tenant. Benning Market is a 24,000-square-foot neighborhood-serving commercial development project focused on food, health and entrepreneurship located in Ward 7. Market 7 will create an open concept retail community market space where local entrepreneurs can lease storefronts and kiosk spaces. Market 7 has been in business for four years as a pop-up food and retail market working with 60 small businesses. The permanent marketplace will feature local, Black-owned businesses, hire about 50 employees primarily from the neighborhood, and provide healthy food options and retail opportunities in Ward 7.
Last edited by MDAllstar; 03-10-2022 at 12:32 PM..
These programs provide gap funding grants to bring Black owned sit-down restaurants and grocery stores to Ward 7 and Ward 8. There are 5 retail corridors given priority in this. The goal is to build five Black downtown corridor areas in Ward 7 and Ward 8. Those include:
Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE/South Capitol Street SE/SW
Minnesota Avenue NE/Benning Road NE
Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue NE
Pennsylvania Avenue SE
Historic Anacostia
Skyland Town Center
Yea as we've talked about the way Boston is built it already has more of that retail and restaurants in black areas than most of ward 7 and 8. Albeit the vast majority of them lack liquor licenses. But still, there are many stores and sit-down restaurants around. DC naturally has less of that due to development patterns/time frame so there's the need for more AND there's the political ability for me because like Mutiny77 said it operates as a black plurality state as opposed to a black minority city like Boston. THe issue is there is not a ton of black retail. Nubian Square is important because it was for decades the Black Downtown of Boston during the long time period in which black people weren't welcome in DOwntown Boston. The term was "down Dudley" "im headed down dudley. He was down Dudley/ its down Dudley" When the crack epidemic happened and the city started shutting a lot of bars down for crime issue it lost its spark. Nubian Square mark the revitalization of the area in order to remake that time period/business landscape that as lost. Nubian Square was named after A Nubian Notion, a long stnadning blakc business in the area from the 1960s-2019
A Nubian Notion to close doors
Dudley flagship going out of business
"For generations of Roxbury residents, A Nubian Notion’s flagship Dudley Square store has been a constant presence. Next year, however, the Abdal-Khallaq family will bring an end to the store’s nearly-50 year reign as an anchor tenant in Roxbury’s commercial hub.
With the ten children of the business’ late founder Malik Abdal-Khalaq all at retirement age and their progeny working in other professions, the family has decided to scale back its operation."
At this moment, if you're looking for an urban walkable neighborhood with a black majority or plurality, with proximity to amenities that cater to black folks, i think the best options in DC proper are the neighborhoods of Brentwood, Eckington, and Edgewood. There's also Trinidad, Carver Langston, Hill East, and Kingman Park. NOMA and Brookland aren't majority black (i think) but both have a large black population.
Wards 7 and 8 in DC I think are better if you are looking to purchase.
I recently spent a lot of time in NE and SE DC (when the weather was nice) and there really needs to be better east west connections between the neighborhoods. Hopefully they actually build the streetcar to Benning Road metro but there is opposition from two of the mayoral candidates so we shall see. I'd love to see it extended to K Street as well but that's unlikely to happen.
I agree with you, but that narrative will not be true in the next few years.
Last edited by MDAllstar; 03-10-2022 at 02:08 PM..
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