Retail

Photo by PoPville flickr user mosley.brian

From a press release:

Mayor Vincent C. Gray and Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Victor L. Hoskins today announced the third round of awards for the H Street NE Retail Priority Grant Program. The grants are meant to stimulate small-business development and expansion while also creating new job opportunities for District residents along the emerging H Street NE retail-and-entertainment corridor and the surrounding area.

Awardees include:

· Barracks Row Main Street, located at 731 8th Street SE: a non-profit charged with advocating for commercial enterprises along the corridor and servicing those enterprises through case work, publications and other tools will use its $27,390 grant for increased technical assistance to business owners who might not otherwise be able to improve their buildings and operations through the redevelopment of interior and exterior spaces.

· The Daily Rider, LLC, located at 1108 H Street NE: a full-service bicycle shop that offers a full range of bicycle repair and customization services will use its $85,000 grant for improvements to its façade, interior and rear exterior space. Improvements to the building’s rear will allow the company to host biking-related classes and events to better serve its customers and the surrounding community.

· Dynamic Health & Wellness, located at 402 H Street NE: a unique health-focused store that primarily offers natural nutritional pre-packaged food products, herbal products and tea products will use its $13,850 grant to perform long-needed building upgrades to bring the business up to par with its neighbors in its revitalized block.

· Hunted House, located at 510 H Street NE: a new business to the H street corridor, it offers quality pieces of mid-century modern furniture, art and accessories at affordable prices. Its $5,000 grant will be used to cover the cost of exterior upgrades, including signage, as well as the purchase of needed retail equipment.

· Koffee Boutique, located at 1204 H Street NE: a new clothing boutique catering to women is owned by a District native and will use its $85,000 grant to renovate the space and purchase equipment.

· Metro Mutts, located at 508 H Street NE: a pet store that specializes in top-quality pet supplies and services for passionate pet owners and their dogs, cats and small animals. It will use its $51,795 grant to maximize its existing space in order to increase sales and lower operating costs.

· Passion for Fitness, located at 408 H Street NE: a sports-and-fitness location that opened in 2007 with a mission to provide one-to-one fitness training for local residents and professionals, it will use its $42,000 grant for interior build-out.

The grant program was created by the H Street NE Retail Priority Area Incentive Act of 2010. The program’s three phases were administered by the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. First-round awards were announced on January 10, 2012. Second-round awards were announced on May 4, 2012. Third-round awardees were selected out of a pool of 16 applicants who submitted applications for the grants by the June 22, 2012 deadline.

Additional H Street Retail Priority Area grant funds have been made available in the Fiscal Year 2013 budget, and an information session will be held at the H Street Playhouse, located at 1365 H Street NE, on November 7, 2012 at 6:45 p.m. More information about the grant program can be found here: H Street NE Retail Priority Area Project Grant.