NEW LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY CENTER ANNOUNCED IN DC WITH EXPANDED SERVICES IN 2023
The DC Center and the Capital Pride Alliance to Jointly Share Lease
(Washington, D.C.) – The DC Center for the LGBT Community (The DC Center) and the Capital Pride Alliance (CPA) have jointly signed a lease for a new space located at 1827 Wiltberger St NW, Washington, DC, 20001. The 6,671 square foot space, currently being designed for buildout by Hickok Cole with The DC Center’s specific needs in mind, will include ten offices and multiple co-working stations. Mayor Bowser, through the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, invested $1 million to buildout the new facility. The new LGBTQ+ Community Center will better serve the needs of the community and be complete by mid-2023.
The new community center will be larger than The DC Center’s current location and will allow an increase in community and service outreach, capacity, and implementation as well as the opportunity to sublease office and desk space to other LGBTQ+ nonprofits. Confirmed to share the space are Wanda Alston Foundation, Rainbow Families, and G3 Associates.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity for The DC Center to more fully expand our support offerings and provide vital and integral wraparound care to and for our LGBTQIA2s+ siblings. I am also exhilarated at the opportunity to be co-housed with other impactful and game changing community-based organizations/LGBTQ+ nonprofits for one-stop assistance and care,” said Kimberley Bush, Executive Director of The DC Center. “When community members come to this new space, they’ll see a broader range of support being offered and an enhanced experience for increasing their health, wellness, and personal security. We thank Mayor Bowser and her Office of LGBTQ Affairs for their generosity, and we look forward to welcoming the community into the new space next summer. All upcoming expenses are not yet covered, so please consider a holiday donation to The DC Center, on behalf of DC’s New LGBTQ+ Community Center, as we strive to provide continued support and an affirming and safe space of respite to all who may need it.”
The DC Center’s expansion of services will include dedicated therapy rooms, a larger food pantry for the community food distribution program, a dedicated wellness spaces for meditation, yoga, and counseling, an expanded state-of-the-art cyber-lounge, a larger Community Closet (which provides free apparel) that incorporates a designated dressing area, plus individual lockers providing temporary storage for unhoused/displaced community members. All restrooms will be gender neutral.
“We are all very excited to support this opportunity and come together in a new space with fellow nonprofits. Collectively and collaboratively, we will better serve the LGBTQ+ community and combine resources to provide a much-needed safe space to gather that provides access to food, clothes, educational programming, and care, as well as professional development assets such as computers and conference rooms,” said Ryan Bos, Executive Director of the Capital Pride Alliance. “The funding we’ve secured through our Pride 365 Fund for this venture will take us only so far, so we’ll be counting on the support from donors, sponsors, and advocates to help permanently finance this much needed expansion.”
Much of the design and buildout by Hickok Cole will incorporate vetted and green-certified materials to meet and surpass the DC Green Construction and Energy Code’s sustainable standards. The project will strive to minimize its environmental footprint while focusing on the health and wellness of its occupants. Additionally, the new LGBTQ+ Community Center will go above and beyond ADA requirements to ensure inclusivity, accessibility, and comfort for all.
This Program is being funded, partially or fully, through the District of Columbia Executive Office of the Mayor – Office of Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development.
“We are proud to reaffirm our support for DC’s LGBTQ+ community,” said Mayor Bowser. “This investment is a reflection of our DC Values. We know that when we foster community, and when we support organizations that invest in the community, DC is stronger and our residents have more and better opportunities to reach their full potential and live happy, healthy lives.”
“Our DC Values are centered around uplifting, supporting, and providing safe spaces for all of our residents, including members of the LGBTQIA2+ community,” said Deputy Mayor John Falcicchio. “We are proud that we provided $1 million in financial assistance to help The DC Center build out its new home. The new DC Center will be comprised of community-serving organizations dedicated to helping community members access resources and opportunities to achieve their fair shot. We are grateful to aid in that mission”.
“DC and Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Administration in leading the nation in providing resources and opportunity for our LGBTQIA+ community,” said Japer Bowles. “This investment in LGBTQIA+ safe space is just one more example of how we lead.”
The lease was secured through the prodigious work of the consultant partners who represented The DC Center and CPA in the transaction, Elizabeth Birch and James Dennin of CBRE, and also Mendi Sossamon and Paul VanWagenen from Potomac Law Group who served as legal counsel.
For additional information and interviews, please contact Rehana Mohammed, Vice Chair, Board of Directors, The DC Center for the LGBT Community at: [email protected].
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About The DC Center for the LGBT Community
The DC Center for the LGBT Community educates, empowers, celebrates, and connects the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender communities. The mission focuses on the four core areas of health and wellness, arts and culture, social and peer support, and advocacy and community building. They envision communities where LGBTQ people feel healthy, safe, and affirmed.
About The Capital Pride Alliance
The Capital Pride Alliance (CPA), located in Washington, DC, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the needs of the LGBTQ+ community all year long, through educational programs, fundraising, outreach and advocacy, providing platforms for visibility, and supporting the work of our many community organizations and local businesses.
