Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE by Elvert Barnes licensed under Creative Commons.

Congress Heights business owners worry about the future if the Mystics move downtown

The Mystics’ owner, Ted Leonsis, says he will move the Mystics to Capital One Arena in downtown DC if the Wizards and Capitals make the move to Alexandria. Business owners and workers who have benefited from the Mystics’ presence in Ward 8 wonder if they will once again be on the losing side of a broken promise. (This article may be behind a paywall).  (Paul Schwartzman / Post)  

Nearly 1,500 housing units planned for former DC General site

One of two development teams chosen to redevelop Reservation 13, the former site of DC General Hospital, has filed plans to build 494 units of housing and 14,000 square feet of retail across two buildings, as well as a park and streetscape enhancements. The second team building at the Reservation 13 site is proposing almost 1,000 homes, most of them affordable, as well as an extended-stay hotel and a grocery store.  (Urban Turf)  

Fired Montgomery County Planning Director reaches settlement with new planning board

The entire Montgomery County Planning Board resigned in the fall of 2022 shortly after firing Planning Director Gwen Wright for unstated reasons. Wright, who was less than three months away from retirement at the time after 30 years with the planning department, has now reached a settlement new board that includes $100,000 and renaming a design excellence award in her honor.* (This article may be behind a paywall).  (Katie Shepherd / Post)  

New 85-acre Cattail Regional Park coming to Leesburg

Donated by the Harris family, the new 85-acre regional park includes forest, fields, and a bog, *and will eventually feature trails. Records indicate there was an inn on the site as far back as 1776. In the 1960s, the property owners welcomed Black swimmers to their pool when the county shut down its public pool in opposition to integration. No opening date has been announced.  (Hector Alejandro Arzate / DCist)  

Old Town Alexandria office-to-residential conversion planned

The owner of a 1980s-era office building in Old Town North is heading to the planning commission in February with a plan for converting the office space into 136 new homes, including seven affordable homes. The owners are citing the high office vacancy rate as reason for the conversion, which would include building out more of the lot and adding several stories, but maintaining the current amount of parking.  (James Cullum / ALXNow)  

Baltimore-based nonprofit awarded $50 million federal environmental justice grant

In December, the US Environmental Protection Agency awarded $50 million to the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, a Baltimore-based nonprofit. Green & Healthy Homes will pass the funds through to community groups across DC, Maryland, and Virginia, as well as Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and seven federally recognized tribes, for environmental justice projects. The organization also recently received $1.15 million to improve housing conditions in disinvested neighborhoods.  (Rosanne Skirble / Maryland Matters)  

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