Mayor to Issue RFP for Convention Center Site

WASHINGTON, DC-Washington, DC mayor Anthony A. Williams has made a request of the City Council to sign off on the issuing of a Request for Proposals for the 10.5-acre plot that is home to the soon-to-be-replaced convention center. The property will be demolished as the city prepares to debut its new $800 million convention center next year.

“With this submission to the council of requests for proposals, my administration has taken a critical step in moving forward with this comprehensive redevelopment opportunity,” Williams announced at a news briefing. “I am asking the council to allow us to issue an RFP this summer and to join with me to begin the process of seeking a master developer to help us translate our vision for this site into a reality.”

The mayor has hopes of transforming the downtown property by developing housing, retail spaces, a library and a concert hall. However, those ideas are not set in stone. The “Request for Proposals for the Disposition of the Existing Convention Center Site Approval Resolution of 2002″ is now in the hands of the City Council’s Committee on Government Operations and the Committee on Economic Development.