What Is a BID, And Why Does Ours Matter?
You’ve probably seen the signs. Now here’s what’s actually behind them.
By: Vaughan Butts
Maybe you noticed the new logo on a banner along Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue. Maybe someone handed you a flyer outside the Congress Heights Metro. Maybe a neighbor mentioned it at the block association meeting and you nodded along, not wanting to admit you had no idea what a BID actually was.
That’s fine. Most people don’t, because most BIDs weren’t built for neighborhoods like ours.
Here’s the plain version: a Business Improvement District is a formally designated area where property owners pool resources to fund services and improvements that go beyond what the city already provides. Think of it as a neighborhood deciding, collectively, that it wants more.
More cleaning. More safety presence. More events, more investment, more attention paid to the blocks where people actually live and work and spend their money.
Instead of waiting on a budget cycle or a shifting set of priorities, a BID creates a dedicated, reliable stream of resources, governed by the people closest to the corridor.
Washington, D.C. has had BIDs for decades. Downtown. Georgetown. NoMa. Mount Vernon Triangle. Golden Triangle. If you’ve ever noticed how clean and well-lit certain commercial areas feel; how there always seems to be someone picking up trash or watering a planter or helping a visitor find their way, that’s often a BID at work.
The People Behind the Work
Meet the team steering the Soul of the City into its next chapter.
By: Exodus Bryant
A Business Improvement District is only as strong as the people who shape it.
That’s true everywhere. But in Ward 8, where communities have seen plans come and go, promises made and forgotten, the question of who is in the room matters even more.
The Soul of the City Business Improvement District was not built by one group. It was built by a network of contributors; each bringing a different kind of expertise, influence, and commitment to the same outcome: a corridor that works for the people who already call it home.
The Architects: Building the Blueprint Before There Was a BID Before there was legislation, before there was a boundary map, there were people who helped define what this could be.
Richard H. Bradley, the founding Executive Director of the DowntownDC BID, brought a level of expertise that few cities have access to. Over nearly two decades, he helped transform downtown Washington into one of the most organized and economically productive districts in the country; managing an $11 million budget and facilitating more than $35 billion in development.
Long before the Soul of the City BID was formalized, Bradley provided pro bono guidance during the formative years of the Congress Heights Partnership. His counsel helped shape the foundational thinking behind what a BID east of the river could, and should, be.
Alongside him, Uwe Brandes brought the discipline of urban planning and systems thinking. As a leader at Georgetown University and a national voice on sustainable city development, Brandes helped translate community vision into planning frameworks.
Just as importantly, he brought students.
An entire pipeline of emerging urban planners became the research and development engine behind the BID; testing ideas, mapping corridors, and exploring how three historically disconnected neighborhoods could function as one.
From that work emerged Landis Masnor, whose capstone project focused on the evolution of the Congress Heights BID. His rigor, curiosity, and attention to land use patterns helped push the work beyond concept into actionable strategy. Today, he remains embedded in the BID’s planning ecosystem, continuing to ask the questions that sharpen its direction.
The Storyteller: Naming and Defining the Soul
Every place has a story. Few have someone capable of drawing it out.
Jeannette Hanna, Chief Strategist and co-founder of Trajectory Brands, helped give this work its language.
Through months of interviews, focus groups, and community sessions, she asked residents to imagine their future; to “create their postcard from the future.” What emerged from that process was not just a name, but a narrative: Soul of the City.
That story has guided the evolution of this work for over a decade. It shaped how the BID communicates, how it positions itself, and how it holds onto the cultural integrity of the community while preparing for growth.
The Designers: Reimagining What the Corridor Could Be Vision requires translation into physical space.
Otto Condon of ZGF Architects helped reimagine how the built environment could support the future of these corridors; thinking through public space, green infrastructure, and how design influences who feels welcome and what becomes possible.
This was not abstract design work. It was grounded in the reality of Ward 8, shaped by both global expertise and local engagement.
The Public Sector Partner: Aligning Government with Community No BID comes to life without navigating the complexity of public systems.
Latrena Owens demonstrated what it looks like when government works in alignment with community vision. Through her leadership at the District’s redevelopment efforts at St. Elizabeths East, she helped prove that public
(Pictured: The Soul of the City BID Steering Team)
What Is a BID continued from P1
But for years, east of the Anacostia River, there was only one.
Until now.
What Makes the Soul of the City Different
The Soul of the City Business Improvement District covers the commercial corridors of Congress Heights, Washington Highlands, and Bellevue; three neighborhoods that have carried decades of disinvestment without the benefit of a coordinated, community-controlled resource like this.
That alone would be significant. But what really sets this BID apart isn’t just its geography. It’s how it came to exist.
This BID was not handed down from City Hall or designed by consultants who had never eaten at a carry-out on Alabama Avenue. It was built over years. Through organizing meetings and community listening sessions and conversations with business owners, property owners, residents, and civic partners who kept showing up because they believed these corridors deserved better, and were willing to do the work to make it happen.
That history matters. It means the people steering this organization are not learning about Ward 8 from a report. They live it.
What the BID Actually Does
At its foundation, BID work starts with the essentials: clean streets, maintained public spaces, and a visible presence that signals that someone is paying attention.
The Soul of the City delivers that through:
• Supplemental cleaning
• Graffiti removal
• Corridor maintenance
• On-the-ground presence
But this BID was designed to go further. Its mission centers on three outcomes: quality of life, economic inclusion, and reconnection.
Reconnection is intentional.
For too long, Congress Heights, Washington Highlands, and Bellevue have been treated as separate places with separate challenges. The BID approaches them as a connected corridor with a shared future.
That shows up in three ways:
• Physical: Safer, more walkable, better-connected public spaces
• Economic: Real support and visibility for small and Black-owned businesses
• Cultural: Programming that reflects the people who already live here
This is a BID that thinks about:
• The grandmother walking from Washington Highlands to Alabama Avenue
• The entrepreneur working to open a second location
• The young person leaving the Metro who should feel pride in what they see
What This Is Not Let’s be clear.
The BID is not a development authority. It does not displace residents. It does not exist to attract a different community at the expense of the one already here.
The Soul of the City is not here to change the soul of these neighborhoods. It is here to protect it, strengthen it, and allow it to thrive.
That is the standard.
And it belongs to the community to hold the BID accountable to it.
Your Corridor. Your BID.
If you own property in the district, your assessment funds this work.
If you own a business, the BID is here to support you.
If you are a resident, this organization is accountable to the community you call home.
The Soul of the City BID is in its early stages. The decisions being made right now will shape its impact for years to come.
Which means this is the moment to:
• Pay attention
• Ask questions
• Stay engaged
Learn more at soulofthecity.org.
And if you see someone in a Soul of the City vest, stop them. Ask what they’re doing.
They’re working for your block.
The UnTold Stories
Monthly Contributors:
Amber Crowder
Lamont Akins
Vaughan Butts
Devon Lesesne Donald Isaac
Phinis Jones
Gene Lambey
Monica Ray
Shelley Rice
Contessa Allen- Starks
Content Design & Editor: Sincerely Planned, LLC
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investment; when paired with community partnership, can amplify both narrative and outcome.
The Backbone: Community, Business, and Belief No model, no plan, no strategy works without the people who live it every day.
This BID exists because:
• Residents demanded more while refusing to leave
• Business and property owners chose to invest when others would not
• Community voices pushed development to be more accountable, more inclusive, and more grounded
They are not stakeholders. They are the reason this exists.
The Stewards: Founding Board Leadership
As the work moved from vision to institution, a group of early investors and leaders stepped forward to carry it.
• Phinis Jones
• Omar Karim
• Dan Tangherlini
• Charlie Whittaker
• Naseema Shafi
These are not symbolic appointments. These are individuals who invested early; before the momentum, before the visibility—helping to stabilize and legitimize the effort at critical moments.
They represent development, workforce, healthcare, and institutional leadership; all aligned around one outcome: a corridor that works.
The Builder: From Concept to Execution Every vision needs someone to operationalize it.
Vaughan Butts, the BID’s first employee, represents that transition.
Through GIS mapping, survey development, and organizational design, he has helped translate years of ideas into systems that can be implemented, measured, and sustained.
What This Means Going Forward
This is not a typical leadership structure.
It is an ecosystem:
• Practitioners who have built districts
• Planners who understand systems
• Storytellers who define identity
• Designers who shape space
• Government partners who unlock pathways
• Community members who hold the standard
• Board leaders who steward the institution
• Staff who execute the work
Together, they form the foundation of the Soul of the City.
The work ahead will test that foundation.
And the community has every right to expect that the people behind it continue to deliver— with discipline, transparency, and results.
Because in Ward 8, who is in the room still matters.
And now, you know exactly who is.
We’re Looking for a Leader, And We Want You to Know Why
The Soul of the City BID is searching for its founding Executive Director. This is what that means and why it matters.
By: Lamont Akins
More than a decade of organizing, coalition-building, and consistent presence led to one defining moment: January 22, 2026, when the Mayor of the District of Columbia officially certified the Soul of the City Business Improvement District.
Ward 8 did the work.
Now comes the person who will carry it forward.
The search for the BID’s founding Executive Director is open. If you know someone who belongs in this conversation, or if that person is you, this is your entry point.
This Is Not a Maintenance Role
Let’s be clear about what this position is, and what it is not.
This is not a maintenance role.
This is not a traditional nonprofit position where the mission sits framed on a wall.
The Executive Director of the Soul of the City BID will serve as the founding chief executive of a newly certified, community-built institution; covering the commercial corridors of Congress Heights, Washington Highlands, and Bellevue.
That means building from the ground up:
• Staffing the organization
• Operationalizing systems
• Managing and growing a dedicated revenue stream
• Representing the BID publicly
• Delivering visible, measurable results All at once. All in real time.
The Work: Clean • Safe • Activate—and Beyond
The BID’s work is organized across five interconnected areas:
Clean and Safe Operations
Because a corridor that feels neglected sends
(Pictured: The Soul of the City BID Headquarters)
a message, and this corridor deserves better.
Economic Vitality
Supporting small businesses, Black-owned enterprises, and local entrepreneurs who are the backbone of these communities.
Placemaking and Cultural Activation
Programming public spaces in ways that reflect the actual soul of Washington, DC; not an imported version of it.
Partnership Development
Building durable relationships with District agencies, anchor institutions, developers, and community organizations.
Strategic Leadership
Seeing where the corridor is going, and ensuring the people already here are positioned to benefit from that future.
This is execution work. But it is also stewardship.
The Leader We’re Looking For
The Board is not looking for a caretaker. It is looking for a builder. The right leader will bring:
• Political acuity and systems awareness
• Operational discipline and follow-through
• Credibility across community, government, and private sectors
• A grounded respect for communities that have been over-promised and under-resourced
Most importantly, they will understand this: Ward 8’s corridors are not a project to be managed. They are a promise to be kept.
A Rare Opportunity
Most executive roles ask leaders to sustain something that already exists.
This one asks a leader to build something that matters; with a community that already knows its value, and a Board that has spent years making sure this moment arrived.
That combination is rare.
So is the responsibility that comes with it.
If This Is You—or Someone You Know
Applications and nominations are being accepted on a rolling basis at: soulofthecity.org/employment-opportunities
Share the opportunity.
Send it to someone who belongs in this seat.
Ward 8 built this BID.
The right leader won’t need to be convinced why that matters.
They’ll already know.
From MLK to Mississippi: A Tour of Our Corridors
The Soul of the City BID covers six distinct nodes across Ward 8. Here’s what’s actually there — and why every block of it matters.
Soul of the City BID
By: Vaughan Butts Start at the heart of
it.
Stand at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and Malcolm X Avenue SE on a weekday morning and just watch. The buses run. The barbershops open. Someone carries groceries up the hill. A group of older men holds their regular post outside a storefront; doing what older men in Ward 8 have always done: keeping an eye on things, making sure the block still feels like a block.
This is where the Soul of the City begins. And it is exactly what the BID was built to protect.
Node 1: MLK Central Spine
The MLK Central Spine runs from Milwaukee Street to Savannah Street, carrying the full weight of the corridor’s history and daily life.
At 3215 MLK Ave SE, Prospering Places; formerly the Congress Heights Community
Training and Development Corporation; has long served as a hub for workforce development, community programming, and civic life.
Just blocks away, at 2806 MLK Ave SE, sits the BID’s headquarters.
These two anchors, close enough to walk between in minutes, tell you everything about this node: community infrastructure, built by people who live here, serving people who live here.
Node 2: Congress Heights Metro & St. Elizabeths Core
Move east, and the corridor opens into one of the most consequential intersections in Ward 8.
The Congress Heights Metro station connects residents to the entire region. Above it, the St. Elizabeths East campus; once a federal psychiatric hospital, is now a center of significant public and private investment. The RISE Conference Center and The Pavil-
1:17,000
ion at 2700 MLK Ave SE anchor this node as a place for gathering, convening, and visibility.
This is where the Washington Mystics play. Where the Wizards practice. Where new energy is taking root, alongside the families and institutions that never left.
Node 3: Alabama Avenue Connector
Follow the corridor south and you reach Alabama Avenue; distinct in rhythm, character, and identity.
Stretching from 5th Street to 13th, this node is anchored by Greater Fellowship Church at 814 Alabama Ave SE, an institution that reflects what churches in Ward 8 have always been: not just places of worship, but centers of community life.
Here, you find:
• Small businesses
• Corner markets
of the City Nodes
• Everyday commerce that keeps neighborhoods functioning
This node is connective tissue, linking the MLK Spine to the broader geography of the BID.
And it deserves the same level of care, coordination, and investment.
Node 4: Bellevue & South Capitol Gateway Head southwest toward South Capitol Street, and the landscape shifts.
The Bellevue and South Capitol Gateway node carries a more residential character, with proximity to the Potomac River and a different pace of life.
Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ at 3845 South Capitol Street SW anchors this space as a place of gathering and continuity.
This node functions as a gateway in both directions:
• Connecting Ward 8 to the broader city
• Connecting new development to long-standing neighborhoods
The BID’s presence here makes a clear statement: Bellevue is not peripheral to this story. It is central to it.
Node 5: Washington Highlands Edge
Back east along Mississippi Avenue, the Washington Highlands Edge stretches from Wheeler Road to Southern Avenue.
At 701 Mississippi Ave SE, the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center has served generations of young people; not just as a recreational facility, but as a place of structure, mentorship, and belonging.
Washington Highlands carries its own identity, its own leadership, its own pride.
The BID does not bring that.
It recognizes it, and works alongside it.
Node 6: Oxon Run Interface
At the eastern edge of the BID, the corridor meets one of Ward 8’s most important natural assets.
Oxon Run Park offers green space, trails, and room to breathe; something every city needs and not every community has equal access to.
This node is anchored by:
• Giant Food at 1535 Alabama Ave SE—a true daily touchpoint for residents
• THEARC at 1801 Mississippi Ave SE—one of the most significant institutions east of the river, bringing together arts, health, education, and youth programming
This is where community life, nature, and essential services intersect.
One Corridor. Six Nodes. Shared Future.
Six nodes. Miles of corridor.
Dozens of anchors; churches, markets, institutions, parks, and gathering places—that have held this community together through decades of disinvestment and determination.
The Soul of the City did not build these places. Ward 8 did.
The role of the BID is not to replace what exists. It is to connect it, strengthen it, and ensure it thrives; block by block, node by node, for the next generation.
Because when these corridors work together, they become more than a collection of places. They become a system.
And that system is just getting started.
Earth Day Is Our Opening Day
On April 22nd, the Soul of the City BID is taking it to the
streets, all of them.
Here’s what’s happening, where to go, and why you don’t
By: Devon Lesesne
There is something powerful about a neighborhood that cleans up after itself.
Not because it has to. Not because someone is watching.
But because the people who live there look at their block and decide: this place is worth taking care of.
That’s what April 22 is about.
More Than a Date. A Defining Moment. Earth Day this year is not just a moment on the calendar in Ward 8. It is Opening Day.
The Soul of the City Business Improvement District is marking its arrival with a full day of coordinated action and community gathering; stretching from the MLK Central Spine to Mississippi Avenue, across all six nodes of the corridor.
This is not symbolic. This is the first full demonstration of what it looks like when a corridor moves together.
Morning: The Work (10:00 AM – 12:00 PM) The day begins the way meaningful things often do, with work.
From 10:00 AM to noon, residents, partners, and volunteers will participate in a coordinated, corridor-wide cleanup:
• Removing litter
• Refreshing public spaces
• Showing, visibly, that this community takes care of its own Partners including Ward 8 Woods and Serve DC will be on the ground alongside BID staff, covering the full length of the district.
Gloves, bags, and supplies are provided. What’s needed is simple: your presence.
Afternoon: The Gathering (12:30 PM – 3:00 PM)
Location: 2806 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave SE
At 12:30 PM, the corridor comes together in one place.
The Soul of the City headquarters becomes a hub for connection, information, and shared energy; bringing residents, partners, and District agencies into direct conversation with the community.
This is where the work meets access.
District agency partners will be on-site to share valuable information, answer questions, and connect residents and business owners to resources that support:
• Small business development
• Workforce opportunities
• Public services
• Neighborhood investment Alongside them, community partners including Prospering Places, UPO, and Sycamore and Oak help activate the space; creating an environment that reflects both the purpose and the potential of the corridor.
This is not just a gathering. It is infrastructure; visible, accessible, and in service of the community.
Why This Moment Matters
The Soul of the City BID is built on one core idea: reconnection.
That Congress Heights, Washington Highlands, and Bellevue are not separate places with separate outcomes; but a linked corridor with a shared future.
April 22 is the first time that idea becomes fully visible:
• One location
• One community
• One coordinated experience
want to miss it.
Not theory. Practice.
AND THEN WE KEEP GOING (APRIL 25) Momentum matters.
Just days later, the BID will join Muriel Bowser’s 10th Annual Spring Cleanup as a supporting partner.
Saturday, April 25 | 10:00 AM
Shepherd Park – 500 Parkland Place SE
No registration required. Just show up ready to work. Supplies will be provided. Every set of hands counts.
Show Up. That’s It. Come out on April 22. Walk your block. Stay for the gathering. Connect to the resources.
Then come back on the 25th, and do it again.
Because the truth is:
This community has always been capable of this. Earth Day is just the proof.
Join Us
For full event details, visit: eventbrite.com (search: Soul of the City Business Improvement District)
The Soul of the City will be there. So will your neighbors.
Equity Is Not an Add-On, It’s the Architecture
The Soul of the City BID doesn’t just talk about equity. It builds around it. Here’s what that actually looks like.
By: Contessa Allen- Starks
Every organization working in a community like Ward 8 says it believes in equity.
You hear it in mission statements. You see it in grant applications. You read it in press releases.
And too often, that’s where it stays, in the language, but not in the structure.
The Soul of the City Business Improvement District was designed with a different premise: Equity is not a value statement. It is an operating system.
It must show up in:
• Who gets contracts
• Who gets hired
• Who gets access to the opportunities created when investment arrives Anything less is performance.
This Is About Fixing the Pipeline
This approach is not theoretical. It is a response to history.
The corridors that make up this BID; MLK Avenue, Alabama Avenue, the stretch from Congress Heights to Bellevue—have carried decades of disinvestment.
Not because the community lacked:
• Entrepreneurs
• Culture
• Institutional knowledge
• Economic activity
Ward 8 has always had people who build.
What it has too often lacked is coordinated infrastructure—systems that direct resources toward the people already here, rather than around them.
The BID exists, in part, to fix that pipeline.
(Pictured: Prospering Places Staff celebrate rebranding and sign replacing the CHCTDC)
Partnership by Design, Not by Accident That is why the partnership with Prospering Places is not an add-on.
It is a design decision.
For decades, Prospering Places—formerly the Congress Heights Community Training and Development Corporation, has worked to expand economic opportunity east of the Anacostia River by providing:
• Access to capital
• Technical assistance
• Capacity-building for Black entrepreneurs
Under the leadership of Stephanie Campbell, that work has remained grounded in the community it serves; on MLK Avenue, in direct relationship with the people building businesses here.
She was in the room when this BID was being imagined. Now she is in the room ensuring it delivers. That continuity matters.
The Secret Sauce: How This Actually Works What makes this approach different is not just intention, it is structure.
The Soul of the City operates through what we call our “Secret Sauce”; an integrated, placebased ecosystem designed to align services, investment, and community voice into one coordinated system.
The Secret Sauce: An Integrated Place-Based Ecosystem
Aligning corridor services, real estate strategy, small business support, and community leadership to produce coordinated, measurable outcomes.
Individually, each of these elements has value. Together, they create alignment; and alignment is what drives results.
Build With, Not Around
The BID’s approach is simple, and intentional: Partner where strength already exists. continued
What This Means in Practice Equity, in this model, is not abstract. It shows up in expectations.
Residents and business owners should expect:
• Contracting opportunities that prioritize local businesses
• Job pipelines that move through community-based organizations
• Entrepreneurship pathways that connect growth to the people already here Not someday. Now.
Built on a Foundation, Not Starting From Scratch
Prospering Places has been serving this community since 1988.
That matters.
It means the BID is not attempting to “introduce” equity to Ward 8. It is building on decades of work that already exists.
That is how durable systems are created; not by starting over, but by strengthening what is already working.
Equity Requires Measurement The real test is not what gets announced. It is what gets measured.
The Soul of the City BID has committed to transparency and accountability in how it deploys its resources.
That means the community has every right to ask:
• Who is receiving contracts?
• Who is being hired?
• Where is investment actually landing?
And the BID must be able to answer; clearly, consistently, and with data.
The Standard Equity with discipline is not a one-time promise.
It is a standard.
Held:
• Every year
• On every block
• With every dollar Ask the questions. You should.
Because this BID was built to answer them.
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Open for Business, And Here’s Why
Congress Heights sits at the center of the biggest wave of investment Ward 8 has ever seen. The question isn’t whether growth is coming. It’s who it’s coming for.
By: Monica Ray
Stand at the Congress Heights Metro station on a weekday morning and watch closely.
For years, most of the people boarding those trains were headed north; downtown, Capitol Hill, the employment corridors that have long pulled workers out of Ward 8 each morning and sent them back each evening.
That pattern is older than the Metro itself.
And it is beginning to change.
Before the Growth, There Was a Foundation Before we talk about what’s coming, it’s worth recognizing what’s already here.
Because the story of this corridor does not begin with a ribbon cutting. It begins with the businesses and institutions that stayed, when staying wasn’t easy.
City Beats.
The Congress Heights Arts and Culture Center. Liff’s Market. THEARC.
These are not placeholders. They are the foundation.
They built anyway; before the attention, before the capital, before the headlines.
That matters.
The Investment Is No Longer Coming. It’s Here. The scale of investment in Congress Heights is no longer speculative. It is visible, operational, and growing.
At the center of it is the transformation of St. Elizabeths East, part of a $1B+ public investment under Muriel Bowser.
Today, that investment includes:
• CareFirst Arena, a 4,200-seat venue bringing consistent activity, visitors, and visibility to the corridor
• New for-sale townhomes, introducing homeownership opportunities directly within the district
• Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center GW Health, a major healthcare anchor reshaping access, employment, and long-term stability in Ward 8
This is not projected impact. This is present-day transformation.
And the Pipeline Is Deep What’s coming next is just as important as what has already arrived.
A significant development pipeline is actively moving forward across the corridor, including:
• Parcel 6
• Parcels 7, 8, and 9
• Parcel 13
• Parcel 15—home to Sycamore and Oak, an environmentally sustainable mass timber development incubating 20 minority-owned businesses
In addition:
• The District has issued solicitations for development partners for Parcel 1 (the Farm Parcel)
• And for 3720 MLK Avenue SE, continuing the build-out of the corridor
This is coordinated, multi-phase growth. And it is accelerating.
Growth Doesn’t Distribute Itself
Here is the reality:
Growth does not distribute itself fairly. It flows toward what is organized, visible, and positioned to receive it.
For too long, Ward 8 has had:
• Location
• Culture
• Community
But not the infrastructure to direct that growth where it belongs.
That is what is changing now.
The Role of the Soul of the City BID
The Soul of the City Business Improvement District exists to ensure that investment does not move through this corridor, it lands with intention.
That means:
• Supporting legacy businesses that built the foundation
• Creating visibility and coordination across nodes
• Connecting entrepreneurs to opportunity
• Ensuring that new development aligns with community outcomes
This is not about attracting attention. Attention has arrived.
This is about capturing value, and directing it with discipline.
Community Is Organizing—And So Is the BID Across Ward 8, residents particularly near the former United Medical Center site, are organizing to ensure that development is equitable, inclusive, and accountable.
That matters.
Because infrastructure without community alignment creates displacement.
The Soul of the City BID is clear in its role: It will move in lockstep with the community.
Not ahead of it.
Not around it. With it.
What This Means for Business Owners
If you are already on this corridor, this moment is about amplification.
If you are considering entering it, this moment is about alignment.
Because for the first time, three conditions are converging:
• Significant public and private investment
• Coordinated infrastructure through the BID
• That combination is rare.
The Moment Is Now
Ward 8 has always had economic strength. What it has lacked is the infrastructure to
channel that strength into sustained, visible growth.
That infrastructure is now being built; deliberately, locally, and with accountability.
Get Connected
If you own a business or are ready to start one, the Soul of the City wants to hear from you.
Visit soulofthecity.org. Or stop by headquar-
SPRING CLASS SCHEDULE
We Built This. Now Let’s Protect It.
A message from the Founder and Board Chair of the Soul of the City BID
By: Monica Ray
There is a corner on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue I have driven past hundreds of times. Maybe thousands.
I know the businesses on it by name. I know which ones have been there longer than I have, and which ones came and went while I was watching. I know what that corner looked like when it was struggling. And I know what it looked like when it held on anyway.
Because the people around it decided it was worth holding on to.
That corner is why I do this work.
Not an abstract belief in economic development. Not a theory about place-based investment.
A corner.
A community.
Real people who deserved more than what they were being given.
Where This Work Lives
I have spent more than three decades working at the intersection of community, culture, and capital.
It is not a clean place to stand.
It requires patience. It requires discipline.
It requires the ability to walk into rooms where decisions are being made about your neighborhood, and make yourself heard in a way that cannot be ignored.
There were years when I questioned whether that work was enough. Years watching investment flow elsewhere. Years wondering if organizing, coalition-building, and trust—built slowly—were actually moving anything.
But I never stopped believing this: If we built something real here, something
with deep enough roots it would become impossible to ignore.
What the BID Represents
The Soul of the City Business Improvement District is what that belief looks like when it becomes structure.
This BID did not arrive from government. It was not delivered by philanthropy.
It came from years of showing up.
From business owners who stayed open when the economics said close.
From property owners who invested when no one else was paying attention.
From residents who showed up—again and again—and made it clear that Ward 8 deserved the same level of care, coordination, and investment as any other part of this city.
The BID is not the beginning of that story.
It is the structure that allows that story to scale.
Recognition—and What It Confirms
This month, I was honored by the Washington Business Journal as a 2026 Diversity in Business award recipient.
I received that recognition with gratitude.
But I want to be clear about what it represents.
It is not about me.
It is confirmation, public and institutional, that what this community has always known is true:
That protecting cultural integrity and expanding economic access are not competing priorities. That equity and growth can—and must—happen together.
That you can build something that is both durable and just.
Ward 8 has always known this. Now, others are beginning to see it.
This Moment
And there is a lot to see.
The investment is no longer coming. It is here.
CareFirst Arena is active; bringing energy, visibility, and new audiences into the corridor.
The new Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center GW Health is open; expanding access to care and creating jobs—while also requiring continued investment, attention, and community alignment to reach its full potential.
Housing is rising. Development is moving. Attention is shifting.
For decades, this community was overlooked. Now, it is being seen.
I am not afraid of that. I am prepared for it.
The Secret Sauce
But preparation, in this moment, requires more than investment.
It requires coordination.
What makes the Soul of the City different— what we call our “Secret Sauce”; is an integrated, place-based ecosystem:
(Pictured: Monica Ray, Visionary Civic Leader, Social Entrepreneur, Community Wealth Builder)
We Built This. Now Let’s Protect It. from P16
• A BID delivering clean, safe, and activated corridors
• A Community Development Corporation (CDC) aligning real estate and investment strategy
• A Main Street platform supporting small businesses and commercial vitality
• Community Associations ensuring resident voice and accountability
Individually, each of these plays a role.
Together, they produce something far more powerful: Coordinated corridor outcomes.
That means:
• Investment aligned with community priorities
• Small business growth connected to real opportunity
• Public space, development, and culture working in sync
(See accompanying graphic: “The Secret Sauce: An Integrated Place-Based Ecosystem”)
What Comes Next Requires All of Us
The BID is here.
The structure is in place.
The work has begun.
But this next phase will require something more.
It will require participation.
Fill out the survey.
Show up to the events. Tell us what you see, and what you need.
Because the BID is only as strong as the community that holds it accountable.
And accountability requires your presence.
Who Built This I want to say this clearly, especially to the people who have been here.
You built this.
Not me.
Not the board.
Not any one institution. You built it by staying.
By investing anyway. By raising families here. By believing in this place when systems around you did not.
My role is to steward something that was never mine alone.
The soul of this community belongs to the people who have lived it.
The BID is a tool, a powerful one, but still a tool in service of that truth.
Stay With Me
Thirty-two years in, I am more certain than I have ever been:
We are in the right place. At the right time. With the right foundation.
The work ahead is significant.
So is the community doing it. Stay with me.
We are just getting started.
Religious Corner
Allen Chapel A.M.E.Church
Rev. Dr. Michael E. Bell, Sr., Pastor 2498 Alabama Ave. SE WDC 20020 (202) 889-3296
“The Cathedral of Southeast DC”
Sunday Worship 8:00am &11:00am Sunday School 9:15am www.acamec.org
“Teaching God’s Word and Serving God’s Word” Brighter Day Ministries
Rev. Tommy Murray, Pastor Multi-Location Church
Visit our website: @ www.brighterdaydc.com Congress Heights Campus
421 Alabama Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20032 11:00am Sunday Worship Sunday School 9:30am Office: 202/889-3660
Email: churchoffice@brighterdydc.org
Campbell A.M.E. Church
2568 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave. SE, WDC 20032 (202) 678-2263
Sunday Worship 8:00am & 11:00am Sunday School 9:30am
Prayer Service Wednesdays 6:30pm
Bible Study Wednesday 12noon Bible Study Thursday 7:00pm
Christ Ministries
30 Atlantic Street, SE WDC 20032 Services: 11 am and 3pm
Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ
Dr. Dennis and Christine Wiley, Co-Pastors 3845 South Capitol St. SW WDC 20032 (202) 562-5576
“Ministries for the Mind, Body and Spirit” Sunday Worship 10:00am Wednesday Bible Study 12noon & 6:30pm www.covenantbaptistucc.org
East Washington Heights Baptist Church
Rev. Kip Bernard Banks, Sr., Pastor 2220 Branch Ave. SE WDC 20020 (202) 582-4811– Office
Sunday Worship 11:10am Sunday School 9:30am
Devotional Service 10:45 am Bible Study Wednesday 6:30pm Children’s Church 2nd & 4th Sunday 11:00am www.ewhbc.org ewhbc@aol.com
Emmanuel Baptist Church
Christopher L. Nichols, Pastor 2409 Ainger Pl., SE WDC 20020 (202) 678-0884-Office • (202) 678-0885– Fax
“Moving Faith Forward”
Sunday Worship 8:00am & 10:45am
You can pick up your monthly issue of The Capital News at any of the locations below. If you would like to be included in the distribution please contact thecapitalnewsteam@gmail.com
Family Bible Study Tuesdays 7:00pm
Prayer Service Tuesday 6:00pm www.emmanuelbaptistchuurchdc.org
Greater Mt. Calvary Baptist Church
Archbishop Alfred D. Owens, Pastor
Evangelist Susie Owens, Co-Pastor 610 Rhode Island Ave. NE WDC 20002 (202) 529-4547
“It doesn’t matter how you feel, God is still worthy to be praised”
Sunday Worship 8:00am & 10:45am
Super Sunday Service 3rd Sundays of month 6:00pm
Wednesday Night Prayer 6:30pm
Wednesday Bible Study 7:30pm www.gmchc.org/
Israel Baptist
Rev. Dr. Morris L. Shearin, Pastor 1251 Saratoga Ave. NE WDC 20018 (202) 269-0288
“We Enter to Worship, We Depart to Serve”
Sunday Worship 10:45am • Sunday School 9:15am
Senior Bible Class Tuesday 10:30am
Wednesday Prayer Noon & 6:30pm
Bible Study Wednesday 7:00pm
Holy Communion First Sunday 10:45am http://www.israelbaptistchurch.org/
Johnson Memorial Baptist Church
Rev. Henry A. Gaston, Pastor 800 Ridge Rd. SE WDC 20019 (202) 581-1873
Sunday Worship 7:45a. & 11:15am Church School 9:30am
Bible Study Wednesday 8:00pm Prayer Meeting Wednesday 7:00pm
Kingdom Care Senior Village Place of Worship: Greater Fellowship/Gospel Baptist Church 814 Alabama Ave SE Washington, DC 20032 Phone: 202-561-5594
Macedonia Baptist Church
Rev. Garfield Burton, Pastor 2625 Stanton Rd. SE WDC 20032 • (202) 678-8486
“A Church With a Living Hope in the Midst of Dying World” Sunday Worship 10:00am Sunday School 9:00am
Prayer & Bible Study Wednesday 7:00pm & 7:30pm Saturday Sacrificial Prayer 7:00am www.macedoniadc.org/
Matthews Memorial Baptist Church
Dr. C. Matthew Hudson Jr., Pastor
2616 MLK Ave. SE WDC 20020 (202) 889-3709 Office (202) 678-3304 Fax
“Empowered to love and Challenged to Lead a Multitude of Souls to Christ”
Sunday Worship 7:30am & 10:45am
Church School 9:30am
Prayer, Praise & Bible Study Wednesday 7:00pm
Bible Study Saturday 11:00am
Holy Communion 1st Sunday 10:45am
New Life Ministries DC
Reverend Ernest D. Lyles, Sr.
2405 MLK Jr. Ave SE WDC 20020 Sunday Worship 10:00am https://newlifeministriesdc.org/
“A small church with a mega heart” Phone: 202-304-2005
Email: joinus@nlmdc.org
Pennsylvania Ave. Baptist
Rev. Dr. Kendrick E. Curry 3000 Pennsylvania Ave. SE WDC 20020 (202) 581-1500
“Committed to the Cause of Christ” Sunday Worship 10:45am • Sunday School 9:30am
Adult Bible Study Mondays 7:00pm Young Adult Bible Study Tuesdays 7:00pm Bible Study Wednesday 6:30pm http://www.pabc-dc.org/
St. John C.M.E. Church
Reverend John A. Dillard III 2801 Stanton Rd. SE, Washington DC 20020 (202) 678-7788
Sunday Worship 11:00am Sunday School 9:00am http://www.stjohncmecdc.org/
St. Matthews Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Maxwell M. Washington, Pastor 1105 New Jersey Ave. SE WDC 20003 (202) 488-7298
“Striving to be more like Jesus with an emphasis on ‘Prayer’” Sunday Worship 9:05am • Sunday School 8:00am Bible Study Tuesday 7:30pm
Prayer Meeting Tuesday 7:00pm Hold Communion 3rd Sunday Morning www.stmatthewsbaptist.com stmatthewbaptist@msn.com
Union Temple
Pastor Anika Wilson Brown 1225 W St SE, WDC, 20020 • (202) 678-8822
“It’s a family affair”
Sunday Worship: 8:00am & 11:00am
Thursday Night Worship: 7:30pm www.uniontemple.com
Our Distribution
Anacostia Library 1800 Good Hope Road SE
Allen Chapel AME Church 2498 Alabama Ave, SE
Andrews Federal Credit Union 1556 Alabama Ave, SE
The Arc/ Parkland Community Center 1901 Mississippi Ave, SE Bar Sycamore & Oak, SE
The Big Chair Coffee Shop 2102 MLK Jr. Ave, SE
Brighter Day Ministries DC 421 Alabama Ave, SE
Busboys & Poets
2004 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave, SE
Campbell A.M.E. Church 2568 MLK, Jr. Ave, SE
Cedar Hill Medical Center 2228 MLK Jr. Ave, SE
Cedar Tree Academy 701 Howard Road, SE
Chase Bank
2200 MLK, Jr. Ave, SE 2728 Marion Barry Ave, SE
Christ Ministries 30 Atlantic Street, SE
Clara Apartments 2323 MLK Ave
Community College Preparatory Academy 18th & U st, SE
Congress Heights Arts and Culture Center 3215 MLK JR. AVE, SE
Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ 3845 South Capitol St. SW
You can pick up your monthly issue of The Capital News at any of the locations below. If you would like to be included in the distribution please contact thecapitalnewsteam@gmail.com
CVS
2724 Good Hope Road, SE
DCity Smokehouse 1301 Marion Barry Ave SE
DHS Congress Heights Service Center Dept. of Human Services Child Care 4001 South Capitol St, SW
East Washington Heights Baptist Church 2220 Branch Ave. SE
Emmanuel Baptist Church 2409 Ainger Pl., SE
Excel Care Pharmacy 3923- A South Capitol St, SW
Fort Carroll Market 3705 MLK Jr. Ave, SE
Greater Mt. Calvary Baptist Church 610 Rhode Island Ave. NE
Go-Go Museum 1920 MLK, Jr. Ave, SE
Giant 1535 Alabama Ave, SE
Industrial Bank 1800 Good Hope Road, SE 1800 MLK, Jr. Ave, SE
Israel Baptist 1251 Saratoga Ave. NE
Johnson Memorial Baptist Church 800 Ridge Rd. SE
Kingdom Care Senior Village 814 Alabama Ave, SE
Macedonia Baptist Church 2625 Stanton Rd. SE
Marion Barry Market 2317 Pennsylvania Avenue SE
Matthews Memorial Baptist Church 2616 MLK Ave. SE
Park Southern Ave Apartments 800 Southern Ave, SE
Parklands- Turner Neighborhood Library 1547 Alabama Ave, SE
Pennsylvania Avenue Baptis Church 3000 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
P.R Harris School 4600 Livingston Road, SE
R.I.S.E. Demonstration Center 2730 MLK, Jr. Ave, SE
The Roundtree Residences 2515 Alabama Ave, SE
Safeway 2845 Alabama Avenue, SE
Soufside Creative Sycamore & Oak, 1110 Oak Dr., SE
Southeast Tennis Learning Center 701 Mississippi Ave, SE
St. Elizabeth’s Hospital 1100 Alabama Ave, SE
St. John C.M.E. Church 2801 Stanton Road, SE
St. Matthews Baptist Church 1105 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Starbucks 2228 MLK, Jr. Ave, SE 2800 Alabama Ave, SE
Union Temple 1225 W St, SE
UPO/ Petey Greene Community Center 2907 MLK, Jr. Ave, SE
PISCES
(February 19 to March 20)
A fortunate month for financial gains and enhanced romantic or family life, especially through travel or social connections.
ARIES
(March 21 to April 19)
A powerful month where, overcoming, fears, leads, to, major, career or personal, triumphs.
TAURUS
(April 20 to May 20)
Experiences relief as Uranus changes position; a good month to focus on long-term financial planning and, after the 24th, managing potential income fluctuations.
GEMINI
(May 21 to June 20)
Navigating home shifts early; professional wins and financial gains follow mid-month.
April Horoscopes
CANCER
(June 21 to July 22)
A favorable month for career growth, with opportunities for increased wealth through new investments or support.
LEO (July 23 to August 22)
Potential for sudden financial gains in the latter half of the month, though second-week caution is needed for health and family matters.
VIRGO
(August 23 to September 22)
A strong, productive month, particularly for career, though the last few days may feel low energy.
LIBRA
(September 23 to October 22)
Focus on rest and healing; assertiveness in partnerships pays off after Venus enters Aries
SCORPIO
(October 23 to November 21)
Focus on balancing a high-pressure career with personal health; the third week offers strong potential for career recognition.
SAGITTARIUS
(November 22 to December 21)
Career transitions early on; domestic improvements lead to a burst of creative joy by month’s end.
CAPRICORN
(December 22 to January 19)
A month for strengthening family ties and professional networking, though caution with finances is recommended.
AQUARIUS
(January 20 to February 18)
Deep emotional work and financial auditing; high mental energy for networking late in the month.
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The UnTold Stories
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