Ward 3 Housing Justice | Wardman Hotel Strategy Team
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 16, 2021
Contact: Gail Sonnemann, 202-286-0845, gsonnemann@gmail.com
Activists from Ward 3 and around the city will gather this Saturday in Woodley Park to urge Mayor Bowser and owner Carmel Partners to build affordable housing at the former Wardman Hotel.
When: Saturday, November 20, 2021 -- 1:00-3:00 PM
Where: Corner of Connecticut and Calvert NW @ 1:00 PM
March to the Wardman (2660 Woodley Rd NW)
Why: Wardman Housing for the People:
Convert to housing -- Don’t tear it down
Build mixed-income affordable housing for families
Save the green space
Include community space for education, recreation, job training, & business
The Wardman Hotel Strategy Team (WHST), People Power Action (PPA), Ward 3 Housing Justice (W3HJ), and Empower DC have organized the rally to call for converting the hotel to mixed-income affordable housing (including large units for families), as well as the community and commercial space the future residents and neighbors want.
“As soon as the Wardman Hotel declared bankruptcy, we worked for months to try to get the Bowser administration to take bold action to create a legacy-defining, affordable housing community on the site, but they never seriously entertained the idea,“ said Reginald Black of the WHST. “Instead, they let it slip through their hands, and a private developer, Carmel Partners from California, has bought the property.”
After the auction, Deputy Mayor John Falcicchio said he would “maximize the residential potential of the site with an emphasis on affordable housing and attainable, middle-income housing.” However, as recently as September he reported that he had not reached out to the new owners to begin negotiation, and the Bowser campaign has not announced any vision for the site.
“Now it’s time for the administration and the developer, Carmel Partners from California, to involve the community in planning for the Wardman site,” said Jayme Epstein, Woodley Park resident and member of W3HJ. “We’d love to see the Mayor at the rally so we can talk about building the kind of community we want to see on the site.”
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