Mayor Vincent C. Gray Announces Second-Round Recipients of H Street NE Retail Priority Grant Program

(WASHINGTON, DC) – Mayor Vincent C. Gray and Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Victor L. Hoskins today announced the second round of awards for the H Street NE Retail Priority Grant Program. The grants are meant to stimulate small-business development and expansion while also creating new job opportunities for District residents along the booming H Street NE retail-and-entertainment strip.

The first round of awardees was announced earlier this year.

“I congratulate all of today’s awardees,” said Mayor Gray. “These small business owners are vital contributors to the H Street corridor, and their businesses should be mainstays amid continued revitalization. The awards will allow these entrepreneurs to expand their operations, streamline costs and create new job opportunities in the process, which benefits both the immediate area and the entire city.”

Today’s awardees include:

·         Atlas Vet Clinic, LLC, located at 1326 H Street NE: A full-service veterinary hospital that provides primary-care services for house pets and offers complementing retail will use the $85,000 grant to expand the clinic’s retail offerings;

DC Conscious, located at 1413 H Street NE: A restaurant and social gathering space featuring book readings and live entertainment with a full floor of retail sales offerings will use the $85,000 grant for façade improvements and to open its floor plan;
Euro Style, Inc., located at 1342 H Street NE: A men’s and women’s clothing store that sells high fashion with a European aesthetic will use the $85,000 grant for façade improvements, build-out of additional retail storage and an HVAC system upgrade; and
H Street Main Street, located at 961 H Street NE: A non-profit charged with advocating for commercial enterprises along the corridor and servicing those enterprises through case work, publications and other tools will use the $85,000 grant for focus groups on retail in the corridor and to fund a retail summit.
“In retail corridors throughout the District, small businesses play a critical role,” said Deputy Mayor Hoskins. “The District looks forward to working with interested merchants along the H Street NE corridor for years to come.”

The grant program was created by the H Street NE Retail Priority Area Incentive Act of 2010. The program’s two proposed phases were administered by the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. Second-round awardees were selected out of a pool of 10 applicants who submitted applications for the grants by the January 4, 2012 deadline. First-round awards were announced on January 10, 2012. A third round of funding will soon be announced for this program.

Additional information about the program can be found here: H Street NE Retail Priority Area Project Grant.