(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, Mayor Bowser announced that Uber will open a new Greenlight Hub, a state-of-the-art support and resource center for local Uber drivers, at the East River Park Shopping Center in Ward 7. Uber’s DC Greenlight Hub will result in the creation of 25 full-time jobs, millions of dollars in investment into the location, and access to support services for thousands of Uber partners. Uber is accepting bids exclusively from DC-based Small Business Enterprises for the general contract.
“A Greenlight Hub at East River Park means good paying jobs for Washingtonians, contracts for local small businesses, and easier access to supports for our residents who drive with Uber,” said Mayor Bowser. “As we continue our focus on job creation and equitable development in all eight wards, we are excited to work hand-in-hand with Uber to spread prosperity and create more pathways to the middle class for DC residents.”
Uber Greenlight Hubs serve as central locations for Uber drivers and prospective drivers to get in-person attention, answers to questions, assistance resolving issues, and access to a network of fellow drivers and UberEATS couriers. As Uber’s flagship resource and support facility for the DC region, this new Greenlight Hub will provide services, guidance, and assistance to thousands of Uber drivers weekly. Over the next year, Uber plans to invest millions of dollars in this new location and supporting functions. The renovations and build-out of the 8,200 square-foot facility are expected to be complete by late spring 2018.
“Here at Uber we are thrilled to deepen our commitment to Washington, DC and the surrounding area through our latest Greenlight Hub,” said Uber spokesman Bill Gibbons. “Alongside our partners in the community as well as in the District government, we have laid the groundwork for a state-of-the-art center that will serve thousands once fully operational. We look forward to opening our doors next year.”
East River Park Shopping Center is owned and operated by Cedar Realty Trust, a fully-integrated real estate investment firm focused on ownership, operation, and redevelopment of grocery-anchored shopping centers in high-density urban markets.
“Cedar Realty Trust is committed to serving the community with an emphasis on doing well, while doing good,” Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer at Cedar Realty Trust Robin Zeigler. “Our investment in projects with tenants that provide valuable resources and services is an opportunity to help the neighborhood thrive. We see exponential growth potential for the community, not only for jobs, but also setting a precedent for our vision of long-term success for East River Park.”
This announcement comes on the heels of the unveiling of the modernized American Jobs Center Headquarters (AJC-HQ), also located in Ward 7. After extensive community outreach, in which the DC Department of Employment Services (DOES) solicited customer feedback, the agency updated the job center with state-of-the-art equipment that will streamline the customer service experience for residents seeking DOES services.
Since January 2015, the unemployment rate in Washington, DC has dropped by 1.1 percentage points, including decreases in all eight wards. Over the past year, DOES has served more than 12,000 youth, and since 2015, the agency has connected more than 100,000 job seekers and businesses through trainings, employment services, job fairs, and work-based learning programs. In just the past year, the Bowser Administration launched new job training programs like Solar Works DC, opened the DC Infrastructure Academy, and launched Apprenticeship DC, a unique collection of grants, customized programs, and apprenticeship offerings that will increase the number of residents enrolled in apprenticeship programs.
#ObviouslyDC Week
Today’s event is part of #ObviouslyDC Week. Throughout the week, the Mayor is highlighting why Washington, DC is the best city for Amazon HQ2 and celebrating programs and initiatives that are putting more Washingtonians on pathways to the middle class and spreading prosperity to every corner of the District.