Columbia Heights Redevelopment

Once one of Washington’s most desirable neighborhoods, Columbia Heights languished without investment for decades after the riots sparked by the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1968. For years, buildings remained boarded up, large vacant parcels lay fallow, and efforts to revitalize the neighborhood were unsuccessful. Still, the neighborhood possessed notable buildings and a dense population base. The completion of the Columbia Heights Metrorail Station in 1999 became a watershed event for the community, creating the public infrastructure necessary for private investment. That and other actions by the District of Columbia government spurred much of the regeneration to follow. Today, the community boasts 1.2 million square feet (111,500 m²) of development, including more than 600 housing units, 650,000 square feet (60,400 m²) of retail, 24,000 square feet (2,200 m²) of office space, and a core of cultural and educational institutions.