Read the full stored bill text
January 31, 2025
Nyasha Smith, Secretary
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Secretary Smith,
Today, I am introducing the Ivy City Resilience Hub Eminent Domain Authority Act of 2025.
This legislation would authorize the Mayor to exercise eminent domain at 1950 Capitol Avenue,
N.E. for use as a climate resilience hub in Ivy City, a Ward 5 neighborhood that bears the brunt
of environmental injustices and the harmful effects of climate change. Please find enclosed a
signed copy of the legislation.
In 2022, the District of Columbia Commission on Climate Change & Resiliency issued its
second report as required by the Commission on Climate Change and Resiliency Establishment
Act 0f 2016. One of 11 core recommendations advanced by the commission was for the District
to establish resilience hubs across the District to “support District residents by coordinating
communication, distributing resources, and reducing carbon pollution while enhancing the
community’s quality of life.” 1 As the report explains,
Resilience Hubs serve communities in three operating states: Steady, Disruption, and
Recovery. During their steady states, resilience hubs serve communities year-round by
promoting health, providing meeting spaces, educating the community about emergency
preparedness, reducing risks, and supporting workforce development.2
When disasters and stressors occur, Resilience Hubs can shift to a Disruption state, using their
onsite power generation, communications technology, and community relationships to
complement District and federal emergency response services. During a Disruption state,
resilience hubs can serve as a known staging area and partner to distribute supplies and
information to affected communities. Following a disaster, resilience hubs can support recovery
1 Second Report of the District of Columbia Commission on Climate Change & Resiliency,
2022, available at https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/51693/Introduction/RC24-0237-
Introduction.pdf?Id=150315.
2 Id.
2
by providing space for casework, educating the community about recovery resources, and
conducting long term assessments of disaster recovery.3
The administration of Mayor Muriel Bower has also twice endorsed the concept of community
resilience hubs—first in the 2016 Climate Ready DC Report and again in the 2019 Resilient DC
Report. Among the goals established in Resilient DC was the “Launch the Resilience Hubs and
Resilience Corps programs by 2023.”4
While the District has taken strides toward constructing a pilot community resilience center in
Ward 7, the District has taken no concrete steps towards establishing a community resilience hub
in Ward 5. For instance, the Office of Planning’s draft Small Area Plan for Ivy City, N.E.
recommends launching a resilience hub within the new Crummell School Community Center,
neither the Department of Recreation nor the Department of General Services have identified
that as a priority for the facility in ongoing capital planning processes.
This legislation advances movement towards establishing a climate resilience hub in Ivy City by
authorizing the Mayor to exercise eminent domain to obtain a suitable location for such a
facility.
I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Council and in the executive to advance
climate resilience in Ivy City. Please contact my Deputy Chief of Staff, Conor Shaw, at
cshaw@dccouncil.gov if you have any questions about this legislation.
Sincerely,
Zachary Parker
Ward 5 Councilmember
Chair, Committee on Youth Affairs
3 Id.
4Resilient DC: A Strategy to Thrive in the Face of Change, 2019, available at
https://app.box.com/s/8w2eqpt0yczj7ldga74m7gcpf1ts79y7.
1
1
_____________________________ 2
Councilmember Zachary Parker 3
4
5
A BILL 6
7
_________________________ 8
9
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 10
11
_________________________ 12
13
14
To authorize the exercise of eminent domain by the Mayor to secure space for a resilience hub in 15
Ivy City. 16
17
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may 18
be cited as the “Ivy City Resilience Hub Eminent Domain Authority Act of 2025”. 19
Sec. 2. Findings. 20
The Council finds that: 21
(1) In 2022, the District of Columbia Commission on Climate Change & Resiliency 22
issued its second report as required by the Commission on Climate Change and Resiliency 23
Establishment Act 0f 2016. One of 11 core recommendations advanced by the commission was 24
for the District to establish resilience hubs across the District to “support District residents by 25
coordinating communication, distributing resources, and reducing carbon pollution while 26
enhancing the community’s quality of life.” 1 As the report explains, 27
Resilience Hubs serve communities in three operating states: Steady, Disruption, and 28
Recovery. During their steady states, resilience hubs serve communities year-round by 29
promoting health, providing meeting spaces, educating the community about emergency 30
preparedness, reducing risks, and supporting workforce development. 31
1 Second Report of the District of Columbia Commission on Climate Change & Resiliency,
2022, available at https://lims.dccouncil.gov/downloads/LIMS/51693/Introduction/RC24-0237-
Introduction.pdf?Id=150315.
2
32
When disasters and stressors occur, Resilience Hubs can shift to a Disruption state, using 33
their onsite power generation, communications technology, and community relationships 34
to complement District and federal emergency response services. During a Disruption 35
state, resilience hubs can serve as a known staging area and partner to distribute supplies 36
and information to affected communities. Following a disaster, resilience hubs can 37
support recovery by providing space for casework, educating the community about 38
recovery resources, and conducting long term assessments of disaster recovery.2 39
40
(2) The administration of Mayor Muriel Bower has also twice endorsed the concept of 41
community resilience hubs—first in the 2016 Climate Ready DC Report and again in the 2019 42
Resilient DC Report. Among the goals established in Resilient DC was the “Launch the 43
Resilience Hubs and Resilience Corps programs by 2023.”3 44
(3) While the District has taken strides toward constructing a pilot community resilience 45
center in Ward 7, the District has taken no concrete steps towards establishing a community 46
resilience hub in Ward 5. While the Office of Planning’s draft Small Area Plan for Ivy City, N.E. 47
recommends launching “a Resilience Hub within the new Crummell School Community Center,” 48
neither the Department of Recreation nor the Department of General Services have identified 49
that as a priority for the facility in ongoing capital planning processes. 50
(4) The District has identified a site located at 1950 Capitol Avenue, N.E., south of 51
Fenwick Street, N.E., Square 4043, Lot 0806, (the “Capitol Street Site”) as a strong site for a 52
community resilience hub because it is located in Ivy City, a neighborhood where residents 53
suffer significant heat island effects, urban flooding, and air pollution; is well-situated to serve as 54
a recruitment center for green jobs because it is proximate to existing neighborhood housing; and 55
is also well situated to serve as a staging area during a disruption because of the site’s access to 56
2 Id.
3Resilient DC: A Strategy to Thrive in the Face of Change, 2019, available at
https://app.box.com/s/8w2eqpt0yczj7ldga74m7gcpf1ts79y7.
3
the community and to major arterial roads and infrastructure. 57
(5) The Capitol Street Site is currently occupied by a seal manufacturing facility. 58
(6) Acquisition of the Capitol Street Site will allow the District to construct a community 59
resilience hub in Ivy City. 60
Sec. 3 Exercise of Eminent Domain 61
The Mayor may exercise eminent domain in accordance with the procedures set forth in 62
subchapter II of Chapter 13 of Title 16 of the District of Columbia Official Code to acquire Lot 63
806 Square 4043 for a community resilience hub. 64
Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement. 65
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 66
impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 67
approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 68
Sec. 4. Effective date. 69
This act shall take effect after approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 70
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as 71
provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 72
24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 73
Columbia Register. 74