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PR26-0517 • 2025

Rhode Island Avenue Corridor Long-Term Lease Adjustment Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2026

Rhode Island Avenue Corridor Long-Term Lease Adjustment Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2026

Housing
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Parker
Last action
2026-02-13
Official status
Approved
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on the expected impact or the exact number of additional businesses that will become eligible due to this change.

Rhode Island Avenue Corridor Lease Change

This resolution reduces the minimum lease period required for businesses and property owners to qualify for grants under the Rhode Island Avenue Support Grant Program from 10 years to 5 years.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the requirement that a business or commercial property owner must sign a long-term lease of at least 10 years to be eligible for grants under the Rhode Island Avenue Support Grant Program.
  • Reduces the minimum lease period to no fewer than 5 years, which aligns with industry standards.
  • Declares an emergency situation allowing this change to take effect immediately without waiting for a regular legislative process.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Businesses in the Rhode Island Avenue Corridor who want to apply for grants under the Support Grant Program.
  • Commercial property owners in the Rhode Island Avenue Corridor who lease properties to eligible businesses.

Terms To Know

Long-term Lease
A rental agreement that lasts for a period of several years, typically more than one year.
Emergency Declaration
A statement by the government declaring an urgent situation that requires immediate action to address it.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The resolution does not specify how many businesses will be eligible for grants under the new lease requirement.
  • It is unclear what impact this change will have on the overall economic revitalization of the Rhode Island Avenue Corridor.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-13 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Resolution R26-0336, Effective from Feb 03, 2026 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 001432

  2. 2026-02-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Retained by the Council

  3. 2026-02-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  4. 2026-02-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Approved with Resolution Number R26-0336

  5. 2026-02-02 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    PR26-0517 Introduced by Councilmember Parker at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Rhode Island Avenue Corridor Long-Term Lease Adjustment Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2026

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
ENROLLED ORIGINAL

1

A RESOLUTION

26-336

IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

February 3, 2026

To declare the existence of an emergency with respect to the need to amend section 2032 of the
Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Limited Grant-Making
Authority Act of 2012 to reduce the long-term lease period to no fewer than 5 years for
eligibility to the Rhode Island Avenue Support Grant Program.

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
resolution may be cited as the “Rhode Island Avenue Corridor Long-Term Lease Adjustment
Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2026”.

Sec. 2. (a) The Economic Revitalization Initiatives Amendment Act of 2025, effective
December 6, 2025 (D.C. Law 26-55; 72 DCR 9825), was passed to create economic
revitalization initiatives in several areas of the District, including the Rhode Island Avenue
Corridor. The Rhode Island Avenue Support Grant Program (“Program”) was to be established
in Fiscal Year 2026, with its purpose to award grants through a competitive process to eligible
businesses and eligible commercial property owners in the Rhode Island Avenue Corridor.
(b) In order to be eligible for this Program, in addition to other criteria, a business would
be required to sign or intend to sign a long-term lease of a commercial property in the Rhode
Island Avenue Corridor, while a commercial property owner must sign or intend to sign a long-
term lease with an eligible business for the commercial property in the Rhode Island Avenue
Corridor. The stated timeframe for a long-term lease was a lease period of no fewer than 10
years, exclusive of options. This time frame differed from the original proposal of 5 years, which
was in line with industry standards. The impact of this longer timeframe may be a substantially
decreased pool of eligible businesses to revitalize the Rhode Island Avenue Corridor and runs
counter to the purpose of the Economic Revitalization Initiatives Amendment Act of 2025.
(c) The underlying emergency legislation would ensure that the intended business
population, who are those who sign or intend to sign a long-term lease with a period of no fewer
than 5 years for a commercial property in the Rhode Island Avenue Corridor, are eligible for
grants under the Program.

Sec. 3. The Council of the District of Columbia determines that the circumstances
enumerated in section 2 constitute emergency circumstances making it necessary that the Rhode
ENROLLED ORIGINAL

2

Island Avenue Corridor Long-Term Lease Adjustment Emergency Amendment Act of 2026 be
adopted after a single reading.

Sec. 4. This resolution shall take effect immediately.