June 28 LAIGW Luncheon Meeting - Downtown DC is Coming Back!

The Downtown Action Plan, led by the DowntownDC BID, Golden Triangle BID, and Federal City Council, along with the Public Realm Plan led by the DC Office of Planning, promise to reshape DCs downtown.

The Action Plan builds upon DC’s Comeback Plan and sets specific strategies, programs, and initiatives to reimagine and revitalize downtown, while also identifying specific roles for the District’s economic partners.

At the heart of this ambitious undertaking is the Mayor’s Comeback Plan, a comprehensive 5-year economic development strategy designed to foster successful businesses, cultivate opportunity-rich neighborhoods, and empower thriving individuals. The Downtown Action Plan represents a pivotal component of this larger vision, honing in on the specific strategies needed for the recovery of Downtown DC.

The Plan recommends many innovative solutions for reimagining the future of Downtown, including office to residential conversions. That plan not only recommends growing the residential base, but also proposes ideas like creating cultural and entertainment corridors, expanding university uses, and developing a large tech hub. .

Presenter Bio

Leah Riley, Director, Downtown Innovation at the DC Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development will be the presenter. She began this position three months ago. Prior to coming to DC, Leah was the Chief Administrative Officer at RTD (Regional Transportation District) in Denver, Colorado. The Regional Transportation District provides public transportation in eight counties around Denver. Earlier in her career she was the Managing Director of Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates. She was also the Director of the Portland Bureau of Transportation. Prior to moving to Portland, she held positions as a Deputy Commissioner for the Chicago Department of Transportation as well as several positions in the DC government, including a Special Assistant to Mayor Anthony Williams.

Leah is an Advisory Board Member for the National Institute for Transportation and Communities and served as an Advisory Board Member for the Colorado Smart Cities Alliance.Advisory Board Member.

Leah holds a BA in Political Science and an MA in Public Adminiatration from the University of New Mexico where she was in Phi Beta Kappa and graduated Magna Cum Laude.

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