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New community hub in Congress Heights highlights small businesses

The Sycamore & Oak Retail Village is the latest in the St. Elizabeth's site redevelopment. The plan is to grow small businesses.

WASHINGTON — Wednesday, D.C. leaders will cut the ribbon on a new shopping center and community hub east of the river. But it's more than just a center for commerce. The Sycamore & Oak Retail Village is an all-timber structure built on the old St. Elizabeth hospital campus.

The site on Oak Drive will serve as a small business incubator for Wards 7 and 8. The goal is to grow local businesses and workers in their own backyards.

This is a combined effort from the city and local development corporations. Here’s how it works: 13 small businesses will be the first in the complex.  It will be eight retail stores and five restaurant start-ups. Each is a locally owned Black business.

The mission of the center goes beyond dollars and cents. Along with shop space, the companies will get lessons in growing their businesses. Development groups will give them entrepreneurial coaching and workforce development training.

Ultimately, this will be a temporary space for the businesses. The goal is for them to leave the building and flourish in the community. The hope is that they hire locally, adding around 100 workers to the Southeast workforce. Leaders want to see the businesses impact workers in Wards 7 and 8.

In addition, the mayor’s office said there will be a fresh produce component for the community as well. The Sycamore and Oak Retail Village is supposed to be a center for community as well.

It’s also only part of the phase of redeveloping the old St. Elizabeth’s site. There are also plans for a hotel in the area and affordable housing.

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