Tag Archives: events

MLK Gateway Welcomes Capital One Café To Historic Anacostia

Capital One Café inks lease for third Washington, D.C. location east of the river

Reported on August 14, 2020

The Menkiti Group | 3401 8th Street NE | Washington | DC 20017

WASHINGTON, D.C.) – The Menkiti Group, a local DC-based minority-owned integrated real estate services company focused on enhancing urban neighborhoods, announced today that Capital One Café will be the newest tenant at the historic Anacostia MLK Gateway project opening in 2021.

Located at the corner of Good Hope Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, MLK Gateway is a collaboration of DC Government and the private sector, including the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED), the DC Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), The Menkiti Group, and Enlightened, Inc., and is poised to become a catalytic center of commerce and street-fronting retail, driving economic opportunity in the heart of historic Anacostia.

“Our vision for MLK Gateway has always been to create a community-oriented project that drives neighborhood impact,” said Bo Menkiti, founder and chief executive officer, The Menkiti Group. “The opportunity to have Capital One Café join us as a tenant at MLK Gateway further delivers on the mission to enhance historic Anacostia with neighborhood offerings that support community engagement and economic vitality.”

Phase One of MLK Gateway includes a mix of commercial uses and features the restoration of 14,000 square feet of ground-floor retail as well as 20,000 square feet of newly built office space. The project is anchored by Enlightened Inc., an award-winning information technology and cybersecurity firm that will relocate its new headquarters to MLK Gateway. The project’s design embraces and incorporates the site’s existing historic facades and is a rich backdrop for a new epicenter of commerce, culture, and technology with a vibrant mix of neighborhood-serving retail.

“Mayor Bowser was thrilled to work with The Menkiti Group to revitalize the MLK Gateway and to relocate Enlightened’s headquarters to the intersection of Good Hope Road and Martin Luther King Avenue in historic Anacostia,” said John J. Falcicchio, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. “The addition of Capital One as a retail tenant will provide further vibrancy and also give residents better access to a major financial institution.”

Capital One Café will occupy approximately 3,700 square feet at MLK Gateway, bringing reimagined design and banking services to the space. The Café will offer a full-service coffee and tea bar featuring locally sourced food and beverages, complimentary Wi-Fi, as well as nooks and meeting rooms for the public to use as collaborative workspaces. Intentionally designed to provide a relaxed and inviting atmosphere to both customers as well as neighborhood guests, all visitors will also be able to engage in a variety of financial education opportunities while in the Café.   

From interactive screens showcasing financial management content to free confidential one-on-one Money Coaching sessions to regularly scheduled free Money Workshops, the Café provides an experience that highlights opportunity paths to achieve financial goals. Café Ambassadors will also be on site to assist with exploring banking solutions and options while ATMs will be readily available for banking services.

“Capital One Cafés are not only a place to get help with accounts or focus on financial wellness, they serve as a convening space for the local community. Our investment in the Anacostia MLK Gateway location gives us the chance to bring that experience to another important DC neighborhood, complementing our existing network of Cafés and Branches,” said Jennifer Windbeck, Senior Vice President of Capital One Cafés, Branches, & Private Banking.

Consistently focused on building with and for the communities and customers it serves, Capital One Café will offer free meeting space for neighborhood associations, non-profits and students. Supporting various organizations across the D.C. Metropolitan area, Capital One has strong relationships with Anacostia-based community partners including the Anacostia Economic Development Corporation, Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative, and ARCH Development Corporation.

The Menkiti Group has been actively engaged with the historic Anacostia community for the past four years, working together with the Bowser Administration and DMPED to execute on a collaborative vision for equitable and sustainable economic development in Ward 8.  MLK Gateway will include the launch of a technology incubator activating the site for the greater part of the day and providing jobs and pathways to opportunity for residents and businesses. Phase Two of the project includes the construction of a new building at 1909-1913 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE with street-level retail and multi-story office space above which will serve as the new home for the DC Department of Housing and Community Development.

“Our commitment has and always will be to enhance the fabric of life in America’s urban communities. We are honored to partner with Mayor Bowser, DMPED, Enlightened and Capital One who share a similar commitment as we develop this project that brings to life the community’s vision for the future of the Anacostia neighborhood,” said Menkiti.

ABOUT THE MENKITI GROUP

The Menkiti Group is a Washington, D.C.-based real estate services company dedicated to enhancing the fabric of life in America’s urban neighborhoods through the strategic development, management, and sale of residential and commercial property. Over the past 15 years, The Menkiti Group has delivered and maintains in its pipeline more than 2 million square feet of property, has invested over $200 million in D.C.’s emerging neighborhoods and has assisted over 2,000 families in purchasing their first homes. For more information, please visit menkitigroup.com.

ABOUT CAPITAL ONE

Capital One Financial Corporation (​www.capitalone.com​) is a financial holding company whose subsidiaries, which include Capital One, N.A., and Capital One Bank (USA), N.A., had $243.7 billion in deposits and $365.7 billion in total assets as of December 31, 2017. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Capital One offers a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses, and commercial clients through a variety of channels. Capital One, N.A. has branches located primarily in New York, Louisiana, Texas, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia. A Fortune 500 company, Capital One trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “COF” and is included in the S&P 100 index. Visit the Capital One newsroom for more ​Capital One news​.

 Maya Nadeem | 443.309.5092 | maya@menkitigroup.com

25th Annual Brookland Lights Trolley Tour

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The Annual Brookland Trolley Tour Celebration of Lights took place this past Sunday, December 16th and broke all previous attendance records. With almost 500 friends and neighbors joining in to celebrate the holiday season, joy was all around!

Relive the magic in the video below, and be sure to join us next year for the 25th Annual Milestone Tour!
More Photos Available Online

Thank You to our generous sponsors and jolly volunteers who made the event possible.

Annie’s Ace Hardware
Brookland Pint
Chipotle
Good Food Market
Potbelly
Right Proper Brewing Co.
San Antonio Bar & Brill
Smith Public Trust
Wardman Wines
Yes Organic Market
Zeke’s Coffee

24th Annual Brookland Lights Trolley Tour

[wooslider slider_type=”attachments” thumbnails=”default”]

The Annual Brookland Trolley Tour Celebration of Lights took place this past Sunday, December 16th and broke all previous attendance records. With almost 500 friends and neighbors joining in to celebrate the holiday season, joy was all around!

Relive the magic in the video below, and be sure to join us next year for the 25th Annual Milestone Tour!
More Photos Available Online

Thank You to our generous sponsors and jolly volunteers who made the event possible.

Annie’s Ace Hardware
Brookland Pint
Chipotle
Good Food Market
Potbelly
Right Proper Brewing Co.
San Antonio Bar & Brill
Smith Public Trust
Wardman Wines
Yes Organic Market
Zeke’s Coffee

Early Childhood Academy Public Charter School Breaks Ground

MAYOR BOWSER, THE MENKITI GROUP, COMMUNITY LEADERS, PARENTS, AND STUDENTS CELEBRATE THE GROUNDBREAKING OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD ACADEMY PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL

New Southeast school will provide a state-of-the-art, holistic learning environment for 300 young students

October 4, 2018, WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday Mayor Muriel Bowser joined The Menkiti Group and Early Childhood Academy Public Charter School to mark the ceremonial groundbreaking for the new 38,000 square foot state-of-the-art school building, slated to open in August 2019.

The new Early Childhood Academy (ECA) school building is located at 885 Barnaby Street, SE, and consists of a repurposed former church with a new, modern addition to bring the school’s learning, activity, music, administrative, and multi-purposes spaces all under one roof. The school currently operates from two disparate, non-school use centers on adjacent properties.

The project, which is being financed through a combination of ECA PCS funds, grant funding from the Office of the State Superintendent, DC Government facilities allotments, and federal New Markets Tax Credits, marks a milestone for new development in the Washington Highlands neighborhood. The deal was structured as a unique lease-to-own arrangement in which ECA PCS has acquired the site from The Menkiti Group to build equity for the future.

Mayor Muriel Bowser addressed the crowd of attendees from ECA, including members of the Board of Trustees, school administration, teachers, aides, students, parents, project stakeholders and partners, and members of the Washington Heights neighborhood by talking about the impact the new ECA will have on the community, stating “This is going to be the learning space and play space that the students, families, and staff at ECA deserve,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser. “When we invest in our school facilities, we’re investing in the future of our students and communities.”

In addition to Mayor Bowser, speakers included, Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White, Sr., Wendy Edwards, Executive Director of ECA, Dennis Sawyers, President of the Board for ECA, Thann Ingraham, Principal for ECA, and Mark Rengel, Menkiti Group VP of Development and Project Manager for the ECA project.

At the groundbreaking Menkiti Group Founder and CEO Bo Menkiti also addressed the crowd, offering his reflections on the project, stating: “The Menkiti Group is proud to have this opportunity to develop and deliver not just another transformative development project to the Washington, DC community, but one that truly exemplifies our mission of transforming lives, careers, and communities through real estate. We are particularly pleased that the new Early Childhood Academy will allow young students the opportunity to have a safe, holistic learning environment as soon as the doors open next year, and for many generations in this neighborhood to come.”

ECA Executive Director Wendy Edwards, who has been with ECA since 2005, the first year that the school was in operation, shared her thoughts on the milestone occasion: “After 14 years housed in two small community centers, we are thrilled that our students at Early Childhood Academy Public Charter School will start the 2019-2020 school year in the beautiful and spacious, brand new facility that they deserve.”

Many local organizations, financial institutions, and government leaders played a role in developing this project. Partners in the project include: DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education; Low Income Investment Fund; City First Bank; City First Enterprises; Chase Bank; United Bank; Industrial Bank; Cohn Reznick LLP; TenSquare; Cox Graae + Spack Architects; Meridian Construction; Built Environment Engineers; M.A. Design Group; Robert Silman Associates; DMY Capitol; A2 Services; Dan Triman, LEED AP+; CDKM Consulting; McKeever Services; New Columbia Solar, and DC SEU. Project progress is available at MenkitGroup.com/development.

Capitol Vista Breaks Ground

As reported by the Executive Office of the Mayor on Tuesday, September 25, 2018:

“Today, Mayor Bowser broke ground on Capitol Vista, a 104-unit affordable housing community in the amenity-rich Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood in Ward 6. This groundbreaking follows recent affordable housing announcements by Mayor Bowser in the Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood, which include the grand opening of Plaza West, a 223-unit affordable housing community for seniors, families, and “grandfamilies,” and a groundbreaking on Liberty Place, an affordable housing project which will deliver permanent supportive housing units for those experiencing homelessness and units for veterans.

“As our city continues to grow and prosper, my Administration has remained laser-focused on ensuring residents of all backgrounds and income levels have access to safe and affordable places to live across all eight wards,” said Mayor Bowser. “Capitol Vista is an example of how we are meeting the diverse housing needs of Washingtonians and creating pathways to the middle class at the same time.”

Located at 810 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Capitol Vista will be comprised of 104 studio-, one-, and two-bedroom units for households earning up to 50 percent of the median family income (MFI) or $58,600 for a family of four. Capitol Vista will be a 100 percent affordable community with 3,000 square feet of ground floor retail and space for public art.

Capitol Vista is located in a transit-oriented, growing neighborhood within walking distance of four Metro stations and bus routes. It is also close to a grocery store, multiple places of worship, a library, recreation and restaurants, as well as downtown, employment centers and jobs.

Amenities for residents include a fitness center, conference room, clubroom, roof terrace, and bicycle parking.

The Capitol Vista affordable housing community was made possible through a collaboration of DC Government agencies, including the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, the DC Department of Housing and Community Development, the DC Housing Finance Agency, and DC Housing Authority. Voltron Community Partners comprised of Dantes Partners LLC, Spectrum Management LLC, The Menkiti Group and Bailey Real Estate Holdings, will develop the project.

Mayor Bowser has designated September 24 through October 1 as #RootstoRoofs Housing Week across DC. The Capitol Vista groundbreaking is one several events highlighting the Bowser Administration’s progress in providing all Washingtonians a fair shot by creating and preserving affordable housing. Since coming into office, the Bowser Administration has delivered 6,000 affordable units, with another 5,200 under construction.

At the event, the Mayor was joined by Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Brian Kenner and Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen.”

Executive Office of the Mayor Newsroom

Learn more about Capitol Vista by visiting the project page.

2017 School Lottery Mixer – January 9th

Have you successfully (or perhaps not-so-successfully) navigated the world of the DCPS educational lottery system? Do you have a child or grandchild who will be school-aged in a year or two and are curious about the process?
We’re kicking off the new year by inviting parents of current and rising DCPS and charter school students to the Menkiti Group office (3401 8th Street NE) for the 3rd Annual Brookland Parents Lottery Mixer, scheduled for January 9th from 6-8pm. It’s a very informal way to meet other parents, ask and answer questions, and prepare yourself for the application process.
If you haven’t RSVPed, please mark your calendars and do so here:  http://www.tinyurl.com/lotterymixer
We are fully subscribed on wine, plates, cups, etc.  Bring a snack if you would like, but otherwise, we are set.  Babies in arms only please.

January 9th Kids Clothing Swap

We’ve moved the semi-annual kids clothing swap up a little in January to help with your 2016 purge! 

Have your little ones grown by a size or two? Do you have a few bags of clothing you can’t use any more? Please bring your gently-worn clothing to the Menkiti Group office (3401 8th Street NE) starting Monday, January 4th. We’ll assemble and organize all donations, and then welcome you back on Saturday, January 9th from 11-1 to pick out new threads for your children.

Are you expecting? Please come by and get started on your infant wardrobe! No donation of clothing or money required. 

Did you JUST donate those old clothes before the holidays but can still use the next size up? Come anyway! Nobody will be turned away.  And any leftover clothing will be donated to a local charity.

We are happy to arrange porch pick-up of clothing on Thursday, January 7th. Please email Katie Britton (katie@menkitigroup.com) to make arrangements.

2016 School Lottery Mixer – January 6th

Have you successfully (or perhaps not-so-successfully) navigated the world of the DCPS educational lottery system? Do you have a child or grandchild who will be school-aged in a year or two and are curious about the process?
We’re kicking off the new year by inviting parents of current and rising DCPS and charter school students to the Menkiti Group office (3401 8th Street NE) for the 2nd Annual Brookland Parents Lottery Mixer, scheduled for January 6th from 6-8pm. It’s a very informal way to meet other parents, ask and answer questions, and prepare yourself for the application process.
If you haven’t RSVPed, please mark your calendars and do so here:  http://www.tinyurl.com/lotterymixer
We are fully subscribed on wine, plates, cups, etc.  Bring a snack if you would like, but otherwise we are set.  Babies in arms only please.