Press Release
For Immediate Release: Monday, November 30th 2020 

Community Nonprofit District Bridges Earns Chevy Chase Main Street Designation, Funding for Neighborhood Development

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – District Bridges is excited to announce the award and designation of a new Main Street in Chevy Chase by the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD). The new Chevy Chase Main Street will join 25 other DC Main Streets programs accredited through DC Main Streets and the National Main Street Center. As a DC Main Street designee, District Bridges will implement programs and services to support the growth and development of neighborhood businesses and the revitalization of the commercial corridors of Chevy Chase. 

District Bridges is a nonprofit organization with a mission to enrich neighborhood vitality by bridging community engagement and economic development opportunities so individuals, businesses, and organizations can thrive together. With the addition of Chevy Chase, District Bridges now operates six Main Street programs covering ten neighborhoods and serving over 1,000 businesses. Chevy Chase joins Cleveland Park, Columbia Heights and Mount Pleasant, Lower Georgia Avenue, Logan Circle, and U Street as a District Bridges Main Street program.

The $175,000 grant from DSLBD will allow District Bridges to support small businesses with technical assistance and grants, invest in comprehensive branding and marketing of the neighborhood, plan community events, and plan for commercial revitalization to maintain the traditional and unique characteristics of Chevy Chase. The program will be supported with private-sector funds raised by District Bridges. 

The program’s geographic boundaries are Connecticut Avenue from Livingston Street to Chevy Chase Circle, plus half block west and east from Connecticut Avenue on the cross streets: North Hampton Street NW, McKinley Street NW, Morrison Street NW, and Livingston Street NW. 

In support of District Bridges’ Main Street application, a coalition of Chevy Chase organizations including Chevy Chase Citizens Association, ANC 3/4G, Historic Chevy Chase DC, Friends of Chevy Chase Circle, Northwest Neighbors Village, and Ch/Art, met together to discuss community priorities and garner support from their respective networks. These established relationships and partner assets, along with District Bridges’ unique model, enables this program to hit the ground running. 

For those interested in getting involved with the Main Street and District Bridges, inquiries can be sent to ccms@districtbridges.org.

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ABOUT DISTRICT BRIDGES

District Bridges is a community development nonprofit and the first organization to manage multiple Main Streets in DC. We manage the Chevy Chase (CCMS), Columbia Heights|Mount Pleasant (CHMPMS), Cleveland Park (CPMS), Logan Circle (LCMS), Lower Georgia Avenue (LGAMS) and U Street Main Street (USMS) grants. Our organization was established in 2005 as Columbia Heights was rapidly developing. Residents saw the diversity and unity that had long defined the neighborhood was at risk. So to maintain the neighborhood’s unique character, Columbia Heights Day was born. To keep the event inclusive and sustainable, the first board of directors formed the Columbia Heights Day Initiative (CHI). In 2015, CHI’s Board hired executive director, Brianne Dornbush. Under her leadership, the CHI developed into a robust organization serving the community year-round. In 2016, CHI was awarded the CHMPMS grant and rebranded as District Bridges (DB) with the vision to develop a multi-Main Street model that would increase capacity, create economies of scale, and build sustainability into DC Main Streets. The following year, DB was awarded the LGAMS grant and then in 2019 CPMS, LCMS, and USMS. 

As the first multi-Main Street organization in DC, our model enables the rapid launch of new Main Street programs through streamlined operational setup, increased staff capacity to serve local businesses, and a holistic approach to community development that works to address the critical needs of each community. Our approach develops strong partnerships with community stakeholders to ensure our work is always community-focused, community-supported, and community built. 

ABOUT THE DC DEPARTMENT OF SMALL AND LOCAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

The Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) supports the development, economic growth, and retention of District-based businesses, and promotes economic development throughout the District’s commercial corridors. DSLBD envisions a business environment in which: DC businesses are connected in real-time with local, federal, and global business opportunities; businesses navigate government quickly, confidently, and effectively; and, every entrepreneur and business with a great idea and a great plan has the capital to make it happen.

Media Contact:
Brianne Dornbush
Brianne@districtbridges.org
202-227-9559