Jazz in Bloom: Series of concerts aim to bring more people to downtown DC

WASHINGTON (7News) — District leaders gathered Wednesday to kick off Jazz in Bloom, a series of concerts at Union Station, as part of an effort to bring more people to downtown D.C.

Mayor Muriel Bowser says her DC’s Comeback Plan outlines a three-pronged approach to the transformation and revitalization of downtown -- fill the space, change the space and bring the people.

"Part of our five-year economic development strategy is to attract 15,000 more residents to the downtown," Bowser said Wednesday. "People will be close to all the great restaurants, parks, and transportation, and be able to raise their families."

The concerts will be organized by the Office of Cable TV Film Music and Entertainment at Union Station and will take place throughout the spring.

On Wednesday, the concert series kicked off with a performance by Elijah Jamal Balbed. They will return April 26 and April 27.

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“Our downtown is the economic engine that allows us to invest in our schools, our safety net, our public safety teams and so much more. We know that the comeback of downtown relies on our ability to bring more people downtown,” Bowser said. “We know that neighborhoods with a better balance of residents, workers, and visitors are more resilient. We have plans and programs to bring more residents downtown, more workers downtown, and more visitors downtown -- that includes international and domestic tourists as well as visitors from across D.C. and around the region. Our plans and investments reflect what we know to be true: people are the lifeblood of D.C.”

Throughout the week, the mayor has held several press conferences to highlight investments in her Fiscal Year 2024 Fair Shot budget proposal.

During Wednesday's event, Bowser highlighted investments, including:

• $1.5 million in additional funds for participating businesses in Creative and Open Space Modernization (COSM)
• $3 million enhancement for Great Streets and Small Business Fund
• $9.8 million to fund improvements at Farragut Square
• $1.5 million for a Festival Fund to offset costs for community organizations hosting events
• Increasing the available Housing in Downtown abatement from $6.8 million to $41 million in FY28

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Bowser's office says the following will also support the comeback of downtown:

• Family Fun Destinations, a grant program from DMPED supported by $7.5 million in investments to support the creation of new family-friendly attractions downtown and other parts of D.C. The agency will accept proposals beginning April 28 until June 3 at 4 p.m. via a Request for Applications. Details will be available at obviouslyDC.com.
• DC Creatives is a partnership between OCTFME and the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation that will bring D.C. performers to Union Station. In addition, OCTFME’s partnership with DowntownDC BID will additionally bring D.C. performers downtown this summer.
• Tourism Recovery District, a new temporary 1% assessment paid by visitors to D.C. hotels, which will expand Destination DC’s budget by an estimated $20 million per year for the next several years.
• Downtown Public Realm Plan, a plan to re-envision the public streets, sidewalks, alleys and parks of the downtown core to better enable a people-centric, vibrant and inclusive collection of mixed-use neighborhoods. By the end of 2023, the final Downtown Public Realm Plan will be released by the Office of Planning that shows how to elevate downtown as a livable place for 15,000 new residents by 2028.
• Downtown Action Plan, DMPED intends to partner with the DowntownDC and Golden Triangle Business Improvement Districts to create a comprehensive Downtown Action Plan that details initiatives that are key to achieving the vision and goals for Downtown outlined in DC’s Comeback Plan, including roles for public and private actors; this work will complement the Downtown Public Realm Plan.
• Streets for the People Initiative, a grant program that expands the use of sidewalks, alleys, curbside space, parking and travel lanes to create more vibrant public spaces by including the works of local artists, cultural organizations, and businesses. Last year, the initiative brought 110,000 people downtown with 104 activities. This year, the initiative will kick off with a mural painting on 17th Street and parklet installation on M Street in the Golden Triangle neighborhood.
• Union Station Expansion Project, the District invested $1 million in 2023 to conduct a project delivery and governance study for this project, an important next step on the path to a modernized Union Station.

For more information on the budget, go here.