The Committee of 100’s annual Vision Awards recognize a wide range of projects, programs, plans, and the work of organizations and individuals that fulfill our vision of a beautiful and livable city for all people.  Past awardees are distinguished by their accomplishments for neighborhoods, historic preservation, public space, environmental preservation, housing and good planning within the District of Columbia.  We continued this tradition with the 2019 Vision Awards on May 29, 2019 at Trinity Washington University.

 

 General Category

Anacostia Watershed Society

In celebration of the Society’s 30th anniversary and in recognition of its significant achievement as one of the District of Columbia’s most effective and popular local non-profit organizations.  The Society has marshalled thousands of volunteers to reclaim and restore the Anacostia River, developed popular K-12 and adult environmental education programs, encouraged river recreation, and advocated effectively for protecting and cleaning up the once-polluted and now improving Anacostia River.  2018 was declared The Year of the Anacostia.

 

The Parks at Walter Reed

For the creative and innovative adaptive reuse of 66.5 acres of the 100-year-old former Walter Reed Army Medical Center.  Noteworthy for thoughtful planning; sensitive repurposing of the many outstanding historic structures and beautiful, rolling, historic landscape; compatible new architecture; and complex public/private partnerships that have fostered extensive community engagement to produce a historic, yet new, inclusive, and welcoming mixed-use community in Washington, DC. 

  

“The Reach” — Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

For the innovative and environmentally responsible new addition to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts that respects the original building yet stands on its own as a praiseworthy, contemporary addition to the architectural patrimony of the Nation’s Capital; and for connecting the Kennedy Center both to the Potomac River and monumental city beyond, adding much-needed performance space and visitor amenities to the landmark building, and making it a better part of the city and an exemplar of urban planning and design.

 

Prologue and Bloomingdale Historic Designation

For the research and development of a meritorious Historic District nomination for Washington, D.C.’s Bloomingdale neighborhood; engaging the Bloomingdale community over three years to garner citizen support for the nomination ensuring protection of the architecture; and, importantly, reminding District residents of the pivotal role that the Bloomingdale neighborhood played in our nation’s long history of struggles for civil rights.

 

 Affordable Housing

Portner Flats

For the unique tenant-developer partnership between the Portner Place tenants and the Somerset Development Company/Jonathan Rose Companies that: avoided sale and conversion of their building to high-end apartments; renovated a deteriorating building and created 96 affordable units for very low income families with children without displacement of the residents; ensured that the new units would be permanently affordable for individuals and families under 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI), with half of the units for those earning 0-50% AMI; and provided a variety of support services to help many District residents thrive.

 

SOME Conway Center 

For the collaborative partnership between So Others Might Eat and Wiencek + Associates Architect + Planners that designed and built 202 units of transitional and permanent housing  adjacent to the Benning Road Metro Station for single adults and large families (with up to four-bedroom units); provided supportive services including health, daycare, and job skills training to help formerly homeless men, women, and families with children become self-sufficient; and demonstrated that a comprehensive approach is the best way to ensure that vulnerable people can create a new life.

 

Plaza West/Mission First Housing

For  the bold vision of Bible Way Church and Mission First Housing: creating the first-of-its-kind-in-DC intergenerational community to serve low income families, including “grandfamilies” earning between 30% and 50% of the Area Median Income; building 223 affordable rental apartments – 173 for individuals and families and 50 for grandfamilies; designing dedi-cated spaces that meet the unique needs of seniors and children alike; providing supportive services tailored to the diverse needs of these residents; and fostering stability and dignity for all.

 

MANNA Inc.

For its long and storied history of making home ownership possible for 1,200 predominantly African-American and Latino clients, 75% of whom continue to reside in the home MANNA helped them acquire; counseling 20,000 households about home ownership with the result that not a single client faced foreclosure during the recent Great Recession; and improving economic stability for thousands of DC residents.

 

Jubilee Housing 

In recognition of 46 years of faith-based advocacy for justice housing that is people-focused, place-based and partnership-driven in the rapidly gentrifying communities of Adams Morgan, Columbia Heights, and Mount Pleasant; the production of 300 residential units in 10 properties for low income residents through a creative mix of financing; and the creation of the $5 million Justice Housing Partners, LP investment fund to provide quick-strike acquisition capital to prevent conversion to market rate housing and add many more units of deeply affordable housing for those in danger of displacement.

 

National Housing Trust Communities

In recognition of preserving and restoring 1,350 affordable apartment units in 15 buildings in Washington, DC; creating productive partnerships with 13 tenant associations across the city to save their homes from market rate conversion or slumlord management; working closely with national and local preservation experts to repair and retain the historic features of these buildings while also meeting ambitious green building goals; and actively engaging residents in all aspects of acquiring and redeveloping their communities including planning, financing, relocation and resident service programs.

 

Ann Hughes Hargrove Advocacy Award

Fernando Lemos, Co-Founder, Mi Casa

For co-founding and providing outstanding leadership to Mi Casa since 1992.   Under his leadership, Mi Casa has provided more than 1,000 units of safe, equitable, affordable housing for District residents; helped tenants organize and purchase their apartment buildings; renovated and built housing for families; and founded both the acclaimed Tenant Purchase Training and Technical Assistance Program to teach clients the skills they need to acquire and keep a home, and the Genesis Intergenerational Program, a model of mutual support between young mothers and seniors on fixed income to create stable homes where all may thrive.  

 

Lifetime Achievement Award

Arthur Cotton Moore, FAIA

For nationally and internationally recognized contributions to architecture, historic preservation, master planning, writing, and visionary pro bono work that has focused on ideas to make Washington, DC an even better place.  These contributions include saving and reinvigorating some of our city’s and the nation’s most iconic architectural treasures, providing ways to keep the Mall a viable public space for the future while also completing several elements of the L’Enfant and McMillan Plans, and designing a groundbreaking urban waterfront development that has been a model for similar projects throughout the country.

 

Sponsors

Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development

Alma H. & Harry F. Gates

John Lawrence Hargrove

Judy Scott Feldman

 

Patrons

Carol F. & Lawrence E. Aten

George R. & Mary Clark

Meg Maguire & Dale Ostrander

Charles Robertson

Kirby Vining

 

Host Committee

Fay Armstrong

Sanders H. Berk, MD & Sally Berk

William & Patricia Brown

Jenny Sue & Donald Dunner

Stephen A. Hansen

Naima Jefferson

Andrea Rosen

Pat Tiller

 

[Previous Vision Award Winners]