D.C. Code § 1-325.452(Perm): Vitality Fund Grants.

*NOTE: This codification is not the most current, due to recent law changes. To see the current law (including emergency and temporary legislation, if relevant) click this link: Current Version*

(a)

Notwithstanding part B of subchapter XII-A of this chapter, the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development ("Deputy Mayor") may award grants from the Vitality Fund established pursuant to § 1-325.451 to attract businesses to the District or retain businesses in the District, with a preference for attraction to or retention in the District's central business district.

(b)

Grants awarded pursuant to this section may be used for the following purposes:

(1)

To cover operational costs;

(2)

As down-payment assistance or to subsidize rent;

(3)

To pay for tenant improvements;

(4)

To cover workforce training or professional development costs not eligible for support through other workforce programs; and

(5)

To cover recruitment and hiring costs.

(c)

To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a business must:

(1)

Demonstrate that the retention or attraction of its business will have a significant positive economic impact on the District, which may be evidenced by the following factors:

(A)

New jobs;

(B)

Retained jobs;

(C)

Total employment;

(D)

Average annual wages;

(E)

Term of occupancy;

(F)

Net new square feet occupied;

(G)

Total square feet occupied;

(H)

Dollar amount of capital investment;

(I)

Tax revenue;

(J)

Return on investment;

(K)

Contribution of the company's presence in the District to the growth of the company's industry in the District; or

(L)

Other outcomes identified by the Deputy Mayor that quantify the economic impact of the business's project on the District.

(2)

Require its employees, in the aggregate, to be on-site at a location in the District for at least 50% of their work hours; and

(3)

Agree to:

(A)

Develop or participate in a workforce development program that offers District residents opportunities for training or employment within the business or the industry in which it operates; or

(B)

Spend at least 5% of its total annual contracting with businesses eligible for certification as local business enterprises, pursuant to § 2-218.31.

(d)

By January 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the Deputy Mayor shall submit to the Council a report that contains the following information on grants awarded pursuant to this section in the prior calendar year:

(1)

For each grantee:

(A)

The name of the business, the location of the business, and the grant amount;

(B)

The number of jobs created or retained as a result of the grants and the average annual wages of the jobs created or retained;

(C)

The total number of persons employed by the grantee;

(D)

The square footage leased or occupied by the grantee;

(E)

The dollar amount of capital investments made by the grantee, if applicable;

(2)

The return on investment for all grants awarded; and

(3)

Any other information the Deputy Mayor deems necessary to demonstrate the impact of the grants on the economic vitality of the District.