Building on what she says is a great foundation, D.C.’s new deputy mayor for planning and economic development wants to make the District a place of national envy.
Nina Albert has taken over the post once held by John Falcicchio, who resigned earlier this year amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
Albert was formerly the U.S. General Services Administration’s Commissioner of Public Buildings, a background she believes will be a perfect fit in the new job.
“I think that having worked for the federal government, and GSA in particular, is a great benefit to the District of Columbia,” Albert said. “I understand the process that they’re going through to figure out how to consolidate federal real estate. But I’ve always had the advantage of also understanding the District, which is my home, and how to marry those two agendas together to really come up with a vibrant, dynamic downtown.”
Albert said that Washington, the home of the federal government, has always been a “federal city,” and creating a plan for the city that “marries the best of both worlds” is something she can bring to the table.
“My priorities are really going to be obviously downtown, what are the strategies, both micro and macro that get us wins quickly, as well as long-term resilience.
Revitalizing the District’s downtown, which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and has been rebounding gradually as workers are slow to return to the office, has been a priority for Bowser. In May, the mayor unveiled the “Downtown Action Plan” that was part D.C.’s five-year “Comeback Plan,” which calls for creating 35,000 jobs and brining 15,000 new residents to the District.
Her second priority, Albert said, is enticing the Washington Commanders back to D.C., and third is housing.
“I would like to get a handle on and make sure that this continues to be the livable city that it always has been,” Albert said.
Albert said there are many things to consider when it comes to ensuring the development in the district remains equitable for businesses and families.
“I’ve basically committed a majority of my career to these questions, whether it’s inclusion in deals that are going on right now, through minority equity participation, contracting opportunities, that’s kind of a known bundle of opportunity,” Albert said, “But I’m also really focused on cost of living, whether it’s housing, whether it’s affordable retail, and that entire bundle of opportunity is what makes a city livable.”
Falcicchio’s departure in March brought to light allegations of a toxic work environment in the former deputy mayor’s office.
“We work on trust ever single day with our community,” Bowser said, listing some of the work that has been done to rebuild trust in the office during the investigation into what happened that led to Falcicchio’s departure.
Albert said that Economic Development and Planning wants to focus on the work.
“Let’s determine what our priorities are, move toward them, acknowledge people for the hard work that they’re contributing to the District and making sure that it is a good place to work.”
