Filling Victor Hoskins' shoes as deputy mayor for planning and economic development is no easy task. But Jeff Miller is stepping right up (First decree: buy his own pair of shoes.) And pushing through an $18B pipeline of development projects is a top priority.
In his first interview since becoming interim deputy mayor Monday, Jeff (snapped moments ago) says his aim is to not only get the highest price possible for city-owned sites, but also promote affordable housing and local hiring. A few target projects: The Ellis Development/JBG/MRP Realty-led 965 Florida Ave proposal (a 370k SF mixed-use project on city-owned land); a site at 8th and O in Shaw; and the redevelopment of the Stevens and Franklin Schools. Jeff was formerly DC's director of real estate and is a veteran of JBG, Lowe Enterprises, and Trammell Crow.
Jeff tells us some new initiatives from his office will be announced next month. (Meantime, here's a rendering of 965 Florida.) And though November's mayoral election could affect his position, Jeff is staying the course. "We're going to keep prosecuting." (The unknown future sort of adds an action-movie vibe to this whole thing. Basically, what we're saying is can Bruce Willis play Doug Jemal?) He's also working on opening a DC office in Beijing, to join one already operating in Shanghai.
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