Issue Position: Start-Up at DHS Construction Brings First Jobs and Small Business Contracts for D.C. Residents

Issue Position

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security headquarters construction at the St. Elizabeths West Campus, in Ward 8, went from breaking ground to initial hiring. Norton opened the Opportunities Center in Ward 8, which she developed with the General Services Administration (GSA) and Clark Construction, to give residents the first job opportunities and small business contracts. Workshops for small and minority-owned businesses and résumé-writing sessions are held regularly at the center. The majority of the work thus far has been hauling away dirt and rocks to make room for the massive U.S. Coast Guard headquarters. Almost 70 percent of the drivers doing this work were District residents. At this early stage, the project has used 84 apprentices, more than one quarter of whom were District residents. Further, 89 District businesses have been subcontracted, with 17 from Ward 8. Norton monitors and receives monthly reports from GSA to ensure that it meets its goal of awarding 40 percent of the project's contracts to small, minority-owned and disadvantaged businesses. The project is expected to generate 38,000 construction-related jobs and 14,000 additional permanent federal jobs.

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