Norton Breaks Ground on Another Building in the NoMa Neighborhood, Priority for Her Subcommittee

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today broke ground for Three Constitution Square, the newest office building to be built in the NoMa neighborhood of D.C. Norton said, "I am delighted to break ground on this building because it is an indication that this new neighborhood is continuing to grow and contribute to the District's economy and to provide housing for some of the 50,000 residents that have moved into the District in the last decade." Norton thanked StonebridgeCarras and Cassidy & Pinkard Colliers, which have been premier developers in NoMa, which has more than 7 million square feet of development.

Norton said, "With 20 federal leases already passed by the Senate, federal agencies are looking for office space already paid for in their budgets." Norton held the first federal hearings in memory on NoMa when she chaired the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management. She has consistently encouraged federal agencies to occupy office space in NoMa, where federal leases have been cheaper despite NoMa's proximity to the U.S. Capitol, benefitting federal taxpayers. Federal agencies hung back on moving to NoMa for years, which hindered it's development and, Norton said, there was no way for this great area of office, retail, and residential space to develop if the federal government, the biggest builder and lessor in the region, shunned the neighborhood. The neighborhood grew rapidly after Norton convinced the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to move there and helped to secure federal funds for the New York Avenue Metro, a public-private partnership between the federal government, the District government and the private sector. Norton said, "Now, with everything from a Harris Teeter to a Metro and six Bikeshare stations, a daytime population of 40,000, and 1,400 new residents, NoMa is alive both day and night."

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