Maryland Gazette – Wheaton Development Coalition Seeks Support of Urban District Committee

Below is news coverage related to the ongoing work of the Coalition for the Fair Redevelopment of Wheaton, of which LEDC is a member.

In its first appearance before the Wheaton Urban District Advisory Committee, the Coalition for the Fair Redevelopment of Wheaton asked the committee on Nov. 13 to help voice — and support — requests for the county’s commitment to help small businesses during the planned redevelopment project for Lot 13.

The coalition — composed of small business owners, residents and nonprofits — has been seeking since September 2011 a written pledge from the county to the businesses that will face “a difficult time” maintaining business in the next two to three years as a result of the project, said Ash Kosiewicz, the coalition’s lead organizer.

The coalition asked the advisory committee to send a letter to County Executive Isiah Leggett stating the coalition’s requests for that pledge and a “construction mitigation plan,” as well as showing the committee’s support.

To read the full article, click here.

 

Maryland Gazette – Montgomery County Dives Into Popular Spanish-Language Radio Market

Alejandro Carrasco is approaching 25 years as host of “Calentando la Manana,” the Spanish-language morning news and talk radio show he broadcasts each weekday to thousands of area listeners.

He explained the popularity of his show and Spanish-language radio in general as a cultural circumstance.

“There’s the joke about grandpa going [to] the U.S., trying to fit his old radio in his luggage. The grandson sees it, says ‘What are you doing? They have smaller radios.’ The grandpa says, ‘Well, this one speaks Spanish,’” Carrasco said. “We come from an audio culture. There is a radio culture we bring with us and people just remain loyal to it.”

To read the full article that talks about LEDC’s radio show program “Consejos Financieros” on Radio America, click here.

 

The Wheaton Coalition’s Response to the Updated Draft Council Staff Plan

Last night, members of the Coalition for the Fair Redevelopment of Wheaton, of which LEDC is a member, met with community groups and citizens of Wheaton to share our collective feedback to the latest draft Council Staff Plan for the Wheaton redevelopment project.

Since March 12th, the Wheaton community has scrambled to respond to significant proposed changes to the project. The Coalition has participated in two meetings of concerned community groups and citizens, and while there is still much work to be done, the experience has galvanized community members to work together to make sure that Montgomery County public officials and elected representatives understand and are responsive to the feedback of the Wheaton community.

The updated draft Council staff plan, which has the support of Councilmember Nancy Navarro, recommends the appropriation of $58 million in public taxpayer money to support construction on Parking Lot 13 and feasibility studies on the Bus Bays platform redevelopment. Click below the Coalition’s response to this plan.

 

The Latest Wheaton Coalition News Coverage

Below is a list of recent news coverage related to the ongoing work of the Coalition for the Fair Redevelopment of Wheaton, of which LEDC is a member. Over the last week, the Coalition testified in front of the Montgomery County Council and hailed the introduction of new legislation by Councilmember Nancy Navarro that would create a new Small Business Assistance Program to help small businesses in Montgomery County access resources and technical assistance when impacted by redevelopment.

Washington Post (2/14/2012) – Wheaton Development’s $40 Million Price Tag Sparks Petition

Maryland Gazette (2/13/2012) – Assistance Bill Provides Some Hope for Wheaton Business Owners

Washington Post (2/10/2012) – In Montgomery, Dozens Testify Against Cut in School Construction Funding (includes section on Wheaton redevelopment)

Wheaton Patch (2/8/2012) – A Fair Future for Wheaton Small Businesses

 

Who Will Shine in a New Wheaton? The Wheaton Coalition’s Take on the Proposed Public Subsidy for B.F. Saul

by Ash Kosiewicz
Communications and Advocacy Director, LEDC

A few months ago, I walked into the Emanuel Christian Library to talk to Wheaton small business owner Jose Gonzalez. For years, Jose has sold a variety of Christian books, compact discs, and DVDs in the Wheaton Triangle.

I asked Jose for his take on the small business community in Wheaton and the prospects for its survival given developer B.F. Saul’s plans to redevelop the Triangle, which include new offices, a hotel, and high-rise apartments.

“It’s because of all of us small business owners that Wheaton shines,” Jose said.

 

Connect Online with the Coalition for the Fair Redevelopment of Wheaton!

As featured in the Washington Post on Thanksgiving Day, the Coalition for the Fair Redevelopment of Wheaton is now online!

Over the last eight months, Montgomery County public officials and project developer B.F. Saul have been working to negotiate key details of a General Development Agreement to redevelop Wheaton, Maryland. The Wheaton Coalition is a collection of nonprofit organizations, small business owners, and residents that seek to ensure that the existing Wheaton community is able to benefit from the area’s proposed redevelopment.

Minutes ago, the Montgomery County Council voted in favor of Wheaton’s new Sector Plan, a guideline planning document that promotes high-density growth in Wheaton. The B.F. Saul project intends to transform the area’s Central Business District, and LEDC has joined the Coalition to preserve Wheaton’s diversity, small businesses, and affordability in the midst of future transit-oriented development.

Visit astrongerwheaton.org to learn more about the Coalition and sign our petition asking for community benefits as part of a final redevelopment agreement to preserve Wheaton’s strengths. You can also connect with the Coalition through Twitter at @strongerwheaton.

 

Washington Post – Wheaton Dreams of a Better Downtown but Clings to Family Feel

Wheaton — home to Montgomery County’s first shopping mall — has lagged behind the pace of redevelopment in other areas of the county in recent years.

Now, residents say, the community has the potential to become a version of downtown Bethesda, with new mixed-use developments built around easy access to Metro. But residents don’t want to lose Wheaton’s focus on family-owned small businesses.

Small retail strips with bakeries, international markets and rotisserie chicken restaurants now line the crossroads of Georgia Avenue and University Boulevard.

To read the full feature article on Wheaton’s proposed redevelopment that came out Thanksgiving Day, click here.

 

Germantown Patch – County Offers Free Foreclosure Prevention Help

When German Escobar and his daughter Jahir received a lender’s offer of a trial rate of 2 percent interest on the mortgage for their Germantown home, they were mystified.

Two months earlier, the same lender had told them that the family did not have enough income to qualify for a similar loan, Jahir Escobar said.

Trying to make sense of it all, they turned to Montgomery County for help.

To read the full article, click here.

 

LEDC to Receive Small Business Advocate Award Today at 10th Annual Maryland Hispanic Business Conference

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE             
September 6, 2011                

Contact: Ash Kosiewicz, Communications and Advocacy Director
Manny Hidalgo, Executive Director
(202) 425-1303; (202) 422-1707
akosiewicz@ledcmetro.org; mhidalgo@ledcmetro.org

BETHESDA, Md – In recognition of the Latino Economic Development Corporation (LEDC)’s commitment to quality small business development and microloan services for small businesses in Maryland and the greater Washington region, the 2011 Maryland Hispanic Business Conference will award its Small Business Advocate Award today to LEDC.

The conference is the premier Hispanic Business event in the region – serving more than 20,000 Hispanic businesses in Maryland.  The event is a collaboration of the Hispanic Chambers of Commerce of Maryland, Baltimore and Montgomery County, in close cooperation with government agencies that support business and economic development.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our national and local economy, but everyday it gets more difficult for them to stay open with fewer banks willing to lend to them,” said LEDC Executive Director Manny Hidalgo. “At LEDC, we not only lend to them but provide valuable technical assistance and training to make sure they survive this extremely difficult time in the economy.”

 

Wheaton Patch – How to Reduce Development Impacts on Wheaton’s Small Businesses? Ask Them First

B.F. Saul currently waits on pro-forma negotiations between the company, Montgomery County and WMATA before it can officially start its redevelopment plan for downtown Wheaton. In the meantime, a big question is how construction – not to mention a major new office building, as well as retail and residential buildings – will affect the many small businesses in the area.

“I don’t want to raise expectations; there will be an impact,” David Dise, director of Department of General Services, said at the June meeting of the Wheaton Redevelopment Advisory Committee (WRAC). “There will be an impact if we’re digging a 30-foot hole where Parking Lot 13 is.”

But local groups are wondering how exactly the county plans to minimize the impact of this major public-private partnership development.

To read the full article, click here.