DC launches program to revitalize downtown

WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the city would launch a pop-up permit program Monday in order to help fill vacant storefronts in Downtown D.C.

The Pop-Up Permitting (PUP) pilot program will enable customers to secure a streamlined Certificate of Occupancy for temporary use of a previously vacant building, according to a press release from the Mayor’s Office.

This will allow people to avoid going through the traditional permitting process.

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Bowser will announce the program at 11 a.m. at a currently vacant store in the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District.

Officials said that the storefront will be transformed this July for Capital Fringe. Capital Fringe is an annual community-driven arts festival that celebrates cultural democracy, access to art and artistic expression.

The PUP program is part of Bowser’s $2.5 million budget to support pop-up and short-term retail in vacant Downtown spaces.

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