A New Hub for Inclusive Entrepreneurship

We are targeting a construction start date of November 2025, assuming the permitting process proceeds as expected.

Construction is anticipated to take approximately 9 to 12 months, though we recognize that unforeseen factors could impact the timeline. Throughout the process, we are committed to keeping the community informed with regular updates and clear communication as we move through each phase of the project.

To expedite the renovation timeline and reduce overall disruption, we the Anacostia Arts Center will be fully closed during construction. While this temporary closure is necessary, we are deeply committed to maintaining our presence in the community throughout the process. We will launch satellite programming both virtually and at partner locations in Anacostia and beyond to ensure that beloved programs like Afro House and the Umoja Markets continue to serve the community. Our goal is to keep the spirit and impact of the Arts Center alive during the closure—supporting local entrepreneurs, artists, and residents while the physical space is offline.

The project team includes DC based businesses, Corenic Construction as our general contractor, Drummond Projects as architect and interior designer and Beltway East, as our owners representative. See ‘Meet The Team’ section for more information.

Community input has played a major role in shaping the direction of the Anacostia Arts Center redevelopment. We’ve intentionally created multiple opportunities for dialogue and co-creation—from open houses and focus groups to one-on-one conversations with neighbors, small businesses along the corridor, and longtime community stakeholders.

One of our most impactful efforts has been the Building and Dreaming Together series, which invited residents to share their visions, hopes, and concerns for the space, construction, and its future. We also established an advisory council made up of community members, many of whom live in Anacostia and have partner with the Center in the past as artists, HIVE members, makers, etc., to help guide the process and keep us accountable to the people we serve.

Across the board, the planned improvements to the Anacostia Arts Center reflect what we’ve consistently heard from the community: the need for a more welcoming, functional, and modern space, as well as more dynamic programming that activates the building and brings people together. This collective input has grounded the renovation in real needs and aspirations, ensuring that the future of the Arts Center is shaped with the community, not just for it.

To ensure continuity for our members during the renovation, we are creating a satellite location at WACIF’s Rhode Island Avenue office. This will provide dedicated space for our HIVE members—particularly those with active CBE contracts—so their work can continue without interruption. We deeply value our HIVE community and are committed to supporting members throughout the transition. Our hope is that all of our members will return to the newly renovated space post-construction, where we’ll be ready to welcome them back with expanded resources, upgraded amenities, and a renewed focus on collaboration and growth.

WACIF has conducted three years of formal and informal community engagement efforts to better understand the needs and expectations of the community. Community engagement efforts have included focus groups, surveys and the 2025 Dreaming and Building Together series. Community input has focused not just on the building design, but future programming and offerings in the space for entrepreneurs, artists, creatives, and neighbors. WACIF will continue to solicit community input on programming in the future including focus groups for artists during the construction period

We’ll be opening applications for the retail incubation space during the construction period. Please stay tuned for updates, and be sure to sign up for our mailing list so you’re the first to know when the application process goes live.

The programmatic design of the retail spaces in the future will focus on using the AAC retail as a retail incubation lab with a goal of ensuring that the businesses incubated not only survive within the AAC but are fully equipped to graduate into their own storefronts in the broader Washington, DC area.

To help facilitate this, the physical retail space will be repositioned to the front of the building to take advantage of window line. Building upon the success of our pop-up markets, there will be one retail bay dedicated for makers to showcase their products on a rotating basis, providing the exposure needed to supplement their online presence and boost sales. The other bay will have its own dedicated entrance and allow for the retailer to operate independently from the Arts Center. This space is intended to help incubate and launch a retailer into a brick and mortar location. Although the limited window line only allows for two fixed retail bays, the center will continue to host markets on a regular basis to highlight and feature a variety of local makers.

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