Grant program helps lure new business to downtown DC

A grant program is helping bring downtown D.C. back to life by luring new business.

The first Vitality Grant was awarded in Jan. 2023. Since the program launched, $2.06 million has been given to six companies, resulting in 813 jobs and 143,475 square feet of leased office space.

Travis Rush, CEO of management firm Kellen, said the proximity to the federal government makes locating in D.C. appealing, but so does the incentive program.

“Certainly, the association space values the proximity to decisionmakers and policymakers in the District, but also, again, as I said, the Vitality Grant was kind of the cherry on top that really made the decision easier for us,” Rush said.

Kellen is moving to D.C. from Atlanta and more than doubling its staff.

“We’re going from 40 staff all the way up to over 100 over the next two years,” Rush said.

He said D.C. was an easy choice.

“We’re very excited for what the future holds,” Rush said. “We’re very bullish in general on D.C., not only, obviously, as a political capital, but as a business capital for many years to come. It’s important to our clients and it’s important to our staff.”

The Vitality Grant fund has an additional $8 million in funding. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office is finalizing additional awards that will be announced soon.

News4 sends breaking news stories by email. Go here to sign up to get breaking news alerts in your inbox.