Ward 1 Update: Not the right investment

May 2, 2025
General

WARD 1 UPDATE

Hello Neighbors:

I’m proud of the Washington Commanders and could not be more thrilled to see the new team leadership take them in a positive direction. The Commanders have a rich history and a years-long cultural legacy. Our collective pride is something that everyone from avid fans to casually interested residents can share.

But the fact remains that the District cannot afford to spend $1 billion in taxpayer money on a sports stadium for a privately held team.

That’s $1 billion that could be invested in schools, libraries, housing, parks, recreation centers, and other amenities—right there in Ward 7, or across the District, the things that make D.C. the vibrant place we love to call home.

And while I hear some people say that a new stadium would pay for itself with new revenue, that is, unfortunately, highly unlikely. Study after study has shown that football stadiums are not a good financial investment for municipal governments.

COUNCIL UPDATES

Budget update

This week, the Council voted to approve a new timeline for the District’s FY26 budget process. The Mayor now has until May 15 to submit her budget proposal to the Council. Under this schedule, budget oversight hearings will come in the weeks to follow, and a final vote on the budget would take place in late July.

Stay tuned for further updates, including how to sign up to testify at budget oversight hearings.

BRIANNE IN WARD 1

Councilmember Nadeau poses with a couple and their daughter with trash bags and trash picker.

Three college students, one wearing a Howard University sweater and a person in a Brianne K. Nadeau tee shirt pose for a photo outside a building.

Two people pose for a selfie, one holds a bag of trash

Two people pose for a selfie, one holds up a trash picker and trash bag

A man poses for a photo with trash bags, he gives a thumbs up and holds up a clear trash bag filled with bottles and cans

Two people pose for a selfie wearing rain jackets, both hold trash pickers

Ward 1 rocks! TEN groups heard my call for neighborhood cleanups for Earth Day. I was able to bike to six of them and my office made it to all 10. We collected LOTS of trash and over 1,200 bottles and cans!

We highlighted beverage containers because of the bottle deposit bill I introduced which will greatly reduce the number of bottles and cans in our neighborhoods and rivers. Customers will place a 10-cent deposit on each container and get it back when they return the empties. The result is that people are motivated to return bottles and cans for recycling, rather than throw them on the ground.

Thanks to ANC 1A, ANC 1C, Georgia Ave Thrive, Inner City Collaborative, U Street Neighborhood Association, HIPS, Howard University student senate members, and Ward 1 neighbors who signed up to organize a cleanup!

Want to host your own cleanup? You don’t have to wait til next Earth Month! Fill out the DPW Helping Hand form and send it to [email protected]. The Mayor’s Office of the Clean City will provide you with the tools you need and DPW will haul away the trash you collect. Be sure to request pickers, gloves, and trash bags.

Interior of a bookstore with people shopping

Interior of a bookstore cafe with people conversing

The Potter’s House does such amazing work in our community. I was super excited to join them for their 65th(!) birthday this weekend.

Councilmember Nadeau poses for a photo with staff and members of the Board of Directors from the DC Center

Exterior of the newly opened DC Center with a rainbow balloon arch

I was thrilled to attend the opening of the LGBTQ+ Community Center. It’s gorgeous! Wraparound services, pantry, showers, library, and more. This was a priority for me—I made sure to find half of the additional $1 million the Council allocated to the project this fiscal year.

HU Community Affairs Rep Teresa Edmonson and Councilmember Brianne K Nadeau pose for a photo

I got a sneak peek of the new Sandlot location at 7th & Florida Ave NW with Howard University Community Affairs Rep. Teresa Edmonson. It’s exciting to see this corner reactivated, and I look forward to the opening!

COMMUNITY UPDATES

We’re hiring!

Love D.C. & Ward 1? Passionate about helping people? Want to work with a great team?

Come join us as a Constituent Services Specialist! This position will work with the constituent services team to serve the residents and small businesses of Ward 1. The specialist will research and respond to constituent services requests and assist with community engagement.

Learn more and apply.

Event on bilingual education in D.C.

Flyer for DC History event Movements + Moments

Join the DC History Center for Movements + Moments, a conversation series centering Latinx experiences, influences, and roles in DC history.

On Wednesday, May 7 at 5:30 pm at Columbia Heights Educational Campus, learn how educator activism created a unique learning experience that prioritized low-income, low-English students. Learn from CHEC alumnus Manuel Mendez in conversation with founder and current principal Maria Tukeva and former school guidance counselor Rafael Cepeda about the role of this school in educating Latinx Washingtonians. The evening will begin with snacks before hearing from current students in the bilingual education academy about their own research into the school’s history.

Details and registration

Resilience workshops for federal workers impacted by cuts

If you’ve lost your job, or are impacted by the cuts to federal programs, the Center for Grounded Action invites you to a free interactive workshop on grounded resilience. Learn effective practices to handle stress and empowering skills to connect.

Sunday, May 4 at the Piney Branch Elementary School, 7510 Maple Ave, Takoma Park, MD. 1 – 4:30 pm
Monday, May 5 at Christ Lutheran Church, 5101 16th St NW, 9 am – 12:45 pm

Details and registration