Press Release Archives - Corenic Construction

Anacostia Arts Center Breaks Ground on Transformative Renovation, Marking a New Era for Creativity, Community, and Entrepreneurship East of the River

Naomi Seifu — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 21:50:47 +0000

January 12, 2026 | Press Releases

Groundbreaking marks the start of a 9–12 month transformation on a reimagined, community-informed hub supporting artists, small businesses, and local residents in historic Anacostia

[Washington, D.C. – January 13, 2026] The Anacostia Arts Center (AAC), powered by the Washington Area Community Investment Fund (WACIF), is proud to announce that construction is starting on its long-awaited renovation. The project marks a major milestone in the AAC’s evolution and reaffirms WACIF’s commitment to expanding economic opportunity and deepening community impact in historic Anacostia. The renovation is being led by a DC-based design-build team grounded in community-centered design: Corenic Construction Group as the construction partner and Drummond Projects as architect. The AAC has retained Beltway East as owner’s representative. Construction is expected to take 9–12 months. During the renovation period, the AAC will continue supporting artists, entrepreneurs, and residents through Satellite Programming, bringing workshops, activations, and community events to partner venues throughout Anacostia and beyond.

A Community-Informed Vision for the Future:

The redesigned space will significantly enhance the AAC’s programmatic capacity and reposition the center as a dynamic hub for arts, retail, and entrepreneurship east of the Anacostia River. The transformation reflects years of engagement with artists, residents, local entrepreneurs and the broader Anacostia community, whose insights directly shaped the AAC’s future direction.

“Renovating this building isn’t just about brick and mortar improvements.” says Messay Derebe, General Director of the AAC “It’s about ensuring a deeply valued arts, entrepreneurship and community center with a heart and soul is strengthened and improved, so it can continue to serve as an anchor and home for the community for decades to come.”

Key Features of the New Anacostia Arts Center:

Window-line retail frontage that improves visibility, access, and economic opportunity for local businesses
Flexible event, meeting, and exhibition spaces designed to support arts programming, community gatherings, and cultural expression
Enhanced integration with The Hive, the AAC’s modernized and expanded coworking space for entrepreneurs, freelancers, community organizations, and creatives
A future-forward programming plan shaped by extensive community feedback and collaboration with neighborhood partners

Deepening WACIF’s mission and commitment to impact:

The improvements to the Anacostia Arts Center extend far beyond its physical footprint. Since acquiring the building and assuming operations in 2021, WACIF has developed a deep understanding of the challenges local entrepreneurs face and the AAC’s vital role as a cultural and economic anchor in the community.

The renovation reinforces WACIF’s mission to increase equity and economic opportunity in underinvested communities across the Washington, D.C. region by investing knowledge, social, and financial capital in low- and moderate-income entrepreneurs. This transformation builds on successful program pilots including the Creator’s Academy, Afro House, Collective Wellbeing and the Fusion Festival, which expanded access to resources, networks, and opportunities for local creatives and business owners.

As the AAC evolves, WACIF will continue strengthening this mission through expanded programming, new strategic partnerships, and ongoing community engagement. A series of upcoming events will invite residents to help shape the AAC’s future and ensure its legacy as an accessible, welcoming “third space” for all.

Continued Commitment During Construction:

While the building undergoes its transformation, the AAC will remain connected and committed to its community. WACIF is ensuring that programming the community has counted on and expects from the AAC continues uninterrupted. In addition to the relocation of the HIVE co-working space to a satellite location for the duration of the project, the AAC will be presenting exhibitions in partner sites across Anacostia and beyond, producing signature programs such as the Afro House, Umoja Market, Art All Night, planning entrepreneur trainings like Contracting for Creatives, programming designed for retailers, as well as strengthening collaborations with numerous partner organizations like Building Bridges Across the River and the Anacostia BID. The closure will not only be a critical time to enhance operations for the re-opening but a dynamic period of intentional development of new opportunities to serve entrepreneurs and creatives through the space to further refine our offerings at opening. Our Satellite programming strategy will ensure uninterrupted access to arts engagement, business support, and cultural experiences, reaffirming AAC’s mission to uplift creativity and opportunity east of the river, even while its doors are temporarily closed.

Acknowledging Our Partners and Supporters

The Anacostia Arts Center redevelopment is made possible through the generous support of public and private partners committed to advancing equitable development, cultural preservation, and economic opportunity in the District of Columbia. We extend our sincere gratitude to the following sponsors for their investment in this transformative project: JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning & Economic Development (DMPED), Truist, Meyer Foundation, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation, Surdna Foundation, and DC Commission of the Arts and Humanities. Their support reflects a shared belief in the power of arts, culture, and entrepreneurship to strengthen communities and create lasting impact East of the River.

About Washington Area Community Investment Fund (WACIF)

Established in 1987, the Washington Area Community Investment Fund’s mission is to increase equity and economic opportunity in underserved communities in the Washington, DC area by investing knowledge, social, and financial capital in low- and moderate-income entrepreneurs. Our mission is driven by three strategic pillars: inclusive entrepreneurship, community wealth building, and equitable economic development, and is fulfilled by providing access to capital products and services, and capacity building technical assistance to low- and moderate-income entrepreneurs. WACIF has been continuously certified as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) since 1996, making the organization one of the nation’s first CDFIs.

About Anacostia Arts Center

The Anacostia Arts Center powered by WACIF is a home for the arts, culture, and small businesses, where the physical space is used to employ and nourish the local arts and creative economy. Within the Anacostia Arts Center, community members will find our Black Box Theater, gallery, retail, HIVE coworking space, meeting and event space.

Media Contact:

For more information about WACIF and its programs, please contact:
Kaelyn Green
Director of Communications
+1 202-964-5875
Kgreen@wacif.org

The post Anacostia Arts Center Breaks Ground on Transformative Renovation, Marking a New Era for Creativity, Community, and Entrepreneurship East of the River appeared first on Corenic Construction.

Starbucks Expands in Underserved Communities

Corenic Construction — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 17:24:44 +0000

Corenic Construction projects featured in the Starbucks Ariticle:

Starbucks Anacostia – Washington, DC

Starbucks Capital Plaza – Landover Hills, MD

Article Source: Starbucks Stories and News

January 16, 2020

Starbucks plans to operate 100 stores by 2025 in underrepresented neighborhoods across the country as part of the expanded Community Store program, working with non-profits and civic leaders to bolster economic growth

A national partnership with United Way will help enable hundreds of Starbucks partners (employees) to drive meaningful community engagement in and outside of store

Starbucks partners are multiplying their community impact this month with the distribution of 1,000 Neighborhood Grants to local NGOs and support in hundreds of service projects for Martin Luther King Jr. Week of Service

SEATTLE – Five years following the launch of its Community Store Program initiative, Starbucks today announced it will increase its commitment to open 100 Community Stores dedicated to providing economic opportunity in underserved rural and urban communities across the country, an 85 store increase from its 2015 commitment. These stores will focus on hiring locally, creating dedicated space for communities to come together for events and working with diverse contractors for store construction and remodels. The company aspires to complete this goal by 2025.

Starbucks will consider factors such as high youth unemployment, low median household income and population stability when selecting Community Store locations. The company will prioritize developing cafes in economically distressed communities, or Opportunity Zones, with upcoming locations planned for Prince George’s County, MD; Anacostia, D.C.; and Los Angeles, CA.

“We believe it is our role and responsibility to partner with those in the communities we serve to help make a positive economic and social impact,” said John Kelly, executive vice president of Public Affairs at Starbucks. “These stores are successful and it’s time to expand the model. Over the last five years, we’ve seen these Community Stores empower our partners and customers to create meaningful impact that is localized and relevant to their neighborhoods. We’ve learned a great deal from our 14 Community Stores and applied those learnings to how we approach community partnership in more than 8,000 neighborhoods we serve across the country.”

The Community Stores will share several common aspects compared to other Starbucks cafes, including: locations in economically distressed communities; a designated room or space for community events and programming; a partnership with a local United Way chapter to facilitate relevant community programs; a focus on working with diverse contractors for store construction and remodels; and an emphasis on hiring locally.

Since launching the Community Store initiative in 2015, Starbucks has opened 14 stores across the country in Jamaica Queens, NY; Ferguson, MO; Phoenix, AZ; Englewood in the southside of Chicago; east Baltimore; Long Beach, CA; Trenton, NJ; White Center in south Seattle; Miami Gardens, FL; Birmingham, AL; Redbird in Dallas, TX; Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn, NY; New Orleans, LA; and Jonesboro, GA. The 15^th store will open in Prince George’s County, MD this spring.

Starbucks estimates its Community Stores have helped:

Create more than 300 local jobs and connect young people to education and employment opportunities.
Generate more than $59.7 million in indirect economic development created from store construction and over 1,100 indirect jobs.
Identify and eliminate barriers to entry that prevent diverse-owned contractors from competing successfully to build stores for the company.
Provide 14 community spaces decorated with local artwork that reflects the personality and heart of each community.

To scale the program to 100 locations by 2025, Starbucks will focus on supporting store remodels in addition to new development projects.

As part of Starbucks national partnership with United Way, local United Ways and 211s in targeted communities will work with Community Store partners to create resources and programs for each community from life skills training for youth to mentorship programs and beyond. That includes facilitating activities at the stores that support people in the community, providing Starbucks partners with customized community profiles and resource information and connecting partners with volunteer activities that help create real change in the communities in which they live and work.

“United Way and Starbucks share a commitment to ensuring every person has the opportunity to thrive, and we’re honored to partner with them,” said Suzanne McCormick, U.S. President of United Way Worldwide. “United Way has been connecting people to resources across the U.S. for more than 130 years, and we look forward to deploying United Way’s local expertise and experience to help Starbucks Community Stores make a real difference.”

The Starbucks Foundation Awards 1,000 Neighborhood Grants, Thousands of Starbucks Partners Volunteer in National Service Projects

In addition to today’s news of the Community Store expansion, The Starbucks Foundation also announced it has awarded more than 1,000 Neighborhood Grants, a new giving program that creates local impact and empowers store partners to strengthen relationships with local nonprofit organizations. To date, hundreds of store managers have secured more than $1 million in grants from The Starbucks Foundation for more than 1,000 local nonprofit organizations in all 50 U.S. states and all Canadian provinces.

In addition to these local partnerships initiated by Starbucks partners every day, thousands of store partners have committed to hundreds of local service projects next week across the United States as part of the Martin Luther King Week of Good. In many communities, United Way is facilitating volunteer activities that help improve education, health and financial stability.

To learn more about how our partners are creating meaningful connections and driving positive impact in their communities, visit stories.starbucks.com/stories/partners.

About Starbucks

Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with more than 31,000 stores around the globe, Starbucks is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at https://stories.starbucks.com and www.Starbucks.com.

About United Way

United Way fights for the health, education and financial stability of every person in every community. Supported by 2.9 million volunteers, 8.1 million donors worldwide and $4.8 billion raised every year, United Way is the world’s largest privately-funded nonprofit. We’re engaged in nearly 1,800 communities across more than 40 countries and territories worldwide to create sustainable solutions to the challenges facing our communities. United Way partners include global, national and local businesses, nonprofits, government, civic and faith-based organizations, along with educators, labor leaders, health providers, senior citizens, students and more. For more information about United Way, please visit https://www.UnitedWay.org. Follow us on Twitter: @UnitedWay and #LiveUnited.

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