Entrepreneurial American Leadership Award

A powerful couple who have worked to transform downtown D.C. into the lively urban center it is today.

Downtown Washington, D.C. was not always the vibrant, bustling center it is today. With little commercial and cultural activity available in the evenings and few residences within 10- 15 blocks of the area, office crowds would depart after the work day, leaving vacant streets and empty storefronts. Such a scene is hard to imagine today while pushing through the crowds to get to a Wizards NBA game, catch a movie, or dine at one of the many nationally renowned restaurants that downtown has to offer. Though the efforts of many people contributed to such an incredible turnaround, the commitment of Rich Bradley and Ellen McCarthy was a vital force in the downtown “renaissance”. Over the last 25 years, this D.C. power couple has transformed the city’s urban core into an animated and livable public space.

Both Bradley and McCarthy boast an extensive history with the planning and development of downtown D.C. After serving several years as the first executive director of the D.C. Downtown Partnership, a public/private collaboration for the revitalization of downtown, McCarthy was hired as the Deputy Director of Development Review for Neighborhood Planning and Historic Preservation of the D.C. Office of Planning prior to assuming the position of Director. Through these various roles, McCarthy spearheaded fierce zoning battles, pushing for ordinances that would allow a long-awaited “living downtown”. Despite opposition from powerful players including key economic development organizations, McCarthy was successful in requiring housing, arts and retail to be included in all further development downtown.

Bradley’s work in D.C. began with his role as president of the International Downtown Association. After many years of advocating for vital and livable urban centers throughout the world, Bradley applied his experience to the newly formed Downtown D.C. Business Improvement District (BID). As the first executive director of one of the largest BIDs in the country, Bradley created a tax abatement program that helped launch the first set of investments in downtown housing in over 15 years. The BID also undertook the initial planning of the Downtown Circulator, created streetscape standards which have guided more than $35 million of new investment in public space, established a multi-purpose service center for the homeless, and became lead manager of the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

Washington D.C. is currently considered one of the strongest commercial office markets in the world and 95 percent of new jobs created in the city in the last decade were located downtown. Packed with restaurants, galleries, shops, theaters, and housing, downtown D.C. is now a thriving center of commerce, a feat accomplished with significant contributions from the combined skills and unyielding dedication of Rich Bradley and Ellen McCarthy.