Breaking Ground on Sitar Next Door: A Day of Forward Action

On November 2, 2022, we broke ground on construction of Sitar Next Door at 1724 Kalorama Rd NW with Mayor Bowser, Councilmember Nadeau, and other distinguished guests. Learn more about our special groundbreaking event, and what’s ahead for our work with Jubilee Housing.

The groundbreaking on Sitar Next Door at 1724 Kalorama Road NW was, as Executive Director Maureen Dwyer put it, “a day of forward action.” The day also marked the groundbreaking of our project partner Jubilee Housing’s development of 50 new affordable housing units at 1724 Kalorama Road NW and 1460 Euclid Street NW, also known as the EucKal Project. Rooted in our long-held partnership with Jubilee Housing and guided by our shared commitment to building communities of deep belonging and equitable access, we were proud to celebrate the expansion of arts education, workforce development, and affordable housing with more than 100 community members last month. 

“Our beloved Adams Morgan and Columbia Heights neighborhoods are more vibrant and more powerful with cultural and economic diversity,” Maureen noted during her opening remarks at the groundbreaking.

Jubilee Housing is Sitar’s originating partner. We first started our afterschool arts programming in the basement of a Jubilee Housing apartment building on Ontario Road NW, and our work together has continued to grow and evolve ever since. So, when we learned the 1724 Kalorama site was available for purchase, we knew exactly who to turn to. Jubilee Housing had the vision and capital to jump right in, and within three days, Jubilee signed the contract to purchase the vacant building. The new building will realize a shared vision for justice and equity with three floors of affordable apartments for families and a Sitar expansion anchoring the ground level.

At the groundbreaking, we were honored to hear from Khulud Khudur, Jubilee Housing resident and board member, who shared how affordable housing and accessible afterschool programming shaped her life. Now pursuing a doctorate in public health, Khulud credits her early success to her community’s support and ample resources, even in the face of many “closed doors.” 

The Honorable Muriel Bowser applauded the EucKal Project and Sitar Next Door for adding 50 affordable apartments to the city, which moves the city closer towards her goal of adding 12,000 affordable housing units by 2025. Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau emphasized how Sitar Next Door will scale accessible arts programs:

“At Sitar, there are opportunities for every kid in this ward to participate...because there are no financial barriers to participating in these programs. That is a beautiful, and hard-to-find thing.” 

While perhaps “hard-to-find,” equity and access are two central components of our mission and programming. As Reggie Van Lee, chairperson of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, remarked, it’s what caught the eye of the Commission’s panel in a competitive review of our Sitar Next Door grant application, which resulted in a $500,000 investment in this expansion.

With shovels in-hand, and hard hats secured, the groundbreaking was just the beginning of what’s possible when community leaders come together in support of Ward 1’s youth and families. Stream the event here, and learn more about the project “In The News.”