ENTREPRENEURIAL AMERICAN LEADERSHIP AWARD

Jim Abdo

Date: January 2007

ISSUE AREA: Highlighted Inidividuals & Communities

For the past fourteen years, Jim Abdo has succeeded in becoming a thriving real estate developer while at the same time advocating for public/private partnerships and community development efforts. Abdo owns and operates Abdo Development, a privately held company which has grown from employing 3 individuals with less than a million dollars in sales to a company that employs 55 individuals with over 200 million dollars in sales. Abdo Development’s market success stems from the unique approach it takes towards real estate development. This approach includes entering into previously ignored or overlooked areas for potential projects that will improve amenities and livability options in the community. Abdo has also continually focused on maintaining the character and original exterior of historic buildings and has remained conscious of the impacts his projects have had on the surrounding area.

In the early years of his company, Abdo made a name for himself by establishing strong public/private partnerships with the D.C. Historic Preservation Division (HPD), and the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB). For over a decade, Abdo has formulated these partnerships to preserve historic infrastructure while revitalizing neighborhoods, such as in the historical district neighborhood of Logan Circle. Abdo noticed the potential of the Logan Circle area well before most other developers in D.C., and saw that many of the derelict and crimeridden Victorian buildings could be transformed into urban assets for the community, while preserving the historical nature of the architecture. Logan Circle has since risen fast as a popular neighborhood to live in, with rising property values and an influx of retail and other amenities. For his work in the neighborhood, the Logan Circle Community Association awarded Abdo the Millennium Year award for historic preservation.

Abdo’s devotion to historic oversight was also exemplified when his company voluntarily sought input from the HPD in the restoration and conversion of a historical building that formerly housed the Capital Children’s Museum into the Senate Square development complex to be completed in 2007. The building, formerly a convent, was neither individually designated nor within a historic district, but Abdo recognized its importance as a historic structure. The building is being developed for residential use on the H Street Corridor, another neighborhood previously suffering from a lack of amenities and investment in the community. The new lofts and residential towers preserve the 140- year old building’s historical features, provide a significant affordable housing element, and will expand residential options in a neighborhood that is quickly changing.

Currently, Abdo Development is involved in the planning phase of an 11 acre condominium and shop mixed-use development at the previously blighted corners of New York Avenue and Bladensburg Road in Washington, D.C. With construction likely to start in 2007, this development will provide bike paths to the nearby National Arboretum and will include both luxury and affordable housing space. In fact, the 3.5 million square feet development will include the single largest privately funded affordable housing component in the city’s history. After completion, Abdo hopes the New York Avenue and Bladensburg Road development will be seen as a gateway to the city for individuals entering from the northeast.

In addition to his work with his development company, Abdo sits on the board of the D.C. Preservation League, the D.C. Building Industry Association and the Arena Stage Theater, located on the H Street Corridor. These types of engagements further Abdo’s involvement in D.C. preservation and community affairs. Abdo has been recognized by other communities and leaders, including receiving the Capitol Hill Association of Merchants and Professionals’ Daniel Carroll Award for Outstanding Community Development in 2004 and the Mayor’s Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation in 2004.

Throughout all of his developments, Abdo has shown that he is a conscientious business man who is interested not only in the economic viability of his projects, but also in ensuring that the impact on surrounding communities is taken into account and that improving the quality of life of the neighborhood is a significant part of development. Furthermore, his commitment to historic renovation through partnerships stands as an example for all civic leaders and peers in his field.