Federal City Council
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| Formation | September 13, 1954 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Phil Graham; Francis Addison, Jr. |
| Founded at | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| 53-0219643 | |
| Legal status | 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization |
| Purpose | Planning and economic development |
| Headquarters | 1156 15th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20005 |
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Membership (2012)
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More than 170 |
| Thomas M. Davis | |
| Robert J. Flanagan | |
| Anthony A. Williams | |
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Revenue (2015)
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$2,562,075 |
| Expenses (2015) | $2,379,375 |
|
Employees (2014)
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16 |
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Volunteers (2014)
|
230 |
| Website | www |
Federal City Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes economic development in the city of Washington, D.C., in the United States. Incorporated on September 13, 1954, it is one of the most powerful private groups in the city, and is highly influential in Congress. It was the primary backer of a wide range of important projects, including the near-complete razing of Southwest D.C. in favor of redevelopment in the 1950s and 1960s, the construction of the Washington Metro subway system, the construction of the city's first and second convention centers, the construction of the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, and the construction of the Verizon Center. It has also been successful in pushing for changes in the District of Columbia Public Schools, reform of the federal role in the District of Columbia's finances, and reform of the District's tax structure.
The association, whose members are largely drawn from the business community, prefers to work behind the scenes and avoid media attention. It is highly influential, although assessments of its influence in the past decade have varied. The organization has also created a number of independent nonprofits and subsidiary bodies, which have worked on range of issues, from waterway restoration to crime.
The Federal City Council was incorporated on September 13, 1954, "to develop, stimulate and encourage civic leadership in community development in the National Capitol".Phil Graham, co-owner and publisher of The Washington Post, was the major force in creating the council. Graham was deeply concerned about the decline of the District of Columbia in the post-World War II period and the city's rapid loss of population and business to suburbs in Maryland and Virginia. Graham was also worried that the Southwest Washington urban renewal project, authorized in 1946 and funded in 1949, would be cancelled, ending the city's best chance at turning itself around. In 1952, Graham held a meeting of like-minded top businessmen in the boardroom of Riggs Bank to discuss formation of an organization to counteract these trends. These discussions led to formation of the Federal City Council in 1954. Membership was largely limited to businesspeople, because the group felt that only private sector money and a business-like approach to development and management could improve the District. Among the original members of the group in 1954 were Graham and Francis Addison, Jr., president of Security Bank and former president of the Washington Board of Trade.George A. Garrett, a former ambassador, was elected the organization's first president on November 16. A fundamental concept which the group agreed upon early in its history was to work behind the scenes and only on projects that can shape the city for 20 years or more.
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Wikipedia