The resolution declares an emergency regarding the need to amend the Retail Incentive Act of 2004 to designate specific neighborhoods, including Mount Vernon Triangle, Eastern Market, Barracks Row, and Georgia Avenue, as Retail Priority Areas. This amendment is crucial for the continuation of the Great Streets retail priority grant program, which has been supporting small businesses in these areas since 2006 by providing grants that create job opportunities and access to capital. The Council has enacted both permanent and emergency legislation to address these needs, with the emergency legislation set to expire on February 11, 2025, and the permanent legislation not projected to take effect until after that date.

To ensure that the benefits of the emergency legislation remain uninterrupted until the permanent legislation is enacted, the Council has determined that the circumstances warrant the immediate adoption of the Great Streets Program Expansion Neighborhood Retail Priority Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2025. This resolution emphasizes the urgency of the situation and allows for the necessary provisions to remain in effect without delay.