This morning, the city broke ground on the new headquarters for the Department of Employment Services near the Minnesota Avenue Metrorail Station. According to a press release from the office of the mayor, the 229,000 square-foot building will include:

“A one-stop employment and business center on the ground floor, retail space for local businesses, a large ground floor community meeting room and office space for roughly 500 DOES employees. Plans call for a green roof and a 100-space underground parking garage. The District hired EEC of DC, a certified local business and Forrester Construction to lead the $48 million project. The building was designed by Devrouax & Purnell of the District and is scheduled for completion in early 2011.”

Late last month, the mayor announced that two developers —-Donatelli Development and Blue Skye Development —-had been picked for a nearby mixed-use project that will include 40,000 square feet of retail space for local and national retailers; 375 units aimed at working families; 60 market-rate homeownership units; a 5,000 square foot retail incubator to grow Ward 7 businesses and 2,500 square feet of community space.