NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 15, 1999 Chinese Delegation meets with DHCD and Tours Site for The New Washington Convention Center WASHINGTON, DC - A delegation of 26 people from the Yunnan Province of China met with Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) staff to discuss commercial and housing development, new construction initiatives, and innovative design and engineering concepts. The delegation received background information on DHCD, detailed information about various programs, and an overview of future development plans in Washington, DC Members of the delegation are interested in commercial development plans and will tour the construction site of The New Washington, DC Convention Center at 2 pm on Monday, November 15, 1999. The New Washington Convention Center, which has a unique architectural design, is scheduled to open in 2003. "By sharing our knowledge of architecture, community development and housing construction plans, we help strengthen our international partnerships and encourage open dialogues with our commercial and government counterparts throughout the world, said Othello Mahone, Interim Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development". For more information, please contact Tia Matthews, Public Information Officer for the Department of Housing and Community Development, at (202) 442-7259.