This post was written by Hatchet reporter Nathaniel Erwin.

A city project to launch this week will link entrepreneurs with political and financial resources, part of an effort to expand D.C.’s technological reputation, Mayor Vincent Gray announced Tuesday in his State of the District address.

The D.C. government-funded initiative, called 1776, will set aside 15,000 square feet for the local startup community, which includes programs at GW. The venture is part of Gray’s goal to make D.C. the largest technology center on the East Coast.

The five-year plan aims to create 10,000 new jobs, boost tax revenue by $1 billion and diversify the local economy, Gray said in front of hundreds at the Sixth and I Historic Synagogue. His plan emphasizes markets in the hospitality, healthcare and technology industries.

Gray, an alumnus, also announced that the city will hire 100 more Metropolitan Police Department officers to accommodate D.C.’s growing population.

Many in the crowd who wore t-shirts that read, “Housing for All,” stood and clapped when Gray said the District will invest $100 million in building and preserving 10,000 units of affordable housing across the city.