| www.downtowndc.org/update | April 2009 | | | | BID BIZ | Fired Up and Ready to Go
The Downtown BID has hired 40 Downtown SAMs, who will hit the streets just as the spring tourism season  ramps up. Following graduation exercises on Friday, April 3, the Downtown SAM Class of 2009 will join about 90 BID staff currently patrolling and maintaining the 138-block area between the US Capitol and the White House seven days a week, presenting a visible, professional and welcoming face in Downtown. "At a time when the local economy is retracting and the unemployment rate has shot up to 9.9%, we're especially pleased to be able to contribute by hiring these indispensable personnel," says Richard H. Bradley, Downtown BID executive director. Without question, the SAMs play an extremely important role in ensuring that the Downtown experience is a remarkable one. They offer directions, notify police when trouble arises; provide after hours escort service to garages or public transportation; engage the homeless; and remove litter, trash and graffiti.
Read more... | | | | | | DEVELOPMENT DOINGS | top | Rising Water Pressure
Get ready for a number of water and sewer-related charges. The impervious area charge on all DC property owners has been pushed back a month. The DC Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) will now impose the fee effective May 1. The new charge on water bills will appear separately from the reduced sewer rate —which will decrease by 16-cents per 100 cubic feet—and will be used to help the  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pay for the $2.2 billion required to build tunnels that will reduce sewer overflows into local waterways, including the Anacostia and Rock Creek. The charge will be based on the square footage of a property's impervious surface —man-made surfaces, such as paved driveways, patios, rooftops and parking lots, that cannot be penetrated by water easily. To view the amount of impervious surface area assigned to your property, log on to "MyAccount" or register for "MyAccount" at www.dcwasa.com/. For more information about the fees, visit www.dcwasa.com/customercare/iab.dfm. WASA also has proposed a 10% water and sewer rate increase, which, if adopted, will take effect October 1. A public hearing is planned for the summer, and the WASA Board will make a final determination at its September meeting. For more information and questions, e-mail info@dc.wasa.com or call 202.354.3600. Also, the DC Department of the Environment (DDOE) is set to increase the stormwater fee on May 1. This fee and WASA's charge are separate and address separate pollution control requirements. The stormwater fee—which helps pay for green roofs, rain gardens, tree planting, street sweeping and other activities that help keep waterways clean—is based currently on water and sewer usage for commercial and multifamily properties, but will be charged based on a property's impervious surface area. Basically, the fee will shift the cost from properties with more green space to properties with more impervious surface area. DDOE is accepting written public comments on the increase through April 6. A public hearing is scheduled for April 13 at DDOE; written testimony will be accepted through April 10. For more information, visit http://ddoe.dc.gov/ddoe/cwp/view,a,1209,q,498382.asp or email jonathan.champion@dc.gov. | DOWNTOWN DISH | top |  Springing Forward
Notice the changes lately over at the Washington Marriott at Metro Center (775 12th Street)? The hotel closed the Regatta Raw Bar, its nautical-themed, lobby level restaurant. Now the space is home to Fire & Sage, a casual restaurant offering soups, salads, sandwiches, brick oven-fired flatbreads and entrees. Fire & Sage seats 160 guests at communal tables and oversized booths and offers a private dining room that can accommodate up to 20 guests. The restaurant opened on March 27, one day after the hotel closed Metro Grille, its second floor dining room that served American cuisine. That space is now used for banquets. For more information, call 202.737.2200.
| | | RETAIL RAMBLINGS | top | |  Turning a New Page?
Chapters Literary Bookstore, one of the few independently owned Downtown bookstores, closed its doors at 445 11th Street in September 2007. Now the shop—with the help of DLA Piper (500 8th Street) law firm—has become a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization known as Chapters Literary Arts Center & Bookstore. Chapters also has signed a letter of intent to move into 601 Pennsylvania Avenue, a mixed-use development that it hopes will soon house the 22-year-old bookstore and its free monthly programs, a literary reference library, a letterpress center and tearoom. In addition, Chapters intends to offer literacy outreach with its legal neighbors at DC Superior Court and the Public Defender Service for DC (500 Indiana Avenue). It is accepting donations for the nonprofit entity and has less than 90 days to raise money for its new home. For more information, e-mail chapters.literary@erols.com or visit www.chaptersliterary.com/.
| | AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD | top | | Healthy Food
 The Penn Quarter FreshFarm Farmers' Market does more than sell produce, seasonal soups and pastries, handmade soaps, plants, flowers and meat. It also has a gleaning program, and over the years has worked with several gleaning partners, who distribute leftover crops from farmers' fields to communities in need. This year, the market has partnered once again with Thrive DC (309 E Street), formerly the Dinner Program for Homeless Women. The homeless prevention and services organization that serves women, men and children received more than 1,000 pounds of fresh food from the gleaning program last year. The FreshFarm Market will return to 8th Street, between D and E Streets, on April 2 and run through December 17. For more information, visit www.freshfarmmarkets.org/. Indiana Avenue). | | GREEN GAINS | top |  Leading the Way
Kudos to two Downtown properties that know how to raise the bar for environmental sustainability—BP America (1101 New York Avenue) and the Mortgage Bankers Association of America (1331 L Street), MBAA. They recently obtained certification under the US Green Building Council's program for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). BP America's interior office space received platinum certification, making it the second in the region, and one of only 13 nationwide, to earn the top certification. The oil and natural gas producer's 22,000 square foot government affairs office features sophisticated lighting fixtures and recycled products, including a wall made of salvaged timbers. MBAA's new building recently qualified for gold-certification for core and shell work, which covers base building elements such as the structure and HVAC system. The building began as a speculative office property; it was not designed to meet LEED standards. Its core and shell designation is one of only three in DC and among 18 nationally. In particular, it acknowledges the limits that developers of speculatively developed building face and, therefore, encourages the use of green design and construction practices in areas over which they have control.
Read more... | | TRANSPORTATION TALK | top |  Big Red
They're here. Two new DC Circulator bus routes now extend across new areas of the city. One route operates between the Woodley Park/Adams Morgan, Columbia Heights and McPherson Square Metro via the 14th Street corridor. The other new route goes from Union Station to the Navy Yard Metro by way of the new Capitol Visitor Center, Barracks Row and the Capitol Riverfront. These additions bring the total number of Circulator routes up to five. The existing three routes run east-west, connecting Georgetown with Union Station, operating primarily along K Street and Massachusetts Avenue; north-south, connecting the Convention Center with the Maine Avenue waterfront, operating mostly along 7th and 9th Streets; and around the National Mall.
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| | NEWS YOU CAN USE | top | Preferred Makeover
There's a new vision for the National Mall, the historic landmark where 25 million Americans come annually to protest, celebrate and play.  Plans to refurbish America's front yard now call for eliminating the National Sylvan Theater and the Capitol Reflecting Pool (not to be confused with the larger Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool), sprucing up two monuments—the District of Columbia War Memorial and the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial—and making way for more restrooms and seating. The National Park Service (NPS) prefers this preliminary alternative to restore and protect the civic landscape.
Under the plan, the reflecting pool could be replaced with another water feature and the Sylvan Theater—the site for free military concerts, plays, rallies and ballets—succeeded by a multipurpose entertainment facility. Nothing is written in stone; and a final version of the plan may take another year to create. NPS is seeking broad public input and urging the public to submit comments about the preliminary preferred alternative by April 20 at www.nps.gov/nationalmallplan. Note that Pennsylvania Avenue is no longer part of the National Mall Plan. The issues facing America's Main Street are a little different and, therefore, require a separate environmental document.
Read more... | | MEETINGS AND MORE | top | Tuesday, April 14, 6:30 pm 8:00 pm
Downtown Neighborhood Association
Monthly Meeting
Calvary Baptist Church
755 8th Street Residents and workers are invited to this Downtown Neighborhood Association meeting. This month's featured discussion leader will be Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Planning Neil Albert. He will be joined by officers from the Metropolitan Police Department's Patrol Service Area 101W. To RSVP, email miles@dcdna.org. For more information, visit www.dcdna.org/. | Tuesday, April 21, 11:30 am 1:30 pm
NAIOP Maryland/DC Chapter
Getting It Done The Art of the New Deal
Grand Hyatt
1000 H Street
Discover at this Commercial Real Estate Development Association (NAIOP) Maryland/DC Chapter seminar why some deals evolve while others stall. The discussion will include deal savers and deal breakers in this post boom era, when a new way of doing deals is shaping up. Rich Lane, a principal with West, Lane & Schlager ONCOR International and a specialist in tenant representation, will moderate a panel that includes senior designer Marc Schneiderman, Dennis Cotter with James G. Davis Construction and Jonathan Kaylor, senior vice president, Boston Properties. Members pay $75; guests pay $100. For more information, visit www.naiopmddc.org/. | Wednesday, April 22, 9:30 am 12:30 pm
DC Department of Small and Local Business Development and GreenHome
Greening DC Restaurant Workshop for Business Owners
One Judiciary Square
441 4th Street Join the DC Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) and GreenHome for this free workshop for DC restaurant owners. Learn strategies for reducing operating expenses, increasing customer sales and positively impacting the environment within your budget. To register, complete a brief survey online at www.dslbd.dc.gov/, then click on "Green/Sustainability Business Resources." For more information, contact Camille Nixon at camille.nixon@dc.gov, or call 202.727.3900. | Thursday, April 23, 7:30 am 10:30 am
District of Columbia Building Industry Association
Seminar: What Do You Say After You've Said Dubai?
National Press Club
529 14th Street The District of Columbia Building Industry Association is hosting this seminar, designed to keep real estate professionals informed of the latest market forecasts, developing trends and capital markets for both residential and commercial development. The cost to members is $70; nonmembers pay $95. For more information, visit www.dcbia.org/ or call 202.966.8665. | Wednesday, April 29, 6:30 pm 9:00 pm
Washington Business Journal
Best Real Estate Deals of 2008
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue Join the Washington Business Journal, along with sponsors Beers + Cutler and Reed Smith, as they announce the finalists for the Best Real Estate Deals of 2008. The awards presentation begins promptly at 6:30 pm, followed by a cocktail reception. Tickets are $175 each, or $1,500 for a reserved table of 10. For event questions, contact Mike LaRosa at mlarosa@bizjournals.com or 703.258.0854. To register, visit www.bizjournals.com/washington/event/5790. | | 
The Downtown DC Business Improvement District (BID) is a private, non-profit organization that provides safety, hospitality, maintenance and beautification, homeless, economic development, transportation, streetscape and marketing services to Washington's urban core. Property owners agree to tax themselves to provide services to the Downtown BID area, which covers 138 blocks from Massachusetts Avenue on the north to Constitution Avenue on the south, and from Louisiana Avenue on the east to 16th Street on the west. For more information, visit http://www.downtowndc.org/.
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