| www.downtowndc.org/update | September 2009 | | | | BID BIZ | | Fall Extravaganza
 Don't miss one of Downtown DC's most anticipated events of the year. The Downtown BID will host the 2009 Momentum Awards this fall. Come join the fun, schmooze and celebrate the neighborhood's exciting revitalization as we honor outstanding individual and organizational achievement. Awards will be presented in eight categories: Downtown Citizen, Downtown Experience, Public Sector, Downtown Partnership, Downtown Program, Landmark Development Project, Downtown Detail and Other—for that outstanding accomplishment that might not fit neatly into an existing category. We'll keep you posted on the date and time. Ah, the mystery, the intrigue!
| | | | | | DEVELOPMENT DOINGS | top | | Prudent Actions
Mayor Adrian Fenty and the DC Council took budgetary and regulatory actions in July and August that will lower some taxes and fees for the development community and avoid additional government regulation. What happened: they balanced the budget for fiscal years 2009 and 2010 without using the city's rainy day fund or enacting major tax rate increases. Instead, the Council made deeper and broader cuts in DC government expenditures, created about a $50 million, or 1%, contingency fund to handle any future general fund revenue decreases and approved relatively small sales tax rate increases for general merchandise, gasoline and cigarettesbut they reduced the vacant property tax rate on empty buildings and unimproved land. The vacant, or Class 3, property tax rate was pushed back from 10% to 5% per $100 of assessed value, a move that will prove beneficial to property owners who are unable to begin new construction projects on recently vacated sites in the current recession.
In addition, a proposal granting the DC government the ability to appeal Board of Real Property Assessments and Appeals decisions to the DC Superior Court was dropped. Had it been approved, the proposal would have allowed the DC government to appeal a decision of its own independent agency and increase property owners' appeal costs, resulting in a de facto real property tax rate increase. Read more... | | DOWNTOWN DISH | top |  Extended Fare
Co Co. Sala (929 F Street), the trendy new lounge and restaurant with the chocolate-infused menu, is now open weekday afternoons, adding to its morning and evening indulgences. Among the lunchtime offerings are four types of fresh salads, "lunch savories" that include a mac and cheese tart with salad and proscuitto and grilled melon crostada and, of course, a chocolaty pastry and dessert collection. Lunch is served Monday through Friday from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm. Visit www.cocosala.com/ for more information or call 202.347.4265.
| | AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD | top | Leisurely Pursuits
With growing numbers of families moving to Downtown, a recent Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA) meeting zeroed in on parksin particular, the lack of parks with programming for families and others to enjoy. "We want amenities to keep families here, not just singles and empty nesters," said Miles Groves, a DNA board member. A panel of representatives from the Downtown BID, the DC Office of Planning (OP), the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), DC Parks and Recreation and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) was present to answer residents' inquiries and share information about current and future park projects. Read more...
| | GREEN GAINS | top |  Green Roof Benefits
Thinking of installing a green roof? You're not alone, especially as more government incentives and fees cause property owners to consider forsaking conventional roofing. The District Department of the Environment (DDOE) extended its green roof subsidy program this year, increasing funding from $3 per SF to $5 per SF and hiking the cap from $12,000 to $20,000. In addition, the roofs help to offset the DC Water and Sewer Authority's (WASA) impervious surface area fee, imposed on all DC property owners this year based on the square footage of paved driveways, patios, rooftops and parking lots that water cannot penetrate easily, thus causing stormwater runoff into local waterways, including the Anacostia and Rock Creek. Read more... | | TRANSPORTATION TALK | top |  New Way on K
K Street finally may be redesigned and reconstructed after six years of discussion and debate. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has moved quickly to include a K Street redesign as part of a larger regional application for competitive transportation stimulus funds known as TIGER grants. Faced with a looming September 15 application deadline, the agency took steps to develop design alternatives this summer and now has two from which to choose.
Both plans, which use the traffic analysis from an earlier design, include a center transit way and loading zones. Metered curbside parking for private vehicles are not included. The two most significant differences between the designs are bicycle accommodations and a third passing lane within the transit way on very wide sections of the street. Read more...
| | NEWS YOU CAN USE | top | | Filling a Void
Looking for vacant retail space? What about creative space for an art studio or interior design firm? The Washington, DC Economic Partnership (1495 F Street), is expanding its database of 265 vacant and soon-to-be-available sites in DC and introducing what will be the city's first comprehensive site location survey to help businesses locate available retail space in the city. Using cameras with built-in Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to photograph and record information on occupied and vacant mixed-use, retail and commercial storefronts, the organization has combed commercial corridors such as Minnesota, Georgia and Wisconsin Avenues and South Capitol and Kennedy Streetsareas not currently covered by an existing neighborhood business improvement district (BID) or community improvement district (CID). Look for the additional information to be posted at www.wdcep.com/ by the end of this month. | | MEETINGS AND MORE | top | | Wednesday, September 2, 10:00 am - Noon
District Department of Transportation
Freight Stakeholder Meeting
Reeves Center - 6th Floor
2000 14th Street The District Department of Transportation will host this meeting to discuss the many ongoing initiatives regarding motor carrier operations in the city. The focus will be on delivery issues, parking, enforcement, truck routes and future policy considerations. Input from the business community is welcome and will be instrumental in developing any future policies. To RSVP, e-mail eulois.cleckley@dc.gov, or call 202.671.0682. | | Tuesday, September 8, 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Downtown Neighborhood Association
Monthly Meeting
Calvary Baptist Church
755 8th Street This month's Downtown Neighborhood Association meeting will feature a discussion with Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy L. Lanier. Both residents and workers are invited. To RSVP, contact miles@dcdna.org. For more information, visit www.dcdna.org/. | | Thursday, September 10, 8:00 am - 10:00 am
Greater Washington Board of Trade
Morning Star Speaker Series
Capital Hilton
1001 16th Street Don't miss legendary real estate mogul Sam Zell at this breakfast event sponsored by the Greater Washington Board of Trade. Zell will share his experiences in the real estate market and his role as the co-founder and chairman of Equity Group Investments and owner of the Chicago Tribune, LA Times and Chicago Cubs. Members pay $75; nonmembers pay $100. For more information, visit www.bot.org/. | | Tuesday, September 15, 7:30 am - 5:00 pm
ULI Washington
Urban Marketplace Conference & Expo
Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center
1300 Pennsylvania Avenue Join ULI Washington for the third annual Urban Marketplace, a forum for the private, public and nonprofit sectors to learn about redevelopment opportunities and best practices in the metropolitan Washington region. Keynote speakers include Ronald C. Sims, deputy secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development; Jonathan F.P. Rose, president of Jonathan Rose Companies; and James Chung, president of Reach Advisors. Both members and non-members pay $225 (private sector); $150 (Young Leaders); and $50 (public sector, nonprofits and students). For more information and to register, visit www.washington.uli.org/. | | Wednesday, September 30, 8:30 am - 1:30 pm
Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington
2009 Green Conference: Taking Sustainability to the Next Level
Capital Hilton
1001 16th Street Plan to attend the Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington's (AOBA) annual conference. Hear from expert speakers, attend breakout sessions for commercial and multi-family real estate executives and learn from keynote speaker Marc Gunther, senior writer for Fortune magazine and a columnist for CNNMoney.com, as he talks about "Sustainability: Lessons from America's Leading Companies." Members pay $125; non-members pay $175. For more information and to register, visit www.aoba-metro.org/. | | | 
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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