Sizing Up the Competition
The Downtown BID will release the second in a series of Leadership Papers in January focusing on the importance of continued commercial office market development in the center city. Entitled “DC's Competitive Position in the Regional Marketplace,” this report will take a closer look at the risks facing the city’s job growth and financial health by examining high occupancy rates, property and deed taxes, increased tax revenues and policy alternatives to help thwart declining market cost competitiveness.
The first leadership paper, entitled “Downtown: The Economic and Fiscal Engine of the District of Columbia,” garnered significant media attention on Downtown’s role in the financial success of the city. The report focused on job growth, office development and fiscal impacts, and highlighted Downtown’s value in the marketplace, and consequently, its importance to the city’s fiscal health and economic stability. This report, and the subsequent media coverage, can be viewed at www.downtowndc.org/.
Look for more leadership papers throughout the year examining topics such as infrastructure investment, social services and green building initiatives.
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A View From the Top
The Downtown BID’s 2006 State of Downtown, a publication measuring the growth and current strength of the Downtown DC economy, will be released this month. The report, designed for public and private sector interests, includes information relevant to local officials and planners, investors, potential and existing residents and business owners, as well as those working in the real estate sector. The State of Downtown is intended to provide stakeholders with the information necessary to address challenges and foster continued growth by examining and communicating the status of the industries crucial to Downtown’s success.
The State of Downtown report highlights the progress, recent activity and projections for the following sectors: employment, office and residential, hospitality and tourism, culture and entertainment, restaurant and retail and transportation. In addition, the report summarizes investment in the Downtown BID area. From 1997 through 2006, more than $6 billion has been invested in Downtown BID area development - aiding in the city’s financial health - due in large part to the net taxes generated by Downtown.
Highlights from the report include:
- 12 projects totaling $831 million were completed in the Downtown BID in 2006.
- $2.5 billion in development is currently under construction, including 2.8 million square feet of office space, 550 residential units, the Newseum and Sidney Harman Hall.
- The Downtown BID area is a leader in employment with 177,300 workers.
- Downtown DC’s office market continues to outperform other DC and suburban markets by a wide margin and is the second strongest office market in the country after Midtown Manhattan.
- 450 new residents arrived in the Downtown BID in 2006 for a total of 7,900 residents. In the 10 blocks surrounding the BID, the population increased by 2,700 residents for a total of 35,500 residents.
- Visitor attendance in the Downtown BID hit an all time high of nine million people.
- Museum attendance in the Downtown BID increased 13% to 3.9 million visitors while theater attendance increased 11% to 651,000 visitors.
- The Downtown BID now has more than 500,000 square feet of destination shopping in the Metro Center and Gallery Place neighborhoods.
- The Downtown BID Metrorail ridership rose to 100,000 per weekday, representing approximately 15% of the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority's (WMATA) total riders. Average weekday ridership on the DC Circulator bus was approximately 7,000 in 2006, with the three millionth passenger served in March 2007.
The Downtown BID area continues to serve as a significant contributor to DC’s fiscal resurgence with the net fiscal impact of the Downtown and Golden Triangle BID areas estimated at $624 million for fiscal year 2007, or 58% of DC public schools’ locally funded budget. The Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate (AFIRE) continues to rank DC as one of the strongest investment markets in the world: second nationally behind New York City and ahead of Los Angeles and San Francisco; and fourth internationally behind London, New York City and Paris.
To obtain copies of the 2006 State of Downtown report, please contact Rebecca White, research assistant, at Rebecca@downtowndc.org, or visit www.downtowndc.org/news/reports/state_of_downtown_report
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 Best in Class
Vivian Brooks is the November Safety Hospitality SAM of the Month. Vivian joined the SAM team in February 2005 and it became obvious on her first day that she was a natural. She has received numerous letters, e-mails and pictures from visitors throughout the U.S. and abroad expressing their thanks for the help she provided. Vivian credits her approach to her southern roots and the southern hospitality she learned as a youth. This is the second time this year that Vivian has been chosen as the SAM of the Month. She was also honored for her work in February 2006.
The November Maintenance SAM of the Month is Norma Conales, a five-year veteran of the Maintenance team. Originally from Honduras, Norma has lived in Washington, DC, for 12 years. The proud mother of two is very family oriented and a dedicated worker. She has excelled as a zone cleaner during her tenure and is known for always delivering a friendly smile. Norma finds great joy in her work and in knowing that she is helping create a beautiful and vibrant Downtown.
Vivian and Norma exemplify the BID standard of providing best in class service to the Downtown community. Congratulations to you both.
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 Ringing in the New Downtown
DC will be able to hold its own amongst other great cities with a vibrant retail, office and residential core when the final major development is completed at the old Convention Center site. The city recently announced its deal with Hines/Archstone-Smith for the $850 million retail, residential and office project to be developed on the 10-acre former site of the Washington Convention Center, an area bounded by New York Avenue and 9th Street and H and 11th Streets.
Slated to break ground by January 2009, with initial occupancy in July 2011, the project aims to create a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood in the heart of Downtown with 250,000 square feet of retail; 465,000 square feet of office space; more than 670 housing units (of which 20% will be designated as affordable units); and 1,700 parking spaces. The new development will also create opportunities for local, small and disadvantaged businesses and dedicate at least 30% of the retail space to merchants with six or fewer stores in the U.S., providing a mix of unique retailers offering a broad range of goods and services.
“It’s the missing piece to the puzzle,” said Richard H. Bradley, executive director of the Downtown BID. “The new development will bring the much needed retail mix for Downtown DC to continue to thrive as the city’s urban core.”
Two newly reconstructed streets will run through the site and an additional 1.5 acres of public open space will be created and used for markets, festivals and events. The project is expected to generate more than $32 million a year in annual direct tax revenues and city residents will be given priority for at least 51 percent of all new jobs created in relation to the project, which will total 3,000 development-related jobs and 2,500 direct permanent jobs.
London-based Foster + Partners, the internationally acclaimed architecture studio headed by Lord Norman Foster, has led the design effort, along with DC-based Shalom Baranes Associates and Lee + Papa and Associates and Gustafson Guthrie Nichol of Seattle, Washington. The office buildings will strive for a gold or platinum rating from the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED certification system. The residential buildings are expected to achieve a silver rating. The entire development has been accepted into USGBC’s pilot program for LEED Neighborhood Development certification.
For more information, visit www.oldconventioncenter.com/.
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 Feast on This
The feast continues after the holidays as the city celebrates the 12th annual winter Restaurant Week from Monday, January 14 - Sunday, January 20. Enjoy the best of Downtown dining at magnificent prices when participating restaurants offer three-course, prix fixe lunch menus for $20.08 and three-course, prix fixe dinner menus for $30.08. More than 50 Downtown BID area restaurants will be participating in this annual event sponsored by the Washington, DC Convention and Tourism Corporation (WCTC) and the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW). For more information and to view the complete list of DC restaurants, visit www.restaurantweekdc.com/.
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Nine Times the Fun
Asia Nine Bar and Lounge (915 E Street), a large, modern Asian eatery opens later this month on the ground floor of the new Artisan condominiums with Chef Boonrod Yotmanee in the kitchen. Look for a noodle bar, oyster bar and a range of Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese specials. Live music also will be featured.
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 Rocking the Vote
The Verizon Center (601 F Street) has received a nomination for the 2007 Arena of the Year award from Pollstar, a leading trade publication for the entertainment industry.
An elite group of concert industry professionals chose eight U.S. arenas as nominees and magazine subscribers will select the final winner. “To be celebrating our 10th anniversary as a building and to be nominated for Arena of the Year in the same season is phenomenal,” said Abe Pollin, chairman of Washington Sports and Entertainment.
Other nominees include arenas in California; New York City; Tennessee; Minnesota; and Ontario, Canada. Last year’s winner and a repeat nominee this year was New York City’s Madison Square Garden. The winners will be announced at the 19th Annual Pollstar Concert Industry Awards on Thursday, February 7, 2008, at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. For more information, visit www.verizoncenter.com/.
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Fighting to Stay Alive
A recent report issued jointly by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and Concerns of Police Survivors showed 2007 as a record year for fatal traffic incidents and shooting deaths for law enforcement officers. The spike in fatalities that occurred in 2007 makes it the deadliest in more than a decade.
''Most of us don't realize that an officer is being killed in America on average every other day,'' said Craig W. Floyd, chairman of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, a fund created to support the building of the National Law Enforcement Museum opening in Judiciary Square in 2011. The report shows that as of December 26, 186 federal, state and local officers were killed in the line of duty in 2007, which is 28% higher than the 145 officers killed in 2006. A total of 69 officers have been killed by gunfire, up 33% from 2006, and the 81 officers killed in traffic-related incidents is the highest figure ever recorded for this category in the nation’s history.
Floyd credits technological improvements with helping prevent fatal encounters. Safety vests and non-lethal devices, such as electric stun guns, have been attributed to helping save lives. For more information on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund or Museum, visit www.nleomf.org or www.LawEnforcementMuseum.org. To view the report in its entirety, visit http://www.nleomf.com/TheMemorial/Facts/2007_EndofYear.pdf.
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Parking Smart
The Downtown BID's Transportation Program is producing a series of Transportation Issue Briefs intended to encourage and promote dialogue about existing transportation practices, emerging ideas and new technologies that support a vibrant economy and a healthy, accessible transportation environment in Downtown DC. The first of these, “Smart Parking in Downtown DC," explores the many benefits of creating a comprehensive smart parking system that utilizes real-time technology and information.
Having access to information on where to find available parking will improve workers’, residents’ and visitors’ experience when traveling in Downtown. The goal is to reduce congestion as motorists spend less time cruising for parking. In addition, the information technologies described in the Brief offer benefits to property owners with parking operations. To read a copy of "Smart Parking in Downtown DC," click here.
In conjunction with the Brief’s publication, the Downtown BID will host a forum on Downtown Parking Updates on Thursday, January 17, that will include presentations from a variety of experts on smart payment cards, performance pricing, parking-related updates on the city’s travel website goDCgo.com and a questions and answer period. To RSVP, contact Kelly Peterson at 202.661.7570 or e-mail kelly@downtowndc.org.
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 Partnering for the Future
Improving Downtown parks has been a priority for the Downtown BID and these efforts are done as part of the BID’s partnership with the National Park Service (NPS), which owns and manages the 33 parks and reservations within the BID area. By participating in NPS’s National Mall and Memorial Parks plans as well as the National Capital Planning Commission’s (NCPC) National Capital Framework Plan, the BID is able to effect improvements to maintenance, design/capital improvements and programming to the parks located within the BID area.
“The general partnership agreement serves as a perfect springboard for the sorts of improvement needed to create Downtown parks of which we can all be proud,” said BID Executive Director Richard H. Bradley.
As part of a larger effort to preserve and sustain the National Mall and federal parks, NPS is seeking additional public participation in its National Mall and Memorial Parks planning efforts before preparing the Draft National Mall Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) due for release by Summer 2008. Under the guidelines of the National Historic Preservation Act (Section 106) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), NPS will hold several meetings allowing public review and comment.
An alternatives newsletter containing concepts that can be combined in many different ways, as well as other planning newsletters, can be found at www.nps.gov/nationalmallplan. Planning meetings will be held January 8, 9 and 12 at the Old Post Office Tower (1100 Pennsylvania Avenue). These meetings will have displays of the alternatives illustrated in newsletter#3, and will include a focused discussion on topics of interest to the National Mall plan. Meeting notes will be taken and used in planning. More than 5,000 public comments have already been received.
The meeting on January 9 will focus specifically on historic preservation and Section 106 consultations related to the National Mall plan. Anyone interested in participating as a consulting party should submit interest in writing to: The National Mall Plan, NPS-DSC-P, 12795 W. Alameda Parkway, Denver, Colorado, 80225-0287. Comments can also be submitted on-line at www.nps.gov/ by Tuesday, January 15, 2008.
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Raising Dollars to Feed Young Minds
WVSA ARTs connection (WVSA) and SAIL public charter school have launched a new online fundraising campaign to help continue the arts-infused education they provide to children and young adults with special needs, special skills and special talents.
Supporters can visit www.wvsarts.org/ or www.sailpcs.org/ to submit a tax deductible donation and can also create a home page and send e-mails to friends and families asking for their support to help generate interests in the organization and funding for the campaign.
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 Tuesday, January 8, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Downtown Neighborhood Association
Monthly Meeting
U.S. Navy Memorial and Naval Heritage Center
701 Pennsylvania Avenue
Penn Quarter residents and workers are invited to hear Councilmember Kwame Brown (At-Large) discuss his efforts to provide relief for local businesses, and First District Commander David Kamperin, who will discuss the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) efforts to serve the Downtown area better. To RSVP, e-mail miles@dcdna.org. For more information, visit www.dcdna.org/.
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Wednesday, January 16, 9:30 am - 11:00 am
Washington, DC Economic Partnership
Business Premier Presents: Uncle Sam and Your Bottom Line, Understanding Your Business Finances and Taxes
Washington, DC Economic Partnership
1495 F Street
Join featured speakers The Honorable Jack Evans, Councilmember, Ward 2, chair of the Committee on Finance and Revenue; Peter Justin, president and CEO, Mybizhomepage.com; and Glen Groff, director of Compliance Administration, DC Office of Tax and Revenue for a discussion on business tax requirements and financial reporting tools to help develop successful business strategies. Free admission. Seating is limited. To register, visit www.wdcep.com/ and click on “Economic Partnership Events” or call 202.661.8670 by Friday, January 11, 2008.
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Thursday, January 24, 7:30 am - 10:30 am
DC Building Industry Association
“Where Has All the Capital Gone?”
National Press Club
14th and F Streets
Stephen Collins, managing director Americas International Capital Group (ICG), Jones Lang LaSalle, moderates this capital markets seminar with speakers: J. Daniel Adkinson, managing director head Commercial Real Estate, NewStar Financial; J. Allen Smith, managing director, Prudential Real Estate Investors; and Joseph Kelly, managing director, Commercial Mortgage Group Fitch Ratings. A question and answer session will follow immediately. Continental breakfast provided. Members $70; non-members $85. For more information, call 202.966.8665, e-mail events@dcbia.org or visit www.dcbia.org./
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Thursday, January 31, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Downtown DC Business Improvement District
DC's Transit Future Public Program
Location TBD
The Downtown BID will hold a public program on the city’s transit future with international and national transit and urban design experts as well as local transit officials. To receive more information on this program as it becomes available, e-mail Kelly Peterson at kelly@downtowndc.org.
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