The paper recognizes a shift from the conventional social service treatment-based model to a “Housing First” model. This approach, adopted in DC and gaining greater acceptance throughout the US, favors moving chronically homeless persons from the streets and shelters into independent housing as a first step to providing comprehensive services to address their needs. The Downtown BID backs the Fenty administration’s efforts to create 2,500 units of permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless persons by 2014 and provide crucial supportive services.

The Homeless Leadership Paper will be the fourth in an occasional series of working papers to foster dialogue about critical issues relating to Downtown’s economic, social and physical environment. Check the Downtown BID website mid-month to read and download the publication.

Gaining Momentum
The Downtown BID needs your help identifying projects and people who deserve a nod for helping to make Downtown vibrant, inviting and smart in 2008. Which organizations, activities or people contributed positively to a program or project Downtown; complemented the work of the Downtown BID or DC government; served as a magnet to attract people to Downtown; or had a major impact on Downtown by improving the environment or enhancing it economically, culturally, socially or physically?

The Downtown BID wants to hear from you. Nominations must be received by September 25, so put on your thinking cap. The honorees will be saluted during the annual Momentum Awards ceremony on November 6 at the JW Marriott Hotel (1331 Pennsylvania Avenue). For more information and to fill out an online nomination form, visit www.downtowndc.org/momentum. Questions? Contact Ebony Walton at 202.661.7593 or momentum@downtowndc.org. 

Physically Attractive
In light of Downtown’s continuing transformation as a cultural and entertainment district, and anticipating the many new retail projects that will create a major regional shopping district within the Downtown BID area, adding more than $300 million a year of annual sales in the next five years, the Downtown BID has begun to refocus attention on the quality of experience in public areas and spaces.

As part of this effort, the Downtown BID invited internationally known placemaking expert
Fred Kent, president of Project for Public Spaces, to facilitate a day-long workshop in July. Project for Public Spaces is world renowned for helping cities create and sustain public places that build strong communities.

The placemaking workshop was the first step in developing a common framework and shared language about designing and managing public spaces. Participants were introduced to a range of topics where placemaking could be applied and got hands-on experience in assessing conditions in Downtown through an on-site street audit. Participants learned that simple elements, such as signage, banners, lighting, traffic flow, street activation and seating options can have an impact on an area’s appeal.

Next steps include building partnerships with the array of agencies and organizations that have a hand in planning and monitoring the public realm. Presentations from the workshop are available at www.downtowndc.org/placemaking. 

Shop ‘Til You Drop
Shopaholics and National Cherry Blossom Festival® fans will be in seventh heaven come September 20, when Macy’s kicks off “Shop for a Cause,” a one-day shopping spree to support local non-profit organizations in communities nationwide. In Downtown, the National Cherry Blossom Festival®, the nation’s best-known annual springtime event, is selling $5 passes to supporters who, in turn, can enjoy a full day of storewide savings of 10% to 20% at Macy’s. All ticket sale proceeds support the Festival and its programs. Contributors also can enter a drawing to win a $500 gift card, which will be awarded to one lucky customer at each Macy’s location. Talk about a great deal! For more information, visit www.nationalcherryblossomfestival.org.

Helpful Guide
Get your copy of the 2008 Downtown BID Visitors Map, a brightly colored guide to all that Downtown has to offer. This year, the map has been redesigned to be more user friendly – it features a larger Metrorail map and a route map for the DC Circulator. You'll never be lost in Downtown again! Businesses interested in obtaining multiple and bulk copies of the maps should contact Ebony Walton at 202.661.7593 or contact@downtowndc.org.

Jumping Right In
Congratulations to our June Employees of the Month: Maintenance SAM Raymond Dantzler and Safety/Hospitality SAM Yllama Davenport.

Raymond Dantzler is the Maintenance SAM of the Month for June. The native Washingtonian has been on the job for less than two years, and during that time, he has received high praise from local residents and visitors for his diligent work ethic and personality. When not helping others, Raymond—an avid football and basketball fan—enjoys playing a good card game every now and then. He also enjoys spending time with his family reading the Bible. Raymond is especially fond of his one-year-old daughter. Just talking about her produces a galactic smile. 
 
The June Safety and Hospitality SAM of the Month is Yllama Davenport, who joined the Downtown BID in February 2007. She’s obviously doing something right because this is the second time Yllama has been selected as SAM of the Month. During this time, she also served as relief dispatcher for her team. Yllama says being a SAM has helped her build confidence and overcome shyness. She's recently announced her plans to move to Los Angeles where she'll work as a dental assistant. Oh well...we wish her all the best!

Humbly Grateful
The Downtown SAMs often receive expressions of gratitude for their help, and we receive many emails and letters about SAMs who have gone the extra mile assisting visitors and workers. Now the SAMs would like to acknowledge the many Downtown businesses that enthusiastically have embraced the Sam of the Month program.

The Downtown BID hosts monthly ceremonies, held at different venues around the Downtown BID area, to recognize outstanding SAMs. Several businesses have become involved in this ritual by participating in certificate presentations, offering tours of their facilities and/or hosting the ceremonies at their sites. These site visits give more than 100 SAMs the opportunity to see firsthand what different venues have to offer, thereby building the SAMs’ knowledge of Downtown attractions and services and allowing them to share this information with the public. The SAMs have been so impressed by these experiences that they frequently bring their family and friends back for visits.

The following Downtown businesses and cultural and entertainment attractions are being recognized for their generosity over the years: Carnegie Library (801 K Street), Chinatown Community Cultural Center (616 H Street), Courtyard Marriott (900 F Street), Lucky Strike Lanes (701 7th Street), Madame Tussauds (1025 F Street), Martin Luther King Jr. Library (901 G Street), McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood (901 F Street), National Music Center (801 K Street), National Theatre (1321 Pennsylvania Avenue), United States Navy Memorial (701 Pennsylvania Avenue), Old Post Office Pavilion (1100 Pennsylvania Avenue), Shakespeare Theatre Company (450 7th Street), International Spy Museum (800 F Street), Warner Theatre (513 13 Street), Woolly Mammoth Theater (641 D Street) and E Street Cinema (555 11th Street).

The Beat Goes On
The Downtown BID’s 2008 1st Quarter (1Q) Development Activity Report is out, and the numbers show steady growth, overall, in the number of projects completed, under construction or being planned since 1997 through the first quarter and versus the same period a year ago in the Downtown BID area and in Greater Downtown. The report includes maps showing each project's location and information on square footage, total dollar amount invested and property use. The 2008 1Q Development Report is the first to include projects completed from January 1, 1997 to December 31,1999 in the summary of completed development. Previous reports began tracking and summarizing development as of January 1, 2000.

The Herbert Hoover Building (1401 Constitution Avenue), better known as the US Department of Commerce building, graces the cover of this report. Currently undergoing a $652 million, 13-year renovation project that began in February, the Hoover Building is home to the National Aquarium, which recently completed its own $2 million renovation. For a copy of the report, visit www.downtowndc.org.

On the Fast Track
The number of Energy Star labeled buildings in the Downtown BID area keeps climbing. There were a total of 12 in 2006, 16 in 2007 and 17 in the 1st quarter of 2008. Drum roll, please. The number shot up to 21 in the 2nd Quarter and five more buildings were added to the roster in July and August! Together, the nine properties in 2008 represent a total of more than 2.2 million SF of floor space. This is good news. Energy Star labeled buildings are the most energy efficient properties around. They also command higher rents. The nine properties labeled since March have an increased value of $5.5 million, based on a CoStar Group valuation of $2.40 per SF premium for such buildings.

Kudos to the following buildings that have received the Energy Star Label since April: American Society of Landscape Architects (636 I Street); Hostelling International Washington, DC (1009 11th Street); International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (900 7th Street); Society for Neuroscience (1121 14th Street); 616 H Street; American Chemical Society (1550 M Street); City Center Building (1401 H Street); and the National Press Building (529 14th Street). For more information, visit www.energystar.gov and click on “Green Buildings.”

Classy Alleyway
OTJ Architects has moved into its new, Class A headquarters at 1412 Eye Street. Named the Architecture Firm of the Year by the Greater Washington Commercial Association of Realtors (GWCAR), the firm moved from 1232 31st Street. Its new home was once the old Zei nightclub, which closed in 1999. Welcome to the Downtown BID!

One of a Kind
Another recent addition to the Downtown, 1099 New York Avenue, has secured Jenner & Block, LLP as an anchor tenant. The law firm, formerly at 601 13th Street, is in Tishman Speyer’s new, $100 million project. The company is best known for developing Manhattan’s Rockefeller Center. The 173,000 SF building is the first in DC to showcase shingled glass and features a rooftop terrace, state-of-the-art fitness center and four level below-grade parking garage. This is famed New York architect Tom Phifer’s first project in DC. 

Welcome Back
The Mortgage Bankers Association of America (MBAA) recently moved back into the Downtown BID area. The organization had moved to 1919 Pennsylvania Avenue in 2000 after more than 30 years at 1125 15th Street. But it has moved back in style, completing a new, glass façade headquarters building at 1331 L Street. Designed for silver LEED certification, the building features more than 170,000 SF (MBAA occupies 65,000 SF), 10 above-grade levels, retail on the first floor and a lobby with Italian marble floors and a combination of curly maple wood panels and marble walls with stainless steel accents.

From Wall Street to Main Street
The Woodward Building, which opened as a 189-unit apartment building on the southeast corner of 15th and H in January, is now offering luxury apartments for short- and long-term lease, as well as both unfurnished and furnished apartments. Apartments range in size from studios to three bedrooms. The former office building known as “little Wall Street” because of the law, insurance and accounting firms that once dominated its space, is now about 40% occupied and more than 50% leased. The building features valet garage parking, a 24-hour concierge, a fitness center and a rooftop deck with a panoramic view of the Washington Monument. Coming soon: a wine and cheese store, Italian restaurant and a street-level bakery. The Woodward Building is currently offering a range of incentives as part of its move-in specials. For more information, visit www.sjgproperties.com.

A Touch of Spice
The owners of Kanlaya Thai Cuisine (740 6th Street) will have a grand opening this month for their new restaurant, Asian Spice Restaurant & Bar, at 8th and H Streets. The restaurant opened last month and features Malaysian, Chinese, Thai, Indonesian, Japanese and Korean fare. Equipped with seating for 180, including two private rooms—one reserved for karaoke—and an outdoor patio that seats 70, the restaurant also has a full bar and a sushi bar and offers takeout. If you recognize the sushi chef, that’s because he was at Oya Restaurant & Lounge (799 9th Street). For more information, call 202.589.0900.

Tossed Salad
Chop’t Creative Salad, which has elevated salad making to an art form, has opened a second location in the Downtown BID area. The New York-based salad and sandwich chain already has a location at 730 7th Street, and it now has a new spot at 1200 G Street, the former site of Café 1200. Diners at Chop’t can decide the degree to which they want their salad chopped by servers—who are said to put on a better show than the knife throwers at Benihana. The servers use mezzaluna knifes. Why chopped salad? One reason, offered on the company’s website, is “you can talk to your boss, boyfriend or girlfriend without a big leaf in your mouth.” Good point. For more information, visit www.choptsalad.com.

Certifiably Good
Organic To Go has opened two restaurants in the Downtown BID area: 1311 F Street and 927 15th Street. It’s DC’s first USDA certified organic fast-casual café and catering service. The café’s menu ranges from sandwich, wrap and salad lunch bags—which include bottled water, natural chips, croutons or crackers, cookies and apple slices—to fire-kissed stone hearth pizza and breakfast burritos. To quench your thirst, organic arabica bean coffee, natural and organic juices and sodas and iced teas also are available. For more information, visit www.organictogo.com.

Presidential Offerings
West Wing Café has replaced Café Bravo at 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue. The gourmet deli opened a while ago next door to Ollie’s Trolley (425 12th Street) and is already packing them in at lunchtime, offering sandwiches, smoothies, espressos and snacks. Many of the food items carry the American Heart Association symbol, indicating that they’re low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Limited seating is available both indoors and outdoors. Owner Kee Hewang also operates Capitol Ground Coffee near Farragut Square. For more information, call 202.628.2233.

To Be or Not To Be?
Douglas Development (702 H Street) and city officials are aggressively courting Balducci’s, again. And the community is getting involved by initiating an email campaign. The Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA) is asking residents to demonstrate support for the gourmet grocer, which is reportedly close to signing a lease in the Jefferson at Penn Quarter on 7th between D and E Streets. The City Council passed emergency legislation recently to re-approve the Tax Increment Financing (TIF), a popular financing tool, for Balducci’s. For more information on neighborhood efforts to lure the grocer to Downtown, visit www.dcdna.org. 

City Banking
Citibank plans to open a branch at 750 9th Street on October 27 in the Victor Building. The location is adjacent to CityCenter DC, the new name for the retail development project planned at the Old Convention Center site along H Street from 7th to 11th Street. The new Citibank location will be a full-service operation. The bank already has 14 branches in DC, including three in the Downtown BID area. More information about Citibank is available by visiting www.citibank.com.

Short Films Blitz
New to the DC Shorts Film Festival this year are several opportunities for film lovers to vote for their favorite films using their cell phones. The Film Festival, which runs Thursday, September 11 through Thursday, September 18, is the first in the country to offer a phone-based ballot system. All you have to do is call the phone number that appears on the screen after each film ends and punch in your film’s code. Can’t afford the movies? Free lunch shows are available September 15 through September 17. Each day, film aficionados can select from several films within a specific genre that include Arab/Israeli films, Latin films and animation. For more information, visit www.dcshorts.com.

Artist Recall
Now that F Street is getting its groove back, artists displaced by Downtown development will celebrate their return officially on September 5. Many artists who once occupied space in the 900 block of F Street have now settled into studios on the second and third floors of the rehabbed historic townhouses incorporated into Carroll Square, the 10-story, 170,000 square-foot development that includes office and retail space and a public art gallery. The Downtown Artist Coalition (DAC), which leases 7,000 square feet of subsidized art studios from Akridge, has dubbed the new studio space for the returning artists F St Arts (923 F Street). Art lovers are invited to an open house at F St Arts on September 5 at 6:30 pm.

Aging Gracefully
AARP (601 E Street), the nonprofit membership organization for people age 50 and over, is celebrating its golden anniversary September 4 through September 6 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center (801 Mt. Vernon Place). To better reflect the growth in the number of members who work part-time or full-time, the organization officially changed its name from the American Association of Retired Persons to AARP in 1999. Happy 50th anniversary, AARP! For more information, visit www.aarp.org.

Sober News
This summer, the City Council approved a ban on selling single containers of beer, malt liquor and ale, as well as single containers of liquor or spirits that are a half-pint or smaller, for Ward 6 liquor stores. A second and final vote is expected on September 16 and, if approved, will take effect later this fall, if Mayor Fenty signs it into law. Selling single serve containers often produces unwanted results such as increased trash, public drunkenness, public urination and loitering, all of which contribute to neighborhoods deteriorating. Councilman Tommy Wells introduced the legislation in early June.

Willard Wows the World
Okay, we already know that the Willard InterContinental Hotel (1401 Pennsylvania Avenue) is a major steward of the environment. It has the awards and eco-friendly amenities, programs and activities to prove it. Now add another: the historic landmark is a finalist in Conde Nast Traveler’s 2008 World Savers Awards. It’s one of 38 companies chosen worldwide as a leader in social responsibility in the magazine’s September issue, now on newsstands. One hundred and forty-two applicants were judged in one of five key areas: poverty alleviation, cultural and/or environmental preservation, education, wildlife conservation and health. For more information, visit www.concierge.com.

In other news, the Willard has released its 2007 Sustainability Report, the first annual report on its commitment to sustainable development. The hotel, which began its sustainability journey in May 2005, has a holistic interpretation and strategy for sustainability. The report is an assessment of the hotel’s improvements and shortcomings in environmental performance. For a copy of the report, visit www.willarddc.com.

College Bounce
Interested in mentoring a public high school student? The Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund (800 K Street) wants you. This nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding DC public school students’ academic and career horizons is recruiting adult volunteers to serve as year-long mentors to high school seniors.  Individual students are paired with working professionals who devote a few hours each month, from October through May, toward helping students navigate the daunting college application and financial aid process. The program has sent more than 920 DC students to college and has had previous mentors such as Mayor Adrian Fenty and several DC City Council members. For more information, visit www.hoopdreams.org or email Theodore Brannum at tbrannum@hoopdreams.org.

Room with a View
Come Inauguration Day, Pennsylvania Avenue will be littered with revelers, well-wishers and curiosity seekers. Just the sort of crowd The National Theatre (1321 Pennsylvania Avenue) hopes to nab as it seeks bids from organizations interested in renting space during the presidential inauguration scheduled for January 2009. After all, the historic playhouse overlooks the ceremonial parade route that passes along Pennsylvania Avenue from the US Capitol to the White House. Those eager to sway and entertain friends and clients must first submit a minimum bid of $25,000 by September 19. For more information, visit www.nationaltheatre.org or send an email to bdm@nationaltheatre.org.

On a Roll
Need to take a short trip? Run an errand? Well, SmartBike DC is finally up and running. Since launching in mid-August, 450 users have signed up to participate in the program, which has a $40 annual membership fee. The bike-sharing program, the nation’s first high-tech venture of this sort, offers members the chance to use 120 red and white bikes located at 10 kiosks throughout the city, including in the Downtown near the Gallery Place, Judiciary Square, Metro Center and McPherson Square Metrorail stations. Bicyclists who participate in SmartBike DC, a partnership between the DDOT (District Department of Transportation) and Clear Channel also receive a safe-cycling guide and a city map. For more details or to become a member, visit www.smartbikedc.com. 
 
Two Wheel Lanes
With bicycle ridership on the rise and the SmartBike DC program now in place, creating more bicycle-friendly streets is an ongoing priority. In fact, the Downtown BID has worked with DDOT on plans for new bike lanes and to improve curbside management by evaluating parking, loading and signage needs on several Downtown streets. Everything’s falling into place. G Street NW, from 3rd to 15th Streets, will be striped for bike lanes this fall, complementing a SmartBike location already at 12th and G Streets. The new curbside regulations will go a long way toward promoting both a shared and well-managed corridor. For more information, contact Kelly Peterson at bicycles@downtowndc.org.

Walk on By
What would happen if people stayed out of cars for a day? DC residents will find out during a worldwide celebration to reduce their carbon footprint on International Car Free Day, September 22. Many people in the metropolitan Washington area will observe Car Free Day to help promote alternatives to car dependence and reduce environmental impacts. You can take the Car Free Challenge by pledging to take public transit, ride a bike, go “car lite”—by carpooling or vanpooling—or simply walk. To make your pledge for Car Free Day 2008, visit www.carfreemetrodc.com.

Green is Not Free
Get ready to loosen your purse strings. Come April 2009, the DC Water and Sewer Authority (WASA) is expected to impose an impervious surface area charge on all DC property owners. The new charge will be separate from the reduced sewer rate and will be reallocated to help pay for the $2.2 billion cost of building tunnels required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reduce sewer overflows into local waterways, including the Anacostia.

The charge will be based on the square footage of a property’s impervious surface coverage—man-made surfaces that cannot be easily penetrated by water, such as rooftops, paved driveways, patios and parking lots—and not on water usage. WASA has proposed a monthly charge of $1.24 per 1,000 square feet. However, single-family residential customers will only be charged $1.24 a month in the first year, despite the total amount of impervious area, although residential unit assessments may be based on size in the future. All non-single family residential customers will be charged based on the total amount of impervious area; the charge will vary from year to year through 2025. For more information, call 202.354.3600, or email info@dcwasa.com.

Safety First
The DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department (DC Fire & EMS) wants to keep the city safe, help commercial property owners save money on insurance costs, stimulate the economy and build a world class public safety agency. So it’s doing something it hasn’t done in more than 20 years: get the city rated to determine fire risks.  DC Fire & EMS has joined with the Insurance Services Office (ISO), which provides risk management, underwriting and other services to property-casualty insurers and other clients, to evaluate and improve the city’s rating and accurately record the latest information about properties within DC.

An important part of the evaluation is determining how much water will be needed to fight structure fires at DC commercial properties. Thus, DC Fire & EMS asks that commercial property owners cooperate when ISO representatives begin making unannounced visits this year to update information about construction features, square footage, occupancy type and other related information and review fire sprinkler system components and maintenance records.

ISO will also examine the city’s hydrants and eventually look at every aspect of the Fire Department‘s fire fighting capacity—from its trucks and engines and staffing levels to its response times and maintenance records and pump sizes. For more information, all commercial and residential property owners and tenants can call 202.673.3331.

Please Water Me
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT)’s Urban Forestry Administration and Casey Trees are recruiting residents to participate in a new pilot program to water newly planted, young trees using a free “Ooze Tube.” These watering bags are designed to help young trees thrive in under-irrigated environments; water gradually drains from them over the course of a week. If you’re interested in nurturing a tree and want more information, visit www.caseytrees.org, or call 202.671.5133.

Pack Your Bags 
Washington, DC, ranked No. 1 on Outside magazine’s list of The 20 Best Towns in America to live in now. A cover story in the August issue encourages readers to “make the move, live the dream” to the “20 stars of America’s 21st century renaissance.” Although some will debate whether DC qualifies as a town—they say it’s a city—the favorable nod is flattering. The magazine notes that DC and the other cities are “riding a wave of civic reinvention and fresh ideas.” Locally, neighborhoods such as Chinatown are recognized for a turnaround in the last decade. Other cities in the Top 5: Chattanooga, TN; Ogden, UT; Portsmouth, NH; and Tacoma, WA. For more information, visit http://outside.away.com.

Down But Not Out
The global economic market is fierce, which helps to explain why DC dropped from 23rd place to 36th in the 2008 MasterCard Worldwide Centers of Commerce Index, which annually compares the world’s leading 75 cities against seven dimensions, including livability, economic stability and ease of doing business. Compared to other American cities, DC ranks 11th overall, behind leaders such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Boston.

In terms of livability, the city scored the fourth-highest rating in the US and 21st overall, thanks to its diverse and plentiful restaurants, theatrical and musical performances, cinemas, sport and leisure activities and climate. DC also performed well in the knowledge creation and information flow categories, which evaluate the number of higher education centers and programs, patent applications and media concentration. It ranked seventh behind San Francisco, Houston, Dallas and Miami. For more information, visit www.mastercard.com.

Tuesday, September 9, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Sustainable Business Network of Washington
Green Roof Gifford’s Ice Cream and Sorbet Social
Blake Real Estate Building, Green Roof Top
1425 K Street

The Sustainable Business Network of Washington (SBNOW), DC Greenworks and the Downtown BID present this opportunity to enjoy the last days of summer and the beauty of one of Washington’s first green rooftops at this ice cream and sorbet social. Also, learn about the many advantages of installing green roofs, including operational cost-savings and environmental benefits. All attendees must pre-register by visiting www.SBNOW.org.

Thursday, September 11, 7:30 am – 10:30am
Urban Land Institute Washington
The Changing Suburban Lifestyle
Grand Hyatt Washington
1000 H Street

This first of three sessions of the ULI Washington Breakfast Series, “Staying Alive on the Edge: Exploring the Future of Suburbia,” will feature an expert panel examining how governments and private sector developers will respond to changing demands and create more compact developments with supporting transportation systems and also exploring whether existing communities will accept increased densities. The cost to members ranges from $50 to $85; nonmembers pay $65 to $110. Registration fees increase by $15 after the September 5 pre-registration deadline. For more information or to register, visit www.uli.org or call 800.321.5011.

Sunday, September 14 – Thursday, September 18
Capitals Alliance
Capitals Alliance 2008: Greening the World’s Capital Cities
Sessions held at various locations

Delegates from more than 50 capital cities are invited to this five-day conference sponsored by the Capitals Alliance, an international organization for capital city planners. The conference, hosted by the National Capital Planning Commission in partnership with the US Commission of Fine Arts and the National Building Museum, will focus on the challenges of creating sustainable cities. Speakers will include some of the world’s most respected leaders in the field, who will share their knowledge and discuss strategies behind successful green practices. For more information, visit www.capitalsalliance.org. To RSVP, email CapitalsAlliance@ncpc.gov.

Tuesday, September 16, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Downtown Neighborhood Association
Monthly Meeting
Calvary Baptist Church
755 8th Street

Residents and workers are invited to this Downtown Neighborhood Association meeting. To RSVP, email miles@dcdna.org. For more information, visit www.dcdna.org.

Thursday, September 18, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
The District of Columbia Building Industry Association
“Getting Back to Business” Event
DLA Piper
500 8th Street, Rooftop Terrace

District of Columbia Building Industry Association’s (DCBIA) annual event gets everyone in the “work” frame of mind following the summer hiatus. The event—with music, an open bar, tasty fare and great people—costs $70 for members; nonmembers pay $85. To register, visit www.DCBIA.org. For more information, email events@dcbia.org or call 202.966.8665.

Thursday, September 25, 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Apartment and Office Building Association
Greening Existing Buildings Conference and Resource Center
Capital Hilton Hotel
1001 16th Street

The Apartment and Office Building Association (AOBA) will host this conference and exhibit center, which offers participants the opportunity to learn from national and local experts about the latest trends, techniques and best practices for greening existing buildings and to meet with selected green vendors. The cost is $125 for members and $175 for nonmembers and includes a continental breakfast, buffet lunch and all sessions. For more information, and to register, visit www.aoba-metro.org.

Thursday, September 25, 5:00 pm
National Capital Planning Commission
Second Public Comment Meeting
401 9th Street

The National Capital Planning Commission will host an open house at 5:00 pm to take comments on the National Capital Framework Plan, a joint initiative of the National Capital Planning Commission and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. A presentation and discussion follows at 6:00 pm. The plan, released July 10 for a 90-day public review and comment period, identifies opportunities to create new and exciting cultural destinations beyond the National Mall for memorials, museums and public gatherings. For more information, visit www.ncpc.gov.

Thursday, September 25, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
DC Chamber of Commerce
September Business Networking Reception
Top of the Hill
One Constitution Avenue, NE

Bring your business cards and prepare to connect to new business relationships at the DC Chamber of Commerce’s networking reception. The cost to members is $40; nonmembers pay $65. To RSVP, call Candice Hicks at 202.638.6736 or email chicks@dcchamber.org.