Standard-Bearers

Release Date: Tuesday, January 24th 2012

Here ye, here ye, the DowntownDC BID recognized seven honorees of its 2011 Momentum Awards last night at a ceremony saluting all the amazing people, projects and programs that made Downtown DC shine with ingenuity and vitality in 2011.

The awardees, representing a cross section of individuals and organizations in the public and private sectors, were acknowledged before nearly 150 attendees at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center (801 Mount Vernon Place).

Richard H. Bradley, executive director of the DowntownDC BID, noted that each of the “innovators recognizes the importance of continuing to raise standards in Downtown, and contributed in some way to the remarkable urban experience that people have when they visit Downtown every day.”

DC Council Chairman Kwame Brown was on hand to help pay tribute to this year’s innovative leaders, doers and most talked about projects. The award recipients are as follows:

Downtown Person of the Year – Tommy Wells, DC Council Member, Ward 6
Since joining the DC City Council six years ago, Tommy Wells has spread his net far and wide, advocating for a livable and walkable city, supporting the City Center Action Agenda, and championing the next generation of public transit—streetcars, bike lanes and the DC Circulator expansion, all of which connect the city’s neighborhoods to Downtown and build on alternative transit options. In addition to the Mount Vernon Triangle CID area, Wells represents part of the DowntownDC, Capitol Riverfront and NoMa BID areas, where his support of restaurants, retail and the arts remains palpable.

Downtown Experience – America Eats Tavern
Chef Josè Andrès of ThinkFoodGroup, owner of such Downtown restaurants as Jaleo and Zaytinya, partnered with the Foundation for the National Archives to create a unique, pop-up dining destination, America Eats Tavern. Begun as a six-month benefit dining experience and extension of the National Archives’ What’s Cooking, Uncle Sam? The Government’s Effect on the American Diet exhibit, the restaurant celebrates the nation’s cooking history and features a menu filled with the stories and characters of America’s culinary past, bringing them to life in a contemporary setting. Proceeds help support the National Archives’ educational efforts.

Downtown Detail – Woodward & Lothrop (Woodies) Building
Douglas Development enhanced the elegant façade on part of the Woodies Building with brilliant strokes of color. The G Street, between 10th and 11th Streets, side of the historic building now resembles a chic, dazzling jewel: its decorative cast iron and glass accents, with flower designs and the Woodward & Lothrop monogram, radiate with shades of blue, green, yellow and red. The building, constructed in several phases and occupying almost the entire block surrounded by 10th, 11th, F, and G Streets, is a prominent city landmark. Nationally renowned architect Henry Ives Cobb designed the G Street building, now home to Forever 21.
 

Downtown Partnership/Program – District Department of Transportation,
Arlington County and Alta Bicycle Share
Capital Bikeshare, DC and Arlington County’s regional bike-sharing program, grew by leaps and bounds since forming in September 2010. The popular bike-sharing system, the nation’s largest, hit 1 million rides on its first birthday, doubling initial projections and growing its membership more than twofold. The inexpensive, eco-friendly, and reliable transportation option for residents, visitors and workers now has 116 stations, 1,100 bikes and more than 18,000 members. It will expand to the National Mall and Alexandria this year and add more than 60 new stations by summer to meet growing demand. Alta Bicycle Share operates the rental bike system.

Public Sector – PepsiCo and the District Department of Public Works
PepsiCo and the Department of Public Works partnered with the DowntownDC BID to place 363 PepsiCo recycling bins in Downtown, offering a convenient and rewarding recycling option for people while they are on-the-go and further advancing the BID’s Greening Downtown DC initiative, part of its DowntownDC ecoDistrict framework. The partnership achieves the BID goal of providing citywide approaches to environmental issues while enhancing the quality of the visitor experience Downtown. The recycling program diverts glass and plastic bottles, aluminum cans and clean paper products from collected waste to help conserve natural resources.
 

Private Sector - LivingSocial
The Downtown daily deals company has become the most aggressive private employer in DC, adding 600 jobs in less than two years and contributing to the economic, cultural and social well-being of the area. Founded in 2007, LivingSocial has more than 1,000 employees and leases space at six Downtown locations, primarily near bustling Gallery Place and the Verizon Center. The DC born-and-bred company hails its local roots, and seeks to remain in the District as it continues to expand both operations and staff.  LivingSocial has 40 million subscribers in 25 countries and is valued at $3 billion.

Landmark Development Project - 733 10th Street
This 10-story, glass building was the only Downtown office project to break ground over the two years ending in March 2011. The First Congregational United Church of Christ (UCC) partnered with Skanska USA Commercial Development, the US subsidiary of the Swedish-based Skanska construction firm, which resurrected the stalled, 171,171-square-foot development with fresh capital in 2009, following the financial crisis. The $85 million, mixed-use project is a Class A LEED-certified building that includes a church, office space and ground floor retail space. The building is Skanska’s first investment in the US, helping to diversify DC’s development demand and talent and bringing additional life and vitality to the intersection of 10th and G Streets.

The BID also presented its special DowntownDC BID VISion Award, which recognizes an individual in Downtown who contributes significantly to community building, social interaction and creating a more vibrant Downtown environment for residents, workers and visitors.

This year’s award went  to Jo-Ann Neuhaus, the first and only executive director of the Penn Quarter Neighborhood Association, where she also serves as secretary and treasurer. Jo-Ann has been a tireless advocate for the Penn Quarter community for more than 20 years, working collaboratively with many businesses and organizations, including the DowntownDC BID, to develop a balance between the wishes of Downtown residents, business owners, workers, tourists and cultural and entertainment organizations. Jo-Ann was instrumental in a collaborative effort to create Arts on Foot, which kicks off the fall arts and cultural season in Downtown and attracts thousands of patrons. The outdoor festival, now produced by the DowntownDC BID in conjunction with the Penn Quarter Neighborhood Association, turns 20 this year.

Jo-Ann also conceived of, and obtained funding to do, an economic feasibility study to convert Mather Studios, a former warehouse built in 1917, into market rate housing, artist live-work units, and arts space. The study formed the basis of the city-issued request for proposal that led to the loft condos’ creation. She also got Metro to add the Penn Quarter name to what is now the Archives-Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter metrorail stop.

Get more information about the Momentum Awards.