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Tuesday, October 9, 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Washington, DC Convention and Tourism Corporation
Fall Business Exchange
Madame Tussauds Washington DC
1025 F Street
Members and customers are invited to be among the first visitors to view Madame Tussauds, the premier wax attraction that gives visitors a fully interactive, sensory experience unlike any other DC attraction. Members $25, non-members $45. Space is limited. RSVP by Wednesday, October 3. For more information, contact Ashley Richards at Ashley.Richards@washington.org or 202.789.7009.
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Tuesday, October 9, 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 key discussion leaders Dan Tangherlini, City Administrator and Deputy Mayor and Chapman Todd, director of Housing and Development for Catholic Charities. To RSVP, e-mail miles@dcdna.org. For more information, visit http://www.dcdna.org/.
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Wednesday, October 10, 9:30 am – 11:00 am
Washington, DC Economic Partnership
2007 Spanish Edition of Doing Business in Washington, DC Guide Release Event
Washington, DC Economic Partnership
1495 F Street
Join Kwame R. Brown, councilmember at-large and chairman of the Committee on Economic Development; Mercedes Lemp, director of Latino Affairs, District of Columbia Government; and others for the book release event for the Spanish Edition of the “2007 Doing Business in DC Guide Book,” a free and comprehensive resource guide designed to help inform and advise local businesses. Free admission. Register online at https://ww2.eventrebels.com/er/Registration/RegistrationForm.jsp?ActivityID=2108&ItemID=7630 or call 202.661.8670 by Monday, October 8.
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Thursday, October 11, 7:30 am – 10:30 am
DC Building Industry Association
State of the Leasing Market and State of the Sales Market: A Two-Part Series
National Press Club
14th and F Streets
Geoffrey M. Kieffer, president of Woodmark Commercial Services, moderates the “State of the Leasing Market” session with panelists Helen S. Haerle, corporate vice president, Quadrangle Development Corporation; Richard Gersten, deputy director, Portfolio Management Office of Property Management, District of Columbia Government; Eric H. West, principal, West, Lane & Schlager/ONCOR International; and Bart Bush, assistant regional administrator, Public Buildings Service, General Services Administration. A question and answer session will follow immediately. Continental breakfast provided. Members $70 for one seminar and $130 for both seminars; non-members $85 for one seminar and $160 for both seminars. For more information, call 202.966.8665, e-mail events@dcbia.org or visit http://www.dcbia.org/.
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Thursday, October 18, 7:30 am – 10:30 am
DC Building Industry Association
State of the Leasing Market and State of the Sales Market: A Two-Part Series
National Press Club
14th and F Streets
Jayne Shister, senior vice president, Cassidy & Pinkard Colliers, moderates the “State of the Sales Market” session with panelists Michael Balaban, president, Lowe Enterprises Real Estate Group; Brian D. Berry, managing director, Tishman Speyer Properties; Robert J. Murphy, principal, MRP Realty; John O. Lamb, director, BlackRock Realty; Mark T. Remington, managing director, Holiday Fenoglio Fowler, LP; and Thomas J. O’Connor, vice president, Acquisitions, Boston Properties. A question and answer session will follow immediately. Continental breakfast provided. Members $70 for one seminar and $130 for both seminars; non-members $85 for one seminar and $160 for both seminars. For more information, call 202.966.8665, e-mail events@dcbia.org or visit http://www.dcbia.org/.
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Monday, October 22, 11:00 am
Council of the District of Columbia Committee on Economic Development
Green Economic Development and its Benefit to Small Business in the District of Columbia
John A. Wilson Building
Council Chamber, Room 500
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue
Join councilmember Kwame R. Brown, chair of the Committee on Economic Development, and experts from across the country, at a public oversight hearing on how environmentally-friendly green building technology can benefit economic development and how small and local businesses can use this to their advantage to grow their businesses. Representatives from the Center for American Progress, Enterprise Community Partners and GreenHOME will be on hand to testify. Other parties interested in testifying should contact John Adams at Jadams@DCCouncil.us or call 202.727.6683 by 5:00 pm on Friday, October 19.
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Thursday, October 25, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
DC Building Industry Association
River Retail
National Press Club
14th and F Streets
Join speakers Harriet Tregoning, director, DC Office of Planning; Thomas Henneberry,
chief operating officer, Forest City Washington; William Struever, CEO and president, Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse; and moderator Steve Moore, president and CEO, Washington, DC Economic Partnership for a discussion on the changing landscape of DC’s waterfront. Members $60; non-members $75. For more information, call 202.966.8665, e-mail events@dcbia.org or visit http://www.dcbia.org/.
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 Vis10n for the Future
Celebrate a decade of change and transformation with Downtown champions and city leaders instrumental in creating the Downtown Business Improvement District (BID) at our 10th anniversary celebration on Tuesday, November 13, 8:30 am, in the new Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street). Hear key speakers, enjoy live entertainment and learn what’s in Downtown’s future. Invitations will follow. To RSVP, call 202.661.7593 or e-mail rsvp@downtowndc.org.
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Leading by Example
 The August Maintenance SAM of the Month is Ethel Frye. The three-year employee of the BID is a native Washingtonian and former stay-at-home mother of two, until she discovered the SAM Program. Ethel continues to excel and her enthusiasm about the job is infectious, which is evident in her added  responsibility training new SAM recruits.
Linda Jeter, who joined the BID in February 2006, is the August Safety Hospitality SAM of the Month. Linda enjoys fishing and bowling during her free time and considers it a privilege to have the opportunity to help the homeless, provide information and directions and watch patrons leave her post with a smile on their faces.
Congratulations Ethel and Linda. Keep up the good work.
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T.G.I. Bike Day
Downtown retail locations, restaurants and attractions are asked to become a “Bicycle Friendly Business” and offer special considerations, such as beverage discounts, shopping coupons, designated parking areas and free DC bicycle maps to customers arriving by bicycle. This is part of a collaborative effort by the Washington Area Bicyclists Association (WABA), Commuter Connections and the Downtown BID, which will kick off this month to help ease growing traffic congestion in the city. Bike-Friendly Fridays will provide commuters with an opportunity to enjoy the city without the added stress of driving.
WABA will provide information online to help bicyclists find bike routes, parking, showers and other amenities. Bike-Friendly Fridays will run October 5 through November 15. To view bike routes, group departure times and a list of participating businesses providing discounts, visit http://www.waba.org/. For more information, contact Kelly Peterson, transportation program associate, Downtown DC BID, at 202.661.7570 or e-mail kelly@downtowndc.org .
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St. Regis Sale Sets New Sales Price Record by 25%
 Claret Capital Ltd., an Irish private equity firm, has acquired the St. Regis Hotel from Brickman Associates and New Valley LLC for $170 million. At nearly $1 million per room/key, the sale represents what is believed to be the highest price paid per room in Washington, DC, history, topping the previous high of $800,000 per key for The Four Seasons Hotel sale in March 2006. According to hospitality research firm HVS International, the average national hotel sales price from January to June of 2007 was $215,000 per key.
By any measure, the St. Regis purchase represents confidence in the Washington, DC, hospitality market. Downtown DC has demonstrated an especially healthy hotel market, with very strong absolute and relative performance for the six months ending June 30, 2007: 79.4% occupancy rate, an average daily room rate of $219.39 and revenue per available room of $174.27.
The hotel’s unique location, history and the multi-million dollar investment by the sellers all contributed to the impressive sale price. The Italian Renaissance-style hotel is located at 923 16th Street, just two blocks from the White House, and has been visited by every president since Calvin Coolidge cut the ribbon in 1926. Closed since 2006 for extensive renovations, the St. Regis Hotel will re-open in December with 178 refurbished rooms, an increased number of luxury suites, approximately 10,000 square feet of meeting space and a high-end restaurant and spa.
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 Puck Goes Upscale Downtown
Celebrity Chef Wolfgang Puck makes his way Downtown to open his first fine dining restaurant in Washington, The Source (Pennsylvania Avenue and 6th Street), in the new Newseum Freedom Forum complex this month. The restaurant will feature Puck’s signature small plates and pizzas on the ground floor and modern American cuisine with Asian influences upstairs.
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Rockin’ and Rollin’
Sushi lovers can add the trendy new sushi restaurant and lounge, Geisha (727 15th Street), to their lists of hot spots. An additional treat is the karaoke stage and live music featured on selected evenings. For more information, call 202.347.3877.
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Old Meets New at Same Address
Gerard’s Place (915 15th Street) is reopening this month with a new look and feel. The elegant French décor has been replaced with a modern, contemporary bistro setting and the new name, Gerard Pangaud Bistro. For more information, call 202.737.4445.
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Just Around the Corner
Downtown patrons now can add another Au Bon Pain to the lunch menu when the newest location opens this month on the corner of Franklin Square at 13th and L Streets.
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New Celebrity Hangout
Madame Tussauds, the premier wax museum will add Downtown DC to its list of great cities – including London, Las Vegas, New York and Hong Kong – to feature life-size wax replicas of celebrities, politicians, athletes and more when it opens in the historic Woodies building at 1025 F Street.
Six new figures have been created especially for the $16 million museum, including one of former Mayor Marion Barry, who was elected in a landslide man-on-the-street vote to join George Washington and others in the “Spirit of Washington, DC” exhibit room. Admission into the 27,499 square foot Museum is $25. For more information, call 888.246.8872 or visit http://www.madametussaudsdc.com/.
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Green With Envy
 As part of the Willard InterContinental Hotel’s (1401 Pennsylvania Avenue) ongoing sustainability efforts, the Downtown hotel recently began offering a 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid sedan as an alternative mode of transportation. The program, which is the first of its kind to be offered in the DC hotel market, is an eco-friendly substitute for the standard town car or taxi service.
The hybrid vehicle program is just one of the many environmentally-conscious choices the hotel has made since embarking on a sustainability agenda entitled, “Willard InterContinental – The Next 100 Years.” “We envision our invaluable American landmark hotel to be a standard bearer in the industry for its commitment to local, national and international communities,” said Hervé Houdré, the hotel’s general manager. For more information, visit http://www.washington.interconti.com/.
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Art For a Good Cause
WVSA ARTiculate Gallery (1100 16th Street) artist apprentices are now seeking commissions for the Gallery opening next month. Through the ARTiculate Employment Training Program, artist apprentices perfect their creative talents and learn vital career and life skills. Students receive commissions on the work they sell, and the remaining revenue supports the program, which helps youth with special needs. This year’s theme is travel. Candidates were asked to submit one-of-a-kind artwork using unique images of places around the world. For more information, contact Samar Modonpour, Gallery director, at 202.261.0233 or e-mail gallery@wvsarts.org. For more information, visit http://www.wvsarts.org/.
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10 Years Younger
The Verizon Center (601 F Street) is kicking off its yearlong 10th anniversary celebration with the new campaign, “At the center of all the action.” Look for ads in city newspapers featuring community leaders describing their favorite arena memories, in addition to street decals and banners placed throughout the city. The organization will also roll out a new website, complete renovations throughout the arena and host an official celebration on Saturday, December 1, during the Washington Wizards game against the Toronto Raptors. Look for additional events to take place throughout the coming year. For more information, visit http://www.verizoncenter.com/.
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 The Story Ends For Chapters
Chapters Literary Bookstore (445 11th Street), a 22 year-old institution, closed its doors in September after losing its lease. The bookstore is currently in negotiation for a new Downtown space with hopes of relocating within walking distance of its former location. The new nonprofit center, The Chapters Literary Arts Center, which will house the bookstore and also provide a literary reader and writer’s reference library, a letterpress and tearoom, is soliciting donations. For more information, visit http://www.chaptersliterary.com/ or call 202.737.5553.
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Getting Around is Easy
Beginning Sunday, November 4, 2007, DC Circulator riders will have two routes to Georgetown: Georgetown: M Street/Wisconsin Avenue and Georgetown: Washington Harbor. The routes will share the same stops from Union Station to 20th and K Streets, NW, where they will diverge.
At 20th and K Streets, NW, the Georgetown: M Street/Wisconsin Avenue Circulator will continue west along Pennsylvania Avenue to M Street and turn north on Wisconsin Avenue to Whitehaven Street. On the return, the Circulator will retrace this route eastward to Union Station. Please note that the Wisconsin Avenue and R Street and the Wisconsin Avenue and P Street Circulator stops have been removed to provide more efficient service.
Also at 20th and K Streets, NW, the Georgetown: Washington Harbor Circulator will continue west on K Street under Washington Circle to four stops in the vicinity of Washington Harbour: Thomas Jefferson Street, Wisconsin Avenue, 34th Street and Potomac Street. The Circulator will then return to Union Station, retracing this route.
Catching the right bus is easy. Be sure to check the destination sign before boarding the bus. Both routes will operate between 7:00 am and 9:00 pm daily. Sunday through Thursday nights, the Georgetown: M Street/Wisconsin Avenue Circulator will operate between Wisconsin Avenue and Whitehaven Street and the intersection of 17th and K Streets until midnight. This route segment will have service until 2:00 am on Friday and Saturday nights. For more information, visit http://www.dccirculator.com/.
Combined Safety Efforts
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) recently conducted a joint pedestrian safety day in Northeast DC. MPD officials enforced pedestrian safety laws and DDOT officials educated walkers on pedestrian safety. This is part of ongoing MPD and DDOT joint enforcement and education efforts regarding pedestrian safety, which focuses both on drivers and pedestrians. For more information, visit http://www.ddot.dc.gov/.
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History in the Making
 DDOT’s online historic photo gallery has recently been expanded to include 25 additional photographs taken from the DDOT archives, providing a detailed look into the city’s people, buildings, street signs, cars, streets, highways, trucks, streetcars, traffic patterns and street lights as they were in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.
These images are one aspect of DDOT’s preservation efforts to collect and conserve photos, studies, reports, plans, design and construction documents, drawings and artifacts of the city’s past and are part of the preservation efforts sponsored by the DDOT Research and Technology Development Office with support from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). To view the archival historic photos, visit http://www.ddot.dc.gov/ and select Transportation Planning and Research. Residents interested in contributing information on this project can contact William P. Carr at 202.671.1371 or e-mail williamp.carr@dc.gov.
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Maps You Can Use
DDOT has released an updated version of its new citywide map, “Washington, DC: The American Experience.” This version outlines city streets in an easy-to-read format and provides detailed bus and snow emergency routes and other useful information such as maps of the city’s bikeways, DC Circulator bus line and Metrorail and Metro bus routes on the reverse side. Also included is a mini-map of the city’s new carsharing locations in partnership with Flexcar and Zipcar.
In addition to transportation information, the map includes data provided by the District of Columbia Geographic Information System (DC GIS) program of the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO). To obtain a copy, visit DDOT’s headquarters located at 14th and U Streets, NW.
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A Main Street Education
The National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP) is accepting applications for the Certification in Professional Main Street(TM) Management Institute. Those interested in building professional skills needed to manage commercial district revitalizations, exploring current revitalization issues presented by industry experts and networking with other seasoned mainstreet professionals are encouraged to apply. Completing the two-week program and passing exam scores will lead to Certified Main Street Manager (CMSM) credentials. The application deadline is Monday, October 29. Classes begin January 21, 2008. For more information, or to download an application, visit www.mainstreet.org/certification or e-mail NTMSCtraining@nthp.org.
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The Downtown Business Improvement District is a private, nonprofit organization that provides safety, hospitality, sanitation, homeless, economic development, transportation, streetscape and marketing services. The BID promotes Downtown DC as a premier commercial, cultural and residential destination.
http://www.downtowndc.org/
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