For Downtown workers, residents and visitors, spring and summer means outdoor cafes, street vendors, noontime concerts and lunches in the park. For the Downtown BID it means the annual Beautification Initiative, a seasonal cleanup carried out by our Downtown SAMs, the Safety/Hospitality and Maintenance employees who can be seen on the streets every day hanging flower baskets, adding tree boxes and power washing sidewalks. Together with our partners, the National Park Service (NPS), the District Department of Transportation’s (DDOT) Urban Forestry Administration (UFA), Casey Trees and Downtown property managers, we strive to create an exceptional environment for the events and activities that enliven our public spaces. Flowers are planted, gum is removed from sidewalks and tree grates and dead and dying trees are removed.
“It’s all about producing beautiful places where people want to stop and engage each other and enjoy their surroundings,” says BID executive director Richard H. Bradley. “The hard work and dedication of our Downtown SAMs make this possible, as do partnerships in both the public and private realms which refocus attention on the quality of public spaces to create remarkable urban experiences.”
Since our operations began in 1997, the BID has championed projects that improve Downtown’s physical environment through efforts to acquire and install more and better trees, planters, trashcans, and street furniture. We also manage banner placement and installation and promote pedestrian-friendly lighting.
A significant part of our effort involves setting up brightly colored information kiosks near BID Metrorail stations and in busy pedestrian areas during the peak tourist season. Safety and hospitality team members at these kiosks help some of the more than 9 million people who visit the Downtown BID area annually to find their way to our 13 museums, eight performing arts theaters, 131 destination restaurants and 27 destination retail stores.
“The SAMs ensure that the visitor’s trip to Downtown is enjoyable and uncomplicated,” says Everett D.E. Scruggs, the Downtown BID’s director of operations. “We work diligently to do everything in our power to maintain a litter free and welcoming environment.”
The annual Beautification Initiative augments the aggressive, year-round cleanup activities performed by our Maintenance SAMs—picking up trash and removing graffiti, stickers and illegal posters—as well as staging such outdoor events as the Downtown Holiday Market and facilitating permits for sidewalk cafes.
More airy and colorful sidewalk cafes are a byproduct of our annual beautification program. Today, more than 120 sidewalk cafes are prime people-watching venues for visitors and have a dramatic impact on Downtown’s appearance and serve as a measure of Downtown’s vibrancy.
“We’re forever mindful that great downtowns have great pedestrian streets,” says Bradley. “Our goal is to expand and accelerate our placemaking projects and programs to capitalize on Downtown’s potential and valuable community assets.”