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Momentum Awards Archive

People, programs and projects that we've recognized for contributing to the remarkable urban experience that is Downtown.

2010

Downtown Citizen Douglas Jemal, President of Douglas Development Invested in Downtown real estate and retail when no one believed the city could support it, thus making Downtown more vibrant and welcoming.

Downtown Experience Washington Kastles World Team Tennis Brought a star-studded roster of tennis pros to Downtown for three seasons and attracted thousands of fans by offering a unique, more interactive type of tennis experience.

Downtown Detail New York Avenue Sculpture Project Presented bold, colorful and larger than life  sculptures along the New York Avenue median from 12th to 13th Streets that promote cultural  tourism, provide free access to the arts and revitalizes the streetscape.

Partnership or Program Superior Court's DC Misdemeanor and Traffic Community Court Committed to low-level, quality-of-life offenses, and uses problem-solving approaches, collaborations and partnerships, including with the Downtown BID, to help criminal offenders fulfill community service hours in lieu of going to trial.

Public Sector Person, Project or Program District Department of Transportation Brought innovation to Downtown and experimented with and corrected new ways for people to bike and walk more safely without interrupting traffic flow.

Private Sector Person, Project or Program Co-Star Group, Inc. Moved from Bethesda to Downtown after paying $41.25 million for the Mortgage Bankers Association of America headquarters building, thus strengthening and diversifying the city's revenue base and increasing residential employment.

Landmark Development Project 901 K Street Renovations linked the new 280,000 square-foot (SF) trophy office building to the facilities housing the 1917, neoclassical Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church with a soaring, five-story glass atrium.

2009

Downtown Person of the Year  Assistant DC Police Chief Diane Groomes Assigned a 10-officer patrol near Gallery Place and the Verizon Center to address quality of life crimes and ensure the area remains user friendly for workers, residents and visitors.
Downtown Experience Washington Capitals Brought thousands of people from all over the region to Downtown, increasing foot traffic and restaurant and retail sales and bringing excitement to the community, with its phenomenal, division-winning season.
Downtown Detail - DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities/Mayor’s Office on Asian & Pacific Islander Affairs Undertook a major renovation to restore the iconic Chinatown Gateway Arch, also called the Friendship Arch, in an effort to boost Chinatown’s image and attract more visitors to Downtown.
Downtown Partnership/Program - National Capitol Planning Commission/US Commission of Fine Arts Produced the Monumental Core Framework Plan, which aims to create vibrant and accessible destinations in the federal precincts surrounding the National Mall, including Federal Triangle in Downtown.
Public Sector District Department of Transportation Designed and installed new bus shelters, 70 of which are located in the Downtown BID, equipped with information panels that make it easier for people to travel in and around Downtown
Private Sector Douglas Development Brought Guess, the trendy, upscale apparel, denim and accessory store, to a new office building on DC’s oldest retail corridor, thus continuing the company’s vision and commitment to returning fashion retail to the F Street corridor.
Landmark Development Project W Hotel Delivered its modern luxury hotel concept to the Downtown market and instantly created a magnet for social influencers and trendsetters.
Landmark Development Project  District of Columbia Courts Renovated the DC Courthouse and transformed it into an attractive and accessible fixture on the Downtown landscape, providing a new home for the DC Court of Appeals.
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2008
Congratulations to the nine awardees that helped to create a remarkable urban experience in Downtown in 2008.

“This year’s Momentum honorees are shining examples of the ingenuity, energy and vision that have helped catapult our Downtown to national and international prominence,” said Richard Bradley, executive director of the Downtown BID. “Their accomplishments have raised the bar for delivering transformative experiences that make Downtown vibrant, inviting and smart.”

The awardees represent a cross section of individuals and organizations in the public and private sectors. They are:

Downtown Citizen –
Charles Docter
Charles Docter is a longtime Downtown resident and housing advocate who has served as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for ANC 6C 09 since 2003. A tireless community activist, he has played a huge role in supporting Downtown’s transformation and has served as a member of the Downtown BID Board of Directors for 10 years. Docter, a retired business bankruptcy reorganization attorney who worked in DC, Maryland and Virginia for 46 years, formerly served as chairman of the Downtown Housing Now Committee and as a Board member of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. He also was vice president and a Board member of the Market Square West Condominium Association at 801 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Downtown Experience –
National Aquarium
Facing closure in 2004 due to dated exhibits, unsustainable animal care and declining visitor traffic, the National Aquarium, which has served visitors since 1931 from the Department of Commerce building, has undergone an “extreme makeover” and has re-established itself as a first rate attraction among the many tourist treasures of our nation’s capital. Thanks to a generous grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and a new partnership with the National Aquarium in Baltimore, the DC Aquarium completed a five-year renovation effort to improve habitat conditions, animal care, the facility’s appearance and educational programming.

Downtown Partnership –
DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs
As part of a partnership with the Downtown BID, other District agencies and the vending community, the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) has initiated a pilot demonstration project to enhance vending in Downtown and offer consumers more options. The cluster of three food vendors (On The Fly, DC Central Kitchen’s Capital Carts and Haalcart LLC’s Delle & Campbell’s Halal Luncheonette) located at 8th and H Streets NW, is named “The Lunch Bunch” and offers Downtown workers, residents and visitors a range of unique, convenient and eco-friendly lunchtime offerings.

Downtown Program –
District Department of Transportation
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) and Clear Channel Outdoor collaborated to bring SmartBike DC to the city in August 2008, providing an alternative transportation network for the city’s workers, residents and visitors. The bike-sharing program, the nation’s first high-tech venture of this sort, offers bikes at four Downtown locations.

Downtown Detail -  
Macy's
Since Macy’s arrival in Downtown DC in 2006, it has made a tremendous impact on the area, restoring nostalgia of Downtown’s past history as the city’s retail hub by presenting contemporary and compelling window displays, which have not only become a hallmark of Downtown’s transformation, but also a destination for workers, residents and visitors. 

Public Sector –
DC Department of Human Services
The DC Department of Human Services partners with the Downtown BID and others to plan and implement a broad range of homeless social services. This year, using the Housing First model and working with the BID’s Downtown Homeless Services Team, DHS has helped more than 350 homeless persons in downtown move into permanent supportive housing. Housing First is an innovative approach that moves the chronically homeless from the streets and shelters to housing, providing comprehensive services to address the issues that first contributed to their plight. The approach has had national success and is now working in the city and in downtown, where very few homeless persons who are placed in housing return. By the end of this fiscal year, more than 1,000 chronically homeless individuals and families will be placed in housing, with a substantial number coming from Downtown DC.

Private Sector –
Pew Charitable Trusts
Pew Charitable Trusts, a major nonprofit charitable organization based in Philadelphia, purchased the 10-story building at 901 E Street for $155 million in February 2008 to create a “Nonprofit Village,” where 90% of the space will be leased to nonprofit groups at 10% to 15% below market rates. Comparable commercial space in the area ranges from the mid-$50s to the mid-$60s per square foot. In addition, the building houses Pew’s Washington staff, which has grown from 10 to 150 in eight years and will double to 300 by 2011. Pew is currently renovating the building to meet LEED certification.

Landmark Development Project –
Newseum
The Newseum, dedicated to free press and free speech, opened on Pennsylvania Avenue and 6th Street in April and instantly became a monumental tour de force. From the street, passersby can peer through the humongous, seven-story steel-and-glass building and glimpse the museum’s state-of-the-art offerings and activities, peruse the outdoor display of more than 50 front pages of newspapers from across the US or marvel at the 74-foot-high vertical marble panel etched with First Amendment text—activities that create vibrancy and excitement Downtown. The 250,000-square-foot interactive museum, with its galleries, theaters, broadcast studios and three-level Wolfgang Puck restaurant exudes chic and offers something for everyone to explore and share. The Newseum is a welcome and bold presence on “America’s Main Street.”

Landmark Development Project –
Harman Center for the Arts
The elegant Harman Center is a premiere destination for beautiful and inspiring dance, music and theater. The $89 million project, with its spectacular three-level glass façade, allows the Shakespeare Theatre Company to offer a larger repertory and provides a much-needed venue for notable performance arts companies. Since opening in October 2007, the Harman Center, comprised of the new 775-seat Sidney Harman Hall at 6th and F Streets and the existing 450-seat Lansburgh Theatre at 7th and E Streets, has added to the cultural experience in Downtown and engaged diverse audiences, thereby making Downtown inclusive of all people.

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