The Best DowntownDC Experience, Work on Your Golf Swing & News for Sidewalk Restaurants

DowntownDC Digest

On the night of August 27, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. worked on his "I Have a Dream" speech at the Willard InterContinental Washington, D.C.

PHOTO CREDITS: Library of Congress,
Carol M. Highsmith Archive / National Archives,
Records of the U.S. Information Agency

THE BEST DOWNTOWNDC EXPERIENCE,
WORKING ON YOUR GOLF SWING
& NEWS FOR SIDEWALK RESTAURANTS

February 22, 2023

Dear DowntownDC Stakeholder,

A lot happened in 2022, and while we’ll celebrate the people, organizations, and projects that have made a difference in DowntownDC at the upcoming Momentum Awards, we’ll also honor a special experience — a winner you get to help choose with your vote.

If one regular experience you’ve loved is dining in streateries over the last couple of years, the District is making permanent the temporary program that now allows them to exist. Restaurants must apply for the new permit. And for those thinking about Mayor Bowser’s push for more housing downtown, the District wants to know your feedback about its tax abatement program.

After reading those details, you may need a brain break: Find out how a little bit of golf right here in DowntownDC might do the trick. And once October rolls around, you can explore a reopened museum, too.

And did you know the BID is working seven days a week to assist neighbors experiencing homelessness? Learn about the new location offering services each Sunday.

Finally, the BID is excited to announce a new team member: Meet Ella Faulkner, who has joined us as the Vice President of Planning and Economic Development.

Catch up on your news and more in the Digest below.

WHAT WAS THE BEST DOWNTOWN EXPERIENCE OF 2022?

The DowntownDC Momentum Awards return on Wednesday, March 29, and of the 10 recognitions given at this event, one special award is chosen by the public: the Downtown Experience of the Year. This award recognizes an event, entity, or idea that involved people in or exposed them to a positive DowntownDC experience, thus enhancing their enjoyment while visiting the neighborhood. The nominees for 2022 are Black on the Block, Once Upon a One More Time, A Strange Loop, The Office Experience, and Carpe Librum. Thank you in advance for your participation!

Cast Your vote

DO YOU HAVE A RESTAURANT OR BAR WITH OUTDOOR DINING?

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is preparing to phase out the Temporary Sidewalk Table Service permits that existed under the temporary Streatery Program established in 2020. The program allowed food establishments to occupy the sidewalk for outdoor dining during the pandemic temporarily. If you have a food establishment within the District that has benefited from the temporary Sidewalk Cafe/Sidewalk Table permit, those permits will expire on May 31.

Applicants seeking to continue sidewalk dining must apply for an Unenclosed or Enclosed Sidewalk Cafe permit. The review process takes approximately two to three months and requires approval by the Public Space Committee.

Parklet and Other Special Events permits, part of the temporary Streatery Program, will remain as is until new regulations are adopted to establish the permanent Streatery program.

Email Kimberly Vacca at DDOT with any questions or concerns. You can also contact Alex Davis and Maria Espinoza on the BID’s planning team with any questions.

See application deadlines and agendas

WELCOME TO THE BID, ELLA FAULKNER!

The DowntownDC BID is pleased to welcome Ella Faulkner to the team as Vice President of Planning and Economic Development, a new position for the organization. Ella comes to the BID after more than a dozen years of work in planning and design at the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation, most recently serving as its Deputy Director of Administrative Services.

“DowntownDC’s renaissance is on the horizon. Our downtown will become the beating heart of the District’s economy,” she says. “I am hyper-focused on developing a thoughtful and collective vision to create a more vibrant, resilient, livable, and adaptable city, one that is centered around people.”

Meet Ella

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF WOMEN IN THE ARTS SET TO REOPEN OCTOBER 21

After a $67.5 million project, the National Museum of Women in the Arts plans to reopen on October 21. Some BID staff had the opportunity to don hard hats and step inside to explore the current space, which is going through its first full renovation since the museum opened in 1987: the inside still shows beautiful details that will shine even brighter come the fall. At that time, the transformed museum at 1250 New York Avenue NW will have new exhibition spaces, re-envisioned public programming areas, improved amenities, and increased accessibility for visitors. Also expect to see the new exhibition “The Sky’s the Limit."

Learn more about the exhibit

Homeless Services launches new Sunday program

The BID is proud to partner with Asbury United Methodist Church (926 11th Street NW) to launch homeless services on Sunday. The first day was February 19, and the collaborative work will be able to serve more than 100 unhoused neighbors from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. each Sunday.

Support homeless services

DC SPOTLIGHT: CITYSWING

When CitySwing opened its doors in July 2022, it brought more than a few golf-simulator rooms to DowntownDC. Along with those come lessons by instructors for any skill level, a small bar when you want to take a break, and drinks and food delicious enough to make you feel better if you keep hooking or slicing. We talked with CitySwing founder and CEO Tari Cash, who discussed her own golf journey and why she’s working to share the sport with others in the District.

901 New York Avenue NW

The most important shot in Golf is the next one

HAVE THOUGHTS ABOUT TAX ABATEMENT?

The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development is seeking feedback on its proposed abatement program for new downtown housing. The deadline for feedback is Tuesday, February 28. If you have questions, contact Gerry Widdicombe, the BID’s director of economic development.