Building on the success of last summer’s James Bond Film Festival, the NoMa BID will host NoMa Summer Screen, eight weeks of great outdoor films, on Wednesday nights in June and July. The theme of NoMa Summer Screen this year is “Music in Pictures”, films and documentaries about bands and musicians from across the musical spectrum. The festivities will kick off at 7 PM with barbeque and local DJ collective Fatback spinning funk, soul, boogaloo and more. Movies will start at sundown – around 9 PM.

Free and open to the public, the event will be held in a new location this year -- the large grassy lot on L Street between 2nd and 3rd Streets, N.E., just one block from the New York Avenue station on Metro’s Red Line. The site is adjacent to Union Place, The Cohen Companies’ new apartment residence delivering later this year. More details available at http://www.nomasummerscreen.com.

NoMa Summer Screen Schedule

NoMa’s largest leases and development projects swept the Washington Business Journal’s Best Real Estate Deals of the Year Awards program. The NPR sale-leaseback and relocation to NoMa was named Deal of the Year and also Land Deal of the Year, and also was a runner-up for the Community Impact award. This deal included NPR’s sale of its existing headquarters building at 635 Massachusetts Avenue, NW to Boston Properties, which also will build its new headquarters in NoMa at 1111 North Capitol Street.

As if three awards for one deal were not enough, the Department of Justice lease at Two Constitution Square was named Urban Office Lease Deal of the Year. In the words of Darian LeBlanc of Cassidy & Pinkard Colliers, “Two Constitution Square provided the best balance of efficiency, sustainability, and a superior set of economics in an emerging area that is attracting the best federal tenants in the city.” Constitution Square is under development by StonebridgeCarras LLC and Walton Street Capital LLC.

These achievements also were noted by the Greater Washington Commercial Association of Realtors, which named the NPR deal the Sales Transaction of the Year and the DoJ deal the Leasing Transaction of the Year for the District. The DoJ lease also won the Best Transaction Award from the Maryland-DC chapter National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP).

Ground has been broken for The Washington Center (TWC)’s 140,000 square foot, 95-unit housing facility in NoMa. Slated for completion in August of 2010, this $38 million project will serve as a centralized mini-campus for college students participating in TWC's prestigious internship programs. Paradigm Development Company of Arlington, Virginia has been selected by TWC to develop the project. The 345-bed building will house 80 percent of TWC's students each semester – some 1,200 per year.

The TWC housing facility will be located on the northeast corner of Third and K Streets, N.E., formerly used as a taxicab parking lot. It is located directly across Third Street from Union Place, NoMa’s first new apartment building.

The Loree Grand at Union Place, NoMa’s first residential project is applying its exterior finishes in preparation for its opening later this year. The first phase of the project includes 212 units, about 30 of which will be designated as affordable housing. The BID’s NoMa Summer Screen movie series will take place on the lot slated for Phase 2 of this project.

The Cohen Companies has hired artist housing specialist Cultural Development Corporation (CuDC) to guide the design of affordable units for residents with careers in the arts. CuDC has a ten year track record of developing sustainable arts spaces in the DC region. CuDC will also assist in programming 3,000 square feet of commercial space on the property. The addition of artists to the Loree Grand will strengthen the neighborhood economy and make the area a beacon for the creative community. In mid-May, CuDC will hold a focus group to introduce the Loree Grand to artists. Stay tuned!

Tishman Speyer is wrapping up construction of its 12-story, 347,000 square foot trophy-quality office building at 1100 First Street in NoMa. It is the first phase of a complex that will total 707,000 square feet. 1100 First Street incorporates Silver LEED certification requirements, while introducing the innovative architectural design work of Chicago-based Krueck & Sexton to the Washington, D.C. office market. The building has been designed with both horizontal and vertical exterior angles to create a dramatic visual effect, and features an all-glass curtain wall and floor-to-ceiling glass windows to provide maximum natural light to all workspaces. 1100 First Street offers an on-site, state-of-the-art fitness center, food convenience and other retail amenities, abundant garage parking, and proximity to the New York Avenue Metro station on Metro’s Red Line.

One Constitution Square, an office building at the corner of First Street and N Street NE has topped out and begun installing the windows. The building boasts 340,000 square feet of office space and will deliver in Spring 2010. Two Constitution Square, the future home of the Department of Justice, is expected to top out soon as well. This step towards completion is creating an exciting focal point for NoMa’s First Street and signifies the progress made in this rapidly developing neighborhood.

NoMa will soon be the most bike-friendly neighborhood in DC. The Union Station Bicycle Transit Center located on the west side of Union Station is making impressive progress in its construction. The center will open later this summer and will include space for 150 bikes and will have changing rooms and lockers for commuters. The Metropolitan Branch Trail, the planned 8-mile bike trail from the Mall to Silver Spring, is also making strides. The second phase, a one-mile stretch between NoMa and Brookland will open later this summer as well. The BID’s Clean team supervisor has also ditched his vehicle and is doing most inspections from his mountain bike. Don’t forget to take part in DC Bike to Work Day on May 15th.

For the second year in a row the NoMa BID has received a Cigarette Litter Prevention Program Grant. The grant, sponsored by the Keep America Beautiful Foundation, is designed to help reduce cigarette litter in neighborhoods across the country. Through installation of cigarette receptacles, media outreach and coordination with private property owners, NoMa is on its way to becoming a cleaner neighborhood. Last year the BID used the grant to clean up the high traffic area around Union Station. This year the grant will focus on the increasingly populated area around New York Avenue Metro Station.

“From the Beatles to XM Radio: The Evolution of NoMa” is the subject of Cultural Tourism DC’s free neighborhood walking tour of the NoMa neighborhood of Washington, D.C. on Saturday, May 30 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. The tour will meet at the New York Avenue Metro station’s M Street exit.

The tour will highlight the history of the original Swampoodle neighborhood including such landmarks as Uline Arena, the historic C&P Telephone Company Warehouse, St. Aloysius Church, Gonzaga High School and the former Woodies Warehouse. In addition, tour attendees will get the latest update on the neighborhood’s transformation including when the first new apartments will deliver and plans for a new grocery store, Harris Teeter.

Join WDCEP and be the first to hear from Deputy Mayor Neil Albert about how the city is working to attract and retain non-profits and trade associations in the District. Deputy Mayor Albert will be joined by senior executives from National Public Radio, The Urban Institute, and The Pew Charitable Trusts. Don't miss this exciting opportunity to hear Deputy Mayor Albert unveil his new plans for the District's important non-profit community.

Friday, June 5, 2009
Registration & Breakfast: 8 - 8:30am
Program: 8:30am - 10:00am
Reed Smith LLP
1301 K Street NW
East Tower Penthouse
Washington, DC 20005

NoMa is lucky to have a Smithsonian museum in its backyard. The National Postal Museum, located across the street from Union Station at 2 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, features events, interactive displays, stamp collections and an overview of the history of the United States Postal Service. The museum is open 7 days a week from 10 AM to 5:30 PM. Some upcoming events include:

Wacky Ways to Move the Mail
Friday, May 15, 2009
1:00-4:00 p.m.

It’s annual “Bike to Work Day” in Washington, DC! Walk or peddle to the Postal Museum to discover wacky ways the mail has moved.

Exploring Alphabetilately
Thursday, May 21, 2009
1:00-4:00 p.m.

What exactly is a Kansas City Roulette? Why does Rattlesnake Island make its own stamps? Drop in to discover philatelic oddities in this alphabet of philately! Correctly pronounce “Alphabetilately” and win a prize!

The NoMa Business Improvement District would like to extend an invitation to all interested parties to our upcoming meetings.

Public Safety Committee
June 9, 2009
2:00 PM
131 M Street, NE, Suite 105

These meetings take place the second Tuesday of every month and include participation from BID staff, property managers, Metropolitan Police Department, Metro Transit Police and other public safety agencies.

NoMa BID’s Annual Member Meeting
June 22, 2009
8:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Marriott Courtyard
2nd & N Streets, NE

Come join us for our 3rd annual meeting where we will discuss BID progress in FY 2008 as well as the challenges and opportunities for the year ahead. All BID members will be eligible to vote for open seats on the Board of Directors.

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