Washington, D.C., December 13, 2012 – Bruce Baschuk, the long-time Chairman of the Board of the NoMa Business Improvement District, has stepped down from his post after seven years of service.

“Bruce has been the driving force behind this organization from Day One,” said Robin-Eve Jasper, President of the NoMa BID. “His influence cannot be underscored enough. Bruce really set the tone for the collaboration that is a hallmark of the NoMa neighborhood.” Starting in 2006, Jasper spent a year working with Baschuk and a group of motivated and forward-thinking property owners to form the NoMa BID. That group, including Baschuk, Jasper and others had already worked together for several years as the informal “NoMa Stakeholders Group.” Bruce was still Chair of the Board when Jasper was re-hired in 2011 as the second president of the BID.

During Baschuk’s tenure, NoMa has remained the fastest growing neighborhood in Washington, D.C. More than seven million SF of space has been developed in NoMa in the last seven years. Leasing kept pace with development, as more than 4.5 million SF of office space was leased in a little more than four years during that period and through the economic downturn. Tenants in NoMa include federal and District government agencies (DOJ, FERC, GSA, ATF, DCPS); media organizations such as Sirius XM, NPR and CNN; private-sector groups like Mathematica; education organizations such as the Community College of DC, University of Phoenix, and Georgetown Law School; and nonprofits like the American Psychological Association and the American Medical Association.

Retail has also grown substantially during Baschuk’s tenure as Chairman of the NoMa BID. NoMa’s First Street, NE now boasts the District’s largest Harris Teeter grocery store, pet shop Unleashed, coffee shops, a CVS, banks and restaurants. One of the District’s first Walmarts will soon open at 77 H Street, NW. These stores and restaurants serve more than 20,000 previously under-retailed families in the greater NoMa neighborhood. The successful transformation of the neighborhood from derelict industrial area to a vital new DC center was recognized with the renaming of the Metro station to NoMa/Gallaudet U in 2012.

Baschuk’s concern for community is also evident in other NoMa BID accomplishments. The NoMa BID organizes 100 neighborhood events each year, cleans the streets every day, and sponsors 10 hospitality ambassadors who welcome residents, workers and visitors to NoMa seven days a week. One of the BID’s top priorities is to ensure that NoMa families have reasonable access to parks and public spaces by finding ways to create parks in NoMa.

“The NoMa BID and the community at large owe Bruce a huge debt of gratitude,” said Liz Price, former president of the NoMa BID for four years. “NoMa’s rapid and exciting transformation in the last few years would not have been possible without the steadfast leadership and support of Bruce Baschuk and the other founding board members who were willing to put their time, money and hearts into building a world-class neighborhood.”

Doug Firstenberg of StonebridgeCarras, formerly the Treasurer, will take on the role of Chairman on January 1, 2013. Also serving on the Executive Committee are Charles “Sandy” Wilkes, Chairman of The Wilkes Company, John Gordon, President of Polinger Development, and Michael Smith, Executive Director of The Washington Center.

About NoMa
NoMa is a vibrant, growing neighborhood north of Union Station and the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Its ground-breaking public-private partnership to build the NoMa-Gallaudet Metro Station and the terrific success of NoMa’s green, transit-oriented development draws national and international attention. In the last several years, private developers have invested billions in the 35-block area covered by the NoMa BID, and have plans to develop more than 20 million square feet of office, residential, hotel, and retail space. NoMa is now home to 40,000 daytime workers, with 4.5 million SF leased in the last 4.5 years. More than 3,500 apartments have been recently completed or are under construction. NoMa offers 14 forms of transportation, including two Red Line Metro stops, and the best biking facilities in DC, with the only East Coast Bikestation, the 8-mile Met Branch Trail, and access to eight Capital Bikeshare stations. NoMa is the most connected neighborhood in Washington, D.C. For more information about NoMa, visit nomabid.wpengine.com and sign up for the bimonthly newsletter. Follow on Twitter @NoMaBID; or Facebook at www.facebook.com/nomabid.

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For immediate release
Media contact: Rachel Davis
202-997-3846, [email protected]