Washington, D.C., April 9, 2007… The emerging District of Columbia neighborhood north of Massachusetts Avenue, N.E. known as NoMa will soon get its first new shops and restaurants in over 20 years, the NoMa BID announced today.Leasing is underway for an 8,000 square foot convenience retail center that is part of the new headquarters of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) at Florida Avenue and Second Street, N.E. Situated directly across from an entrance to the New York Avenue Metro station, the center is being developed by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) to serve more than a thousand employees who will be working at the 438,000 square foot ATF facility, as well as the general public. GSA has contracted with a partnership of Capital Retail Group and LeDroit Park Development to lease and manage the retail center for the next ten years.

Capital Retail Group’s Robert Tack said that leases are now being negotiated with several convenience retail and quick service restaurants. The first tenants are expected to start moving in by early summer and be ready to open by fall, when ATF employees are expected to start moving in.

Many more retail amenities — including restaurants with outdoor dining, shops, a food court, grocery store, and hotels — are planned for neighboring parts of the NoMA BID area, said Bruce Baschuk of J Street Development, Chairman of the NoMA BID Board. “Within the coming year, ground is expected to be broken for 1.5 million square feet of office space, 1,500 apartments, and two hotels,” noted Baschuk. “Altogether, the private sector is expected to invest over a billion dollars in NoMA development in 2007 alone. We are creating an all-new, 24/7 mixed-use neighborhood in the heart of the Nation’s capital.”

The NoMA BID is bounded generally by Massachusetts Avenue on the south, North Capitol Street on the west, and Q and R Streets on the north; it extends eastward just beyond the CSX/Metrorail tracks. The BID, approved by the D.C. Council in March, will collect an assessment from NoMA’s commercial property owners, and allocate the revenues to make NoMA safe, clean, and attractive for businesses, residents, and visitors.

The state-of-the-art ATF building, designed by world-renown architect Moshe Safdie, will serve as a gateway to the new NoMA neighborhood. It is clearly visible from both New York Avenue and Florida Avenue, Metro’s Red Line, and Amtrak trains traveling along the CSX tracks. Nearly 5,000 people per day currently use the New York Avenue Metro station; that number, says the Washington Economic Partnership, is expected to double over the next three years. In addition, over 46,000 vehicles per day traverse Florida Avenue, N.E. where it intersects with New York Avenue.

In developing the ATF site, GSA worked with the D.C. government to rebuild and re-open portions of 1st, 2nd, and N Streets, N.E. that had been closed for over 100 years. A new traffic light will be installed at the intersection of 2nd Street and Florida Avenue where the retail center will be located. A 16-foot-wide sidewalk is being developed between the retail center and the street; it will be enhanced with trees, planters, and street lamps, allowing for outdoor dining opportunities.

For retail leasing opportunities in NoMA, contact Robert Tack, Capital Retail Group, 202/319-2884. For more information about the NoMA BID, visit the Website at www.nomabid.com. (A map of the BID is available here).