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IN THIS ISSUE |
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UPCOMING EVENTS |
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First Street Construction Starts Later This Year
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Construction will begin later this year on a project to enhance and rebuild First Street, NE, through the heart of NoMa. The work will occur from K Street, NE to New York Avenue, NE; common new elements include street trees, sidewalks, crosswalk upgrades, bicycle infrastructure, traffic signals, street lights, bike racks, new paving and striping, parking meters and more.
The purpose of the project is to transform First Street, NE, into a true “Main Street” that serves pedestrians, cyclists and motorists in a safe, attractive and creative way. Due to all the private development in NoMa over the past six years, nine commercial properties have been built along this street – which means the private sector has provided new streetscape and water/sewer infrastructure along a good portion of the roadway. Still, the daytime and residential populations are growing quickly and there is great demand for attractive and enjoyable public spaces.
NoMa BID is working closely with DDOT and its designer Greenhorne & O’Mara on the reconstruction project. NoMa BID has hired AECOM, an international design firm, to help keep a focus on connections to the residential neighborhoods around NoMa and how to improve First Street. Construction should begin by the end of 2012 and take 12 to 18 months. NoMa BID will continue to provide updates on the construction project via this newsletter and our Twitter feed @NoMaBID.
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Two New Restaurants Announced
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Two new restaurants are announced in NoMa, and one is already open! ‘A Deli,’ offering Italian fare, Philly cheesesteaks and homemade cannoli, opened February 1 at 1300 Second Street, NE. In addition, West Wing Café has leased the retail space in 1100 First Street, NE and plans a spring opening; the restaurant will have weekend and evening hours, and create an evening lounge serving wine, beer and sake.
Both restaurants are regional chains owned by local families. NoMa is the fourth location for A Deli, said owner and manager Arun Kapoor. “We just loved the spot and loved this area,” he said of the Second Street location near Courtyard by Marriott, The Perfect Pita, Five Guys, 7-Eleven and the New York Avenue Metro Station. A Deli will cater to a breakfast and lunch crowd, with hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.
West Wing Café has four other locations in DC, and each one brings its own unique flair. “NoMa is such a good area,” said Randy Boehm of Washington, DC Retail Brokers. “It is a mix of residential and office, and the neighborhood will be alive seven days a week from morning well into the evening.” West Wing Café will offer sushi, panini and high-end deli fare during the day, then transition into an evening lounge. West Wing Café will be open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Other NoMa restaurant openings in 2012: Zuppa Fresca.
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Sponsor a NoMa Event This Summer
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With support from the District’s Department of Transportation (DDOT), NoMa BID has completed a major landscaping project at the intersection of New York and Florida Avenues, NE. Hundreds of plants have been planted in five different areas and the intersection is much more attractive and pleasant to walk through.
The project involved installing brick sidewalks at key areas to complement historic buildings nearby, as well as new trees, colorful perennials and a variety of grasses in five planting beds. Funding of $250,000 for this large project was provided in grants from DDOT and from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government (MWCOG). Design was provided by landscape architecture firm Rhodeside & Harwell.
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On the night of January 25, the NoMa BID supported DC’s 2012 Point in Time Homeless Census. Otavio Thompson, NoMa’s Hospitality and Outreach Manager, led a team of volunteers through the neighborhood as they counted and conducted brief surveys with homeless persons about their experiences and circumstances. This annual homeless census is part of a national effort, commissioned by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, to understand where and how homeless people are living in an effort to improve our nation’s delivery of services to this vulnerable population. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments produces a regional portrait of homelessness annually based on the Point in Time census count. These reports are available for download here.
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