NPR, Mayor, Bruce Baschuk Recognized
Washington, D.C., April 12, 2013 – The NoMa Business Improvement District celebrated an extraordinary year at its annual meeting last night, a networking cocktail event attended by nearly 200 NoMa neighbors, supporters and stakeholders. VIPs included Mayor Vincent C. Gray, Councilmember Tommy Wells, Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation Jesus Aguirre, Government Printing Office Printer Davita Vance-Cooks, Fred Weiner and Sam Swiller from Gallaudet University, Pastor West from Mt. Airy Baptist Church, the team from the Washington, DC Economic Partnership, ANC 6C Commissioner Tony Goodman and National Public Radio CEO Gary Knell.
The NoMa BID presented its 2013 Public Sector Award to Mayor Vincent C. Gray, and the 2013 Private Sector Award to Bruce Baschuk, founding member and board chair of the organization.
Mayor Gray grew up just a few blocks away from last night’s event, and described his walk along M Street to high school at Dunbar High School. He recognized the need for parks in the neighborhood, and touted his 2014 budget, which includes $50 million for parks in the NoMa area. More than 40,000 families and 5,000 children live in the area, which is served by only one small playground.
“What a remarkable change we have seen in NoMa already,” Mayor Gray said. “We wanted to be sure that as fast as this area is evolving, we wanted to preserve some green space. We don’t want it to all be asphalt and concrete, do we?” The budget must be approved by the DC Council before it becomes final.
Bruce Baschuk was lauded for his collaboration and years of dedicated service. “He saw the whole cloth; he knew that if everyone worked together, NoMa was going to be a better place,” said Doug Firstenberg, Board Chairman of the NoMa BID.
“Every property owner, resident and worker in NoMa owes Bruce a debt of gratitude for the vision and commitment he displayed for the NoMa neighborhood,” said NoMa BID President Robin-Eve Jasper. “Stable and collaborative leadership has been a hallmark of the NoMa BID, and we are thankful for Bruce’s exemplary service.”
NPR CEO Gary Knell received a warm welcome, and announced some exciting news: the first program to be broadcast from the NPR headquarters in NoMa will be Weekend Edition with Scott Simon on Saturday morning, April 13, 2013 at 8 a.m. “It takes visionaries to create areas like NoMa and there is no better place for NPR to be headquartered,” he said. “We can’t be more thrilled. This will be the first of many broadcasts in our beautiful new home, for decades and decades to come.”
Other announcements included:
- NoMa BID is now more than 50 percent built-out and the area all around NoMa BID is growing rapidly as well.
- 3,900 apartments are either under construction or available now. “Heads in beds” will be the next phase of growth in the neighborhood, according to Firstenberg.
- In addition to roses and bulbs, NoMa’s Clean Team is planting edible plants throughout the neighborhood.
- NoMa BID announced the NoMa History Project, a collaborative effort to research, catalogue and tell the stories of this quickly growing neighborhood. Representatives from Gallaudet University, the Government Printing Office, the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation and Two Rivers Public Charter School are already partnering on the project.
- NoMa BID is launching an on-street recycling program sponsored by NoMa property owners and managers. Sponsors include: Coca-Cola, Flats 130, Constitution Square, First + M Apartments, Union Center Plaza Management Corporation, The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, One NoMa Station and First Potomac Realty Trust.
Special thanks to Brookfield, Cassidy Turley and 64 New York Avenue, NE for hosting the event.
About NoMa
NoMa is a vibrant, growing neighborhood north of Union Station and the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. In the last seven years, private developers have invested more than $5 billion in the 35-block area in the NoMa BID boundary. Planned development in the NoMa BID includes more than 34 million square feet of office, residential, hotel, and retail space. NoMa is now home to 45,000 daytime workers, with 4.5 million SF leased in the last 4.5 years. More than 3,900 apartments have been recently completed or are under construction. NoMa has 13 modes of transportation, including two Red Line Metro stops, and the best biking facilities in D.C. with the only East Coast Bikestation, the 8-mile Metropolitan Branch Trail and access to eight Capital Bikeshare stations. NoMa is the most connected neighborhood in Washington, D.C. The NoMa BID organizes more than 50 free community events each year to connect friends and neighbors. For more information about NoMa, visit nomabid.wpengine.com and sign up for our bimonthly newsletter. Follow us on Twitter @NoMaBID and like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nomabid.
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For immediate release
News media contact:
Rachel Davis
202-997-3846