2015 Annual Report Downtown Business Improvement District Corporation
Dear Downtown Stakeholder:
The Downtown Business Improvement District (BID), since its founding in 1997, has played an integral role in the economic vitality and development efforts of DowntownDC by keeping the streets clean and safe for all who work, live and play here. In the immediate months and years ahead, the BID will be refocusing on its core values of “clean and safe.” Additionally, the BID will be immediately supporting efforts to find and secure a Downtown location for a daytime homeless services center designed to provide daily support to individuals experiencing homelessness Downtown. We hope that these and other efforts continue to immediately augment and enhance DowntownDC. Learn more in this report about how the BID supported Downtown this past year and stay tuned for more news about how we are helping to showcase why today DowntownDC is So Much More.
Operations
The Operations Department manages the DowntownDC Safety/Hospitality and Maintenance employees (SAMs). In 2015, Operations achieved efficencies by introducing new technologies to create shift plans, track quality of work, create work orders and deploy SAMs.
With the assistance of Summer Youth Employment Program participants, operations created a tree box maintenance program to identify and maintain unattended and vacant tree boxes to improve the quality of the BID.
Economic Development
The BID’s economic development department partnered with the DC BID Council in FY 2015 to produce an office market study to inform a long-term future economic strategy for D.C.’s office market at-large.
Additionally, the BID created a financing plan to support the redevelopment of Franklin Park, downtown’s largest green space, and developed a vehicle to electronically transmit economic data to interested BID parties and stakeholders. The department continued to partner with city leadership and staff to address economic concerns for the BID and staffed monthly developer roundtables to facilitate regular private sector feedback.
Public Space Management
Since 2012, the BID’s quality assurance program has connected BID stakeholders to city agencies facilitating the resolution of 768 issues in FY 2015. Pedestrian counters were installed in the BID’s Entertainment Zone that counted over 9.8 million people. This data helped quantify Downtown foot traffic and density. The BID continued work with partner Pathways to Housing DC to house Downtown’s homeless population and connect them with services.
In June, the BID announced that 51 individuals were moved off the streets over the past three years and into permanent supportive housing. The department also initiated work identifying decibel levels to better address noise complaints. The department received a Public Space Merit Award from the International Downtown Association (IDA).
Infrastructure & Sustainability
The BID in FY 2015, with the National Park Service (NPS) and the District government, helped develop a management and operating plan for a redeveloped Franklin Park.
The BID also continued work with the Department of Public Works to replace 89 trash cans in Downtown and add six new cans. The BID, working with the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) and contractors, also began implementing the third phase of a three-year plan to double the number of bike racks Downtown. In collaboration with DC Surface Transit, NPS and DDOT, the BID helped launch the DC Circulator National Mall route in FY 2015, linking millions of tourists each year to downtown. At the 2015 Building Energy Summit, the BID released a leadership paper “Recharged – Reshaping DC’s Energy Future” examining D.C.’s energy infrastructure and the BID partnered with Autodesk to model potential green infrastructure investment in the BID.
Communications
The Communications Department enhanced digital technology offerings in FY 2015 by creating an online annual report, integrating the BID’s retail map with the website and partnering to create free wifi at the 2014 Downtown Holiday Market and designing an app for the event. The department also implemented a more sophisticated email marketing system to work directly with Salesforce, facilitating the creation of targeted email marketing lists and campaigns.
The BID in late 2014 hosted a successful welcome reception for the Washington Design Center. The department also enlivened vacant space at 14th and G by designing and erecting a “live, work and play” street banner.
The department rolled out a street pole banner refresh in late FY 2015 featuring activities and entertainment in DowntownDC.
Administration/HR/Finance
The Administration/HR Department provided support to the board of directors in a successful search for a new executive director and ensured a smooth leadership transition. The department ensured compliance with the Affordable Care Act, D.C. Wage Theft Prevention Act and other evolving regulatory matters. A new electronic performance review system was adopted and an electronic purchasing order system was implemented. The finance department collected 100 percent of anticipated FY 2015 revenue, ensuring adequate funds for the BID and met its monetary obligations in a timely manner. The BID implemented a number of new technology enhancements to its financial systems in 2015.
Audited Budget Allocations
About DowntownDC
The DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) is a private non-profit organization that provides capital improvements, resources and research to help diversify the economy and enhance the Downtown experience for all. This special district, where property owners have agreed to tax themselves to fund services, encompasses a 138-block area of approximately 520 buildings from Massachusetts Avenue on the north to Constitution Avenue on the south, and from Louisiana Avenue on the east to 16th Street on the west. As a catalyst, facilitator and thought leader, the DowntownDC BID promotes public/private partnerships to create an urban environment that is So Much More. For more information, visit DowntownDC.org or follow us on Twitter @downtowndcbid.
Downtown Business Improvement District Corporation
1250 H Street, NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005
@downtowndcbid #downtowndc
202-638-3232