Downtown Neighborhood Association

Washington, D.C.

 
 






Second-Year Neighborhood Efforts

January 1, 2009


Dear Neighbor,


The list of projects, meetings, positions, and testimony at hearings representing our association’s efforts is growing. We are regularly involved with other organizations like the Downtown Business Improvement District (BID), Downtown Cluster of Congregations, Chinatown Steering Committee, Washington DC Economic Partnership and Chinatown Revitalization Council.

Just as last year, we have been very busy and there remains so much more to do.


Among some of our efforts in our second year, we:

  1. BulletMet with agency directors throughout District government in order to understand their impact on the quality of life of our emerging neighborhood.

  2. BulletInvolved District leaders as discussion leaders to our monthly meetings. The highlight was at our October meeting when Mayor Fenty led our discussion and listened to our concerns with the growing number of teens on our streets.

  3. BulletSponsored a joint meeting with the Mount Vernon Square Neighborhood Association to discuss housing issues with a panel that included professionals from DC agencies and several organizations that work to provide housing solutions for our homeless population.

  4. BulletSupported the Mayor’s housing initiative and the closure of the Franklin School Shelter.

  5. BulletTestified before city counsel hearings on issues related to noise abatement and the sales of single containers of beer.

  6. BulletWorked with ANC6C01 Commissioner Docter and member buildings to aggressively push for passage of single sales moratorium legislation.

  7. BulletServed an active coordinating role with neighborhood residents, the Metropolitan Police Department, Council members Jack Evans and Tommy Wells, Downtown BID, local businesses, and the Mayor’s office to bring focus on the teen safety concerns on 7th Street and F Street. This effort culminated in action by the Mayor’s office to close the teen club, Club Bounce. This is an ongoing effort that now is part of the focus of the Downtown BID’s monthly stakeholder meeting.

  8. BulletWorked with both the DC Department of Transportation DDOT) and DC Consumer Regulatory Agency (DCRA) to improve neighborhood visibility and input with permit concerns.

  9. BulletWorked with ANC6C, Downtown BID, Chinatown Revitalization Council and neighborhood developers to raise money and push forward efforts to renovate Chinatown Park.

  10. BulletWorked with neighborhood associations and ANC6C to develop and negotiate voluntary agreements to accompany ABC liquor licenses for several neighborhood establishments.

  11. BulletSponsored social events at Penn Quarter Sports Tavern, Ultra Bar, and Caucus Room.

  12. BulletRaised $2,000 for the Mount Carmel House through a neighborhood social event at the Ultra Bar; raised $1,000 for housing support services supported by Catholic Charities; and contributed $500 to the Scott Montgomery Elementary School to support their reading program.

  13. BulletDeveloped a voter registration campaign and opened a new Ward 6 voting precinct at the Chinatown Community Church to serve our neighborhood. The new precinct effort was a collaboration with ANC6C01 Commissioner Docter and Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells.

  14. BulletWorked with developers, ANC6C, Council member Tommy Wells and member buildings to impact Mayor’s development decision for the 5th and I “The Arts” development project.

  15. BulletSupported the DDOT/BID Downtown Streetscape Project.

  16. BulletRepresented our downtown on the CityCenterDC Residential Advisory Committee.

  17. BulletWorked with neighborhood member buildings and ANC6C to negotiate several voluntary agreements.

  18. BulletCollaborated with the Downtown BID, the Downtowner Newspaper and the Penn Quarter Neighborhood Association to launch a neighborhood market survey. This will be our second annual survey that we hope will continue as a tracking tool to aid neighborhood development.


We hope you agree that this is an impressive list for our second year and will continue to support our efforts with continuing involvement in our meetings and our efforts.


Thanks for your support!


Downtown Neighborhood Association Board