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October 7, 2020
Updates from Adams Morgan
Click Here
to see previous updates in our newsletter archive
For the latest from the DC government, refer to:
https://coronavirus.dc.gov
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Property Assessment Roundtable
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The Adams Morgan Partnership BID will be invited to participate in some roundtable discussions with the DC Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR)'s Property Assessor's office later this Fall. These roundtables are an effort the Assessor's Office is taking to prepare the FY2022 proposed property assessments.
The challenge they are facing is to establish values in January 2021, in support of assessments to be released in March 2021, with income data from 2019. They will need to estimate business interruption caused by a pandemic that began in March 2020, because income data for calendar year 2020 won’t be supplied until April 2021.
If Adams Morgan commercial property owners or business owners would like to provide feedback for us to use in these upcoming roundtable discussion, please send it to Kristen Barden at
kbarden@admodc.org
.
All information will be kept confidential and will only be used anecdotally to demonstrate the impact of the pandemic.
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Music on the Move with ADMObile: Saturdays from 5-7pm
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This past weekend, the Adams Morgan Partnership kicked off a mobile music initiative in partnership with
Songbyrd Music House and Record Cafe
called ADMObile. Featuring a fully decked out vintage truck and a variety of musical performances, community members enjoyed music from a safe distance while dining, shopping, and strolling through the neighborhood. In order to continue to bring music to the neighborhood, we will be hosting ADMObile events each Saturday from 5-7pm through the end of October (weather permitting).
The truck will make its way around Adams Morgan making stops for performances along 18th Street and Columbia Road. Performances will feature a mix of all music genres and will rotate on a weekly basis.
We’d also like to give a special thanks to our community partner,
T-Mobile
, for their assistance in making these fun, socially-distanced events possible!
Be sure to follow along virtually if you can’t make it in person using
#ADMObile
at
@admobid
and
@songbyrddc
.
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Attention Adams Morgan Businesses:
MASKerade is coming October 17-31!
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If you're tired of wearing the same boring mask day after day, we've got good news -- it's time to go fancy with your mask and win big!
The Adams Morgan Partnership will be hosting our first MASKerade selfie contest from October 17-31, 2020.
We want you to encourage your customers to wear face masks that are fancy, decorated, customized, etc. (and still safely cover their nose and mouth). They will enter the contest by taking a selfie at your business and posting it on social media with the contest hashtag. The winning individual will get a $100 gift card
to your business
and your business will receive a $300 cash prize.
That's an extra $400 for your business by encouraging your customers' creativity.
We will be distributing the full rules along with posters next week. Stay tuned for details and please direct any questions to
Brian Barrie
.
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In a year full of disappointing event cancelations, we're excited to announce that the annual
Adams Morgan Apple Festival and Pie Baking Contest
will be happening on Saturday, October 31, at the Farmers Market at Suntrust Plaza. Obviously there will be some changes, for example we won't have the heirloom apple tasting and everything will be following the city's farmers market safety protocols.
We will, however, have the pie baking contest! And instead of local celebrities judging the pies,
YOU
will be able to vote on your favorites. Contestants' pies will be sliced and packaged individually and will each include information on how to rate that pie online. Slices will be sold to the public during the regular farmers market hours and 100% of the proceeds will go to the
Reed-Cooke Neighborhood Association's COVID-19 Relief Fund
.
Registration for contestants entering the pie baking contest will open in the next few days -- watch our
Apple Festival Facebook page
for more details and the registration link.
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Small Business Resiliency Fund
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The
Small Business Resiliency Fund
is a part of the District’s efforts to meet the existing and future COVID-19 related needs for District’s small businesses to help businesses continue operations while protecting people, assets and presence.
The Small Business Resiliency Fund will provide $2.2 million in emergency operational funding and will be open to small, local businesses in the District of Columbia with 25 or fewer employees and independently owned restaurants without regard to employee-size.
Grant monies may be used for:
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Business model strategy redesigning and pivoting
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Business continuity plan development
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Strengthening of digital retail experiences including complimentary e-commerce platforms and/or online shops to bolster brick-and- mortar business
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New marketing efforts
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Personal protective equipment (PPE) and/or disinfection products.
Visit the
Small Business Resiliency Fund website
for a complete list of qualifications and FAQs. Applications are being accepted now through October 15.
Click here
to apply.
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Streatery Winter-Ready Grant Program
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On Sunday, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the investment of $4 million through the new Streatery Winter Ready Grant program to assist restaurants as they winterize their outdoor dining areas and maintain outdoor dining operations through the colder months. The Mayor’s Office of Nightlife & Culture (MONC), along with the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED), will provide grant recipients with
$6,000
to purchase winterization materials such as tents, heaters, propane, lighting, furniture, advertising cost, and more. Businesses can apply now by visiting
coronavirus.dc.gov/recovery-business
.
The funds will be available to both food retailers/restaurants and non-food retailers that have an active Sidewalk Cafe Permit (public space), Temporary Sidewalk Cafe Permit (also known as a Streatery), or an Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA) Summer Garden (private space) or Sidewalk Cafe Endorsement. While the
application deadline is October 31, 2020
, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the funds are exhausted. Disbursement of funds began on October 1, 2020.
NEW: DC is making a bulk purchase of heaters for Streatery Winter Ready-Grant Program participants
Take
this survey
to be considered for one.
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Streatery Winter-Ready Grant Program & Outdoor Dining Guide
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DC Governement agencies have put together an updated and comprehensive guide to outdoor dining during the current pandemic. Containted within are details about insurance requirements, permits needed, infromation about types of heaters and tents, and more.
Click here
to download the guide.
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From Kathy Hollinger, President, RAMW
As of October 1, due to RAMW’s request and advocacy, the 10.25% sales tax on to-go alcohol has been officially reduced to 10% for off-premise and carry out sales made by bars and restaurants. RAMW was able to convince the Council that the quarter percent additional revenue represented little if any additional revenue to the District but burdened operators who would have to charge a different tax rate for alcohol consumed elsewhere, resulting in programming issues with POS systems and additional training challenges.
On national relief, unfortunately without bipartisan support, it's unlikely that Speaker Pelosi’s HEROES Act, which includes the RESTAURANTS Act will go anywhere, so the National Restaurant Association is pushing that they do something, even if that is just another round of PPP to help people through the coming months. Here is a quick 90-second video they shared to update you on what is happening in Congress and the efforts taken towards Federal relief.
Click here
for the update and
click here
to take action now!
In DC, the Council held a Legislative Session yesterday where our industry had a big win. During the session the Council passed legislation that was co-introduced by Councilmembers McDuffie and Pinto that
extends the streatery allowances until December 31, 2021
. This legislation allows for the continued usage of outdoor public and private space as outlined by ABRA and DDOT. This provides you with certainty during uncertain times, allows you to invest in your outdoor dining spaces, and take advantage of Spring/Summer/Fall 2021 to recoup lost revenue during warmer times. This is a HUGE WIN and something we have been working closely with the Council on. We are also working on this in other jurisdictions and have already had promising conversations in parts of Northern Virginia. We will keep you posted as this develops.
If you applied for the
Streatery Winterization Grant in DC
, your notification of conditional approval is going out via email. Your notification letter includes the request for the itemized budget for the equipment you will purchase with the grant funds and, if applicable, additional documentation to be submitted for the final approval. Once your approval has been finalized, you will be notified by RAMW along with a request for your banking information. You will also receive the subgrant agreement for electronic signature; the subgrant agreement is the final step to receiving to the grant funds. Upon return of the subgrant agreement and your banking information, the funds will be transferred to your account within 2 business days of receipt of the agreement. Please be sure to submit the requested items by the due date as indicated in your letter to
coronavirus@ramw.org
. If you have any questions regarding the Streatery Winterization Grant program, please contact I-shi Patterson Stuart at
ishi@ramw.org
. If you have not yet applied, and wish to, you can do so by
clicking here
.
And finally in DC, in last week’s message, we noted that as a result of our advocacy efforts, the city is creating an
expedited approval process for propane heaters
and it will only take 36-hours upon submission of the application to get approval. This streamlined process will happen through DDOT’s TOPS platform.
Click here
to enter TOPS.
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2020 Local First Awards Nominations
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It’s time for the fourth Annual Local First Awards, held Thursday, November 20, 2020.
As a person who cares about the local DC economy, we need YOU to help us continue to champion small and local businesses, entrepreneurs, and creatives in the District, as some battle to remain open during COVID-19!
Please complete the
Local First Awards Nominations survey
by October 9, 2020 for each of the seven categories. We plan to announce finalists October 16th and winners during the Local First Awards on November 12, 2020.
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The Time Is Now: Creating Inclusive Commercial Districts
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Thursday, October 8 at 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Now is the time for us to talk about how local leaders, small businesses, developers and property owners can adopt a new playbook that values culture, community and places equity at the center of the discussion to preserve, activate and create opportunities for small businesses. To help CNHED weigh-in on this issue, we’ve invited two insightful professionals with a wealth of experience and expertise – Bobby Boone, a retail real estate and urban planning consultant, and Christopher Coes, a real estate policy and advocacy director, to help us begin to shift our mindset to rethink our neighborhood commercial corridors.
Click here to register
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Joseph’s House 30th Year Anniversary Invitation
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Thursday, October 22, 2020 at 7:00 pm
Joseph’s House was founded 30 years ago as a hospice home and community for men with AIDS experiencing homelessness. Since its founding, our community has served hundreds of residents. Joseph’s House continues to offer a welcoming, loving community and currently provides compassionate medical and nonmedical care to individuals with advanced HIV/AIDS and terminal illnesses experiencing homelessness. Join us on October 22nd for an hour-long virtual event to celebrate Joseph’s House’s 30-year anniversary and reflect on what has made our community a place of healing since 1990.
Click here to register
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Bowser Administration Launches moveDC 2021, Encourages Residents to Share Their Transportation Vision
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Yesterday, the Bowser administration, through the DC Department of Transportation (DDOT) announced the launch of moveDC 2021, the long-range plan that will set the 25-year vision for the District’s multimodal transportation system. Residents from across all eight wards who drive, walk, bike, or take public transit will be asked to provide input that will help shape the plan.
“Since Mayor Bowser took office in 2015, DDOT has made huge strides toward building a safer, greener, and more accessible transportation system--this would not have been possible without input from residents across the District,” said DDOT Director Jeff Marootian. “The feedback we collect in the coming weeks will not only inform moveDC2021, but also further our work to secure the District’s position as a leader in public transportation.”
Click here
for more information and
click here
to complete a survey to help guide the city's transportation priorities.
There will be two town hall meetings on October 13 & 15.
Click here
to register.
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SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Sponsor one of our community events! Partner with our community while reaching some of the city's most desirable demographics. For details, contact
Kristen Barden
at
202-997-0783.
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©
Adams Morgan Partnership
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