February 8, 2023
Updates from Adams Morgan
Click Here
to see previous updates in our newsletter archive
Check
ObviouslyDC.com
for the latest in DC government funding and grant opportunities for businesses.
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IMPORTANT: Ongoing Crimes in Adams Morgan
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As many of you are aware, there has been a recent string of break-ins and thefts at numerous Adams Morgan businesses during the early morning hours over the past few weeks.
There have been over a dozen incidents -- many repeated at the same businesses -- where glass doors and windows have been broken to gain access to the business. Most of the instances appear to involve a single person going in, grabbing the cash register or POS, and quickly exiting. The situation is alarming and we are working closely with MPD, CM Nadeau's office, the Mayor's Office of Nightlife & Culture, and others to ensure that this is a top priority. MPD is taking this seriously and has promised to add more pre-dawn patrols to our streets.
What you can do
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Be diligent
-- don't leave cash in the register and try not to leave anything of value visible in the windows
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Put a sign in the window that says: "
NO CASH. SAFE IS LOCKED WITH TIMED ENTRY ONLY
."
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If you don't have
security cameras
, consider installing them and if your camera system is more than five or six years old, consider an upgrade -- cameras are much better and cheaper than they were just a few years ago.
Click here for information about DC Government Camera Rebate Program
that will reimburse you for the cost of cameras (but not installation) that are focused on the exterior of your home or business.
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Consider reinforcing your windows.
We spoke to a company called
Eastern Metallizing
that offers a film that is applied to the inside of the glass. It doesn't prevent the glass from breaking, but it keeps the glass together and attached to the frame helping to prevent anyone from entering through a broken window. We're told that most insurance companies consider the film to be a part of the window once it's installed and will cover the reinstallation of the film if the window needs to be replaced. The company president (Patrick Clugston) agreed to give Adams Morgan businesses a discount.
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I
f you have a break-in please report it to MPD
, even if it happened some time ago and you didn't report it at the time. Police resource deployment is often determined by the number of incidents in an area so it is very important that MPD knows about all the incidents in Adams Morgan
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February AMPBID Board Meeting
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The next board meeting of the Adams Morgan Partnership Business Improvement District (AMPBID) will be on February 14 at 5pm via Zoom. In addition to regular business the nominations committee will present a slate of candidates for the board election in March.
Click here
to attend the board meeting via Zoom on Tuesday, February 14 at 5pm.
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2023 Annual Meeting and Board Elections
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Adams Morgan Partnership Business Improvement District’s (AMPBID) Annual Meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 14th, from 8:45am to 11:00am
at
Roofers Union
, 2446 18th Street NW. A breakfast buffet will be available from 8:45am and presentations will begin at 9:30 am. Contact
Kristen Barden
for more information and to RSVP. The meeting will be streamed online. More details about the meeting and elections can be found on our
website
.
Board Elections:
AMPBID holds elections every year at our annual meeting in March. The board consists of 15 seats, nine of which are reserved for commercial property owners and six for business owners. Board members are elected to serve three-year terms (unless they are replacing a board member who resigned before the end of their term). This year's election will be for 6 positions on the Board of Directors (4 property owners and 2 business owners).
The nominations committee has concluded their work and no further board nominations will be accepted for this election.
Postcards with information about the AMPBID Annual Meeting were mailed to all AMPBID members in January. Ballots for the election will be sent in mid-February after the Nominating Committee presents their slate of candidates.
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Let Us Know About Your Big Game Specials
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Please tag us in your social media posts about any Super Bowl specials or events your business is hosting so we can help amplify your message to connect with more potential customers.
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Adams Morgan Valentine's Day Storefront Decorating Contest
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The Adams Morgan Partnership BID is sponsoring our fourth annual Valentine’s Day retail storefront decorating contest. The lineup of businesses is all set and judging (in-person and online) will commence on Friday!
Click here
for the list of participants and for info on how to vote for your favorite.
Prizes:
1st Place $500; 2nd Place $300; 3rd Place: $100
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Adams Morgan Businesses: Participate in Our AdMo Random Acts of Kindness Campaign!
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As a thank you to Adams Morgan patrons and to spread kindness, we have assembled 1,000 small “goodie bags” for businesses to distribute at their point of sale. The goodie bags include candy and a small card that explains the
“AdMo Random Acts of Kindness”
campaign.
It is free to participate, but limited to the first 20 businesses that sign up.
50 bags will be provided to each participating businesses on or before Friday, February 10th. The candy should be distributed to customers on Tuesday, February 14th at POS.
If you'd like to participate please email
Brian Barrie
. These will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
We still have room for a few more businesses to participate -- act fast!
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Welcome our Spring Intern, Kate Lewis
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Kate Lewis is the new spring intern for Adams Morgan BID. She is a freshman at New York University but spending a semester here in DC. She's is still new to the neighborhood but is loving it already.
Among other tasks, Kate will be assisting in planning our spring events and will take the lead in organizing our annual AdMo Art Walk in April.
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Business Spotlight: Bukom Cafe
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All year round, we encourage our community to support Black-owned businesses. In celebration of Black History Month, we will be highlighting a few Black-owned businesses in Adams Morgan and encourage you to show your support this month and beyond! Get to know Ibou Diallo of
Bukom Cafe
in this Business Spotlight Q&A.
Adams Morgan Partnership BID:
What makes your business unique? Tell us more about Bukom Cafe!
Ibou Diallo:
Celebrating 30 years in Adams Morgan serving great Afro Caribbean food and providing great live entertainment.
AMPBID
: Why did you go into business? Was there a single event that spurred you into it?
Diallo
: One of the only bars to provide Live Reggae Music and great food in the area. After the longtime owner finally decided to retire, my two business partners and I saw an opportunity we could not pass up.
AMPBID
: What is your motivation/what gets you up every morning and keeps you focused?
Diallo
: Bukom is an institution, visited by folks from all walks of life. It would be a tragedy to see it close for business. The people, the food and the warm atmosphere are a few reasons why Bukom is worth preserving.
AMPBID
: What’s your favorite part about the Adams Morgan community and why?
Diallo
: Adams Morgan is vibrant, diverse, eclectic and a hotbed for live music in the DC area. We want to improve what's already great by bringing more live entertainment, experimenting with a few food offerings, and continuing to offer a welcoming environment.
AMPBID
: What’s something your customers may not know about you and/or your business that might surprise them?
Diallo
: My band frequently plays in the evenings at Bukom, I have been performing there for the past 10 years. Come check us out! More information about my band and live music can be found at Bukomcafe.com under ‘events’.
Bukom Cafe
is located at 2442 18th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009. Bukom Cafe’s hours of operation are Sunday, Tuesday - Thursday from 3pm - 10pm and Friday - Saturday from 3pm - 2am. Learn more at
bukomcafe.com
.
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Adams Morgan's Throughline, Inc. Appoints Brandon T. Jones as New CEO
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Throughline, Inc.
one of the nation’s leading enterprise design strategy firms, announced today that Brandon T. Jones has been appointed CEO of the company. Jones will succeed founder and CEO, Scott Williams, and assume responsibilities on February 1, 2023. Williams will transition to CEO of Throughline Enterprises, which includes NimbleStory, Topo, and Throughline-Hana.
Jones previously served as the CIO of Worldwide Assurance for Employees of Public Agencies (WAEPA), where he led the non-profit’s Digital Evolution Efforts and strategic initiatives. Prior to joining WAEPA, Jones served as a management consultant at PwC leading their Cybersecurity efforts within the Department of Navy and served as the Principal Deputy CIO at Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) where he oversaw a $120M IT budget that supported a worldwide operation, spanning seventeen major component commands and over 100 remote offices. Jones’ previous experiences at the Department of Defense and within commercial and non-profit sectors will be tremendously valuable to the future of Throughline and their clients. [
read the full release here
]
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DC Tipped Wage Increase Starts May 1.
The new hourly $6 rate unanimously passed second reading yesterday in Council and now heads to the mayor's desk for her signature.
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More to come:
Proposals to help mitigate costs and other challenges of ending the tip credit remain in discussion. More member education is also in the works.
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ICYMI:
You can (re)watch RAMW’s popular wage modeling webinar
on demand anytime
as you consider options for your operations.
Signups for RAMW’s
Spring Wine Fling
open today with all-new marketing efforts to help turn the winter blues into reds, whites and rosés!
National Notes:
The IRS yesterday proposed the
Service Industry Tip Compliance Agreement Program
, a voluntary alternative to current reporting programs.
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Our national partners are establishing a comment working group. Contact
che@ramw.org
for more info.
RRF Reminder:
Restaurants that received Restaurant Revitalization Funds
have until March 11
to use award funds and file their spending report.
Save on Energy and Get Tax Credits
: At 3 pm on February 21, join us for a 30 minute webinar with our partners at Electric Advisors to find out How Energy Choice Can Improve Your Bottom Line.
Register today
.
For Your Consideration
… Nominations are open for the 2023 RAMMYS! Submit your nominations (including for yourself) in 14
restaurant and individual categories
by February 28.
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Nominations for five publicly voted categories open soon.
All finalists will be announced April 10.
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Celebrate good times.
Be sure to join us for the ceremony and reception in July at the convention center.
One more on the funding front
:
DoorDash Capital
is a new service for DoorDash merchants offering financing to grow your restaurant, purchase equipment, or support operating expenses.
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Equality Chamber Grants - up to $25,000 for your neighborhood restaurants
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NGLCC and the Grubhub Community Fund have come together once again to provide vital assistance for LGBTQ+-owned and allied restaurants, cafes, bars serving food, and other eating establishments. The NGLCC Community Impact Grant Program, supported by the Grubhub Community Fund, provides a financial lifeline to these businesses with grants expected to range from $10,000 to $25,000.
Click here
for more information and to apply.
Application deadline is February 14.
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Great Streets Retail Small Business Grants now open; Awards up to $80,000
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Great Streets
is the District’s commercial revitalization initiative designed to support existing small businesses, attract new businesses, increase the District’s tax base, create new job opportunities for District Residents, and transform 13 emerging corridors into thriving and inviting neighborhood centers. Learn more at
greatstreets.dc.gov
.
Grants can be used for a variety of improvements, including storefront renovations, equipment purchases and technology enhancements to support e-commerce.
Applications are now open and will be accepted until February 24 at 5pm.
Click here
to view the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)
All businesses within the
boundaries
of the Adams Morgan Partnership BID are in a Great Streets Corridor.
Click here
for more information about other qualifications.
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Commercial Property Acquisition Fund RFP is now open
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The
Commercial Property Acquisition Fund
(CPAF), which will provide eligible businesses with down payment assistance of up to $750,000 or 25% of the sale price, whichever is less, for the acquisition of commercial property in the District is now accepting applications. This year businesses will need to complete the
Commercial Property Acquisition 101 course
in order to apply for the Fund.
Status: OPEN now on a rolling basis until funds are expended
Neighborhood Prosperity Fund (DMPED)
Neighborhood Prosperity Fund (NPF) incentivizes community development, economic growth, and job creation by leveraging local funds to provide gap financing for projects that attract private investment to distressed communities. Grant funds support architectural and engineering costs, construction costs, tenant improvements, historical preservation building improvements to maintain compliance with applicable laws, development analysis, rent abatement and/or tenant concessions for up to 3 years to stabilize market rent.
Click here
to view the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA).
Request for Application (RFA) Release Date: Monday, January 30, 2023
Locally Made Manufacturing Grant (DMPED)
The Locally Made Manufacturing Grant program supports local businesses that are located in a Great Streets corridor that engage in light manufacturing by providing funding for capital or tenant improvements of commercial property with a designated industrial use. This grant is intended to grow the District’s local business economy, bolster manufacturing, and strengthen supply chains within the city.
Click here
to view the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA).
Request for Application (RFA) Release Date: Monday, January 30, 2023
Robust Retail 2023 Grant (DSLBD)
The 2023 Robust Retail Citywide grant(s) support existing DC-based retail businesses in maintaining operations and viability during the current small business crisis. DSLBD intends to award up to $5,000 per business to approximately 100 businesses from the $500,000 in available funding for the Fiscal Year 2023.
CLOSES:
April 10, 2023, at 2:00 PM.
Learn more at
https://dslbd.dc.gov/robustretailgrant
Visit ObviouslyDC.com
for more information about these and other funding opportunities
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Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon returns on Saturday, March 18
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The Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon will once again make its way through Adams Morgan this year. As in previous years, the runners will enter the neighborhood via the Ellington Bridge and Calvert Street, continuing to the corner of Adams Mill Rd. and Columbia Rd. where they will turn left (east). The course continues east on Columbia Rd. before turning right on to Harvard St. and on into Columbia Heights.
Most road closures and detours on Saturday will be in effect between the hours of 7:00am and 2:00pm. Streets will reopen on a rolling basis as soon as the last participant has passed and all course support materials have been removed. Please review the
road closure grid
and
course map
for more information. Residents and businesses located near the race course are urged to plan ahead and be aware of road closure schedules and alternate access routes.
Click here
for more information about road closures.
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Metro's new strategic transformation plan -
Your Metro, the Way Forward
- will guide long-term decision making and everyday actions for Metrorail, Metrobus, and MetroAccess over the next five-plus years. We have a lot of important work to accomplish in that time – we’re reimagining the bus network, building bus garages that ensure clean air for our communities, strengthening infrastructure, and working to deliver safe, reliable, convenient, and enjoyable service for all customers.
Please take a look at
the plan
and submit your feedback.
Metro wants to capture all their stakeholders’ needs—later service, extra service, surge service for events, bus stops in specific locations, better signage—the list for consideration is endless.
Your voice is critical to this process.
Please share your feedback by Tuesday, Feb. 14, at 5 p.m
., when the public comment period ends. Visit
wmata.com/strategicplan
to:
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Read the draft strategic transformation plan
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Submit a letter
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Complete the
survey
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Find out more information about the hybrid public hearing on Thursday, Feb. 9, at 6:30 p.m. Participants can attend in person at Northern Virginia Transportation Commission in Arlington, and there are multiple ways to participate virtually
As the final step, we ask that you share with your own email lists, networks, neighbors, and fellow Metro customers to encourage broad and active regional engagement. A communications toolkit is available at
wmata.com/toolkit
with suggested newsletter text and social posts for your use.
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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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BOARD MEETINGS
The Board of Directors of the Adams Morgan Partnership Business Improvement District meets on the second Tuesday of every month (except August). Meetings are currently being held online and begin at 5pm.
Our Annual Meeting is held in March. Contact
Brian Barrie
for information about attending board meetings.
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©
Adams Morgan Partnership
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