January 19, 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

Indoor Dining "Pause" Ends Friday, January 22 at 5 AM

Inauguration Day: Wednesday, January 20, 2021

There have been some updates to the bridge and street closures -- CLICK HERE for the latest up-to-date maps and listings of closures.

CLICK HERE for information about Modified District Government Services for Inauguration Day

Click here to download a printable version of this poster if you wish to display it at your business.

Inauguration Specials in Adams Morgan

Jack Rose Dining Saloon

• There’s still time to order your #Inauguration “Boozy New Deal” cocktail kit! We’ll only be open for takeout food + booze (our full dinner menu plus the #bottleshop) on Wednesday 1/20, from 1-7pm! Pick up your at-home celebration necessities and toast to a new beginning!

Tryst

• This is not your average “Cup of Joe”. Wednesday, save 46% on your hot or iced drip coffee order in honor of our 46th President. #InaugurationDay #CupOfJoe #46

Urban Dwell

• Madame Vice President pins at the register with proceeds going to N Street Village , an organization empowering homeless women within Washington, D.C. Art is by @artbywebbie

Update from RAMW

From Kathy Hollinger, President, RAMW

Inauguration Week has arrived, and the city looks vastly different than past Inaugurations. If you have not already, sign up for timely text alerts by sending the message INAUG2021 to 888-777.

On employee transportation, we know many of you are facing the challenge of being able to get your employees to and from work with the recent closures. We worked very quickly to secure a plan with Lyft, funded by RAMW’s Worker Relief Fund, and in partnership with several generous donors, to provide partially subsidized rides for DC restaurant employees. We have a limited budget to support this, but will look to keep it going through 1/21 depending on available funds and how quickly the rides are utilized by restaurants. Employers must REGISTER HERE to receive a rider code that when entered in the Lyft App, provides a $10 credit per employee for up to 4 rides. These are only for employees of DC restaurants who you have specifically scheduled to work during this time, and at the discretion of the operator to thoughtfully distribute.

If you see something, say something. If you see any behavior that you deem to be suspicious, you can report it directly to the police text tip line by sending an anonymous text to MPD at 50411. You can also call 911 to report any suspicious or concerning activity or report activity to iWATCH.org . Here is a link to the sort of behavior MPD views as suspicious.

Supporting the National Guard. As you know, our city and region have experienced an influx of members of the National Guard, as they work to protect our Democracy and the peaceful transfer of power. Many of you have expressed interest in supporting the Guard. Restaurateurs Spike and Micheline Mendelsohn launched a “We the Troops” food drive to provide meals from local restaurants. Micheline is working to coordinate this effort scheduling meal drops to the DCNG at various times per day. These are paid efforts, wherein Micheline is suggesting restaurants try to stay within $8 per meal, to be reimbursed next week. If you are interested please mobilize quickly and text Micheline at 202-352-5083 to let her know you would like to provide food. She is working to fill meal drops for next Saturday and Sunday, but additional requests may surface.

Alternatively, if you prefer, you can connect directly with the National Guard to provide meals by contacting Captain Strickland of the DCNG at Leujuan.t.Strickland.mil@mail.mil , and he will connect you directly with his food services team to help coordinate food drop.

Also in DC, I want to share a quick update on the Restaurant Bridge Fund . We have previously shared that the city was going to start contacting awardees, however due to the unprecedented unrest in the region surrounding the Inauguration the notification has been delayed, and will likely happen early next week, if not sooner. We understand that this is a huge inconvenience as you are in need of the additional funding NOW, which is what we are telling the city and are pushing them to assign support personnel that can move forward quickly with the Bridge Fund grant administration.

Finally, as you know foodservice workers will be eligible to get vaccinated in Phase 1c, Tier 1. The city previously indicated they are hoping to reach this phase in early February, but this is also dependent on vaccine supply. In the meantime, we know that the city is working quickly to make sure that an infrastructure is in place that allows for seamless registration for our industry, and they are looking to what other jurisdictions have put in place, and will likely replicate. In Arlington for example, employers are responsible for submitting one form on behalf of all employees to validate employment. While not official, it is likely something similar will occur in DC, and this will take place before Phase 1c is reached. We will share more information once it is available. For all jurisdictions, there is a vaccination guide by location on our website for reference.

Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Round 2

US Small Business Administration (SBA) re-opened its Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan portal to eligible lenders through March 2021 for businesses that need assistance retaining their employees (1st time and repeat PPP borrowers welcome).

Important: It is absolutely critical that you are meticulous with the information you supply in your application. With so much demand for these Federal relief dollars, the SBA will not be doing follow-up with applicants who have incorrect or missing information. If there are errors or inconsistencies, the loan application will likely be denied. Additionally, the SBA will not be doing the instant loan approvals that happened during PPP in the spring. The review time and approval will take longer this round, so be prepared to practice patience, hard as it will be.

To Get Started

(1) GET IN LINE: Let your lender know TODAY that you would like to apply and follow their next steps. Don't have a lender? Get matched with one using DSLBD's DC Capital Connector .

(2) GET APPLICATION ASSISTANCE

Watch Mayor Bowser's Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Office (DMPED)'s PPP 2.0 Overview (Jan. 5 video and slides) with best practices from DC business PPP borrowers. More to come at coronavirus.dc.gov/page/recovery-businesses

Contact DSLBD's DC Procurement Technical Assistance Center team at 202-727-3900 ext. 7 or dslbd.ptac@dc.gov

Contact a local business assistance service provider such as DC Small Business Development Center , Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) , or the Washington DC Women's Business Center .

Second Entertainment Bridge Fund Program Will Provide Relief Grants to Entertainment Industry Supporting Businesses

On Monday, Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) launched the application for the $9.5 million Entertainment Bridge Fund Supporting Businesses Program . The Supporting Businesses Program is the second program of the Entertainment Bridge Fund. It will provide grants ranging between $5,000 - $50,000 to businesses that provide services that heavily rely on large gatherings related to entertainment, events, trade shows, and/or tourism and have been indirectly impacted by restrictions mandated due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. Click here for more information and to apply. Applications will be accepted until Friday January 22, 2021 at 5 pm.

Robust Retail Grant Applications Open

DSLBD has opened applications for their 2021 Robust Retail Grant . The deadline to apply is January 28, 2021 at 2 pm . The purpose of the grant is to support existing DC-based retail businesses maintaining operations and viability during the current small business crisis.

How will grants be awarded, and for how much?

DSLBD intends to award up to $7,500 per business to 106 businesses from the total $800,000 in available funding for Fiscal Year 2021. This grant will be operated as a reimbursement grant, awarded via lottery, to DC retail businesses that have met all eligibility requirements by the final deadline.

Save the Date

AMPBID Annual Meeting: Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Adams Morgan Partnership Business Improvement District’s Annual Meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 at 5pm. The meeting will be held online via Zoom. Postcards were mailed to all commercial property and business owners last week.

IMPORTANT: To attend the annual meeting as a voting member (all commercial property and business owners within the AMPBID boundaries are automatically members) you must send us your email address via this form . Links to participate in the Zoom meeting and further details (including voting procedures) will be sent via email.

In addition to other business, we will hold elections for five positions on the Board of Directors (3 property owners and 2 business owners whose terms expire in March) at the meeting.

Nominations (per the process in our bylaws) will be accepted until January 29th. Nominating petitions for board members must be submitted to Kristen Barden, Executive Director, at least 40 days prior to the date of the meeting (January 29, 2021). Petitions must have the signatures of at least 10 AMPBID members. The AMPBID’s nominating committee will also nominate candidates.

Please fill out the above form by February 15, 2021 so we can send your ballot. If you have questions, please call Brian at 202.536.9515 or email at bbarrie@admodc.org.

There will be a special meeting of the AMPBID Board of Directors on Tuesday, February 9, 2021 to vote on a new Five-Year plan

All business improvement districts (BIDs) in the District of Columbia must be renewed every five years. The process for renewal is laid out in the law that establishes business improvement districts (DC ST § 2-1215.18). Before re-registering, the BID should develop a business plan for the next five years that includes a proposed budget. The board should approve the new business plan by a 2/3 vote at a meeting called for that purpose.

Also at the February board meeting, the nominating committee will provide a written list of the candidates for board membership to be voted on at the annual meeting on March 9, 2021.

Valentine's Day Window Contest:

$500 for the winning business!

This year we are bringing back the Valentine's Day retail window decorating contest. All Adams Morgan businesses with sidewalk-facing windows in the business district are eligible to participate.

Businesses are encouraged to begin decorating their windows as soon as possible. Judging will take place on or around February 12. Winners will be announced on Valentines Day (February 14).

Judging will be based on originality, use of space, overall creativity, and other factors as determined by the judges.

Judging will be conducted by a panel consisting of residents and/or elected officials. None of the judges will have any direct affiliation with participating businesses or be members of the Adams Morgan Partnership BID. The community will also be able to vote on their favorites through an online poll on our website.

Prizes: 1st Place $500; 2nd Place $300; 3rd Place: $200

To participate in the contest, businesses must sign up using this form . If you don't sign up you will not be eligible to win prizes. A list of all participating businesses will be published on our website.

Last year's winners were:

• 1st Place: CenterPointe , 1802 Adams Mill Rd NW, B
• 2nd Place: Mintwood Place , 1813 Columbia Rd NW
• 3rd Place: Duplex Diner , 2004 18th St NW

Grant Contest for Small Businesses

To help small businesses in the new year, Create & Cultivate and Mastercard have launched a new business grant contest to provide business owners with the funds and support they deserve.

They will be awarding:

• Five $10,000 grants
• Two $25,000 grants

Learn more and apply here .

Click here for the full rules and eligibility requirements.

Two Marketing Webinars This Week

Part 1: Developing Your Marketing Plan

Wednesday, January 20, 10:30AM

This webinar will help you build a road map you can use to identify your ideal clients and discover a value proposition that will set you above your competition. We will also review pricing and channel strategies.

Register for Part 1

Part 2: Promoting Your Business

Thursday, January 21, 12PM

In this webinar we'll walk through how to build your marketing message, review different promotional methods and show you how to create your promotional plan. We'll also review high level steps to set up an effective website.

Register for Part 2

Energy Benchmarking 101 for Buildings 10k-50k sq. ft.

Starting in 2022, buildings 25,000 square feet and above must submit a benchmarking report (with their calendar year 2021 data). In 2025, buildings 10,000 square feet and above must submit a benchmarking report (with their calendar year 2024 data).

Want to learn more? Sign up for the Department of Energy and Environment’s (DOEE) “Benchmarking 101 for Buildings 10k-50k sq. ft.” webinar to learn what information you will need to benchmark your property and how to submit a report to DOEE. The event is open to District building owners, property managers, contractors, consultants, and sustainability professionals.

To ensure building owners are prepared to meet their reporting requirements, DOEE will be offering incentives to buildings that submit benchmarking data before their reporting deadline, including:

• One-on-one benchmarking support
• Connect you to District of Columbia’s Sustainable Energy Utility’s (DCSEU) small business incentive program

Tuesday, January 26; 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST

RSVP HERE

Washington Gas Virtual Community Meeting: Energy Efficiency – What’s in it For You

In the spirit of a healthy and productive year, please plan to join Washington Gas for a virtual community meeting: Energy Efficiency – What’s in it For You which is scheduled for Tuesday, January 26, 2021 from 5:00 to 6:30 pm. The virtual community meeting is a continuation of the discussion Washington Gas began last year with an overview of its Climate Business Plan of Washington, DC which was filed with the DC Public Service Commission and addresses steps that can be taken to help the District reach its climate goals for carbon neutrality.

Tuesday, January 26, 2021 at 5:00 pm.

Click here to RSVP

DCRA Small Business Workshops for January:

Webinar: DCRA At Your Neighborhood Library - Learn The Process Of Starting A Business Virtually

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

DCRA Virtual Business Exchange

Thursday, January 28, 2021

SBRC One-On-One Call Session: Steps to Obtaining a Business License

Monday - Friday; By appointment between 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Click here for more information and to register.

Submit your events and specials!

List your Adams Morgan events and business specials on our webpage for free! Click here to go to the event submission form, fill it out completely, and click on "submit event." Event submissions are reviewed to ensure the events either take place within the Adams Morgan business district or are being put on by an Adams Morgan business, and once approved should appear on the website within 48 hours.

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.

Tag us on social media!

© Adams Morgan Partnership