BRC Bulletin

Volume 4, Issue 7, July 7, 2005

Adams Morgan BID, Doing Business in DC Guide, Downtown Circulator, Online Grants Database, NxLevel Classes

1. Deputy Mayor Stanley Jackson Announces a Public Hearing on the Application for Adams Morgan Business Improvement District
2. Washington DC Marketing Center Publishes Doing Business in DC Guide
3. Downtown DC Business Improvement District Launches Downtown Circulator
4. Office of Partnerships and Grants Development Delivers New Online Grants Database
5. Small Business Development Center Offers NxLevel Classes

1. Deputy Mayor Stanley Jackson Announces a Public Hearing on the Application for Adams Morgan Business Improvement District

Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Stanley Jackson has announced a Public Hearing on the matter of the application from the Adams Morgan Partnership to establish the Adams Morgan Business Improvement District. The hearing will take place on Thursday, July 21 at 10:30 am in Room 412, John A. Wilson Building; 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW; Washington, DC 20004. On June 21, Deputy Mayor Jackson sent a letter to the Adams Morgan Partnership in which he determined that the filing criteria have been met and that the application is in conformity with the law. This public hearing will determine whether or not the BID application meets the purposes of the BID law, the definition of BID activity and all other BID application requirements.

The Deputy Mayor invites the public to testify at the roundtable. Those who wish to testify should contact John McGaw at (202) 727-6705 or and provide your name, organizational affiliation (if any), and title with the organization by 5 pm Wednesday, July 20, 2005. Witnesses should bring five copies of their written testimony to the hearing. In order to permit each witness an opportunity to be heard, the Deputy Mayor allows individuals three minutes to provide oral testimony and panels will be allowed five minutes collectively for the entire panel. Additional written statements are encouraged and will be made part of the official record. Written statements may be submitted by email to john.mcgaw@dc.gov or mailed to: John McGaw, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development; 1350 Pennsylvania Ave., NW; Suite 317; Washington, DC 20004. The public hearing record will close five days following the conclusion of the hearing. Persons submitting written statements for the record should observe this deadline.

View the full Notice of Public Hearing

Visit DMPED

2. Washington DC Marketing Center Publishes Doing Business in DC Guide

The Washington, DC Marketing Center will officially release the publication of Doing Business in Washington, DC Thursday, July 14, 2005.

Doing Business in Washington, DC, is an updated version of last year's Starting Your Business in Washington, DC. It offers many extras that will help start-up companies looking to locate in the District as well as businesses that already exist in other states and are seeking to relocate to the District of Columbia. The guide has a step-by-step layout that is easy to read and easy to follow.

This guide is a comprehensive reference tool for doing business in the District and works to reduce the anxiety many business owners experience when starting a business and working with a local government. The guide helps business owners focus on their business plans more effectively by providing a flow-chart format with information on start-up conditions, registration and licensing, options for business financing, business taxes, financial incentives, business insurance, how to do business with the District Government and several listings of resource centers that will help each step of the way.

Doing Business in Washington, DC will be available at the offices of the DC Marketing Center, the Enhanced Business Information Center and many other business resource centers in Washington, DC. For additional information please visit the DC Marketing Center website.

3. Downtown DC Business Improvement District Launches Downtown Circulator

The DC Circulator, a new fleet of 29 colorful buses connecting many of the city's tourist spots and major business centers, is set to launch Sunday, July 10.

Operating seven days a week from 7 am to 9 pm, the Circulator will transport residents, workers and visitors quickly and inexpensively along two initial routes designed to complement existing commuter-friendly bus and rail lines:

• An east-west link between Union Station and Georgetown along K Street, NW
• A north-south route connecting the Southwest Waterfront with the Convention Center via the Mall and 7th Street, NW

• Patrons pay $1 per ride on the bus or can purchase a ticket at fare machines located on sidewalks along the designated routes.
• Transfers between Circulator lines services will be free.
• SmarTrip fare cards will be accepted for payment.
• Riders will flash their tickets to "checkers" on buses.
• Circulator buses will run at 5 to 10 minute intervals.

The Circulator fleet consists of 29 Belgian-made, European-looking buses featuring three street-level doors, low floors and large, tourist-style windows. The multiple doors will allow passengers to enter and exit quickly. There will be 24 buses in service with five in reserve.

4. Office of Partnerships and Grants Development Delivers New Online Grants Database

The Mayor's Office of Partnerships and Grants Development (OPGD), in association with the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO), announces its new . This online grants database is designed for use by local nonprofit and community-based organizations, as well as DC government agencies, and is available on the OPGD website.

The system provides information on current competitive federal, city and foundation grant opportunities for which local organizations are eligible. Grants are searchable by grantor type/name, issue area or key words in the title. In addition, all grants may be searched by an ID number assigned by the system. These numbers will be included in grant listings in OPGD's Funding Alert newsletter for easier access to grant details.

Another aspect of this system is the online State Single Point of Contact application process.

5. Small Business Development Center Offers NxLevel Classes

The Washington, DC Small Business Development Center at Howard University presents NxLevel for Business Start-ups, a 10-week (administered over 12 weeks), 30-hour course that addresses those questions every entrepreneur needs to answer before starting a business venture. Participants develop a start-up business plan during the course to test the feasibility of their business concept and to act as the blueprint for their start-up venture.

Classes will take place Thursday evenings from July 21, 2005 through October 6, 2005 in the Enhanced Business Information Center (e-BIC) in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library at 901 G Street, NW. The cost for this program is $200. To register, call (202) 806-1550 and request a complete application or download the application at the DCSBDC website.

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