Chris Bernardo

Elizabeth Price: Lessons learned from using a BID to market a new neighborhood

 

By Jonathan O'Connell, Published: September 25

When Elizabeth Price became president of the the NoMa Business Improvement District in 2007, the country was headed toward a financial crisis and many Washington area executives hadn’t heard of the place, much less considered leasing there.

By the time Price announced this summer that she was leaving the BID, NoMa had become an established office market that is now adding hundreds of units of housing each year.

NoMa is short for “North of Massachusetts Avenue,” a neighborhood north of Union Station. The district is bounded by Massachusetts Avenue to the south, New Jersey and North Capitol Street to the west, and Q and R streets to the north; it also extends eastward just beyond the CSX/Metrorail tracks

Price managed and marketed NoMa for four years, through two District mayors, two trips to the International Council of Shopping Centers conference and one financial crisis. Via e-mail from her new home in Germany, she offered some lessons learned from her work.

What were a few key turning points that allowed NoMa to evolve?

In one week in April 2008, we landed two major anchor tenants — the new National Public Radio headquarters and 600,000 square feet for the Department of Justice, which put us on the map for a lot of people.

Second, Constitution Square. Nothing accelerates neighborhood development better than a mega, mixed-used project delivering 1.6 million square feet of office, hotel, residential and retail space. It brought a critical mass of people and retail amenities to the heart of NoMa. The most important component of that project was the 50,000 square-foot Harris Teeter. It has become a magnet for the neighborhood and a huge selling point to new residents.

COOPERATIVE Efforts Help Keep Ironbound District Clean and Safe

NEWARK, N.J., May 13, 2011 – In Newark’s Ironbound District, everyone agrees a clean and safe community is a top priority. Cooperative efforts between local business and commercial property owners, the Ironbound Business Improvement District (IBID) and the Newark Police Department are making important contributions to the quality of life for the people who live and work in the district as well as the Ironbound’s many visitors.

“The Ironbound is a hub of economic activity that draws people to the City of Newark and our goal is to make everyone feel welcome,” noted Seth A. Grossman, the IBID’s executive director. “That means paying attention to the details, like illegal or improper disposal of trash or streetscape safety issues that can lead to other problems and concerns.”

As part of their supplemental cleaning efforts in the Ironbound District, representatives of Commercial District Services (CDS), the IBID’s new streetscape cleaning contractor, are always on the lookout for potential problems. They have become extra “eyes and ears” on the streets of the Ironbound and work closely with the IBID and the Newark PD on behalf of the community.

“The Ironbound has been a popular dining destination for many years, and the many events at the nearby Prudential Center and Red Bull Arena have attracted even more visitors,” noted Chris Bernardo, a CDS principal who is supervising the Ironbound Clean Team. “We want every person who visits to be an advocate for the Ironbound by telling their families and friends that the dining, shopping and entertainment is first class and the district is clean and attractive.”

Mt. Prospect Partnership’s New Contractor Earns High Marks For Supplemental Cleaning Services

NEWARK, N.J., August 24, 2011 -- Commercial District Services (CDS), Mt Prospect Partnership’s (MPP) new streetscape cleaning contractor, has quickly made a positive impression on local business owners and residents. The Clean Team started on August 1st and has made an immediate impact on the “curb appeal” along Mt. Prospect Avenue in Newark’s North Ward. At the same time, the expansion of service hours from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday for security patrols provided by Sterling Securities has also underscored the commitment of the Partnership’s business and commercial property owners and local residents to quality of life concerns.

"CDS has the capacity to expand our cleaning efforts to include supplemental sidewalk power washing, graffiti removal, poster removal, monitoring and reporting of illegal dumping, some landscaping, and other cleanup and maintenance needs," said Frank Petolino, the owner of Petolino Florists and Executive Director of the MPP. “The Partnership believes that keeping the Mt. Prospect Avenue streetscape clean and green shows that we care about our community and want residents, business owners and employees and visitors to the district to feel welcome.”

Chris Bernardo, a CDS principal who is personally supervising Clean Team members Carlos Saravia and Andy Genao, noted that CDS will provide services Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Mt. Prospect Avenue from Bloomfield Avenue to Tiffany Boulevard including sweeping the sidewalks and curb lines, removing posters and illegal signage from light poles and other public utilities and amenities and changing trash can liners.

CDS works directly with district stakeholders, private vendors and government agencies to ensure that trash disposal practices of local businesses and residents comply with local ordinances and do not have a negative effect on the public's enjoyment of the district. CDS also works in coordination with Sterling Securities to deter panhandling in the district.

"We are excited about the opportunity to provide service to such a great and historic neighborhood in our state's largest City,” added Bernardo."The experience we have gained working in other commercial districts and public spaces has helped us learn what equipment and manpower is necessary to get the job done and we look forward to making a positive impact.”