The NoMa Parks Foundation has worked with DDOT to design and build an incredible trio of public plazas and green space at the heart of NoMa. These yet-to-be-named spaces form a green and walkable bridge between the southern core of NoMa and the Eckington end of the neighborhood. While these spaces are designed to be a draw for the community of residents and workers, the BID will utilize programming and core services to truly bring them to life.

The strategy to do so is necessarily different from a space like Tanner Park and must be centered on creating a communal sense of ownership in the spaces, while finding creative ways to connect people with them that feel organic and comfortable.

Progress on this initiative in 2022 included:

• Publicizing the upcoming infrastructure changes and promoting the value of the new plaza/park spaces
• Including the Wendy’s property in the D.C. Walls mural festival, drawing public attention to the forthcoming changes by securing dozens of media placements with a cumulative audience reach of more than 80 million
• Installing new neighborhood banners to create aesthetic and thematic unity between the north and south ends of NoMa
• Began community naming process for the three public spaces that will be delivered with the project
• Entered into an agreement with the District outlining the BID’s future commitment to maintenance of the public spaces

Targeted work on this initiative for 2023 will include:

• Actively working to maintain the connection between the north and south ends of NoMa during construction work on the intersection
• Initial planning of operations and community engagement around the new spaces, including working with ANCs and civic associations, and launching ongoing communications to stakeholders
• Launching the public naming process for the new plaza spaces, providing a sense of involvement and ownership for the greater NoMa community
• Exploring the expanded use of “block the box” cameras at nearby intersections to avoid gridlock during construction
• Working with WMATA to market Metro and educate employers about mass transit
• Including commuter education for employers in the BID’s business services portfolio