Fenty, business target 'NoMa'

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Prospects for redeveloping the area north of Massachusetts Avenue Northeast, or "NoMa," are taking a step forward with Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's order endorsing a business-improvement district for the area.

Mr. Fenty and members of the D.C. Council are scheduled to meet with organizers of the business-improvement district, or BID, to present them with the mayor's order of endorsement today at Capitol Plaza, 1200 First St. NE.

"He really sees the BID as a great example of public-private partnerships that his administration encourages," said Sean Madigan, a spokesman for Mr. Fenty.

The mayor's BID designation gives the organizers authority to levy taxes on building owners to pay for added security and community improvements, such as street cleaning and turning empty spaces into parks.

NoMa refers to an area bounded by Massachusetts Avenue to the south, Union Station to the east, North Capitol Street to the west and New York Avenue to the north.

As downtown Washington becomes saturated with new office buildings and rents for them rise, developers are looking nearby for the next best place to build. The section of Southeast Washington near the new Washington Nationals baseball stadium already is filling with new projects.

Now, it's NoMa's turn, say city officials and developers.

"If you look at NoMa today, there's hardly any developments," Mr. Madigan said. "It's warehouses and parking lots and that kind of thing."

Joining Mr. Fenty at the BID dedication today will be representatives of the U.S. General Services Administration, whose new building for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is scheduled to open this summer at Florida and New York avenues Northeast.

About 1,100 federal employees are assigned to work in the $138.5 million building.