Nyasha Smith
Secretary of the Council
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20004
February 23, 2023
Dear Secretary Smith:
Today, I am introducing the “Friendship Heights Business Improvement District Amendment Act of
2023”. This legislation would create the District’s twelfth Business Improvement District (BID) to
support the revitalization of the Friendship Heights neighborhood in Northwest DC along the
Maryland border. A signed copy of the bill is enclosed.
Driven by property owners, businesses, and community leaders, the new BID will advance the
revitalization of Friendship Heights through on- the-ground economic development efforts like
placemaking, capital improvements, expanded security and maintenance, and promotion for local
businesses. The BID model has long been successful in DC, and the proven local business-driven
effort in Friendship Heights will support a robust economic recovery in the coming years.
By establishing a Business Improvement District in Friendship Heights, the District can support the
revitalization of the neighborhood and pursue expanded economic opportunity for businesses and
residents along the corridor.
Sincerely,
Matthew Frumin
Councilmember for Ward 3
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Councilmember Matthew Frumin 4
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A BILL 7
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 11
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To amend the Business Improvement District Act of 1996 to authorize the establishment and 16
administration of the Friendship Heights Business Improvement District. 17
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 19
Act may be cited as the “Friendship Heights Business Improvement District Amendment Act of 20
2023”. 21
Sec. 2 The Business Improvement District Act of 1996, effective May 29, 1996 (D.C. 22
Law 11-134; D.C. Official Code § 2- 1215.01 et seq .), is amended by adding a new section 212 to 23
read as follows: 24
“Section 212. Friendship Heights BID. 25
“(a) Subject to review and approval by the Mayor under §§ 2- 1215.05 and 2- 1215.06, the 26
formation of the Friendship Heights BID, including nonexempt real property within the 27
geographic area set forth in subsection (b) of this section, is authorized and the BID taxes 28
imposed in subsection (c) of this section shall be imposed through the earlier of the expiration of 29
this subchapter or the termination or dissolution of the BID. 30
“(b) The Friendship Heights BID shall be comprised of the geographic area bounded by a 31
line that starts beginning at the intersection of the southeast line of Western Avenue, N.W. and 32
the northeast line of Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., said beginning also being the northwest corner of 33
Square 1661; w ith said southeast line of Western Avenue, N.W., Northeasterly, to the south line 34
of Military Road, N.W.; thence continuing w ith said south line of Military Road, N.W., East, to 35
the west line of 43rd Street, N.W.; thence continuing w ith said west line of 43rd Street, N.W., 36
South, to a northeast corner of former Lot 31, Square 1661; thence continuing w ith a 37
southeasterly line of former Lot 31, Square 1661, Southwesterly, to a northeast corner of Lot 38
855, Square 1661; thence, continuing w ith an easterly line of said Lot 855, Square 1661, 39
Southerly, to a point of curve ; thence continuing along an east boundary of said Lot 855, Square 40
1661, 39.13’ on the arc of a curve to the left of radius 103.08’, to a point of tangent; thence 41
continuing along an east boundary of said Lot 855, Square 1661, Southeasterly, to a point of 42
curve; thence continuing along an east boundary of said Lot 855, Square 1661, 27.71’ on the arc 43
of a curve to the right of radius 73.04’, to a point of tangent; thence continuing along an east 44
boundary of said Lot 855, Square 1661, Southerly, to a north line of Lot 817, Square 1661; 45
thence, continuing with a north line of Lot 817, Square 1661, Easterly, to the northeast corner of 46
said Lot 817, Square 1661; thence w ith the east line of said Lot 817, Square 1661, South, to the 47
north line of Jenifer Street, N.W. ; thence running across Jenifer Street, N.W., Southeasterly, to 48
the intersection of the south line of Jenifer Street, N.W. and the west line of 43rd Street, N.W., 49
said intersection also being the northeast corner of Square 1659; thence w ith said west line of 50
43rd Street, N.W., South, to the north line of Ingomar Street, N.W., said intersection also being 51
the southeast corner of Square 1659; thence r unning across Ingomar Street, N.W., Southeasterly, 52
to the northeast corner of Lot 10, Square 1665, and the southwest line of a 15’ public alley in 53
Square 1665; thence w ith said southwest line of 15’ public alley, Southeasterly, to the south line 54
of a 15’ public alley in Square 1665; thence w ith said south line of 15’ public alley, East, to a 55
corner of former Lot 11, Square 1665; thence w ith a west line of said former Lot 11, Square 56
1665, Southeasterly, to a corner of said former Lot 11, Square 1665; thence w ith a northwest line 57
of said former Lot 11, Square 1665, Southwesterly, to the north most corner of Lot 2001, Square 58
1665; thence with an east line of said Lot 2001, Square 1665, Southeasterly, to a corner thereof;; 59
thence with an east line of said Lot 2001, Square 1665, South, to the north line of Harrison 60
Street, N.W.; thence running across Harrison Street, N.W., Southeasterly, to the intersection of 61
the south line of Harrison Street, N.W., and the west line of 42nd Street, N.W., said intersection 62
also being the northeast corner of Square 1666; thence with said west line of 42nd Street, N.W., 63
South, to the north line of Garrison Street, N.W. and the southeast corner of Square 1666; thence 64
running across Garrison Street, N.W., Southwesterly, to the northeast corner of former Lot 37, 65
Square 1669 and the southwesterly line of a 10’ public alley in Square 1669; thence w ith said 66
southwesterly line of 10’ public alley, Southeasterly, to the southeast corner of Lot 34, Square 67
1669; thence running across said public alley in Square 1669, Southeasterly, to the northeast 68
corner of Lot 26, Square 1669, and the west line of 42nd Street, N.W.; thence, w ith said west line 69
of 42nd Street, N.W., South, to the north line of Fessenden Street, N.W.; thence w ith said north 70
line of Fessenden Street, N.W., West, to the northeast line of Wisconsin Avenue, N.W.; thence 71
running across Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Westerly, to the intersection of the north line of 72
Fessenden Street and the southwest line of Wisconsin Avenue, N.W.; thence w ith said north line 73
of Fessenden Street, N.W., West, to a southwest corner of Lot 11, Square 1655; thence w ith the 74
boundary of said Lot 11, Square 1655, North, to a corner of said lot; thence continuing along the 75
boundary of said Lot 11, Square 1655, West, to another corner of said lot; thence continuing 76
along the boundary of said Lot 11, Square 1655, North, to another corner of said lot; thence 77
continuing along the boundary of said Lot 11, Square 1655, West, to another corner of said lot; 78
thence continuing along the boundary of said Lot 11, Square 1655, South, to another corner of 79
said lot; thence continuing along the boundary of said Lot 11, Square 1655, West, to another 80
corner of said lot; thence continuing along the boundary of said Lot 11, Square 1655, North, to 81
another corner of said lot; thence continui ng along the boundary of said Lot 11, Square 1655, 82
East, to another corner of said lot; thence continuing along the boundary of said Lot 11, Square 83
1655, North, to the southwest corner of Lot 9, Square 1655; thence w ith the west line of said Lot 84
9, Square 1655, North, to the south line of Garrison Street, N.W.; thence r unning across Garrison 85
Street, N.W., Northwesterly, to the southwest corner of Lot 9, Square 1656, and the east line of 86
16’ public alley in Square 1656; thence w ith said east line of public alley, North, to the south line 87
of Harrison Street, N.W.; thence r unning across Harrison Street, N.W., Northeasterly, to 88
southwest corner of Lot 23, Square 1657 and the intersection of the north line of Harrison Street 89
and the northeasterly line of 20’ public alley in Square 1657; thence w ith said northeasterly line 90
of 20’ public alley, Northwesterly, to the east extension of the north line of a 16’ public alley in 91
Square 1657; thence w ith said east extension and said north line of a 16’ public alley in Square 92
1657, West, to the east line of 44th Street, N.W.; thence crossing said 44th Street, N.W., 93
Southwesterly, to a southeast corner of Lot 33, Square 1580; thence w ith the south line of said 94
Lot 33, Square 1580, West, to the east line of 45th Street, N.W.; thence w ith said east line of 95
45th Street, N.W., North, to a corner of Lot 33, Square 1580; thence w ith the northeast line of 96
45th Street, N.W., Northwesterly, to the southeast line of Western Avenue, N.W.; thence w ith 97
said southeast line of Western Avenue, N.W., Northeasterly, to the southwesterly line of Jenifer 98
Street, N.W.; thence crossing Jenifer Street, N.W., Northeasterly, to the west most corner of Lot 99
811, Square 1660, said corner also being the intersection of the southeast line of Western 100
Avenue, N.W. and the northerly line of Jenifer Street, N.W.; thence with said southeast line of 101
Western Avenue, N.W., Northeasterly, to the southwest line of Wisconsin Avenue, N.W.; thence 102
running across Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Northeasterly, to the intersection of the northeast line 103
of Wisconsin Avenue, N.W. and the southeast line of Western Avenue, N.W., and the place of 104
beginning. 105
“(c)(1) The BID taxes for nonexempt properties in the Friendship Heights BID shall be as 106
follows: 107
(A) The amount of $0.165 per square foot for each net rentable square foot for 108
Class 2 Properties, excluding hotels; 109
(B) The amount of $120 per hotel or motel room annually; and 110
(C)(i) The amount of $120 per unit annually of Class 1 property that 111
contains 5 or more residential units available for rental for non- transient residential dwelling 112
purposes that were placed in service after the effective date of the Rental Housing Act of 1985, 113
effective July 17, 1985 (D.C. Law 6- 10; D.C. Official Code § 42- 3501.01 et seq.). All other 114
Class 1 property is exempt from this BID tax. 115
“(ii) If a residential unit is restricted to residents based upon income pursuant to a 116
Federal or District affordable housing program, the BID tax due on the unit shall be computed by 117
applying the percentage of area median income eligible residents must meet to participate in the 118
affordable housing program to the amount of the BID tax which would otherwise be due. 119
“(2) To the extent that a building that is subject to the BID tax is constructed pursuant to 120
a ground lease on land that is exempt from real property taxes, the assessed value of the real 121
property for purposes of the BID tax shall include the value of the building and the leasehold 122
interest, possessory interest, beneficial interest, or beneficial use of the land, and the lessee or 123
user of the land shall be assessed the corresponding BID tax, which shall be collected in the same 124
manner as possessory interest taxes under § 47- 1005.01, or as otherwise provided in this 125
subchapter. 126
“(3) If a residential unit is restricted to residents based upon income pursuant to a Federal 127
or District affordable housing program, any residential unit with a household income of 100 128
percent or less of the Area Median Income shall be exempt from BID tax that would otherwise 129
be due on the unit. 130
“(4) Subject to the requirements of § 2- 1215.08(b) , a 3% annual increase in the BID taxes 131
over the current tax year rates specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection is authorized.” 132
Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement. 133
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 134
impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 135
approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1- 301.47a). 136
Sec. 4. Effective date. 137
This act shall take effect following the approval by the Mayor (or in the event of a veto 138
by the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional 139
review as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved 140
December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1- 2602.02(c)(1)), and publication in the 141
District of Columbia Register. 142