NoMa lacks quality retail to serve such a large market and is also bereft of unique office space. The current office inventory was mostly built for government tenants, so some swanky office geared towards private tenants could lure in those who want trophy product without the downtown trophy price.
What’s completely missing in NoMa is good open spaces—and public entities DC and BID are stepping in to fill that void. The BID is partnering with landowners to develop temporary public spaces for the short term, and for the long haul, the BID is delivering large, programmable park space critical to the neighborhood.
NoMa is a few innings ahead of the rest of Northeast DC, which is missing transit infrastructure. There are ongoing plans to improve the Metropolitan Branch Trail, which runs from Union Station past NoMa, Eckington, Rhode Island Ave and Brookland. Douglas Development's Ivy City projects, both completed and in the pipeline, would benefit from a boost in transit along the busy New York Avenue corridor.
