Downtowner DC Nov. 8, 2017
By • November 8, 2017 0 624
Ten-Hut! Barry’s Bootcamp Coming to Dupont
Barry’s Bootcamp, the popular high-intensity exercise program, is coming to D.C. this month. Located steps from the Dupont Circle Metro station, the studio will accommodate 53 exercisers. There are also plans for a lifestyle boutique selling Barry’s merchandise and a “Fuel Bar” offering smoothies and healthy snacks. Oh, yes, and a selfie wall for pre- and post-workout snaps. Trainer Barry Jay founded the company in West Hollywood in 1998.
Mayor Rolls Out MPD Recruitment Campaign
Also last month, during Safer Stronger DC Week, Mayor Muriel Bowser launched a new recruitment campaign for the Metropolitan Police Department. The first 166 new police recruits who sign up in fiscal year 2018 are eligible for $1,000 per month in rental assistance for D.C. properties for up to six months. An officer retention program will give about 70 participants $12,500 in student-loan forgiveness or tuition reimbursement. Another initiative, the Anacostia Public Safety Academy, has enrolled 38 Anacostia High School students interested in public-safety careers.
Police Body Camera Study: No Significant Effects
Mayor Bowser released findings from a study of MPD’s body-worn camera program on Oct. 20. The study, facilitated by the mayor’s Lab @ DC team, involved more than 2,000 patrol officers and sergeants. Data was collected from June 2015 through March 2017. The main outcomes that were measured were documented uses of force and civilian complaints. The study found that body cams had no statistically significant effects on outcomes, though it did not rule them out as a means to obtain other information useful in law enforcement.
New Drop-Off, Pick-Up Zones on Connecticut
The District Department of Transportation has launched a nightlife parking demonstration program on Connecticut Avenue. Due to the growing popularity of area bars and restaurants, late-night drop-off and pick-up zones have been created to improve pedestrian and traffic safety. From 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., Thursday nights through Sunday mornings, there will be no parking along Connecticut Avenue from Rhode Island Avenue to Dupont Circle. The program, which began Oct. 19, will be evaluated after one year.
Flea Market at Eastern Market in Danger
The Flea Market at Eastern Market is at financial risk.
A last-minute effort to get a seven-month extension (effective on Halloween) of Diverse Markets Management’s license to operate the 34-year-old Flea Market at Eastern Market was rejected by the District’s Department of General Services. The Flea Market at Eastern Market newsletter reported that Diverse Markets Management signed a lease and prepaid rent to relocate some of the vendors to C Street SE from 7th Street SE. The relocation, originally planned for July, was delayed; a Nov. 5 move-in is now expected. The proposed new monthly rent is more than 50 percent higher, putting the market at financial risk.
