EVENTreport

Golden Streets Winners

By Tori Vandergriff

In June, the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District (BID) named five winners of the 2022 GLDN+ Streets competition. The Golden Triangle BID has partnered with Smithsonian Gardens and garnered the participation of more than 20 businesses throughout the central business district in Washington, DC. BIDs are non-profit organizations “created to support the economic vitality of a geographic region,” said Leona Agouridis, executive director of the Golden Triangle BID. The definition of “economic vitality” varies depending on the specific needs of the geographic region but essentially, BIDs are meant to create clean and attractive environments for people to open businesses, live, or visit. BID members pay a special tax to cover the expenses of the services provided by the BID (which are outside what local governments offer), according to the Project for Public Spaces site. The Golden Triangle isn’t the only BID in DC; Georgetown has a historic charm to it that its BID is actively working to improve and protect. The BID was created in 1999 to enhance the accessibility, attractiveness, and appeal of this commercial district. Today, more than 450 stores, restaurants, and institutions are a part of this BID, according to its website. The Golden Triangle is an area in downtown Washington, DC, that spreads from 16th Street and Black Lives Matter Plaza at Lafayette Park up to Dupont Circle and over to Washington Circle. One way the Golden Triangle BID has aimed to create clean and visually appealing spaces is through a street plantings “competition,” as Agouridis called it.

The BID began the competition back in 2011 to beautify the area while bringing more visitors to downtown, since most of the Golden Triangle is home to office buildings. Agouridis said the GLDN+ Streets competition has been a success in that more people have learned about urban/sustainable gardening, and all of the business owners involved with the competition maintain a sense of pride over the street planters. This year’s GLDN+ Streets competition theme was “Happy Habitats,” which is an extension of the Smithsonian’s “Habitat” exhibition exploring the connections between habitats and life. The street gardens emphasize sustainability and pollination. Winners of this year’s GLDN+ Streets Judge’s Choice 2022 awards were: • 1120 Connecticut Avenue NW | Blake Real Estate • 800 17th Street NW | Jones Lang LaSalle • 1700 K Street NW | 1700 K Associates, LLC • 1025 Connecticut Avenue NW | Blake Real Estate • 1250 Connecticut Avenue NW | Brookfield Properties These winners were selected by a panel of expert judges, such as James Gagliardi and Sarah Dickert, Smithsonian Gardens horticulturists, and Amelia Draper of NBC 4. Agouridis noted that in addition to the streetside gardens maintained by these businesses, there are also rooftop gardens that many people don’t know about. For instance, the Army and Navy Club grows various herbs for their restaurant and the MedStar offices located on the roof of the Lafayette Center do bee harvesting to make honey. These gardens aren’t involved in the competition, but they are more examples of the ways businesses in DC are getting involved with sustainable gardening. The Golden Triangle has dedicated their efforts to promoting sustainable gardens and neighborhoods through other programs, such as the 19th Street rain gardens and installing bike racks, as well as the Smithsonian Gardens’ recent installation of pollinator habitats in Longfellow and Monroe parks. BIDs are actively working to provide visitors, business owners, and residents all around DC with attractive and clean environments. The GLDN+ Streets competition is one way the people of DC can get involved with and learn more about local gardening. This year’s competition was a success and the program is likely to remain a success with continued support from the local businesses and advocates for a healthier and cleaner DC. o

Victoria Vandergriff is finishing up her senior year at the University of Maryland as a journalism major with a history minor. She is an intern this summer session with Washington Gardener