As part of National Small Business Week and Building Safety Month, the DC Department of Buildings (DOB) is pleased to announce the launch of Helping Uplift Businesses (HUB), a service designed to help business owners successfully navigate the requirements to establish and maintain a commercial property in the District. In addition to a customer service presence, the DOB HUB will hold the first in a series of workshops on Wednesday, May 27, 2026.
As the Bowser administration focuses on how to transform and grow the District’s economy, one priority is to make it easier for businesses to operate in the city,” said DOB Director Brian Hanlon. “Through Helping Uplift Businesses, or ‘the HUB,’ DOB will offer more hands-on guidance to small businesses, particularly restaurants and retail establishments that help activate commercial spaces across the District, to ensure they have to information they need to open up and support, a physical location.”
The DOB HUB consists of a dedicated, easily identifiable team that focuses on assisting small businesses, with a particular focus on restaurant and retail establishments of less than 7,500 square feet.
“New businesses must follow several rules when establishing and/or changing a physical location—to include a certificate of occupancy, permits, and inspections—that can be hard to navigate,” said DOB’s Chief Building Official Nicole Rogers. “Though the DOB HUB, we will offer centralized customer service, clearer guidance, more educational support, and stronger partnerships with District agencies and stakeholders that also support business growth and development.”
The HUB’s services include:
- Access to a HUB ambassador that helps businesses learn about the DOB services they need.
- On-site pre-inspections to assess existing conditions and help businesses understand what is required before they apply for a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) and other permits.
- Consultations: In-person and/or virtual meetings to answer questions and provide clear guidance.
- Centralized permit guidance for businesses through each step of the process.
- Help with permits needed for existing locations due to:
- Interior renovations
- Change of use (i.e., from office to retail)
- A Pop-Up Permit holder wanting to acquire permanent occupancy.
- Coordination with sister agencies to ensure businesses understand other licensing and regulatory requirements and can take advantage of available grants.
First HUB Workshop on May 27
The HUB will also hold regular workshops, with the first scheduled for Wednesday, May 27, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. This workshop will provide overview of HUB services, breakout sessions, and a focus on a top issue for business owners—how to obtain or change a C of O. Registration is open until Friday, May 22, 2026. Click here to register.
Dates for upcoming workshops are:
- Wednesday, June 24
- Wednesday, July 29
- Wednesday, August 26
To learn more about the HUB, go to dob.dc.gov/hub or contact [email protected].
About National Small Business Week
National Small Business Week, celebrated May 3–9, 2026, is an annual event that honor the nation’s entrepreneurs, innovators, and small business owners. Several organizations and DC government agencies—such as chambers of commerce, the Department of Small and Local Business Development, and the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking—celebrate the week with announcements and activities.
About Building Safety Month
Mayor Muriel Bowser has proclaimed May as DC Building Safety Month to promote the importance of building safety preparedness and awareness in the District. This initiative of the International Code Council (ICC) is an international campaign that reinforces the need for the adoption of modern, regularly updated building codes, and helps individuals, families and businesses understand what it takes to create safe and sustainable structures.
About the District’s Investments in Businesses
Mayor Bowser’s proposed "Grow DC" Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) Budget is designed to keep DC competitive and ensure the city’s strong economic future by reducing the cost of doing business by lowering business-related fees, supporting major redevelopment projects through targeted incentives, and continuing to invest in grant programs to help our small businesses thrive. Under DOB, proposals include:
- Making it cheaper to do business by reducing C of O fees to a flat $36 (current fees range from $82.50 to $1,000 based on square footage).
- Delaying implementation of Net-Zero energy code and Building Energy Performance Standards so DC can modernize its construction codes to match today’s reality by incorporating lessons learned and developing better compliance options. Earlier this year, the Mayor designated DOB as the new lead in construction code development in the District, with the goal to accelerate the adoption of those codes.
This builds upon ongoing investments and initiatives of the Bowser administration, such as:
- A revised Building Conversion Permit Fee that significantly reduces the cost of permits for residential conversion projects, particularly office-to-residential.
- Upcoming expansions to DOB’s Pop-up Permits program, which allows the temporary use of previously vacant buildings for up to one year without going through the traditional permitting process.
- The Vacant to Vibrant Amendment Act of 2025, which more quickly returns vacant and blighted properties back into productive use by incentivizing property owners to minimize the duration of vacancies.
- Zoning Decision Appeals Amendment Act of 2025, which will streamline zoning appeals and reduce bad faith appeals that stall new housing and development.
- Transfer and Recordation Tax Appeals Amendment Act of 2025, which will provide an appeals process for onerous taxation that inhibits investment in commercial properties.