NPR to Remain in the District

"We think of our investment in NoMA the same way we thought of our part in the growth and development of Penn Quarter," Stern said. "It's another exciting area in Washington, D.C. This is a wonderful moment."

But some business owners near the NoMA development had mixed reactions to the deal.

Patricia Ellis-Mitchell, president of North Capitol Main Street, a business group that works to spur commercial development, said that the value of real estate along North Capitol Street is outpacing the market and that small businesses are suffering.

"We want commercial development, but at the same time, the small businesses need some help in meeting the escalating costs of property taxes," she said. "The small businesses in the area, especially along North Capitol, are being squeezed out."

Nicholas Deoudes, who owns three buildings less than a mile from the future NPR location, said that his property taxes increased last year from $13,614 to $36,151. Deoudes, who has owned the buildings for 29 years, said the city needs to help longtime business owners who stayed when the area was a "ghost town."

"That's criminal," Deoudes said about the NPR deal. "My assessments went up . . . while somebody else got it for 20 years with no property taxes. They're handing out benefits to the big guys and leaving the small-time guys like myself and my tenant out of business. We're picking up the tab for somebody else."

Albert, the deputy mayor, said he understands the business owners' concerns about escalating property taxes and encouraged them to appeal the assessments.

"Some taxes went up 36 percent because of proximity to NoMA," Albert said. "It's a good thing for the District that property values continue to go up, but we want to make sure people are not artificially inflating the values of property."