Park Improvements at 2nd and Mass (proposed)

Last night a meeting to discuss the park at the confluence of 2nd, Mass and H Street was held. Attendees included, but not limited to, residents from the Sonata, a representative from the office building at 251 H Street, our MVT CID executive director Bill McLeod, president of the MVSNA Cary Silverman, Thor Nelson from the Office of Planning and Sarah Moulton from the Department of Park and Recreations.

The park is presently an under utilized eyesore. The heavy traffic surrounding the park isolates it. Homeless sleep in the park with one often camped inside the center ring of bushes. There was also talk of a recent illegal BBQ (by homeless?) at the park. The park is not well maintained, safe or inviting.

Funding is not presently available to perform a major overhaul of the park. Long term this could be negotiated with the developer seeking air rights over I-395 but improvements are needed in the short term. The Office of Planning (OP) has identified a transportation funds grant program that could provide the modest funding needed for small scale improvements including critical irrigation. With this intersection being one of the busiest in the city it qualifies and has the visibility to increase likelihood to receive the grant. However the grant will require that ongoing park maintenance is secured. If this comes together the improvements could begin as soon as October.

Rendering from Dept or Park & Recs (DPR)

The Department of Parks and Recs (DPR) has developed a set of design guidelines for the site. These cite the short term objectives for the park to be primarily beautification of the space and creation of a marker for the surrounding neighborhoods and the immediate area on Massachusetts Ave. DPR has also identified materials and plants that could be relocated from the Art Walk at the Old Convention Center site to keep costs down.

From the Draft document distributed by DPR:

Short Term Scenario Implementations Guidance:

• Provide a minimal, but bold planting pallet to be both low maintenance and highly visible to passing motorists.
  
• Focus tree planting on streets edges and in areas with significant soil depth.
  
• Install focal artwork or monument to create a sense of place and draw for the area.
  
• Provide benches and other seating to allow lunchtime gathering and passive use of the park
  
• Preserve existing pavement areas and repair where needed
  
• Implement "quick fix" pedestrian safety measures like: new cross walk painting, adding parking lanes to Mass Avenue next to park

Discussion turned more towards the homeless impact on the park. The Central Union Mission is opening a 150 bed shelter at the Gales School within a year just a block from the park. DPR's position is that parks are an amenity for everyone including the homeless. It should be designed to be safe and engage all people.

Cary Silverman expanded upon his previous point of the Gales School shelter opening and pointed out that the isolation of the park is appealing to the homeless. He suggested the space needs a draw to bring surrounding residents across the busy streets to the park. There is no design for a prominent draw in the short term plans. An expenditure of a fountain or statue could be taken on longer term. A Sonata owner chimed in with the benefits of the park embracing dog owners. Dogs owners want green space to walk their pets and most presently walk to the Building Museum. She suggested the added benefit to the community that dogs tend to discourage vagrancy"scare people who know they are where they shouldn't be." I don't think she's suggesting anyone shouldn't be at the park. But people shouldn't be camping in the bushes . McLeod made note of this as he said "durable grass".

Lastly, an important message was put forth that this park would NOT be THE PARK for the Triangle. Both DPR and the MVT CID want a larger more central green space less isolated by heavy traffic. There are some alternative that are being studied regarding this but they were not shared in the meeting. One possibility I have previously seen in the Mount Vernon Triangle Transportation and Public Realm Design Project suggests a park along a new extension of 3rd Street built out over I-395.

Note: Cary Silverman has also covered the meeting on his blog. Cary is spearheading a "Friend of the (name TBD) Park" effort.

American Observer article on MVT

Via random googling I came across an article dated April 23, 2008 about the Mount Vernon Triangle in the American Observer. The American Observer is produced by the American University School of Communication’s graduate journalism program. It is an online magazine is a student publication that focuses on news from campus, Washington, and the world.


The piece discusses a spectrum of issues with ranging from homeless services, Section 8 housing, City Vista, and local small businesses. The auther chats with a spectrum of people including MVT CID Bill McLeod, Kristine Thompson of Calvary Women’s Services, Vera Watson, a resident of Museum Square for 25 years, and the owners of G & J Deli and Tunnel Wine & Spirits.

an excerpt:

Other, newer businesses are banking that the new residents of the neighborhood will bring new jobs and fresh dollars to the area. Already, recent upstarts like Tunnel Fine Wines and Spirits on H Street are awaiting the influx of wealthy patrons.

The dark-wood paneling and cobbled floors of the liquor store distinguish it from others in the area. In the back of the store, a wine cooler holds bottles of white from around the world and a small, decorated room stands ready for a community wine-tasting later in the evening.

Owner Feleke Girma, a 23-year resident of the D.C. area, started the business two months ago. Despite already having survived a robbery, he trusts that the new demographic of the neighborhood will appreciate his openness.

“I used to have to work behind bullet-proof glass,” he said, describing his experience at his former convenience store on Georgia Avenue, which was not part of the Triangle improvement district. Thinking back to the Triangle’s neighborhood 15 and 20 years ago, Girma acknowledged the whole demographic has changed. Before, many of the buildings were boarded up, he said.

“These changes were necessary,” he said. “It has been neglected for a long time.”

Reminder: Park at 2nd and Mass meeting tonight

Tonight the MVT CID and the Department of Parks and Recreation
are hosting a meeting to discuss the park 2nd and Mass Ave NW. The meeting will be at Second Baptist Church (816 3rd St NW) at 6pm.

Image from Cary Silverman

From MVT CID Bill McLeod

We will be discussing: current uses of the park; maintenance needs; landscaping needs; infrastructure needs; and future uses for the park. The DC Department of Parks & Recreation and the Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District are organizing this meeting.

Late Night Loitering and Noise at Museum Square

Earlier today a City Vista resident shared a letter he had dispatched to Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells on the Lifein MVSNA blog.

excerpt:

I am requesting assistance from your office with the noise level and late night loitering in the parking lot of Museum Square at 401 K St. NW, Washington, DC 20001.

People congregate on the benches under the shelters in the parking lot in the rear of the building every night until about 3AM. The crowd can range in size from 5-15 and often include children (there was a toddler around 3 or 4 years old, crying from 2-3 AM and wandering the parking lot last night - while an adult just stood there with the child's stroller under the shelter talking with their friends, ignoring the child). There are also a number of teenagers that loiter in the same location, shouting and running around the parking lot.

Builder Closeout of Phase 1 at CityVista

This arrived in my inbox today. Phase 1 is the "L" building. I'm unsure of the size of these 1 BR. Anybody know?


Word from the MVSNA blog is that settlements at the "K" building began this month.

UPDATE (7/29/08 6:20pm): Discussion in comments suggests the Floorplan may be the LUNA.
UPDATE (7/30/08 11:05am): Unsure which floorplans are available for the deal - but check out the quirky Luna Floorplan linked above just for fun.
UPDATE (8/01/08 1:35pm): An email today suggests the 1BR at the L are sold out. Most affordable option remaining is 1BR+D for $369,900

Old School Security System at AA Auto

Strolling down K Street I noticed that AA Auto Service at 311 K Street NW employs dogs to protect their inventory of cars.



It was a tad unsettling to see the white dog try to squeeze through the fence to come after me. I wasn't even on his side of the street. Yikes! Maybe the owners need to feed these dogs a little more if a guy 70 feet away looks like lunch.

MVT Crime Map

Courtesy of DC MPD's Crime and Activity Statistics webpage I was able to create a Google Map of year-to-date crime activity in the Triangle. The MPD tool allows you to specify the details of your report. I exported the report as a KML file and then imported it into Google Maps.


The image above is a thumbnail of the Crime Map. For the full effect, click through to the Google Map. Once on the google map click on the pushpins for descriptions of the crimes. Most are theft from autos but there is a car jacking, a pair of muggings on 5th Street, and a few ADWs. For help deciphering the shorthand notation in the descriptions or other general knowledge behind MPD's crime maps, please visit the DC MPD Crime Incidents Abstract.

Note: While the number of year-to-date MVT crime incidents on the map may seem high - many neighborhoods had exponentially many more. The Downtown BID had more year-to-date incidents then the KML export tool could even output.

Landscaping along City Vista

There is recent landscaping progress along the streets of City Vista. My last update on the landscaping was July 3rd. The plants on K Street aren't new but had previously been behind the chain link construction perimeter fencing.

Plants along 400 block of K Street NW

Plants along 400 block of L Street NW; in front of Safeway

Triangle Park at New York Ave and L Street NW

Are they planning to chain off the grass areas of the park using those posts they installed? It may be for the best. Panhandlers setting up camp under the shade of the tree should be discouraged.

Safeway Construction Update

I peeked in a few of the windows at City Vista Safeway to gauge the construction progress. I could see that the signs above the Meat & Seafoods counter, Customer Service booth and Cafe Seating have been hung. Encouraging that the exposed cinder block I saw 3 weeks ago seems to be covered now. Many of the produce shelves are in place. I'm not sure if the flooring is complete and covered in dust or if it is yet to be installed.

Please forgive the glare in the photo below as I took it through thick glass.


I had read in a few places the Safeway would open in September. I still have some doubts on this. The construction seems like it could potentially be completed in that timeframe. However stocking shelves and training employees (unless training has begun offsite) would add 3 or more weeks - right?

Shattered Windows at City Vista

Storefronts on the 5th Street facing of City Vista appeared to have had their windows shattered by bullets over the weekend. Both display windows of 5th Street Ace Hardware are shattered as well as windows at Safeway and the City Vista Sales office.

Three shattered windows at Ace Hardware(2) and City Vista's Sales Center

Closeup of a bullet hole at 5th Street Ace Hardware

The Lifein MVSNA community blog reported this shameful vandalism earlier today.

UPDATE (8/6/2008 11:10am): I forgot to update this to the post last week, but Lt Durand replied to my inquiry and said "It appears that someone used a BB gun or CO2 rifle to shoot out the windows. My troops will be giving the area special attention."

Scooter Laws

Last month MBG espoused the virtues of scooter ownership including an endorsement specific to the Vespa Granturismo 200. But what are the laws for scooter ownership?

The Saints Scooter club website has pages that outline the laws for DC, Maryland and Virginia. A brief scan of the laws show two major distinctions: 1) Would a given scooter be classified as a moped or a motorcycle 2) Distinctions between D.C. laws and Maryland/Virginia laws.

Piaggio Fly 50 - drastically different laws apply for 50cc in DC vs VA/MD

In the suburbs a "Moped" is any vehicle that has an engine size of 50cc or less, produces no more than 2 bhp, and can travel not more than 30 mph. These jurisdictions do not require a moped operator to carry a license, insurance, wear a helmet or register their moped to secure plates. In D.C every scooter, regardless of engine size, is a motorcycle. Only a motorized bicycle with pedals is considered a moped under D.C. codes. Therefore scooter owners must carry a motorcycle endorsement on their license and have liability insurance. The scooter must have a title, registration, and display plates and undergo bi-annual inspection. Operators must wear a helmet and eye protection and may only park in parking spaces provided for 4-wheel vehicles (no sidewalk parking).

Should D.C. be treating 50cc scooters more favorably? Helmets should be mandatory but what about the rest?

Updates on neighborhood retail

Results the Gym at City Vista is offering tours of the site and charter memberships at a discounted rate. Read the posting at the MVSNA blog for more details on pricing. I will add that the Results website says that the hours for the sales office at the new location are: Wed-Fri: 2-8pm; Sat & Sun: 10a-5pm.

Online ordering is now supported for the new Papa Johns that opened last Friday at 313 H Street NW.

I've heard from the grapevine that the deal for Lawry's Prime Rib to move into the ground floor of the Penzance Building (455 Mass Ave) has fallen through. The leasing staff is working on another restaurant for that space.

MVT CID Annual Meeting

The Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District is having it's annual meeting Thursday July 24th at 5PM in the NPR Building (635 Mass Ave NW)

"Come to the MVTCID annual meeting and hear about our successes in 2007! The meeting will incorporate a board meeting and election of new board members, as well as the Public Service Award."

If learn more details about the agenda I will update this post.

Cheap Dinner suggestions?

Any one have good suggestions for cheap dinner *walkable* to our neighborhood? Ideally a place a little more substantial than fast food options like Chipotle, Potbelly or Five Guys but is still quick dining that checks in under $15. When I lived in Arlington I used to hit up Hard Times Cafe, Mexicali Blues or Rockland's BBQ after work to get take out or to eat at the bar.


I haven't yet found the right place locally although Nando's and Capitol Q are on my list to try. Fuddrucker's I think is blah. I'd just grab a burger at Ray's Hellburger near my office than eat there. Asian cuisine doesn't hit the spot for me but don't hold back those suggestions as they may help other readers.

Photo by Sabine01

Google Beta: Walking directions

Google now offers walking directions as a beta add on to Google Maps. Driving directions are impractical to use for walking because they obey one-way streets and no-left turn signs. Now there is an answer for peds.

Driving Directions:

Walking Directions:

Maybe one day Google walking directions will be smart enough to emulate pedestrian behavior like cutting diagonally through the Building Museum parking lot to get to Metro entrance. =)

via DCist

Zipcar in the Triangle

The latest poll focuses on our readers automobile status. One option gathering a significant share of votes is "Do not own an auto but participate in Car Sharing service."

I thought I'd highlight the Zipcar locations in the Triangle.


Meridian at Gallery Place: In parking circle of 450 Mass Ave NW
7th/New York Ave: Four cars including a pickup truck
6th/New York Ave: Five cars including a hybrid

Penn Quarter DNA Charity Happy Hour tonight

See below message from Downtown Neighborhood Association prez Miles Groves. Happy hour with free appetizers, one free drink and door prizes at Ultrabar tonight. Cash bar proceeds will be donated to charity.

Dear Neighbors,

This is a reminder that our second annual Penn Quarter Charity Happy Hour is this Friday - July 18th - starting at 5PM and ending at 9PM. This event is hosted by the Downtown Neighborhood Association with the sponsorship of Ultra Bar located at 911 F Street NW.

Like last year we have complimentary appetizers, your first drink, and drink specials. We have lots of door prizes that will be given away throughout the event. These prizes have been donated by neighborhood businesses, restaurants, and retail stores with may valued over $200. You have to be here to win, so please plan on meeting with me and your downtown neighbors and workers to celebrate another event.

The bar proceeds will be donated to Mount Carmel House. This is a transitionary facility for women located in our neighborhood and it has a great success rate. So come and help raise money, meet neighbors, network, and learn more about the great work at Mount Carmel House.

I hope to see you there!

Thanks,

Miles E. Groves
Downtown Neighborhood Association

Friday Roundup

A roundup of some news in our hood:

• The ODMPED has pushed back the BAFO date for the 5th and Eye project from July 18th to August 18th. This is second time it's been pushed back a month. (note: BAFO = Best and Final Offer)
  
• The Papa Johns at 313 H Street NW has been open over a week is now open. It is a carryout and delivery location but online ordering it not yet enabled.
  
• Si Kailian commented earlier in the week that a UPS Store sign is now on the east end of the Penzance Building. I've confirmed and have a snapshot below.

My initial response which I left as a reply comment to a Si's comment was this:

I don't think I can muster up any enthusiasm for a UPS store in the Penzance building. I think it certainly won't occupy more than the East end of the building. But this space with it's glass facade and huge front patio needs retail that will engage the streetscape. The UPS store could have went into the vacant retail spaces at Mass Court or 400 Mass and still been in the same locale without claiming a space they'll never untap the full potential from.

I still feel the potential of the patio is wasted by the UPS Store. But visiting the site again I did see that the East end of the building does not have the same 20-25 foot ceilings as the West End. So that corner of the building is distinctly different than the west end.

Looking for new voices

Hello, I just wanted to remind our readers that we have a standing open invitation to community members to join our blog. We would love to have a contributor representing each of the buildings in the Triangle. It's also important to us to represent a diversity of perspectives. If you are interested in writing for the Triangle send me an email here.

With a huge influx of new residents in the coming years a neighborhood forum such as this blog and many others can really make a difference in the community!

Sometimes I'm on autopilot

You ever have one of those days? Kinda zoned out. Seemingly on autopilot as you execute some mundane task. Well, the other day, for the third time since I moved into my place, I pressed "12" in the elevator for no apparent reason. I live on the seventh floor. But years of working on the twelfth floor of my office building clearly has programmed my brain to press "12" in those zoned out moments.


Has anyone else recently done something odd and decided to merely chalk it up to the explanation they must have been on "autopilot"?

Building Over I-395

Late last month we discussed DDOT's plans to study cutting I-395 to Mass Ave. The Center Leg Freeway was again in the news as WBJ reports that the district is close to completing a deal to sell air rights over a 3 block stretch of I-395 to Louis Dreyfus Property Group for $63 million. The segment is just south of the Mount Vernon Triangle spanning from E Street to Mass Ave.



Developing this area over I-395 serves the District in several ways.

• Use funds to pay off a jury awarded $8.4 million settlement to development company previously awarded air rights in 1989
  
• Allow the freeway "scar" to be erased and land east and west of the highway reconnected
  
• The project could bring $400 million in revenue over 25 years and increase affordable housing stock
  
• Increases developable land for the successful Downtown BID, which is approaching full build out

Obstacles still exist on many levels. DC Council would need to provide their stamp of approval. This may not meet much resistance seeing as the WBJ article cites Jack Evans, Tommy Wells and Kwame Brown as advocates for the project while making no mention of any dissenting members. The District's plans for the money need approval from the FHA, which would have to grant an exception to rules that normally require that 90 percent of proceeds from such sales go toward federal transportation projects. Dreyfus could spend a year or more conducting environmental and engineering studies only to meet new resistance upon presenting their findings.

What could this mean for the Triangle? It's possible a few units in the Madrigal and Sonata may one day lose their unobstructed Capitol dome views. Such is life in downtown real estate. The true difference maker for us will be when development build out pushes north of Mass. Our New Jersey Ave border feels so disconnected from the remainder of the CID.

New Poll: Autos

The new poll asks our readers what is the automobile situation of their households. I recently read an uncited fact that 40% of DC residents live in a car-free household. This led me to wonder how the Triangle stacks up. Remember to answer the question based on your household. Any car ownership in your household equates to "Own a car" even if you may personally not own a car.

The poll choices are:

• Own a car
  
• Own only a motorcycle or scooter
  
• Own a segway
  
• Do not own an auto but participate in Car-sharing service
  
• Do not own an auto and do not participate in Car-sharing service

You can thank MBG for the segway option. =)

UPDATE: If you own a car but also own a motorcycle/scooter/etc and want that represented - chime in on the comments.

Poll recap: Most frequent transit option

The answer breakdown was as follows:

• 33% - Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro Station
  
• 33% - Judiciary Square Metro Station
  
• 24% - DC Circulator
  
• 9% - Mount Vernon Square/Convention Ctr Metro Station
  
• 0% - Metrobus

The response to this question will naturally be linked to a) which transit option gets you where you want to go and b) which transit station is closest? The Gallery Place Metro has the natural advantage in that it is served by 3 Metro lines. It is also clearly the closest station to the Triangle's largest fully occupied condo building (555 Mass).

I personally use Judiciary Square metro most frequently. On my morning commute using metro I'm all about efficiency in getting to the Red Line ASAP. Distance wise my building is nearly the same distance from Gallery Place's 7th & H entrance and Judiciary Square F Street Entrance. I've simply found Judiciary Square to be a quicker walk.


Why does it feel quicker? To walk to either station I'd cross Mass Ave and H Street at the 4th Street intersection. After that point the path to Gallery Place requires crossing 6th and 5th Streets. Over half the time at these two intersections I need to wait for the crosswalk signal which can take 30-50 seconds. However, on the walk to Judiciary Square, the streets are so devoid of traffic I barely need to pause at either G Street or F Street before crossing. That breaks the tie for me. After work, when time and efficiency are no longer paramount, I use either Gallery Place or walk from Metro Center back to the Triangle and take in the scenery. Anyone have a story/rationale behind their choice beyond pure proximity?

It will be interesting to ask this again after the Dumont and City Vista fill out.

Park at 2nd and Mass meeting

Below is an update on community follow up regarding plans for the Park at 2nd and Mass Ave.

Image from Cary Silverman

From MVT CID Bill McLeod (via Si Kailian)

Interested in improving the triangle park located at 2nd and Massachusetts Avenue, NW? Come to a meeting at Second Baptist Church (816 3rd St NW) on Wednesday, July 30 starting at 6:00 p.m. We will be discussing: current uses of the park; maintenance needs; landscaping needs; infrastructure needs; and future uses for the park. The DC Department of Parks & Recreation and the Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District are organizing this meeting.

Bill McLeod, Executive Director
Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District
1250 H Street, NW
Suite 1000
Washington DC 20005
(202) 661-7590
mvtbill@downtowndc.org
www.mountvernontriangle.org

WaPo closeup look at MVSq metro maintenance

The Washingtonpost outlined recent efforts to implement a switch replacement at the Mount Vernon Square / Convention Center metro station. The article recaps a series of 12 hour work days spread across 4 weekends.

Will Smith must have alot of Hilton Points

The Hampton Inn at 901 6th Street NW has a gigantic ad for the summer blockbuster movie Hancock. Will Smith pulls off those stunner shades but aren't they generally for women?


Has the the north facing of this building been plastered with huge ads before? I generally approach the Triangle from the south or west and might have missed previous ads.

Fourth of July

Happy Fourth of July! As downtown residents we've got some of the best seats in the house for the National Fireworks. Feel free to submit your best photo from today's festivities to fourthandeye[at]gmail[dot]com. Please include the location your shot was taken from. Locations outside the Triangle but nearby are welcome.


2007 Photo from PQResident.

City Vista streetscapes

Back on June 22nd we cited a WBJ report that Lowe Enterprises (City Vista) incurred a $300,000 expense preserving the roots of a 120 year old oak tree at New York Ave and L Street NW. Below is a snapshot of the tree (right).



Also noteworthy is that the planter at the corner of 5th and K Street NW is taking shape.

DCMud interviews Dumont architect Phil Esocoff

DCMud recently interviewed Phil Esocoff, principal architect of Esocoff and Associates. His firm designed The Dumont and 400 Mass buildings in our area. The wavy bumpouts you see on these two buildings are a form of Esocoff signature.

Steuart Investment Properties

Response to the recent post on the Penzance Building demonstrated that our readers are very plugged in to the development scuttlebutt in the Triangle. Being inquisitive I thought I'd ask yet another question. Does anyone know of any recent news on the properties owned by Steuart Investment Properties?

RED=Square 483, GREEN=Square N-515

The Steuart Investment Properties website has the following to say:

Square 483 (New York Avenue, 6th, 5th and K Street, NW)
The Property is located across 5th Street from Safeway and City Vista, one block east of the Washington, D.C. Convention Center and four blocks north of the Verizon Center. This entire city block, totaling 56,350 square feet, is zoned DD-C3C under the Mount Vernon Triangle Overlay. The development planned totals 535,000 square feet of office and commercial space on twelve floors with below grade parking.

Square N-515 (New York Avenue, 4th and L Street, NW)
The site encompasses 76,000 square feet of land supporting a two-building, mixed-use development and is zoned DD-C3C under the Mount Vernon Triangle Overlay. The property is located across L Street from Safeway and City Vista, two blocks east of the Washington D.C. Convention Center and five blocks north of the Verizon Center.

The Mount Vernon Triangle CID map labels Square 483 as a 550,000sf office building with ground level retail and a street address of 501 K St NW. That's the extent of what I know. Google and Washington Business Journal have come up empty for me. So I turn to our readers with great anticipation to unleash their knowledge.