More Streetscape improvements plus bike racks on L Street

The streetscape on L Street NW in front of Safeway is close to being completed. The fencing and bike racks have been installed. We've had previous updates of the streetscapes on July 3rd and July 28.

fencing installed around the 120 year old oak tree

2 bike racks immediately in front of Safeway

4 bike racks installed close to entrance of City Vista L

I'm told K Street will also have bike racks later this year.

The Waffle Shop

Last fall Douglas Jemal and preservationists sparred over the razing of The Waffle Shop on 10th St NW. The 57 year old diner with 1950's style decor stood in the way of a Douglas Development office project. An amicable solution was reached between the parties as Jemal agreed to save the Waffle Shop from the wrecking ball by taking it apart brick by brick to eventually reassemble it on another property he owns.

photo from Mr. T in DC

Marc Fisher has speculated that most likely destination is at New York Avenue and Sixth streets NW. This would fall in either of the Square 450 and Square 451 locations we've talked so much about.

In the meantime, the Washingtonpost reports, that proprietors Hai and Sue Ngo, have moved their menu a few doors down the block to the Lincoln House restaurant.

Note: I realize this isn't breaking news. I'm reporting it as part of a larger series that recaps all the stories related to Square 450/451.

Jemal developments downtown

Douglas Development has a portfolio that includes downtown buildings with historic facades. I think most of us are familiar with the Woodies Building where West Elm is located. Below are a few more downtown projects.

The Historic Row : 800 F Street NW

photo from masteryofmaps

The Atlantic Building : 800 F Street NW

photo from otavio_dc

Historic 7th Street : 700-738 F Street NW

photo from otavio_dc

These buildings came out with a slick aesthetic look that honored the original details of the building.

Mount Vernon Square Historic District

Yesterday we posted about Square 450. Any discussion about development in this square should acknowledge it is part of a Historic District.

Matthew Gilmore has compiled maps of historic districts and historic structures throughout DC. We have previously featured his map for the Triangle. Below is Matthew's map for Mount Vernon Square East.


As you can see, Square 450 falls entirely within the historic district and has some structures designated as historic. I know that a historic district is designed to preserve the continuity of the neighborhood's historic character. I imagine the rules are even stricter for a historic structure. How will this impact what Douglas Development can build on this square? Will it simply be that the facades need to be kept, ala the 800 block of F Street, or does it run deeper than that?

Square 450 and 451 - bird's eye photos

Using Microsoft's Local Live maps - below are the bird's eye photos of Square 450 and Square 451.

Click on any image to enlarge.

Square 450:

North facing of 600 block of NY Ave NW

South facing of 600 block of L Street NW

Square 451:

South facing of 600 block of NY Ave NW

North facing of 600 block of K Street NW

Square 450

As Si eluded to in yesterday's Square 451 post, Douglas Development is also aiming to create an assemblage on Square 450 (which is just outside MVT's official boundaries).

RED=Square 450; BLUE=Square 451

Square 450 has many Douglas Douglas development records in the DC Real Property Assessment database. Jemal owns nearly all of the south facing of the 600 block of L Street. On New York Ave he's bought out properties like 56 year dining institution A.V. Ristorante. However Square 451 still has more holdouts than it's neighbor to the south.

Midas at 625 New York Ave NW;
notice charming 'No Parking Will Be Tow' spray painted on garage door

The music venue Warehouse Nextdoor, at 1017 7th St NW, had it's final show on Aug 5th citing untenable property taxes. This area had a cluster of buildings involved in the Capital Fringe Festival. Very popular Moroccan restaurant Marrakesh also occupies a building on this square.

I'm far more conflicted about development on this square. Several of the entities on this block have great authenticity. It would be a big step backward to replace these institutions with the corporate chains that tend to go hand in hand with the high rents of new construction in prime locations. I'm sure the obstetrician on 6th Street has helped many people but somehow potentially losing an infamous restaurant and arts community feels like a bigger loss.

Square 451

Douglas Development has been aiming to assemble most (if not all) of Square 451 for a mixed use project.


Below is a screencap of results from the DC Real Property Assessment Database for Square 451.

Double click image to enlarge

Lots of Douglas Jemal entries. It's possible Douglas Development plans to build around the 6th Street properties owned by Chumpitazi. The same may also be true for 600/606 New York Ave as that is the corner of New York and 6th. However the hold out of 628 New York Ave will likely keep this paralyzed.

Update (8/27/2008 8:00PM): Image of 628 New York Ave.

Joe Biden: Amtrak commuter

The Daily Kos points recent Democratic ticket Joe Biden's history of support for Amtrak.

• Commutes to work each day from Wilmington,DE to DC on Amtrak
  
• Original co-sponsor of the Amtrak Reauthorization Bill (National Defense Rail Act), S.104, introduced on January 7, 2003
  
• Amtrak president George Warrington presented Biden with a "Champion of the Rails" award in June 2001
  
• The American Passenger Rail Coalition (APRC), a national association of railroad equipment suppliers and rail businesses, presented him its "Rail Leadership Award" in March 2002.
  
• Son Hunter Biden is on the Amtrak board.

From Treehugger; Joe Biden on a bus in 1976 and in 2004 on a train

I don't want to create a political debate free for all. Simply wanted to point out that the Obama/Biden ticket is mass transit friendly. The Triangle has very close proximity to both Union Station and downtown proper which will continue to be *THE* hub of metro and most future transit projects such as possible light rail or streetcars.

UPDATE (8/28/2008 8:40pm): Added the photo from Treehugger.

Smart Bike News

Smart Bike DC has been such a hit that NYC bloggers have taken Amtrak into town expressly to try the bike Sharing. Streetsblog put together the following video:

Within the video is the following quotation from a DDOT exec:

"Knowing what we know now, of course, we would have launched it bigger. But when we were initially thinking about this we really weren't sure how popular it would be. The rising cost of gas and the ever-increasing green attitude of everybody is now showing us that yes, the city will support a broader program."

New Columbia Heights contacted CM Jim Graham and DDOT's bike program manager Jim Sebastian about the need for Smart Bike at the Columbia Heights metro. Both officials agreed that Columbia Heights would be in the future plans but they could not hint when Phase II might happen.

At some point the corner of 5th and K Streets in the Triangle should also be in the plans. We'll have the residential density and K Street Promenade is planned to have 40 feet wide sidewalks so space for a bike rack will not be an issue. Maybe 2009 or 2010?

hat tip GGW

Office Development in the Triangle

This week I hope to drill down deeper on some of the issues we recently chatted with MVT CID Bill McLeod about earlier this month. McLeod is limited in comments he can make about land use. Our readership is not bound by such requirements.

We asked McLeod about the prospects for office development in the Triangle. Office development is needed to come closer to realizing the vision of a vibrant mixed use community that has active streetscapes 18 hours a day. Yet we have yet to have any of the planned office developments from Wilkes' Mount Vernon Place or Steuart Investment's Square 483 breakground. Elsewhere around the city in NoMa and the Capitol Riverfront continue to move forward with office projects and land major tenants even in the market slowdown.

Capitol Plaza I office building in NoMA. Host of Artomatic;
image from Mr. T in DC

The Triangle clearly has locational advantages over other emerging office markets including proximity to all 5 metro lines and I-395. What are people's theories on the complete absence of progress? Do Steuart and Wilkes lack the same access to equity as developers (Akridge, Lerner, J Street, etc) in the other emerging office markets? Are MVT developers waiting for the residential projects to bear the burden of boosting the safety and vibrancy of the neighborhood? Is tenant demand simply higher in the other emerging markets because they will charge $15/sf less for Class A office space than the Downtown BID and MVT developers hope to charge downtown rents.

If Mount Vernon Triangle office developments will charge the same premium rents as downtown what kinds of tenants can we expect? Does that limit the playing field to law firms, finance and the like? Will the General Services Administration continue to steer government agencies like ATF, DOJ and DOT away from downtown?

Living next to a construction zone

We're currently in a paused period for new construction. Inevitably it will resume and it may be a shock to the system of some of our new residents. Being next to a new high rise construction project's entire lifecycle from excavation to completion can be trying. The pile driving and big trucks produce great deals of noise and excavation and concrete work send the dust flying. I've found one posting on the Lifein MVSNA blog where a homeowner vents about living next to Yale Lofts construction site.

Madrigal Lofts image from Kyle Walton

Our building is currently contemplating frequency of window washing. Any advice from our readers? Will it simply be impossible keep windows clean once a development across the street breaks ground? Will there be certain points of construction where the dust is most intense? Does it ease up after a) Excavation b) Pouring the foundation c) only when all concrete pouring is complete? Is there any precedent for developments to provide impacted neighbors a credit for window cleaning?

Redlight Cameras in the District

My condo faces north and each night I see flashes in the distance from the camera at 4th Street and New York Ave NW. In chats with building residents I've heard these are pricey tickets. It got me wondering how the Red light tickets are enforced and where if the locations are publically disclosed.


I was relieved to see that it is only considered a red light infraction if the light turned red before you enter the intersection. I had been wondering if would catch people who ran yellows but didn't clear the intersection 100% before it turned red.

Update on Results Gym

I received this email today from Results Gym:

Dear Mt. Vernon Triangle Members:

Construction continues to move forward and a fantastic club is quickly taking shape. As with any build-out, however, completion time is a moving target. At this juncture, we won't be opening any sooner than the latter part of September. Another e-mail will be sent to you two weeks prior to our anticipated opening.

In the interim, if you'd like to stop by to see the construction progress or to activate your membership and begin using one of the other Results locations until Mt. Vernon Triangle is available, please stop by our sales office at 5th & K Streets. Hours: Wed-Fri , 2pm-8pm; Sat & Sun, 10am-5pm.

Thank you -
Results Gym Management

Friday Links Roundup

A few links from the last few days I found interesting:

• John McCain's Crystal City condo floorplan
  
• Condi Rice's Watergate apartment
  
• NPR feature on artist studios at 52 O Street NW (via Bloomingdale blog)
  
• DCMud outlines possible future development near future O Street Market.
  
• A clever article from ESPN's Rick Reily on the Beijing games.
  
• A consultant encourages Minneapolis Bus Rapid Transit project that success will depend on the ability to increase ridership from 'Attractive Young Females'. (hat tip to GGW)
  
• A shooting in Columbia Heights sparks a great deal of blog activity (1 | 2 | 3).

The High Tea Society Summer Program Closing Ceremony

Join the High Tea Society as they celebrate the success of the Second Annual High Tea Society's “Charming By Design” Leadership & Life Skills program – an official site of Mayor Fenty's Passport to Work Summer Program. The closing ceremony will be held Friday, August 22, 2008 from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. at Second Baptist Church; 816 Third Street, NW


The closing program will consist of scenes from The Wiz, Piano Lesson, A Raisin in the Sun, and The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost, and will celebrate the achievements of 112 young ladies from the District of Columbia who participated in this challenging program designed to introduce them to careers in the fields of theatrical makeup, costume design, staging, set design, and acting. In addition to learning dramatic arts, students have also been educated in decorum, manners, dining etiquette, diction, grammar, and vocabulary by participating in bi-weekly Rhetoric and Charm School classes.

To learn more about the program or send a young lady to the High Tea Society, contact Mariessa White at (202) 277-5071

WUSA9: Cold Case closed after 18 years

On July 13, 1990 a gunman opened fire on the car the Ron Jones Jr was riding in with three friends near 5th Street and Massachusetts Avenue, NW. The road rage incident left DC homicide detectives with few clues except a composite drawing of the killer. Jones, who was a star quarterback for the Norfolk State football team, had graduated only months earlier. He had been accepted into Howard University's Law School when the shooting ended his life.

The full story is available from WUSA9. I have also embedded their video coverage.


Notice in the video the old 1990 images of 5th and Mass. Mature trees and rowhouses.

The District Chatter tells their DuMont story

Over the last week The District Chatter has told their story to date as contract holders at the DuMont.

Dumont Condos- Our Story Part I
Dumont Condos - Our Story Part II
Dumont Condos - Our Story PT II - The Lost Chapter
Developers must prove Force Majeure
Dumont Condos - Our Story Part III

Stories like these are why I am glad I did not have to buy new construction off renderings or floorplans of a yet to be finished product. My blood pressure went up just reading their posts.

As a first time buyer this spring I didn't have another property to sell in this slow down and the inventory on the market for me to choose from was plentiful. I remember a few years back some of my friends would tell me that after any open house they knew they had to make an offer that night, probably over 10% over list, to even have a chance. Very different today.

5th and Eye RFP BAFO's are in

I've learned that the 5th and Eye RFP deadline of August 18th for Best and Final Offers held firm. It had previously been postponed from June to July then again from July 18th to August 18th. At least 3 of the 4 groups turned in BAFOs.

The RFP had four finalists which delivered public presentations at the beginning of May. Each proposal had a prominent hotel element, retail/dining, LEED green building and an aspect relating to the Arts. A hotel is a perfect fit to both serve the Convention Center and create pedestrian activity in the Triangle to put more eyes on the streets.

Here are some links to recent coverage:

• Public Presentation recap
  
• ANC 6C Endorses the Arts at 5th and Eye
  
• Walnut Street to sell adjacent properties to RFP site

It's also worth noting the reader poll:

May Poll: Which Development Proposal would be the best for the parcel at 5th and Eye?

• The Arts: Donohoe/Holland [73, 54%]
  
• i5: Potomac [53, 39%]
  
• JBG [9, 6%]
  
• Buccini/Pollin and Moddie [0,0%]

135 Total votes

No official word yet on the expected decision date from the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. However, back at the May ANC 6C meeting Clint Jackson did suggest three weeks is a fair guideline. We await with great eagerness.

EveryBlock DC

Thanks to WeLoveDC I became aware of the debut of EveryBlock in the District. This web tool parses and compiles information from a variety of live public feeds and allows end users to customize what they receive.


I've created an EveryBlock feed that has data including Business reviews, Calls for city services, Crimes, News articles, and Real estate listings centering around the 400 block of K Street NW. A link to this feed will be a fixture in the right hand margin of our blog.

Examiner talks to CEO of NLEOMF

The Washington examiner recently chatted with Craig Floyd as part of their 3-minute interview series. Floyd is the chairman and chief executive officer of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF). The interview briefly discusses the National Law Enforcement Memorial at the Judiciary Square metro and the museum that will open in 2011.



Photos from flickr user kimberlyfaye

Shattered windows at City Vista - again

Lydia S of the MVSNA blog had the scoop earlier today on more unfortunate vandalism to windows of the retail storefronts at City Vista. This is a repeat of vandalism that occurred on July 26th. I learned from Lt Durand that the previous vandalism was deemed to be via BB gun or CO2 rifle. To my untrained eye this new vandalism looks like the same MO.

One Safeway window is shattered as well as both display windows at 5th Street Hardware.

Banking on Fifth Street

The MVT community is banking on the retail at City Vista along Fifth Street NW to energize our 'hood. Well, soon you will be able to literally do your banking on Fifth Street as well. These electrical permits for Chevy Chase Bank went up at 1075 5th St NW.

WBJ: The hunt for the next hot spots

The latest weekly issue of the Washington Business Journal arrived in my mailbox with an 84 page magazine insert called OnSite: Greater Washington's Real Estate Quarterly. The feature article in the magazine is titled "The hunt for the next hot spots."

excerpt:

The most important factor in figuring out where we’ll be living in the future is to look at how we’ll be living. Just as the automobile in the 1940s and ’50s and racial turbulence in the 1960s and ’70s drove their parents and grandparents to the suburbs, look for today’s younger generations to affect what tomorrow’s communities will look like.

Just consider developer Jim Abdo’s successful bet in the late 1990s that Gen X-ers (born from 1965 to 1980) would line up for new places in the city if he helped remake Logan Circle.

“Generation X and Generation Y are putting much more emphasis on life-work balance,” says Adam Ducker, managing director at Richard Charles Lesser & Co., a real estate firm based in Bethesda.

One of the main ways to achieve a better life-work balance, Ducker says, is foregoing a large home in the suburbs and the long commute it carries for a smaller home closer to work. Commuting in exchange for a bigger house was a deal baby boomers were willing to make for their family. For younger generations, that’s not a reasonable trade-off.

That means neighborhoods like the established Dupont Circle and the emerging Capitol Riverfront around Nationals Park in Southeast — where you can walk or Metro to work, shop, exercise and socialize, all without getting in your car — will only grow in popularity as Generation Y (those born between 1979 and 1996) ages.

According to Richard Charles Lesser’s research, 77 percent of Gen Y-ers plan to live in an urban core — a far cry from the baby boomers’ suburban dream of a white picket fence and a two-car garage.

Developers are paying attention: The 80 million Gen Y-ers (30 percent of the population to the boomers’ current 25 percent) will drive the real estate market in the coming years. They’re expected to transition from renters to homeowners starting around 2012 and flood the market with demand for more urban developments. That means more condos, more apartments and more townhouses. At the same time, even many boomers are moving back toward the city in search of walkable communities.

Generation X accelerated the trend toward city living — just look at the wildly successful Ballston and Clarendon areas — but the Washington region will only see more in-fill and new urban neighborhoods spring up in the years to come.

Much more in the online article including thoughts on how density in the suburbs, even off metro such as Shirlington and the Reston Town Center will also continue to be models for the future.



Not in the online article are WBJ's spotlights on emerging hot spots. The list was not meant to be inclusive but rather highlight a few locations inside and outside the beltway across DC, Virginia and Maryland. Those included Anacostia, Poplar Point, Fort Totten and Hill East in the District; Rosslyn, Braddock Road, Columbia Pike and Occoquan in Virginia; Gaithersburg, Green Belt, Landover, Laurel and Mount Rainier in Maryland. No direct mention of the Triangle but I think, with the exception of Rosslyn, these were meant to be longer term speculations than MVT or NoMA.

Track 29 on Back to the Future

I enjoyed a recent blog post from Track Twenty-Nine on analyzing fictional Hilly Valley of Back to the Future through the prism of urban decline and gentrification.

I'm sure we've all seen Back to the Future. Indeed, it's one of my favorite trilogies of all time. One of the reasons for that is it's treatment of the city through time.

For those of you who haven't seen the movies, the characters are time travelers whose situations keep getting them stranded in the wrong year. The range of the movies stretches from 1885-2015, with the Doc and Marty visiting 1885, 1955, 1985, 1985 Alternate, and 2015. All of the events take place in the fictional Hill Valley, California, a small town, presumably on the edge of a metropolitan area (at least by 1985).

Marty McFly in 2015 with his hoverboard

If you look carefully at scenes from Hill Valley in 1955 ("they've really cleaned this place up"), you can see how vibrant the town square is. By 1985, they've paved over the square itself for parking and most of the businesses are run down. The bench on which Marty and Jennifer sit near the beginning of the film (#1) advertises that Zales is 'now in Twin Pines Mall'. In 1955, it was on the square. By 2015, however, Hill Valley's downtown is experiencing a renaissance. The shops are occupied, there is a little cutrification (Cafe 80s, the Antique Shop), but it appears vibrant. The square is now a reflecting pool for the Courthouse and houses an underground shopping mall.

1985 (top) 1955 (bottom) courthouse square with the clock tower in the background; from flickr user misterbiscuit

It is certainly interesting to the town transform. We see the prototypical 1950s town square through the eyes of a child of the baby boomers. A kid growing up in the 1980s, who has no idea of what his town used to be. While his parents' generation hung out at Lou's Diner on the square and frequently walked or biked home, Marty's generation presumably hangs out at the Mall and have a much greater attachment to their cars (hence the drag races).

And even the costs of sprawl are noted. We discover after Marty makes it back to 1955 for the first time, that in 1985 Doc is living in his garage. If you read the newspapers framed on the walls, you'll note that Doctor Brown sold the Brown estate to developers, presumably to finance the Delorean. That explains why in 1985, Marty leaves the Doc's place, and steps right into the parking lot of a Burger King. The typical suburban strip is visible in the background.

2015 Hill Valley streetscape; from flickr user john85

But what is most interesting is the movies' prediction of the future, only 30 years distant from the movie-present, 2015 is drawing nearer. And it seems that the writers predicted gentrification and reurbanization. While I don't think we'll have flying cars within the next 7 years, it's not too far-fetched to see the continuing tide of revitalization in our urban areas (including small towns).

After that recap of Back to the Future, Track Twenty-Nine's author then asks What does the future hold for America's Cities and Suburbs? Alternatively, if this merely wet your whistle for more Back to the Future - I recommend that previously linked Hill Valley wiki.

Enjoy

As relevant today as it was six years ago

The Lifein MVSNA blog has had discussion about prostitution at 4th & K Streets NW. One commenter dug up a six year old news story to illustrate how little has changed. Below is the cut & paste.

DC Has Plan To Cut Back on Transvestite Prostitutes
Sam Ford , NLJA (ABC TV affiliate) Channel 7
7/12/2002

[WASHINGTON, DC] - The District has a new plan to cut back on transvestite prostitutes, and drug abuse around 4th and K Streets in Northwest Washington, near the INS Headquarters.

The plan includes removing nuisance properties, including city owned abandoned trailers, where the prostitutes are sleeping. They also plan to cut back on trees where they are hiding, and prosecutors tell ABC 7, they have hopes for their plan.

Kathy Worthington with the U.S. Attorney's office says when there is an arrest, there will be diversion programs to try to attempt to rehabilitate these individual so that there are no repeat problems.

There are also plans to write victim's impact statements, so when the prostitutes are arrested, judge's will keep them off the street for longer periods of time.


A Closer Look

They come to the area from as far away as Baltimore: men who dress as women, often working as prostitutes that are driving away long-time residents.

"It's noise, drugs, cursing and screaming and jumping all out in the street to keep you awake at night," says Henry Anderson.

Henry and his wife Ida are leaving their high-rise apartment, located just north of the U.S. Capitol, after 18 years because of what's right outside their window.

"Sometimes, they're in the act [of having sex]. ... I never thought I would live to see the things I'm seeing now," says Ida.

The activity is happening in the shadows of the Capitol--around Fourth and K streets in Northwest Washington, near the headquarters of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization. Residents say it's an anything-goes market--transvestites make money selling sex and then spend that money with the drug dealers who have moved into the area.

From apartment windows, tenants in nearby buildings see the constant traffic of female impersonators soliciting sex, while drugs are being examined and consumed on the street. In the same area two weeks ago, police say a 20-year-old man on a bicycle was murdered in what is believed to be a drug-related murder.

At a community meeting in June, police were blasted by residents of several apartment buildings, church-goers, and even by officials from the Immigration and Naturalization Service that's headquartered in the region.

"These are armed security guards, federal officers protecting my building ... they get accosted," says Kurt Anderson, an INS security official.

"People are exposing themselves, pulling their genitals in front of people. It's embarrassing and something is going to have to be done," argued a resident.

As for police presence, Sergeant Mark Gilkey says, "I have only 11 officers in my unit, and we're spread citywide."

The police department's prostitution unit and others have so far had little impact. They mainly shoo people away. Meanwhile, advocates for the transgendered say the transvestites need counseling and treatment--and don't need to be put in jail.

"I'm and ex-offender myself. I know what it is to used substance abuse, but somebody has to provide help. We can't just keep moving them from one ward to another ward," says transgender advocate Earlene Budd.

Regardless, the Andersons are moving out next month.

"Yeah, we can't stand it anymore. We don't get any rest at night at all," says Henry.

A community meeting will be held Thursday night to discuss possible neighborhood patrols and a letter-writing campaign to urge judges to keep transvestites in jail longer, once they're arrested.

Interestingly I googled the title of the article and the primary sources that had archived the information were transgender sites. In fact TGcrossroads archive of the article was categorized under "Civil Liberties watch". I think there is some merit to that. You'll notice the article mentions a "letter-writing campaign to urge judges to keep transvestites in jail longer." Why would the letters single out transvestites rather than the blanket term of prostitutes? The problem for the community isn't men dressing as women so the emphasis many add to the discussion by focusing on the word transvestite often isn't helpful. The core issues are prostitution, including open air sex trade, and the related drug dealing.

That said the transgender angle isn't totally irrelevant as how you rehabilitate a transgender prostitute may require a different plan. It's also possible that the genital flashing is more present with transvestites than other prostitutes. But the issue at 4th and K Street NW is not about sexual orientation it's the lewd acts of prostitution, the related drug issues and the hostile environment that goes along with these things.

Reminder: Dog Walk with MPD tonight

From MVT CID:

Join your neighbors and a Metropolitan Police Officer for a Dog Walk with MPD around Mount Vernon Triangle on Thursday, August 14th, from 6:30pm to 7:00pm. Meet in front of The Sonata - 301 Mass Ave, NW. This event will go on rain or shine.

After the dog walk, you can learn more about crime and safety in Polic Service Area 101 East by attending the monthly meeting of the Metropolitan Police Department at the Golden Rule Plaza, 1050 New Jersey Avenue NW. Meeting are held on the second Thursday of each month at 7:00pm.

DuMont trenches

What's the story with these trenches at the DuMont?

Yale Lofts

Do we have readers at the Yale Lofts? What percent occupied ("sold" is smoke & mirrors) is the building?

Community Meeting on Crime Surge with Assistant Chief Groomes

From DNA president Miles Groves:

Dear Downtown Neighbors,

There has been a recent surge in robberies on 5th Street north of Massachusetts Avenue to K Street NW and along the Chinatown section of I Street NW. Tomorrow night their will be a community meeting held at the Chinatown Community Cultural Center. Assistant Chief Diane Grooms will address the surge of robberies. The meeting will begin at 7PM and end at 8PM. For more information, visit this link:

http://www.ccccdc.org/templates/content.asp?articleid=380&zoneid=12

Thanks,

Miles E. Groves
Downtown Neighborhood Association

I won't be able to attend, but if someone does and would be willing to share a recap that would be great. I think most of us are interested in what MPD will do to further promote safety along 5th Street after the Safeway opens.

The Nixon Memorial?

Do you know what this structure is? The Nixon Memorial bit is tongue-in-cheek of course.



Below is what I found on DCist (dated March '05):

DCist reader asks:"A LONG time ago, some one told me that the large concrete air shaft for I-395, just north of Massachusetts Avenue, is jokingly referred to as the 'Nixon Memorial.' (It is a large obelisk looking concrete rectangle, with a mural painted on the side.) Do others refer to it as the Nixon Memorial? Or was that just one person's joke? It seems sort of appropriate..."

DCist responds:The concrete-column air shaft serves as ventilation for the I-395/Center Leg Freeway/Third Street tunnel, a project that got its start in 1955. The first portion of the project was built 1966-1973 and the second 1979-1982. The project was originally designed to connect all the major highways surrounding D.C., but ended up only connecting I-395 to New York Avenue (Route 50), leading to some of the lovely beach traffic entanglements we experience every summer.

The air shaft was probably part of the 1973 completion, or at least the project is heavily tied to the Nixon's administration residency in our fair city, so that is where DCist would assume the Nixon reference comes in to play. We're guessing the person who told you this was not a Nixon fanboy.

Question: Will further development over the freeway require more of these gigantic air shafts?

Photo from flickr user Kyle Walton

UPDATED (8/13/2008 10:30PM): An old WaPo article on the airshaft

How would you feel about short term rentals in your building?

While surfing the site Vacation Rentals by Owner (VRBO) I came across a unit that is clearly at The Sonata.

Below is a screen cap in case the ad gets pulled:

Location: Washington, District of Columbia, USA (3rd & Mass Ave NW DC Gallery Place Metro Judiciary Square)
Accommodations: Condominium - 1 Bedroom - 1 Bath - (Sleeps 2-4)

A newly built, loft-style one-bedroom flat on the ninth-floor in a luxurious 12-story, 75- residence-unit building in a prime downtown Washington location within sight of the US Capitol.

B&B RATES: One Bedroom Furnished Luxury Hi-Rise Apartment $325.00 per night+ tax. No stays of less than 3 days. Weekly RATES: $1750/week + Tax Extended Stay RATES: $125/night with a minimum 30 day stay. No tax on stays of 30 days or more. Tax is 14.55% additional for stays of less than 30 days.

How would you feel if owners in your building were renting units in this manner?

Dog Walk with MPD this Thursday

From MVT CID:

Join your neighbors and a Metropolitan Police Officer for a Dog Walk with MPD around Mount Vernon Triangle on Thursday, August 14th, from 6:30pm to 7:00pm. Meet in front of The Sonata - 301 Mass Ave, NW. This event will go on rain or shine.

After the dog walk, you can learn more about crime and safety in Police Service Area 101 East by attending the monthly meeting of the Metropolitan Police Department at the Golden Rule Plaza, 1050 New Jersey Avenue NW. Meeting are held on the second Thursday of each month at 7:00pm.

Mayer Mitchell building

A couple of photos from Flickr user MVJantzen of the Mayer Mitchell Building (251 H Street NW)

OT: National Zoo to exile Happy the Hippo

I'm going off topic here, but it's good to mix in topics other than condos, crime and retail =)

I was skimming the Express on my metro ride earlier this week and saw a blurb about the National Zoo seeking a new home for Happy the Hippo. Unfortunate news for me. Anytime I go to a zoo the Hippos are my personal marquee attraction.


Later in the day I googled for the full story and found it on WaPo entitled Zoo's Hippo Must Hit the Road.

Excerpts:

Happy is not much to look at. He has stained teeth, tiny ears and he drools. He's very large -- like, slow-getting-out-of-the-pool large. And he'll sneeze on you if you're not paying attention to him. He gets away with this because he's the National Zoo's only Nile hippopotamus.

"The hippo space we currently have is going to become elephant space," said National Zoo Senior Curator Brandie Smith. "We need to find a new space for Happy," she said. "We want to make sure he goes to a place that's well qualified to care for him".

"The National Zoo is very strongly committed to [Asian] elephant programs," Smith said, in part because the animals are endangered in the wild. "With zoos you only have so much space available.... We don't have a strong hippopotamus program right now.

Hippo stats pour out of [zoo keeper JT]: how fast they run on land (25 mph); how fast they run in the water (10 mph); how much they eat (55 pounds of hay, grain and produce a day); how long they live (about 45 years in the wild, longer in captivity); how much time they spend in the water (18 to 22 hours per day); how their brains are smaller than a giraffe's; and how, if they're mad, they can "break you in half like a pencil."

Drilling down into the comments section of the WaPo article you find a response from National Zoo director John Berry which includes:

"The Elephant House in which Happy is housed was built in the 1930s and is in dire need of renewal. In planning the renovation of the building and outdoor yards, we faced difficult decisions about how best to address the animals’ needs and what species we could accommodate in the new exhibit. We decided to focus on Asian elephants for several reasons. Not only are they are critically endangered but we have a decades-long commitment to Asian elephants through extensive research programs for this species, both at the Zoo and in the wild, whose goals are to ensure the best care for elephants in zoos and the species’ survival in the wild.

We did look into the option of building a new hippo exhibit. Initial research showed us that a new facility would cost between 35 – 55 million dollars. Hippo exhibits require complex pool and sewage systems in order to manage them sustainably. This expenditure simply isn’t possible for the Zoo right now with all the critical construction and renovation projects we have already identified within our five year capital plan."

Holy sardines Batman! THIRTY-FIVE to FIFTY-FIVE million for a pool and sewage system?!? A million dollars definitely ain't what it used to be.

Walnut Street Development to sell parcels

Courtesy of DCMud we learn that Walnut Street Development (WSD) is set to sell it's lots on Eye Street NW. These lots include historic properties which WSD had intended to preserve while building a 12-story complex of apartment and retail called Eye Street Lofts.

"[Developer Jared Jablonka] added that WSD had delayed groundbreaking because they hoped to win the 5th and I site. "We had held off because the announcement of a developer for the adjacent piece of land (5th the and I) was delayed. We wanted to incorporate that site into our project, that was the idea, but then we got the offer to sell the site and it was hard to turn down. We are now under contract."

WSD's original $55 million multi-use project would have been a renovation of two 1880's row houses and other industrial buildings into an approximately 12-story structure with over 15,000 s.f. of community-serving retail space.

WSD's plans have been in the works since 2005 and have since faced several obstacles because of the historic nature of the buildings on site that include the Central Auto Works garage, a historically-designated structure. Architects HOK Group decided to incorporate the entire garage into the new edifice by piercing columns through the building and creating footings beneath the garage to support the new construction. The development would have also included the two existing row houses as well as a historic blacksmith shop."

Current photo of 443 I St from flickr user Kyle Walton

Rendering of the Eye Street Lofts that WSD had planned

I attended both the initial presentation and the ANC 6C special meeting on the 5th and Eye project. During each meeting it was clear that JBG had an agreement for WSD's parcels. While other projects had deals with other land owners to expand north, JBG seemed to exclusively hold the keys to expanding east on Eye Street. So, I don't think this news signifies JBG has made a recent breakthrough. I think the climate is basically the same as it's been for months.

The Donohoe/Holland proposal called The Arts and 5th and Eye has received all the community support. ANC 6C, the Downtown Neighborhood Association, and the residents of 555 Mass have each endorsed the Donohoe/Holland bid. JBG's proposal also lagged behind the I5 proposal from Potomac Investment in community support. A big reason for this is that every other finalist was specific about the hotel and retail partners their projects they've paired with and JBG offered no details.

JBG's portfolio in the immediate neighborhood does not suggest they develop buildings that actively engage the streetscape. The Hampton Inn, 555 Mass, and the Convention Center lack the sufficient retail elements to generate pedestrian activity and eyes on the streets. Personally I'm disappointed that 555 Mass did not incorporate any first floor retail on 5th Street. The Office of Planning's (OP) master plan for the Triangle designated 5th Street as our retail corridor. JBG may have had their justifications for disregarding OP's recommendation but it's still a large missed opportunity for the community. These new buildings are going to be here for many decades and you only get one chance to build it right...

MVT CID: Bill McLeod on the Mount Vernon Triangle

Recently The Triangle had the opportunity to interview through the email format the Executive Director of the Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District. We chatted with Bill McLeod about issues ranging from basic daily functions of the CID to the future plans for this community. In the process we gained a greater understanding of what the CID has influence in and what solutions are steered by the market (developers) or D.C. government agencies.

What does the CID do?

The Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District operates programs that promote a cleaner and safer neighborhood. MVTCID also raises public awareness about the Triangle through its website, broadcast emails, quarterly newsletters, press releases, and neighborhood events.

<The Triangle’s Clean Team works seven hours a day, seven days a week, between 7:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. They keep the neighborhood looking great by picking up hundreds of pound of trash each day. And, they provide an added benefit through outreach to those in need from the community.

In August 2007, MVTCID started safety services by hiring a Metropolitan Police Department officer (through Reimbursable Detail) Friday and Saturday nights from 6:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. In the spring, we were awarded a grant to double the police on Friday and Saturday nights – to two officers.

We recently launched three committees: Property Managers Committee, Jobs Committee, and Marketing Committee. The Property Managers Committee focuses on several issues, such as building construction, streetscape timelines, homelessness, safety, security, and other matters of interest to our property managers, business owners, and building owners.

The Jobs Committee organized two job-training fairs for residents in the immediate community looking for employment training, and we hope to host another job-training fair in the autumn. And, the committee works closely with life-skills training organizations, such as Strive DC, to assist people with resume building and interview skills.

The Marketing Committee was formed to implement strategies to promote the neighborhood, including updating the website, branding the neighborhood, and planning community activities. This year, the website was restructured, adding pages that tell the story of the neighborhood, and we updated the development map to include retail listings. Two park clean-up events were organized in partnership with the National Park Service and two walking tours were given through Walking Town DC. In June, we organized a bike ride with police officers, and this August, we will have a dog walk with MPD.


Tell us about your background. How did your past experience as Executive Director of Barracks Row Main Street prepare you for this job? Are the challenges of the job similar or mostly different?

That is a loaded question. In college I studies Social Sciences with a concentration in Sociology. I worked for the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street Center for seven years before moving to Barracks Row Main Street, where I works for 4.5 years. In December 2006, I switched jobs and came to Mount Vernon Triangle CID because I knew the neighborhood well since I lived at 5th and R in 1991-2. The development of the neighborhood has been amazing.

My experience with Barracks Row Main Street totally prepared me for this job. But there are two major differences: as a BID, funding is secure, so I don’t spend nearly as much time fundraising, and we have very few volunteers since the neighborhood is not very well populated yet. I still do grant writing here and volunteer recruitment, but I’ll be ramping that up in the next year.

The challenges are similar in Mount Vernon Triangle as Barracks Row. Mount Vernon Triangle had few buildings, and Barracks Row had lots of old buildings but most of them we empty or occupied by marginal businesses.


The area is facing a potentially massive influx of new residents in the coming year. How do you see these residents fitting into the community? What are some of the most important ways for new residents to become involved in the community? And conversely, is the community doing anything to welcome or attract new residents? What concerns do you have about this influx of new residents?

I love density! New residents mean more active streets, better-used parks, more eyes on the street, and more dollars to support retail. It is a win-win all the way around – more people using facilities creating a cleaner and safer neighborhood.

There are several ways a resident can get involved. MVTCID has committees where volunteers can direct their energy: Marketing Committee, and Jobs Committee. And it time, we will add more. Plus we have neighborhood clean-ups and safety events throughout the year. And, for those really involved in the CID, we are always looking for stalwart board members.

We don’t “attract new residents” directly. I think that is best left to the developers and sales teams from the condos. But, I like to think we are marketing indirectly through our website, articles in the paper, and events like WalkingTown DC.


Papa John's, 5th Street Ace Hardware and the Results Gym Sales office have recently opened. Is there any word of unofficial ETAs for the Safeway, Busboy and Poets or Ledo's? After these businesses deliver what is next horizon? [Ed note: This question was asked prior to Safeway hanging up their banner]

Yes, Safeway is planning to open September 12, and Busboys & Poets and Results are hoping to open around that time too. Having worked with retailers for a number of years now, I know that opening dates seem to slide, especially when DCRA inspections are required. Ledo’s has not been working on its building for a while, which makes me worried. Don’t know what is going on since the owner has not been in contact with me for six months. Once the retail in City Vista opens, there will be a few retail spaces left, and we hope we can identify some local businesses to fill those slots.

455 Mass has a restaurant space, and they were talking to Lawry’s Steak House, but that deal fell through. But another restaurant is in the works. Also, I heard a UPS store is going into 455 Mass, but the sign has come down for some reason.


Have there been any recent updates on development that has yet to break ground such as Mount Vernon/Carmel Place, Steuart Investment's parcels or Bozzuto's 460 New York Ave? Has the recent softening of the real estate market changed development plans for the area or simply shifted out the time horizon?

Developers keep their business very close to the vest, so I am not privy-ed to that information. But, I suspect the softening of the housing market and now the mortgage crisis has contributed to the delay of some groundbreakings. As far as I understand it, no deals have fallen through – just longer timelines.


The Best & Final Offer date for the 5th and Eye RFP has been pushed back a couple times and is presently August 18th. What has been the CID's involvement on this process to-date? What future involvement would take place after the city awards the site?

As a BID, we are precluded from commenting on land use. I’ve gone to several meetings about the site but kept silent. Whatever developer is selected, I’m sure it will be great because it will add density to the neighborhood, and I liked all of the top four choices. We would like to see public art included in whatever is built since it is a gateway site into Mount Vernon Triangle. And, we want all buildings to be good neighbors – whether commercial or residential. So whatever developer is selected, I want them to understand that Mount Vernon Triangle will be primarily a residential neighborhood – so no loud music, build with double paned windows, etc.


The Mount Vernon Triangle Action Agenda outlined a vision for a vibrant mixed use community. A solid foundation of residential buildings has delivered in the last year. But the office component, especially on K Street, is needed to realize the goal of being an 18-hour community. One can't help but notice that the NoMA and Capitol Riverfront BIDs are poised to add a combined 25 million s.f. of office space to the city and have landed major tenants like the ATF, DOJ, DOT and NPR. How does the MVT CID meet the goal to add offices/tenants to our community in this competitive market?

The DC office market is still strong, and Mount Vernon Triangle is situated very well – on the east end of downtown. Location, location, location – are our three advantages over SW, NoMa, or the Capitol Riverfront. New office space will open on K Street and it will be great! Think of K Street on the west side of Mount Vernon Square as our vision for what will be built on the east side – only better with more retailers and cafes and fewer offices on the first floor.


The final report for the Mount Vernon Triangle Transportation and Public Realm Design Project included several recommendations for improving transportation in the Triangle. These included bike racks, bicycle lanes, redesigning New Jersey Ave, L Street and a segment of 4th Street as two-way streets before 2010. L Street has undergone its transformation. Any word on the other plans? Bike racks at City Vista would seem appropriate.

Streetscaping is a big-ticket item, and we have been working behind the scenes with DDOT, Councilmember Tommy Wells, and Councilmember Jack Evans to fund the streets and sidewalks plan in the Public Realm Study (rendering). L Street is basically done, and 4th Street will return to two-way traffic in DC’s FY09 budget. Next up will be to return NJ Avenue back to two way traffic and then new streets and sidewalks for all of K Street. Bike racks are easy in comparison and should be going in at City Vista shortly.


Economic development in the Triangle is geared around new high-rise construction, which requires a long development cycle to build. Unlike 14th Street NW or H Street NE our streets lack a stock of vacant commercial spaces to tap into on a shorter cycle via renovation. With no construction currently underway nor any new construction slated to break ground until 2009 our growth may pause after the retail at City Vista delivers. How can we work around this limitation? What tools are at our disposal?

Sadly, you are correct. There are very few old buildings remaining in Mount Vernon Triangle – partly because of the MLK riots, partly because of the urban renewal plan for Lower Shaw, and partly because of demolition by neglect and the construction of the 395 Freeway in 1962. Nevertheless, both the lack of vacant buildings and the lack of construction sites does affect the economic potential in the short term. To work around this limitation, some people have suggested adding street vendors, which I’m not convinced is ideal because of the state of street vending in DC. Others have suggested a weekly market – like the Georgetown Antiques Market. Sadly, they are not willing to move from their current home in Clarendon. Personally, I am banking on the success of Safeway to spur further development as the neighborhood is transformed by new residents, office workers, and visitors from all parts of the city.

A big thanks to Bill for participating in this chat with us. We hope to have more in the future.

Inspiration for this post was from DCMud's interview with Michael Stevens.