Engine 6

Could the impending arrival of Buddha Bar trigger serious interest in the engine 6 firehouse space across the street at 400 Mass?


Last month I came across a great example of a historic firehouse transformed into a vibrant space. Jack's Firehouse is a very successful pub and restaurant on Philly's Fairmount Ave across the street from Eastern State Penitentiary. Much of the original mahogany interior, wood plank floors, and even the brass fire pole remain intact in the old building. The large sweep boat suspended overhead also added a great deal of charm.


What will the future hold for our old Engine company?

The Passenger Arrives

by KimFromTheK

The Passenger is a new bar in the Warehouse Cafe space, opening this evening. It's located at 1021 7th Street NW, between New York Ave and L Street, across from the Washington Convention Center.

With The Passenger, brothers Tom and Derek Brown (most recently of Cork and The Gibson, respectively) bring us their own laid back neighborhood bar and lounge. The space features late 19th century hardwood floors and distressed concrete and exposed brick walls, which gives it some character. The most impressive new addition to the decor is an area to the rear of the bar with arched ceilings and mirrored walls designed to look like an antique dining car. Lastly a private space called The Columbia Room (opening date TBD) will be dedicated to as a reservations-only area where Derek Brown will host more intimate gatherings focused on educating patrons in a space he refers to as "a cocktail club and laboratory bar".

Beers are served in cans and over twenty wines are available by the glass. There will not be a mixed cocktail menu; instead the brothers plan to ask patrons what they like, and mix something up that might appeal to them. And the food menu will include an eclectic offering of items such as Route 11 chips and kimchi hot dogs. I had the opportunity to snag a few photos at a pre-opening event last night. (Apologies for the quality as these were taken on my blackberry).

Top: 7th Street entrance; Middle: Owner Derek Brown mixing gin punch; Bottom: a view down the bar

In addition to the bar and lounge, the Civilian Art Projects is moving to 7th Street (into the gallery space on the first floor of 1019 7th Street). The Warehouse Theater will continue in operation, with a new entrance, and a production of Santaland Diaries upcoming in December.

Read more about The Passenger in Tim Carman's preview and WaPo's Going Out Guide review by Fritz Hahn. The Prince of Petworth preview features some of the best interior photos of The Passenger on the net at the moment.

HPRB: You make the call

Which do you find more worthy of preservation? The top image is of "Meads Row" on the 1300 block of H Street NE which the Historic Preservation Review Board recently voted down a motion to preserve. The second image displays some properties under consideration on the 600 Block of K Street NW within the Triangle.



Personally I consider the Meads Row cluster of buildings is more appealing from an architectural and aesthetic perspective.

Image Credit: DCMud

Franklin School RFO

As discussed by Neil Albert at the April DNA Meeting, it is expected that a Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) will soon be issued for the Franklin School. The building had been used as an emergency homeless shelter the last several years until the Mayor ended the program late last fall. I've found that there was a Request for Offers (RFO) issued on April 9th for the property to be reused as a Charter School.

Photo from flickr user (army.arch)

History of the building from www.adolph-cluss.de.

Franklin School
13th and K Streets, NW
Constructed in 1869

By 1869 the modern school building was again redefined by Adolf Cluss in his design of the Franklin School on the corner of 13th Street and K Street, Northwest. Franklin was the grandest building of all the schools, meant to house not only all grades at the time, but the offices of the Superintendent (this office created in 1869) and the Board of Trustees (Education), as well. Franklin also housed the first Normal School for white students.

The massive Great Hall at Franklin functioned as a community resource for concerts and other special events. Alexander Graham Bell successfully tested his new invention, the photophone (sound transmitted by light waves), from the rooftop of Franklin School in 1880.

The building’s 19th-century façade - including a bust of Benjamin Franklin - is an eloquent expression of principles of public education in post-Civil America. The exterior of Franklin was restored in 1992 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The interior, however, remains largely as it was when the building was closed decades ago. Stanley Jackson, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, announced on March 10, 2005 that the Franklin School will be re-developed by the District-based Western Development Corp. and Jarvis Corp. as a boutique hotel.(Ed note: Seems the building has been down the RFEI path unsuccessfully before)

The new 25-page 2009 RFO (PDF) can presently be found on the district's website.

Properties of the 600 Block of K Street NW

As mentioned in the posting from earlier today, two HPRB cases regarding the 600 block of K Street NW, will be heard in the near future. The images below outline the properties being considered. If all these properties are landmarked, the development concept from Douglas Jemal would involve relocating the structures to the far east end of the block to be adjacent to one another.

Please share your thoughts in the comments. I clearly believe the Hartig Motor Company building is worth preserving and of ample size to contribute to future retail for the block. I am on the fence about the second set of properties.

Hartig Motor Company, 627 K Street, NW , Case #05-10


601, 607-609, 611, 613 and 617 K Street, NW , Case #05-11

601 K Street NW (previously written about)

607 K Street NW - Executive Auto Detailing

611-613 K Street NW - Akosombo and Styles International

617 K Street NW

There is a delicate balance between preserving enough historic character to create a special place and requiring so much preservation that the economics become more complicated and delay the feasibility of the project. For Case #05-11 I would say at a minimum the non-descript one story garage at 607 K Street NW is not worthy of landmarking.

HPRB for 600 Block of K Street NW

As Si Kailian posted on the MVSNA blog last week, properties on the 600 block of K Street NW are slated to before the Historic Preservation Review Board in the very near future. These properties are owned by Douglas Development, who in their early concepts for Square 451, is planning that these properties will be landmarked and need to be clustered together.

HISTORIC PRESERVATION REVIEW BOARD MEETING
April 23, 2009
441 4th Street NW, Room 220 South, 10:00 a.m.

The Historic Preservation Review Board will meet on April 23, 2009, to consider permit and concept applications for work affecting historic properties. This meeting may also include a public hearing on nominations to designate historic landmarks or historic districts.

The final agenda for the HPRB meeting will be released on April 17, 2009. The agenda will be emailed to all recipients of this monthly public notice. Staff Reports will be posted on the Historic Preservation Office website at www.planning.dc.gov/hpo on April 17, 2009.

Historic Landmark and District Nominations

• Hartig Motor Company, 627 K Street, NW , Case #05-10 (to be heard in May) (Tim Dennee)
  
• 601, 607-609, 611, 613 and 617 K Street, NW , Case #05-11 (to be heard in May) (Tim Dennee)

How does this HPRB process work? I assume Tim Dennee will be arguing in favor of the landmark designation. Will Douglas Development or others attend and argue in opposition?

My photos of the properties will be posted later in the day.

High G Paint out on the curb

The contents of High G Paint Company (924 5th St NW) were emptied from the building out onto the sidewalk on Tuesday. A For Sale signed was posted with contact information for Reza Rofougaran of Stein & Associates.


When was the last time High G Paint was open for business? How big is the space and what future uses could you envision?

Hat tip: MVTResident

UPDATE (3/11/09 11:20AM): The building is for sale for $950,000. The 2010 property tax assessment is $869,360. The structure resides within the Mount Vernon Triangle Historic District.

WBJ: F Street's Past is Prologue

The winter edition of Washington Business Journal's OnSite magazine has about the revitalization of the 900 block of F Street called F Street's Past is Prologue. In it the author doles out grades on architectural merit of Akridge's Carroll Square versus Douglas Development's projects across the street (Atlantic Building, The Ventana).

Photo of National Union Building from flickr user army.arch

The print edition has far more photos including one of the old style iron-caged elevator cab inside the National Union Building.

Another one bites the dust

Columbo from PQLiving has a few snapshots of the 6th and K Automart sign being taken down this past Sunday.

The sign is rather iconic among local D.C. photographers on flickr. It was also popular among some residents like our friends at DistrictChatter.

I liked it as well. That said, perhaps I don't have a vivid enough imagination but I could not see how it could be preserved and integrated into a new project. I think it had to go, but would like to see in the long run it be replaced with some other art or community amenity rather than soley the big box we see in this photo.

Tony Cheng's 5th Street property

In a discussion last week a reader inquired about 925 5th Street NW.

Check out 925 5th Street NW. That is the building next to Fun Fair that has no roof and only a facade. Apparently it is allowed to stand because under the plywood at the top is an art deco era material (vitrolite). Apparently it is one of the remaining "examples" of this material's use in DC. Just because it is hiding under the plywood, do we have to keep a structurally unsound building and crack addict magnet? There is nothing special about that facade.

The property is owned by Tony Cheng and assessed at $1.6 million.

Exterior of 925 5th Street NW

"Interior" of 925 5th Street NW

The photos are part of a larger set taken by James "Jad" Donohoe and uploaded to flickr in May of this year. Donohoe Development ultimately was awarded the 5th and Eye RFP in September.

Click on image to view entire 25 photo set

Donohoe Development is interested in acquiring the properties on 5th Street to expand the Arts at 5th and I project towards K Street.

Fire house facade at 400 Mass - part 2

My personal opinion is that the firehouse could have been integrated better. See below.



My edited photo is a little sloppy - but you get the drift. Agree? Disagree?

Fire house facade at 400 Mass

Below is a snapshot of the Firehouse facade preserved at 400 Mass.


Do you think the outcome was well done and/or a positive for the streetscape? Will the eventual retail tenant be forced to keep those red firehouse doors or could they be replaced at some point with glass doors allowing for more light to shine in and pedestrians to see inside?

Historic carport?

Last week we had two postings debating preservation of three Victorian rowhouses at the MRP realty 6th & K Street NW site. To my knowledge those rowhouses are not inside the historic district nor are they designated historic structures.

Yet, during the Mount Vernon Triangle WalkingTownDC tour, I learned that the roof of a small building diagonally across the street from the 6th & K Automart is protected. I forget the entirety of the backstory - but the roof at one point was a carport of past structures including a gas station.


While this terracotta roof represent a more rare feature than other old buildings inside our neighborhood possess I'm not particularly impressed. It wouldn't be anywhere near the top of my personal list to save. What are your thoughts?

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?

Mount Vernon Triangle Historic District

A reader asked a question about Historic districts in the comment section of yesterday's post on the ANC 6C recommendation for 5th and Eye.

I dug around on the HistoricWashington yahoo group to find this map of historic properties in the Triangle. The map is attributed to Matthew Gilmore and you can visit his PDF by clicking through on the image below.


According to the map the historic properties are both to the north (5th & K) and the adjacent to the east (Eye St) to the property at 5th and Eye (463 I St NW) that the ODMPED has the RFP on. Among other properties this includes the old Capital Automotive Building (443 I St NW), Subway Liquors (500 K St NW) and the Louis Rogue gentlemen's club (476 K St NW).

If anyone has any knowledge they can share about the Historic rules that might apply to these properties please share your thoughts? Will developers have to keep the facade of these buildings and build over them? If so, does the new structure have to be setback 20 ft? Are there other rules?

Historic Structures in the Triangle

I was just searching for something on google when I came across this power point someone created a couple of years back, before serious development in the Triangle began.

Download the power point here.

When I came across the slide of 419 Mass. I immediately became quite sad, I wasn't really familiar with the area when I bought my condo at the DuMont and didn't realize there might actually have been something on the site worth saving.

I realize we can't hold onto everything, sometimes we have to let go of the past to build a better future for our communities... but if we're gonna let go, we should at least be aware of what we're sacrificing and be sure that what were replacing it with is seriously good.

There are still a few of these structures remaining in the triangle. Wouldn't it be great if the were actually restored to their former glory? Do we really want a Triangle thats made up almost entirely of new, sometimes crappy and characterless construction?

Let's think about it...