Southwest...The Little Quadrant That Could

Catching Up on Old News: SW Library Receives Mini-Makeover

2012-01-27T07:27:00.000-05:00

The Southwest Branch library closed for a few weeks back in September for a mini-makeover of the first floor. New carpets and book shelves were installed, walls were painted, and new Macs were provided for the teen space area. Above is a photo of the new carpets and shelving. Over the next few years, the library will receive an $8.8 million renovation to become a LEED-Silver rated facility. The ANC recently approved a resolution requesting that DDOT install a ramp in front of the library to better connect the building with the walkway that leads to the Southwest Duck Pond. The ramp installation would result in the loss of a couple of metered parking spaces on Wesley Place.

Late Night Burgers Coming Soon and Preliminary Work Underway at Waterside Metro Lofts

2012-01-26T00:00:00.000-05:00

The "Help Wanted" sign has been removed from the window, speakers installed outside, and today, the menu was hung over the register. Barring any more delays with the build-out, Z-Burger is now scheduled to open next week. An exact date still can't be pinned down, but I hope to get more information (and interior photos) in a couple of days. The hours of operation on the restaurant will be:

Sunday - Thursday: 10am - 10pm
Friday - Saturday: 10am - 12am

Although the color scheme may resemble a certain global burger chain, Z-Burger is no golden arches. According to Z-Burger's website:

Z-Burger offers you food made fresh daily from ingredients of the highest quality. Our burgers are hand-formed...our potatoes are fresh cut...always fresh, never frozen.

Z-Burger serves burgers (veggie and turkey ones too), hot dogs, cheesesteaks, fries, onion rings, and 75 flavors of shakes & malts. You can find their full menu here.

General contractor Hamel Builders is on site at what will become Waterside Metro Lofts - the former EPA office buildings that are the last vestiges of the old Waterside Mall complex. Once renovations are complete in late 2013, there will be more than 500 residential units at Waterfront Station, with more housing planned at the northeast parcel (and potentially the northwest parcel). Representatives from Urban Atlantic are supposed to be at February's ANC 6D meeting to discuss their plans for the buildings.

Construction Reaches Street Level at Camden South Capitol

2012-01-25T07:44:00.000-05:00

Construction activity at the Camden South Capitol apartment building has reached street level. The last photo update from October showed a deep hole in the ground to make way for the foundation and parking garage. Camden Property Trust is developing the apartment building, which will have 276 units and is located at the northwest corner of South Capitol and O Streets at 1435 South Captiol Street. WDG is designing the project, with amenities including a rooftop pool and deck, as well as ground floor retail. Twelve of the units will be set aside as affordable housing for households up to 80% of Area Median Income (AMI). As a part of the approved PUD application, residents of the townhomes along the unit block of O Street will have the opportunity to lease a parking space in the apartment building at 50% of the market rate for a 20-year period. After the building has reached stabilization (defined as 94% occupied), the remaining parking spaces will be available for lease by the rest of the community at market rate. In addition, residents of ANC 6D are supposed to be given preference when Camden reviews tenant applications. Leasing should begin around the middle of 2013.

The back of 1345 South Capitol will have a series of courtyards to help step back the building towards the townhomes to the west.

Rendering courtesy of Camden Property Trust

Five Bikeshare Stations Proposed for the Southwest Portion of the National Mall

2012-01-24T22:38:00.000-05:00

View Proposed Capital Bikeshare Stations on the National Mall in a larger map

The National Park Service has proposed to place five Capital Bikeshare stations on the National Mall. Check the above map for the locations of each proposed station, which are all located in the Southwest portion of the Mall. These locations are near popular attractions including the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial. When the citywide bikeshare program debuted in 2010, NPS was against installing stations on the Mall, but they changed their mind last fall. The proposed stations are scheduled to be installed this spring, perhaps in time for the month-long National Cherry Blossom Festival. These new stations will double the number of Capital Bikeshare locations in Southwest to 10.

Street Closures for the State of the Union Address

2012-01-23T20:44:00.000-05:00

The following streets will be closed by the Capitol tomorrow evening at 7pm for the State of the Union address:

• D Street, NE between 2nd Street, NE and Louisiana Avenue, NW
• C Street, NE between 2nd Street, NE and Louisiana Avenue, NW
• Constitution Avenue between 2nd Street, NE and Louisiana Avenue, NW
• Delaware Avenue between Columbus Circle and Constitution Avenue, NE

• New Jersey Avenue, NE between Louisiana Avenue, and D Street, NE

• Pennsylvania Avenue between 1st Street, and 3rd Street, NW
• East Capitol Street between 2nd Street, and 1st Street, NE/SE
• 1st Street between Columbus Circle, NE and C Street, SE
• 1st Street between Louisiana Avenue, NW and Washington Avenue, SW
• Maryland Avenue, SW between 1st Street, and 3rd Street, SW
• Independence Avenue between 2nd Street, SE and Washington Avenue, SW
• C Street between 1st Street, SE and Washington Avenue, SW

• Delaware Avenue between Washington Avenue, SW and C Street, SW

• New Jersey Avenue between Independence Avenue, and D Street, SE

• South Capitol Street between Independence Avenue and D Street, SE/SW

The streets will reopen at the conclusion of the event.

A Couple Quick Items: Scandal in the Way of United Stadium Negotiations, Wharf Presentation Next Month

2012-01-18T22:15:00.000-05:00

- Potomac Soccer Wire reported yesterday that MLS Commissioner Don Garber blames the political climate in DC for the lack of progress in finding a permanent solution to DC United's stadium problem. From the article:

"[United president] Kevin Payne is working hard to try to find a solution there. It is very frustrating,” said the commissioner. “I think he’s beginning to make some progress with the city council and with the mayor. If you guys follow local politics there, there’s been all sorts of challenges with local politicians who no longer will be free men, and that just makes the dynamic of negotiating that much more difficult."

United saw tentative, but publically announced, stadium agreements with both D.C. and nearby Prince George’s County, Md. fall apart in past years and subsequently took their stadium hunt deep undercover, with little in the way of public updates.

The 100 V Street site in Buzzard Point appears to be the top contender for a new stadium, where it was leaked a couple months ago that DC Velodrome is in negotiations with Akridge to temporarily locate a velodrome on part of the site. An announcement was supposed to be made around the holidays about the velodrome, but nothing yet.

Rendering courtesy of Akridge

- Hoffman - Madison Waterfront will be giving a presentation to the community on Monday, February 27 on their plans for Phase One of The Wharf as they get ready to submit their Stage Two PUD application. The meeting will take place during SWNA's monthly meeting, to be held at Arena Stage from 6-9pm. ANC 6D 01 Commissioner Craycraft gave a preview of what is planned on his Facebook page:

Good stuff! Lots of wood, exposed steel, native stone...salvaged, mature trees from elsewhere in the city...huge cisterns to reclaim rain water for non-potable needs. Not "blocky" and squat like Navy Yard but similar color palette.

Phase I is supposed to get underway by the end of this year or early next year and construction will last three years. I'm looking forward to this meeting!

Preliminary rendering courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

Open Discussion

2012-01-13T21:13:00.001-05:00

What's on your mind, Southwest? Any neighborhood or citywide issues you want to discuss? This is an open discussion where you can leave comments about anything you want (within reason, of course). Enjoy the long holiday weekend!

They Got a Pepper Bar!!!

2012-01-13T06:31:00.000-05:00

Quiznos looks like it is almost ready to open on the ground floor of the Washington Office Center on top of the Federal Center SW Metro. It replaces another sandwich shop, which apparently was evicted by the landlord. Other retailers on the ground floor of the office building at 3rd & D Street include a florist, credit union, cafe, Potbelly Sandwich Works (yes, another sandwich shop), Starbucks, FedEx Office, and Gold's Gym. The restaurant's hours of operation will be the following:

Monday - Friday: 10am - 7pm
Saturday: 11am - 4pm
Sunday: Closed

Quiznos is supposed to open next week and will be less than three blocks from another Quiznos on C Street. Sandwich shops don't worry too much about cannibalization. Subway, for instance, has several sandwich shops in close proximity to each other.

- In other restaurant news, Z-Burger has a Now Hiring sign in front of the restaurant. They are looking for all positions (send resumes to Peter at info@zburger.com). At Monday's ANC meeting, it was announced that the restaurant would open in two weeks, but my best guess is it will take a little longer since applications need to be screened, interviews done, workers hired, and then trained on new equipment. It seems overly ambitious to do in two weeks...

- Station 4 is now offering a coffee happy hour daily from 3-5pm. Coffee and desserts are half off and there is free WiFi available.

M Street Transportation Study Kick-Off Meeting

2012-01-12T23:55:00.000-05:00

DDOT held the first of three community meetings this evening to kick-off the M Street SE/SW Transportation Study, which has been a LONG time coming. The study area boundary includes the Southeast-Southwest Freeway to the north, 14th Street, SW and the Washington Channel to the west, the Anacostia River to the south, and 12th Street, SE to the east. During the nine-month study period, DDOT will work with CH2MHILL to identify current and future transportation issues and mitigation strategies along the M Street SE/SW Corridor and the Southwest/Southeast Waterfronts. A great deal of development is coming to the area and a comprehensive study is needed. DDOT will look at more than 30 other studies that have been done previously by others, including individual developers and the Complete Streets study that Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells and the Capitol Riverfront BID commissioned a couple years ago. Tonight's meeting allowed residents to gather around maps of three areas of focus (the Southwest Waterfront, the Ballpark District, and the SE Federal Center) and provide input on issues or challenges in those areas. On the Southwest Waterfront map, some of the issues mentioned by residents include the 4th & M Street intersection, lack of connectivity between Southwest and Near SE, commuters using P Street as a cut-through to avoid M Street, sidewalks, and parking, among other things. The next public meeting will be held in the spring and a third meeting will be in June. A stakeholder survey is available on the project website and is due on January 31 at 5pm.

Wharf Waterfront Park Design Evolves

2012-01-10T23:45:00.000-05:00

A third meeting of the Waterfront Park charrette occurred last week, where the landscape architects presented their updated plans for the park (above is a rendering of a fountain and semicircular pergola). The park will be located at the southern end of The Wharf development, which is now dominated by a parking lot for the cruise ship operators. If you recall, there were two other charrette sessions late last year where a select group of community members (me included) were invited to help plan the 4.2-acre site. As a result of the prior sessions, the landscape architects from Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects and Lee and Associates Inc. presented their plan for the park, as seen below.

The park as planned will be built in two phases. There is a section of the park footprint that is now owned by the National Park Service near the Titanic Memorial that will be built in a second phase once an agreement is made with the federal agency. The biggest change to the park from the earlier version is the reduction in size of the pavilion to about 800 square feet. It will no longer offer food service and will serve mainly as storage for equipment used in the park, such as bocce balls and other items. The storage pavilion will have a green roof and perhaps a green trellis on the side. Otherwise, the other elements of the park have remained the same. The existing willow oaks will be maintained and will frame the northern and eastern edges of the park. A semicircular pergola on the northern end will offer some shade (with integrated solar panels in some areas to help power the lights planned in the park) while a seat wall (potentially made of natural materials like stone) and a shallow fountain will follow the shape of the pergola. The play lawn and pergola will be elevated to allow views out toward the Washington Channel and the Potomac River. Play mounds will be positioned to help screen the townhouses planned at Pier 4 and the Harbor Patrol. A garden area will be located near the willow oaks and rain gardens will be placed throughout the park to help capture runoff before it gets in the channel. Ramps and stairs will lead down from the play lawn to the roadway where access must be maintained for Pier 4 and the Harbor Patrol; however, the road won't be visible from above. Parking spaces for the Harbor Patrol and Pier 4 will be built using porous pavement and pathways throughout the park will be made with either concrete pavers or exposed oyster shell concrete. The cafe terrace shown on the rendering is where the Maine Lobsterman statue is currently located and is not officially part of the park, but is close enough for patrons to grab a refreshment or bite to eat to take to the park in lieu of a pavilion inside the park. Security will be provided by Hoffman Madison Waterfront, so the risk of homeless people sleeping in the park will be minimized.

The charrette group will reconvene once the park design is closer to being finalized. There are still elements of the park that still need to be decided, such as lighting, seating, and a name. What name would you give the park?

Renderings courtesy of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects and Lee and Associates, Inc.

A Few Quick Items: SBA Stays Put in SW, Receptionist Position Available, SW Z-Burger Before Columbia Heights

2012-01-07T10:40:00.000-05:00

- The WBJ reports that the Small Business Administration will remain at the Washington Office Center at the Federal Center SW Metro for the next 10 years. This is the same office building where I recently tweeted that Quiznos is days away from opening on the ground floor.

- Hoffman Madison Waterfront, LLC seeking Receptionist/OfficeAssistant

Small, growing industry leader seeks to fill full-timeReceptionist/Office Assistant position in SWDC. Need bright, energeticcandidate to wear many hats and be the face of our organization, includinganswering phones; greeting visitors; stocking office supplies and equipment;setting up and maintaining filing systems; organizing; scheduling; dealingdirectly with customers, partners and vendors; providing admin support for astaff of 5-8 professionals; and growing along with our company. Professionaloffice experience required with Word, Excel, and Outlook proficiency and strongorganizational skills. Up to $30K with full benefits. Location has parkingavailable and is Metro accessible. Please email a resume and cover letter to ccrosse@pnhoffman.com.

- The Waterfront Station Z-Burger will open prior to the Columbia Heights location, according to the New Columbia Heights blog. The estimate given for the opening of the Columbia Heights restaurant is mid-February, so that would infer that our Z-Burger would open sometime this month. It looks like it's almost ready and I hope to get in there soon for some more sneak peek photos now that it's further along from when I visited in October.

Wharf Renderings

2012-01-03T08:57:00.001-05:00

I thought I'd start off 2012 with a post about what's to come at The Wharf, which is supposed to get started by the end of the year. Below are a few photos/renderings from the Stage One PUD submitted last year by Hoffman-Madison Waterfront showing current and proposed views of the Southwest Waterfront from different vantage points.

Banneker Overlook

Current view towards the waterfront.

Proposed view towards the waterfront.

Maine Avenue

Current view of Maine Avenue looking northwest.

Proposed view of Maine Avenue, with outdoor cafes, separated bike lanes, and streetcar line.

View Down 9th Street

Current view down 9th Street towards the waterfront.

Proposed view down 9th Street.

The Wharf

Current view along the waterfront promenade, looking southeast.

Proposed view along the Wharf, a 60-foot promenade with space for outdoor cafes, pedestrians, vehicles, and a streetcar. It will be designed as a woonerf, a Dutch term for a street where pedestrians and cyclists have priority over vehicles.

A Few Quick Items: Development Map, Arena Stage Scales Back Institute, BoA Checking Out SE, Civilian BRAC Could Involve Deptartment of Energy, Constitution Center in Search of a Tenant

2011-12-28T23:22:00.003-05:00

- I've created a new page on the blog with a development map showing projects that are either under construction or planned in Southwest. It's not complete, so other projects will be added in the coming days. Soon, I'll add a map showing projects that have recently been completed.

- Arena Stage is scaling back its American Voices New Play Institute according to The Washington Post. From the article:

Underlining the challenges it faces in realizing its aspirations to be a national center for research, Arena Stage announced Wednesday that major components of its 2½-year-old American Voices New Play Institute are relocating to Emerson College in Boston.

The transfer will mean a loss of some key personnel who have been deeply involved in the molding of Arena’s widely talked-about play development programs. Most notably, David Dower — Arena’s associate artistic director and one of the chief architects of Arena’s transition to its refurbished complex in Southwest Washington — will be leaving in April for a new job at Emerson. Departing, too, is the institute’s director, Polly Carl, who joined Arena only last July from Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre and will be working with Dower in Boston.

Waterside Metro Lofts

2011-12-28T18:06:00.000-05:00

Thetransformation of the former EPA towers at Waterfront Station to residential isscheduled to get underway over the next month or so and will take about 22months to complete. The West Tower (1051 4th Street) will have 252 units and the East Tower (1050 4th Street) willhave 265 units for a total of 517 apartments. About 104 units, or 20%, will beset aside for households earning up to 50% of Area Median Income (AMI), whichis approximately $51,750. Back in March,Urban-Atlantic purchased the two empty buildings from Waterfront Associates for$20M. Now,JBG is involved in the venture (the WBJ reported a couple weeks ago thatJBG recently closed on a $753M fund to acquire real estate in the Washington area). Wiencek & Associates has designed the towers, which altered the old designslightly from Shalom Baranes Associates (older rendering is above). Accordingto a letter sent by the DCRA in October 2010, the developer plans to putroof terraces, a green roof, and a rooftop pool in both buildings.

Rendering courtesy of Waterfront Associates

Maryland Avenue Small Area Plan Draft Released

2011-12-27T17:29:00.001-05:00

The DC Office of Planning released its draft report on theMaryland Avenue SW Plan earlier this month after working on it for severalmonths. This report is a component of the Southwest Ecodistrict Initiative that the National Capital Planning Commission is studying for thearea. In the Maryland Avenue SW draft report, there are recommendations on howthe avenue can be reconstructed, diversify land uses, and serve as a connectorthrough the Southwest Rectangle (the area between the National Mall andInterstate 395). Currently, the Maryland Avenue corridor is disjointed – asmall section of the avenue was rebuilt above railroad tracks west of 12th Street as a part of The Portals complex with a landscaped median and on itseastern end, it will bisect a future memorial for President Eisenhower. However,Maryland Avenue doesn’t exist between 12th Street and 7th Street. Along this stretch, railroad tracks for freight and VRE are in theavenue’s right-of-way. East of Reservation 113 (the green space at 7th & C Streets), Maryland Avenue reemerges before intersecting withIndependence Avenue across from the National Air & Space Museum.

Four components that the draft report addresses include landuse, transit, connections, and public realm:

Land use

The draft report encourages a diversification of land usesfor the corridor, which is currently dominated by office space. To that end, thereare four Federally-owned parcels along Maryland Avenue that the GSA isconsidering for conveyance out of the Federal inventory. These parcels couldthen be redeveloped as mixed use sites, potentially with residential includedin the mix. Zoning in the area can be changed to encourage residentialdevelopment with Housing Credits, similar to the bonus density incentives used toincrease housing downtown over the past 15 years. Other parcels along the MarylandAvenue corridor could also be redeveloped, including the GSA Regional OfficeBuilding at 7th & D Street, the Reporters Building (where PizzaAutentica is located), and two sites at The Portals (perhaps one could beluxury condos affiliated with the Mandarin Oriental Hotel next door withsweeping views of the Tidal Basin?). The draft report indicates at least 1,000residential/hotel units need to be created in the area to justify the creationof more retail amenities.

Transit

Connections between the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station and theL’Enfant commuter rail station should be improved. According to the draft report, about 20,000riders use the Metro station each weekday and over 15,000 VRE riders use the commuterrail station. Future ridership estimates anticipate an increase over the nextfew years and the commuter rail station may need to expand to accommodate apossible extension of MARC train service to L’Enfant as well as theelectrification of the rail line. After looking at three options to expand thecommuter rail station, the report recommends the best option would be to buildan extended platform in the vicinity of the current platform to accommodatefour tracks and bi-level trains. The ReportersBuilding would eventually become an intermodal hub where VRE, MARC, Metro,Metrobus, and streetcar service would intersect.

Connections

Three alternatives were considered for decking over MarylandAvenue: one creates a boulevard with a landscaped median along its length and anewly constructed 9th Street would connect Independence Avenue,Maryland Avenue, and D Street; a second would create a center roadway sectionfrom 12th to 10th Street with a ramp connection to DStreet, while the area between 10th Street and Reservation 113 wouldbecome a linear park; option three would create a center roadway from 12th Street to Reservation 113 and create a square around it by shifting therailroad corridor to the south. The report prefers a center roadway section toa median because of its consistency along the centerline of Maryland Avenue,but also allows flexibility along the edges depending on what structure abutsthe right-of-way. The approximate cost to re-establish Maryland Avenue would be$429M, including streetscape, railroad enclosure, commuter rail stationimprovements, connections to the street grid, and four-track railroadenhancements.

Public Realm

Reservation 113 has the potential – if designed properly, tobe a center piece for the neighborhood. Views to the Capitol should bemaintained and Maryland Avenue’s significance as a L’Enfant diagonal streetshould be considered in its design; however, pedestrian-scale elements need tobe considered as well. The tree canopy of the area needs to be enhanced andsidewalks designed for heavy pedestrian use. New buildings along the corridorshould be oriented towards Maryland Avenue and Reservation 113 with thebuilding facades meeting the edge of the right-of-way to create a definedstreet wall effect. Retail nodes should be created at 7th and 10thStreets with ceiling heights along the ground floor at these locations at aminimum of 14’. Sustainable infrastructure elements should be maintainedthroughout the corridor, including storm water filtration and collection, and piezoelectricgeneration along the rail corridor.

Development along the Maryland Avenue corridor can begin inthe eastern end between 6th & 7th Streets, where the avenuealready exists and improvements would take less time (and money) to implement. TheSwitzer Building modernization and greening, along with Federal Building 8, isbreathing new life to the area. GSA Parcel 4 is located between 6th & 7th Streets and if conveyed, the parcel could be redevelopedinto a use other than office to help change the perception of the area as an “office-only”destination. In addition, some improvements can be made to Reservation 113 tomake the area more inviting. As the Southwest Waterfront redevelopment getsgoing and the future of the Department of Energy campus is determined, that willhelp spur activity on the western side of the Maryland Avenue corridor.

The full report can be accessed from OP’s website and the30-day comment period is now open until February 3.

Renderings courtesy of DC Office of Planning

SW Duck Pond News

2011-12-20T00:07:00.000-05:00

It's been a big December so far for the Neighbors of the Southwest Duck Pond. First, the group won Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells' Livable, Walkable Community Organization Award, also known as a "Brickie" for their effort to help rehabilitate the Southwest Duck Pond, located at 6th and I Streets. Then, the group learned that they will receive a contribution from the Graduate School USA of up to $1,000. The Graduate School USA owns the former SEU campus across the street from the park and has offered their landscaping team to help with park clean-ups in the past. The Neighbors group is in the process of filing for 501c3 status to become a non-profit organization so it can raise funds to refurbish the park.

A Few Quick Items from Monday's ANC 6D Meeting

2011-12-15T00:34:00.000-05:00

- The boundaries of Police Service Areas (PSAs) in MPD's First District will change next year. The PSA that falls in Southwest will change from PSA 104 to PSA 105. The PSA meets every third Thursday of the month, usually in the community room of one of the residential buildings in the neighborhood.

- As mentioned previously, the SW post office at Half & L Street will close once its lease expires at the end of 2012. The USPS is looking for a new location for the post office in the neighborhood. If one can't be found in Southwest, a temporary one may be set up in Near SE until an appropriate space can be found in Southwest.

- The Urban Forestry Administration will clean up Town Center East Park (adjacent to the SW Library at I Street and Wesley Place), do some general pruning of trees, and remove dead tree stumps (pending an environmental assessment since the site of the park was once a funeral home). Jack Chapman, an arborist from the Urban Forestry Administration, said he would inspect the park soon and see which trees may need to be removed. He mentioned that the street trees bordering the park might be removed since they are impeding the growth of the trees in the park and would be replaced with understory street trees.

- The ANC unanimously approved the designation of a group called "Friends of Lansburg Park", which would allow the organization to join the Parks Partners program under DPR and use SWNA's 501c3 status to do fundraising to make improvements to the park. The underused park, located along Delaware Avenue behind First District headquarters and across the street from Greenleaf Gardens, has been thought of as a place for a community garden, dog park, skate park, and playground, among other ideas. The "Friends" would organize a charrette with the community to help plan its future. However, individuals have not identified yet who would run the "Friends" group.

- Joseph Dorsey from DDOT gave an update on the reconstruction of Maine Avenue from the 14th Street ramp to 12th Street. The project was originally supposed to last about three to four months, but close to six months later, construction has not been completed yet due to weather delays. Substantial completion of the project is near, though. About 97% of concrete has been poured, granite curbs are installed, lighting is in place, and the road has been paved. The road has been narrowed from two lanes to one and the sidewalk has been expanded to allow improved access between the Tidal Basin and the Southwest Waterfront. Parking will be restricted in this area. A bike lane will eventually be installed on the road and should serve as a traffic calming measure. New trees will be installed next spring since it is so late in the season. The project cost about $2 million and despite the delays, is still on budget.

- The organizers behind the inaugural SW ArtsFest this past September have filed for 501c3 non-profit status and are looking for a Treasurer. They plan to do another SW ArtsFest next fall and will coordinate with the other Ward 6 festivals that occur around September and October so their event doesn't overlap with other festivals.

More Retailers Open at L'Enfant Plaza

2011-12-14T00:42:00.001-05:00

This evening was L'Enfant Plaza Community Night for residents of ANC 6D hosted by JBG where an update was given to the community about what is planned for the massive mixed use complex. Each attendee was given $15 to use at any of the restaurants or retail shops, which have continued to open over the past few months at the refurbished retail center designed by SmithGroup. Now Open: Roti Mediterranean Grill, Potbelly Sandwich Works, Moe's Southwest Grill, Au Bon Pain, Starbucks, Frozen Yogurt Indulgence, Gourmet Too, Gateway Newstands, Mina, Nash's Mens Wear, 4-U, Hallmark, and a post office. In addition, Jay's Jewelers appears to be just about ready to open. Three LED panels have been installed on pillars to give some visual interest and change periodically - as seen above, the panels were projecting snowflakes at the time the photo was taken.

Britt Snyder, VP of Development at JBG, gave some details about what is planned for the complex over the near and medium-term. Tenant build-out continues for some of the restaurants and retailers yet to open in the first phase, but construction of phase two has begun, which will bring double the amount of space that is already complete by 2013. To complement the LED panels in the food court, a video wall displaying art will soon be installed near the Metro entrance and TV screens will be placed in the second phase food court along with soft seating areas. They are hoping to bring a fitness center and child care facility to the second phase, but talks with grocers to open a small store were not successful. Some sit-down restaurants are envisioned for the second food court and they hope to "push the envelope" with having some of the stores stay open later and on weekends. A large atrium will replace the pyramid skylight and provide a grand entry to the retail center from the plaza.

Construction of a Homewood Suites extended stay hotel at 9th and D Street has been pushed back to the summer or fall of 2012. Entrances to the new hotel will be created along D Street and from the plaza. The hotel will be built to be LEED-Certified (either Silver or Gold).

In the medium term, a 200,000 SF office building is planned for the southeast corner of the complex along Frontage Road. Residential was considered for this parcel, but it was not feasible to build since rents in the area are currently not high enough to justify the expense. The lack of a grocery store in the area was also an impediment (although Safeway isn't THAT far away - it's closer than for residents of Near SE). Pedestrian connections from the south to L'Enfant Plaza are being looked at to be improved. Eventually, the developer would like to construct an office building in the plaza.

Below are some additional photos of the new retail center:

Frozen Yogurt Indulgence has a distinctly modern design, with several TV screens displayed throughout.

Seating is available for patrons to use.

Nash's Mens Wear is one of the newer retailers to open.

SW Post Office to Close

2011-12-12T22:54:00.000-05:00

At tonight's ANC 6D meeting, the commissioners confirmed that the Southwest Post Office, located on Half and L Street, will close at the end of 2012 when its lease expires. The main reason for the post office closure is because of the lease expiration, not cutbacks by the Postal Service, so the search for a replacement space is under way. There is no indication of what will replace the current post office building, but the Ruben Companies owns the post office site (along with several other parcels on both sides of South Capitol Street) and has plans for office and possibly residential development on their other sites. USPS is looking to sign a 10-year lease in the area that can accommodate retail sales, post office boxes, and distribution, similar to the current facility. If distribution cannot be done on site, then it will be done at the main Brentwood facility, but packages would be picked up at the new local post office. Commissioner McBee mentioned that a 4,000 SF space is available at the 1101 4th Street building at Waterfront Station. A centrally located post office on 4th Street is preferable to the Commissioners, but if that space doesn't work out, they will be in talks with other area developers in Near SE to locate a temporary post office there until a site in Southwest becomes available. A temporary Near SE post office would still serve the 20024 ZIP code even though Near SE is located in a different ZIP code.

On a related note, according to the Washington Business Journal, the Ford post office that was originally slated to close will now remain open, thanks to the efforts by Congresswoman Norton.

Velodrome for Buzzard Point?

2011-12-06T22:57:00.001-05:00

DCist reported today that DCVelodrome, a 501c3 organization, is in negotiations to lease space to builda temporary velodrome near Nationals Park. The proposed site, thanks to theinvestigative skills of JDLand appears to be the southern-most blockof Akridge's 100 V Street in Buzzard Point. Here is a description of theproposed velodrome from DC Velodrome's website:

Preliminary(3-to-5 year) plans call for the assembly of a portable cycling track whichwill be leased from Major League Cycling, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Basicfacilities, including a perimeter fence for security, small grandstands, publicaddress/sound system, lights, portable toilets, and a snack bar/storagebuilding of a temporary nature will be installed on site. There will be parkingfor approximately 50 cars.

According to theDCist article, the non-profit plans to raise $300,000 to operate the velodromefor the first year, with costs to decline in subsequent years. News of thevelodrome negotiations come on the same day that Ward 6 Council member TommyWells introduced a resolution in the DC Council that would encouragethe city to keep DC United in the District. While the resolution doesn't spellout how the city should proceed with building a soccer stadium, the leadingsite for the team as reported in the media is 100 V Street. Mayor Gray attendeda SWNA meeting last week where he stated that he met with DC United officialsthe prior week and stated his support for keeping the team in the District.However, he also stated that the city doesn't have the money to build the teama new stadium. Rendering of 100 V Street courtesy of Akridge.

A Few Quick Items: SW Waterfront Legislation Passes, Volunteers Needed to Fill Vacancies, DC United Resolution, Lockridge Library in Bellevue

2011-12-06T21:14:00.001-05:00

- The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2297 today, a bill introduced by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton that clarifies the legal status of the Southwest Waterfront, which will help the developers of The Wharf redevelop the waterfront. A provision in the bill allows the Maine Lobsterman memorial to be moved, but it must remain along the Southwest Waterfront near Maine Avenue with a clear, unimpeded pedestrian pathway between the memorial and the waterfront. The bill now goes to the Senate for approval where, according to a press release from Norton, it does not face any obstacles for passage. Rendering courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront.

- The Southwest Duck Pond is seeking 501c3 non-profit status, but in order to do so, officers must be elected. Secretary and Treasurer positions are still vacant and need to be filled so the application can be completed. The organization wants the non-profit status so it can do fundraising to restore the park at 6th and I Streets. If you're interested, contact the group by email: swdctowncenterwestpark@gmail.com.

In addition, the editors of The Southwester recently resigned suddenly, so a volunteer is needed to run the newspaper. If you're interested, contact The Southwester by email: thesouthwester@gmail.com.

- Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells introduced a resolution today in the DC Council called the "Sense of the Council Support for D.C. United Soccer Remaining in the District of Columbia Resolution of 2011". The resolution doesn't say how the city should go about keeping the team, however. Rendering courtesy of Akridge.

- According to The Washington Post, the DC Council approved legislation today to rename the new Bellevue library under construction on the corner of Atlantic Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue after the late Ward 8 activist and school board member William O. Lockridge. The library will be named the "William O'Neal Lockridge Library at Bellevue" as a compromise since the community wanted the name Bellevue to be in the name of the library because the old Washington Highlands library was mislabeled. Rendering courtesy of DC Public Library.

SWNA Holiday Party at Station 4

2011-12-02T23:11:00.001-05:00

A Few Quick Items: Sunday Jazz Brunch at Station 4, Neighborhood Watch Created, L'Enfant Plaza Community Night, Marina Charrette Recap

2011-12-01T08:42:00.020-05:00

- Station 4 is now offering a Jazz Brunch on Sundays. Defractions Jazz Band will perform each Sunday from 12pm-3pm. Brunch is served at the restaurant on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am - 3pm.

- A Neighborhood Watch program is being organized for ANC 6D 01 (bounded by 4th Street to the east, 9th Street to the west, Maine Avenue/M Street to the south and the Southwest freeway to the north) by resident Candice Graham in response to the recent spike in crime in the neighborhood. To learn more about the Neighborhood Watch, there will be a happy hour this Friday at Station 4 at 7pm.

- On Tuesday, December 13 from 6pm - 8pm, JBG will host L'Enfant Plaza Community Night, where any resident of ANC 6D can get a chance to sample some of the new restaurants that have opened recently at the L'Enfant Plaza food court. There will be free food (JBG will provide $15 gift cards good at any of their restaurants or retailers, including Potbelly, Au Bon Pain, Roti Mediterranean Grill, Starbucks, Moe's Southwest Grill, Frozen Yogurt Indulgence, Hallmark, and Gateway Newstands). Parking will also be free (JBG will provide parking validation).

- The Gangplank Slipholders' Association gives a recap of a charrette that occurred on November 15 to help design the new marina at The Wharf that was convened by Hoffman Madison Waterfront. Over 50 slipholders attended the 2.5-hour meeting at the Harbor Patrol.

St. Matthew's Christmas Tree Sale Returns Tomorrow!

2011-11-30T22:31:00.000-05:00

Tiber Island Plaza Extreme Makeover

2011-11-29T22:45:00.000-05:00

As Tiber Island Condos and Co-ops seek historic designation, the community is gearing up for a $2 million upgrade to its central plaza, which currently is a stark, windswept area with a large water feature. In addition to the plaza, the lobby, hallway corridors, and signage will be updated. Tiber Island has brought in SmithGroup/JJR to redesign the plaza and other common areas in a way that respects the period in which the community was built.

The SmithGroup/JJR design calls for the plaza to be shaped as an ellipse, with an elliptical fountain, structural pergola and vegetation. The new fountain will be smaller than the existing one and will serve as a focal point – an infinity fountain with adjustable bubblers that will be table height so it is accessible and touchable. Movable seating will be provided around the fountain and pergola, which will be a sculptural art piece with plants and vegetation. There will be three rings of vegetation behind the pergola, with groundcover, perennial plantings, and grasses of varying height. Direct walking paths will be created from each tower to the plaza and the pergola will be designed to be open both physically and visually. New ADA-compliant ramps will be installed to ease access from the towers to the plaza.

The plaza is still in the planning stage, so the finished product may look different than the above rendering.

Rendering courtesy of SmithGroup

A Few Quick Items: L'Enfant Plaza Renovation Continues, Safeway Seeks Subsidy, South Capitol Acquisitions Funded

2011-11-21T23:56:00.002-05:00

- In this week's Washington Business Journal (subscribers only), there's an update about the renovations underway at L'Enfant Plaza. There was a bit of new information in the article, including the addition of Crumbs Bake Shop to the retailers slated to open in the food court. This would be the 4th Crumbs to open in DC (although their website doesn't show the L'Enfant Plaza location yet on their "Coming Soon" page). It and Five Guys are now scheduled to open in January. A 234-key Homewood Suites extended-stay hotel planned for the corner of 9th and D Street may now get underway by the second quarter of 2012.

JBG is planning a meeting on December 13th from 6-8pm to give the community an update on their plans for the mixed use complex. Location TBA.

- The Housing Complex Blog at the Washington City Paper reported last week that Safeway is seeking tax relief for personal and real property taxes for its store at Waterfront Station and has been assisted by Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells. According to the article, the Supermarket Tax Credit was passed in 2000 to provide tax relief to grocery stores that opened in underserved areas of the city. Since then, the exemption boundaries have changed and as a result, the SW Safeway location has been outside of the exemption zone since 2004.

- JDLand reports that $68 million has been provided by the federal government towards the purchase of land for the right-of-way of the new Frederick Douglass Bridge. The $68 million is just a drop in the bucket compared to the approximately $800 million needed for the new bridge, improvements to South Capitol Street, and interchange improvements at I-295 and I-395.

Armed Robberies in Southwest

2011-11-15T09:07:00.003-05:00

View November 2011 SW Armed Robberies in a larger map

Over the past two weeks, four armed robberies have been committed in the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood according to The Washington Post. The latest incident occurred on Sunday night at 4th & M Street. All four armed robberies appear to be related - each occurred in the evening with 3-5 suspects against one victim. A map showing the location of each robbery is above. MPD made an arrest after the Sunday incident when one of the suspects, a juvenile, was apprehended when the police gave chase to the youth as he tried to run away on M towards South Capitol Street (which passes by First District HQ). In this case, the victim's items were recovered. The other suspects are still at large.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the police at (202) 727-9099 or 1-888-919-CRIME (1-888-919-2746). The Metropolitan Police Department currently offers a reward of up to $10,000 to anyone that provides information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons wanted for any armed robbery committed in the District of Columbia. Additionally, anonymous information may be submitted to DC CRIME SOLVERS at 1-866-411-TIPS and to the department’s TEXT TIP LINE by text messaging 50411. If the information provided by the caller to the Crime Solvers Unit leads to an arrest and indictment, that caller will be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

Update: A fifth armed robbery occurred on Thursday night. The map has been updated with information from that incident.

A Few Quick Items: Trojans Go for the Gold, MLS Commish not Pleased with DCU Situation, Job Openings at Phillips

2011-11-10T23:30:00.005-05:00

- The Jefferson Middle School Trojans football team will play in the DCIAA Middle School Championship Game this Saturday against Kramer Middle School. Game time is at 11am at Cardozo High School (1200 Clifton Street, NW). Good luck to the Trojans!

- The Soccer Insider at The Washington Post reports that MLS Commissioner Don Garber is concerned about the stalemate over DC United's lease negotiations at RFK Stadium and the search for a new home for the soccer club. There appears to be a lack of support from the mayor's office to help finance a new stadium. From the article:

United has sought a partnership with the city, with the club covering most of the costs. Last week, however, Mayor Vincent M. Gray wrote on his Twitter account that “we value DC United & hope they stay in DC. But District is in a challenging fiscal environment now & publicly funded stadium not possible.”

A fan group has emerged called Keep D.C. United that wants the club to stay in DC and build a stadium at Buzzard Point. The group has created an online petition for supporters to sign. Reasons the group states a stadium should be built in Buzzard Point are the following:

Jobs and economic growth through construction, retail, and services for a part of town that has too often been forgotten.

More than just soccer. A stadium would not only host D.C. United and international soccer matches, it could also host high school and college sporting events and community/cultural festivals.

Economic development done right. Developers would seek community involvement through out process and D.C. United has an unwavering commitment to the community through its many outreach programs such as United Builds, United Read, United Drives and United Soccer Club.

- Phillips Flagship is now hiring experienced line cooks for their restaurant along the Southwest Waterfront at 900 Water Street. Check out the Craigslist ad for responsibilities and qualifications. Benefits include medical, dental, vision and 401(k) with company match.

ARTLAB+ Opens at Hirshhorn

2011-11-09T07:55:00.001-05:00

Over the summer, renovations at the Sculpture Garden of the Hirshhorn Museum resulted in the creation of ARTLAB+, a free after school and weekend community center for teens. Below is an explanation of what ARTLAB+ does, from their website:

What is the ArtLab?
A community center outfitted with digital media tools located in the Sculpture Garden of the Hirshhorn Museum
A drop-in zone for DC area teens to come after school and on the weekend
A place to experiment with visual and audio technology
An online space to communicate with other ARTLAB+ teens through a social network
A resource to meet and work with artist mentors
A network of interest-based clubs where teens can plan social events
A studio where teens form production teams and create media projects
A classroom hosting short and long-term workshops for teens and school groups
What do teens in ARTLAB+ programs do?
Hang out with other like-minded peers
Form clubs with teens who share similar interests
Create production teams and take on their own projects
Learn the media skills they want to learn from mentors and experts
Design and compose videos, animations, websites, games, podcasts, and more
Visit the Hirshhorn and other Smithsonian museums for research and inspiration
Make unique products for use by Hirshhorn Museum visitors
Give back to local communities by voicing their opinions on important district and regional issues

ARTLAB+ programs include advance registration workshops (a new one called Art Breakers is starting on November 15 and registration is now open) and club meetings that unite teens who share common interests in gaming, radio broadcasting, photography, or music. Also, teens can simply drop in and explore, hang out, work with mentors on digital projects, etc. during open hours: Mon.-Fri. from 3 to 7 pm, and Sat. from noon to 5 pm. The Hirshhorn is located at 7th Street and Independence Avenue.

A Few Quick Items: SW Waterfront House Legislation Advances, Fish Market is Location of the Month, SEU to be Removed from Metro Name, Maine Ave Road Work Delayed

2011-11-08T08:01:00.082-05:00

- Last week, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee passed DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton's bill to allow the development of the Southwest Waterfront as currently planned to proceed. H.R. 2297 clears up some legal issues regarding the transfer of the Southwest Waterfront that occurred between the Federal government and the District back in the 1960s which will allow the construction of piers that extend out to the Washington Channel. The bill will also ensure the Maine Lobsterman statue and Titanic Memorial will be maintained, although the Lobsterman statue may be moved to another area of The Wharf. An affirmative vote in the full House and Senate will allow the development to proceed. Rendering courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

- DC's Office of Motion Picture and Television Development has designated the Maine Avenue Fish Market as the One City Location of the Month for the month of November. Back in March, the MPTD began the monthly designation to help bring attention to sights in the city that can be used as filming locations. The fish market was most recently featured in the film "State of Play". Arena Stage was designated back in April.

- WMATA decided in a meeting last week to make some changes to Metro station names ahead of a reworking of the Metrorail map needed to reflect service changes as well as the introduction of the Silver Line. In Southwest, the Waterfront-SEU station will revert back to its original name - Waterfront. Since Southeastern University is no longer in existence, that appendage has been dropped. A bid to add Arena Stage to the station name, which was supported by ANC 6D, was rejected by the Metro board. Also, a proposal to add National Mall to the Smithsonian Metro station name was rejected. The Navy Yard station in Near SE will become Navy Yard-Ballpark. These changes will be implemented in the fall of 2012.

- ANC 6D 01 Commissioner Bob Craycraft reports on his Facebook page that DDOT has pushed back the completion date of the road work on Maine Avenue near the fish market to the end of November. The road work was originally scheduled to be complete back in mid-October. Below is a description from DDOT about what is being done to the road:

The project will replace the existing 4-foot-wide sidewalk with a new 14-foot-wide trail, accommodating both bicyclists and pedestrians, and replace the existing road surface. Installation of new storm water drainage elements, bio-retention areas, trees, lighting, signs, curb, gutter and fencing is also included in the project. To accommodate these amenities, on-street parking in this area will be eliminated. The number of vehicular lanes will be reduced from two to one and some driveway entrances to businesses will be realigned.

Wharf Waterfront Park Planning Moves Forward

2011-11-07T17:47:00.029-05:00

The landscape architects charged with designing the planned waterfront park at The Wharf came to the October 24 SWNA meeting and presented their initial concept. Warren Byrd from Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects gave the presentation. The initial concept design was the result of the charrette process held over the past couple of months with community members that was convened by Hoffman-Madison Waterfront, and attended by representatives from Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, as well as Lee and Associates Inc., the other landscape architectural firm involved with the park. At the second charrette in early October, the participants walked through the site, then went over two alternatives for the park based on the discussion from the first charrette - one with an oval shape and the other shaped like a fan.

The 4.2-acre park will replace the parking lot for the cruise ships on the south end of the Southwest waterfront by the police and fire pier. As seen in the above rendering, the design is similar in shape to a fan. An informal lawn area will cover the northeastern corner of the park with a pergola wrapping along the edge and an interactive water feature. This area will be raised higher in order to afford a better view down towards the Washington Channel and Potomac River beyond. Gardens will be planted near the 50-year old willow oaks that frame the northern and eastern border of the park. Play mounds will be provided near the informal lawn and curving paths created throughout the park. One of the "necessary" portions of the park is a pavilion, where some food and beverage service, as well as storage for park-related furnishings will be located. The pavilion will be designed to be less intrusive on the landscape, with the possibility of the pavilion being embedded in the hillside since the access road (another necessary portion of the park) will be at a lower grade than the informal lawn. Rain gardens will be interspersed throughout to help retain rainwater runoff before entering the channel. Tree plantings at the park will offer a variety of color as the seasons change. A total of 26 parking spaces have to be maintained for guests of the townhouses proposed at Pier 4 and the police and fire pier as well as a traffic circle that can be used for emergencies. Most of the land to the south of the traffic circle is owned by the National Park Service, but Hoffman-Madison Waterfront wants to work with NPS to rehabilitate the area leading down to the Titanic Memorial with lawn terraces and a rain garden.

The charrette members will meet again as the design process continues so the final result of the park will not be a surprise to the community. What do you think of the design draft?

Rendering courtesy of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects and Lee and Associates, Inc.

A Few Quick Items: New Website Launched for The Southwester, Station 4 Leads SW Revival, United Eyes Baltimore, Bellevue Library Controversy

2011-11-03T09:28:00.000-04:00

- A new website was recently launched for The Southwester, which allows readers to view articles from the latest issue of the paper without having to download a PDF (although that option is still available). Readers are allowed to leave comments as well. Although a few kinks still need to be worked out on the new website (i.e. article formatting), it is moving the paper in the right direction.

- The Hill writes a review on Station 4, which opened over four months ago at Waterfront Station. According to the article, the most popular item on the menu is the crab cake. The article mentions that recent events at the restaurant include Neighborhood Appreciation Night, prix fixe lunch ($18) & dinner ($29)specials. Also, there were "True Blood" themed nights leading up to Halloween.

- According to The Washington Post and The Examiner, MLS has sent out surveys to Baltimore area residents gauging their interest in the possibility of DC United moving to the Westport area of Baltimore City. From the Post article:

United has spent all 16 MLS seasons in Washington but club officials have said playing at 50-year-old RFK is not economically viable. Talks with D.C. officials have shown no signs of progress. Buzzard Point in Southwest D.C., near Nationals Park, has been the club’s primary focus. Previous negotiations, involving Poplar Point in Anacostia and then Prince George’s County in Maryland, collapsed.

- The Washington Post reports on the controversy over the naming of the new David Adjaye-designed library rising along Atlantic Street in Bellevue. The DC Public Library Board recommended earlier this year that the library should be named Bellevue, after the neighborhood in which it's located (the previous library was called Washington Highlands, which was named after a neighborhood in SE). However, Mayor Gray supports the proposal to name it after William Lockridge, a Ward 8 activist and member of the State Education Board who died earlier this year. The DC Council held a hearing last month to discuss the naming of the library, but according to the article, Ward 8 Council member Barry has agreed to delay the renaming bill for two weeks in order to hear what the community has to say before making a decision.

A Couple Quick Items: Big Hole in the Ground, Randall Neighbor Day at Corcoran

2011-10-31T09:10:00.000-04:00

- Across the street from Nationals Park along South Capitol Street, there is a deep hole in the ground hidden behind a chain link fence. The hole will soon become a foundation for Camden South Capitol, the first new Southwest apartment building in decades. Camden Property Trust is developing the apartment building, which will have 276 units and is located at the northwest corner of South Capitol and O Streets. WDG is designing the project, with amenities including a rooftop pool and deck, as well as ground floor retail. Twelve of the units will be set aside as affordable housing. Leasing should begin around the middle of 2013.

- This year's Randall Neighbor Day at the Corcoran Gallery of Art will take place on December 10. On that day, all ANC 6D residents (those living in ZIP codes 20024 and 20003) can visit the Corcoran for free. The annual event came about due to the community benefits package the ANC negotiated with the Corcoran in 2007 when they planned to redevelop Randall School at Half & I Street as a college and apartment complex. When the Telesis/Rubell team took over the project in 2010, the subsidy was maintained. In addition, once the new museum planned for Randall School opens, it will be free every day for ANC 6D residents. Special exhibitions at the Corcoran include 30 Americans, which showcases works by many of the most important African American artists of the last three decades. This exhibition is from the collection of Don and Mera Rubell. Other exhibitions include Hank Willis Thomas: Strange Fruit and Gordon Parks: Photographs from the Collection. The Corcoran will be open on December 10 from 10am - 5pm.

Z-Burger Sneak Peek

2011-10-28T09:02:00.000-04:00

If you've walked by the Waterfront Station Z-Burger lately, you may have noticed a sign has been erected outside that illuminates at night. So that means opening is imminent, right? Well...not quite. The newest opening date told to me by owner Peter Tabibian when I ran into him at the restaurant is three weeks. According to Peter, all of the furniture has been ordered and once it arrives, it will take four to five days to install it all. In addition to indoor seating, there will be approximately 40 seats outside. There's a lot left to do besides installing furniture, so let's see if this new opening estimate is accurate. Once a more definitive opening date has been announced, I'll let you know. There will also be free food for the first few days..more details to come. Below are some renderings of the restaurant design, courtesy of Z-Burger, along with some interior photos I took earlier this week.

This is the view from the front door toward the "place order" area of the register. The red tile on the floor will be a "red carpet" leading to the register. On the ceiling is a design of angel wings.

Owner Peter Tabibian shows off the tile that will be used to create the "red carpet" from the front door to the register. Peter designed the new restaurant himself.

This is a zoomed in photo showing the path to the register. You will be able to see your food get prepared behind the register as you wait for your order.

This is a view looking from the "pick-up" area of the register towards the front door.

This rendering shows a seating area of the restaurant just to the right of the entrance.

This photo is looking in the opposite direction from the above rendering. Notice the column on the right that in the rendering is covered in yellow.

A Few Quick Items: Stadium Speculation Continues, Marina Place Profiled, "Melting Pot" Museum, Cast of You, Nero Announced

2011-10-05T01:15:00.002-04:00

- Speculation continues on the DC United stadium front, and according to the Soccer Insider at The Washington Post, the 100 V Street site in Buzzard Point is still on top of the list. However, it's debatable how interested city leaders are about keeping the team in the District. From the article:

D.C. government contacts tell my Post colleagues that United officials, realizing the city has no money to help finance a sports venue, suggested to the mayor’s office that they would build a stadium themselves if they received a tax abatement. Other city sources say DCU President Kevin Payne recently met with council members about the general stadium prospects and the discussion "fell flat.”

Talk of putting a jail at the Buzzard Point site seems to have died down.

Above rendering courtesy of Akridge

- Also in The Washington Post, there was an article about how plans for the multifamily project planned in Buzzard Point next to the marina have evolved. The Eric Colbert-designed Marina Place was approved by the Zoning Commission over the summer and the owner is looking for a pioneering developer to partner with him on the project. Duane Deason has owned the site since 2004 and has gone through the ups and downs related to speculation about development of Buzzard Point. With the Coast Guard moving to St. Elizabeths and the possibility of DC United building a stadium nearby, Buzzard Point could look a lot different in a few years.

Rendering courtesy of Buzzards Point LLC

- There's a proposal to build a new museum off the National Mall at Banneker Overlook, according to an article in the Lifestyle section of The Washington Post. This proposed museum is still a long ways off though. From the article:

Rep. James P. Moran (D-Va.) is sponsoring the legislation that would create a presidential committee to study the Museum of the American People proposal and has rounded up about 20 co-sponsors. He realizes that the museum could be a long way off, but he likes the idea of drawing a line now, “before we have any proliferation of additional ethnic museums.”

- Arena Stage has announced the cast of You, Nero, which will run from November 25 to January 1, 2012 at the Fichlander Stage. A partial list of cast members and a description of the show from the press release follows:

Danny Scheie returns to the role of Nero after starring in both the South Coast Repertory and Berkeley Repertory Theatre productions of You, Nero. Also reprising their roles are Susannah Schulman as Poppaea and Kasey Mahaffy as Fabiolo. Marc Vietor (Kennedy Center’s Company, Broadway’s Present Laughter directed by Martin) joins the cast as Scribonius.

Returning Arena favorites include Helen Hayes Award winner Nancy Robinette as Agrippina (Arena’s Death of a Salesman, Shakespeare Theatre Company’s The Heir Apparent), Laurence O’Dwyer as Burrus (Arena’s Trouble in Mind, Helen Hayes Award winner for Arena’s The Fantasticks) and John C. Vennema as Seneca (Arena’s A Time to Kill). Additional casting for supplemental actors will be announced at a later date.

As Rome collapses beneath Nero’s outrageous narcissism, a forgotten playwright tries to restore order through the art of theater in this “gloriously funny” (New York Times) farce. Amid the chaos of crime, lust and politics, convincing the world’s most famous debaucher to choose virtue over vice proves to be a Herculean task. Amy Freed’s wild romp questions whether well-crafted drama and intellect are any match for decadence and good old-fashioned bloodshed.

Performances will take place on Sunday, Tuesday & Wednesday at 7:30 pm; Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 8:00 pm.; and Saturday & Sunday at 2:00 pm.

Cantina Cup 2011 Video

2011-10-04T00:25:00.002-04:00

Below is a video done by SWer Raymond Schillinger of the 4th Annual Cantina Cup Regatta, which took place on October 1 along the Washington Channel. Proceeds from the Cantina Cup benefit DC Sail's adult sailing program.

Cantina Cup 2011 - DC Sail from media | sophe films on Vimeo.

Historic District for Southwest?

2011-10-03T22:32:00.004-04:00

Housing Complex wrote a piece last week about historic districts in DC and pondered whether Southwest would be next on the list of neighborhoods to seek designation. Contrary to the HC piece, there are rumblings from within the neighborhood to create a historic district. Typically, buildings need to be at least 50 years old to be considered and there are already a few older properties in Southwest that are on the National Register of Historical Places. Those located south of the Southwest Freeway include Friendship Baptist Church, Thomas Law House, National War College, Randall Jr. High School, Syphax School, James C. Dent House, and the Titanic Memorial. However, the majority of buildings in Southwest are just now turning 50.

Wheat Row was built in the 18th century.

The Thomas Law House was built in 1784.

Capitol Park Apartments at 800 4th Street (now Potomac Place Tower), designed by Chloethiel Woodard Smith and built in 1959, was the first residential tower built as a result of urban renewal and was designated by the DC Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) as historic in 2003 in an attempt by residents to block development of its parking lots and garden into apartments (eventually condos). The HUD headquarters at 7th & E Street just north of the freeway was more recently designated by the HPRB as well as the James C. Dent House (built in 1906). ANC 6D supported the designation of Tiber Island Coops and Condos on the south side of 4th & M Streets as historic at their July meeting (the Thomas Law House, which is a part of Tiber Island, has already been deemed historic). Besides the collection of mid-century modern architecture that dominates Southwest, there are other pockets of buildings pre-dating urban renewal that haven’t been designated, such as the row houses along the 1200-block of Half Street and Carrollsburg Place.

River Park features a high-rise apartment building and barrel vaulted townhomes made with aluminum.

A historic district designation would bring more scrutiny to building additions or new construction within the proposed district. New buildings would most likely need to conform to the standards of structures within the district and it would be more difficult to demolish existing buildings. However, it may spur the restoration of buildings in the neighborhood that are starting to show their age and increase property values. Design adaptation is already happening, to an extent, with newer projects in the neighborhood. For example, the office buildings at Waterfront Station, designed by Shalom Baranes, use terra cotta on their façades, a material that has been used for the shade screens at Capitol Park apartments. In addition, the design of the new St. Matthew’s apartment building on M Street & Delaware Avenue, also designed by Baranes, uses building and landscape design elements from nearby residential buildings. These two building designs borrow from mid-century mod, but have been brought closer to the street and incorporates a mix of uses (in the case of Waterfront Station).

Should the Southwest Waterfront join the ranks of other DC neighborhoods, such as Capitol Hill, Dupont Circle, Shaw, and Georgetown and be designated as a historic district? Vote in the poll at the upper left corner of the page and/or leave a comment. Also, are there specific buildings in Southwest that deserve historic designation (#1 on my list would be Jefferson Middle School)?

Note: For those who are interested in learning more about modern architecture in Southwest, the DC Preservation League will be holding a neighborhood tour on October 22, starting at 10am. Register here.

Four-Star Hotel Coming to The Wharf

2011-10-02T15:12:00.002-04:00

It was reported in this week's Capital Business that Hoffman-Madison Waterfront is in negotiations with Carr Hospitality and Intercontinental Hotels Group to build and operate a 268-key, four-star hotel at The Wharf. The new hotel will be next to the office building that will be occupied by The Graduate School USA at 9th Street & Maine Avenue (the site of the temporary Kastles Stadium at The Wharf). The hotel operators are the same ones that operate the Willard Intercontinental Hotel downtown (Carr Hospitality also has plans to build a hostel/hotel at the 100 block of Q Street). Room rates at the waterfront hotel are anticipated to run between $300 and $400 a night, similar to rates at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel (the average cost for a room next Saturday). From the article:

Hammad Shah, president and chief operating officer of Carr Hospitality, said the company had been looking to open a second Washington hotel.

“The thought process here is really to create a unique luxury hotel, one of its kind, and I believe the Intercontinental brand fits the mold very well because of its success in Washington with the Willard, and because it’s an international brand,” Shah said.

Shah said the hotel would take advantage of the site’s location overlooking the Washington Channel. He said he expects the hotel to have a 5,000-square-foot rooftop lounge and two ballrooms looking out onto the water, as well as two restaurants.

The hotel also would be near one of the waterfront’s planned piers. Shah said Carr is in negotiations to purchase boat slips from the development team, which would allow guests to arrive by boat. “Everybody gets on and off at the doorsteps of the hotel,” Shah said.

Back in April, Hoffman-Madison Waterfront selected Humboldt Hospitality to advise them on the sale of the hotel site. Construction on the first phase of development at The Wharf is planned for the end of 2012.

Rendering courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

New Design for Engine 13

2011-09-26T23:37:00.001-04:00

I guess the original firehouse-red design for the new Engine 13 firehouse/office building was too risque for conservative Washington because the design has been dramatically changed. Last week, a sign was erected at the site, located at the corner of 4th & E Street, advertising 165,000 SF of office space for delivery in the 4th quarter of 2013 and the above rendering was on the billboard. Gone are the red accents and jagged-tooth corner design by Beyer, Blinder, Belle and in its place is a new design by WDG Architecture.

The Beyer, Blinder, Belle design for Engine 13 has been scrapped.

While the old design has been replaced, some components have been kept, including a green roof, LEED certification (the project will now seek LEED-Gold instead of LEED-Silver) and the partnership with Kid Power and DC Central Kitchen. The firehouse entrance and bays will be located on 4th Street while access to the lobby of the office building will be on E Street. CB Richard Ellis is handling leasing at 400 E Street for E Street Development Group LLC and a website has been created for the project with additional information and building renderings. The development team was selected by the District in 2009 with plans for the firehouse building to start construction in 2010. Last year, there was an effort to lure the headquarters of Northrop Grumman to the building, but ultimately the company chose to relocate to Fairfax County. According to a representative from E Street Development Group LLC, there has been a lot of interest in the building, so they don't anticipate having to build the project on spec.

Renderings courtesy of E Street Development Group, LLC

St. Augustine's to Get a New Home

2011-09-23T07:21:00.004-04:00

Oftentimes when large scale redevelopment occurs, existing structures and institutions are eradicated with promises (in the form of project renderings) of shiny new buildings and bucolic surroundings that usually don’t quite live up to the drawings. In the case of the Southwest Waterfront, while some businesses and institutions will not return once The Wharf is built out, St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church will get a new home and endowment, but remain at the prominent corner of 6th Street and Maine Avenue across from Arena Stage. Next to the church will be between 90 and 100 condo units built by PN Hoffman to complement the design of the townhouse residences across 6th Street at Tiber Island (Bethesda-based SK&I Architectural Design Group will design the condo building for PN Hoffman).

Prior to the current church building’s construction around 1965, parishioners would meet in each other’s homes to worship. They may need to do that again while the new church is being built, but according to Kwasi Holman, Junior Warden at St. Augustine’s, they are still figuring out an interim location. Holman told SW…TLQTC that the physical plant of the current building could not hold up for much longer, so the church has been working for the past five years to find a way to build a new home. While St. Augustine’s has come to an agreement with PN Hoffman that insures the church will be able to build a new church on its land, it is still a long way from cutting the ribbon on their new home.

St. Augustine’s is looking to build a new sanctuary for 120 parishioners, as well as continue their community outreach, including Bread for Life - a program that feeds the homeless every Sunday, youth outreach programs, Grounds for Discussion Forum, and other events. They have chosen Arlington, VA-based MTFA Architecture, Inc. to design the new church. It looks like concept drawings of the new St. Augustine’s appear on MTFA’s website. The architects describe the project on their website as follows:

This mixed-use project will be a cornerstone of the new southwest waterfront development in Washington, D.C. The program includes worship, community services and residential services such as affordable housing and homeless shelter.

Design drivers for the project heighten the church's presence, sustainability and connections. The resulting master plan envisions a two-story, 20,000-square-foot, phased building. MTFA is working with the developer and city review officials through the "planned-unit development" (PUD) process.

The project embraces the developing community surrounding St. Augustine's Episcopal Church to partner with others to heighten the church's role, image and presence as a visible beacon of God's love. The sanctuary is elevated off of the ground floor and encompassed in glass so that it becomes the beacon within the community. It is projected beyond the facades of the main building so that it is visible from surrounding streets. The steel cross rooted in the ground pierces the second floor and reaches high above the building toward the sky similar to a boat mast or a shepherd's crook.

St Augustine’s is scheduled to start construction during phase one of development of The Wharf, which is supposed to get underway by the end of 2012. However, the church portion of phase one probably won’t start until 2013-14. Detailed drawings of the new church will be available when the Second Stage PUD is filed for The Wharf in the second half of 2012.

A Few Quick Items: New Metrobus Route, CBCC Survey, SW Playground Project Receives $40K Donation, Dog Park Petition

2011-09-23T00:17:00.003-04:00

- Starting on September 25, WMATA will introduce a new bus route that will connect Southwest and Downtown. The new route will be called the "74 - Convention Center/Southwest Waterfront" and will run seven days a week from 5am to 1am. During peak periods, headways will be 18 minutes and 24 minutes during other times. This fall, Next Bus real-time destination screens will be installed at eight bus shelters along the route. The route is shown on the above map. The dotted line portion of the route shows the extension of the line to Buzzard Point during weekday peak periods. This new route was made to replace the SW Waterfront-Convention Center Circulator route that will be discontinued at the end of this month and also replaces the 70-71 routes.

- The Near SE-SW Community Benefits Coodinating Council (CBCC) is conducting a survey of ANC 6D residents to find out what services they would use in a community center. The survey is available online and participants are entered into a drawing to win a $25 Safeway gift card. Surveys must be completed by September 30. On a CBCC-related note, there will be a reception on October 4 at the Capitol Skyline Hotel to discuss The Wharf developers' community benefit commitment to hire CBE's. for more information, check their website.

- The Mandarin Oriental Hotel was able to raise over $40,000 for the SW Playground Project last Sunday at their inaugural FANtastic March 10K walk/run. $10,000 of the funds was a corporate match from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and the rest came from race participants, nearly 220 people. Congratulations to race winners Miles Hilder and Sara Vuong, both Southwest residents.

- The SW Dog Park group is passing around an online petition to support bringing an off leash dog park to Southwest, the only quadrant in the city without a dog park. The group has been taking their dogs to Lansburg Park, but the gate at the tennis court is broken so it makes it difficult to enclose the area for dogs to run and play.

Inaugural SW ArtsFest this Weekend!

2011-09-22T17:15:00.005-04:00

Don’t forget the inaugural SW ArtsFest will be held this weekend! The festival will take place from Friday-Sunday at 10 venues throughout Southwest, as shown in the cool map above that appeared in this month's The Southwester. On Sunday, admission will be free for the first 100 SW residents to enter the (e)merge art fair from 3:30pm - 5pm - the cost will be $15 if you want to go any other time during the festival. All other events at SW ArtsFest are free. For more information on the schedule of events, check out their website or Facebook page. I will not be around on Friday or Saturday, so if you attend and take photos, please submit them to southwest.tlqtc@gmail.com. Thanks!

A Few Quick Items: Proposed ANC 6D Map, Waterfront-SEU Station Name Change, Z-Burger Getting Closer to Opening

2011-09-21T09:32:00.000-04:00

- At last week's ANC 6D meeting, a new ANC single-member district map was adopted by the commissioners, contrary to the map approved by the Ward 6 Redistricting Task Force. In the new map, 6D01 loses its portion of The Wharf to 6D04, while 6D05 gains the block bounded by M Street, I Street, 4th Street and 3rd Street (including the eastern portion of Waterfront Station and the Southwest Library). 6D06 remains largely unchanged - it gains a block currently covered by 6D03. However, the biggest changes come to 6D03, 6D02, and 6D07. 6D03 loses the large block mentioned previously to 6D05, gains more of Capitol Park from 6D02 and crosses South Capitol Street to cover portions of Near SE. 6D02 gains Potomac Place, while 6D07 gets a single block in Southwest, which happens to be the block where former ANC 6D03 commissioner Mary Williams lives. She made a plea to be moved out of 6D03 during one of the redistricting meetings in July. The Ward 6 Redistricting Task Force will vote on the proposed change to the map tomorrow.

- Also at last week's ANC meeting, the commissioners voted to recommend changing the name of the Waterfront-SEU Metro station to Waterfront-Arena Stage and alternatively SW Waterfront if the first name is rejected by WMATA due to the length of the name. A proposal to add Banneker Park to the L'Enfant Plaza Metro station did not come up for a vote due to the length of the proposed name. (via JDLand)

- "One month from today" is the latest news I received from the proprietor of Z-Burger on Sunday for when the restaurant would bring its burgers, shakes and malts to Waterfront Station. I saw some workers inside the restaurant earlier this week, so we'll see if it opens by mid-October next to Station 4. TD Bank has signed a lease to open a branch in the vacant space to the north of Station 4, but an opening date is unknown at this time.

The Great Freeway Flood of 2011

2011-09-16T00:06:00.002-04:00

The following photos were taken of the Southwest freeway when it flooded on September 7th by Bonny L.

The Southwest freeway became two rivers during last week's excessive rainfall as several inches piled on the roadway.

Only one lane of traffic was able to get by as a front end loader tried to clear away the obstructions causing the road to flood.

Wharf Waterfront Park Charrette

2011-09-15T07:33:00.008-04:00

Fresh off of the approval of the Stage One PUD application by the Zoning Commission on Monday night, the first of two charrette planning sessions was held last night where 33 community members from all over ANC 6D attended to discuss plans for the waterfront park at The Wharf. The proposed park will be located at the southeastern portion of the development, which currently serves as a parking lot for the cruise boats and a traffic circle next to the Harbor Patrol. At 4.2 acres, the park is slightly smaller than the Yards Park in Near SE, which is about 5.5 acres. After taking into account an access road needed for the Harbor Patrol and 26 parking spaces split between servicing the Pier 4 town homes and Harbor Patrol, there will be somewhere between 3-4 acres available for the park. While the waterfront walkway from the park site south to the Titanic Memorial isn't a part of the planned park, the developers want to work with the NPS (who owns the reservation where the memorial is located) to refurbish the promenade in order for it to blend in with all the new development to the north and west.

Elinor Bacon from Hoffman-Madison Waterfront convened the meeting at the request of ANC 6D, which stipulated in its approval of the stage one PUD application that the park be built in the first phase of development and a public process was needed to help design the park. Warren Byrd from Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects and Jeff Lee from Lee and Associates, the two landscape architect firms charged to design the park, were the facilitators.

Besides the parking spaces and access road, another element that has to be in the park is a pavilion that will sell food and beverages. Participants were then each given twelve stickers to place on certain design elements (about 28 of them) that were placed around the room so the landscape architects could get a better idea of what was important for residents who would be using the park. The design elements most important to the participants were the following:

More Green than Paved
Quiet Areas - Garden Rooms
Gardens
Tree Preservation

The line of trees bordering the park will be maintained. Several of the tress along the water aren't in great shape though.

Other elements that were fairly popular include:

Innovative Children's Play Area
Bocce
Views Towards Hains Point and the Washington Channel
Trees - Flowering, Shade, Fall Color
Walking/Strolling Paths
Interactive Water Features

The group was then split into two in order to gather more input on design of the park. There were some striking similarities between the two groups once reconvened. Both groups thought there should be a large grassy area that's curvilinear in shape with more intimate areas in the periphery. The view from the grassy area should be focused downriver towards the Potomac River. The grade change can be used to create an ampitheather of sorts (similar to the Georgetown Library). A minor water feature like a bubbling brook was asked for as well to create some white noise and allow for getting a little wet on a hot summer day (there will be a major water feature at neighboring M Street Landing). While dogs would be allowed to be in the park, neither group wanted to create a dog park within the park. Creating lighting was desired by both groups to make the park attractive and safe at night. There was a split among the groups whether to have a playground in the park, but child-friendly elements were desired in the park.

Hoffman-Madison Waterfront will build the park and once complete, will transfer ownership to the District. However, the developers will be responsible for maintaining the park. They will either form an association from within the Wharf development to maintain the public spaces, or they may form a larger BID with other landowners in the area.

Another charrette will be held in early October where the landscape architects will share some concepts for the park based on the input from last night's charrette and will seek more input. What elements would you like to see in the waterfront park, so I can bring these ideas to the next charrette?

Conceptual rendering courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

4th Annual Cantina Cup

2011-09-14T22:31:00.000-04:00

The following is a press release from DC Sail:

Local sailors from all over the mid-Atlantic region will converge Saturday, October 1, at Gangplank Marina on the Southwest Waterfront to race in the 4th Annual Cantina Cup Regatta. The event features a full day of sailing with over 100 participants to benefit DC Sail’s sailing education programs. Racing will begin at 10:30am and the last race will start no later than 5:00pm.

Cantina Cup is hosted by DC Sail and Cantina Marina and is sponsored by Mount Gay Rum.

Sailors will race DC Sail’s Lasers, FJs and Flying Scotts during this event. We urge sailors from other organizations to bring their boats and participate as well. DC Sail members get reduced registration fees of $50 per person while non-members fees are $75.

The event consists of a full day of sailing followed by an After Party/Awards Ceremony at Cantina Marina. Non-sailors are encouraged to spectate throughout the day from aboard DC Sail’s schooner, the American Spirit. The After Party is open to all for a $25 cover which includes four free Mount Gay Rum drinks and live music.

Non-racers are invited to purchase spectator tickets aboard DC Sail’s schooner the American Spirit. The Corona-sponsored Spectator Boat will be the best view of the racing from 1pm to 4 pm. $60 tickets include free Corona and for an additional $15 attendees can also attend the Mount Gay After Party.

Last year, the event was a great success with the over 50 sailors participating, raising over $5,000 for DC Sail’s adult sailing programs.

To learn more about sponsorship, registration and general event information, please visit http://www.dcsail.org/ or contact Emily at (202) 547-1250 or erodegast@dcsail.org.

More Retailers Open Shop in L'Enfant Plaza

2011-09-14T08:29:00.001-04:00

I took a tour of L'Enfant Plaza yesterday with some community leaders and Matt Ginivan from JBG. Over the summer, more retailers have been moving into the renovated retail center, which was designed by SmithGroup. In the food court, Au Bon Pain has now been open for a couple of months and FYI (Frozen Yogurt Indulgence) opened within the last couple of weeks. They join Potbelly and Roti, which opened in the spring. So far, the new retailers have been a resounding success, with double the amount of demand originally anticipated. The post office has also moved to a new location. Coming Soon signs have been spotted for other retailers, including Starbucks, Moe's, Five Guys, Mamma Ilardo's, Gourmet Too, Gateway Newstands, Jay's Jewelers, Mina's Boutique, and Nash's Mens Wear. CVS, Hallmark, and McDonald's will be back in the new center as well.

The second phase began earlier this year and by March of 2012, according to Ginivan, passageways will be carved out of the western portion of the existing retail center so workers can still access the food court as demolition gets underway. Around the same time, the 20-foot tall glass atrium will start construction. The atrium will replace the glass pyramid (which replaced a water feature) and serve as the new entrance to the retail center, bringing in more natural light. Completion of the second phase of construction is slated for September 2013 and will result in 205,000 SF of retail. Meanwhile, a new extended-stay Homewood Suites by Hilton hotel is supposed to start construction on the northeast corner of the L'Enfant Plaza complex this winter. Eventually, new office buildings are planned for the plaza area and the southeast corner of the complex.

Some of the community leaders on the tour gave suggestions on the types of retail needed at L'Enfant Plaza to draw residents, including sit-down ethnic restaurants (such as Thai, sushi, Mexican, etc), a fitness center (since the one at the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel was closed to residents once it was renovated), small grocer/health food/organic, a sports bar, and a barber shop. A south entrance to L'Enfant Plaza and/or a pedestrian bridge on the south end was suggested to help connect the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood and L'Enfant Plaza. At the behest of ANC 6D Commissioner Craycraft, JBG will host a community meeting in November to go over details of the renovation and expansion of L'Enfant Plaza. I'll let you know more details on the meeting once they are known.

A Couple Quick Items: New Traffic Pattern at 4th & M Street, Sidewalk to Temporarily Close Next to CFL

2011-09-02T08:54:00.000-04:00

- DDOT has finally implemented promised changes to the intersection of 4th & M Street at the end of last week. Left turns are no longer allowed from southbound 4th Street to eastbound M Street. In addition, No U-Turn signs have been put up along M Street. However, the Metrobus stop remains in front of the Bank of America trailer. Has anyone noticed whether the timing at pedestrian crossings have been altered?

- ANC Commissioner Craycraft brings word that the sidewalk on the west side of 4th Street in front of the Consolidated Forensic Laboratory under construction between E & School Streets will be closed for two months starting on September 6 to rebuild a new sidewalk. In addition, four new oak trees will be planted where the current sidewalk is located and 15 trees will be planted on E Street and School Street. New streetlights will be installed with the Washington Globe fixtures seen near Arena Stage and Waterfront Station. Several bike racks will be installed - Capital Bikeshare will be opening a new station at the corner of 4th & E Street.

SW Playground Project Receives Safeway Foundation Grant

2011-09-01T08:30:00.000-04:00

Safeway announced earlier this week that the Safeway Foundation distributed $130,000 in grants to community organizations. One of those organizations is the SW Playground Project, which received a $5,000 grant to build a new playground next to the Southwest Neighborhood Library on August 23. Pictured above is Rev. Ruth Hamilton (President of the Near SE/SW Community Benefits Coordinating Council), Greg TenEyck (Safeway's Public Affairs Director), Felicia Couts (Project Director of the SW Playground Project), and the child Felicia is holding is Carmen Couts.

Here is a preliminary rendering of one of the three play areas planned at the proposed playground. Courtesy of Playworld Systems.

Photo courtesy of Safeway

SW Library to Close Temporarily for Mini Makeover

2011-08-30T09:23:00.001-04:00

The following release was sent by the DC Library regarding the upcoming renovation of the SW Branch Library:

The Southwest Neighborhood Library, located at 900 Wesley Place, will be closing from September 12 – October 2 to receive a mini-makeover.

During the closure, the Teen Space will be improved, new carpet will be installed and the library will be painted. In addition, there will be some new furniture.

Library users can renew books checked out from the Southwest Neighborhood Library at any other DC Public Library location or online at http://www.dclibrary.org/. Books can be returned to any DC Public Library location. The closest location for Library services is the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library, located at 901 G Street, NW. Holds will also be available for pickup at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library.

In Mayor Gray's 2012 budget, the Southwest Neighborhood Library is set to receive $8.8 million in renovations in phases over the next six years to become a LEED-Silver rated facility. Meanwhile, next door at Town Center East Park, the SW Playground Project is making great progress towards raising $150,000 to build a playground in the grassy areas of the park. The latest large donation has come from the upcoming FANtastic March 10K on September 18, which has raised over $22,000 so far, plus a corporate match of $10,000 from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

Preliminary concept rendering of one of the three play equipment areas, courtesy of Playworld Systems.

A Few Quick Items: Camden South Capitol Project Website, ANC Supports Wharf PUD, MLK Drive Unveiled

2011-08-26T01:22:00.000-04:00

- In the latest FRONT Page News e-newsletter from the Capitol Riverfront BID, the Camden South Capitol apartment project is featured - the first rental apartment building to start construction in SW in decades. The 276-unit apartment building is under construction at the northeast corner of South Capitol and O Street. Although the building is technically outside the borders of the BID, the Capitol Riverfront is keeping tabs on the project. A website has been set up for the project and includes information on in-unit features such as:Energy Star stainless steel appliances, electric oven ranges with ceramic glass cook tops, solar shades, 42" upper cabinets, double vanities in select units, garden soaking tubs, and stand-up showers in select units. Community features will include a rooftop pool with BBQ grills and outdoor fire pit, cyber cafe, and a resident gaming lounge with kitchen. Camden South Capitol is being developed by Camden Property Trust and designed by WDG Architecture. The building is scheduled to deliver in the summer of 2013.

Rendering of the rear of Camden South Capitol courtesy of WDG Architecture

- At Monday's special ANC 6D meeting on The Wharf PUD, the commissioners voted unanimously to support the Stage 1 PUD application after several amendments were approved. Back in July, the ANC gave conditional support to the PUD but had 27 concerns that needed to be addressed by the Hoffman Madison Waterfront team before the commissioners could give their full support. Since that meeting, HMW has been in discussions with the ANC and most of the concerns have been addressed. Here is a link to the responses to the ANC's concerns by HMW.

Thanks to Jason Kopp for covering the meeting via Twitter!

- Mayor Gray and other dignitaries were on hand Thursday morning to help unveil MLK Drive at Maine Avenue and 14th Street, a symbolic renaming of sections of road in the District linking Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue east of the Anacostia to the new MLK Memorial along the Tidal Basin. The dedication ceremony for the memorial was scheduled for Sunday, but has been postponed until September or October due to Hurricane Irene.

Open Discussion

2011-08-16T00:34:00.000-04:00

I'm going on vacation for the next week, so in lieu of a normal blog post, I thought I'd open the floor to discussion on any topic(s) you'd like while I'm away. Not to direct the discussion, but an interesting topic that will have citywide implications is the implementation of the new online gaming law. The DC Lottery will be having meetings over the next few weeks in each ward to go over their plans for implementation. In response to these meetings - which will occur in September and October (they were initially scheduled for August when most people are out of town and community organizations do not meet, but was changed), ANC 6D commissioner Andy Litsky has proposed the following resolution for ANCs and other community organizations throughout the city to adopt, according to The Georgetown Dish:

Resolution Regarding Internet Gambling in the District of Columbia

Whereas the online/Internet gambling/iGaming including computerized slots legislation was inserted into the December 2010 budget without public discussion or public hearings, contrary to the principles of open and transparent government; and

Whereas the potential negative economic impacts associated with bringing online gambling supported and operated by the District of Columbia Government everyday until 4AM may include increased police protection, alcohol beverage control, zoning and fire safety enforcement, specialized protection against hacking of the DC Government website and its gambling site, and increased addiction treatment vastly outweigh the projected annual financial benefits to the District that might be realized by its implementation.

Now, therefore let it be resolved that (ANC Commissions, civic associations, churches, citizens) supports the immediate repeal of the “Lottery Modernization Amendment Act of 2010” and a moratorium on the implementation of DC Government online/Internet gambling/iGaming including computerized slots so that this issue in stand alone legislation can be thoroughly vetted in an open and fully transparent manner with proper public consideration, comments, hearings and recorded vote by the Council of the District of Columbia and approval and signature of the Mayor.

The ANC noted in their conditional approval of The Wharf PUD that online gaming should be prohibited in areas outside of private residences. Speaking of the Wharf, ANC 6D will hold a special meeting on Monday, August 22 at 7pm to vote on The Wharf Stage One PUD. The ANC gave conditional approval to the PUD application back in July, but this vote will be done in response to the several concerns they brought to the developers when they went before the Zoning Commission last month. The August 22 public meeting will be held at 1100 4th Street, 2nd floor.

Feel free to discuss this topic or any other SW-related issue in the comments. Adios!

A Few Quick Items: MLK Memorial Dedication, Nationals Neighborhood Game, Mixed Reviews for Station 4, L'Enfant Plaza Office Building for Sale

2011-08-12T00:23:00.001-04:00

- On Wednesday, Mayor Gray announced a list of events leading up to the dedication ceremony of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial along the Tidal Basin. Most of the events will take place at the MLK Library downtown, but on Tuesday, August 23rd, DC residents will get to tour the memorial from 8am to 8pm - days before the official dedication. Timed tickets will be distributed to tour the memorial. Stay tuned for details on how to receive those tickets. The official dedication ceremony will take place on August 28th at 11am. Prior to the dedication, there will be a musical tribute to Dr. King from 10-11am and a concert from 2-4pm. All three events are free and open to the public. In addition, the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation has a slew of other events planned leading up to the dedication.

- August 25 is the make-up date for the Nationals Neighborhood Game at Nationals Park, which was rescheduled due to a rain-out from April 16th. Locals will be singing the national anthem, throwing the first pitch, and saying "play ball!". There are some free tickets available, so contact your ANC 6D commissioner or SWNA representative for details.

- The Washington Post's food critic Tom Sietsema recently wrote a review of Station 4 and it wasn't a good one. Here is a snippet:

Precious little of that magic surfaced in a recent dinner at Station 4, which started with breadsticks flavored with dried black olives and continued with a riff on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich using almonds, tomato jelly, foie gras and brioche. (Imagine really sweet French toast with some meat in each bite.) [Orlando] Amaro's "San Francisco style" cioppino is something no Bay Area resident would recognize as the classic robust seafood stew. "At least the kitchen didn't overcook the seafood," said the optimist at the table.

A waiter talks up the octopus, and we follow his lead. The herb-marinated, char-grilled seafood with potato confit cooked in duck fat and a trail of smoked paprika mayonnaise is the best thing we eat all night.

Station 4's pizza may be the worst. The pie is so without charm, we leave all but two slices behind.

Come to think of it, the previously frozen french fries, supposedly cooked in duck fat but revealing no such sign, are mediocre, too. Pappardelle with short ribs, thick and heavy, ignore the reality show outside, where the thermometer is pushing triple digits. A side dish of Brussels sprouts (hey, chef, it's summer!) is overcooked.

Meanwhile, it seems Metromix went to a completely different restaurant. Here is some of what they had to say about Station 4:

When handpicking the chef for his new modern American restaurant Station 4, owner Med Lahlou decided go for a more nuevo route than new. And the results have been spectacular. Famed Venezuelan chef Orlando Amaro—whose Blue Moon has been named one of Miami’s top restaurants—has added his own flair in his signature dishes.

The restaurant’s location is a few blocks from the Southwest Waterfront (and across the street from the Metro station of the same name), and as you’d imagine seafood plays a key role in the menu. Amaro’s charred octopus is an excellent choice from sea, with potato confit, smoked paprika aioli and tomato-feta tartar. The combination makes for a succulent and crispy texture to the octopus.

Other excellent seafood options at the restaurant are the San Francisco-style cioppino—made with fresh crab, shrimp, mussels, clams and calamari in a saffron-tomato broth and served with a toasted baguette—as well as the sautéed calamari served with lemon-oil tapenade and squid ink vinaigrette.

There's only one way to find out which of these reviews is more correct...go check it out for yourself!

- It was reported last week in the Washington Business Journal that 950 L'Enfant Plaza was put on the market by Heyman Properties. The office building is the south building at the plaza and is one of the buildings not owned by JBG (the other is the USPS headquarters), which is in the midst of renovating the retail center and plans to build a hotel, office, and maybe apartments.

SW Ecodistrict Meeting Recap (Belated)

2011-08-11T01:31:00.003-04:00

After several public meetings over the past couple of years to solicit feedback on plans for the Southwest Ecodistrict, the NCPC held another meeting on July 26th to go over the three development scenarios proposed for the area. While the Office of Planning’s meeting on July 14th dealt with the Maryland Avenue corridor, the NCPC meeting took a more holistic approach to the Ecodistrict, but focused more on the 10th Street corridor. The Mission Statement of the SW Ecodistrict is as follows: Establish an Ecodistrict that transforms the 10th Street and Maryland Avenue corridors into a vibrant well connected place to commemorate, visit, work, and live in a matter that creates a national showcase of sustainability through innovation, technology, and design. NCPC recommends at least 1,000 residential units and/or hotel rooms need to be created in the area in order to sustain the neighborhood. Currently, no one lives in the study area. Mixed use development (including residential) will be encouraged in the central portion of the study area from around C Street south to the freeway, while federal and cultural uses will predominate the northern area bordering the National Mall and civic uses at Banneker Overlook. Below are descriptions of the three development scenarios currently under consideration.

The rehabilitation scenario proposes the least amount of changes out of the three development scenarios.

Rehabilitation: Under this scenario, several federal properties would be rehabilitated, including the Department of Energy Headquarters complex along 10th Street, the historic HUD building at 7th & E Street, USPS headquarters along 10th Street, GSA’s building at 7th & D Street, Department of Education headquarters at 4th Street & Independence Avenue, and Wilbur/Orville Wright FAA buildings along Independence Avenue. Infill opportunities exist along Maryland Avenue, 12th Street near Independence Avenue, and at Banneker Overlook. An additional 2.1 – 2.4 million SF of space (divided evenly by federal office, cultural, and residential/hotel) would be added under this scenario, along with 70,000 SF of retail, 3,500 – 4,000 employees, and 840 – 960 residents.

The redevelopment scenario would remove the Department of Energy Forrestal Complex.

Redevelopment: The redevelopment scenario takes things further and proposes instead of rehabilitating the DOE complex, that it should be redeveloped, allowing the view shed to be reestablished along Virginia Avenue towards the Washington Monument. In addition, a portion of I-395 would be decked from 9th Street to just west of 10th Street to create more space for infill development. Between 3.3 and 3.9 million SF of space (divided evenly by federal office, cultural, and residential/hotel) would be created in this scenario, along with 100,000 SF of retail, 5,500 – 6,500 employees, and 1,320 – 1,560 residents.

Repurposing is the most comprehensive of scenarios.

Repurpose: In addition to the rehabilitation and redevelopment of the Ecodistrict, this scenario would look to repurpose three buildings for different uses– the USPS headquarters, the GSA building, and the Wilbur Wright FAA building. The repurposing scenario would add between 3.9 and 4.9 million SF of space.

These are four possible scenarios for a redesigned 10th Street.

Currently, the 10th Street corridor from the Smithsonian Castle to Banneker Overlook is a wide, mostly empty road that’s devoid of a significant tree canopy. There are four scenarios under consideration for the reconstruction of the street – a median axis (or “Ramblas”) with street lanes on the sides and a large median; a roadway axis where the street would run in the middle with wide sidewalks on either side; a pedestrian axis with a large sidewalk on the west side and the street running off-center to the east; and a hybrid median/plaza axis with the median axis format north of Maryland Avenue and south of L’Enfant Plaza, but a plaza format at L’Enfant Plaza. All four scenarios provide ample tree canopy and offer space for a plaza area near L’Enfant Plaza and infill areas along the street. Deep tree wells will allow larger trees to grow along 10th Street and filtration systems will be installed to carry water to storage tanks below the street that will reduce run-off.

Above shows the "maximum" buildout alternative for Banneker Overlook, which includes civic uses near 9th Street.

At Banneker Overlook, two build-out scenarios have been proposed. One is the “minimum” buildout, which adds civic/cultural buildings adjacent to the freeway, a parking zone beneath, and landscape features that connect to Maine Avenue and The Wharf. The “maximum” buildout also includes a civic/cultural building on the hillside near the intersection of 9th Street and Maine Avenue. Throughout the Ecodistrict, sustainable features and principles are proposed to comply with the President’s Executive Order mandating the greening of federal buildings, including water filtration systems (as mentioned above), photovoltaic panels on rooftops and along the freeway, green roofs, a cogeneration plant, building placement to reduce sun exposure, and better use of the district heating system currently in the area.

More information about the SW Ecodistrict can be found here. NCPC will be accepting comments on the plan until this Friday on their project website.

Images courtesy of NCPC

Boat Home Tour this Saturday

2011-08-09T09:12:00.002-04:00

There will be 23 boats on display at the Gangplank Marina during the tour. In addition, discounted admission for a DC Harbour Cruise is available and with the purchase of a tour ticket, visit Cantina Marina before or after the tour to receive 10% off. Proceeds from the tour will benefit the Earth Conservation Corps and the Alice Ferguson Foundation.

Update: Below is a YouTube video done by Hoffman-Madison Waterfront showing a boat home owner give a tour of her home at the Gangplank Marina.

Recap of Maryland Avenue Plan Public Meeting

2011-08-04T00:26:00.002-04:00

The Office of Planning held a public meeting on July 14th to go over their draft recommendations for the Maryland Avenue corridor from 12th Street to 4th Street. The western boundary of the study area abuts the Portals, where Maryland Avenue is a rebuilt, landscaped road on a deck atop railroad tracks. On the east side between 4th and 6th Street, there are plans underway to build a memorial to President Eisenhower called Eisenhower Square.

The Maryland Avenue corridor is envisioned as a park-like setting.

The results of a survey conducted by OP found that respondents thought the Maryland Avenue corridor needs parks and open spaces the most, as well as improved building facades. Basically, OP recommends (with the help of their consultants at AECOM) that Maryland Avenue should be decked from 12th Street to Reservation 113 (AKA Hancock Park, or the green space formed at what would be the intersection of Maryland Avenue, Virginia Avenue, 7th Street and 9th Street) as well as 9th Street from Independence Avenue to D Street. The roadway along Maryland Avenue would run in the middle of the 160' right-of-way with one lane in either direction and wide park-like open space on both sides to accommodate pedestrians. Limited on-street parking would be accommodated. Stormwater can be collected and filtered from deep tree wells along the avenue and sent to infiltration zones beneath the street.

Two passenger tracks each for passenger and freight rail are planned below a decked Maryland Avenue.

In addition to stormwater connection, there would be space beneath Maryland Avenue for a four-track railroad system with two tracks for passenger rail and two tracks for freight rail, which would improve rail access in the corridor. As a part of the sustainability aspect of the plan, a piezoelectric generation pilot study along the railroad tracks could show that electricity can be generated as trains pass by, which then can be used to power street lights and other amenities along Maryland Avenue. Improvements are envisioned for Reservation 113 to connect pedestrians with an expanded L'Enfant Station, that would serve VRE, MARC, AMTRAK, Metrorail, Metro Bus, and streetcars.

At least four GSA parcels are ripe for infill development.

There are four potential infill sites along the avenue that are owned by the GSA. They are located at the northeast corner of 12th & D Street, the northwest corner of Maryland Avenue & 10th Street, the northeast corner of Maryland Avenue & 10th Street, and the northeast corner of Maryland Avenue & 7th Street. There are also opportunities to redevelop the GSA building along D Street that faces Reservation 113 and The Reporters Building at 7th & D Street (where Pizza Autentica is located). OP and AECOM recommend that any new development in the corridor should be oriented toward Maryland Avenue to help frame and define public spaces and the historic right-of-way (whether or not the decked roadway has been constructed at the time the buildings are completed).

Proposed zoning changes would encourage a mix of uses, including residential, cultural, hotel, retail, and office, in order to make the corridor (and the SW Ecodistrict as a whole) an extension of downtown. For instance, retail nodes are suggested at the intersection of Maryland Avenue & 10th Street and at L'Enfant Station. Residential and hotel uses are also possible along Maryland Avenue - the SW Ecodistrict plan calls for at least 1,000 residential/hotel rooms to make the area a viable neighborhood, which the Maryland Avenue corridor can help accommodate. Also, a cultural/commemorative destination is envisioned for the southwest corner of Maryland Avenue & 10th Street.

Improvements along Maryland Avenue would begin with the block from 6th Street to 7th Street, since this section already exists and is at-grade. The elevated sections would be done later as financing becomes available (perhaps a public-private partnership or CSX?).

More details on the Maryland Avenue Plan can be found here. The comment period on the draft recommendations will be open until Friday, so contact Joyce Tsepas at the Office of Planning by email or by phone (202-535-1556).

Renderings courtesy of the Office of Planning

A Few Quick Items: Story on L'Enfant Plaza Makeover, Station 4 "Grand Opening" Tomorrow, New & Expanded Capital Bikeshare Stations, Corona Movie Nights on Wednesdays in August

2011-08-02T23:52:00.006-04:00

- In this week's Capital Business, there's a story about the renovation underway at L'Enfant Plaza's retail corridor. As you already know, the food court area was completed this spring and since then, Potbelly, Roti Mediterranean Grill, and more recently Au Bon Pain have opened. Below is a description of what is to come at L'Enfant Plaza, according to the article:

“It’s very heavy architecture,” said Britt Snider, JBG development officer. “We’re trying to lighten it up so it doesn’t feel so intimidating.”

Architecture firm SmithGroup is revamping the space with modern birch accents, recess lighting and a red, white and gray color palette, carried throughout the decor and flooring.

The retail redevelopment is part of a larger renovation and expansion effort taking place at the complex, composed of a 372-room hotel and two office buildings in Southwest Washington. Plans call for a 234-room Homewood Suites, 500,000 square feet of more office space and, among other things, a make-over for the existing hotel rooms.

Snider said the company took the paltry after-hours options into consideration in planning the second phase of the retail redevelopment. Casual dining restaurants are envisioned for the west wing of the retail promenade, where demolition is underway with completion slated for early 2013.

“The true test of this transformation will be whether we see people after work or on the weekends,” Snider said.

As much as JBG wants to create a vibrant late-night atmosphere, he said the company is keen on catering to the needs of the daytime population — more than 28,000 workers are within a half-mile of the complex. A smattering of business-wear boutiques will be sprinkled along the corridor off the food court, while a daycare and gym are being considered.

Besides the restaurants mentioned above, leases have been signed for a post office, CVS, McDonald's, Hallmark, Gourmet Too, Moe's, Mama Ilardo's, F.Y.I., Gateway Newstands, and Starbucks. In addition, a 2-story glass atrium will be built over the courtyard that will introduce more natural light to the retail corridor and serve as its grand entrance.

Rendering courtesy of SmithGroup

- Station 4 will have its "Grand Opening" tomorrow after having its "Soft Opening" back on June 26. The restaurant has been open daily since then but the grand opening is more of a celebration than anything else. The grand opening will be from 5-8pm and reservations are recommended.

- DDOT announced last week that Capital Bikeshare will be expanding this fall with 32 new stations and 18 existing stations will be expanded. Southwest will receive two new stations - located at 4th & E Street and across the street from the Air & Space Museum at Independence & Maryland Avenue (at 6th Street). In addition, the Waterfront Station and 7th Street Landing stations will be expanded. Earlier this year, the 12th Street and Independence Avenue station was expanded.

- Phillips Flagship and Cantina Marina will host Corona Movie Nights on Wednesdays this month, sponsored by On Tap Magazine. The movies will be aired on the patio areas of the restaurants at 8pm. Phillips will show "Office Space" on August 3rd and "Dinner for Schmucks" on August 10th, while Cantina Marina will show "The Hangover" on August 17th and "Wedding Crashers" on August 24th. The movie nights are free, but RSVP to receive a free Corona and at the end of the month, a raffle will be held and the winner receives the TV used to show the movies.

Ward 6 ANC Redistricting Listening Tour

2011-07-28T23:20:00.001-04:00

The Ward 6 ANC redistricting listening tour made its way to ANC 6D this evening. After each Census, the city must go through the redistricting process to balance out the population - first the new Ward boundaries are determined, which was done this past spring, and now the process of determining the new ANC & Single Member District (SMD) borders is underway. The Ward 6 Redistricting Task Force (#W6TF) put together by Council member Wells met with the community tonight to hear what ideas there are regarding the borders of ANC 6D. While there aren't many rules regarding ANC boundaries, each SMD within an ANC must contain approximately 2,000 residents (plus or minus 5%). For most of the meeting, the topic du jour was whether SMD 07 (Near SE) should remain in ANC 6D, gain territory from ANC 6B, and/or be split partially into two SMDs. Four ANC commissioners (all representing Southwest SMD's) argued for keeping Near SE in the ANC since both Near SE and the Southwest Waterfront neighborhoods have similar qualities (maritime uses, paucity of retail, housing types, increased connectivity, parking issues surrounding Nationals Park, and a common interest in a complete street strategy for M Street SW/SE). However, Near SE commissioner Garber is remaining neutral on the subject until he gets more input from residents. Most SW residents at the meeting were in favor of keeping the two sides in the same ANC, while Near SE residents were mixed. On the Southwest side of the ANC, the borders probably won't change much, although SMD 2 may need to get bigger since its population falls below the 5% threshold under 2,000 residents.

The next step in the process is there will be two public meetings on August 3 and August 8 to discuss the first draft of the ANC/SMD boundaries. The August 3 meeting will take place at 6:30pm at Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library (lower level) - 1630 7th Street, NW and the August 8 meeting will take place at 6:30pm at Theater Church - 525 8th Street, SE. After that, the Redistricting Task Force will send each ANC the first draft of the new boundaries and at that point, the community will have a chance to look at the proposed changes. The task force will attend the September 12 ANC 6D meeting to answer questions on the first draft. Then, there will be public meetings on September 19 and 22 to propose a second draft and approve the final draft, respectively. The final draft will be forwarded to Council member Wells on September 26 in time for the Council member to submit to the Council on September 30.

The Ward 6 Redistricting Task Force has a great blog with more information than you may want to know about the redistricting process, and JDLand has a tool that can be used to propose new ANC maps using Census tract data. Those maps created using JDLand's tool can be submitted to the #W6TF.

Southwest Has Two (Several) Post Offices, but for How Long?

2011-07-27T00:56:00.008-04:00

According to the Washington Business Journal, the Southwest Station Post Office at 45 L Street is one of 19 post offices in the District that's slated to possibly close due to financial difficulties at the United States Postal Service (USPS). The USPS leases the 16,200 SF space at 45 L from The Ruben Companies, the same developer that owns several parcels in the area, including 1101 South Capitol Street (where a KFC/Taco Bell once stood), and the former Exxon gas station on the same block as the post office, the sale of which JDLand posted earlier this month. The current post office lease at 45 L expires at the end of 2012. There's no indication of what would replace the post office after that date, but 1101 South Capitol Street across the street is planned as an office building.

There is a second post office in Southwest, located in L'Enfant Plaza's retail center adjacent to USPS headquarters. However, it is a much smaller storefront (about 8,500 SF) and is only open on weekdays. With the prospect of the 45 L Street station closing and the ongoing renovation at the retail center, perhaps the L'Enfant Plaza Post Office will remain open on Saturdays. The current L'Enfant Plaza post office is located near the entrance to the retail center off of the plaza on 10th Street, but isn't easily accessible for those with disabilities (that may change once a glass atrium entryway is built on the plaza that is part of JBG's renovation of the retail center). The new post office will be about the same size as the current one and will shift more to the east from its current location. Parking is more of a challenge at L'Enfant compared to the 45 L Street location. There is metered parking on 10th Street, but during the day those spaces are mostly full. Having the only post office in the neighborhood at L'Enfant Plaza will force Southwesters to patronize the area more so than they do now (or not, since I only go to the post office on average about once a year).

The red X marks where the post office will be located. The red circle shows phase one of the retail renovation, or the food court, that was completed this spring. The red arrow shows the entrance to the food court from the HUD courtyard.

Above renderings of the glass entryway to the L'Enfant Plaza retail center and floorplan courtesy of SmithGroup

Update: As commenters have noted, there are more than two post offices in Southwest. Besides the Fort McNair, NASA, and Ford Building, there are post offices at the Department of Agriculture and the Rayburn Building - maybe more. However, these post offices primarily serve those who work in those buildings or military bases, since it's cumbersome for regular folks to walk in to these facilities. The Ford, Rayburn, and Department of Agriculture post offices are slated to close.

A Few Quick Items: FANtastic March 10K, Maine Avenue Construction, SW Comm-Unity Day

2011-07-25T20:53:00.019-04:00

- The Mandarin Oriental Hotel is sponsoring a 10K walk/run to benefit the Southwest Playground Project - the FANtastic March 10K will take place on Sunday, September 18th around monumental Washington. The entry fee is $50 and includes breakfast, a FANtastic t-shirt, and a barbeque at the conclusion of the run at Hains Point. In addition, the Mandarin will make a corporate match up to $10,000 towards the Southwest Playground Project. To date, about $1,750 has been raised out of the $10,000 goal for the event. Click here to sign up for the 10K. Other recent corporate contributions toward the playground include a $5,000 grant from the Safeway Foundation and $1,250 from Station 4 during their soft opening on June 26.

- DDOT began road work today on eastbound Maine Avenue from the northbound 14th Street Bridge ramp to 12th Street. According to DDOT:

The project will replace the existing 4-foot-wide sidewalk with a new 14-foot-wide trail, accommodating both bicyclists and pedestrians, and replace the existing road surface. Installation of new storm water drainage elements, bio-retention areas, trees, lighting, signs, curb, gutter and fencing is also included in the project. To accommodate these amenities, on-street parking in this area will be eliminated. The number of vehicular lanes will be reduced from two to one and some driveway entrances to businesses will be realigned.

Construction will take place Monday – Friday from 7am to 7pm and sometimes on weekends from 8am to 5pm. During construction, the eastbound sidewalk and the Maine Avenue entrance to the Fish Market will be closed. Access to the market will still be open via Water Street. The work will be completed around mid-October.

- The 5th Annual SW Comm-Unity Day is set for Saturday, August 6 at the King-Greenleaf Recreation Center from 9am - 8pm. The day-long event will offer free activities for the entire family. SW Comm-Unity Day stems from the annual Unity Day event that used to occur each summer when former residents of Southwest that were displaced during urban renewal would come back to the neighborhood. For more information, check the SW Comm-Unity Forum’s website.

Buzzard Point Jail?

2011-07-24T16:59:00.001-04:00

Capital Business reports this week that Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells has proposed a land swap with Akridge - the city would give Akridge land in Hill East where the DC Jail is currently located in exchange for the 9-acre parcel the developer owns in Buzzard Point. This is the same parcel (100 V Street) that is rumored to be the site of a new stadium for DC United. If the land swap were to occur, then the stadium could be built at the old DC Jail site, which is south of RFK Stadium. This idea hasn't gained much traction, though. From the article:

Wells has a lot of convincing to do. Victor Hoskins, D.C. deputy mayor for planning and economic development, said he was aware of Wells’s idea but hadn’t seen any specifics. Matt Klein, president of Akridge, said that “of the half a dozen or a dozen ideas that have been tossed around for Buzzard Point, that is not one of the ones that has been the subject of any kind of substantive discussion.”

However, Council member Wells recently became chair of the Committee on Libraries, Parks, and Recreation, which has oversight of the Office of Planning. OP is intrigued by the land swap idea. Stay tuned.

Rendering courtesy of Akridge

Opinion Piece from a Southwester: Cantina Marina Disappoints...AGAIN

2011-07-24T11:57:00.000-04:00

The following post was written by reader Audrina based on her experience at Cantina Marina on July 15.

Let me start by saying that I really want to love all the businesses and especially the restaurants and bars in SW. I REALLY want to! I live and work in SW. I like to tell people that “we’ve got good shit here too!” Sadly, though, the dining and bar options in SW DC are sorely lacking. But, because I want so desperately to support my neighborhood businesses (and a dear friend was having a birthday gathering), I found myself at Cantina Marina Friday night. I also found myself wondering why in the world I keep going back. I already knew the food and drinks were mediocre at best. Seriously… if you have “cantina” in your name, you ought to be able to make a decent margarita! What I didn’t know until Friday night was that the service was even worse than the food and drinks. To make a long story short, I (and others in the birthday party) felt one of the servers was actually trying to make our experience a bad one to hasten our departure and free up our table for another party.

Apparently, and unfortunately, the owners and management of Cantina Marina are aware of the fact that they don’t have to deliver good food, drinks, or service because they have one thing going for them that trumps everything else – location. If Cantina Marina was located anywhere other than in SW on the water, they would have long been gone. I can’t wait until the SW Waterfront redevelopment brings competition to force Cantina Marina to either shape up or ship out.

Note: Management did try to remedy the situation by offering the party seating upstairs, complimentary drinks and appetizers.

Get Ready for SW ArtsFest 2011!

2011-07-21T17:39:00.004-04:00

I've been meaning to post about this for weeks, but better late than never! From September 23-25, Southwest will host the inaugural SW ArtsFest at several venues across the quadrant. According to the press release, the collaboration will include:

(e)merge art fair from Friday to Sunday at the Capitol Skyline Hotel
Marcātus Creative Art Market on Saturday & Sunday
Performances and children’s activities at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater
10th Annual DC Jazz Preservation Festival on Saturday at Westminster Presbyterian Church
Open House on Saturday at Christ United Methodist Church
Amnesty International Human Rights Film Festival on Sunday at Westminster Presbyterian Church
End-of-Summer Fair at St. Augustine's Episcopal Church
Neighborhood Walking Tours on Saturday & Sunday by Washington Walks
Children's activities on Saturday at 7th Street Landing
Southwest Church Musical Showcase at Second Baptist Church Southwest

Admission to all events are free, except for the (e)merge art fair, which will charge an admission fee of $10. For more information on SW ArtsFest 2011, check out their website.

A Few Quick Items: Thievery Corporation at Kastles Stadium, Homeless Encampment Removed, Zoning Commission Video

2011-07-21T00:02:00.002-04:00

- The 13-0 Washington Kastles are playoff-bound and end their regular season tomorrow at home. After the season, the stadium will not remain empty for long. Thievery Corporation will have a concert at Kastles Stadium at The Wharf on Saturday, August 20th at 6pm. Tickets will go on sale this Friday at 10am. Follow this link to purchase tickets - prices are not available yet. In addition, a charity soccer tournament will occur on July 31st. General admission for Celebrity Soccer Challenge 2011, hosted by Mia Hamm and Nomar Garciaparra, is $23 and benefits the Mia Hamm Foundation & Children's National Medical Center.

- Earlier today, the District government removed a homeless encampment on the north side of Maine Avenue underneath the 14th Street Bridge near the Tidal Basin. This follows the removal last month of an encampment on the south side of the street. The encampments have finally been removed after several months of complaints from residents. I remember seeing the encampments going back to this past winter.

- For those of you who missed the 5-hour Zoning Commission meeting on Monday evening where The Wharf PUD was hashed out, it is now available on video. The video is below, or use this link. For your reference: the Deputy Mayor's Office presentation begins around minute 00:18, the developer presentation begins around minute 00:31, Office of Planning testimony begins around minute 02:37, ANC 6D presentation begins around minute 03:14, testimony of those in support of the project begins around minute 03:29, and opposition testimony begins around 04:43. The remaining testimony of those who are opposed will be held Thursday evening at 6:30pm.

Gangplank Slipholders Association Supports Wharf PUD

2011-07-18T09:35:00.000-04:00

Ahead of today's Zoning Commission meeting, the Gangplank Slipholders Association (GPSA) released their letter of support for The Wharf PUD application on Friday. While the GPSA generally supports the plan, there are a number of outstanding issues that they need to work through with the Hoffman-Madison Waterfront team, which include:

the policies associated with transfer of live-aboard status, which constitutes a significant portion of the equity of the vessels it is associated with;
the details of how essential services will be provided to our members during the development;
controls on slip fees; and
the lack of a back-up plan should complications in the proposed plan arise or the required Congressional bill fail to be passed.

The Zoning Commission meeting will take place tonight at 6:30pm at 441 4th Street, NW, Suite 220-S. To see the meeting live, follow this link.

A Few Quick Items: Digging at Camden South Capitol, Kastles in 1st Place, Redistricting Update

2011-07-13T23:37:00.000-04:00

- Digging is underway at Camden South Capitol apartments at the northwest corner of South Capitol and O Street. The ceremonial groundbreaking (with Nationals mascot Screech) occurred on June 1st, but actual digging of the foundation started later in the month. The hole is deeper now than when this photo was taken a couple weeks ago. The 276-unit project is located across the street from Nationals Park and is being developed by Camden Property Trust. WDG designed the building. Its location should allow views into the stadium, the Anacostia River, and the Capitol for upper level residents. Some of the amenities planned for the $88 million apartment building include a rooftop pool and deck, below-grade parking for 250 vehicles, and ground-floor retail (perhaps a pub for baseball patrons?). Twelve of the units will be set aside as affordable housing. Leasing should begin around the middle of 2013.

- The Washington Kastles are 7-0 halfway through the season and on top of the standings in the Eastern Conference. There are still four home matches this season left at Kastles Stadium at The Wharf (as well as some away games). As a reminder, Friday's match is Southwest Night where Southwesters get 10% off ticket prices when ordering on Ticketmaster. Chris Evert will play in an exhibition match during halftime and Billie Jean King will be in attendance. Fox 5 News' Holly Morris did a video series last week about the new stadium and the team. One of the videos is below.

- JDLand provides information on the Ward 6 ANC/SMD redistricting process. The ANC 6D community listening meeting will take place on Thursday, July 28th at 6:30pm (location to be announced). Then there will be meetings on the first draft of the new boundaries, which is scheduled to be sent to the ANCs on Tuesday, August 18th. The task force will then make the rounds of the September ANC business meetings, submitting a final draft to Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells by September 26th, which he then will submit to the council by the required September 30th deadline.

ANC 6D Approves Stage 1 PUD for The Wharf *

2011-07-12T00:45:00.013-04:00

Updated: After two hours of discussion of The Wharf Stage One PUD, with a presentation by lead developer Monty Hoffman from the Hoffman-Madison Waterfront team and a question & answer period, ANC 6D voted unanimously to approve the application at their monthly meeting this evening. That approval came with 27 conditions that need to be addressed by the Hoffman-Madison Waterfront team before they meet with the Zoning Commission next Monday. Below is a summary of the 27 concerns and conditions from the ANC resolution:

- bus traffic should be removed from Pier 4 and away from existing residential areas of Southwest, as well as the residential units planned at parcel 11 (St. Augustine's Church)

- a Plan B in case pending legislation in Congress to transfer jurisdiction of the Channel and the ability to allow homeownership along the waterfront do not pass

- a transition plan for residents of the Gangplank Marina

- a dedicated walkway along the Washington Channel of 20 feet

- residential housing at Pier 4 (about 26 townhouses are planned at the current site of the the Spirit Cruises pier) should maintain a minimum 10-foot setback from the existing waterside edges of the pier and not be higher than 45 feet

- the commercial pier structures should not exceed the height of the headhouse structure at Pier 4 except for a two-story office building planned

- the 5-acre Waterfront Park should be built in the first phase and the planned food pavilion should be lowered from 34.5 feet to 20 feet

- massing of buildings

- parcel 11 setbacks should be consistent with the residential buildings along M Street from 6th Street to 2nd Street

- the height of buildings near M Street Landing (parcels 9 and 10) and as the design of the new St. Augustine's Church blocks views along M Street towards the waterfront

- construction staging should be restricted on parcels 10, 11, the Waterfront Park, or any area south of M Street from 6th Street to the Titanic Memorial (basically any area adjacent to existing residential buildings)

- streetcars (no overhead wires along the waterfront and place flange fillers on the tracks until the streetcars are operational)

- no parking at the Waterfront Park nor along the private road leading to Pier 4

- transportation embellishments (bike parking, electric car charging stations, car sharing)

- maintain existing tree canopy along Maine Avenue and the pedestrian walkway between the Washington Channel and Tiber Island and Harbor Square

- restrict Internet gaming that was recently passed citywide by the City Council at The Wharf outside of personal residences

- liquor licenses (the ANC wants to maintain the ability to approve or deny individual liquor licenses)

- provide office space for SWNA and ANC for 20 years starting January 2019 similar to what is provided at Waterfront Station (that space is only available for 10 years)

- environmental issues - abide by federal and District regulations regarding storm water runoff
- create kinetic, programmable recreational spaces for all ages throughout the development, especially toward the western end and the many mews and passageways
- restrict flexibility of future phases on parcels 6, 7, and 8
- create a 37 foot setback along the Maine Avenue side of parcel 7 - similar to the Waterside Towers Townhouses across the street

- placement of the Titanic Memorial and Maine Lobsterman statue within the development

- memorialize commitments to Ward 6 residents from the land disposition agreement between the city and Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

- create an advisory committee with members from the ANC, CBCC, SWNA, and other neighborhood stakeholders to enforce workforce development and jobs, 5% of the 35% Certified Business Enterprises requirement be procured from Ward 6, and housing affordability and diversity with a preference for Ward 6 residents

- help with the planning and implementation of a community center

- transportation issues - a comprehensive traffic study of the Maine Avenue-M Street corridor needs to be conducted

Several of these concerns have already been addressed since the resolution was written last week, but the ANC wanted to include all of these items in anticipation for the Zoning Commission meeting next week.

As a refresher to what the ANC voted on this evening, a Phase One PUD application looks at the following aspects of a given development:

General site, landscape and development plan
Development areas including height, density, and massing
Public parks, open space, and roadways are identified
Parking and loading access and impacts on the existing neighborhood
Overall project amenities

The Wharf aims to transform the Southwest Waterfront into a lively mixed use neighborhood with office, residential, retail, open space, marinas, and cultural uses. See a general description of the plan here. Some more details about what is planned at parcel 2, or the Wharf Center concert venue, were mentioned at the ANC meeting. The Wharf Center will be located to the northeast of the intersection of 9th Street and Maine Avenue. This 2,500-seat venue will host events between 150 and 200 nights a year, including concerts, performances, and possibly the Washington Kastles. The high use of this facility is similar to the scheduled use of the Verizon Center, but at a smaller scale. It will be developed during the first phase of development, along with parcels from 7th Street to 9th Street, as well as parcel 11 and the Waterfront Park on the southeastern edge of the development. Parcel 1 and the area by the Fish Market will be done in Phase II, while the area from 7th Street to Pier 4 will be done in Phase III.

The Zoning Commission will meet on Monday, July 18th at 6:30pm (located at 441 4th Street, NW, Suite 220-S) to discuss the PUD. Those who wish to testify for or against the PUD can contact Dana Hanousek before the 18th at Donna.Hanousek@DC.gov or 202-727-0789 and provide your name, your desire to testify in support or opposition to the Southwest Waterfront Plan, Case No. 11-03, your telephone number, and a request for confirmation you are on the list. After the PUD goes through the Zoning Commission, the public process for the Waterfront Park will begin in the fall. Around the same time, a luxury hotel operator will be announced for parcel 3, which will also be where the Graduate School USA will be located. A Stage II PUD application for specific buildings in Phase I of development will begin in late 2011/early 2012. Construction is set to begin on Phase I by the end of 2012.

Renderings courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

Photos from Wednesday's Anniversary Celebration

2011-07-08T20:56:00.000-04:00

Over 40 people came to Station 4 for happy hour on Wednesday evening to help celebrate the 3rd anniversary of Southwest...The Little Quadrant That Could. The actual anniversary of the blog took place on June 4, but I wanted to have the happy hour at Station 4 and since the restaurant opening was delayed, the anniversary celebration took place later than expected. Thanks to everyone who stopped by! Below are a few photos from the happy hour.

The happy hour even drew fans from Capitol Hill and Bethesda!

One of these people doesn't read this blog (but I don't hold it against her).

Gangplank Slipholders Association Jason Kopp approves of the anniversary cake (especially the boat).

Potomac Place Tower residents represent!

I finally got from behind the camera grudgingly (but I only do it for anniversary celebrations).

Community Groups Gear up for The Wharf PUD

2011-07-08T00:50:00.004-04:00

Ahead of the ANC 6D meeting next Monday and the DC Zoning Commission meeting the following Monday, the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly (SWNA) and the Community Benefits Coordinating Council (CBCC) have made their concerns known regarding portions of the PUD application for The Wharf. SWNA has released their written testimony they plan to deliver at the July 18 Zoning Commission meeting. A summary of it is below:

We support the general framework of the plan. The HMW team has developed a captivating plan for reactivating the Southwest Waterfront ("SWW"). We believe the plan establishes a bold vision for redeveloping our waterfront, long suffering from incomplete development and inadequate maintenance. We appreciate HMW efforts to-date by meeting with community leaders and organizations and establishing an active 7th Street Landing in the interim.

However, the plans require further refinement and modification. Given the unprecedented size and complexity of the development this can be expected.

SWNA has identified shortcomings in five areas:

Zoning and Development

SWNA is concerned about the height, bulk, and design of the buildings since they do not relate to the existing community. Some buildings are planned to top out at 130 feet while current buildings in Southwest are only 90 feet. Setbacks on upper floors are insufficient and the design of the buildings are reminiscent of generic suburban development. Also, large billboards are planned on the north side of the development, which might cause an increase in light pollution. The design of Pier 4 is inconsistent with other parts of the waterfront, including the planned headhouse market. SWNA generally supports the waterside plan, but has concerns about provisions for the live-aboards at the Gangplank Marina.

Circulation

There are concerns about an increase in traffic from development at The Wharf and other projects in the pipeline, especially at the intersection of 9th Street and Maine Avenue. The transportation impact study done by Grove/Slade for HMW assumes that 35-45% of people will visit The Wharf using transit, but the comparable development projects the consulting team used to make that assumption have Metro access much closer to their developments than The Wharf. SWNA prefers three streetcar stops at the development instead of the four that are currently planned. A second entrance to the Waterfront-SEU Metro station at 6th Street and Maine Avenue is preferred. There are also concerns about idling buses on neighborhood streets, DDOT's responsiveness, and the "limited access" nature of most of the development.

Open Space

The HMW plan closes off the waterfront from the surrounding community and Maine Avenue will be converted from an urban boulevard to a mundane city street. There are concerns that there isn't enough detailed plans about the mews, arcades, and other dense corridors - which could become dark, undesirable alleys if not done properly. The design of pavilions are out of scale with the neighborhood (reminiscent of the Inner Harbor in Baltimore) and some structures jut out onto the M Street corridor. Ecologically and functionally sustainable plantings should be considered instead of the several grassy lawns that are currently in the plan. Larger open space areas such as M Street Landing and the Waterfront Park are generally designed well, but the water features at M Street Landing should be signature elements and there should be language written about a community-led progress to design the Waterfront Park as the developers have mentioned at community meetings.

Sustainability

The HMW team should aim for certified LEED-ND Platinum and create a true low-impact development meeting today's highest standard. Almost half of the Waterfront Park area is paved, but instead should be primarily a space with pervious surfaces. The surface parking area currently planned for the Pier 4 area should be replaced with underground spaces as is planned for the rest of the development.

Public Benefits

The main concern about public benefits is they need to be clearly identified, managed, and delivered on a timely basis. Some of the public benefits identified by HMW, such as a new clubhouse for the Capital Yacht Club, are not public. Also, the geographic distribution of the benefits do not benefit Southwest and Ward 6 specifically. SWNA defers to the CBCC to express their views on community benefits.

The CBCC released their position paper on the PUD application late last week. Listed below are their positions on the four areas of most concern:

Workforce Development and Jobs

a. Workforce intermediary: The Community Benefits Coordinating Council believes that a primary focus of the workforce intermediary should be residents of near SE/SW and Ward 6 as well as the current focus on public housing residents in Wards 5, and 8. Since all of the redevelopment will take place on the SW Waterfront it is important that near SE/SW residents benefit from all of the changes about to occur. The CBCC recommends that the leadership of the CBCC as well as the Family Enhancement Center and other workforce developers, such as Strive DC, should be an integral part of the planning team for the development of the workforce intermediary. Without the active input and expertise of SE/SW stakeholders in the goals of the workforce intermediary, we are concerned that the needs of unemployed and underemployed residents of our community will not benefit from this extensive redevelopment of the waterfront.

b. First Source Requirement - Jobs: The CBCC believes that residents living in the area most impacted by the redevelopment should have a preference in any first source requirement. Therefore the CBCC requests that language be included in the developer requested PUD which states a preference for residents of Ward 6 in general and the SW in particular.

Certified Business Enterprises (CBEs)

The CBCC requests that language be included in the developer requested PUD which states a preference that 5% of the 35% CBE requirement be procured from Ward 6. The CBCC further requests that the government entity (Department of Small and Local Business Development - DSLBD) responsible for monitoring the CBE procurement requirements engage the CBCC and other near SE/SW stakeholders in ensuring that these CBE requirements are enforced, and that businesses in the area are guided in the steps they should take to qualify for CBE status.

Housing Affordability and Diversity

a. Housing Affordability: The CBCC requests that a preference be established for all three (3) affordability categories noted above for residents of and workers who provide services in Ward 6. The CBCC also recommends that a formal advisory committee of near SE/SW stakeholders be established to work with the developer and city officials to ensure that these community benefits are actualized.

b. Housing Diversity: The CBCC requests that language be included in the developer requested PUD which states that the current live-aboards will be permitted to return to the SW Waterfront along with language that explains how the temporary displacement of the live-aboards will take place.

Community Participation/Engagement

The CBCC requests that an Advisory Committee be formalized with members selected by ANC, CBCC, SWNA, and other neighborhood stakeholders. The Committee should be expected to develop a semi-annual Report to the Community, to be shared with the DMPED and City Council on the advice and recommendations to the developer and the responses to said recommendations.

Photos from Opening Night at Kastles Stadium

2011-07-06T09:20:00.000-04:00

Enough said.

Here comes the Kastles! First player up is Arina Rodionova.

Bobby Reynolds

Rennae Stubbs

Leander Paes

Venus Williams

Mayor Gray came to the match.

Oklahoma! star Eleasha Gamble sings the National Anthem.

Kansas City Explorers during the National Anthem.

Washington Kastles during the National Anthem.

Team owner Mark Ein welcomes the crowd to the Kastles' new home at The Wharf.

Team huddle.

Paes serves in the men's doubles match which the Kastles won 5-4 in the tie-break.

A capacity crowd came to see opening night at Kastles Stadium at The Wharf.

Williams practices before the mixed doubles match.

Williams serves during the mixed doubles match, which the Kastles won 5-3.

Reynolds serves during the men's singles match, which the Kastles won 5-1.

Williams returns a serve during the women's singles match against Christina McHale from the Kansas City Explorers, which the Kastles lost in the tie-break 4-5.

The stadium is right next to the waterfront promenade and Gangplank Marina.

Coach Murphy Jensen answers questions after the Kastles win in overtime 21-18.

Venus Williams interview after the team win.

The Kastles prepare to sign autographs for fans 16 and under.

Kasnas City Explorer Ricardo Mello signs a tennis racket for a fan.

Fans line up to receive an autograph.

Slice, one of the team mascots, keeps the young fans entertained.

Six Days and Counting Until Inaugural Match at New Kastles Stadium

2011-06-29T23:45:00.002-04:00

In a little less than a week, the Washington Kastles will take to the court with Venus Williams against the Kansas City Explorers in their brand new stadium at The Wharf. Earlier today, the Kastles were kind enough to give me a tour of the stadium. It was a beautiful afternoon for a tour - sunny, low humidity and a bit of a breeze. Blue skies made for good photo-taking.

Seats on the north side of the stadium are higher to allow views of the Washington Channel.

The 2,570-seat facility took about a month to build and was dedicated by Mayor Gray and Billie Jean King earlier this month. The main entrance is located at 9th and Water Street and concessions are located on the north side of the stadium. There's a VIP area on the south side and the Kastles will offer season ticket holders transient boat slips at the Gangplank Marina - a luxury currently not available at any other tennis facility in the country. Tunnels connect the north and south sides so patrons have easier access to the concessions area, which is a new feature that did not exist at the downtown stadium.

Finishing touches, such as painting lines on the court, are now being done.

This tennis experience is a bit different than what you would find at the Legg Mason Classic. Live bands typically play before the match and the players come on the court to music. Crowds cheer throughout the match. There are a total of five sets per match - a women's single, a men's single, a women's double, a men's double, and a mixed double. For each match, gates open at 5:15pm and the first set begins at 7pm. Matches typically last until 10 or 10:30pm. After each match, all fans 16 and under can get autographs from players on both teams.

The Washington Monument is visible from the south section where table service will be available.

The Kastles will keep their stadium up year round for the next two years, unlike prior seasons when they were located downtown. During the off-season, the stadium will be used for other purposes, including a charity tournament in late July and will most likely host an event affiliated with the Cherry Blossom Festival. Eventually, the site of the stadium will become the home of Graduate School USA and a luxury hotel once The Wharf development gets underway and the stadium will need to move to a new location. The team wants to work with local youth at Amidon-Bowen Elementary and Jefferson Middle School - the dilapidated tennis courts on 7th Street by Jefferson will most likely get refurbished by the Kastles. In addition, the team is working with local restaurants to cross promote their activities and offer discounts.

Flat screen TVs have been installed near the front row on the north side of the stadium.

The season home schedule can be found here. Ticket prices range from $15 - $75 depending on the match. There are two seat types available - grandstand and chair back, with chair back seating costing more. Southwesters can get 10% off admission on July 15th for Chris Evert night by typing the code SWDC when purchasing tickets through Ticketmaster. Garage parking is available for $15. The stadium is also accessible via Metro, Circulator, American River Taxi, and Capital Bikeshare.

PUD Submitted for St. Matthew's Redevelopment

2011-06-29T07:37:00.037-04:00

The team behind the redevelopment of St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church came before the ANC earlier this month to give an update on their plans for the site, located at the southwest corner of M Street and Delaware Avenue. Local architectural firm Shalom Baranes Associates designed the buildings and the project will be built by Trammell Crow and CSG Urban Partners. The development team submitted a Planned Unit Development (PUD) for the project in early June and construction is scheduled to get underway in 2012 with completion set for 2014.

The apartment building is shaped like the letter L, with an 11-story building fronting M Street and an 8-story building on the west side perpendicular to M Street. Approximately 220 residences are planned, with 10% set aside under inclusionary zoning as affordable housing. The apartments are not affiliated with St. Matthew's, so anyone can apply to rent a unit. There will be metal cladding on the apartment building along with two-story metal panels as seen in the above rendering. Design cues for the building were taken from neighboring residences like River Park and Waterfront Tower, and the incorporation of a courtyard was done to fit in with the Southwest building style of having apartments frame courtyards. Approximately six private patios will be on the ground level for tenants. Other apartment amenities include a fitness center, lounge, screening room, and about 133 parking spaces.

Local landscape architectural firm Oculus has designed the courtyard - the same firm that designed the Waterfront Station Metro plaza.The courtyard area will be shared between the church and apartment building with a seating area and a shallow pool that will be connected to the fellowship hall of the church. There will be a bosque of trees in the center of the courtyard and a paved area in front, facing Delaware Avenue. A landscaped buffer will be installed along Delaware Avenue to shield the outdoor space and provide some security. Existing trees will be maintained on three sides - Delaware Avenue, the western border with 240 M Street, and on the south. New landscaping will be planted on M Street. Parking will be accessed via Delaware Avenue and loading will be done on M Street. All main pedestrian entrances (for the church, community center, and apartment building) will be on M Street.

The new St. Matthew's will be constructed with stacked stone masonry and colored glass will be inset using cut glass from the old church building that will form an image - perhaps an image of the giving of the Holy Spirit. Glass will be back-lit so it will be illuminated at night. The square immediately to the right of the base of the cross in the rendering is a large window that will allow people to see into the sanctuary, look through to the baptistery, and into the courtyard in the back. Architecturally it conveys that St. Matthew’s is open to the community and welcomes everyone to venture inside. The sidewalk will have an indenture at the window with a backless bench, so people can "sit a while" and rest while looking into the interior space. The green panel to the right of the window (and left of the door) is the exterior wall of the sacristy and is where the name of the church will be located. There will be wisteria growing from the cross, which according to Pastor Huber has several meanings:

As a missional congregation, it reminds St. Matthew’s that they are sent by God to our community; it reminds St. Matthew’s and the community that the church is alive, growing, and branching out; and it reminds us that growth and life comes from being "attached" to the cross of Christ. The vine will also act as a dynamic "church sign" - changing the view of the church as the seasons change.

There will be approximately 25 garage spaces available. The church will offer the following elements:

An attractive communal sacred space
10,000 SF of community space & meeting rooms
Outdoor urban space & community gathering space (courtyard)
Thurgood & Cecilia Marshall Southwest DC Community Center
Sacred Grounds Cafe: "Coffee with a Purpose"
Resource Room/Computer Center for after-school programming, adult education, and job training

A set-down hearing won't happen at least until October, so the ANC will have a chance to vote on the PUD application sometime this summer.

Renderings courtesy of Shalom Baranes Associates

Houseboat Tour Planned at the Gangplank Marina

2011-06-28T22:29:00.000-04:00

Capitol Hill has its garden tours and Georgetown has its historic homes tour, but here in Southwest, we're going to have a houseboat tour. On August 13th, the homes at the Gangplank Marina will be open to the public for the first time for a houseboat tour from 10am to 2pm. The event is sponsored by the Gangplank Slipholders Association, which represents the live-aboard community at Gangplank, as well as the Port of Washington Yacht Club. Advance tickets are $11 per person ($18 on the day of the tour). Proceeds from the admission fee will benefit the Earth Conservation Corps. According to the press release, there is a special offer from tour operator DC Harbor Cruises, which will offer a package including a 60-minute cruise and Boat-Home Tour ticket for $25 (cruise ticket prices by themselves are usually priced at $30). Available cruise departure times are 12:30pm and 2:00pm. Combination tour and cruise tickets will be $32 on the day of the tour. Tickets can be purchased here. In addition, Cantina Marina will offer a 10% discount to tour goers. More information about the Southwest DC Waterfront Boat-Home Tour can be found by visiting here or sending an email.

Southwest...The Little Quadrant That Could

Catching Up on Old News: SW Library Receives Mini-Makeover

Late Night Burgers Coming Soon and Preliminary Work Underway at Waterside Metro Lofts

Construction Reaches Street Level at Camden South Capitol

Five Bikeshare Stations Proposed for the Southwest Portion of the National Mall

Street Closures for the State of the Union Address

A Couple Quick Items: Scandal in the Way of United Stadium Negotiations, Wharf Presentation Next Month

Open Discussion

They Got a Pepper Bar!!!

M Street Transportation Study Kick-Off Meeting

Wharf Waterfront Park Design Evolves

A Few Quick Items: SBA Stays Put in SW, Receptionist Position Available, SW Z-Burger Before Columbia Heights

Top 10 Posts of 2011

Wharf Renderings

A Few Quick Items: Development Map, Arena Stage Scales Back Institute, BoA Checking Out SE, Civilian BRAC Could Involve Deptartment of Energy, Constitution Center in Search of a Tenant

Waterside Metro Lofts

Maryland Avenue Small Area Plan Draft Released

SW Duck Pond News

A Few Quick Items from Monday's ANC 6D Meeting

More Retailers Open at L'Enfant Plaza

SW Post Office to Close

Velodrome for Buzzard Point?

A Few Quick Items: SW Waterfront Legislation Passes, Volunteers Needed to Fill Vacancies, DC United Resolution, Lockridge Library in Bellevue

SWNA Holiday Party at Station 4

A Few Quick Items: Sunday Jazz Brunch at Station 4, Neighborhood Watch Created, L'Enfant Plaza Community Night, Marina Charrette Recap

St. Matthew's Christmas Tree Sale Returns Tomorrow!

Tiber Island Plaza Extreme Makeover

A Few Quick Items: L'Enfant Plaza Renovation Continues, Safeway Seeks Subsidy, South Capitol Acquisitions Funded

Armed Robberies in Southwest

A Few Quick Items: Trojans Go for the Gold, MLS Commish not Pleased with DCU Situation, Job Openings at Phillips

ARTLAB+ Opens at Hirshhorn

A Few Quick Items: SW Waterfront House Legislation Advances, Fish Market is Location of the Month, SEU to be Removed from Metro Name, Maine Ave Road Work Delayed

Wharf Waterfront Park Planning Moves Forward

A Few Quick Items: New Website Launched for The Southwester, Station 4 Leads SW Revival, United Eyes Baltimore, Bellevue Library Controversy

A Couple Quick Items: Big Hole in the Ground, Randall Neighbor Day at Corcoran

Z-Burger Sneak Peek

A Few Quick Items: Stadium Speculation Continues, Marina Place Profiled, "Melting Pot" Museum, Cast of You, Nero Announced

Cantina Cup 2011 Video

Historic District for Southwest?

Four-Star Hotel Coming to The Wharf

New Design for Engine 13

St. Augustine's to Get a New Home

A Few Quick Items: New Metrobus Route, CBCC Survey, SW Playground Project Receives $40K Donation, Dog Park Petition

Inaugural SW ArtsFest this Weekend!

A Few Quick Items: Proposed ANC 6D Map, Waterfront-SEU Station Name Change, Z-Burger Getting Closer to Opening

The Great Freeway Flood of 2011

Wharf Waterfront Park Charrette

4th Annual Cantina Cup

More Retailers Open Shop in L'Enfant Plaza

A Couple Quick Items: New Traffic Pattern at 4th & M Street, Sidewalk to Temporarily Close Next to CFL

SW Playground Project Receives Safeway Foundation Grant

SW Library to Close Temporarily for Mini Makeover

A Few Quick Items: Camden South Capitol Project Website, ANC Supports Wharf PUD, MLK Drive Unveiled

Open Discussion

A Few Quick Items: MLK Memorial Dedication, Nationals Neighborhood Game, Mixed Reviews for Station 4, L'Enfant Plaza Office Building for Sale

SW Ecodistrict Meeting Recap (Belated)

Boat Home Tour this Saturday

Recap of Maryland Avenue Plan Public Meeting

A Few Quick Items: Story on L'Enfant Plaza Makeover, Station 4 "Grand Opening" Tomorrow, New & Expanded Capital Bikeshare Stations, Corona Movie Nights on Wednesdays in August

Ward 6 ANC Redistricting Listening Tour

Southwest Has Two (Several) Post Offices, but for How Long?

A Few Quick Items: FANtastic March 10K, Maine Avenue Construction, SW Comm-Unity Day

Buzzard Point Jail?

Opinion Piece from a Southwester: Cantina Marina Disappoints...AGAIN

Get Ready for SW ArtsFest 2011!

A Few Quick Items: Thievery Corporation at Kastles Stadium, Homeless Encampment Removed, Zoning Commission Video

Gangplank Slipholders Association Supports Wharf PUD

A Few Quick Items: Digging at Camden South Capitol, Kastles in 1st Place, Redistricting Update

ANC 6D Approves Stage 1 PUD for The Wharf *

Photos from Wednesday's Anniversary Celebration

Community Groups Gear up for The Wharf PUD

Photos from Opening Night at Kastles Stadium

Six Days and Counting Until Inaugural Match at New Kastles Stadium

PUD Submitted for St. Matthew's Redevelopment

Houseboat Tour Planned at the Gangplank Marina