From an email:
“The purpose of the plan is to prioritize corridor concerns with particular focus on the retail nodes between Spring Road, NW and Longfellow St., NW In order to have a successful first meeting we need strong participation from area residents and business owners.”
And remember:
“IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING, TAKE PHOTOS OF WHAT YOU LIKE & WHAT NEEDS IMPROVEMENT.
EMAIL PHOTOS TO THE PROJECT MANAGER ([email protected]) TO BE DISPLAYED AT THE MEETING”
From Council Member Jim Graham:
“I am pleased to announce that DDOT has informed me that the contract for the reconstruction of Sherman Avenue has been awarded. As you may know, I had worked with the Mayor to insure funding for this important project in this fiscal year.
There was a pre-construction meeting with the contractor this week. The contractor is scheduled to start construction on October 18th.
There have been ongoing community meetings culminating in a final design of the streetscape. Thanks for that essential contribution!
This will provide further substantial revitalization for Ward 1, here in our east side neighborhoods.”
You can find lots more info on the Streetscape project here.
When I was walking around 1st St, NE (where the new Harris Teeter is going in) I noticed a couple of BID (Business Improvement District) workers sporting some sweet sweatshirts cleaning some streets and I was like man, this a badass BID. Then a block away I saw the truck pictured above and I was like this is a seriously badass BID. Their Web site says:
“Located just north of Capitol Hill and Union Station, the NoMa Business Improvement District (BID) was created by the District of Columbia City Council and approved by the Mayor in March 2007. The BID supports the emergence of NoMa as one of the District’s most exciting mixed-use neighborhoods. Through a special assessment collected from property owners in a 35-block area, the BID is helping to make NoMa safe, clean, and attractive for businesses, residents, and visitors. Its main tasks include:
• Providing cleaning and safety services
• Promoting NoMa through marketing and community events
• Coordinating public and private investments and services
• Enhancing the community by promoting employment and community projects with NoMa neighbors.
The BID is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of nine property and business owners. The BID’s FY2008 budget is approximately $1.3 million and is funded by an assessment that applies to commercial property (including land and parking lots), residences of ten or more units, and hotels.”
Holy cow a $1.3 million budget. No wonder they are so badass. Who else has BIDs? Adams Morgan, Capitol Hill, Downtown. Does U Street have one? And the real question that has popped into my head is – why doesn’t Georgia Avenue have a BID?
“Dear PoP,
Folks may or may not know that the La Casa Shelter on Irving between 14th and 16th is slated to close October 15th pending a zoning hearing. The Highland Park Apartment owners own the property (I believe) and want to build 69 more Luxury (unaffordable) units there.
The zoning hearing is Thursday, September 30th at One Judiciary Square 441 4th suite 220-S at 630pm
While the shelter is not the greatest, during the winter, they double the number of people they take in and it is one of the only shelters left in NW.
I wanted to ask if folk would come to the hearing and request that the shelter remain open at least through the winter so that people have a warm place to go and that the city can plan better for where they will go after the closing.
In addition, DC has an inclusionary zoning law which is supposed to require any new development to setaside a certain number of units as affordable. We should make sure that this law is enforced for these new units.”
We recently spoke about this building in the beginning of Sept. but The 42 blog posted a big update on this yesterday. He writes:
“The developers have a zoning hearing on September 30 in order to propose several changes. They want to increase the number of apartment units from 69 to 143. They want to increase the roof line from 86 to 90 feet (plus 9 foot penthouse level above). And finally, they want to eliminate the parking garage and alter the façade from what you see in the rendering to an aesthetic that more closely matches the existing Highland Park.”
Lots more info and an original rendering here.
Ed. Note: Highland Park is a PoP advertiser.
I forgot to post this big update from CM Jim Graham from last week:
Dear Friends, I am pleased to announce that an agreement has been reached between the Fenty administration and the developers of the Heights on Georgia Avenue that will allow the project to begin construction in the next 60 – 90 days.
The Council of the District of Columbia was also instrumental in advancing the project by passing crucial legislation I authored to provide a tax relief for the affordable housing portion of the project and to realign the public alley to the rear of the property.
The building, to built at the corner of Georgia Avenue and Lamont Street (the current site of a vacant lot and a pawn shop) will consist of a mix of 50% market rate and 50% affordable one, two and three bedroom rental units constructed on top of 10,000 square feet of neighborhood serving retail. The building will comply with The Green Community Initiatives (roughly equivalent to LEED Certified standard) and the District’s Green Building Code. It will feature an accessible green roof with fourteen different types of vegetation, photovoltaic panels, passive solar heating and cooling, a central water system and water conserving / Energy Star appliances and fixtures among many other environmentally friendly attributes.
The project is being developed by a partnership between MiCasa, Inc., a local non profit, and the Neighborhood Development Company, another locally based company. The companies have developed numerous award-winning projects in Ward 1 and the Georgia Avenue corridor.
Another solid step forward for lower Georgia Avenue…joining the senior wellness Center (opens tomorrow!), CVS, Park Place Apartments, Bruce Monroe interim Park, New Community on the way for Park Morton…
The 1300 block of 14th St, NW continues to get improved. From speaking to some workers it seems that the properties (1316-1320 14th St, NW) are owned by the same folks who renovated the Copperstone building next door. The Copperstone retail at 1314 14th St, NW currently houses Rollin Cycles and Logan 14 spa. It is my understanding that the buildings next door will become apartments with retail on the ground floor. At the moment no lease has been signed for the retail space. This retail space was the former home of Rollin Cycles and a hair studio. The other building (covered by black mesh) currently getting gutted, you may recall, had a blue awning for Tienda Izalco.
There will also be an addition built on top of the old Rollin Cycles and Hair Studio space which will reach the same height as the Tienda Izalco building. When completed there will be around 17 units between the two buildings. Construction is expected to take 8 months to a year.
Photo by PoPville flickr user jimbographer ⓓⓒ
I thought these photos from jimbographer ⓓⓒ were terrific. I’m really digging the building. You guys like the way it turned out? You can see a video on the ‘Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza’ here.
Photo by PoPville flickr user jimbographer ⓓⓒ
The Brookland Artspace are going in on 8th St, NE though applications will not be accepted until January 2011. According to the ArtSpace Web site:
“Dance Place and Artspace are partnering to create a $13 million arts campus in the Brookland neighborhood of Washington D.C. Artspace will break ground on 41 affordable live/work units for artists and their families with gallery and studio place will be developed. Artspace is assisting Dance Place, Washington D.C.’s most prolific presenter of modern dance, to build a new performance and rehearsal space, an education center and administrative space.”
And it’s been a while since I’ve spotted a sweet old school city sign so I wanted to share this simple one from 12th St, NE also in Brookland.
Here’s the building in Ledroit Park (former home of One Drop Records) that a few folks have mentioned in the comments of previous posts. It is getting a serious renovation. According to the permit, it is owned by Howard University and will be retail space. Though there is still a sign saying it is for sale:
Anyone heard any rumors? A few more photos after the jump including some random bathtubs. (more…)
Back in July we learned that Barrio would no longer be coming to this spot. However, I spoke with some workers who said they think the space is still going to become a restaurant. Some folks I chatted with think it is going to become ‘Local 11’ from the owners of Local 16 (and also the folks behind the abandoned Barrio idea). I’ve sent some emails out but have not heard back yet. At the moment I’m not sure who is behind this project. Nevertheless, I think the important thing to note is that work has finally begun in earnest. There have been far too many teases with this spot. I’ll be sure to update when more info becomes available about the space.