Review of "Other Desert Cities"

Directed by Kyle Donnelly and written by Jon Robin Baltz, Other Desert Cities tells the story of the Wyeths, an affluent conservative family from California who from the outside appear to be perfect, but their hidden secrets cause tension when daughter Brooke Wyeth returns home to Palm Springs for the holidays after a six-year absence. Her pending memoir threatens to reopen wounds from the most painful portion of the family’s history.  The cast includes Helen Carey as matriarch Polly Wyeth (Carey last appeared in Arena's Long Day’s Journey into Night), Larry Bryggman as patriarch Lyman Wyeth, Emily Donahoe as daughter Brooke Wyeth, Scott Drummond as son Trip Wyeth, and Martha Hackett as Polly’s sister Silda Gauman. Carey’s performance of the strong and stubborn Polly was excellent. The profane nature of Trip and the one-liners of recovering alcoholic Silda brought comic relief; however, I thought the character of Brooke was a bit annoying. The plot twist towards the end of the show was unexpected.

Other Desert Cities is the last show of the season at Arena Stage, which runs until May 26 in the Fichlander Stage. Tickets are $40 - $85. Southwest Night will be on May 26 at 7:30pm. Over the summer, One Night with Janis Joplin will return for a seven-week run from June 21 – August 11.  Next season will bring the return of Kathleen Turner as well as Bill Pullman. Below is the lineup for the upcoming 2013-14 season:

The Velocity of Autumn

Written by Eric Coble/Directed by Artistic

September 6 – October 20, 2013 in the Kreeger Theater

Love in Afghanistan

World premiere by Resident Playwright Charles Randolph-Wright

October 11 – November 17, 2013 in the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle

Tappin’ Thru Life

Created by and starring Maurice Hines/Directed by Jeff Calhoun

November 15 – December 29. 2013 in the Kreeger Theater

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

Based on the screenplay by William Rose

Written by Todd Kreidler/Directed by Kenny Leon

November 29, 2013 – January 5, 2014 in the Fichlander Stage

The Tallest Tree in the Forest

Tectonic Theater Project’s world premiere presentation

Written by Daniel Beaty/Directed by Moisés Kaufman

January 10 – February 16, 2014 in the Kreeger Theater

Mother Courage and her Children

Written by Bertolt Brecht/Directed by Artistic Director Molly Smith

Starring Academy Award & Tony Award nominee Kathleen Turner

January 31 – March 9, 2014 in the Fichlander Stage

Camp David

World premiere vy Pulitzer Prize winner Lawrence Wright/Directed by Artistic Director Molly Smith

March 21 – May 4, 2014 in the Kreeger Theater

Smokey Joe’s Café – The Sounds of Leiber and Stoller

Written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller/Directed by Randy Johnson

April 25 – June 8, 2014 in the Fichlander Stage

Healing Wars

World premiere created and directed by MacArthur “Genius” Fellow Liz Lerman

Featuring Bill Pullman

June 6 – 29, 2014 in the Arlene and Robert Kogod Cradle

Photo taken by Scott Suchman, courtesy of Arena Stage

Town Center Controversy

In addition to the NW parcel PUD, there was lengthy and fiery discussion at Monday’s ANC 6D meeting about a PUD application for Town Center, a three-building residential plan for the area just to the east of Waterfront Station by The Bernstein Companies.  More details on the original PUD application can be found here, but in summary, the developers plan to build two 11-story residential buildings with a small amount of ground floor retail on the parking lots in front of Waterfront Tower and 1101 @ Waterfront and a four-story building along 3rd Street between the two existing I.M. Pei buildings for a total of 401 new units. In addition, the 128-unit 1101 @ Waterfront will be renovated. Some changes have been made to the design of the buildings in response to concerns from the commissioners, such as an increase in the setback of the buildings on the 10th and 11th floors (which are rise above the I.M. Pei buildings) and more glass at the base of the building. The above rendering is from the original submission to the Zoning Commission.

An unusually full house at the ANC meeting.

The room was packed with residents of Waterfront Tower condos, who according to a couple of stories last week in Housing Complex, were threatened by the developer’s lawyer with a lawsuit if they spoke out against the proposal at the ANC meeting since their purchase agreements included a statement that they would not impede further development on the site. Waterfront Tower and SWNA recently submitted an application for historic status for Waterfront Tower and the grounds, which could halt development if approved. ANC Chairman Andy Litsky chided the Bernstein representatives present at the meeting about the tactic before opening the floor to residents who wanted to express their concerns about the PUD. Concerns ranged from the design & height of the buildings to lack of visibility to accessibility challenges for disabled residents. After more than an hour of discussion, the commissioners passed a resolution seeking to postpone the May 30th Zoning Commission meeting (the developers agreed to the delay after hearing the concerns from residents at the meeting) and a second resolution to not support the PUD in its current form until a long list of concerns are addressed. Bernstein will meet with Waterfront Tower residents and the ANC over the next few weeks to help address their concerns (one of the ANC’s stipulations was that the residents were able to discuss the PUD without the threat of a lawsuit over their heads). This PUD will most likely be on the agenda again in the June ANC meeting.

Rendering courtesy of Maurice Walters Architect, PC

Waterfront Station Update

Representatives from Waterfront 1001 4th Street, LLC, which proposes a residential building for the NW parcel of Waterfront Station, came before ANC 6D at the May monthly meeting to garner support for their Stage 2 PUD, which includes a 365-unit high-rise rental apartment building with 2-level townhouse units at the base. Also included are three spaces of ground-floor retail totaling 4,400 SF. More details on the PUD can be found here. The commissioners unanimously supported the PUD, under two conditions: the commissioners want to encourage more retail at the project and the developers need to create a construction management plan to limit disturbance to the SW Duck Pond during and after construction. The developers are scheduled to go before the Zoning Commission on June 6th.

Sky House East Tower.

Meanwhile, Sky House has recently been placed on the market by Urban Atlantic and The JBG Companies. The still-under construction pair of rental apartment buildings totals 530 units with 20% of the units reserved for residents earning up to 50% of Area Median Income. According to the sales brochure, the East tower is expected to be completed this December and the West tower in March 2014. The buildings are expected to sell before tenants move in to avoid TOPA rules. Due to the size of each of the buildings, it is doubtful that either of the buildings will switch to condominiums since the pre-sale requirements for buildings financed by Fannie Mae or FHA are still quite stringent. In addition, Bresler Reiner is selling their interest in the two planned M Street office buildings and NW parcel. Vornado and Forest City will continue to be partners in the development. 

Vacant corner retail space at 1101 4th Street.

On the retail front, the four vacant retail spaces in 1100 and 1101 4th Street are still on the market three years after the office buildings were completed, but it was revealed in Monday’s ANC meeting that the current owner USAA is in negotiations with a potential tenant to take two of the retail spaces north of Subway at 1101 4th Street. New banners were recently placed on the light poles along 4th Street to help give the area a sense of place as the “Main Street” of Southwest. Per the Stage 1 PUD approval, it is required that all of the retail at Waterfront Station must be neighborhood-oriented retail. What neighborhood-oriented retail should open at Waterfront Station? Vote on the left sidebar for your choice and/or leave a comment.

Rendering courtesy of Perkins Eastman

A Few Quick Items: Basketball Star Coming to Amidon-Bowen, History of SW, Opposing Views on DC United Land Swap, SW Ecodistrict Meeting

 

- It was reported in PoPville that basketball legend and children's author Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will be reading to students at Amidon-Bowen Elementary on Friday, May 10 at a "Where the Wild Things Are" celebration.  Each student will receive a free copy of the book. Also in attendance will be Tracy Hutson from "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and DC Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson.

- An article in Atlantic Cities describes the history of Southwest and how the construction of the Southwest freeway cut off the waterfront from the rest of the city. The authors also have a proposal on how to reconnect the quadrant with the rest of the city - which includes removing the freeway, adding a Metro and ferry terminal at East Potomac Park, and creating a "New Mall" on the site of Fort McNair, the second oldest military installation in the US.  Like most of that will ever happen...

- The folks over at Greater Greater Washington make an argument for the city doing a land swap with Akridge in order to allow DC United to build a new soccer stadium in Buzzard Point.  Meanwhile over at Slate, Matthew Yglesias argues that the city should encourage affordable housing instead at Buzzard Point.

- The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) will hold a meeting on May 21 to discuss how to improve the 10th Street corridor from Independence Avenue to Banneker Overlook as a part of the SW Ecodistrict Initiative. The meeting will take place at 401 9th Street, NW, Suite 500 North from 6:30 - 8:30pm.

Image courtesy of the NCPC

Sky House Construction Update

 

Work continues on Sky House East, the first residential phase of Waterfront Station, developed by Urban-Atlantic and The JBG Companies. The new façade of metal and glass is a far cry from the concrete behemoth that once was the headquarters of the EPA. Sky House was designed by Wiencek + Associates. Construction began in February 2012 and a commencement ceremony was held the following month. On the other side of 4th Street, work began a few months later at Sky House West. Upon completion, both buildings will have a total of 517 units – 20% of which will be affordable to families earning up to 50% of Area Median Income.  Leasing is scheduled to begin over the next couple of months on the East tower. Below are a few older and current construction photos.

Sky House East Tower - March 2012.

Closer view of the new facade - May 2013.

  

Main entrance to Sky House East - May 2013.

View from M Street - February 2012.

View from M Street - May 2013.

DCHA Applies for HUD Grant for Greenleaf

 

Representatives from DCHA announced at a resident meeting in late April that they have applied for a $500,000 HUD Choice Neighborhoods Planning Grant for Greenleaf, a trio of public housing communities in Southwest. Greenleaf was built in 1959 and includes a cluster of townhomes, midrise, and walk-up units from I to M streets, between 3rd Street and Delaware Avenue. In addition, Greenleaf Seniors is a high-rise at the SE corner of Delaware Avenue and M Street, as well as a mid-rise building (203 N Street). There are a total of 497 units in all three sections. According to the HUD website, the Choice Neighborhoods program supports locally driven strategies to address struggling neighborhoods with distressed public or HUD-assisted housing through a comprehensive approach to neighborhood transformation. Three main goals of the program are as follows:

1. Housing: Replace distressed public and assisted housing with high-quality mixed-income housing that is well-managed and responsive to the needs of the surrounding neighborhood;

2. People: Improve educational outcomes and intergenerational mobility for youth with services and supports delivered directly to youth and their families; and

3. Neighborhood: Create the conditions necessary for public and private reinvestment in distressed neighborhoods to offer the kinds of amenities and assets, including safety, good schools, and commercial activity, that are important to families’ choices about their community.

Greenleaf Seniors.

A Transformation Plan must be developed for the communities that receive a Planning Grant, which helps guide the revitalization of the public housing units and transformation of the surrounding neighborhood and positive outcomes for families. DCHA's grant application comes right at the same time that the Office of Planning is about to undertake a Small Area Plan for the broader area, which includes Greenleaf Gardens, Seniors and Mid-rise.  Eventually, DCHA can apply for an Implementation Grant from HUD (that is if Greenleaf is selected for a Planning Grant and a Transformation Plan is developed). Also, a public-private partnership could be sought to eventually redevelop Greenleaf. In the meantime, cosmetic work on the exterior of Greenleaf Gardens has begun and assessments of distressed property have already started.

Recently painted homes at Greenleaf Gardens.

The Near SE/SW CBCC will be hosting an informational meeting on May 23 where Tarek Bolden from the Office of Planning will go over the SW Small Area Plan process.  There will also be discussion on the HUD grant process for Greenleaf.  The meeting will be held at Westminster Church (400 I Street) from 6-7:30pm. Free childcare will be provided for children ages 5-12.

By the way this post is not an April Fools' Day joke.

A Couple Quick Items: DC United Stadium News

- Last week in Capital Business, DC City Administrator Allen Lew stated that he is hopeful that a framework for a new DC United stadium in Buzzard Point can be done "inside of a year." From the article:

“The administration is continuing to work with the D.C. United organization to develop a new soccer stadium,” [DC City Administrator Allen Lew] he said. “I don’t think there’s been this much energy put into it by anyone in the past, in any recent administrations.”

- Earlier this week, it was reported in the Washington Business Journal that there may be a land swap under consideration between the city and Akridge, the owner of 100 V Street, a nine-acre parcel in Buzzard Point where a stadium for DC United is in the works.  From the article:

One potential scenario goes like this: Akridge gives up its 9 acres on Buzzard Point in return for one or two high-profile D.C.-owned buildings, perhaps [Police Headquarters] and/or even the Reeves Center at 2000 14th St. NW, and agrees to build a consolidated public safety campus on city-owned land somewhere in the District.

Small Area Plan to Move Forward, KIPP Plan Stalls

The Mayor announced last week that the Small Area Plan process will move forward for Southwest, which in effect stalls KIPP DC's plans for the Randall Recreation Center site at South Capitol and I streets. Several neighborhood and civic organizations called on the Mayor to keep the SAP process moving forward after KIPP DC began maneuvering to build a new school and recreation center at the site, which has been contentious to say the least. KIPP DC's ambitious timeline called for a new school to open in time for the 2014-15 school year; however, the Small Area Plan will take about a year to complete. The plan boundaries are South Capitol Street to the east, 9th and Water streets to the west, the Southwest Freeway to the north and P Street to the south, which includes several District-owned parcels. The area highlighted in red on the map above shows the primary focus area, where most of the new development opportunity sites and primary urban design issues are located. The areas highlighted in blue are the secondary study area where neighborhood conservation, neighborhood connectivity, and sustainability are the primary focus.

Kick-off occurs this month and the plan will be developed over the next nine months with a series of public meetings. Final draft recommendations will be made by March 2014 along with a draft plan for public comment. By April 2014, the Mayor will transmit the plan to the DC Council for approval. Once completed, the Small Area Plan will guide land use and provide a neighborhood development framework to enhance pedestrian access, improve street connectivity and transportation options, integrate community amenities, and better serve residents.

Map courtesy of the Office of Planning

Review of "The Mountaintop"

The Mountaintop, written by Katori Hall and directed by Robert O’Hara, reimagines the last night of Dr. Martin Luther King’s life before his assassination at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. While preparing for a speech he was to give the next day, Dr. King receives a visit from a maid that turns into a life-changing experience. Both actors gave powerful performances – Bowman Wright as Dr. King and Joaquina Kalukango as Camae, the maid. There were moments of levity interspersed with raw emotion, such as when King tries to negotiate with God to extend his time on Earth. The performance was more poignant given I saw the show on April 4, which was the 45th anniversary of King’s assassination. 

Growing up I had a certain view of Martin Luther King, Jr. and for the most part, that was not the image of King I saw portrayed on stage, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. In The Mountaintop, King was portrayed as a human being – flaws and all, not as the saintly civil rights leader that he has become over the years. It was a bit jarring at first to see King in this way and took offense at some of his actions, but his humanity made the show that much more interesting and thought-provoking about how we see our American heroes.

The Mountaintop runs from March 29 to May 12 in the Kreeger Theater at Arena Stage. Ticket prices are $40 - $85.

Photo taken by Scott Suchman, courtesy of Arena Stage

Got Plantable Space?

The following post was written by Casey Trees, a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit, established in 2002, committed to restoring, enhancing and protecting the tree canopy of the nation’s capital.

The District has made some strides lately towards becoming a greener, healthier place to live. The Mayor’s recently released Sustainable DC Plan has set some goals, but we know how difficult it will be to attain these – without your help. 

We’ve done our homework and we know that space is limited in Southwest, but we’re not satisfied – the average canopy percentage across Ward 6 is a paltry 17% (and the fact that Southwest comprises only a section of Ward 6 has the potential to make that number lower). That’s nowhere near the 40% we’ve been aiming for and the Mayor’s plan has set as a goal, but we also know the amount of plantable space here is large - an additional 17%. That means there’s a chance to double the amount of tree canopy in Southwest, and we have two ways you can help:

• Plant on your own. Our Tree Rebate program offers rebates up to $100, which has helped a large amount of DC residents add the right tree to the right yard.
• Identify plantable space in Southwest. We can pour over maps and dissect LIDAR data, but no one knows your neighborhood like you, and we appreciate that. The next time you’re going for a run or heading home from work, consider one question: “Got Plantable Space?” If the answer is yes, then Casey Trees’ Community Tree Planting program is the next step.

We provide the trees, tools, and technical assistance for hundreds of plantings around the District in the fall and spring every year – all you have to do is submit an application. Reach out to us and bring any questions you may have – we simply want to make it easy to make a difference!

No one knows your neighborhood like you. Help us give it a greener future.

Thinking Green Thoughts –
Casey Trees

Photo collage courtesy of Casey Trees