Second Stage PUD Filed for Waterfront Station NE Parcel

A few months after PN Hoffman made a presentation at a monthly ANC meeting about their plans for their Waterfront Station parcel located north of CVS at 1000 4th Street, they have filed a second stage PUD application. The number of units have changed to 456 total units, with 30% of the total set aside as affordable housing for 30% and 50% of Area Median Income (AMI). For the first 50 years of the ground lease that PN Hoffman will have with the city, the affordable units will be split 50-50 between the 30% and 50% AMI levels. After the first 50 years, the split will change to 25-75 in favor of units at 50% of AMI. There will be 214 garage spaces, 161 long-term bike parking spaces, and 14 bike racks. Parking and loading will be off Wesley Place.  

While the amount of retail planned at the development remains at 29,182 SF, the planned cultural use will change. Last week, it was announced on DC Theatre Scene that the Forum Theater closed suddenly – this was the Silver Spring-based theater company that was expected to come to Waterfront Station. PN Hoffman is apparently in negotiations with the Washington Improv Theater to move from 14th Street NW near U Street to Southwest. Rounding out the retail will be space for two restaurants along 4th Street (a diner has been identified previously as the intended tenant) and space for AppleTree to operate a pre-K school along the private drive to be located on the north end of the development, near the SW Branch library. A 3,000-SF play area will be built for AppleTree use on the northeast corner of the site during school hours and general community use at certain times outside of school hours. At one time, AppleTree would be relocated from its temporary trailers at Jefferson Academy to the Wharf, but apparently PN Hoffman has found another place for them. Although there is a playground nearby at 3rd and I streets, the two play areas will target different age groups. 

According to the PUD application, construction is expected to begin on 1000 4th Street in Q1 2020 and deliver in Q3 2022. 

Speaking of PN Hoffman developments, the Washington Business Journal reports that The Banks apartment project under construction at 7th and I streets will have The Goddard School, a private preschool and daycare as its retail tenant in a 7,700 SF space.  The Banks is scheduled to open by this fall.

Renderings courtesy of Torti Gallas Urban

I Street Church to be Redeveloped

Bethel Church DC360 at 60 I Street is slated for redevelopment. Cornerstone Development has plans to develop a 186,000 SF residential building on the church property. The site is located across the street from the Randall School site, which will be redeveloped by Lowe Enterprises and Telesis/Rubell into a modern art museum and residential project. 

Waterfront Academy is located on the second floor of Bethel, so as a result of the church redevelopment and the school’s growth, it is searching for a new home and has embarked on a $13 million fundraising campaign. Waterfront Academy is a dual immersion (Spanish and English) Montessori school with emphasis on charity and stewardship in the Catholic tradition. The school wants to stay in the SWDC area, where it’s been since opening in 2014. Before opening at Bethel, Waterfront Academy planned to locate on the 1200 block of South Capitol Street. 

According to a fundraising email sent by the school, the new space will allow Waterfront Academy to serve at least 135 students each year. The school will be modeled after the traditional Spanish colony and will feature a Chapel, Library, Teacher’s Lounge, Administrative Office Suite, Infirmary, Gymnasium, Kitchen, one Nido (Infant) Classroom, two Toddler Classrooms, three Casa (Preschool) Classrooms, two Lower Elementary Classrooms, two Upper Elementary Classrooms, one Middle School Classroom, and an outdoor plaza featuring an Urban Farm, Outdoor Classrooms, and Natural Play Space. 

Bethel Church DC360 is the latest house of worship to face redevelopment in Southwest. St. Augustine’s at 6th and Maine moved into its new space in 2016, adjacent to 525 Water condos that was developed by PN Hoffman. A few blocks east on M Street, St. Matthews’ long journey to a new home is months away from completion as construction continues on its new sanctuary and adjacent Valo apartment building by Trammell Crow. Riverside Baptist Church at 7th Street and Maine Avenue partnered with PN Hoffman to redevelop their site with space for a new sanctuary along Maine Avenue and an apartment building at the corner of 7th and I streets named The Banks. Over at Westminster Church, the congregation is finalizing an agreement with a developer to build a new sanctuary on the 600 block of I Street along with mixed income housing. One house of worship in the neighborhood that didn’t get redeveloped into housing is the Living Hope Church at 1200 1st Street. The building has been converted into Kadampa Meditation Center Washington DC Temple for World Peace and received a new paint job and signage in recent months. Although the old Friendship Baptist Church at Delaware Avenue and H Street was originally planned to be redeveloped as a condominium project, the developer changed course and leased the space to Blind Whino SW Arts Club. Land adjacent to the church building was slated to become a temporary housing facility for homeless families, but those plans were scuttled and the shelter will instead be built on the Unity Clinic site at Delaware Avenue and I Street.

Photo Tour Part 3: Apartment Construction

Most of the new residential buildings under construction in Southwest are rental apartments - the only condo building currently under construction is VIO at District Wharf. Above is a photo of 301 M, which is the rental apartment building furthest along, aside from District Wharf, by The Bernstein Companies. Since these pictures were taken in early August, progress has been made on the buildings, especially Valo, the chosen marketing name for the apartment project attached to the new St. Matthews at 222 M Street, developed by Trammell Crow Company, High Street Residential, Meadow Partners, and CSG Urban Partners. A few more floors have been added to the building since the below photo was taken. Advertising went up last month for Valo, a Finnish word meaning light or glow.

Valo apartments at 222 M Street.

Another project making progress is the two-building addition to The View at Waterfront along M and K streets from Mill Creek Residential Trust. Both buildings are mid-rise structures with a concrete base and wood-frame construction above. 

New M Street building at the View at Waterfront.

Meanwhile, the Riverside Baptist Church project at 7th and I streets by PN Hoffman is still a hole in the ground. Construction began earlier this year and won't be complete until 2019. The most recent addition to the construction list was 1399 Maryland Avenue at The Portals, a 373-unit apartment building which started a couple months ago by Republic Properties.

Tower crane at Riverside Baptist site.

Reporters Building to be Redeveloped as Residential

Back in 2013, the National Capital Revitalization Corporation developed the SW Ecodistrict Initiative for a 110-acre area south of the National Mall and north of the Southwest freeway. One of the goals of the initiative was to create a sustainable mixed-use community by introducing residential and/or hospitality uses in the area, which has been dominated for decades by government agencies and other office users. Since then, Republic Properties has proposed residential uses for one of the planned buildings at The Portals and Douglas Development purchased the Cotton Annex on 12th Street, with plans to redevelop the historic building and adjacent parking lot. 

Next up for redevelopment is the Reporters Building at 300 7th Street, located across the street from the D Street entrance to the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station at Constitution Center. Urban-Atlantic has plans to redevelop the aging office building as a multifamily project by re-skinning the exterior and adding up to five levels to the existing eight-story building. This is the same developer that converted the former EPA towers at Waterfront Station to Skyhouse East and West (now known as The Leo and The Lex). The 300 7th Street project will include about 370 units, which will be mostly rental apartments with condos on the top floor of the building and retail will remain on the ground floor. Current retailers include a barber shop and Pizza Autentica, the latter which opened back in 2009.

The proposed development is by-right and does not need zoning approval. However, it does need to get approval from the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and the project will be on the agenda for this month’s meeting. At last night’s ANC meeting, the commissioners voted 5-0-1 to support the project. The lone abstention came from Commissioner Rhonda Hamilton, who was disappointed that the project will contain 100% market-rate units – no affordable units are required since the development is by-right. 

As more details of the project are made available, including renderings, I’ll provide updates.

Groundbreaking for Riverside Redevelopment

Construction has begun on a new Riverside Baptist Church and a multifamily rental building at 680 I Street. Back in December, demolition started on Riverside, where some of the façade will be used in the new church building. The church will be located at the corner of Maine Avenue and 7th Street while the 173-unit rental building, developed by PN Hoffman, will be at 7th and I streets. About 10% of the apartment units will be set aside as affordable housing for households earning up to 50%, 80% and 100% of Area Median Income. There will be space on the ground floor of the apartment building for community-serving uses, such as a daycare center. 

This is the first multifamily project to start construction in 2017. Other multifamily projects that are likely to start this year include The Kiley on 4th Street apartments, 1399 Maryland Avenue apartments at The Portals, 1319 South Capitol apartments, Peninsula 88 condos and Riverpoint apartments & condos. According to a press release, construction is expected to be completed at 680 I Street by late 2018. 

Rendering courtesy of PN Hoffman

Signs of the Times

Part of the exterior of Riverside Baptist Church is being removed in preparation for demolition (a demolition permit was submitted back in September). The stone exterior will be reused in the new church that will be constructed at the corner of Maine Avenue and 7th Street. In addition to the new church, a 173-unit apartment building will be built at the intersection of 7th and I streets by PN Hoffman. About 10% of the apartment units will be set aside as affordable housing for households earning up to 50%, 80% and 100% of Area Median Income. There will be space on the ground floor of the apartment building for community-serving uses, such as a daycare center. 

During construction, Riverside patrons will be worshiping at Jefferson Academy Middle School. Jefferson is also hosting AppleTree in a temporary trailer while a new home for the charter school is built at District Wharf. The new Riverside Baptist and apartments should be completed in 2018. Other multifamily buildings that are expected to start in 2017 include 1399 Maryland Avenue and The Kiley on 4th. Over 680 units in three projects started construction in 2016 – 301 M Street, St. Matthew’s, and View at Waterfront.

Signage is now up for Eliot on 4th, the 365-unit apartment building at Waterfront Station. Leasing is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2017.

Renderings courtesy of PN Hoffman

DC Comprehensive Plan Meeting Tonight!

The Office of Planning will be hosting a community meeting this evening to review changes to the District’s Comprehensive Plan, “a 20-year framework that guides future growth and development in the city and shapes the places we live, work, shop, and play.” The meeting will be held at Jefferson Academy Middle School (801 7th Street) from 6 – 8:30pm.

Wharf Update

The Wharf is buzzing with construction activity, as structural steel framing for the new Wharf Hall at Parcel 2 is out of the ground and pillars for the apartment building there are now above ground. Meanwhile, the apartment building at Parcel 4A has now reached the fourth floor and VIO condos (Parcel 4B) is not far behind.

It was announced in Globest.com that Hoffman Madison Waterfront received construction financing for the dual Canopy by Hilton/Hyatt House hotel project on Parcel 5 adjacent to 7th Street Park. 

Starting next month, 7th Street at Maine Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic so work can get started at 7th Street Park. Also in May, traffic will reopen on Water Street and M Place around the new 525 Water condo building and St. Augustine’s Church, the former of which looks almost complete.

Utility work continues at the new Waterfront Park adjacent to 525 Water condos. Construction on the park is expected to be complete late this year.

Work on extending the commercial Pier 4 continues. Look here for more information on what’s planned at the new Pier 4. A pair of construction cameras have been set up so you can keep track of what’s going on at The Wharf. 525 Water/St. Augustine's should open in 2016 while the rest of phase one should be complete by the fall of 2017. 

SWBID to Move to New Digs

SWBID will soon be moving from their temporary quarters at Arena Stage to the ground floor of Patriots Plaza on 4th Street, across the street from the CFL. The BID has begun ramping up operations since it was formed last year. One of the most visible signs has been the "Clean Team", which can be seen sprucing up the area. Also, new outdoor furniture was installed in the SW lot of Waterfront Station at 4th and M streets, where AYA Markets will return later this spring for their weekly Saturday morning farmers market. The monthly Market SW night market will also be back on the fourth Friday of each month starting on May 27 through October 28. Vendors who are interested in participating can find an application here. Another activation space within the BID will be located at Maryland Avenue and 7th Street, where food trucks gather during lunchtime to feed the thousands of Federal employees who work in the area.

Riverside Baptist Redevelopment Gets the Nod from Zoning Commission

Last week, the Zoning Commission took final action to give approval to Riverside Baptist Church’s consolidated PUD. A new sanctuary for Riverside will be built at 7th Street and Maine Avenue while PN Hoffman will build a 7-9-story rental apartment building with 170 units at 7th and I streets. About 10% of the units will be set aside as affordable housing for households earning up to 50%, 80% and 100% of Area Median Income. There will be space on the ground floor of the apartment building for community-serving uses, such as a daycare center. 

The main issue that held up Zoning Commission approval was funds proffered to help attract a daycare facility. The developer offered $25,000 to help attract a daycare provider, but the ANC wanted flexibility to use the funds for other potential users if a daycare center ultimately didn’t occupy the Riverside site. The Zoning Commission was uncomfortable with this open-ended solution and asked that the developer come back before the Commission with a different recipient of the $25,000 in the event a daycare center provider was not found. With PUD approval now in hand, the project is scheduled to start construction in the fourth quarter of this year.

Renderings courtesy of PN Hoffman

7th Street Recreational Pier May be Built Sooner

Hoffman-Madison Waterfront has submitted an application for Stage II PUD approval of 7th Street Recreational Pier, which was originally proposed to be built in Phase III of The Wharf, but may now be developed during the initial phase, in concert with construction of 7th Street Park. The pier will be located at the terminus of 7th Street, adjacent to the planned 7th Street Park and is one of the four public piers planned for The Wharf. 

7th Street Recreational Pier has been designed by Michael Vergason Landscape Architects and Moffatt & Nichol, according to the Zoning Commission application as “a narrow quay for enjoying views of the water and the monuments, and will have a lower floating pier that can accommodate various rental activities and other water-based recreational program.” On the upper portion of the pier, wooden benches, oversized swings, lighting, and a “fire feature” are planned. As designed, the pier will gradually descend towards the water’s surface before rising to its terminus, 432 feet into the Washington Channel. A series of floating wetlands will be located to the east of the pier, providing visual interest and environmental benefits. A large shade structure is planned for the area where the pier, wharf promenade and 7th Street Park meet, which will include a gathering area and retail kiosk. 

In order to build the pier during Phase I of construction, a revised transition plan needed to be developed, specifically for the live-aboards at Gangplank Marina. The revised plan moves access to Gangplank Marina away from the construction zone of the pier and moves the live-aboards to a centralized location. ANC 6D will need to give its support before the pier design is taken up by the Zoning Commission. The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts approved the concept design back in July. 

Renderings courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

Riverside Baptist PUD Vetted by ANC

At last Monday’s ANC 6D monthly meeting, PN Hoffman presented their plans for a mixed use development at the site of Riverside Baptist Church, located at 7th Street and Maine Avenue. Plans call for a 7- to 9-story, 164,000 SF rental apartment building on the north end of the site with approximately 170 units, ranging in size from 450 to 1,500 SF. There is space on the ground floor for community-serving uses, such as a daycare center. On the south end of the site along Maine Avenue, a new two-story sanctuary for Riverside will be built. 

Some changes have been made to the design from Geier Brown Renfrow (GBR) Architects and Studios Architecture since the PUD was filed several months ago. The top two floors of the apartment building are now slightly more transparent. The church’s design has also been revised – there is now a richer level of materiality. 

During the presentation, Bao Vuong from PN Hoffman stated what the community benefits are for the project, including the following: 

• A total of 10% of the Gross Building Area will be set aside as affordable housing at various levels of Area Median Income (AMI): 

• 2% for up to 50% of AMI 

• 6% for up to 80% of AMI 

• 2% for up to 100% of AMI 

• Along 7th Street, there will be 1,700 SF of private space available for public use with bench seating, landscaping, and a water wall, which will serve as a gateway to The Wharf development to the south.  
• The intersection of 7th and I streets will be reconfigured and simplified by the removal of the median that currently exists, as well as the addition of more crosswalks and a parking lane on 7th Street. 
• Residents of the apartment building will not be eligible for Residential Permit Parking (RPP) spaces. 
• The developer will work with a resident group to determine which neighborhood-serving uses should be placed on the ground floor – $25,000 will be set aside to help subsidize a daycare operator in the space, or other tenant type chosen by the resident group. 
• In addition, residents have requested that the developer install a dog park within the property to minimize the amount of dogs in the surrounding neighborhood; PN Hoffman is exploring the idea of placing a dog run on the roof of the apartment building. 

After some discussion, the commissioners voted unanimously to support the conceptual public space design, but deferred support of the consolidated PUD until their November meeting. The reason for the delay is that the commissioners would like PN Hoffman to draft a construction management plan for the development since it is located across the street from Jefferson Academy and AppleTree’s temporary home (AppleTree used to have facilities at Riverside and Amidon-Bowen, but moved to trailers on Jefferson’s campus last year). In addition, there was some concern about whether a one-time $25,000 subsidy would be sufficient to allow low-income children to use the proposed daycare facility. The PUD hearing is scheduled with the Zoning Commission on November 30.

Above rendering is of old design, courtesy of PN Hoffman

Additional Hotel Brands Announced at The Wharf

It was announced today that Canopy by Hilton and Hyatt House will be the hotel brands opening at Parcel 5 of The Wharf. Parcel 5 is located at Maine Avenue and 7th Street, between 7th Street Park and VIO. During the PUD process when JBG owned Parcel 5, it was mentioned that Element and Aloft would be the hotel brands coming to the site, but the parcel was sold to Hoffman – Madison Waterfront earlier this year and apparently the plans changed. From the press release: 

The combined hotels will include café/bar and other dining options; a 1,100-square-foot fitness center; 2,500 square feet of meeting room space; a courtyard with outdoor terraces and water features; an outdoor pool; and a rooftop bar with Washington Channel views. The penthouse will include an additional 10,000 square feet lounge area with sweeping views of the Potomac. 

Canopy is a new hotel concept developed by Hilton in 2014, a lifestyle hotel brand. Here is a description of the new concept, according to the Canopy website: 

Canopy by Hilton is the energizing, new hotel in the neighborhood offering simple guest-directed service, thoughtful local choices, and surprisingly comfortable spaces, so guests simply feel better going forward. Each property is designed as a natural extension of its neighborhood, with local design, food and drink, and delivers a fresh approach to hospitality and the guest experience. 

The Wharf location will have 175 keys and will be one of the first to open in the world. Canopy will be located closest to 7th Street Park.

Hyatt House is an extended-stay hotel brand launched in 2012 that has more than 60 locations in the US – three in the Washington metro area. The Wharf location will have 238 keys and will be the first Hyatt House to open in the District. These two hotels will join the InterContinental Hotel in the first phase of development at The Wharf and all three hotels will be open by the end of 2017. 

A fourth hotel is currently under construction in Southwest – Hyatt Place Washington DC/US Capitol at 4th and E streets, which is further along than The Wharf and is scheduled to open this November. I took a hard hat tour of Hyatt Place yesterday, so be on the lookout soon for a post on this project.

Rendering courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

Riverside Baptist Redevelopment PUD Filed

A PUD was filed earlier this month for the redevelopment of Riverside Baptist Church at 7th Street and Maine Avenue. Back in October, representatives from PN Hoffman presented their plans for the project, which includes a new sanctuary for Riverside facing Maine Avenue and a 7 to 9-story, 170-unit rental apartment building along 7th and I streets with ground floor retail. Approximately 14 of the units will be set aside for households earning up to 80% of Area Median Income. Not many changes have been made to the project since October. One change that may happen is the addition of four units and an indoor amenity space to the penthouse level. These changes assume that the Zoning Commission will adopt the recommended changes to the Height Act that allow for penthouses to be habitable. A hearing will be held later this year and if all goes well, construction will begin sometime in 2016 with completion in 2018. 

View south on 7th Street

This is the second church in Southwest that PN Hoffman has partnered with to do a mixed use development. Construction is underway down the street at 6th and M streets on a new St. Augustine’s Church and 525 Water Street, a mixed income condominium building that will deliver in 2016. Neither of these projects are a part of The Wharf, although PN Hoffman is one of the developer partners for that project.

Renderings courtesy of PN Hoffman

Riverside Baptist Proposes Mixed-Use Redevelopment with PN Hoffman

Over the past seven years, Riverside Baptist Church and Wharf developer PN Hoffman have been in discussions about redeveloping Riverside, located along 7th Street from I Street to Maine Avenue. Riverside has been in Southwest since 1857 and in its current building since 1968. Its current congregation has about 125 members with about a third of them being Southwesters. The current building has about 12,000 square feet of space on two levels, including the basement, with a large setback from Maine Avenue and its main entrance faces a parking lot. It is an aging property where maintenance costs now outweigh costs for ministry services, so the church began exploring their options back in 2007. The redevelopment of the church property will allow Riverside to remain in Southwest, but in a new building and with an endowment. This arrangement is not new in the neighborhood. In addition to Riverside, other houses of worship have partnered with developers, include St. Augustine’s, St. Matthew’s, and Westminster Church is starting the process now. 

Riverside and PN Hoffman took their seven–year relationship to the next level this evening and began the public engagement process, starting with a meeting in the basement of Town Square Towers with residents of the condo building. Town Square Towers is located across I Street from Riverside and will be impacted by the redevelopment of its neighbor. Present at the meeting were representatives from PN Hoffman, Riverside, and architects from Geier Brown Renfrow (GBR) Architects and Studios Architecture. Currently on the table is a mixed-use development with a new Riverside Baptist Church designed by GBR on the southern portion of the site closer to Maine Avenue and a 150-175-unit rental apartment building on the rest of the site, designed by Studios Architecture.

The new Riverside has been designed with two levels – the first floor will have a fellowship hall and office space while the second floor will contain the worship center for a total of about 11,400 square feet. At the corner of Maine Avenue and 7th Street, the main entrance will be transparent so passersby will be able to see some of the activity occurring inside of the church. This area serves as a threshold between the street, the parking garage, and the church. Materials used in the construction of the current church building, including stone, stucco, slate shingles, and stained glass will be carried over to the design of the new facility. There will be 40 garage parking spaces available for the church on Sundays and five spaces on other days. 

Meanwhile, the apartment building has been designed as “elegant and simple” to not take the focus away from the church building, which has been positioned on the prominent corner of Maine Avenue and 7th Street. The apartment building will step back in height from nine stories to seven stories closer to I Street and will serve as a "gateway" to the waterfront. Units will be designed to attract families, so no micro units are planned; however, unit sizes will be only slightly larger than what is currently being built in DC. More one bedroom with den and two bedroom units will be built. In addition, an affordable component is planned as mandated by Inclusionary Zoning. On the ground floor there will be space for a daycare center or other community-oriented use, but PN Hoffman feels that traditional retail would not be appropriate at that location. At the corner of 7th and I streets, the building will be pulled back further from the street to create space for a public plaza with a water feature, trees, and benches. The intersection will also be simplified by removing the island that separates traffic making a right turn onto I Street from 7th Street. 

A change of zoning will be required in order for the project to move forward as designed. A Planned Unit Development (PUD) application will be submitted in the next few months once the Small Area Plan has been completed by the Office of Planning, which has recommended up-zoning the church parcel. After going through the PUD process, it is expected that construction may begin sometime in 2016.

Rendering courtesy of PN Hoffman

AppleTree Trailers Arrive at Jefferson

Trailers have been set up on the abandoned tennis courts, located at 7th and I streets at Jefferson Academy to accommodate classrooms for AppleTree Early Learning Public Charter School and utility work is underway. It was reported back in April that the charter school would have to close its two Southwest campuses at Amidon-Bowen and Riverside Baptist Church. AppleTree was looking for a temporary home until their new space is ready at The Wharf in 2017, so ANC 6D commissioner Stacy Cloyd wrote a resolution that was unanimously approved to urge the District government to allow the charter school to place a temporary trailer on the abandoned tennis courts at Jefferson Academy, located across the street from Riverside. A complication in the idea to put trailers in the tennis courts is that Jefferson Academy is scheduled to begin a modernization program in 2016, so Principal Natalie Gordon’s support for allowing the trailers there was conditioned that their presence not interfere with, or delay for any reason, the planned modernization of Jefferson. Some restoration work was recently done to the cupola of Jefferson, which is now illuminated at night and more work will be done on the campus starting in 2016. 

Wharf Update

Three more cranes have arrived on-site at The Wharf over the past couple of weeks to help with demolishing the existing docks at the Gangplank Marina and the seawall. Gangplank Slipholders Association President Karen Anderson brings word that construction fencing has cut off the lower portion of the seawall promenade between 7th Street and what was formerly Phillips Flagship. The restaurant closed late last month and will reopen in a much smaller takeout format at L’Enfant Plaza this summer. Pier 7 Restaurant at the Channel Inn closed in late March. Meanwhile, Jenny’s Asian Fusion is still open for the time being and the Maine Avenue Fish Market will remain open through the duration of construction. Seventh Street Landing is also a part of the construction zone, so activities that used to take place over there have been moved downchannel to Gangplank Park closer to 6th Street, including Bufus’ King Ribs. 

Water Street

Water Street is now closed to traffic between 7th and 9th Streets while utility relocation work gets started. In addition, parking is no longer allowed along Water Street from 7th Street to the fish market. The street will no longer exist when phase one of The Wharf is completed in late 2017.

Is AppleTree Vacating Southwest?

Currently, two out of seven AppleTree Early Learning Public Charter School campuses are located in Southwest, serving nearly 80 three and four year-olds with a significant percentage of students being Southwest residents. After the end of this school year, though, both of those campuses will close. The Amidon-Bowen campus at 4th and I streets, in addition to the Riverside Baptist Church campus, located at 7th Street and Maine Avenue, will be closing. The charter school has been at Amidon-Bowen since 2008 and Riverside Baptist Church since 2005. AppleTree needs to leave Amidon-Bowen because there is demand for classroom space for DCPS children since enrollment is up at the school and Riverside Baptist Church may be redeveloped similar to St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church a block away. 

Riverside Baptist Church

In order to help AppleTree maintain a presence in Southwest, ANC 6D Commissioner Stacy Cloyd authored a resolution to urge the District government to allow the charter school to place a temporary trailer on the abandoned tennis courts at Jefferson Academy, located across the street from Riverside. A second set of tennis courts on the northwestern part of Jefferson’s grounds at 9th and G streets were renovated in 2012 thanks to the Washington Kastles Mylar World Team Tennis organization. There would be four modular classrooms to serve up to 40 children in the trailer. There is insufficient space currently inside Jefferson to house AppleTree since the Edgewood/Brookland Family Support Collaborative is opening a satellite office in the school building. The Collaborative currently has an office at St. Augustine’s, but the church building will be closing in June to make way for The Wharf project. 

Jefferson Academy from Maine Avenue

This trailer would be temporary, since AppleTree will be moving to The Wharf once phase one is complete in 2017. The main logistical issue is, though, that Jefferson Academy is scheduled to begin a multimillion dollar modernization in 2016, which could place AppleTree in limbo for a year between when they would need to vacate Jefferson and when they could move to The Wharf. At one point, AppleTree was considering purchasing the former Southeastern University campus building, but now the Shakespeare Theatre Company is proposing an actors' campus for that site.

At the April meeting, the commissioners debated the issue and added amendments to the resolution, which would explicitly state that AppleTree would need to leave the tennis courts once Jefferson’s modernization begins and the school would need to report back to the community their exit plan for the trailers after one year. Other concerns the commissioners had about the plan included where students will be dropped off and picked up, as well as where they will recreate. 

Present at the meeting to support the plan were representatives from AppleTree as well as Principal Natalie Gordon from Jefferson Academy. While Principal Gordon was generally supportive of AppleTree’s plan, she expressed concern that the charter school’s presence in the tennis courts should not interfere with, or delay for any reason, the planned modernization of Jefferson. The modernization was already delayed once and Gordon does not want the project to be delayed for a second time. The resolution was passed unanimously by the commissioners.