New Bike Lanes

Bike lanes have been installed along 4th Street from School Street to I Street and also on I Street from 7th Street to 6th Street & 3rd Street to South Capitol Street and beyond. Above is a photo of the new bike lanes on the 800 block of 4th Street. Eventually, the 4th Street bike lanes will go north all the way to Pennsylvania Avenue and south to P Street. Bike lanes were installed on 4th between I Street and M Street when that road reopened in 2010 and the rest of the street was supposed to be completed the same year, but the installation was delayed. Renovations are ongoing at the Mary E. Switzer federal office building between C & D Streets, closing off part of 4th Street, so I imagine once that is complete, the bike lanes will be installed to connect residential Southwest to the National Mall.  Several bikers already use 4th Street as a commuter route and there are two Capital Bikeshare stations on the street - one at Waterfront Station (4th & M Streets) and the other next to Patriots Plaza (4th & E Streets).  The pre-existing I Street bike lanes were installed a couple of years ago from 6th Street to 3rd Street.   According to the DC Bicycle Master Plan, bike lanes will also be installed on 3rd Street between I and M Streets, portions of M Street, 1st Street, O Street, and Potomac Avenue.

A Few Quick Items: Dog Park, St. Matthew's PUD, 7th Street Landing Activities, Capital Bikeshare Expansion, Kastles Roster, Fish Market Restoration, Craft Beer & Food Truck Festival

- The PAWS of SW will be submitting an application to the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) to create an off-leash dog park at Lansburg Park since Southwest is the only quadrant in the city without a dog park. They will be working with the newly created "Friends of Lansburg Park" to do fundraising and organize community events, with the support of SWNA. Over $100,000 is needed to build the dog park, which will go towards ground modification, fencing, running water, and to make the site ADA accessible.  A minimum of 5,000 square feet is needed for a dog park, but the proposed dog park will not take up all of Lansburg Park. Other uses are being explored for the large, underutilized green space, including a playground, community garden, and skate park. The PAWS of SW meets at the SW Library on the first Wednesday of every month and they have a Google Group (sw-dog-park@googlegroups.com).

- The development team behind the St. Matthew's church and multifamily housing project met with the Zoning Commission last week to get approval for their PUD application.  There were so many people who wanted to testify at the meeting that it was adjourned until March 19.   Neighbors of the proposed development have created an online petition in opposition to the development. Below is a video of the March 5 meeting in case you are so inclined to watch the meeting. Rendering courtesy of Shalom Baranes Architects

Update: The second half of the Zoning Commission hearing from March 19 is now available (see below). A few follow-up items still need to be sent to the Zoning Commission and they will meet again on April 30 to make their decision on the PUD application.

- Hoffman-Madison Waterfront is proposing to offer wine and beer sales at 7th Street Landing this season on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Last year, beer and wine was sold only on Thursdays during the farmers market. The farmers market will be back on Thursday evenings with jazz performances starting on June 7 for approximately 16 weeks.  Friday evenings will bring community entertainment, while YaLa and yoga will return on Saturday mornings.  New this year will be family-friendly movie screenings on Saturday evenings. Sundays will be dedicated to recreation, including bocce, table tennis, and cornhole.

-  Renovations are planned this summer at Amidon-Bowen Elementary school.  Phase 1 will include a new administrative office suite at the front of the school, a new walk-through from the front to the play area in back, re-sized classrooms, and a new ADA-compliant entrance. All of the renovations will be complete by the end of August.  Last summer, Target donated funds to renovate the school's library. There will be an open house on Tuesday, April 10 from 6-7pm at the school where the plans will be shared with the community.

- Two Capital Bikeshare stations were installed today on the National Mall.  One is located on Jefferson Drive between 14th and 15th Streets by the Washington Monument and the other is on Ohio Drive near the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial.  Three more stations will be installed over the coming weeks.

- The Washington Kastles have completed their roster selection and will bring back most of the team from last season, including Captain Leander Paes, Bobby Reynolds, and Arina Rodionova. Replacing retired player Rennae Stubbs will be Arina's sister Anastasia Rodionova.  The Kastles will have two sets of siblings with the Rodionovas and the Williams sisters, who will also return this season.

- The Housing Complex blog describes how the Hoffman-Madison Waterfront team will preserve and restore the Oyster Shucking Shed and Lunch Room at the Maine Avenue Fish Market as a component of The Wharf development.  Currently, the white buildings at the market are vacant and in disrepair.  From the post:

The currently unused Oyster Shucking Shed and Lunch Room, a pair of ramshackle buildings surrounded by vending machines and ice boxes, will become a "centerpiece," according to a spokesman for the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. They've submitted an historic landmark application for the seemingly nondescript structures, which were built in 1916 and are now literally falling apart inside. They retain enough integrity, though, to "serve as reminders of the Southwest Waterfront's historic commercial and maritime industries." According to the application, the Lunch Room was home to the Cadillac Restaurant from the 1940s through the 1970s, while fish dealers used the shucking shed to prepare their catch for sale. 

- LivingSocial is hosting a Craft Beer and Food Truck Festival at Kastles Stadium at The Wharf on the weekend of April 21-22 from 12-5pm. There will be 25 craft brewery tents, live local music, 10 food trucks, and backyard lawn games and activities. LivingSocial is currently offering a package for $35 on their website.

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

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.

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

- 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.

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

- 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.