Audi Field Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

The ribbon cutting ceremony and open house for Audi Field was held on Monday, less than a week prior to D.C. United's inaugural match at the new stadium against the Vancouver Whitecaps. Below are some pictures from the event, which brought the team, including captain Steve Birnbaum and newcomer superstar Wayne Rooney (the rest of the team was seated in the audience); D.C. United ownership - Jason Levien and Erick Thohir; MLS Commissioner Don Garber, and politicians including Mayor Bowser and Councilmembers Allen and Evans.  Dave Johnson, the voice of D.C. United, was the emcee.

Now that the inaugural game is just days away, construction fences have come down and finishing touches are being put in place in and around the stadium in Buzzard Point.  Along Potomac Avenue, the fan plaza is still under construction. A parcel adjacent to the stadium will one day contain mixed-use development, but for now will be a grassy field. The first Capitol Bikeshare station in the neighborhood has been installed at the northwest corner of Potomac Avenue and Half Street.  A Circulator stop is located on Potomac Avenue east of Half Street - this match-day service will be implemented after the inaugural match. New signage has been installed by the Capitol Riverfront BID to promote Buzzard Point with a new website and slogan: It All Connects Here. Meanwhile, construction continues on the new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge. 

Permits Filed for Douglass Bridge-Related Demolition

Demolition permit applications have been filed for several buildings along the 1500 and 1600 blocks of South Capitol Street that will be removed to make way for the new Pepco-sponsored traffic oval leading to the replacement Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge. The buildings include a repair shop and vacant structures. A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new bridge back in February, which will be built about 100 feet west of the existing one. The four-year project will result in a new, six-lane arched span with bike and pedestrian lanes as well as two traffic ovals on either side of the bridge.  While the existing bridge will remain open during construction, expect periodic lane closures on South Capitol Street.

Ground Broken for New Douglass Bridge

A ceremonial groundbreaking was held on Tuesday for the new Frederick Douglass Bridge at the site of the new bridge in Buzzard Point. Mayor Bowser, DDOT Director Jeff Marootian, DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, Congressman Steny Hoyer, DC Council members Charles Allen and Trayon White, and Federal Highway Administration DC Division Administrator Chris Lawson were all there and spoke about the project’s benefits. Bridge construction will last about four years with completion scheduled for 2021. Below are some pictures from the groundbreaking event.

DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton

Construction crane at foot of bridge

Mayor Muriel Bowser

Congressman Steny Hoyer (MD)

Chris Lawson with FHA DC Division

DDOT Administrator
Jeff Marootian

Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White

Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen

Ground is officially broken 

On the way to the ground breaking ceremony, I walked by the construction site of Audi Field, which is still on schedule to open by mid-July. A topping off ceremony was held last month and since then, work has begun on installing the facade of the stadium.  Infrastructure work continues on the roads around the stadium, including Potomac Avenue, which will receive new sidewalks, gutters, trees, and street furniture. Earlier this year, Half Street south of Potomac Avenue reopened to traffic where similar improvements were also made to that street. 2nd Street south of R Street remains closed to traffic as work will be done on that street to create a bike lane and other improvements.

New street lights on Half Street

Beginning of work on stadium's facade

View west of stadium from Half Street

New sidewalk on Potomac Avenue

Street furniture on Potomac Avenue

Douglass Bridge Groundbreaking Tomorrow

A groundbreaking ceremony will be held tomorrow for the new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge project. Construction equipment has been arriving on site over the past couple of weeks. The new bridge will be constructed about 100 feet to the west of the existing span and will include six vehicular lanes, bike and pedestrian lanes, as well as two new traffic ovals on either side of the bridge on South Capitol Street.  On the west side of the span, the traffic oval will connect South Capitol Street, Potomac Avenue, and Q Street.  The design of the bridge was updated in recent months with three above-deck arches, two piers, and four pedestrian overlooks. Construction of the new bridge coincides with the 200th birthday celebration of the bridge's namesake Frederick Douglass as well as the Year of the Anacostia. During construction, the current bridge will remain open and the new span should be complete by 2021. 

The groundbreaking ceremony will start at noon tomorrow. 

Renderings courtesy of DDOT

New South Capitol Street Bridge Design

A new design for the replacement Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge which brings South Capitol Street across the Anacostia River was revealed yesterday at a press event with Mayor Bowser, DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, and other dignitaries. The new design is a departure from the previous version that looked more traditional and swung open to allow large boats to traverse the Anacostia. Since the display ship U.S.S. Barry that was docked at the Navy Yard was dismantled and moved, there was no longer a need to have a swing span bridge so the design was updated. According to a press release, the new bridge design includes three above-deck arches that capture the District’s arch history, two piers that will appear to float in the river, and four pedestrian overlooks. The new bridge will carry six lanes of vehicular traffic (three on each side), as well as bike and pedestrian lanes on each side of the bridge. In addition to the new bridge, traffic ovals will be built on both sides of the bridge – the oval on the west side of the river will connect South Capitol Street with Potomac Avenue and Q Street.  

Current bridge

New bridge

The bridge project is part of the South Capitol Street Corridor Project, a two-phase project that will eventually include additional improvements to South Capitol Street and adjacent streets on both sides of the river. On the west side of the river, improvements in phase II will reach all the way to the intersection with the Southwest freeway. Construction on the first phase will begin in late 2017 and will run through 2021. More images and an animated video showing the bridge project can be found on the project website.

1900 Half Street PUD Filed

A PUD was filed by Douglas Development for 1900 Half Street, which is currently an office building located along the Anacostia River on Buzzard Point. The building is visible as one crosses the Frederick Douglass Bridge. Douglas proposes to redevelop the nine-story structure into a multifamily building with 462 residential units and 24,032 SF of retail space. The current building is rectangular in shape, but the developer proposes to remove portions of the building to create two large open courtyards on the second floor, resulting in an “E” shaped building facing the river. The building as designed by Antunovich Associates, will be reskinned with a vision glass curtain wall, blue and white colored metal panels, and terracotta rain screens. 

Entrances to the residential lobby and retail will be along Water Street – one section of retail will be two levels. Ground floor units will have lofts and some second floor units will have private terraces facing the river. A fitness center and other amenity space will also be on the second floor while on the roof, an indoor lounge, rooftop pool deck and infinity pool will be installed, which should have great views of the river, Capitol dome and Washington Monument. Parking will be provided in the existing garage with 324 spaces accessed only from the north (the southern access point and curb cut will be removed). The building currently has 691 parking spaces and the Capitol Gateway Overlay regulations require only 182 spaces. 

Although the project won’t have a 75-foot minimum setback from the Anacostia bulkhead since the original building was completed prior to 2005, the river side of the building will have a promenade ranging from 14 to 24 feet (the larger promenade on the northern part of the site will be in two sections, divided by a 10-foot bioretention barrier). The project will seek LEED-Gold status. 

This PUD application was expected since the Office of Planning listed it as one of six major projects planned on Buzzard Point in the Buzzard Point Design Framework Plan document. 1900 Half Street is less than two blocks from the site of the new DC United soccer stadium and catty-corner from Ziegfeld's/Secrets, which was purchased by MRP Realty and will be redeveloped as a multifamily building. It’s also north of Marina Place where Capital City Real Estate plans to build about 100 condos and near the Transpoint Building, which is under contract to Redbrick. 1900 Half should be before the ANC later this year. 

Renderings courtesy of Antunovich Associates

A Few Quick NYE Items: DC United, SoCap, Fiddler Breaks Record, Topping Off

In one of his final acts before leaving office on January 2, Mayor Gray signed soccer stadium legislation into law yesterday, paving the way for a new stadium for DC United on Buzzard Point. The 20,000-seat stadium will be located at 2nd and R streets, next door to Fort McNair and about three blocks southwest of Nationals Park.

The Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) for the South Capitol Street Project is now available and public comments can be submitted until February 2. A copy of the SDEIS is also available at the SW Branch Library. Check out JDLand for more details on the recent revisions proposed for the South Capitol Street corridor upgrade, including the reduction in size of the traffic oval planned on the west side of the Anacostia, changing the location of the replacement Frederick Douglass Bridge, and more. There will be a public hearing on January 22 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm at Mathews Memorial Baptist Church, Fellowship Hall located at 2616 Martin Luther King Jr, Avenue, SE.

Arena Stage announced this week that Fiddler on the Roof has broken box office records for the SW-based theater. Previously, the record was held by the production of Oklahoma!, which was originally run in 2010 during Arena’s inaugural season back in Southwest and returned for a summer run in 2011. Fiddler’s run has been extended and will now end on January 11, 2015. 

Before the Christmas holiday, a topping off celebration was held at the Hyatt Place/Engine 13 firehouse under construction at 400 E Street. Construction began on the long-awaited project last December and was the subject of my very first post on this blog back in 2008. Delivery of the hotel/firehouse is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2015. In attendance was Mayor-elect Muriel Bowser, who also announced that she has appointed outgoing Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells as Director of the District Department of the Environment.

A 2014 Year in Review will soon be posted. Happy New Year!

Renderings courtesy of DC United and DDOT; Photo taken by Margot Schulman, courtesy of Arena Stage; webcam image courtesy of Oxblue 

Buzzard Point Draft Urban Design Framework Released

Due to the proposed DC United soccer stadium and a new Frederick Douglass Bridge, an Urban Design Framework has been developed by the Office of Planning for Buzzard Point over the past few months and the draft summary has been released this week. The framework plan will inform and guide public and private development decisions for the next 10 years. It is broken into several sections, including: public realm, environment, housing and community development, and transportation. Below are summaries of each: 

• Public Realm: The urban design concept, as envisioned, would transform Buzzard Point into a vibrant, walkable neighborhood. The neighborhood would be centered around a series of open spaces along the Anacostia River, as well as the traffic oval planned at the foot of the new Douglass Bridge and near the proposed soccer stadium. These open spaces would connect with Yards Park and other destinations on the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail. 
• Environment: The urban design concept calls for improved environmental conditions, both through the public realm and private development. Over 1,000 new trees could be planted in Buzzard Point along with drought tolerant plantings, rain gardens, green roofs, and other green elements. Environmental remediation would also be done to clean up any potentially contaminated soil in the area. 
• Housing and Community Development: The urban design concept seeks to protect the existing public housing within the study area (which includes 80 out of 239 units at James Creek that are located south of P Street) and create additional residential opportunities. The current capacity for development in the Buzzard Point area under current zoning would allow up to 11.9 million SF of development with 5,480 residential units (370 affordable units). If the urban design plan is adopted and a stadium is built, the total potential development would decrease to 10.2 million SF, but it would be more concentrated, so up to 6,200 residential units could be built with 400 of those set aside as affordable units under inclusionary zoning. 
• Transportation: In the near term, the South Capitol Street bridge and soccer stadium improvements will improve access to major regional connections and enhance pedestrian and bicycle connectivity. An esplanade along the Anacostia River will be created that will facilitate the movement of pedestrians across the new Douglass Bridge. Patrons of the proposed soccer stadium who arrive by car would be encouraged to use the parking lots used by Nationals attendees. Streetcar lines are planned to potentially terminate in Buzzard Point, but those lines won’t be built for several years. 

Open space concept on Half Street

The draft urban design framework mentions that there may be a Maritime Museum planned for Buzzard Point and that was also mentioned by City Administrator Allen Lew during the first DC United stadium hearing back on June 26. It appears from the design framework document that this proposed Maritime Museum would be located along the Anacostia River roughly at Water and T streets, just to the east of where Ziegfeld’s/Secrets is located (the building is for sale). 

A copy of the Buzzard Point Urban Design Framework is available here. 

Images courtesy of the Office of Planning

A Few Quick Items: New Douglass Bridge, Wharf Update, Greenleaf Shelter, Transpoint Lease

The Washington Business Journal reports that DDOT has narrowed down the list of teams that can compete for the contract to build a new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, traffic ovals on either side of the bridge, and the reconstruction of the I-295/Suitland Parkway interchange. Funding has been secured for the $622 million project, which covers Phase One of the South Capitol Corridor project. The current bridge design concept was criticized by the Commission of Fine Arts back in September, who wanted a more contemporary design for the span.

Rendering Courtesy of DDOT

According to the Washington Business Journal, the DC Court of Appeals last month did not overrule the decision by the Zoning Commission to approve the portion of The Wharf's Stage 2 PUD dealing with Parcel 11, where St. Augustine's Episcopal Church will get a new sanctuary and Hoffman-Madison Waterfront will build a mixed income condo building. Owners of the townhomes at Tiber Island Cooperative appealed the Zoning Commission ruling claiming that the planned condo building did not respect the historic designation of the townhomes across the street. The ruling clears the way for this part of the project to move forward. While the new St. Augustine's is being built, parishioners will be worshiping elsewhere in Southwest.  Hoffman-Madison Waterfront will be at Monday's ANC meeting to give an update on The Wharf.

Rendering courtesy of MTFA Architecture

Two recreation centers in the city have been set aside as temporary shelters for newly homeless families due to the increase in the homeless population as mentioned in a Washington Post article. One of those centers is King-Greenleaf Recreation Center. Homeless families started coming to King-Greenleaf last week. The temporary shelter will be in place until the end of hypothermia season on April 1.It is estimated that anywhere from 500 to 1,000 newly homeless families will need to be housed before the end of the season. Only a few families have used the rec centers in the first couple of days. From the article:

Thursday night was the first night families were referred to a rec center. Seventeen were referred, and nine wound up staying. And by Friday, the number was down to one.

With the clock ticking on GSA's pending lease expiration on April 30, 2015 at the former Coast Guard headquarters in Buzzard Point, the Navy issued a contract for remodeling the Navy Yard building that was damaged in September as a result of the mass shooting that occurred. About 3,000 employees were moved temporarily to Transpoint since the building was empty following the departure of the Coast Guard. From the Washington Business Journal article:

Monday Properties, according to the Navy, "has stated its intention to not renew a lease with the GSA."

Perhaps the owner is weighing its options with the prospect of a new soccer stadium being built two blocks away? Maybe. Further down the article, Tim Helmig from Monday Properties stated the following:

The company "welcomes any discussion to extend," and that Transpoint is an ideal facility for federal employees to occupy. "GSA and Monday Properties have worked together and were in discussions about extending the lease, but those discussions have not taken place since December of 2013."

Design of New Douglass Bridge Criticized

It was reported in the Washington Business Journal that the Commission of Fine Arts finds that the concept design for the replacement Frederick Douglass Bridge that will carry traffic along South Capitol Street across the Anacostia River is uninspired.  From the article:

During its Sept. 19 review of the D.C. Department of Transportation’s concept bridge design, the federal CFA called for a “contemporary approach” and a “bolder look” for the new Douglass bridge, according to a Sept. 27 letter from Thomas Luebke, the commission’s secretary, to Ronaldo Nicholson, DDOT’s chief engineer. 

There is $622 million set aside in the District’s FY2014 budget to fund Phase 1 (Segments 1 and 2) of the South Capitol Street Corridor project, which includes a new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, traffic ovals on either side of the bridge, and the reconstruction of the I-295/Suitland Parkway interchange. The new Frederick Douglass Bridge is currently designed as a bascule arch, similar to other bridges in the city, such as Memorial Bridge. Having the CFA's support will be important in order to obtain federal funding which is needed to close the gap in financing for the bridge.

Rendering courtesy of DDOT