Eisenhower Memorial Moving Forward

After the design received final approval by the National Capital Planning Commission earlier this week, a groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for the long-planned Eisenhower Memorial on November 2. The Frank Gehry-designed memorial for the 34th president will be located on a four-acre site across from the National Air & Space Museum on Independence Avenue and 4th Street. The memorial will feature metal tapestries that will depict scenes from President Eisenhower’s life. They will also serve as a screen to block the view of the Department of Education headquarters building adjacent to the memorial site. Bronze statues depicting Eisenhower as Supreme Allied Commander during World War II and as president are also featured. 

Part of the memorial site used to contain a community garden, which will be removed in order to build the project. Construction is expected to last 30 months, which will allow the memorial to debut in time for the 75th anniversary of V Day on May 8, 2020. 

Renderings courtesy of Eisenhower Memorial Commission

A Few Quick Thursday Morning Items: Critique of Wharf Critique, Wharf Permits, HHS Consolidation, Buzzard Point History, Channel Inn History

Ward 6 Council Member Tommy Wells posted an article on Greater Greater Washington refuting the critique that the U.S. Commission on Fine Arts has for some of the design elements of The Wharf.  From the article:

The Wharf development has the potential to create an exciting pedestrian-oriented, human-scale space along DC's Southwest Waterfront. But a federal board of artists and architects, most of whom don't live in the Washington region, is trying to make it much more boring.

Rendering courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

A Sheeting and Shoring permit was issued to excavate for a parking garage for the planned office building at Parcel 3 of The Wharf, according to the Washington Business Journal. The groundbreaking ceremony for the project occurred last month and a 42-month construction period is anticipated to complete phase one.

Rendering courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

The WBJ also reported that the Mary Switzer building at 4th and C streets and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services headquarters (AKA the Hubert Humphrey Building) at 4th Street and Independence Avenue will be remodeled to consolidate more HHS office space and save the GSA money over the long-term.

A Hill Rag article gives a description of the history of Buzzard Point by local historian Hayden Wetzel.  Apparently, Buzzard Point is one of the oldest neighborhood names in the city. This research was done as part of the application process by the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly to get the Buzzard Point Power Plant building at Half and V streets designated a historic landmark.

 

Also in the Hill Rag, there's an article about the history of the Channel Inn and its role in the day-to-day life of several Southwesters. The hotel and its two restaurants closed at the end of March to serve as the construction office for The Wharf and a temporary home for the Capital Yacht Club. CM Wells will be moving his monthly office hours next month to the seating area in the Waterfront Station Safeway.

Southwest Neighborhood Planning Process Kicks Off

Over the next six months, the DC Office of Planning will be engaging Southwest residents and stakeholders to create a community led plan to guide the changes in the Southwest neighborhood for the next five to ten years. The Southwest Neighborhood Plan will focus on four key elements – people, parks, connections, and building. A Public Kickoff meeting related to the Southwest Neighborhood Plan was held on September 11th at Arena Stage. The meeting was well attended with people who live and/or work in Southwest. For the first hour or so, there was an Open House with different stations that allowed residents to comment about the benefits and challenges that exist in each of the four key elements of the neighborhood plan. Afterwards, Planning Director Harriet Tregoning and Ward 6 Planning Coordinator Melissa Bird gave a presentation about the planning process and entertained questions from the audience. During Tregoning’s presentation, she mentioned that some of the values Southwest residents expressed to her during the Open House portion of the meeting include diversity, green space/tree canopy, and the library. Following the presentation, the Open House resumed for another hour. 

Some of the participants at the Open House.

During the planning process, the Office of Planning and their consultants will work with the community to analyze several components to help inform their recommendations for the Southwest neighborhood. First, they will assess the development potential for multiple underutilized District-owned sites. A number of underutilized District-owned properties are included in the study area, including Randall Recreation Center, the northeast parcel of Waterfront Station, First District headquarters, Lansburgh Park, the DMV inspection station, and the DCFD Repair Shop/Engine Co. # 7, among others. The team will create an urban design framework that promotes greater pedestrian access, improved neighborhood connectivity and increased multimodal transportation choices. A coordinated approach to public parks and public space improvements will be developed. Meanwhile, neighborhood conservation potential will be assessed to reinforce character in established residential areas. Finally, opportunities will be identified to enhance sustainability at a neighborhood-level. 

The Southwest Neighborhood Plan study area extends from South Capitol Street to Maine Avenue and from P Street to Interstate 395. Within the study area, the portion from I Street to M Street is considered to be the primary focus area – where most of the development opportunities are located, as well as urban design issues. A portion of Greenleaf is also included in the primary study area, but a separate study will be conducted for that site as a part of the HUD Choice Neighborhood Planning Grant recently submitted by the DC Housing Authority. The remaining area is considered to be the secondary study area, where neighborhood conservation, neighborhood connectivity, and sustainability are the principal focus. 

The Office of Planning has created a project website and a second website called “Engage Southwest” where community members can interact. Other ways to participate in the process include using social media (use the hashtag #SWDCPlan on Twitter, “like” posts on Facebook, etc.), submitting hand-written comments or questions at the public meetings, calling the Office of Planning at 202-442-7600, or sending an email to Melissa Bird. All of the comments from the Open House will be posted soon on the website. Not all Small Area Plans focus exclusively on real estate development – questions and comments from the audience at the kickoff meeting suggest that the Southwest Neighborhood Plan may include other components, such as teaching computer skills to seniors, helping break down barriers between longtime residents and newcomers, as well as other social improvements. 

Image courtesy of Graphic Recorder Jim Nuttle

SWBID Legislation Introduced

Legislation was introduced yesterday in the DC Council to create a new Business Improvement District in Southwest. Steve Moore from PN Hoffman, who has been spearheading the BID effort, came before ANC 6D this evening to seek their support for the creation of the BID. After some questioning by the commissioners, the ANC unanimously supported the BID organizers' efforts.

The rough boundaries of the SWBID are Independence Avenue to the north, 15th Street and Water Street to the west, Maine Avenue and M Street to the south, and South Capitol Street to the east. In order to fund the BID, there will be four classes of membership, each with their own set of fees: commercial property, industrial or unimproved land, hotels, and residential. The residential class includes apartment buildings with 10 units or more and the BID fee will be sent to the owners of the buildings. Condominiums, co-ops, town homes, public housing, and apartment buildings with less than 10 units are exempt, but will have the opportunity to opt-in if they want.

The mission of the SWBID will be to advance the SW quadrant as a cleaner, greener, better connected place. There are seven main categories of services that the new BID will provide, including:

• Cleanliness/Maintenance/Beautification
• Safety and Hospitality
• Marketing/Branding/Special Events
• Public Space Management
• Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability
• Homeless Services
• Economic Development

Over the next year, there will be several initiatives undertaken by the BID, including an ambassador program; a "clean team", an inventory of public space; homeless outreach; creating a transportation network; a merchandising plan to attract and maintain businesses; creating special events; developing an identity for the BID; and keep stakeholders updated on progress made by the BID. If the DC Council and the Department of Small and Local Business Development approves the BID creation, services could begin as soon as the spring of 2014.

Google Earth map

New Douglass Bridge Process Moving Forward

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 bascule design Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, traffic ovals on either side of the bridge, and the reconstruction of the I-295/Suitland Parkway interchange.  Federal funds will also be used for the project.  The second phase has yet to be funded and will include the boulevardization of South Capitol Street from N Street to Independence Avenue, a new, at-grade intersection with M Street, and other improvements on both sides of the Anacostia River.  

The western section of the bridge.

The new bridge will have three lanes of vehicular traffic on each side as well as space for pedestrians and bikes. There will be an 18-foot shared use bike and pedestrian lanes on both sides of the bridge with connections to Potomac Avenue and R Street on the west side of the river. Ten feet will be dedicated to a two-way cycle track and eight feet will be used for a pedestrian pathway. In addition, viewing platforms will be located along the bridge. A shared use path will be located in the inner part of the traffic oval.

Lane configuration on the new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge.

A change from the earlier design of the bridge is its alignment, which will now be parallel to the existing bridge. Another difference is now there will be a traffic oval on the east side of the bridge instead of a traffic circle. The traffic oval on the west side will connect Nationals Park with the proposed DC United stadium and can serve as a focal point for the area, perhaps with a new memorial.

A new traffic oval will be built adjacent to the bridge.

DDOT will released a request for proposals in the fourth quarter of 2013 and a design-build team will be selected by the second quarter of 2014. Construction will begin by the end of 2014 and completion is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2018. During the construction period, some steps that will be taken to help minimize disruption to the neighborhood include the delivery of construction materials by water, the use of water trucks to reduce dust, designated haul routes, and no construction worker parking in neighborhoods.

Renderings courtesy of DDOT

SW BID in the Works

(This post is an abbreviated version of the South by West article that will appear in June's Hill Rag.)

There are currently nine Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) in the District of Columbia and by this fall, a 10th could be created right here in Southwest. BIDs are funded by a property assessment levied on property owners in order to provide services such as cleaning, hospitality, marketing, beautification, planning, safety, event organizing, and programming. In the case of Southwest, commercial property owners and large apartment building operators will be taxed, while condo and co-op buildings, as well as single-family/townhouse owners will not. Organizations such as the Waterfront Gateway Neighborhood Association, a group of six homeowner associations located south of the Southwest freeway, may have the option to opt-in for certain services, such as landscaping and security. 

While the Capitol Riverfront BID includes a small portion of Southwest in Buzzard Point, the proposed Southwest BID will cover a large swath of the quadrant. The proposed boundaries of the Southwest BID are Independence Avenue to the north, 15th Street and the Washington Channel to the west, M Street to the south, and South Capitol Street to the east. This geography includes a diverse area, including the federal enclave around L’Enfant Plaza; the existing residential communities north of M Street; Waterfront Station; Arena Stage; as well as The Wharf development. 

Steve Moore, who was once the Deputy Director of the Downtown BID, is now with Hoffman-Madison Waterfront and is helping to get the Southwest BID off the ground. Hoffman-Madison Waterfront is the master developer of The Wharf project along the Southwest Waterfront and during the Planned Unit Development process for that project, the possible creation of a BID was one of the line items the developers agreed to undertake.

Services could begin as soon as next spring, but before that happens, a lot still needs to happen over the next few months. Solicitations went out to commercial property owners in April to gauge interest in forming a BID. A bylaws structure still needs to be firmed up as well as incorporation as a non-profit, raise funds, and get legislation introduced into the DC Council establishing the BID. Some of the goals of the Southwest BID are to help give the area an identity and program public spaces, along with the more conventional BID services such as street cleaning. While the GSA is not allowed to be taxed for BID services, they will be involved in the BID in some capacity. While the creation of a BID will not be the cure-all for everything that ails Southwest, it can help with some basic issues such as cleanliness and safety, which could go a long way towards making the area a more enjoyable place to live and help to market the neighborhood for additional investment, retail, and office tenants.

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

Federal Triangle South Meeting

There was a meeting yesterday put together by the Urban Land Institute on the newly dubbed Federal Triangle South, a swath of Southwest south of the National Mall where federal government tenants have dominance and over 12,000 employees now work in office buildings that average in age between 48 and 80 years old. The boundaries of Federal Triangle South are Independence Avenue to the north, 12th Street to the west, Maryland Avenue and D Street to the south, and 6th Street to the east. The GSA owns five properties in Federal Triangle South with the largest of those being the department of Energy’s Forrestal complex at 10th Street and Independence Avenue. Back in December, the GSA issued a Request for Information (RFI) to see what interest there was in the development community for possibly redeveloping their parcels in Federal Triangle South. It was reported earlier this month that 10 development firms responded to the RFI. The GSA is exploring different disposition scenarios for the parcels, including maintaining federal ownership, a ground lease, acquisition exchange, exchange for services, or a leaseback. Federal Triangle South is part of the Southwest Ecodistrict Initiative, a long-term vision for most of the office district between the National Mall and the Southwest Freeway spearheaded by NCPC. In addition, the DC Office of Planning conducted a Small Area Plan for Maryland Avenue, which falls within the SW Ecodistrict. Here are a few tidbits I learned at the meeting:

• A Request for Proposals (RFP) will be released this summer for Federal Triangle South and a winner for phase one will be awarded by the spring of 2014.
• The Department of Energy wants to remain on Independence Avenue, but it could be located elsewhere along the street within Federal Triangle South besides its current location.
• There are approximately 4 million square feet of office space within Federal Triangle South and an additional 2 million square feet of space can be built under current zoning. More could be accommodated with PUDs.
• Republic Properties, who developed The Portals complex at 12th Street and Maryland Avenue, is considering residential for a future phase at the project instead of office. The site was zoned industrial so residential couldn’t be done there, but with the rewrite of the Comprehensive Plan that the Office of Planning is conducting, the entire Southwest Ecodistrict area will be rezoned similar to downtown, which will be high density commercial, residential, and governmental.
• Some components of the Maryland Avenue plan could take up to 30 years to complete.
• NCPC will conduct a community meeting in May (perhaps May 21) to discuss plans for 10th Street.

Image courtesy of GSA

A Couple Quick Items: Interest in Federal Triangle South, Blarney Bash

- It was reported in Capital Business yesterday that 10 developers responded to GSA's Notice of Intent for proposals to redevelop Federal Triangle South - a collection of five buildings owned by the federal government south of the National Mall. One of those buildings includes the Forrestal Complex, which is the headquarters of the Department of Energy at Independence Avenue and 10th Street. According to the article, the GSA has not released the names of the firms that responded to their NOI. This is the first concrete step made in response to the final SW Ecodistrict plan that was approved earlier this year that calls for adding more uses besides federal office space to the area south of the Mall including L'Enfant Plaza. From the article:

The Federal Triangle South responses indicated that an exchange was a viable transaction, but that infrastructure “will be a significant challenge and will require the coordination of many stakeholders,”according to the GSA. To move forward, the agency would likely issue a more targeted request for a development partner.

 
- George and Mason Inn are hosting Blarney Bash on Saturday, March 16 at Kastles Stadium at The Wharf. Blarney Bash is a 5-hour open bar event and will feature live music, bocce, corn hole, food trucks, and more from 3:30 - 9pm.

Prepping for Inauguration Weekend

The presidential inauguration is nearly upon us and as such, the city is making preparations for large crowds to descend on the National Mall to see President Obama take the oath of office for his second term and the inaugural parade. A representative from DDOT briefed the community on the city's plans at Monday's ANC 6D meeting. While crowds are expected to be much smaller this time around than the estimated 1.8 million who visited the city back in 2009, between 500,000 and 800,000 people are anticipated to attend inaugural events this year. Above is a map of the pedestrian routes that will be used to access the National Mall and the parade route along Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. In Southwest, the main pedestrian routes will be along South Capitol Street, I Street, 4th Street, 7th Street, 15th Street, 17th Street, and Independence Avenue. Secret Service checkpoints in Southwest will be set up along Independence Avenue at 7th Street and 12th Street. For those who do not have tickets for the inauguration, the area of the National Mall from 4th Street to 12th Street will be available for viewing the ceremony on jumbotron screens. Parking restrictions will be in place on Inauguration Day along Maine Avenue and M Street from the Maine Avenue Fish Market to New Jersey Avenue, SE. Buses won't be parked on the streets as they were in 2009 - buses will need to park at RFK Stadium or a pay parking lot - ones that will be used in Southwest include 1st & V Streets in Buzzard Point and 14th & D Streets. There will be a maximum of 2,500 buses permitted in the city and about 300 of them are expected to park in Southwest.  None of these buses will be allowed to use local streets and National Guard personnel will be stationed at key intersections to enforce the ban. A taxi stand will be located long E Street from 4th to 6th Streets.  In addition, a water taxi will operate from Alexandria and will drop off passengers at the Gangplank Marina.  Metro will open on Monday at 4am and will stay open until 2am with rush hour and peak fare until 9pm, but the Smithsonian, Archives/Navy Memorial, and Mt. Vernon Square/Convention Center stations will be closed. Metrobus will operate on a normal weekday morning rush hour schedule followed by an early afternoon rush hour schedule. Some routes will be diverted that usually traverse the National Mall. Another way to get around is Capital Bikeshare, which will have a bike corral on Inauguration Day at 12th Street and Independence Avenue; however, two stations along Jefferson Drive at 12th & 14th Streets will be closed that day.

Pedestrians on 7th Street during the 2009 Inauguration

Local schools, including Amidon-Bowen Elementary and Jefferson Academy will be used as warming areas and a large 100' x 100' tent will be erected in Lansburgh Park for additional inaugural activities. DCPS buses will be stationed in various locations to serve as warming stations, including a couple at Lansburgh Park.  For more information about the inauguration, check out the website set up by the city.

Final SW Ecodistrict Plan Approved

I'm starting to play catch up on news items that occurred while I was away on vacation in SE Asia for the holidays, so this should be a busy posting week on the blog...  

 

Last week, the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) approved the final plan of the SW Ecodistrict Initiative, a comprehensive approach to transform a large swath of acreage in and around L'Enfant Plaza from a federal office enclave to a mixed-use, environmentally sustainable neighborhood.  The 15-block study area comprising 110 acres of federal and private land is bounded by Independence Avenue to the north, Maine Avenue to the south, 12th Street to the west, and 4th Street to the east. The plan revolves around four focus areas:

Reservation 113 at the intersection of Maryland and Virginia Avenues.

• Independence Quarter: A mixed-use community anchored by a national museum and a new headquarters for the U.S. Department of Energy.
• Maryland Avenue: An urban boulevard centered on a signature park and an expanded L'Enfant Station intermodal center.
• 10th Street and Banneker Park: An inviting civic corridor connecting the National Mall and Smithsonian Museums to the southwest waterfront, anchored by an improved Banneker Park, nationally significant cultural destination.
• Southwest Freeway: A private mixed-use development atop the Southwest Freeway will support new connections between existing Southwest neighborhoods, the SW Ecodistrict, and the National Mall.

View of a redeveloped Banneker Park from Maine Avenue.

Although the time frame for implementation of the plan (especially the SW Freeway portion) will be decades, a portion of the plan is already in motion. The General Services Administration (GSA), the largest landlord in the study area, has recently released a Request for Information (RFI) to developers to partner with the GSA to redevelop several parcels it owns in Independence Quarter (or Federal Center South as the real estate agency calls it), including the Forrestal Complex, Cotton Annex, the Wilbur and Orville Wright FAA buildings, and GSA's regional office building.  Other short-term actions will include an economic analysis, an implementation program, a stormwater infrastructure study, and an interim 10th Street/Banneker connection.

The full plan is available here and previous posts on the plan can be found here.

Renderings courtesy of NCPC; ZGF Architects

A Few Quick Items: New South Capitol Street Bridge, Constitution Center Sale, Randall Rec. Center, Federal Triangle South

- DDOT is prepping for the replacement of the Frederick Douglass Bridge with a Request for Qualifications from contractors for design-build construction of the first two segments of the South Capitol Street corridor project.  Segment one involves the replacement of the bridge with an arched bascule bridge, along with approaches to the bridge, including a new traffic oval at South Capitol Street & Potomac Avenue and a traffic circle at South Capitol Street and Suitland Parkway. Segment two will reconstruct the Suitland Parkway and Interstate 295 interchange.  Future segments will include the reconstruction of the South Capitol Street corridor from M Street to Independence Avenue, part of which is making the South Capitol Street and M Street intersection at-grade. Funding for the first two segments is still pending so the start date of construction hasn't been determined.

Rendering courtesy of DDOT

- It was reported last week in the Washington Business Journal that Constitution Center sold for $734 million by MetLife, making it one of the most expensive commercial buildings ever in the District.  It was easier to sell the building once the building was fully leased.

- A concept plan was released for the exterior of the Randall Recreation Center based on feedback from a community meeting held last month. The plan includes a playground for children ages 2-12 and swings.  The dreary plaza area that fronts I Street would be replaced with freshened up landscaping, picnic tables, a spray plaza, game tables, sculptures, and a skate spot.  The revamped park space is supposed to be completed in 2013 and has already been funded by the city.

- The GSA has released a Request for Information (or RFI) for several parcels it owns in an area they have dubbed "Federal Triangle South." The RFI follows up on their Notice of Intent to release a RFI within the next 90 days back in September. The redevelopment of these parcels would result in the need for new office space for 5,300 Department of Energy employees, roughly 5,400 Federal Aviation Administration employees, and nearly 2,500 Department of Homeland Security employees.

According to the RFI, the vision of Federal Triangle South is the following:

Redeveloping FTS has the potential to transform an uninviting federal office precinct into an area that: 

• Provides right-sized, efficiently designed Federal facilities; 
• Includes sustainable land and smart buildings; 
• Successfully merges commercial, residential, civic, institutional, and green space; 
• Maintains a significant Federal presence along Independence Avenue; 
• Reintroduces portions of the L’Enfant Plan street grid.

Federal Triangle South?

Well that was fast.  Only a couple of months after finalizing the Southwest Ecodistrict Draft Plan, the General Services Administration issued a "Notice of Intent" to issue a Request for Information over the next 90 days for five properties the agency controls in the area, including its Regional Office Building at 7th & D Street.  The other properties include the Department of Energy's Forrestal Complex, the Cotton Annex, and two buildings occupied by the FAA.  The properties roughly create a triangle shape, bounded by Independence Avenue to the north, 12th Street to the west, and Maryland Avenue, parts of 9th Street, D Street, and 7th Street to the south.  In fact, the parcels are referred to as Federal Triangle South in the Notice of Intent. The RFI seeks to do the following:

• Gather market input on meeting Federal facility space needs
• Identify potential redevelopment and transaction structures
• Achieve best value to the Government, promote fair and transparent competition and discover the most beneficial technical and financial solution

 

This move by the GSA can potentially lead to the transformation of a large area adjacent to the National Mall into a lively, mixed-use environment.  However, with a name like Federal Triangle South, that doesn't exactly give off a "mixed use" vibe, given the way the original Federal Triangle looks right now.  Personally, I prefer the "Independence Quarter" moniker used in the SW Ecodistrict Draft Plan for the area.

SW Ecodistrict Draft Released

The National Capital Planning Commission released the SW Ecodistrict Draft Plan last week.  The plan proposes to transform a 15-block predominantly federal precinct located just south of the National Mall into a highly sustainable, walkable neighborhood that connects the Mall and the Southwest Waterfront, and becomes a showcase of sustainable urban development and the site for new nationally significant memorials, museums, and events.  The proposed SW Ecodistrict comprises almost 110-acres bounded by Independence Avenue, Maine Avenue, 12th Street, and 4th Street.  I've written about the process on several occasions, so I won't go into much detail here about what the plan contains, but following are some highlights:


The plan suggests to re-create and connect streets throughout the Ecodistrict, including Maryland Avenue, Virginia Avenue, and 9th Street.  New pedestrian connections will also be created throughout.


The draft plan proposes four focus areas that would transform the area:

• Independence Quarter: A mixed-use community anchored by a new U.S. Department of Energy headquarters. The Forrestal Headquarters would be redeveloped with uses including residential, hotel, museums, and office.
• Maryland Avenue: A restored urban boulevard centered on a re-imagined park and an expanded L’Enfant Station intermodal center.  The DC Department of Planning released a draft plan for the Maryland Avenue corridor that was approved by the DC Council earlier this year.

An expanded L'Enfant commuter rail station.

• 10th Street and Banneker Park: An inviting civic corridor connecting the National Mall to the SW Waterfront, highlighted by Banneker Park—a nationally significant cultural destination. The demolition of the Forrestal complex would open views along 10th Street to the Smithsonian Castle.

Rendering of the 10th Street corridor.

A redesigned Banneker Park.

• Southwest Freeway: A collection of private mixed-use development and solar panels built on air rights over the SW Freeway. A deck over I-395 would stretch from 12th Street to 9th Street while solar panels would be installed from 9th Street to east of 7th Street.

Aerial view of the SW Ecodistrict.

The public comment period on the draft plan will last until September 10.  If you want to learn more about the draft plan, there will be a public meeting tomorrow from 6:30pm - 8:30pm at 1100 4th Street, second floor.

Renderings courtesy of the National Capital Planning Commission

A Stroll Down 4th Street

View 4th Street Development in a larger map

There is a lot of construction activity either underway or planned along 4th Street with something going on at almost every block from the National Mall to N Street. Above is a map of construction projects along the corridor with a summary of each project listed below from north to south.

Going south on 4th from the National Mall, the first project that comes up is the reseeding of the lawn on a section of the Mall stretching from 7th Street to 3rd Street. 

After crossing Independence Avenue, the west side of the street in front of the Department of Education will be transformed into a memorial to President Eisenhower. The memorial will take up the rectangle bordered by 6th Street to the west, Independence Avenue to the north, 4th Street to the east, and the Department of Education headquarters to the south. There’s been a lot of controversy over the memorial’s design, done by famed architect Frank Gehry.

Image courtesy of Gehry Partners, LLP

On the next block between C Street and D Street, renovations continue at the Mary E. Switzer federal building. Interior work is being done, along with the creation of green space along C Street that will replace the surface parking lot that once was there.

At the northwest corner of 4th & E Streets, the new Consolidated Forensic Laboratory (CFL) is nearing completion.  I took a tour of the building last fall (unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos inside) which will include a forensic lab, MPD test firing range, and the coroner’s office.  Interior build-out is underway.

On the southwest corner of the intersection, a new office building with the address 400 E Street will replace the parking lot, and a new Engine 13 firehouse will be on the ground floor on the 4th Street side. In addition, there will be space on the E Street side for DC Central Kitchen and KidPower. A sign on the lot says the building will deliver in the 4th Quarter of 2013, but I don’t see that deadline being met since a major tenant hasn’t been lined up yet for the office building and construction has not begun.

Rendering courtesy of WDG Architecture

On 4th Street from School Street to I Street, a bike lane has been created on either side of the street.  The bike lanes were supposed to be installed a couple years ago shortly after the I Street to M Street segment was done, but better late than never I guess.

Potomac Place Tower, the condo conversion by Monument Realty at 800 4th Street has sold over 80% of its 396 units and is the largest condo project currently selling in the city.

The northeast and northwest parcels of Waterfront Station are currently slated for residential.  Construction on the northwest parcel may begin in 2014 once Sky House Apartments are completed a couple blocks south. The District owns the northeast parcel and the timetable for issuing a RFP has not been determined yet.

Construction at Sky House I Apartments began in February, the conversion of the former EPA towers at Waterfront Station by Urban Atlantic and the JBG Companies. Upon completion, both buildings will contain 530 apartments with 20% set aside as affordable housing for households earning up to 50% of Area Median Income (AMI).

The two vacant lots (well, one of those lots has a Bank of America trailer) at Waterfront Station fronting M Street are slated for office buildings.  No timetable has been set yet for construction.  

Tiber Island is planning to redo the stark, wind-swept plaza area that connects the four towers at the complex with a new oval-shaped fountain, seating, a pergola, and plantings.

 Rendering courtesy of SmithGroup