Belated Review of Third Greenleaf Planning Meeting

There was a Greenleaf community meeting back in the summer which gave an update on the long process ahead to redevelop Greenleaf as a mixed-income community. There were two other community meetings in March 2016 and October 2015 where input was gathered on the redevelopment plan. 

In order to start the redevelopment process, the Housing Authority has made a commitment to using a “Build First” model, so existing residents are not displaced from the neighborhood while the public housing complex is redeveloped over the next several years. Two nearby publicly-owned sites have been identified as potential candidates to build the initial phase of the redeveloped Greenleaf. One is the parking lot adjacent to MPD’s First District headquarters at the northeast corner of Delaware Avenue and M Street. The other site is the DC FEMS Engine 7 repair shop at Half and M streets. 

Greenleaf boundaries in orange; pins show potential "Build First" sites

The preliminary development plan developed by the consultant HR&A Advisors would first involve the construction of a mixed-income building at the selected “Build First” site so some of the existing residents can move there to allow for a phased demolition of the existing Greenleaf buildings, starting with the townhouses along M Street. In the preliminary development plan, there are a mix of housing types and heights. Generally, the building heights are highest along M Street and taper down to the north and south. The redevelopment of the 15-acre site is split into four blocks: 

• Block A is bounded by 3rd Street to the west, Delaware Avenue to the east, M Street to the south and L Street to the north. An affordable seniors/disabled 11-story apartment building with 272 units would be built along M Street with about 15,000 SF of ground floor retail. The northern portion of the block would be developed with a mixed-income nine-story multifamily building with 214 units. 
• Block B is bounded by 3rd Street to the west, Delaware Avenue to the east, L Street to the south and K Street to the north. The west portion would have about 37 townhouses and the east side of the block would be a seven-story multifamily building with about 207 units, with some townhouses on the lower floors. 
• Block C is bounded by 3rd Street to the west, Delaware Avenue to the east, K Street to the south and I Street to the north. The west portion would have about 37 townhouses and the east side of the block would be a mid-rise multifamily building with about 340 units, with some townhouses on the lower floors. 
• Block D is bounded by Delaware Avenue to the west, King-Greenleaf Recreation Center to the east, King Greenleaf Ballfield to the south and M Street to the north. On the northwest portion of the block, an 11-story building would be constructed along Delaware Avenue with about 320 units and 7,000 SF of ground floor retail. A second 11-story multifamily building would be constructed on the northeast portion of the block – this one would have about 420 units, with some townhouses on the lower floors. The south portion of the block would include 42 townhouses. 

Excluding the “Build First” phase of development, nearly 1,900 units would be built at Greenleaf, replacing the existing 493 units of affordable housing and adding a significant amount of market-rate housing. Nothing new has happened since the July meeting, but the next step in the process is to come to an agreement with the District on a site to do “Build First.” Following that, the redevelopment plan needs to be finalized and then the Housing Authority will issue a RFP to select a developer partner.

Over 1,800 Mixed Income Units Could be Built at Greenleaf

At last Saturday’s second Greenleaf community meeting, consultants from HR&A Advisors revealed a potential redevelopment plan for Greenleaf, which calls for a phased redevelopment of the 15-acre public housing complex. The plan would rebuild the 493 units of public housing that currently exist at Greenleaf as well as another 1,374 units of market-rate housing, in a mix of 1-, 2-, 3-bedroom and townhome units. Since many of the existing Greenleaf units are townhomes, a portion of the replacement Greenleaf units will also be townhomes. 

There were six main design ideas that were followed by the consultants and planners from Perkins Eastman: 

1. Make significant public places – Greenleaf abuts Lansburgh Park north of M Street and Greenleaf Recreation Center to the south 
2. Build on existing and historic street network 
3. Construct higher density first 
4. Re-connect across M Street 
5. Enhance connection to emerging neighborhoods: Waterfront Station, The Wharf, Capitol Riverfront, Ballpark District 
6. Integrate market and affordable housing – 30% affordable on each redeveloped block 

The preferred redevelopment option would be to build the first phase outside the Greenleaf footprint, but in the vicinity, so Greenleaf residents won’t need to leave the community. A “Build First” model is something many in the community have advocated for and has the support of the ANC and the DC Council. Several District and federally-owned sites were identified as possible locations for building the initial phase of 127 units under the “Build First” model. This would allow the redevelopment of the block of 38 townhomes between L and M streets to proceed without displacing residents because the families in the townhome units can be moved to the new off-site building. 

The initial phase inside the Greenleaf boundaries would be a high-rise building on the north side of M Street with 271 units for seniors, with the potential for ground floor retail. Once that building is complete, the current seniors building on the south side of M would be replaced with another high-rise with 662 units of mixed income housing, including flats and townhomes on the first two levels. Phase three on-site includes 240 units – townhomes where the Greenleaf mid-rise building is now and a high-rise on the north end of the block between L and M streets. After that phase is complete, a mix of 336 mid-rise and townhome units can be built on the block between K and L streets. Development would conclude with more mid-rise and townhome units (336 units) on the northernmost block between I and K streets. 

This is just a preliminary plan and could change before the final plan is released this summer. A third community meeting will be held in May where the plan will be fleshed out further. Construction is still several years away, but having a framework will allow the Housing Authority to seek a developer partner to help bring the vision of a mixed income Greenleaf to reality.

The redevelopment plan for Greenleaf sounds very similar to one posted three years ago today on this blog...the only difference is the current plan is NOT A JOKE. The Housing Authority could have hired me to write the plan! :-)

Greenleaf Gardens Recipient of Hope VI Grant (APRIL FOOLS POST)

At a press conference this morning, the Mayor announced that Greenleaf Gardens will be the latest recipient of a Hope VI Revitalization Grant from HUD to redevelop the public housing complex into a mixed-use community. There are currently 278 units at the DCHA-run Greenleaf Gardens, covering 15 acres of land. The site is bounded by I Street to the north, 3rd Street to the west, M Street to the south, and Delaware Avenue to the east as outlined in the above image in red.

“As our city continues to grow, we need to look at ways that we can better leverage the assets we have in our public housing communities, “said the Mayor during the press conference. “With this grant from HUD, we will be able to maintain modern, clean, affordable housing for our residents, while at the same time provide additional residential density one block away from Metro.”

There is a lot of development activity in the vicinity of Greenleaf Gardens. To the west, The Bernstein Companies is planning three new residential buildings at Town Center. The Southwest Library will be completely renovated over the next four years. In addition, the SW Library park will soon become a new playground. Lansburgh Park is located just to the east, which will get a dog park and community garden this summer. To the south, a new St. Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church and 200-unit apartment building are supposed to break ground before the end of the year.  

As proposed, the Hope VI project will have approximately 1,600 units in a mix of building types. The 278 units of affordable housing will be replaced one for one and will be scattered throughout the project while the remaining units will be market-rate. There will be 150 townhomes in the northernmost block between I Street and K Street, 650 units in four mid-rise buildings in the middle block between K Street and L Street, and 800 units in two high-rise towers in the southernmost block from L Street to M Street. There will be ground-floor retail space available on the M Street buildings. The buildings will primarily be rental apartments, but there will be a for-sale component, depending on market conditions. It will take several years for this project to be built, maybe never, since this post is just an April Fools’ Day joke.

Lansburgh Park to Get New Additions This Summer

Progress is being made to bring new amenities to Lansburgh Park, the largest park in Southwest (if you don't count the National Mall), located along Delaware Avenue roughly from K Street to L Street and backs up to the DMV. Two organizations have been busy raising funds and garnering support to build a dog park and a community garden. The PAWS of Southwest have received approval from the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) to build a 10,000 square-foot dog park to the east of the tennis courts. There will be two areas - a 2,000 square-foot area for small dogs and 8,000 square feet for large dogs. The project is fully funded and plans are to break ground this summer. The District will contribute towards the basics and PAWS will fund the rest. A new blog was created to help the SW Waterfront community with tips for handling and training your dog in an urban environment called Waterfront Woof League.

Meanwhile, the SW Community Gardens group has plans of their own for a garden to be located to the northeast of the tennis courts in a 6,500 square-foot space. DPR has also been working with the garden group, which is affiliated with the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly. The group was recently the recipient of a $50,000 grant in a nationwide competition from Fiskars called the 2013 Project Orange Thumb Garden Makeover. According to the press release:

Their proposed “Lansburgh Park Community Garden” was envisioned as a place for meditative gardening and community programming for veterans, youth and seniors. The new [6,500] square-foot garden will provide educational opportunities and give community members a place to reap the rewards of growing their own fresh food. Plans are underway for a one-day Fiskars Project Orange Thumb garden makeover in partnership with The Home Depot Foundation in July 2013.

Volunteers from the community will be needed to help put the garden together.

A Few Quick Items from Monday's ANC 6D Meeting

- The boundaries of Police Service Areas (PSAs) in MPD's First District will change next year. The PSA that falls in Southwest will change from PSA 104 to PSA 105. The PSA meets every third Thursday of the month, usually in the community room of one of the residential buildings in the neighborhood.

- As mentioned previously, the SW post office at Half & L Street will close once its lease expires at the end of 2012. The USPS is looking for a new location for the post office in the neighborhood. If one can't be found in Southwest, a temporary one may be set up in Near SE until an appropriate space can be found in Southwest.

- The Urban Forestry Administration will clean up Town Center East Park (adjacent to the SW Library at I Street and Wesley Place), do some general pruning of trees, and remove dead tree stumps (pending an environmental assessment since the site of the park was once a funeral home).  Jack Chapman, an arborist from the Urban Forestry Administration, said he would inspect the park soon and see which trees may need to be removed. He mentioned that the street trees bordering the park might be removed since they are impeding the growth of the trees in the park and would be replaced with understory street trees.

- The ANC unanimously approved the designation of a group called "Friends of Lansburg Park", which would allow the organization to join the Parks Partners program under DPR and use SWNA's 501c3 status to do fundraising to make improvements to the park. The underused park, located along Delaware Avenue behind First District headquarters and across the street from Greenleaf Gardens, has been thought of as a place for a community garden, dog park, skate park, and playground, among other ideas. The "Friends" would organize a charrette with the community to help plan its future. However, individuals have not identified yet who would run the "Friends" group.

- Joseph Dorsey from DDOT gave an update on the reconstruction of Maine Avenue from the 14th Street ramp to 12th Street. The project was originally supposed to last about three to four months, but close to six months later, construction has not been completed yet due to weather delays. Substantial completion of the project is near, though. About 97% of concrete has been poured, granite curbs are installed, lighting is in place, and the road has been paved. The road has been narrowed from two lanes to one and the sidewalk has been expanded to allow improved access between the Tidal Basin and the Southwest Waterfront. Parking will be restricted in this area. A bike lane will eventually be installed on the road and should serve as a traffic calming measure. New trees will be installed next spring since it is so late in the season. The project cost about $2 million and despite the delays, is still on budget.

- The organizers behind the inaugural SW ArtsFest this past September have filed for 501c3 non-profit status and are looking for a Treasurer. They plan to do another SW ArtsFest next fall and will coordinate with the other Ward 6 festivals that occur around September and October so their event doesn't overlap with other festivals.  

SW Post Office to Close

At tonight's ANC 6D meeting, the commissioners confirmed that the Southwest Post Office, located on Half and L Street, will close at the end of 2012 when its lease expires. The main reason for the post office closure is because of the lease expiration, not cutbacks by the Postal Service, so the search for a replacement space is under way. There is no indication of what will replace the current post office building, but the Ruben Companies owns the post office site (along with several other parcels on both sides of South Capitol Street) and has plans for office and possibly residential development on their other sites. USPS is looking to sign a 10-year lease in the area that can accommodate retail sales, post office boxes, and distribution, similar to the current facility. If distribution cannot be done on site, then it will be done at the main Brentwood facility, but packages would be picked up at the new local post office. Commissioner McBee mentioned that a 4,000 SF space is available at the 1101 4th Street building at Waterfront Station. A centrally located post office on 4th Street is preferable to the Commissioners, but if that space doesn't work out, they will be in talks with other area developers in Near SE to locate a temporary post office there until a site in Southwest becomes available. A temporary Near SE post office would still serve the 20024 ZIP code even though Near SE is located in a different ZIP code.

On a related note, according to the Washington Business Journal, the Ford post office that was originally slated to close will now remain open, thanks to the efforts by Congresswoman Norton.

Southwest Has Two (Several) Post Offices, but for How Long?

According to the Washington Business Journal, the Southwest Station Post Office at 45 L Street is one of 19 post offices in the District that's slated to possibly close due to financial difficulties at the United States Postal Service (USPS).  The USPS leases the 16,200 SF space at 45 L from The Ruben Companies, the same developer that owns several parcels in the area, including 1101 South Capitol Street (where a KFC/Taco Bell once stood), and the former Exxon gas station on the same block as the post office, the sale of which JDLand posted earlier this month. The current post office lease at 45 L expires at the end of 2012. There's no indication of what would replace the post office after that date, but 1101 South Capitol Street across the street is planned as an office building.

There is a second post office in Southwest, located in L'Enfant Plaza's retail center adjacent to USPS headquarters.  However, it is a much smaller storefront (about 8,500 SF) and is only open on weekdays.  With the prospect of the 45 L Street station closing and the ongoing renovation at the retail center, perhaps the L'Enfant Plaza Post Office will remain open on Saturdays. The current L'Enfant Plaza post office is located near the entrance to the retail center off of the plaza on 10th Street, but isn't easily accessible for those with disabilities (that may change once a glass atrium entryway is built on the plaza that is part of JBG's renovation of the retail center). The new post office will be about the same size as the current one and will shift more to the east from its current location. Parking is more of a challenge at L'Enfant compared to the 45 L Street location.  There is metered parking on 10th Street, but during the day those spaces are mostly full. Having the only post office in the neighborhood at L'Enfant Plaza will force Southwesters to patronize the area more so than they do now (or not, since I only go to the post office on average about once a year).

The red X marks where the post office will be located.  The red circle shows phase one of the retail renovation, or the food court, that was completed this spring.  The red arrow shows the entrance to the food court from the HUD courtyard.

Above renderings of the glass entryway to the L'Enfant Plaza retail center and floorplan courtesy of SmithGroup

Update: As commenters have noted, there are more than two post offices in Southwest.  Besides the Fort McNair, NASA, and Ford Building, there are post offices at the Department of Agriculture and the Rayburn Building - maybe more.  However, these post offices primarily serve those who work in those buildings or military bases, since it's cumbersome for regular folks to walk in to these facilities. The Ford, Rayburn, and Department of Agriculture post offices are slated to close.

Saturday Night Movies at Lansburg Park

Screen on the Green on the National Mall is over, but tomorrow, Ward 6 Council Member Tommy Wells and the DC Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR) will host the inaugural of Saturday Night Movies at Lansburg Park, located at Delaware Avenue & L Street. This week's film is "Dreamgirls." Free popcorn and snow cones will be available, but moviegoers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets. The weather forecast for tomorrow calls for a 30% chance of rain, so plan accordingly. Lansburg Park, at five acres, is an underutilized asset in our community, so it's good that DPR is starting to activate the space a little more. Back in March of 2008, CapitalSpace (a consortium of NCPC, NPS, the Office of Planning, and DPR) made a presentation to SWNA with recommendations to improve Lansburg Park, which included, among other things, showing films on the lawn. A summary of the recommendations from that meeting can be found here. SWDC Blog also has a post about the condition of the park.