Kastles May Return to The Wharf

The Washington Business Journal broke the news last week that the Washington Kastles are in "a continuing dialogue" to return to The Wharf, perhaps for the 2017 season in July as phase one of the massive waterfront redevelopment nears completion. While the WBJ doesn’t give much details about where the stadium would be located (except that it would be on a partially floating pier), it was reported here in March of last year that the planned Transit Pier could be used for that purpose: 

Phillips Flagship occupies roughly where Parcel 2 will be built. An entertainment venue called Wharf Hall with capacity for up to 6,500 patrons, along with a co-generation plant and two mixed income apartment buildings (several with micro units), will replace Phillips Flagship. A Transit Pier will be built nearby to serve water taxis and can accommodate several roles, such as an ice skating rink in the winter and (with the addition of barges along its sides for seating) a stadium for the Washington Kastles, if they choose to return. 

The Kastles played for three seasons at 9th and Water streets before moving to the Smith Center in Foggy Bottom last year to make way for construction of The Wharf. At one point last year, the team was looking to stay in Southwest and play at Waterfront Station on one of the vacant parcels facing M Street; however, the deal fell through. During their tenure at Kastles Stadium at The Wharf, the team won three straight Mylan World Team Tennis Championships and broke the record for the most consecutive wins by a U.S. professional sports team with 34 straight wins. The proposed transit pier location is less than a block away from the former stadium footprint.

Rendering courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

A Few Quick Thursday Afternoon Items: Masala Art, AVDLM Progress, Streetcar Meeting, Kastles to GWU

Interior build-out continues at Masala Art, an Indian restaurant on the ground floor of 1101 4th Street at Waterfront Station. According to a Facebook post by DC Waterfront Gateway, the grand opening is currently planned for some time in July. This will be the second location for the restaurant, which already has a location in Tenleytown. According to ABRA public hearing notice, there will be seating for 133 with the option for a sidewalk café. Masala Art is described as a “new fine dining Indian restaurant with full bar service to patrons dining in the restaurant.” The requested hours of operation are: 

Sunday 10am – 2am
Monday – Thursday 11am – 2am
Friday – Saturday 10am – 3am 

The restaurant will likely not open that late, but it would be allowed to do so if the liquor license is approved. The hearing date is on June 23. 

Construction of the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial is coming along at 150 Washington Avenue and a dedication ceremony is scheduled for October 5. The AVDLM will contain the following components: a star fountain with eternal flame, triangular reflecting pool, granite paving, stone and glass walls, sculptural elements, trees, landscaping, lighting, and parking on the south side of the site. Glass walls planned at the memorial (also known as the Voices of Veterans) will include quotes of disabled veterans and seven images showing wounded and disabled soldiers and veterans and images of care givers. The "Wall of Gratitude" that will run along the middle of the memorial will contain quotations from George Washington and Dwight Eisenhower when they were generals. 

Rendering courtesy of Michael Vergason Landscape Architects

The third and final round of public meetings for the North – South Corridor Planning Study will be taking place during the week of June 9. DDOT will report back on what the agency has heard from the community, present analysis for potential streetcar routes and provide an overview of the next steps in the process. These routes have been evaluated using criteria such as ridership potential and traffic. The meetings will be open-house style and will include two opportunities for participants to hear an overview presentation. The South Sub Area meeting (which includes Southwest) will be on Tuesday, June 10 from 3:30pm – 8:30pm at 1100 4th Street in the 2nd Floor community room. There will be two presentations – one at 4pm and another at 7pm. 

The Washington Kastles have decamped from Southwest entirely and are moving indoors this season to the Smith Center in Foggy Bottom, says the Washington Business Journal. Kastles Stadium at The Wharf lasted for three years and was dismantled after the end of last season to make way for phase one of The Wharf. The team was considering a move to a vacant lot at Waterfront Station, but after an extensive amount of due diligence, the site did not work out. While tennis won’t be played at Waterfront Station, there will be some bocce, at least for a day. DC Bocce will have their Bocce-N-Beers Charity Tournament and End of Season Party on Saturday, June 14, featuring 20+ kegs of beer, live music, and an all-day bocce playoffs tournament.

Kastles Won't be Playing at Waterfront Station

According to Gordon Fraley at Vornado, the Washington Kastles stadium will not be built on the empty lot at the northwest corner of 4th and M streets in Waterfront Station. It was reported last month that the team was considering the site for their temporary stadium, which had to be removed from the Southwest Waterfront last year to make way for Phase I of The Wharf.  From Fraley's email update:

After extensive due diligence, we were not able to make the site work for this use...We are in the process of working with other organizations to provide other exciting interim activation experiences at Waterfront Station.

It's unclear where the Kastles will be playing their home matches this season, which is set to get underway on July 9 against the Boston Lobsters.

Meanwhile, another planned interim use at Waterfront Station that will be moving forward is an art installation on the District-owned NE parcel next to CVS. The Southwester reports that the lot will become a mini-exhibit garden with works of art from five internationally-known artists as a part of the 5x5 Project from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Curator Lance Fung selected the following artists to work on the SW exhibit, which will be called Nonuments: Jonathan Fung, Cameron Hockenson, Peter Hutchinson, Jennifer Wen Ma, and Nora Naranjo Morse. From the article:

“For my curatorial contribution to 5×5, I envision Nonuments — a temporary sculpture park featuring ‘monuments’ devoted not to the great, but to ordinary people, to the ideals of democracy, and to the common struggles of humanity,” says Curator Lance Fung. 

The exhibit will be on display for 16 weeks from September to December.

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.

A Couple Quick Thursday Afternoon Items: Kastles Stadium to Waterfront Station?, Media Attention on The Wharf

There is the possibility that the Washington Kastles will return to Southwest for a fourth season, but the stadium would be located at Waterfront Station instead of The Wharf. The empty lot owned by Vornado and Forest City Washington on the northwest corner of 4th and M streets is being eyed by the team for their stadium, with seven home matches scheduled from July 9-22. The last use on that site was for trailers used by CVS and Bank of America while phase one of Waterfront Station was being built (CVS moved to their new home on 4th Street in 2010 while Bank of America decided to move to Near SE/Capitol Riverfront/Navy Yard). Eventually, the empty lot will become an office building with ground floor retail. Prior to their three-year stint on the Southwest Waterfront, the Kastles played at the old convention center site downtown which eventually became CityCenter DC. The Kastles stadium plan will be discussed at next Monday’s May's ANC 6D meeting. (h/t ANC Commissioner Marrero) 

The redevelopment of the Southwest Waterfront was featured today on The Kojo Nnamdi Show on WAMU. A feature on The Wharf was also done on WMAU’s Metro Connection late last month. Kojo’s guests were PN Hoffman’s Monty Hoffman and Washington Post architecture critic Roger Lewis. Speaking of critics, the Commission of Fine Arts mentioned in a review of The Wharf that the public spaces planned at the project threaten to become “carnivalesque,” according to an article in the Washington Business Journal. From the article: 

“They cautioned that the design continues to present unnecessary emphasis on specific moments or events within this linear urban space — using too many materials, too many elements, and too many unrelated forms — which may result in a carnivalesque character, and they suggested editing the vocabulary of design elements to create a calmer, more dignified effect,” [CFA Secretary Thomas] Luebke wrote [to DC Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Victor Hoskins].

Kastles Stadium Leaves the Wharf

In a sign that construction may begin at The Wharf sometime before next July, Kastles Stadium at The Wharf has been dismantled. The stadium has been a fixture at 9th and Water streets for the past three seasons and all that's left now are the lights and ticket window. Before the stadium opened in 2011, Hogates/H2O nighclub was located at that corner.  By 2016, the site will become an office building and an Intercontinental Hotel with ground level retail. The office building will front Maine Avenue and the hotel will face the wharf and Washington Channel.

An earlier rendering of the planned Intercontinental Hotel from Transit Pier.

Rendering courtesy of Hoffman Madison Waterfront

Kastles Win King Trophy

Congratulations to the Washington Kastles for winning their third straight Mylan WTT title with a convincing 25-12 win on Sunday, July 28 against the Springfield Lasers. After a two-hour rain delay, the Kastles won five straight sets to capture their fourth King Trophy in the past five years. Earlier in the season, the Kastles broke the record for the most consecutive wins by a U.S. professional sports team with 34 straight wins. The Kastles have played the past three seasons at Kastles Stadium at the Wharf along Water Street. It's unclear at this point what will happen to the stadium as development is supposed to get underway on The Wharf during the off season.

Washington Kastles Head to Playoffs

The Washington Kastles have secured a first place finish in the Eastern Conference with a regular season record of 12-2 and will host the Eastern Conference Championship this evening against the Boston Lobsters at Kastles Stadium at The Wharf.  The Kastles beat the Lobsters last night in the regular season finale 25-9, so tonight will be a rematch for the two teams.

2012 Mylan WTT Champions meet President Obama.

The season began with history being made as the Kastles broke the Los Angeles Lakers' long-standing record of consecutive wins by a professional sports team.  The unbeaten streak ended at 34 wins and after a two-game skid, the team rebounded and secured the top seed in the Eastern Conference (as well as the best record in the league).  The two-time defending Mylan WTT champions begin the quest for a three-peat tonight at 7pm.  If the Kastles win tonight, they will host the Mylan WTT Finals on Sunday, July 28.  Tickets are available.

Oval Office photo courtesy of Washington Kastles

Happy 5th Anniversary!

 

Today marks the fifth anniversary of Southwest...The Little Quadrant That Could. Five years ago today, I wrote my first post, which talked about the disposition of two parcels owned by the District government - one at the corner of 4th & E streets and the other at the site of Engine 13 at 6th and E streets. The District wants the chosen development team to build a new firehouse at the 4th & E streets parcel with commercial development above it. 

Five years and 783 posts later, a lot of development has occurred in the neighborhood, including a new Safeway, CVS, restaurants, and commercial development along a reopened 4th Street at Waterfront Station; the expansion of Arena Stage; new and refurbished office buildings near and at L'Enfant Plaza; a new Consolidated Forensic Laboratory; a new first district police station; a refurbished Amidon-Bowen Elementary School; a temporary stadium for the Washington Kastles; Camden South Capitol apartments across the street from Nationals Park; Sky House apartments at Waterfront Station; and condo conversions at Potomac Place Tower and Waterfront Tower. 

New Safeway at Waterfront Station.

Other development is imminent. The Wharf, the largest development project coming to Southwest, is expected to start construction later this year once an equity partner is lined up and building permits are obtained. A new playground at the park next to the Southwest Library will be built this summer along with a dog park and community garden at Lansburgh Park. A Southwest BID may be formed as soon as this fall. Construction may begin next year on a new apartment building and a rebuilt St. Matthew's Church on M Street. Planned Unit Developments are active for residential buildings at Town Center and Waterfront Station. In addition, a deal is expected potentially within the next year for a new stadium for DC United at Buzzard Point.

SmithGroup JJR rendering of Parcel 5 at The Wharf.

Several plans and studies have been conducted for the area over the years. Those include the Southwest Ecodistrict Initiative; the M Street Transportation Plan; the Planning Assistant Team plan for Buzzard Point; the Maryland Avenue Small Area Plan; and the SW Small Area Plan is getting underway.

Office of Planning map of boundaries of the SW Small Area Plan.

Meanwhile, those two parcels that were the subject of my very first post remain unbuilt. E Street Development won the bid to develop the two parcels back in 2009, but construction has yet to begin. It was reported earlier this year that plans for phase one changed from an office building to a hotel and construction would start this spring. That start date has since been pushed back again by a few months. An announcement of which hotel brand is coming to the project should be forthcoming soon.

WDG design of the planned hotel with Engine 13 firehouse.

Needless to say it's been a busy five years in the Little Quadrant That Could...stay tuned!

Hingis Joins Kastles, Team Looks to Extend Unbeaten Record

Former World #1 and reigning WTT Female MVP Martina Hingis will be joining Venus Williams and the rest of the Washington Kastles this season at the team defends its second consecutive WTT championship in July. Hingis played for the New York Sportimes last season. The other Kastles players returning this season besides Williams include Leander Paes, Bobby Reynolds, and Anastasia Rodionova. Serena Williams won’t be joining the team this season due to schedule conflicts. Arina Rodionova will not be returning as well.

Also at stake this season is the team’s winning streak, which at 32 is the second longest consecutive winning streak in professional sports. With just two more wins, the Kastles will surpass the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers’ long-standing record. The first two matches of the season will be home games, so there will be a chance to see the record being tied and beaten at Kastles Stadium. Below is the home match schedule for the 2013 season:

• Monday, July 8 vs. New York Sportimes
• Tuesday, July 9 vs. Boston Lobsters (w/ Venus Williams)
• Thursday, July 11 vs. Springfield Lasers (vs. Andy Roddick)
• Wednesday, July 17 vs. Springfield Lasers
• Saturday, July 20 vs. New York Sportimes (USTA Family Night)
• Monday, July 22 vs. Philadelphia Freedoms
• Wednesday, July 24 vs. Boston Lobsters

All matches at Kastles Stadium begin at 7pm.  This season, the playoff and championship matches will be played in the home court of the higher-seeded team, so there is a chance that as much as two post-season matches could be played at Kastles Stadium. Season tickets are available now.

The Roots to Perform at Kastles Stadium

At the 9th Annual DC Jazz Festival this June, there will be a concert on Saturday, June 15th headlined by Grammy Award-winning hip hop band The Roots at Kastles Stadium at The Wharf. Gates will open at 6pm and the opening performance will be done by Snarky Puppy. Tickets will go on sale Monday, April 8th at 10am on Ticketmaster. Prices will range from $30 - $60, excluding fees.

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.

Venus Williams Returns to the Kastles

Venus Williams will return to the Washington Kastles roster this season as they defend their Mylan World Team Tennis championship for the second year in a row. The Kastles will play once again at Kastles Stadium at The Wharf, but it will most likely be their last season at the current location since redevelopment of the Southwest Waterfront is scheduled to begin sometime in 2013. The team has been undefeated since moving to The Wharf in 2011 and at 32 wins in a row are one game away from tying the all-time major professional sports unbeaten streak set by the 1971-1972 Los Angeles Lakers. 

The 2013 season will run from July 7 - 24.  The home match schedule has not been released yet, but Andy Roddick of the Springfield Lasers and Sloane Stephens of the Philadelphia Freedoms will visit Kastles Stadium this season. Coach Murphy Jensen will return this season as well for the Kastles. It's unknown whether Serena Williams will be back this season due to scheduling issues.  The rest of the team will be chosen during the roster draft on March 12.

Photos from Washington Kastles Charity Classic 2012

On Tuesday evening, local pols, Congressmen, media personalities, sports legends, and Kastles players took to the court at Kastles Stadium for the inaugural Washington Kastles Charity Classic.   All proceeds will go to Share Our Strength, DC Public Education Fund, and the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), which helps care for the families of fallen heroes. Below are some photos from the event.

Former Treasury secretary Lawrence Summers is introduced.

Ward 2 Council member Jack Evans and Deputy Mayor Paul Quander
of Team Stripes warm up before their match. 

Ward 7 Council member Yvette Alexander and Senator Evan Bayh of
Team Stars.  Brett Haber of NBC Sports served as MC of the event.

Former Redskins player Darrell Green and Kastles star (and London 2012
Olympics-bound) Leander Paes of Team Stripes.

Former Mayor Tony Williams surveys the court prepping for his role on the line.

Kastles closer (and birthday boy) Bobby Reynolds
and former Redskins player Rocky McIntosh of Team Stars. 

Team Stars won the Kastles Cup.

First Kastles Home Match This Thursday, Charity Tennis Match July 17th

The Washington Kastles, WTT Defending Champions, began their 2012 season last night with a win on the road against the Orange County Breakers 22-18.  Tomorrow, the team plays another road match against the Springfield Lasers.  Thursday will be the first home match of the season at Kastles Stadium at The Wharf against the New York Sportimes.  Gates open at 5:15pm and first serve will be at 7pm.  Prior to the start of the match, a WTT Championship Banner Ceremony will take place.  The 2012 home schedule is as follows:

• Thursday, July 12 vs. New York Sportimes (vs. Martina Hingis)
• Sunday, July 15 vs. Philadelphia Freedoms (USTA Family Night)
• Monday, July 16 vs. Boston Lobsters (w/ Venus Williams)
• Wednesday, July 18 vs. Sacramento Capitals (vs. Sam Querrey)
• Friday, July 20 vs. Orange County Breakers (Chris Evert Fan Reception)
• Sunday, July 22 vs. Kansas City Explorers (w/ Serena Williams)
• Tuesday, July 24 vs. Philadelphia Freedoms

Southwest residents receive a 10% discount off ticket prices when purchasing tickets on Ticketmaster using the promo code SWDC10.

The Kastles will host an inaugural charity tennis match on Tuesday, July 17 at 7:30pm called the Washington Kastles Charity Classic. There will be two teams of 12 players, with each team featuring members of Congress from both major political parties, diplomats, members of the Obama administration, media personalities, and Kastles players.  All proceeds will go to Share Our Strength, DC Public Education Fund, and the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), which helps care for the families of fallen heroes. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $100 for boxes, and $500 for tables. General admission tickets are available on Ticketmaster and tickets for boxes and tables can be purchased by calling the Kastles at 202-4TENNIS. 

Refurbished Tennis Courts

I wasn't able to make this event since my family was in town last weekend. Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells joined Southwest residents and representatives from the Washington Kastles and the US Tennis Association (USTA) in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for three refurbished Jefferson Field tennis courts at 9th & G Street on Saturday, June 16th.  The tennis courts were restored to usage by a grant from the USTA and American Express.    

The Kastles begin their second season on the Southwest Waterfront next month.  Their first home match will be on Thursday, July 12th against the New York Sportimes. The last home match will be on July 24th, which was supposed to be headlined by Venus Williams, but her match was rescheduled to July 16th since she will most likely be participating in the Olympics.  Check here for the full schedule.

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.

A Few Quick Items: 5x5 Art in SW, Helen Hayes Nominations, Kastles Schedule, FTC Wants to Stay Put, Biomass Plant for Blue Plains

- As a part of this year’s National Cherry Blossom Festival, the DC Commission of Arts and Humanities is putting together a 5x5 Temporary Public Art Project to help activate end enliven public spaces.  Two of the 25 pieces of art will be displayed in Southwest – one in front of Arena Stage and the other near the Titanic Memorial on the waterfront.  Below is a description of the two southwest sculptures from the press release:

The Cherry Blossom Cloud by Charles Juhasz-Alvarado, a large-scale temporary public sound sculpture fashioned in the shape of a xylophone from cherry wood that will be situated outside the Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. Drumsticks will be available nearby for passers-by to activate the work by playing a melody or creating their own musical work. 

Deborah Stratman & Steven Badgett’s Polygonal Address (PA) System is a monumental floating platform, anchored at the Gangplank Marina and the waters behind the Titanic Memorial. This solar-powered sound system will feature a wide range of historic sound recordings, such as public addresses given during the 1932 Bonus Army protests on the National Mall. It will also provide a platform for guest sound programming by local, D.C.-based musicians, speakers, and artists.

- Arena Stage has received nine nominations this year for the 28th Annual Helen Hayes Awards. Five of the nominations are for Ruined, while three are for Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf and one for Equivocation. This year’s awards program will take place on Monday, April 23 at the Warner Theatre.

- The Washington Kastles have released their 2012 season home schedule: 

• Thursday, July 12 vs. New York Sportimes (featuring Martina Hingis)

• Sunday, July 15 vs. Philadelphia Freedoms (USTA Family Night)

• Monday, July 16 vs. Boston Lobsters

• Wednesday, July 18 vs. Sacramento Capitals

• Friday, July 20 vs. Orange County Breakers (Chris Evert Fan Reception)

• Sunday, July 23 vs. Kansas City Explorers (with Serena Williams)

• Tuesday, July 24 vs. Philadelphia Freedoms (with Venus Williams)

Last season, the Kastles had a perfect season, record-breaking attendance at their new home at The Wharf, and won the World Team Tennis title.

- According to the Washington Business Journal, the Federal Trade Commission is against a proposal to move from its current headquarters building on Pennsylvania Avenue to Constitution Center in order to help fill some of the space that was to be occupied by the SEC.  From the article:

“To require the agency to move out of its historic headquarters building at 600 Pennsylvania NW, which still suits the agency and its mission, would impose well over $100 million in wholly unnecessary costs,” the [FTC] commissioners wrote. “This unprecedented giveaway would be completely contrary to the interests of American taxpayers, especially in this time of fiscal austerity.” 

- In addition to the Combined Heating and Power facility planned at The Wharf, a new biomass plant will be built at the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater Treatment plant according to the Washington Business Journal. Power from the plant will provide electricity for 30% of the electrical needs at Blue Plains. Construction is supposed to begin in August with completion in late 2014.

A Couple Quick Items: Sports Edition

- In this week's Capital Business, there's an article stating DC United is close to an agreement with the city to extend their lease at RFK Stadium for the next two years. The article alludes that the pending lease agreement and improved budget situation in DC will allow the team and the city time to come up with a plan to build a new stadium. From the article:

"That two-year extension will then provide adequate time for serious negotiations to commence between the city, Events DC and the team about a new soccer stadium in D.C., and one that meets the needs of the city and one that meets the needs of D.C. United," [Events DC board member William N. Hall] said.

Over the past couple of years, the leading site under discussion for a new stadium has been the 9-acre 100 V Street parcel in Buzzard Point owned by Akridge, near a proposed streetcar line. If a new stadium is built there, Potomac Avenue would become a de-facto entertainment corridor connecting Nationals Park and a Buzzard Point soccer stadium. For more on the potential for this corridor, check out my post about it from last year. Whether the Buzzard Point site is still in play remains to be seen.

Rendering courtesy of Akridge

- The Washington Kastles have resigned Venus and Serena Williams to the team roster for the 2012 season.  Last summer, the Kastles had a perfect season record in their first year playing at The Wharf and won the World Team Tennis Championship. This season will take place from July 9 - 28, but the game schedule has not been released yet.