More Apartments and Community Center Planned at Waterfront Station

(This post is a portion of an article that appears in the May 2018 Hill Rag)

Waterfront Station and before it the Waterside Mall has served as the Town Center for the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood for decades. It contains the neighborhood’s only grocery store, as well as a pharmacy, restaurants, and professional services, including a dentist office. Two office buildings fully occupied by District government agencies and three rental apartment buildings are currently in place and a future phase with more rental apartments, retail, daycare center, and a black box theater is planned on the northeast parcel. Two other parcels have yet to be developed, which flank 4th Street and are located adjacent to the Waterfront Metro station entrance. 

The original stage one Planned Unit Development (PUD) approval for these two sites at 4th and M streets was for office, but developer Forest City has requested a change to residential. Its reason for the change in use is due to unfavorable conditions in the office market. The state of the office market has changed significantly since the Waterfront Station development was originally conceived in the aughts. Previously, the development was intended to be primarily office, with less retail and minimal residential. Prior to the Great Recession, Fannie Mae was going to move its headquarters to Waterfront Station, but they pulled out in the wake of financial troubles at the quasi-government agency. Over time, the plan for Waterfront Station has evolved in favor of more residential and retail and less office. 

Rendering of planned 375 M Street building

In its current proposal, Forest City plans to develop a 285-unit rental apartment building on the east parcel (375 M Street) with 18,830 square feet of ground floor retail along M Street and the Metro plaza, 32,400 square feet of commercial space intended for professional services tenants on the second floor, and a 6,000 square-foot community center on the first and second floors. This would be the third community center located in Southwest, joining the Randall Recreation Center and King-Greenleaf Recreation Center, but it would be the only one without adjacent recreation fields. The community center was proffered by the developer to win approval from ANC 6D, which was originally lukewarm to the idea of changing uses at the two remaining parcels at Waterfront Station from office to residential. As a part of the PUD, the developer has offered the community center rent-free for a period of 30 years and will contribute up to $565,000 for interior design and fit-out, furniture, fixtures, equipment, and initial start-up costs. 

Rendering of planned 425 M Street building

On the west parcel (425 M Street), the plan is to develop a 310-unit rental apartment building with 21,203 square feet of ground floor retail along 4th and M streets. The main residential entrance will be located at the northeast corner of the building. In both buildings, 8% of the floor area will be reserved for residents earning up to 60% of Area Median Income (AMI) and of that total, five units will be 3BR apartments. Under this proposal, the east parcel will be developed first, allowing for the west parcel to remain open space until the completion of the 325 M Street building. Part of the west parcel will house a trailer that will be the interim Southwest Branch library while a new library is built in its current location at 900 Wesley Place. 

For its part, the ANC has offered conditional support for the PUD. Portions of the PUD that the ANC supports include the community center, as well as the redesign of the project which provides less density and more setbacks than the original office design, a retail strategy, and traffic plan. However, one of the concerns brought by Commissioner Roger Moffatt, whose single-member district includes the 375 M Street site, was the ability for mom and pop retailers to occupy smaller spaces at the proposed development. It has proven to be difficult to get smaller retailers into the previous phases of the development since the buildings would not allow a tenant who needed less than 1,200 square feet to occupy space. While the U.S. Postal Service is not a “mom and pop” retailer, it was used as an example of a tenant that was unable to relocate to Waterfront Station because its need for a 900 square-foot space could not be accommodated. Other outstanding issues brought by ANC Vice Chair Andy Litsky include the selection of the community center operator and clarification on the “free rent” provision to include HVAC and electricity; improvements to public space at the Metro plaza; a traffic plan for the 4th and M streets intersection; placement of the Metrobus and Circulator bus stop along M Street; and other logistical concerns. 

The Zoning Commission will continue the hearing on May 10th and a final decision on the proposed development is expected in the coming months.

Renderings courtesy of Forest City

Design of New Southwest Branch Library Comes Into Focus

In early January, DCPL submitted an application to the BZA in order to build a new, standalone Southwest Branch library at 900 Wesley Place. The existing library was built in 1961 and no longer serves the needs of a growing community, where thousands of new multifamily units are coming online within the next five years. After a series of public meetings, DCPL developed a plan for the library which provides separate spaces for children and adults.

On the first floor, patrons will enter the new library using an entrance on the northwest corner of the building. Upon entering the library, the north side of the building will be the Market Place. The west side of the building will contain two multipurpose rooms and the book drop. Space dedicated to Children’s Services will occupy the remaining area on the first level, as well as restrooms. Staff will enter the building from an entrance off K Street. A terrace on the northeast corner and a reading porch on the north side of the building will open towards the playground at the adjacent 3rd and I Street SW Park. The second floor will contain a series of study/meeting rooms, space for Teen/Adult Services, an adult patio, staff areas, and space for the Friends of the Southwest Library. A portion of the floor on the second level will be open to the first floor below.

Designed by Perkins + Will, the new Southwest Library takes cues from the modernist design of the neighborhood with the use of wood, metal panels, glass, and a distinctive crinkle roof. The new library will be similar in size to the existing one at 20,792 SF, but there will not be a basement due to concerns over flooding since it is below the floodplain. Parking will be provided for seven vehicles, a reduction in the number of spaces currently available at the library by two. A landscape buffer will screen the parking area from the sidewalk along 3rd Street. Green features will include, among other things, a green roof, photovoltaic panels, and bioretention areas, sufficient to secure LEED-Gold status for the building.

DCPL is seeking approval for the project and has requested three special exemptions from zoning regulations. One special exemption has to do with parking – zoning requires a government building of this size to have nine spaces, but DCPL wants to build seven surface spaces. Since the library is close to the Waterfront Metro station, two Metrobus routes, and within walking distance of most of Southwest, DCPL contends there will be sufficient parking. The second special exemption is for long-term bicycle parking – DCPL will provide one less space than required. Finally, the third special exemption is lot occupancy – it is required that up to 40% of the lot be occupied by the new building, but the design calls for 47% lot occupancy. All three special exemptions have been requested in order to maintain the current design of the new library. At its December 2017 meeting, ANC 6D voted 3-0-2 in support of the BZA application.

If approved by the BZA, demolition of the existing library will likely take place this fall, after an interim library location is found. Construction will take a little more than a year and the new library will be complete in early 2020.

Renderings courtesy of DCPL

Metro Service Advisory: Waterfront Station Closed for Holiday Weekend

The Waterfront Metro station will be closed from 12:01 AM on Saturday, February 13 until closing on Sunday, February 14 (WMATA's advisory says through Sunday although the sign at the Metro station says through Monday). In addition to Waterfront, the upper level of L'Enfant Plaza and Archives/Navy Memorial/Penn Quarter stations will be closed.  The closure is needed to do tunnel leak remediation and NTSB-recommended track circuit module replacement. Free shuttle bus service will be provided between Gallery Place and Navy Yard stations. From WMATA:

Free shuttle buses will operate on two routes:

• Green Express buses will operate between Gallery Place and Navy Yard stations with no intermediate stops. Please add up to 20 minutes of travel time.
• Green Local buses will operate between Gallery Place and Navy Yard, making intermediate stops at Archives, L'Enfant Plaza and Waterfront stations. Please allow 12-15 minutes of travel time for each station stop. 

Rail service will resume at these stations (either or Monday, February 15 or Tuesday, February 16).

Waterfront Metro Escalator Repairs

Starting on January 18, WMATA will begin a two-year project to replace the escalators at the Waterfront Metro station. From WMATA:

The project will replace the current entrance escalators, which are more than 20 years old and have exceeded their useful life, with brand new escalators that are more durable and reliable. Metro's contractor, KONE, will install the new escalators one at a time, while keeping two units in service for the duration of the project -- one running up and one running down.

It will take about 35 weeks to fix each of the three escalators and most of the work will be done at night to minimize disruption. Maybe they will finally remove the SEU from the station pylon and entrance while they're at it...  

Southwest May Have Three Circulator Routes by 2024

DC Circulator service to Southwest will be restored and enhanced if proposed changes by DDOT are approved (the DC Council already approved funding for a 1.4-mile westward extension of the Union Station – Navy Yard route along M Street to the Waterfront Metro to begin operations in FY 2015). Last week, DDOT released the DC Circulator Transit Development Plan for the next 10 years that shows a total of three Circulator lines that could service Southwest by 2024. Aside from the aforementioned extension, the Convention Center – Southwest Waterfront route would be restored in Phase II by FY 2020 (it was discontinued in 2011 and replaced by the 74 Bus) and a new route would connect Dupont Circle to Southwest via 17th Street, NW and Maine Avenue during Phase III by FY 2024. These new (and restored) lines would coincide with the opening of The Wharf and other planned development in Southwest. 

It is estimated that ridership will increase by nearly 14% with the Southwest extension of the Union Station – Navy Yard route; however, ridership along this route is currently the lowest of the five existing Circulator routes. This route extension (along with two others) did not meet several key Circulator performance metrics, but it will still move forward since it was already funded by the DC Council. DDOT will be evaluating whether the Near SE/Navy Yard/Capitol Riverfront area can support year-round Saturday service and year-round service after 7pm on the Union Station – Navy Yard route, which would benefit Southwest once this line is extended to the west. Currently, service hours vary depending on the time of year; there is no plan to offer Sunday service on this route. 

Of the three lines proposed for Southwest, ridership projections for the new Dupont Circle – Southwest Waterfront route are highest. Over 1.2 million annual riders are expected on the new route, compared to 762,000 riders for the restored Convention Center – Southwest Waterfront route. 

During the public engagement process earlier in the year, there were six pop-up events across the city where surveys were collected, in addition to online surveys. Of the six pop-up events, the most responses were collected at the Waterfront Metro station pop-up, garnering 15% of all survey responses. More than half of the respondents to the survey indicated that the Southwest Waterfront should be served next by the Circulator – the most of any location, followed by U Street Corridor/Shaw/Howard University. 

Other new routes are planned as well in other parts of the city – one would connect Columbia Heights to Brookland and NoMa, while another would go from the National Mall to Union Station, as well as extensions of existing lines. Circulator fares would increase to $1.50 on SmarTrip and $2.00 cash from the current fare of $1.00. 

The DC Circulator Transit Development Plan is open for public comment until November 7. A Semi-Annual Open House on October 20 from 6-8pm will provide residents the opportunity to weigh in on the plan. It will be located at Pinstripes in Georgetown (1064 Wisconsin Avenue, NW).  In addition, comments may be submitted by clicking on the contact us link located on the DC Circulator website. For more information on the TDP, contact Circe Torruellas or call 202-671-2847.

A Few Quick Saturday Morning Items: GSA Open House, Circulator Pop-Up Meetings, Running of the Chihuahuas, New Amidon-Bowen Windows

The GSA will host an open house on April 30 at the SW Library to solicit input on their RFQ involving the transfer of the Cotton Annex and GSA regional headquarters in exchange for construction services at GSA HQ and up to three historic properties at St. Elizabeths. As a part of the RFQ process, GSA needs to perform an Environmental Assessment, which involves community engagement, hence the planned open house. In addition, the GSA will be accepting comments on the "scope" of the Environmental Assessment through May 14. Comments can be sent by email to cottonannexrob@gsa.gov to via snail mail to:

Suzanne Hill, Regional Environmental Planning Officer

U.S. General Services Administration, NCR

301 7th Street, SW, Room 4004

Washington, DC 20407

 Image courtesy of GSA

DDOT will be hosting a series of "pop-up" meetings next week to solicit feedback on the Circulator system. One will be held at the Waterfront Metro station on Thursday, April 24 from 3:30-6:30pm. A survey to gather feedback will open April 22 on the DC Circulator website. Each participant will be entered to win a $50 SmarTrip card with a winner randomly selected after the survey closes on May 9.  As a part of the Mayor's FY 2015 budget proposal, the Union Station - Navy Yard Metro Circulator line will be extended to Southwest.

The third annual Running of the Chihuahuas will take place on May 3 at Gangplank Park at The Wharf (between 6th and 7th streets) from 12-3pm.  The entry fee is $20 and there will be cash prizes totaling $500. Entry fees will benefit animal charities. In previous years, PAWS of Southwest was the beneficiary, but the dog park is now fully funded and should open within the next couple of months at Lansburgh Park. Be on the look out for a leash-cutting ceremony soon. 



Renovations continue at Amidon-Bowen Elementary. The latest improvements include new windows, which have been installed over the past couple of weeks. Other improvements that have been made over the past couple of years include a substantial interior renovation that happened two summers ago, as well as a new playground and soccer field.

SW ArtsFest 2012

On Saturday, September 29, the second annual SW ArtsFest will join the ranks of other Ward 6 festivals that take place in September, including those on H Street, NE and Barracks Row. This year, there will be 10 events occurring in SW and just over South Capitol Street at Nationals Park and Yards Park. Take a look at the above map for the locations of each event. Over at the SW waterfront, there will be a sock puppet art studio at 7th Street Landing from 11am - 5pm.  St. Augustine's Episcopal Church will host their annual End-of-Summer Fair with music, crafts, face painting, moon bounce, fried fish sandwiches, a bake sale, and a raffle from 9am - 4pm. Across the street at Arena Stage, there will be hand dancing performances and hourly theater tours from noon to 6pm. Westminster Presbyterian Church will have its 11th annual DC Jazz Preservation Festival with music, crafts, and food for sale from noon - 8pm. Across 4th Street from Westminster will be a farmers market and film series at Christ United Methodist Church. The farmers market lasts from 9am - 2pm and the film series from 2pm - 7pm. At the Waterfront Metro plaza in front of Safeway, there will be a Central Art Market with arts, crafts, food, and live entertainment from 10am - 6pm. Also in the vicinity of the Metro station will be two neighborhood walking tours by Washington Walks (Renewing Urban Renewal at 11am and Southwest Waterfront: From Watermen to Wreckers to "The Wharf" at 2pm). Each tour will last 90 minutes. Further down M Street at Second Union Baptist Church there will be a flea market from 10am - 3pm. From 1pm - 2pm, there will be a parade of Decorated Bicycles that will make its way from FIGMENT at Yards Park in Near SE west along M Street to 4th Street. Finally at Nationals Park, Don Giovanni will be performing in Opera in the Outfield - pre-opera entertainment will start at 5pm and the opera will be from 7pm - 10:30pm.  Admission to all events is free!