Next ANC 6D Meeting & 7-Eleven Closing?

Here's a link to the agenda for Monday's ANC 6D meeting, which will begin at 7pm at St. Augustine's Episcopal Church. Southwest-related items on the agenda include the Randall School, 1101 South Capitol Street, the new MPD District 1 HQ, and street closures for two races. 1101 South Capitol Street is the former KFC site where Southwest...TLQTC reported back in August that the Ruben Companies had plans to construct an office building. However, 1101 South Capitol no longer appears on their website on their list of projects. On the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) website, there's a hearing on March 10th where 1101 South Capitol LLC will look for a variance and an exception in relation to a planned office building at the site. Perhaps a new developer has purchased the site? Real estate developers typically use LLCs when developing their projects, so this LLC could still be Ruben Companies, but we'll find out on Monday...

On a related note, District Chronicles reported last month that the 7-Eleven on South Capitol Street will close in a year to make way for new development. The 7-Eleven is owned by Vornado. Already, the Bernstein's Reliable Liquor store on M Street was shuttered last year and a cab company has vacated the site. Last night as I was driving along M Street, I noticed the top floors of the building where the liquor store was located was in the process of being gutted...I think. I'll go by the site again today to see if what I saw was correct (admittedly I was pretty tired when I drove by, so maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me).

(Above is a photo of the liquor store site taken in mid-December and in that photo, it wasn't yet gutted, but it was boarded up)

Update: My eyes were not playing tricks on me...below is a photo of the liquor store site today with the top two floors gutted out and surrounded by fencing.

Update #2: Ruben Companies still owns 1101 South Capitol. However, the ANC tabled discussion about Ruben Companies' requested variance and exception at Monday's meeting since they are still in negotiations with the developer regarding community benefits.

Obamas Make the Rounds in Southwest

President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama have been making their way around federal agencies this week. So far, they have been to at least three agencies headquartered in Southwest. According to The Caucus Blog, the First Lady is making a point to visit all of the federal agencies over the next few weeks. Her first stop on Monday was the Department of Education, which is located just south of the future Eisenhower Square memorial. On Wednesday, she visited HUD headquarters on 7th Street. Yesterday, the President was at the Department of Energy, which is located south of the Smithsonian Castle near L'Enfant Plaza.

Forensics Lab Update

According to January's issue of the Consolidated Forensics Laboratory (CFL) newsletter, construction continues at the former Bowen Elementary School, which will be transformed into the new HQ for MPD's 1st District within the next couple of months. Once the new HQ is complete, the old 1st District HQ building at 4th & E Street can be demolished, which will make way for the CFL. Construction services for the CFL gave gone to bid and a general contractor should be named soon. So far, the project is still on target for completion in Fall 2011. (The above rendering is of the CFL from the CFL website)

Click on the graphic below to see a list of green features that will be incorporated into the new CFL.

Lane Closures on I-395 This Week

DDOT has a traffic advisory stating that two lanes of the SE-SW Freeway (I-395) will be closed due to demolition work on the 9th Street bridge. From the traffic advisory:

The District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) is scheduled to demolish a 1000-foot section of the 9th Street, SW Bridge this week. That work will require temporary lane closures on Interstate 395 beginning this evening. DDOT is in the process of completely rehabilitating both the 9th and 10th Street, SW Bridges. It is a year long project that began last November. The demolition work will require closing 2 lanes on southbound I-395 each night this week. The left and center lanes under the 9th Street Bridge will be closed from 8 pm to midnight. In addition, on Thursday, February 5 and Friday February 6, there will be single lane closures on northbound I-395 under the 9th Street Bridge. The far left lane will be closed from 10 am to 3 pm on both days. Variable message signs will be in place to alert motorists and direct them around the lane closures.

Fireboat Damaged in Channel

The Washington Post reports that DCFD's main fireboat the John Glenn was damaged in a collision with The Spirit of Washington cruise boat in the Washington Channel. From the article:

The Spirit of Washington cruise boat struck the District's main fireboat today while the latter vessel was docked, gashing a 15-foot-hole in the fireboat and disabling it for the foreseeable future, fire officials said. There were no passengers aboard the 600-person cruise boat, and no one was injured in the 2 p.m. incident, along Pier 4 at 6th and Water streets SW, authorities said. The collision occurred as the four-person crew of the Spirit of Washington performed a routine maneuver to reposition the ship alongside the pier, said Sal Naso, vice president and general manager of the Spirit Cruises. "They were just turning it around," Naso said. "It's done a thousand times a year. We're obviously going to take care of the fire department." Naso said damage to the cruise boat was minimal. The company substituted another boat, the Spirit of Mount Vernon, for its scheduled dinner cruise. Alan Etter, spokesman for the District's Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department said the damage to the 70-foot John Glenn was "considerable." The gash was on the starboard side, above the water line, and will have to be fixed before it can be returned to service, he said.

The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating the accident. Below is a photo of the John Glenn, one week after the accident. I couldn't get any closer in order to see the gash on the boat.

Southwest Projects May Benefit from Stimulus

The WBJ reports that under the $800+ billion stimulus package approved by the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday, about $900 million will be allocated to the District, which includes money for infrastructure improvements and public school renovations. From the article:

D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty wrote [DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes] Norton Jan. 7 with a list of priorities for stimulus spending that included school modernization, construction of a new police forensics lab, Medicaid matching funds, reconstruction of the Eleventh Street and South Capitol Street bridges, and [other] environmental and housing needs.

Speaking of the South Capitol Street bridge, there will be an ANC 6D presentation meeting on Monday, February 2nd at 7pm, where DDOT will give a briefing on the new bridge design (and hopefully a timetable). The meeting will take place at 1501 Half Street.

February Issue of The Southwester is Available

Here's a link to February's issue of The Southwester.

Douglass Bridge to Close

DDOT has released a traffic advisory that the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge (AKA South Capitol Street Bridge) will be closed on Sunday morning in order to test the swing span from 5am to 10am. This photo of the Douglass Bridge was taken in December 2008.

Inauguration Photos

During the past few days, parts of Southwest were taken over by masses of people due to all the events related to the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. I attended some of the events, namely the We Are One concert at the Lincoln Memorial and the swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol. Here are some photos I took during these events.

The MSNBC studio on the National Mall started broadcasting on Saturday, January 17th from 7th Street & Jefferson Drive. The studio has a window so passersby can see the broadcasters and guests, and it offers great views of the Capitol building from inside.

The We Are One concert, which officially kicked off inaugural activities, was held at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday. There were estimates by CNN that 750,000 people attended the free concert. I was standing east of 17th Street, which was outside of the security zone. Jumbotrons were installed so the large crowd could see the concert.

Several streets north of the SE-SW freeway were closed to vehicles on Inauguration Day. This photo was taken along D Street, in front of L'Enfant Plaza, where tour buses were parked and a crowd of people were trying to find their way to the Washington Monument around 10:30 AM, since by then the security zone at the National Mall was already closed. The WBJ reports that the L'Enfant Plaza Metro station was one of the more heavily used stations since it was one of the closest open stations to the Mall. According to a WMATA press release, January 20th broke the record for the amount of people who used Metrorail...1.12 million riders.

This photo was taken after the President gave his inaugural address and the crowd near the Washington Monument were leaving the National Mall. The Washington Post reports that an estimated 1.8 million people were gathered at the National Mall for the swearing-in ceremony, the largest crowd ever on the Mall.

National Guard troops were stationed in several spots to help with crowd control. This Humvee was parked along Maine Avenue near the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

This photo was taken at the intersection of 7th Street and G Street looking north on 7th, as spectators from the swearing-in ceremony were making their way back to buses or other modes of transit. Visible in the background of this photo is the new facade of Constitution Center.

Additional Inaugural Activities in Southwest

Back in December, Southwest...TLQTC posted about the International Inaugural Ball being held at the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel on the 17th. Here are a few other events taking place in the neighborhood:

Saturday

• On Saturday, January 17th, from 9 am - 4 pm, St. Augustine's Episcopal Church will be hosting an Americorps service project, which will include chili lunch (11 am) with 50-75 service volunteers from all over the country plus the DC clients that they serve. A keynote speaker, group discussion and a non-violent canvass through the Southwest DC neighborhood with the mayor’s office, a safety patrol, and Guardian Angels will follow this. This event is a direct response to Obama’s call for a National Day of Service. RSVP to 202-554-3222. St Augustine's is located at 600 M Street.
• Also on Saturday, there will be a Young & Powerful Group Launch Event at the Holiday Inn Capitol, which is located at 550 C Street, from 7-11pm. Tickets are $50 and more information about the event can be found on their website.

Sunday

• On Sunday, January 18th, two events will take place at Zanzibar, located at 700 Water Street. The first is an event called All for Africa & Africare: A Celebration of Unity Inaugural Event. The event will be from 9pm-2am and ticket prices range from $75 - $500. See the website for more information. The other event is called the Mambo for Obama Ball, from 8pm - 5am. Ticket prices range from $75 - $250. Here's a link to the event's website.
• Also on Sunday, the Air & Space Museum on Independence Avenue will be the location of The California Bash. However, this event is already sold out.
• The Oklahoma State Society will host a reception at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian on Independence Avenue from 7-9pm. This event is FREE, but a RSVP is required.

Monday

• There's a Champagne Reception at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art at 950 Independence Avenue from 7-11pm. Tickets are $175 and here's a phone number for more information: 877-CHN-0844.
• The Land of Enchantment Inaugural Ball will be held at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian from 7-10pm. Unfortunately, this event is sold out.
• The Mandarin Oriental Hotel, located at 1330 Maryland Avenue, will be the venue for the Pearl Gala from 7pm-12am. This event, however, is sold out. (To the right is a photo of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel taken in October 2008)
• The South Carolina Presidential Inaugural Ball will be held at the Air & Space Museum starting at 8pm. This event is sold out.
• The Young & Powerful Black Tie Gala and Awards Ceremony will take place at the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel starting at 8pm. Tickets cost $125.

Tuesday

• On January 20th (Inauguration Day), there will be a service of Morning Prayer from 8:30- 9am at St. Augustine's.
• The Hawai'i State Society is having their Inaugural Ball at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. If you're looking for a ticket for President-Elect Obama's home state ball, sorry, this event is already sold out.
• The Living the Dream Inaugural Ball will be held on January 20th at the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel on 480 L'Enfant Plaza. Tickets are $250. (To the right is a photo of the L'Enfant Plaza Hotel taken in December 2008)
• The 2009 Florida Inaugural Celebration will take place at the National Museum of the American Indian, starting at 7pm. Tickets cost $200, and call (703) 905-9838 for more information.

Saturday

• On Saturday, January 24th, from 3 – 5pm, St. Augustine’s will end Inauguration week by hosting a community event, “MLK and Our Century”, a multifaceted tribute to the life and legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. featuring actor-filmmaker Michael Mack and a diverse panel of well-known artists, activists, politicians and educators. The event will begin with "The Drum Major,” a 20-minute live documentary written, directed by and featuring Mack as “The Voice of Dr. King” and followed by a panel discussion of this historic presidency and current events with Dr. King’s values in mind.