440-Unit Apartment Building Planned for The Portals

In what would be the first residential building south of the Mall and north of the SW freeway since urban renewal, Republic Properties has proposed a 15-story, 440-unit residential building at 1399 Maryland Avenue, one of the remaining undeveloped parcels at The Portals. This site was originally planned as office, but Republic Properties switched course and now wants to move forward with the project as residential. The Portals currently includes three office buildings and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. With this new residential building added, there would remain one undeveloped parcel which is currently slated as office. 

Currently, the area south of the National Mall and north of the SW freeway is primarily an office zone (save for a few hotels) which shuts down after work hours. With this new residential project that image may start to change. The SW Ecodistrict Initiative calls for at least 1,000 residential units in this area of Southwest in order to increase the mix of uses and help turn the area into an 18-hour, live-work-play neighborhood. Although technically outside of the SW Ecodistrict Initiative borders, introducing residential to The Portals may incentivize others to eventually do so within the Ecodistrict.

The Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) reviewed the concept plan for the residential building back in November and expressed concern about the project’s height and design. In addition to being the first residential building in this area of the District, 1399 Maryland Avenue would be among the tallest buildings in the city, since Maryland Avenue is elevated above the rail tracks by 46 feet or so and the 130-foot height is measured from the street surface, not ground level. The other buildings at The Portals are 90 feet tall. With regard to the design, the CFA was concerned that the proposed building’s prominent location at the entrance to the monumental core of the city from the 14th Street Bridge should not have a building that does not stand out too much or is too complex. The Commission requested that Robert A.M Stern Architects refine the design to address these issues. The above and below renderings show the revised concept. 

In its letter to the developer dated January 30, the CFA stated: 

While finding the revised design to be considerably improved, the Commission made several recommendations for the development of the design and did not take a formal action on the concept submission. 

Republic will need to refine the design further and resubmit the project for review by the CFA. The WBJ first reported on this story. 

 Rendering courtesy of Robert A.M. Stern Architects

A Few Quick Items: FANtastic March 10K, Maine Avenue Construction, SW Comm-Unity Day

- The Mandarin Oriental Hotel is sponsoring a 10K walk/run to benefit the Southwest Playground Project - the FANtastic March 10K will take place on Sunday, September 18th around monumental Washington. The entry fee is $50 and includes breakfast, a FANtastic t-shirt, and a barbeque at the conclusion of the run at Hains Point. In addition, the Mandarin will make a corporate match up to $10,000 towards the Southwest Playground Project. To date, about $1,750 has been raised out of the $10,000 goal for the event. Click here to sign up for the 10K. Other recent corporate contributions toward the playground include a $5,000 grant from the Safeway Foundation and $1,250 from Station 4 during their soft opening on June 26.

- DDOT began road work today on eastbound Maine Avenue from the northbound 14th Street Bridge ramp to 12th Street. According to DDOT:

The project will replace the existing 4-foot-wide sidewalk with a new 14-foot-wide trail, accommodating both bicyclists and pedestrians, and replace the existing road surface. Installation of new storm water drainage elements, bio-retention areas, trees, lighting, signs, curb, gutter and fencing is also included in the project. To accommodate these amenities, on-street parking in this area will be eliminated. The number of vehicular lanes will be reduced from two to one and some driveway entrances to businesses will be realigned.

Construction will take place Monday – Friday from 7am to 7pm and sometimes on weekends from 8am to 5pm. During construction, the eastbound sidewalk and the Maine Avenue entrance to the Fish Market will be closed. Access to the market will still be open via Water Street. The work will be completed around mid-October.

- The 5th Annual SW Comm-Unity Day is set for Saturday, August 6 at the King-Greenleaf Recreation Center from 9am - 8pm. The day-long event will offer free activities for the entire family. SW Comm-Unity Day stems from the annual Unity Day event that used to occur each summer when former residents of Southwest that were displaced during urban renewal would come back to the neighborhood. For more information, check the SW Comm-Unity Forum’s website.

A Few Quick Items: Thievery Corporation at Kastles Stadium, Homeless Encampment Removed, Zoning Commission Video

- The 13-0 Washington Kastles are playoff-bound and end their regular season tomorrow at home. After the season, the stadium will not remain empty for long. Thievery Corporation will have a concert at Kastles Stadium at The Wharf on Saturday, August 20th at 6pm.  Tickets will go on sale this Friday at 10am.  Follow this link to purchase tickets - prices are not available yet.  In addition, a charity soccer tournament will occur on July 31st. General admission for Celebrity Soccer Challenge 2011, hosted by Mia Hamm and Nomar Garciaparra, is $23 and benefits the Mia Hamm Foundation & Children's National Medical Center.

- Earlier today, the District government removed a homeless encampment on the north side of Maine Avenue underneath the 14th Street Bridge near the Tidal Basin. This follows the removal last month of an encampment on the south side of the street. The encampments have finally been removed after several months of complaints from residents. I remember seeing the encampments going back to this past winter.

- For those of you who missed the 5-hour Zoning Commission meeting on Monday evening where The Wharf PUD was hashed out, it is now available on video.  The video is below, or use this link.  For your reference: the Deputy Mayor's Office presentation begins around minute 00:18, the developer presentation begins around minute 00:31, Office of Planning testimony begins around minute 02:37, ANC 6D presentation begins around minute 03:14, testimony of those in support of the project begins around minute 03:29, and opposition testimony begins around 04:43.  The remaining testimony of those who are opposed will be held Thursday evening at 6:30pm.

4th & M

There was a lengthy discussion at Monday's ANC 6D meeting about the intersection of 4th & M Streets, which has been the scene of three car accidents involving pedestrians in the past year. Some of the ANC commissioners met with DDOT officials to discuss pedestrian safety and as a result, some changes are on the way. Here is an excerpt from an email DDOT Director Gabe Klein sent to a local list-serv today on the issue:

We are still pursuing the “complete street” plan on M Street and would like to move beyond concept and to design. There has been back and forth on whether to have shared bus/bike lanes and other questions. I am asking Jamie Henson for a complete run down. After the accidents, I talked to US DOT Secretary Ray LaHood personally about the concept, and he wholeheartedly supports it. In addition, we made safety improvements in the area including eliminating right turns on red at key intersections.

The "complete street" plan Klein is referring to is a plan spearheaded by Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells and the Capitol Riverfront BID, which was presented to the community in March. In the interim, two resolutions passed unanimously by the ANC related to the intersection - one would direct DDOT to remove five parking spaces on the south side of M Street between the entrance to Tiber Island (430 M Street) and the intersection of 4th & M. The reason for removing the parking spaces was motorists can't see the "Right Turn Only" sign when approaching 4th Street and will give them time to get in the right lane before making a right onto 4th Street off of M Street. The second resolution would direct MPD to have officers patrol the intersection for two hours a day every day for a week to observe traffic violations. In addition, it was revealed by Naomi Mitchell from Wells' office that the council member will help the ANC get their desired traffic study of the M Street corridor, which the ANC has been requesting for years since a lot of development has been occurring (or are in the planning books) for the corridor without a comprehensive plan for dealing with traffic on M Street (from the 14th Street Bridge to the 11th Street Bridge).

Upcoming Events in Southwest

- Tomorrow, Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells will be holding his monthly Southwest community office hours from 8am - 9:30am at the Channel Inn, located at 650 Water Street.

Related to Council member Wells, but not necessarily to Southwest specifically, Wells was interviewed on the Kojo Nnamdi Show's Politics Hour last Friday about juvenile justice.

- On Friday, May 21, two new SW Call Boxes will be dedicated - one honoring Dr. Dorothy Height and another honoring four civil rights & women's rights leaders (Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman, Representative Patsy Mink, National Association of Women (NOW) President Molly Yard, and Representative Barbara Jordan. The event will take place at Jefferson Middle School, located at 801 7th Street, just across from the actual call boxes in front of the 700 7th Street condo building from 2pm - 3pm, followed by a reception.

Please RSVP by Friday, May 14th, as seating in the Jefferson Middle School auditorium with the students is limited. It's preferable to RSVP by email to pk@ieee.org but you can also call (202) 554-5674 and record your name and e-mail address, or fax a note to (202) 479-4396. The school will be furnished with a guest list and they will ask you to show an ID.

Last April, 14 call boxes were revealed with cherry blossom art during the National Cherry Blossom Festival and a call box honoring Thurgood Marshall was unveiled the following month.

- There will be a meeting on Tuesday, May 25th from 6pm - 8pm to discuss the 14th Street Bridge Corridor Environmental Impact Statement, which is in the process of being completed for when the span and its approaches are eventually replaced.

- A second TOPP (Traffic Operations and Parking Plan) meeting for Nationals Park will be held on Tuesday, May 25th (tentatively scheduled for 6:30pm) at 2nd Baptist Church, located at 1200 Canal Street. This meeting was scheduled, since several participants didn't show up at the April 27th meeting.

- The Susan G. Komen Global Race for the Cure will be taking place on Saturday, June 5th at the National Mall. Last year, the race raised $4.7 million for local education and community outreach programs that work tirelessly to assist vulnerable populations. Anyone can sign up for the race online.

- The 1st Annual Washington DC Triathlon will be held on Sunday, June 20th from 5:30am - 11:30am. Street closures in Southwest will involve parts of Independence Avenue, 12th Street, 15th Street, and Memorial Bridge.