Construction Underway on Banneker Grand Stair

Improved pedestrian and bicycle access from the National Mall to District Wharf from 10th Street will be achieved once construction is complete at Banneker Park next spring. Construction began last month on the $4 million project, which will add a grand stairway, two ADA-compliant pathways, a bike lane around Banneker Circle, and updated landscaping and lighting. No changes are planned for the fountain in the park dedicated to Benjamin Banneker. The park is owned by the National Park Service, but once the improvements are complete, Hoffman Madison Waterfront will share responsibility for maintaining the park with NPS.

New Fish Market Intersection Opens This Week

A new intersection on Maine Avenue is scheduled to open this Friday at the entrance to the Maine Avenue Fish Market. This will allow patrons to make a left turn into the market off on Maine Avenue for the first time. The intersection will also help pedestrians coming south from L’Enfant Plaza cross Maine Avenue. Eventually, there will be a new stairway leading down from Banneker Overlook to ease access to The Wharf development. In addition to the new intersection, a parking lot has been built for patrons of the market.

NCPC Recommendations for 10th Street Corridor Improvements

The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) held a public meeting on December 4th to discuss its preliminary long-term and interim recommendations for the 10th Street corridor as a part of the SW Ecodistrict. There are several initiatives simultaneously underway in the general vicinity of the project area. Within the larger SW Ecodistrict area is Federal Triangle South, where GSA will soon issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) to redevelop five parcels it owns from 12th Street to the west, to 6th Street to the east, to Independence Avenue to the north, to Maryland Avenue and a portion of D Street to the south. The northern portion of 10th Street is included within Federal Triangle South. The Office of Planning recently conducted a Small Area Plan for Maryland Avenue, which will intersect with 10th Street when the historic L’Enfant roadway is reconstructed. DDOT is currently undertaking a year-long transportation study of Maryland Avenue. A new SW Business Improvement District, which includes the SW Ecodistrict boundaries, is in the process of being formed and if approved, will begin services next spring. Just to the north of the SW Ecodistrict, the Smithsonian is working on a master plan to improve the southern section of the National Mall in the vicinity of the Smithsonian Castle. Slides from the December 4 NCPC presentation are available here.

Current view up 10th Street from Banneker Park.

10th Street is envisioned as an urban garden promenade that extends the civic character of the National Mall to Banneker Park. The Forrestal complex would be demolished which would allow new streets to be introduced to the area, including Virginia Avenue and Maryland Avenue. This will reduce the blockiness of the building design that’s currently in place. The width of the right-of-way along 10th Street is recommended to be the same as it is today (150 feet), but the sidewalks are narrowed from 29 feet to 24 feet; a five-foot bike lane is added on either side of the street; the roadway on each side is reduced from 26.5 feet to 20 feet; and the median is expanded from 39 feet to 52 feet. 

On the northern section of the street where it is at-grade, a large tree canopy is recommended with trees growing as high as 50 feet in a linear garden. A “Magnet” Plaza to draw people to 10th Street from the Smithsonian Castle is recommended with a water feature near its northern terminus with Independence Avenue. 

Where the street meets L’Enfant Plaza, an Urban Plaza is recommended. The design of the urban plaza can take shape in a variety of forms, including a framed water feature in the median, an architectural feature in the median, a design that encompasses the right-of-way, and stretching out the plaza from the edge of a building to the east to the building on the west. 

Further south, garden rooms are envisioned with shorter trees cascading down to Banneker Park. Pedestrian access through the tree canopy in the northern section and in the southern section would be limited, but the greatest amount of pedestrian crossings would be at the Urban Plaza near L’Enfant Plaza. Programming space could be accommodated at the “Magnet” Plaza, at the intersection with reconstructed Maryland Avenue, and at the Urban Plaza. 

Vision for a new Banneker Park connection to The Wharf.

Short-term improvements include changes to the street where it meets Independence Avenue, programming, wayfinding signage, and connections. 

• Entry – Where the street intersects with Independence Avenue, it is recommended to improve the area with defined crosswalks and Tactical Urbanism, defined by Atlantic Cities’ Nate Berg as “quick, often temporary, cheap projects that aim to make a small part of the city more lively or enjoyable.” Examples of Tactical Urbanism include guerrilla gardening, pavement-to-parks, and open streets.
• Programming – On certain stretches of 10th Street, festival programming can occur, from Independence Avenue to Maryland Avenue, as well as from L’Enfant Plaza to Banneker Park. 
• Wayfinding – Improvements are recommended for the entire length of 10th Street. 
• Connections – Bike lanes, enhanced crosswalks, and lane modifications are recommended. In addition, a stair connection to the Maine Avenue Fish Market is proposed and a path connection to 9th Street. At Banneker Park, a terraced stairway is proposed on the west side with enhanced landscaping that leads down to Maine Avenue where a new signalized intersection is planned along with green walls to help soften the appearance of the existing structure. 

Public comments will be accepted until December 31.

Renderings courtesy of NCPC

Takeaways from SW Ecodistrict Meeting

There was a SW Ecodistrict public meeting Tuesday night hosted by NCPC that discussed some options that are being contemplated for 10th Street, Banneker Park, and stormwater management throughout the ecodistrict. The Southwest Ecodistrict Initiative is comprehensive plan to create a sustainable mixed-use community in a 110-acre area south of the National Mall, which currently includes a significant amount of federal office space.  The slides from the meeting are available here. 

10th Street 

In the interim, there are plans to activate portions of 10th Street with programming. The street has a 150’ right-of-way and at some places, the distance from building to building is 230’. It was suggested that some street festivals that currently take place on Pennsylvania Avenue, NW could be accommodated on 10th Street from Independence to Maryland avenues. Perhaps the Southwest BID in the works could help bring some of that programming to 10th Street. Other ways to improve the street in the interim include furnishings, street painting, lighting, and wayfinding signage. 

In the long-term, it’s recommended that the right-of-way remain at 150’, but the median along 10th Street should be widened from 39’ to 52’ and the sidewalk and vehicle lanes be narrowed to accommodate a five-foot bike lane on both sides of the street. Different alternatives are available to allow trees of varying height to grow on 10th Street, which is built mostly on a bridge structure. In addition, there are three programmatic alternatives for the street – one emphasizes on hardscape (which would allow more flexibility for programming in the median); the second emphasizes on softscape (continuing the feel of the National Mall); and the third emphasizes on water (10th Street used to have water elements). Questions remain about whether the character of 10th Street should be more like a park, a street, linear, episodic, or formal in nature. 

A phased approach to improving the streetscape on 10th Street is preferred, since there is currently no financing dedicated to make improvements. Perhaps some of the funding can be obtained as a result of private development adjacent to the street, such as JBG’s plans for L’Enfant Plaza, or the GSA’s planned redevelopment of the area closest to Independence Avenue called Federal Triangle South. 

Banneker Park 

While there is currently no financing available for streetscape improvements along 10th Street, the developers of The Wharf will finance the construction of a temporary staircase connecting Maine Avenue with Banneker Park to facilitate access from the National Mall and L’Enfant Plaza Metro. Due to the grade change, the stairs can be straight, include switchbacks, or a combination of both. Design of the stair could be monumental, contemporary, natural, or have “District” features found in other areas of the city.

   

Banneker Park.

Stormwater Management 

Even though the amount of development in the SW Ecodistrict will increase to 15 million SF of space compared to about 10 million SF now, the amount of water usage is anticipated to decline. The design of the SW Ecodistrict will allow more stormwater to be captured on site and recycled instead of being sent untreated to the Washington Channel and the Anacostia River. Large cisterns can be built beneath 10th Street and other areas to help store water. Green roofs, flow through swales, and trees can help reduce runoff. In the summer, condensation from air conditioner coils can be collected to create potable water. Capturing and treating stormwater and grey water can be used for non-potable uses such as washing & irrigation while rain and well water can help satisfy potable water demand. 

Comments are being accepted on the SW Ecodistrict website until June 21. 

Rendering courtesy of NCPC

A Few Quick Items: Basketball Star Coming to Amidon-Bowen, History of SW, Opposing Views on DC United Land Swap, SW Ecodistrict Meeting

 

- It was reported in PoPville that basketball legend and children's author Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will be reading to students at Amidon-Bowen Elementary on Friday, May 10 at a "Where the Wild Things Are" celebration.  Each student will receive a free copy of the book. Also in attendance will be Tracy Hutson from "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and DC Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson.

- An article in Atlantic Cities describes the history of Southwest and how the construction of the Southwest freeway cut off the waterfront from the rest of the city. The authors also have a proposal on how to reconnect the quadrant with the rest of the city - which includes removing the freeway, adding a Metro and ferry terminal at East Potomac Park, and creating a "New Mall" on the site of Fort McNair, the second oldest military installation in the US.  Like most of that will ever happen...

- The folks over at Greater Greater Washington make an argument for the city doing a land swap with Akridge in order to allow DC United to build a new soccer stadium in Buzzard Point.  Meanwhile over at Slate, Matthew Yglesias argues that the city should encourage affordable housing instead at Buzzard Point.

- The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) will hold a meeting on May 21 to discuss how to improve the 10th Street corridor from Independence Avenue to Banneker Overlook as a part of the SW Ecodistrict Initiative. The meeting will take place at 401 9th Street, NW, Suite 500 North from 6:30 - 8:30pm.

Image courtesy of the NCPC

Wharf Renderings

I thought I'd start off 2012 with a post about what's to come at The Wharf, which is supposed to get started by the end of the year.  Below are a few photos/renderings from the Stage One PUD submitted last year by Hoffman-Madison Waterfront showing current and proposed views of the Southwest Waterfront from different vantage points.

Banneker Overlook

Current view towards the waterfront.

Proposed view towards the waterfront.

Maine Avenue

Current view of Maine Avenue looking northwest.

Proposed view of Maine Avenue, with outdoor cafes, separated bike lanes, and streetcar line.

View Down 9th Street

Current view down 9th Street towards the waterfront.

Proposed view down 9th Street.

 The Wharf

Current view along the waterfront promenade, looking southeast.

Proposed view along the Wharf, a 60-foot promenade with space for outdoor cafes, pedestrians, vehicles, and a streetcar. It will be designed as a woonerf, a Dutch term for a street where pedestrians and cyclists have priority over vehicles.

A Few Quick Items: Stadium Speculation Continues, Marina Place Profiled, "Melting Pot" Museum, Cast of You, Nero Announced

- Speculation continues on the DC United stadium front, and according to the Soccer Insider at The Washington Post, the 100 V Street site in Buzzard Point is still on top of the list. However, it's debatable how interested city leaders are about keeping the team in the District. From the article:

D.C. government contacts tell my Post colleagues that United officials, realizing the city has no money to help finance a sports venue, suggested to the mayor’s office that they would build a stadium themselves if they received a tax abatement. Other city sources say DCU President Kevin Payne recently met with council members about the general stadium prospects and the discussion "fell flat.”

Talk of putting a jail at the Buzzard Point site seems to have died down.

Above rendering courtesy of Akridge

- Also in The Washington Post, there was an article about how plans for the multifamily project planned in Buzzard Point next to the marina have evolved. The Eric Colbert-designed Marina Place was approved by the Zoning Commission over the summer and the owner is looking for a pioneering developer to partner with him on the project. Duane Deason has owned the site since 2004 and has gone through the ups and downs related to speculation about development of Buzzard Point. With the Coast Guard moving to St. Elizabeths and the possibility of DC United building a stadium nearby, Buzzard Point could look a lot different in a few years.

Rendering courtesy of Buzzards Point LLC

- There's a proposal to build a new museum off the National Mall at Banneker Overlook, according to an article in the Lifestyle section of The Washington Post. This proposed museum is still a long ways off though.  From the article:

Rep. James P. Moran (D-Va.) is sponsoring the legislation that would create a presidential committee to study the Museum of the American People proposal and has rounded up about 20 co-sponsors. He realizes that the museum could be a long way off, but he likes the idea of drawing a line now, “before we have any proliferation of additional ethnic museums.”

- Arena Stage has announced the cast of You, Nero, which will run from November 25 to January 1, 2012 at the Fichlander Stage. A partial list of cast members and a description of the show from the press release follows:

Danny Scheie returns to the role of Nero after starring in both the South Coast Repertory and Berkeley Repertory Theatre productions of You, Nero. Also reprising their roles are Susannah Schulman as Poppaea and Kasey Mahaffy as Fabiolo. Marc Vietor (Kennedy Center’s Company, Broadway’s Present Laughter directed by Martin) joins the cast as Scribonius.

Returning Arena favorites include Helen Hayes Award winner Nancy Robinette as Agrippina (Arena’s Death of a Salesman, Shakespeare Theatre Company’s The Heir Apparent), Laurence O’Dwyer as Burrus (Arena’s Trouble in Mind, Helen Hayes Award winner for Arena’s The Fantasticks) and John C. Vennema as Seneca (Arena’s A Time to Kill). Additional casting for supplemental actors will be announced at a later date.

As Rome collapses beneath Nero’s outrageous narcissism, a forgotten playwright tries to restore order through the art of theater in this “gloriously funny” (New York Times) farce. Amid the chaos of crime, lust and politics, convincing the world’s most famous debaucher to choose virtue over vice proves to be a Herculean task. Amy Freed’s wild romp questions whether well-crafted drama and intellect are any match for decadence and good old-fashioned bloodshed.

Performances will take place on Sunday, Tuesday & Wednesday at 7:30 pm; Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 8:00 pm.; and Saturday & Sunday at 2:00 pm.

SW Ecodistrict Meeting Recap (Belated)

After several public meetings over the past couple of years to solicit feedback on plans for the Southwest Ecodistrict, the NCPC held another meeting on July 26th to go over the three development scenarios proposed for the area. While the Office of Planning’s meeting on July 14th dealt with the Maryland Avenue corridor, the NCPC meeting took a more holistic approach to the Ecodistrict, but focused more on the 10th Street corridor. The Mission Statement of the SW Ecodistrict is as follows: Establish an Ecodistrict that transforms the 10th Street and Maryland Avenue corridors into a vibrant well connected place to commemorate, visit, work, and live in a matter that creates a national showcase of sustainability through innovation, technology, and design. NCPC recommends at least 1,000 residential units and/or hotel rooms need to be created in the area in order to sustain the neighborhood. Currently, no one lives in the study area. Mixed use development (including residential) will be encouraged in the central portion of the study area from around C Street south to the freeway, while federal and cultural uses will predominate the northern area bordering the National Mall and civic uses at Banneker Overlook. Below are descriptions of the three development scenarios currently under consideration.

The rehabilitation scenario proposes the least amount of changes out of the three development scenarios.

Rehabilitation: Under this scenario, several federal properties would be rehabilitated, including the Department of Energy Headquarters complex along 10th Street, the historic HUD building at 7th & E Street, USPS headquarters along 10th Street, GSA’s building at 7th & D Street, Department of Education headquarters at 4th Street & Independence Avenue, and Wilbur/Orville Wright FAA buildings along Independence Avenue. Infill opportunities exist along Maryland Avenue, 12th Street near Independence Avenue, and at Banneker Overlook. An additional 2.1 – 2.4 million SF of space (divided evenly by federal office, cultural, and residential/hotel) would be added under this scenario, along with 70,000 SF of retail, 3,500 – 4,000 employees, and 840 – 960 residents.

The redevelopment scenario would remove the Department of Energy Forrestal Complex.

Redevelopment: The redevelopment scenario takes things further and proposes instead of rehabilitating the DOE complex, that it should be redeveloped, allowing the view shed to be reestablished along Virginia Avenue towards the Washington Monument. In addition, a portion of I-395 would be decked from 9th Street to just west of 10th Street to create more space for infill development. Between 3.3 and 3.9 million SF of space (divided evenly by federal office, cultural, and residential/hotel) would be created in this scenario, along with 100,000 SF of retail, 5,500 – 6,500 employees, and 1,320 – 1,560 residents.

Repurposing is the most comprehensive of scenarios.

Repurpose: In addition to the rehabilitation and redevelopment of the Ecodistrict, this scenario would look to repurpose three buildings for different uses– the USPS headquarters, the GSA building, and the Wilbur Wright FAA building. The repurposing scenario would add between 3.9 and 4.9 million SF of space.

These are four possible scenarios for a redesigned 10th Street.

Currently, the 10th Street corridor from the Smithsonian Castle to Banneker Overlook is a wide, mostly empty road that’s devoid of a significant tree canopy. There are four scenarios under consideration for the reconstruction of the street – a median axis (or “Ramblas”) with street lanes on the sides and a large median; a roadway axis where the street would run in the middle with wide sidewalks on either side; a pedestrian axis with a large sidewalk on the west side and the street running off-center to the east; and a hybrid median/plaza axis with the median axis format north of Maryland Avenue and south of L’Enfant Plaza, but a plaza format at L’Enfant Plaza. All four scenarios provide ample tree canopy and offer space for a plaza area near L’Enfant Plaza and infill areas along the street. Deep tree wells will allow larger trees to grow along 10th Street and filtration systems will be installed to carry water to storage tanks below the street that will reduce run-off.

Above shows the "maximum" buildout alternative for Banneker Overlook, which includes civic uses near 9th Street.

At Banneker Overlook, two build-out scenarios have been proposed. One is the “minimum” buildout, which adds civic/cultural buildings adjacent to the freeway, a parking zone beneath, and landscape features that connect to Maine Avenue and The Wharf. The “maximum” buildout also includes a civic/cultural building on the hillside near the intersection of 9th Street and Maine Avenue. Throughout the Ecodistrict, sustainable features and principles are proposed to comply with the President’s Executive Order mandating the greening of federal buildings, including water filtration systems (as mentioned above), photovoltaic panels on rooftops and along the freeway, green roofs, a cogeneration plant, building placement to reduce sun exposure, and better use of the district heating system currently in the area.

More information about the SW Ecodistrict can be found here. NCPC will be accepting comments on the plan until this Friday on their project website.

Images courtesy of NCPC

SW Ecodistrict Public Comment Forum Created

There was a meeting last month held by the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) to discuss the Southwest Ecodistrict Initiative, an area roughly comprised of the Southwest Federal Center west of 4th Street to 12th Street (including L'Enfant Plaza) and south to Banneker Overlook. The two main corridors that will be analyzed in this district is 10th Street (connecting the National Mall to the Southwest Waterfront) and Maryland Avenue (connecting the Capitol and the Jefferson Memorial). The DC Office of Planning will conduct a study of the Maryland Avenue corridor this summer and the NCPC is exploring the feasibility of decking part of the Southeast-Southwest Freeway from just west of 10th Street over to 9th Street. To follow up with the meeting, a lot of information has been posted on the SW Ecodistrict website, including a public comment forum. If you want to comment about the Ecodistrict plan, sign-up to use the forum - the public comment period will end on April 15th.

Rendering courtesy of the National Capital Planning Commission.

A Few Quick Items

-The Washington City Paper profiles the trials and tribulations behind the decades-long effort to bring a memorial for Benjamin Banneker to Banneker Overlook near L'Enfant Plaza. The latest setback was the rejection by ANC 6D last month to add "Banneker Park" to the L'Enfant Plaza Metro station name.

- Speaking of L'Enfant Plaza, the owner of one of the office buildings is suing majority owner JBG, according to the Washington Business Journal (subscribers only) over plans to build an office building in the middle of the plaza.

- According to the Washington Examiner, authorities are investigating the fatal fire earlier this week at Greenleaf Seniors building on Delaware Avenue that claimed the life of 63-year old Anita Lakari.

Scenes from Southwest...National Cherry Blossom Festival

Clockwise (from upper left): (1) The cherry blossoms are in all their glory along the Tidal Basin. (2) The U.S. Navy Band performs at the Prelude to the Fireworks festival on the Southwest Waterfront. (3) The John Glenn fire boat is back in service after sustaining damage in an accident in January 2009 and shoots water to help celebrate the Prelude to the Fireworks festival. (4) A crowd gathers below Banneker Overlook to wait for the Festival Fireworks Show.

10th Street Corridor to Become an EcoDistrict?

DCMud brings word that the National Capital Planning Commission will be holding a public meeting on February 2nd to get input on the commission's 10th Street Corridor Task Force Initiative. Back in April 2009, the NCPC and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts approved the Monumental Core Framework Plan, which calls for revitalizing federal areas adjacent to the National Mall, including the SW Rectangle and the 10th Street corridor. Above is a rendering of what the streetscape could one day look like along 10th Street, from the Framework Plan. One of the alternatives now under consideration for the corridor is the creation of an ecodistrict, defined by Rob Bennett of the Portland Sustainability Institute as:

A community of shared interest that sets environmental performance goals and carries out a plan to meet them. It’s an integrated neighborhood strategy to optimize resource efficiency, promote ecological resilience, and strengthen community engagement.

Portland, Oregon has four demonstration projects underway utilizing these principles and the 10th Street corridor would be the first in DC to attempt to create a sustainable, mixed-use neighborhood in a federal enclave. The 10th Street corridor study area is bounded by Independence Avenue to the north, Maine Avenue to the south, 7th Street to the east and 12th Street to the west. The L'Enfant Plaza Metro station is the only one in the system where four lines intersect, plus there is a VRE stop in the area and the Smithsonian stop is at the western edge of the study area, so it has great transportation access. There is potential for a major overhaul of this underutilized area, which includes L'Enfant Plaza, the Department of Energy's headquarters, Reservation 113, and Banneker Overlook.

The meeting will take place on February 2nd starting at 5:30 pm at NCPC's headquarters, located at 401 9th Street, NW, Suite 500. RSVP by February 1st by email (10thstreet@ncpc.gov) if you would like to attend.

A Couple WBJ News Items

- In last week's Breaking Ground Blog from the Washington Business Journal, it was reported that the National Capital Planning Commission has put out a contract to study the transportation overhaul of 10th Street, which goes from the Smithsonian Castle to Banneker Overlook. This is one of the first steps needed before any redevelopment can occur on the corridor, as described in the recently approved Monumental Core Framework Plan. Back in April, Southwest...TLQTC described the plans for the Southwest Rectangle portion of the plan, which includes the 10th Street corridor. (The above rendering is a south view of the redeveloped 10th Street, looking towards Banneker Overlook, from the Monumental Core Framework Plan.)

- In today's Breaking Ground Blog, the WBJ reports that organizers of the National Women's History Museum sent a letter to Congress urging approval of the National Women’s History Museum Act of 2009, which will permit the General Services Administration (the real estate arm of the federal government) to sell a site at 12th Street & Independence Avenue to the organization so the museum can be built. The letter to Congress is part of the Right Here, Right Now campaign that organizers have implemented to get the public engaged in the quest to get legislation approved. Last August, Southwest...TLQTC wrote a post on the status of the museum, but since then much hasn't changed. (Above is a map of the location of the proposed museum, from the National Women's History Museum website.)

Framework Plan Takes Shape

Within the past month, both the National Capital Planning Commission and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts have approved the final version of the Monumental Core Framework Plan: Connecting New Destinations with the National Mall. The goal of the framework plan is to revitalize federal areas adjacent to the National Mall in order to better connect the Mall with the city and waterfront. These areas include the SW Rectangle, East Potomac Park, NW Rectangle, and Federal Triangle. Back in August, Southwest...TLQTC did a post describing the SW Rectangle portion of the draft plan. Not much has changed in the final version, but it appears that the infill opportunities near the Capitol and along the Center Leg Freeway (I-395) were dropped from the plan. Those areas are covered in a separate plan called House Office Buildings Facilities Plan and Preliminary South Capitol Area Plan. The framework plan calls for several improvements in the SW Rectangle, the most significant being the transformation of 10th Street into a gateway between the National Mall and the Southwest Waterfront. Currently, 10th Street is too wide, uninviting, and at its northern edge, the Department of Energy’s Forrestal Building complex straddles the street, blocking the view of the Smithsonian Castle. At the southern edge of 10th Street, Banneker Overlook is an underutilized asset that offers spectacular views of the Washington Channel and East Potomac Park, but access to the waterfront is limited. Starting from the north, the framework plan calls for narrowing 10th Street and redeveloping the 20-acre Forrestal Building complex as federal office space, with ground floor retail, cultural space, and gardens. The plan calls for temporarily moving DOE from the Forrestal complex to another highly visible site within the monumental core. In order to get the ball rolling quickly…the wrecking ball, that is…my idea would be to move most of DOE to Constitution Center at 7th & D Street while the Forrestal complex is redeveloped. Constitution Center has over 1.3 million vacant SF of newly renovated space in a secure environment, right on top of the L’Enfant Plaza Metro, and it’s aiming for LEED-Gold certification. Sounds like a good temporary fix to me!

Here is a rendering of what the 10th Street corridor and the redeveloped Forrestal complex could look like, from the Monumental Core Framework Plan. In the background is the Smithsonian Castle.

Above is a rendering of street-level retail that could be developed along 10th Street at the Forrestal complex, from the Monumental Core Framework Plan.

There would also be infill development at privately-owned L’Enfant Plaza and at the U.S. Postal Service headquarters, both of which flank 10th Street. Southwest…TLQTC did a post back in February showing some preliminary renderings of what new construction developer JBG has planned at L’Enfant Plaza. Along the east side of 10th Street, their plans call for two new office buildings. Originally, the National Children’s Museum was to go on the site, but now that museum will be built at National Harbor in Prince George’s County. In addition, JBG has plans for an extended-stay hotel on D Street and an apartment building in the air-rights above 9th Street. The redevelopment of the U.S. Postal Service HQ would likely come later in the process. Perhaps at the intersection of 10th Street and Maryland Avenue, there could be a monument honoring Benjamin Banneker. (The rendering at the top of this post is a south view of the redeveloped 10th Street, looking towards Banneker Overlook, from the Monumental Core Framework Plan.)

At the southern end of 10th Street, Banneker Overlook could support a cultural institution or major memorial. A water feature of some sort would remain and a grand staircase would lead down to the Southwest Waterfront, where PN Hoffman and Struever Brothers have big plans of their own.

Above is a rendering of the vista of the Southwest Waterfront from Banneker Overlook, from the Monumental Core Framework Plan.

Other aspects of the framework plan call for restoring Maryland Avenue as a grand boulevard in the same vein as its sister street – Pennsylvania Avenue, as well as reconnecting streets by decking over freeways and rail tracks that cut through the neighborhood. However, the 10th Street transformation is seen as a top priority. In today's Washington Business Journal, it was reported that the Federal City Council, a group of influential city leaders, has thrown their weight behind the 10th Street plan and have called it a priority for connecting the National Mall with the SW Waterfront. The next step, according to the Council, would be to do a feasibility study of the 10th Street corridor.

Details on Southwest Rectangle Portion of Framework Plan

If one walks along 10th Street SW today south of Independence Avenue, it would be hard to know due to the configuration of the street that at either end of the corridor lays the Smithsonian Castle and Banneker Overlook. Elsewhere in Southwest, Maryland Avenue is a disjointed boulevard blocked for the most part by railroad tracks. Empty lots and unused buildings litter the landscape. Freeways and expressways crisscross the area and disrupt the neighborhood urban fabric. These consequences of urban renewal in Southwest will change dramatically over the next few decades if the plans from the recently released National Capital Framework Plan are implemented. On July 10th, the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) in conjunction with the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts released the draft plan for a 90-day public review and focuses on four main areas surrounding the National Mall – Southwest Rectangle, Northwest Rectangle, Federal Triangle, and East Potomac Park. The main areas of interest in the Southwest Rectangle redevelopment include 10th Street, Maryland Avenue, redeveloping existing sites with infill development, and restoring the street grid by decking freeways.

10th Street & Banneker Overlook

The draft plan calls for 10th Street Southwest to become a mixed use corridor with shops, residences, offices, restaurants, and a memorial at the intersection of 10th Street and a rebuilt Maryland Avenue – most likely to be the site of the Benjamin Banneker Memorial. The Forrestal Building, home to the Department of Energy, currently straddles 10th Street at Independence Avenue and blocks the view of the Smithsonian Castle. Under the draft plan, the Forrestal Building complex would be redeveloped to allow multiple uses. At the southern end of 10th Street, a new major museum would be built at Banneker Overlook, helping to draw people from the National Mall to the new Southwest Waterfront below via a grand staircase.

Here's the current view of 10th Street north towards the Smithsonian Castle. Notice that the Forrestal Building blocks most of the castle from view.

Maryland Avenue

Maryland Avenue would be restored between 9th Street and 14th Street by covering the railroad tracks that currently run in the avenue’s right-of-way. As a result, Maryland Avenue would link the U.S. Capitol to the Jefferson Memorial. Under the draft plan, Reservation 113, a patch of land between 9th Street & 7th Street, would become the public space it was meant to be under Pierre L’Enfant’s original plan for Washington. Neighboring Virginia Avenue would be enhanced by creating a slender railroad trestle and enhancements to the VRE station would allow two-way traffic on that rail line.

Here's the L'Enfant Plaza VRE Station platform alongside Virginia Avenue.

Redevelop Existing Sites

Buildings such as the Liberty Loan Building near the 14th Street Bridge, the Whitten Building at the Department of Agriculture campus, and the unused Arts and Industries building at the National Mall could be redeveloped as museums or other cultural institutions. Other sites scattered around the Southwest Rectangle, including parking lots, vacant land, and decked over portions of I-395 (the Center Leg Freeway) could yield new mixed-use development opportunities.

Restoring the Street Grid

In addition to decking over the Center Leg Freeway near the U.S. Capitol complex, the draft plan calls for decking the Southeast-Southwest Freeway west of 7th Street so F, 9th, 11th, and 12th Streets can be re-established in the neighborhood. The 9th Street tunnel would be decked between Independence Avenue and D Street to re-establish 9th Street. In the long-run, the 14th Street bridges would be rebuilt, with tunnels approaching those bridges.

A copy of the National Capital Framework Plan is available on the NCPC website. The public review and comment period for the draft plan will extend until October 10, 2008.

National Capital Framework Plan Released

Last week the National Capital Planning Commission in conjunction with the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts released their National Capital Framework Plan, which hopes to invigorate areas adjacent to the National Mall. Here's a link to the plan. A major portion of the plan deals with the Southwest Federal Center area, including L'Enfant Plaza and Banneker Overlook. Another component of the plan deals with East Potomac Park. I'll write in more detail about these components of the plan over the next couple of days.

Bus Depot Coming to L'Enfant Plaza

According to this article from the Examiner, DDOT will establish a depot for low-cost private bus companies such as BoltBus, DC2NY, and the Chinatown buses that currently pick up and drop off passengers at different spots around downtown DC to a site at L'Enfant Plaza. A soon-to-be launched 1-year pilot program will require buses to queue just south of the intersection of 10th Street & D Street, a covered area below L'Enfant Promenade. By locating these buses away from busy streets near Chinatown and Dupont Circle, DDOT hopes to eliminate a safety hazard and bring more organization to intercity bus service. L'Enfant Plaza is connected to four Metro lines (the Red Line doesn't go to L'Enfant) and is proximate to I-395 and I-295. The 5A Metrobus currently takes passengers from the L'Enfant Plaza Metro to Dulles International Airport. This pilot program may be a prelude to the inter modal facility that DDOT wants to create at L'Enfant Promenade and Banneker Overlook to better connect the National Mall to the Southwest Waterfront.