A Few Quick Items: MD Ave Comment Period Deadline Approaches, Gehry's Design for Eisenhower Memorial Defended, Stairway Collapse, Arena's RED Gets Rave Reviews

- This is the last week for public comment on the Draft Maryland Avenue SW Plan by the DC Office of Planning. I wrote a summary of the draft plan back in December if you'd prefer to read that instead of the full plan. In addition, there will be a mayoral hearing on February 1st at 6:30pm at 1100 4th Street (2nd floor meeting room) to receive testimony on the plan. 

- The Capital Comment Blog at Washingtonian Magazine interviewed Daniel J. Feil, executive architect of the Eisenhower Memorial Commission, who defended the Gehry design of the planned memorial to President Eisenhower in response to a recent interview by the same blog of Eisenhower's granddaughter (Susan Eisenhower), who was critical of the design.  The proposed memorial will be located across the street from the National Air & Space Museum, bounded by Independence Avenue to the north, 4th Street to the east, the Department of Education headquarters to the south, and 6th Street to the west.  The memorial commission will go before the National Capital Planning Commission on March 1 to get preliminary design approval and hopes to have construction underway by the end of the year.

- NBC4 reports that there was a stairwell collapse this evening at an apartment building on the 4300 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue in Bellevue. According to the news story, a delivery person was carrying a large piece of furniture when the stairway gave way. The delivery person sustained serious injuries and was taken to Howard University hospital.

- Arena Stage's RED receives 3 1/2 out of 4 stars from the After Hours Blog at Washingtonian Magazine.  From the review:

It’s a testament to the skills of director Robert Falls that he achieves the seemingly impossible in, currently playing at Arena Stage—he makes spellbinding theater out of watching paint dry. ...To say that art, and one man’s tricky, impenetrable understanding of it, is at the heart of which is co-presented by Arena Stage and Chicago’s Goodman Theatre and arrives here after a well-received Chicago run is an understatement. John Logan’s Tony-winning 2009 play is a fascinating look at the dogmatic, unyielding vision of Rothko, whose paintings (presumably to his chagrin) adorn the walls of endless college dorm rooms and major art galleries alike...For such a short (100 minutes) and focused play, Red manages to cover a surprising number of bases. Rothko’s relationship with Ken, a fictional character invented by Logan to explore the artist’s character, is initially one-sided, but as the play shifts towards its inevitable, almost Oedipal conclusion, Ken’s character takes on a new grittiness, reflecting his mentor. At the play’s start, Andrews is all two-dimensional Richie Cunningham earnestness and Converse sneakers, but as Ken’s tragic past unfolds, the character takes on a new steeliness, with Andrews resisting the temptation to make Ken just a foil for Rothko’s grim self-absorption.

RED will run at Arena Stage until March 11.

Photo courtesy of Arena Stage (by Liz Lauren)

A Few Quick Items: SW Waterfront Legislation Passes, Volunteers Needed to Fill Vacancies, DC United Resolution, Lockridge Library in Bellevue

- The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2297 today, a bill introduced by Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton that clarifies the legal status of the Southwest Waterfront, which will help the developers of The Wharf redevelop the waterfront. A provision in the bill allows the Maine Lobsterman memorial to be moved, but it must remain along the Southwest Waterfront near Maine Avenue with a clear, unimpeded pedestrian pathway between the memorial and the waterfront. The bill now goes to the Senate for approval where, according to a press release from Norton, it does not face any obstacles for passage. Rendering courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront.

- The Southwest Duck Pond is seeking 501c3 non-profit status, but in order to do so, officers must be elected. Secretary and Treasurer positions are still vacant and need to be filled so the application can be completed. The organization wants the non-profit status so it can do fundraising to restore the park at 6th and I Streets. If you're interested, contact the group by email: swdctowncenterwestpark@gmail.com. 

In addition, the editors of The Southwester recently resigned suddenly, so a volunteer is needed to run the newspaper. If you're interested, contact The Southwester by email: thesouthwester@gmail.com.

- Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells introduced a resolution today in the DC Council called the "Sense of the Council Support for D.C. United Soccer Remaining in the District of Columbia Resolution of 2011". The resolution doesn't say how the city should go about keeping the team, however. Rendering courtesy of Akridge.

- According to The Washington Post, the DC Council approved legislation today to rename the new Bellevue library under construction on the corner of Atlantic Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue after the late Ward 8 activist and school board member William O. Lockridge. The library will be named the "William O'Neal Lockridge Library at Bellevue" as a compromise since the community wanted the name Bellevue to be in the name of the library because the old Washington Highlands library was mislabeled. Rendering courtesy of DC Public Library.

A Few Quick Items: New Website Launched for The Southwester, Station 4 Leads SW Revival, United Eyes Baltimore, Bellevue Library Controversy

- A new website was recently launched for The Southwester, which allows readers to view articles from the latest issue of the paper without having to download a PDF (although that option is still available). Readers are allowed to leave comments as well. Although a few kinks still need to be worked out on the new website (i.e. article formatting), it is moving the paper in the right direction.

- The Hill writes a review on Station 4, which opened over four months ago at Waterfront Station. According to the article, the most popular item on the menu is the crab cake. The article mentions that recent events at the restaurant include Neighborhood Appreciation Night, prix fixe lunch ($18) & dinner ($29)specials. Also, there were "True Blood" themed nights leading up to Halloween.

- According to The Washington Post and The Examiner, MLS has sent out surveys to Baltimore area residents gauging their interest in the possibility of DC United moving to the Westport area of Baltimore City. From the Post article:

United has spent all 16 MLS seasons in Washington but club officials have said playing at 50-year-old RFK is not economically viable. Talks with D.C. officials have shown no signs of progress. Buzzard Point in Southwest D.C., near Nationals Park, has been the club’s primary focus. Previous negotiations, involving Poplar Point in Anacostia and then Prince George’s County in Maryland, collapsed. 

- The Washington Post reports on the controversy over the naming of the new David Adjaye-designed library rising along Atlantic Street in Bellevue.  The DC Public Library Board recommended earlier this year that the library should be named Bellevue, after the neighborhood in which it's located (the previous library was called Washington Highlands, which was named after a neighborhood in SE). However, Mayor Gray supports the proposal to name it after William Lockridge, a Ward 8 activist and member of the State Education Board who died earlier this year. The DC Council held a hearing last month to discuss the naming of the library, but according to the article, Ward 8 Council member Barry has agreed to delay the renaming bill for two weeks in order to hear what the community has to say before making a decision.

SW Library to Get Renovated

In Mayor Gray's 2012 budget, there are plans to renovate the Southwest Neighborhood Library, located at 900 Wesley Place.  The $8.8 million renovation project will happen in phases and will be complete by 2017.  Here is a snippet from the budget describing the project:

This project involves a substantial renovation of the building to create a new 21st century state-of-art LEED Silver Rated facility. The scope of work entails providing architectural and engineering services which comprises pre-design, design, preparation of contract documents, commissioning, and planning services to substantially renovate the structure to fully or substantially comply with ADA Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities (September 2002) to include vertical transportation, interior circulation, signage, entrances and exits, walkways, restrooms, alarms, etc. The renovated Southwest Neighborhood Library will reflect the program and goals of the Library and the needs of the District of Columbia residents who use the library. The building will incorporate forward-thinking approaches to urban design, architecture, engineering, and environmental technologies in the public realm. The renovated Southwest Library will be a destination that will attract and support hundreds of users a day, and promote a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood and active street environment.

The SW Library was originally built in the mid 1960s adjacent to Town Center East Park (which hopes to become a new playground this fall).  Once renovations are complete, the library is expected to last for an additional 30 years. In addition to the planned renovation of the SW Library, a new Adjaye-designed Washington Highlands Library is under construction in Bellevue that will be complete later this year.

The new Washington Highlands Library is under construction along Atlantic Street in Bellevue.

Homicide at Greenleaf Gardens

According to a news release from MPD, 28-year old Gregory Joyner was killed at the 200 block of K Street last night around 9:15pm due to multiple gun shot wounds. From the news release:

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the police at (202) 727-9099 or 1-888-919-CRIME (1-888-919-2746). The Metropolitan Police Department currently offers a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone that provides information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons wanted for any homicide committed in the District of Columbia. Additionally, anonymous information may be submitted to D.C. CRIME SOLVERS at 1-866-411-TIPS and to the department’s TEXT TIP LINE by text messaging 50411. If the information provided by the caller to the Crime Solvers Unit leads to an arrest and indictment, that caller will be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.

The scene of the shooting was located about two blocks away from MPD's First District headquarters, which relocated from 4th & E Streets last year.

In other crime news, an arrest was made last Friday in the fatal hit-and-run accident that occurred on South Capitol Street in Bellevue on November 8th. The suspect, from Fort Washington, Maryland, is charged with Negligent Homicide in the death of 71-year old Duffie Claridy.

General Election Unofficial Results

Southwest Waterfront Unofficial Election Results (Precincts 127, 128, 142)

Voter participation in the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood was higher than the District average, with margins of victory mostly similar to those District-wide or within Ward 6 (save for Ward 6 State Board of Education member candidate Monica Warren-Jones, who was up against Southwester Melissa Rohan).

• Registered Voter Participation Rate: 30.1% (27.8% District-wide)
• Delegate to U.S. House of Representatives: Eleanor Holmes Norton* with 88.3% of the vote (89.0% District-wide)
• Mayor: Vincent Gray with 76.8% of the vote (73.9% District-wide)
• DC Council Chair: Kwame Brown with 88.3% of the vote (87.8% District-wide)
• DC Council At-Large members: Phil Mendelson* & David Catania* with 56.8% and 30.6% of the vote, respectively (56.3% and 30.9% District-wide, respectively)
• DC Council Ward 6: Tommy Wells* with 88.1% of the vote (85.4% Ward-wide)
• US Representative: Mike Panetta* with 81.6% of the vote (82.4% District-wide)
• State Board of Education Ward 6: Monica Warren-Jones with 58.2% of the vote (66.7% Ward-wide)
• Proposed Charter Amendment IV to elect DC’s Attorney General: Passed with 74.1% of the vote (75.6% District-wide)
• ANC 6D 01: Bob Craycraft with 94.5% of the vote
• ANC 6D 02: Cara Lea Shockley with 40.2% of the vote
• ANC 6D 03: Ron McBee* with 54.5% of the vote
• ANC 6D 04: Andy Litsky* with 95.7% of the vote
• ANC 6D 05: Roger Moffatt* with 66.4% of the vote
• ANC 6D 06: Rhonda Hamilton* with 70.7% of the vote

Bellevue Unofficial Election Results (Precincts 124, 126)

Voter participation in Bellevue was lower than the District as a whole, but the margins of victory for most of the candidates (save At-Large incumbent David Catania), was wider than the District totals. Some of the voters in precinct 124 live in SE, but their polling station is located in Bellevue.

• Registered Voter Participation Rate: 21.3% (27.8% District-wide)
• Delegate to U.S. House of Representatives: Eleanor Holmes Norton* with 96.0% of the vote (89.0% District-wide)
• Mayor: Vincent Gray with 95.6% of the vote (73.9% District-wide)
• DC Council Chair: Kwame Brown with 96.4% of the vote (87.8% District-wide)
• DC Council At-Large members: Phil Mendelson* & David Catania* with 70.4% and 19.5% of the vote, respectively (56.3% and 30.9% District-wide, respectively)
• US Representative: Mike Panetta* with 89.7% of the vote (82.4% District-wide)
• Proposed Charter Amendment IV to elect DC’s Attorney General: Passed with 88.6% of the vote (75.6% District-wide)
• ANC 8D 04: Thea Dyson with 92.9% of the vote
• ANC 8D 05: Write-in with 100.0% of the vote
• ANC 8D 06: Write-in with 100.0% of the vote
• ANC 8D 07: Dionne Brown with 44.4% of the vote

* Incumbent

Visit the DC Board of Elections and Ethics website for more information on the general election results. Congratulations to all the winners!

Southwest May Become Battleground in Ward Redistricting

There was an interesting article in the Washington City Paper about how ward boundaries may change once the 2010 Census numbers come in next spring. In the article, one of the areas of the city that was discussed was Southwest. Currently, most of Southwest west of the Anacostia is in Ward 6 (Hains Point is in Ward 2) and Bellevue is in Ward 8. If Council member Marion Barry has his way, the part of Southwest on the west side of the Anacostia would become a part of Ward 8. If this were to happen, it would be the second time that the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood would change wards. Before the ward redistricting from the 2000 Census, the Southwest Waterfront was located in Ward 2. The reason stated in the article that Council member Barry wants the rest of Southwest in his ward is to bring more "economic diversity" to Ward 8. From the article:

Barry says his home ward, which is almost entirely African American and has extremely high poverty and unemployment rates, has long been the city’s “dumping ground.” Making it more diverse will likely involve expanding across the Anacostia into the whiter, richer Southwest, Barry said.

“We can’t go south,” Barry joked.

There’s some speculation in the Wilson Building that Barry wouldn’t mind expanding his political influence over the Southwest Waterfront development, a $2 billion development that’s well underway to transform the area into a glitzy urbanist dream that people actually visit. That would let Barry take credit for the project, even though the groundwork was already laid. And it would also let him hit up developers for campaign contributions as the Council member who represents the ward. (Adding some white voters to Ward 8, though, could give Barry new political problems to deal with.)

Since the population of Ward 6 after the 2010 Census is counted will most likely not be enough on its own to account for 1/8th the population of the District (as mandated by law), other areas will need to be added to the ward. It was mentioned in the article that Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells would like to add the Anacostia neighborhood to Ward 6 - taking away some turf from Barry.

The District will receive Census results in the spring, so it should be an interesting time ahead in the DC Council chambers!

Verizon FiOS Makes Debut in DC

Over the next six years, Verizon FiOS will be making its way to Southwest, according to the Washington Business Journal. Verizon just opened a FiOS store in Friendship Heights in anticipation of rolling out service citywide. From the article:

By next year, FiOS should be available in most of Ward 4 and all of Ward 3 in Northwest — including Friendship Heights — as well as in Barry Farm and historic Anacostia in Southeast and in Deanwood and eastern Capitol Hill in Northeast.

Verizon will add the Southwest Waterfront and Buzzard Point, most of Ward 1, Dupont and Logan circles, and Shaw within six years.

The final three-year phase will bring FiOS to Brookland, Congress Heights, downtown, Georgetown, midtown and Lincoln Heights.

Cable service is dominated in DC by Comcast, so introducing Verizon FiOS into the picture may improve Comcast's customer service, since they no longer will have a virtual monopoly in the city. Too bad sections of Southwest have to wait up to six years, while Bellevue residents have to wait even longer for service to reach our neighborhoods.

Missing Child Reported from Bellevue

The Washington Post reports that an 11-year old boy has been missing since Saturday. From the Post:

D.C. police were seeking assistance Sunday in finding an 11-year-old boy who went missing the day before in Southwest Washington.

Officers said Anthony Thomas was last seen in the 100 block of Ivanhoe Street SW about 3 p.m. Saturday. He is described as black with a light complexion, 5-foot-1 and about 110 pounds. He has brown eyes, black hair fashioned into a Mohawk and a thin build. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and pants.

Anyone with information about the boy is urged to call police at 202-727-9099 or the youth investigations division at 202-576-6768.

South Capitol Shopping Center Redo Closer to Reality

The Washington City Paper's Housing Complex Blog reported last week that the South Capitol Shopping Center in Bellevue will be one step closer to being redeveloped after the D.C. Council approves a bill to close a public alley in Square 6172, located within the project's blueprint. Back in December 2008, CityInterests LLC, the developers of the planned revamped shopping center complex, received tax increment financing (TIF) worth $8.8 million to build what is described as:

A 530,000-square-foot $108 million project to replace South Capitol Shopping Center, a strip of stores in the 4000 block near the District’s southern tip that currently includes Domino’s Pizza, Mai’s Nails, a liquor store and Jackson Hewitt tax service. It would include 220 residential units, 85,000 square feet of office space, 500 parking spaces and 47,000 square feet of retail.

A Couple Quick Items

- I forgot to post a link to JDLand's post from last week about a water taxi start-up company planning to offer service in the Washington area in the next couple of months called American River Taxi, or ART for short. Stops in the initial phase include the Southwest Waterfront, Nationals Park, Georgetown, National Harbor, and Alexandria. Future phases will include National Airport and Poplar Point.

- The Washington Post has an article about the new Benning library opening today in Northeast, but there's mention of other new libraries that will open in the next couple of years, including the Washington Highlands branch in Bellevue (incorrectly labeled as located in SE in the article), designed by London architect David Adjaye, which will open in 2011.

Top Southwest Stories of 2009

Despite an economic downturn, several events occurred in The Little Quadrant That Could in 2009...some were major projects that have been ongoing for years, while other events had their start in 2009. Below is a list of what I think were the top stories in Southwest during the past year (in no particular order). Feel free to comment on which of these events you think is the top local story of the year, and/or vote in January's poll at the top left corner of the blog.

Arena Stage Looms Large

Construction on the new Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater was in full swing in 2009 and was getting attention from bloggers around the city. In June, DCMetrocentric gave a critique of the new theater complex and by November, the structure was fully enclosed. Interior work is now taking place and construction is on schedule for a community day event open to the public on October 24, 2010. The following day, there will be a black-tie opening night gala. Above is a construction photo of the new Arena Stage taken in late December.

CFL Drama
Progress was made in 2009 towards creating the city's very own Consolidated Forensic Lab (CFL), but not without delays. On the progress front, MPD's First District moved in April from their old building on 4th Street to their new headquarters on M Street at the former Bowen Elementary School. This move would allow the old headquarters building to be demolished and replaced by the CFL. The city then named Whiting-Turner the contractor for the construction project. However, after the announcement, the mayor had to withdraw the contract after an appeals court ruled that the Mayor skirted city laws when awarding the contract. After more than a five month delay, the city's appellate board dismissed the case a rival contractor had against Whiting-Turner and the city was free to re-award the contract to the same contractor in November and start interior demolition in December. The CFL is now scheduled to open in 2012. Above is a rendering of the CFL, from the CFL website.

Demolition Derby
Several parcels in Southwest were leveled during the past year, but not replaced with new buildings, in order to wait for the recovery of the economy. For example, Vornado demolished the Bernstein Liquors building and other small structures at South Capitol and M Street and paved over the site to serve as a parking lot. Eventually, the developer has plans for a mixed-use project. Along South Capitol Street, the Ruben Companies demolished a gas station and the old Taco Bell/KFC site in September to make way for their planned 1101 South Capitol Street office building, which hasn't gotten underway yet. In December, the old Market Inn restaurant was demolished and will most likely be replaced by an office building. Also in December, interior demolition started at the old First District headquarters building on 4th Street. Above is a photo of the lot owned by the Ruben Companies on South Capitol Street, which was taken this fall after the Exxon gas station on the site was demolished.

First District Moves to New Digs

In April, MPD's First District headquarters moved from 4th & E Street to the former Bowen Elementary School at 1st & M Street. In October, there was an open house to welcome the community. The new site is located in the heart of the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood, whereas the former headquarters was north of the freeway in the Federal Center SW area. Despite moving closer to a crime hot spot, a fatal shooting occurred less than two blocks from the new building in mid-October. Above is a photo of the new First District headquarters building, taken right before it was opened.

Engine 13 Not That Unlucky

In February, three developer teams made presentations to the community to garner support for their proposals for the Engine 13 sites at 4th & E Street and 6th & E Street. DMPED ended up choosing the proposal made by E Street Development in April, following the recommendation of ANC 6D. E Street Development is a combination of Potomac Investment Properties, CityPartners, and Adams Investment Group. Their architect is Beyer, Blinder, Belle. Highlights of the proposal include a partnership with community organizations including Kid Power Inc. and D.C. Central Kitchen, LEED-Silver certification, green roof technology, and neighborhood retail along E Street. Approval of the land lease was delayed by the DC Council over the summer, but final approval was given in November. Construction of the firehouse is supposed to start in August of 2010. Above is a rendering of the proposed fire house/office building complex planned at the corner of 4th & E Street, from the February presentation.

Highlands Library
Bellevue will soon get a new library. The new Washington Highlands library was designed by London architect David Adjaye and will be located at 115 Atlantic Street. Once the community saw the plans for the library, there was some criticism of the design. The new library will be three stories tall, contain approximately 20,000 square feet of space, and will aim for LEED-Silver certification. By the spring of 2011, the new library should be open. Above is a rendering of the Washington Highlands Library, from the DCPL website.

L'Enfant Promenade Renovations Begin
Back in November, the JBG Companies began a $40 renovation of the retail promenade at L'Enfant Plaza. The first phase of renovations will be complete in 2011 and will bring a revamped food court to the corridor nearest the Metro entrance. Subsequent phases of the renovation will include a new sculptural glass entryway and expanded retail options. In addition, the developer has plans to expand L'Enfant Plaza by building two new office buildings, an extended-stay hotel, and an apartment building. Above is a rendering of the renovated food court area, courtesy of JBG.

Southeastern University Shuts Its Doors

A major institution in Southwest closed its doors at the end of August, when Southeastern University lost its accreditation with the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools due to financial instability, dwindling enrollment, and a lack of academic rigor. At one point, SEU was in talks with UDC to become a part of that university. Then, it was trying to merge with the GS Graduate School, which is affiliated with the USDA. The University, which had been in existence since the 1800s, had its final graduation ceremony in June. Above is a photo of Southeastern University taken this past summer, located at the corner of 6th & I Streets.

Waterfront Station

Major milestones at Waterfront Station during 2009 included: the topping off of the two office buildings in March; the installation of the glass and terracotta façade; designs for the Metro plaza; the unveiling of the features of the new Safeway; the addition of a sit-down restaurant to the retail mix; and the paving of 4th Street. The first phase of Waterfront Station will open in the first half of 2010, with two office buildings, a new Safeway, CVS, convenience retailers, restaurants, a Metro plaza and a reopened 4th Street. Above is a photo of the 1100 4th Street building taken in the last week of December.

Happy New Year!

It’s been a slow couple of weeks in the Little Quadrant That Could. I’m compiling a list of top stories of the year in Southwest, which I plan to post in a couple of days. In the meantime, here’s a link to a post from DCMud talking about new libraries planned in the city, including the Washington Highlands branch library in Bellevue. On Monday, I drove by the recently opened interim library, located in a strip center on the 4000 block of South Capitol Street. According to the post, library officials are hoping to get raze permits for the old library by the end of January or early February with construction to begin shortly thereafter. The David Adjaye-designed library is scheduled to open in 2011 and will aim for LEED-Silver certification.

Michael Vick Preaches About Dog Fighting

Thanks to reader Marc for the tip about Philadelphia quarterback Michael Vick's appearance at Covenant Baptist Church in Bellevue back on September 29th. According to The Washington Post, Vick was in town as a part of an arrangement he made with the Humane Society to make public appearances twice a month to speak out against dog fighting. His compliance with the request to make these appearances was one of the reasons why Vick's suspension from the NFL was ended last month. Vick previously spoke in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Atlanta.

What Bloggers Are Saying About Southwest

- DCist picks up a story from the Examiner which describes the Bellevue community's displeasure with the design for the new Washington Highlands library. London architect David Adjaye was chosen last October to design the new library, which will be located on Atlantic Street. Check out this post from April for a description of the planned amenities at the new library. (The above rendering of the library is from the DCPL website.)

- The ArchiCritic at DCMetrocentric makes a return visit to SW - this time to Capitol Park, the residential neighborhood of townhomes and multifamily towers located north of I Street and south of the SE-SW Freeway between 4th Street and Delaware Avenue. For the most part, the critique of Capitol Park was a positive one, noting how the design of the neighborhood makes it one of the most pedestrian friendly areas of DC, despite its lack of commercial space. The critique describes the area as a "modernist interpretation of a medieval neighborhood plan on a Baroque city." There has been some infill development in the Capitol Park neighborhood since it was built over 40 years ago during urban renewal. Potomac Place Condominium was built in 2004 where parking lots for Potomac Place Tower and an adjacent park was once located.

- DCMud reports that The View at Waterfront Apartments have been sold at foreclosure to Titex Marina View, LLC. The two-building complex recently underwent extensive renovations and Fairfield Residential, the previous owner, had plans to build two new towers on the parking lots of the apartment community, but the new buildings have been scrapped (for now).

Washington Highlands Library Rendering Released

With the news that architect David Adjaye's firm was chosen to design the National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall, we thought we would focus on Adjaye's other work in DC - namely the new Washington Highlands branch public library he is designing on Atlantic Street in Bellevue (Southwest...TLQTC reported on this story back in October). On March 31st, there was a community meeting where a slide show presentation showed some of Adjaye's initial designs for the new space. The new library will be three stories tall, contain approximately 20,000 square feet of space, and will aim for LEED-Silver certification. Enhancements at the new library include an outdoor amphitheatre, outdoor space for children's games like hopscotch and jump rope, a garden, meeting rooms, study rooms, additional computers, and separate space for children, teens, and adults. According to the Washington Highlands Neighborhood Library Project website, the design process should be complete by Summer 2009, with construction taking 18-20 months. By Spring 2011, the new library should be open. An interim library will be open for the community around the corner from the current site while the new one is built. (Above is a rendering of the new library shown from South Capitol Terrace, from the March 31st presentation)

Bellevue Small Area Plan Meeting Tonight

Here's a link to And Now, Anacostia's post about a meeting tonight for Bellevue's Small Area Plan from 6:30pm - 8:30pm at the PR Harris Education Center on 4600 Livingston Road, SE.

Library Architect to Speak

The Washington City Paper reports that London architect David Adjaye will be at the Matthews Memorial Baptist Church in Anacostia at 6pm this evening. Adjaye was chosen by the DC Public Library to design the new Washington Highlands branch library in Bellevue back in October. According to the Washington Highlands Neighborhood Library Project website, the design process should be complete by Summer 2009, with construction taking 18-20 months. By Spring 2011, the new library should be open. An interim library will be open for the community while the new one is built.

What Bloggers are Saying About Southwest

- DCMud posts a story on parks that are planned around the District. The post briefly mentions the park space planned at the Southwest Waterfront. The above model shows the public park planned on the south portion of the Southwest Waterfront redevelopment. The building in the middle of the green space is St. Augustine's Episcopal Church, which isn't a part of the redevelopment. The roof of Arena Stage is also visible on the top left corner of the model.

- DCist reports that public meetings will be held over the next couple of weeks to discuss the city's Neighborhood Circulation Study. According to the website, the focus of the study is: " Identify current deficiencies in neighborhood transit connectivity; Improve local bus services to enhance neighborhood circulation as well as connectivity; Identify new neighborhood services which will enhance circulation and connectivity; and, Complement the long-range growth of DC’s transit system." The Bellevue area will have its meeting on Tuesday, December 16th at 6:30pm at The Specialty Hospital of Washington -Hadley located on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue.

South Capitol Project is Recipient of Neighborhood TIF

The Washington Business Journal and DCMud report today that three DC retail projects were awarded neighborhood tax increment financing (TIF). Up until recently, most TIF funds were only available for downtown projects, but the city is looking to revitalize blighted neighborhood commercial corridors using TIF. One of those projects is located in Bellevue, along South Capitol Street on the east side of the Anacostia River. From the WBJ: "CityInterests LLC will get $8.8 million for a 530,000-square-foot $108 million project to replace South Capitol Shopping Center, a strip of stores in the 4000 block near the District’s southern tip that currently includes Domino’s Pizza, Mai’s Nails, a liquor store and Jackson Hewitt tax service. It would include 220 residential units, 85,000 square feet of office space, 500 parking spaces and 47,000 square feet of retail. Chris LoPiano of CityInterests said he has a letter of intent for 50,000 square feet of office space and is in negotiations with a pharmacy and plans to open a small grocery store as well."