A Few Quick Thursday Morning Items: Critique of Wharf Critique, Wharf Permits, HHS Consolidation, Buzzard Point History, Channel Inn History

Ward 6 Council Member Tommy Wells posted an article on Greater Greater Washington refuting the critique that the U.S. Commission on Fine Arts has for some of the design elements of The Wharf.  From the article:

The Wharf development has the potential to create an exciting pedestrian-oriented, human-scale space along DC's Southwest Waterfront. But a federal board of artists and architects, most of whom don't live in the Washington region, is trying to make it much more boring.

Rendering courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

A Sheeting and Shoring permit was issued to excavate for a parking garage for the planned office building at Parcel 3 of The Wharf, according to the Washington Business Journal. The groundbreaking ceremony for the project occurred last month and a 42-month construction period is anticipated to complete phase one.

Rendering courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

The WBJ also reported that the Mary Switzer building at 4th and C streets and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services headquarters (AKA the Hubert Humphrey Building) at 4th Street and Independence Avenue will be remodeled to consolidate more HHS office space and save the GSA money over the long-term.

A Hill Rag article gives a description of the history of Buzzard Point by local historian Hayden Wetzel.  Apparently, Buzzard Point is one of the oldest neighborhood names in the city. This research was done as part of the application process by the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly to get the Buzzard Point Power Plant building at Half and V streets designated a historic landmark.

 

Also in the Hill Rag, there's an article about the history of the Channel Inn and its role in the day-to-day life of several Southwesters. The hotel and its two restaurants closed at the end of March to serve as the construction office for The Wharf and a temporary home for the Capital Yacht Club. CM Wells will be moving his monthly office hours next month to the seating area in the Waterfront Station Safeway.

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.