Buzzard Point Will be Buzzing with Construction Activity in 2016

2016 will be a big year for Buzzard Point as a multitude of projects both large and small are expected to get underway on the peninsula. The most high-profile project is construction of a new soccer stadium for DC United, which is scheduled to start by September. Raze permits were filed last month for the parcels the city purchased in the stadium footprint, including Super Salvage which is now closed. Meanwhile, eminent domain proceedings are underway for a two-acre parcel in the stadium footprint previously owned by Akridge. The city still needs to remediate the stadium site before construction can begin, which is filled with containments due to the area’s former heavy industrial use. The 20,000 seat stadium will be located at 2nd and R streets and is scheduled to open in time for the beginning of the 2018 MLS season. 

Pepco has already cleared land across R Street from the stadium site to build a new substation in order to handle all of the new development occurring in Southwest and Navy Yard/Near SE/Capitol Riverfront. The new Waterfront substation has been designed to blend in with the area and will replace the unsightly exposed substation that currently exists a couple blocks to the southeast. On the southeastern side of the new substation where R Street, 1st Street and Potomac Avenue intersect, the area will complement the public plaza planned as a part of the new DC United stadium. Aside from the substation, transmission lines will be installed along several nearby streets. The new Waterfront substation will be open by June 2017. 

Five years after Marina Place was approved and more than a decade after it was first proposed, the condo and retail project may finally move forward this year. Capital City Real Estate purchased the lot fronting the recently shuttered Buzzard Point Marina at 1st and V streets from Duane Deason in December for $9.8 million, according to the Washington Business Journal. The new owners are planning a 90-107-unit condominium project, which will have sweeping views of the Anacostia and Potomac rivers due to its location near the tip of Buzzard Point. Construction is expected to wrap up by early 2018. 

A raze permit was filed last month for 69 Q Street, a row house dating to the late 1800’s recently purchased for $599,000 according to Zillow. No details yet on what will replace it, but it is a block east of where a new hotel and hostel by Carr Hospitality is supposed to be built. 

Construction of a new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge and traffic oval by DDOT is also expected to begin by the end of 2016 or early 2017. The two-phase project involves building a new, six-lane bridge across the Anacostia River with pedestrian and bike paths, as well as new traffic ovals on either side of the bridge, the transformation of South Capitol Street into a grand urban boulevard with interchange improvements including an at-grade intersection at M Street and new ramps to I-695. The interchange improvements are part of the second phase of construction.

Renderings courtesy of DC United, Pepco, Eric Colbert & Associates PC, and DDOT

Council Approves Amended DC United Stadium Deal

At yesterday’s legislative meeting, the DC Council unanimously approved the DC United stadium deal, although a second reading of the bill is scheduled in two weeks for final passage. If the bill receives final passage and is signed by the Mayor (the latter is uncertain due to issues with the funding scheme devised by the Council), it will allow the city to move forward with purchasing land to build a $300 million, 20,000-seat stadium at 2nd and R streets on Buzzard Point. The city’s contribution would be capped at $150 million. The stadium could open in time for the 2017 MLS season if all goes well, but there are still several hurdles left before we see fans walking down Potomac Avenue. 

Included in the legislation is a method to pay for the stadium, which Council Chair Phil Mendelson stated from the dais that Mayor Gray had not provided when he submitted the legislation back in May. After the Council removed the Reeves Center land swap from the deal, a roughly $62 million funding gap emerged since proceeds from the swap would have contributed to land assembly costs. Now, the city will need to purchase a two-acre parcel on Buzzard Point from Akridge either outright or by eminent domain, in addition to the land purchases already agreed to for other parcels in the stadium footprint (a land swap with Pepco will still proceed). 

Also included in the bill are community benefits specific to the area near the proposed stadium, negotiated between the Council and the CBCC, a member of the Winning Goal Coalition. For instance, $4.9 million in operating dollars from the FY 2015 budget will be provided to restore the Convention Center – Southwest Waterfront Circulator route (earlier than the FY 2020 estimate in DDOT’s DC Circulator Transit Development Plan), but the route will be extended south into Buzzard Point. Funding was already in place to extend the Navy Yard – Union Station route into Southwest in FY 2015. Although streetcar routes are planned to eventually serve Buzzard Point, the Circulator will bring transit to the area sooner and funding for expanding the streetcar network are in limbo. The city will also provide $121,000 for a workforce intermediary to connect residents of ANC 6D with employment opportunities during construction of the stadium and for the first two years of operations. In addition, $250,000 will be provided to renovate the Randall Recreation Center building and provide programming beyond 2015 since funding was set to run out for programming on September 30, 2015. Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells also expressed his commitment to preserve the mix of affordable housing in the area near the stadium and if any redevelopment of those communities were to proceed, a "one-to-one" replacement of the affordable units should be achieved. Additional community benefits are still being negotiated separately with DC United which may include summer jobs for local youth, United Soccer Club programming at local schools, scholarships for soccer day camps, free tickets for local youth, meeting space and use of the stadium for community events, among other things. 

While it appears that Akridge got the raw end of the deal by not getting the Reeves Center in the land swap, most of the news yesterday was good for the developer, which might help the city get the Buzzard Point land without the need for eminent domain. Akridge will likely get more money for the Buzzard Point land than it would have received in the land swap, since the price per square foot that Pepco and Super Salvage have agreed to receive for their parcels is higher than the previously agreed amount between the city and Akridge during the land swap negotiations. After Akridge sells its two-acre parcel for the stadium, it will still have seven acres just to the south of the new stadium. At one point, the 100 V Street parcel was planned as a 2.7 million SF secure office enclave to entice a federal agency; however, with a soccer stadium adjacent, those plans have likely changed (and if they haven’t they should!). There have been rumors that at least multifamily and hotel uses are being planned for the site, but Akridge has not made their intentions public yet. 

Also included in the financing package for the stadium, funding for the “Hopscotch Bridge” on H Street, NE has been moved up to the FY 2015 budget so the new bridge will be completed by 2018. The lifespan of the current bridge is near its end and a new bridge will allow several planned projects to move forward: 

• The H Street streetcar line can extend west past Union Station and go all the way to Georgetown. 
• Amtrak can increase rail service (whose trains run below the bridge) and expand Union Station. The placement of the columns on the current bridge is preventing Amtrak from moving forward with its expansion. 
• A multi-block air-rights development behind Union Station called Burnham Place can move forward, which is being developed by Akridge. 

On the same day that the soccer stadium deal was approved, a separate deal was approved by the Council for Akridge to renovate the historic Stevens School in the West End for a special needs school and will allow the developer to build an office building on adjacent land. 

With the Reeves Center swap out, the proposed Anacostia Reeves Center complex is also on hold. As Council Chair Mendelson put it, the city may choose at some point to sell the Reeves Center on the open market and use the proceeds to build a new municipal complex in Anacostia; however, it will not be included in the DC United stadium deal. The second vote on the stadium deal will be on December 16, the last legislative session of 2014 for the Council.

Rendering courtesy of DC United

Southwest May Have Three Circulator Routes by 2024

DC Circulator service to Southwest will be restored and enhanced if proposed changes by DDOT are approved (the DC Council already approved funding for a 1.4-mile westward extension of the Union Station – Navy Yard route along M Street to the Waterfront Metro to begin operations in FY 2015). Last week, DDOT released the DC Circulator Transit Development Plan for the next 10 years that shows a total of three Circulator lines that could service Southwest by 2024. Aside from the aforementioned extension, the Convention Center – Southwest Waterfront route would be restored in Phase II by FY 2020 (it was discontinued in 2011 and replaced by the 74 Bus) and a new route would connect Dupont Circle to Southwest via 17th Street, NW and Maine Avenue during Phase III by FY 2024. These new (and restored) lines would coincide with the opening of The Wharf and other planned development in Southwest. 

It is estimated that ridership will increase by nearly 14% with the Southwest extension of the Union Station – Navy Yard route; however, ridership along this route is currently the lowest of the five existing Circulator routes. This route extension (along with two others) did not meet several key Circulator performance metrics, but it will still move forward since it was already funded by the DC Council. DDOT will be evaluating whether the Near SE/Navy Yard/Capitol Riverfront area can support year-round Saturday service and year-round service after 7pm on the Union Station – Navy Yard route, which would benefit Southwest once this line is extended to the west. Currently, service hours vary depending on the time of year; there is no plan to offer Sunday service on this route. 

Of the three lines proposed for Southwest, ridership projections for the new Dupont Circle – Southwest Waterfront route are highest. Over 1.2 million annual riders are expected on the new route, compared to 762,000 riders for the restored Convention Center – Southwest Waterfront route. 

During the public engagement process earlier in the year, there were six pop-up events across the city where surveys were collected, in addition to online surveys. Of the six pop-up events, the most responses were collected at the Waterfront Metro station pop-up, garnering 15% of all survey responses. More than half of the respondents to the survey indicated that the Southwest Waterfront should be served next by the Circulator – the most of any location, followed by U Street Corridor/Shaw/Howard University. 

Other new routes are planned as well in other parts of the city – one would connect Columbia Heights to Brookland and NoMa, while another would go from the National Mall to Union Station, as well as extensions of existing lines. Circulator fares would increase to $1.50 on SmarTrip and $2.00 cash from the current fare of $1.00. 

The DC Circulator Transit Development Plan is open for public comment until November 7. A Semi-Annual Open House on October 20 from 6-8pm will provide residents the opportunity to weigh in on the plan. It will be located at Pinstripes in Georgetown (1064 Wisconsin Avenue, NW).  In addition, comments may be submitted by clicking on the contact us link located on the DC Circulator website. For more information on the TDP, contact Circe Torruellas or call 202-671-2847.

moveDC Draft Plan Summary of Vehicular Movement Recommendations

The moveDC Draft Plan that was released back in May by DDOT recommends making several street connections that were removed during urban renewal in Southwest over time as parcels in the vicinity of these streets are redeveloped or through DDOT initiatives: 

• 3rd Street from E Street to G Street over the Southwest Freeway (I-395) – $28M , Tier 3 
• 6th Street from E Street to G Street over the Southwest Freeway (I-395) – $31M, Tier 4 
• C Street from 12th Street to 9th Street – $558M (part of MD Ave plan), Tier 2 
• D Street from 2nd Street to near South Capitol Street over the Center Leg Freeway (I-395) – $37M, Tier 4 
• K Street from Delaware Avenue to 1st Street right-of-way through Lansburgh Park – $3M, Tier 3 
• L Street from Delaware Avenue to Half Street through Lansburgh Park – $5M, Tier 3 
• N Street from the 3rd Street right-of-way to Canal Street – $5M, Tier 3 
• O Street from the 3rd Street right-of-way to Canal Street – $4M, Tier 3 
• Maryland Avenue from 12th Street to 9th Street – $558M (part of MD Ave plan), Tier 2
• Virginia Avenue from 12th Street to 9th Street – $558M (part of MD Ave plan), Tier 2  

By far, the most expensive recommendation is for the streets in and around Maryland Avenue in the SW Ecodistrict, including Virginia Avenue, Maryland Avenue, and C Street, which comes in at over half a billion dollars. These road additions are classified as Tier 2 in priority (on a scale of 1 to 4), while the other street additions are ranked as Tier 3 and 4. Replacement projects including the Long Bridge used by Amtrak, commuter, and freight rail and the Frederick Douglass Bridge are considered to be Tier 1 projects. 

Other recommendations include high-occupancy toll lanes on I-395 and I-695 from the 14th Street Bridge to the 11th Street bridge; congestion pricing for the downtown area, whose southern edge includes the L’Enfant Plaza and Federal Center SW areas north of the SW Freeway; and many others that relate to pedestrians, bicycles, transit, parking, and freight. The moveDC Draft Plan is a very large document, but feel free to take a look to see all of the recommendations. The comment period ends on July 31, so check out the website to see how you can comment on the draft plan.

Rendering courtesy of DDOT

A Few Quick Thursday Afternoon Items: Masala Art, AVDLM Progress, Streetcar Meeting, Kastles to GWU

Interior build-out continues at Masala Art, an Indian restaurant on the ground floor of 1101 4th Street at Waterfront Station. According to a Facebook post by DC Waterfront Gateway, the grand opening is currently planned for some time in July. This will be the second location for the restaurant, which already has a location in Tenleytown. According to ABRA public hearing notice, there will be seating for 133 with the option for a sidewalk café. Masala Art is described as a “new fine dining Indian restaurant with full bar service to patrons dining in the restaurant.” The requested hours of operation are: 

Sunday 10am – 2am
Monday – Thursday 11am – 2am
Friday – Saturday 10am – 3am 

The restaurant will likely not open that late, but it would be allowed to do so if the liquor license is approved. The hearing date is on June 23. 

Construction of the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial is coming along at 150 Washington Avenue and a dedication ceremony is scheduled for October 5. The AVDLM will contain the following components: a star fountain with eternal flame, triangular reflecting pool, granite paving, stone and glass walls, sculptural elements, trees, landscaping, lighting, and parking on the south side of the site. Glass walls planned at the memorial (also known as the Voices of Veterans) will include quotes of disabled veterans and seven images showing wounded and disabled soldiers and veterans and images of care givers. The "Wall of Gratitude" that will run along the middle of the memorial will contain quotations from George Washington and Dwight Eisenhower when they were generals. 

Rendering courtesy of Michael Vergason Landscape Architects

The third and final round of public meetings for the North – South Corridor Planning Study will be taking place during the week of June 9. DDOT will report back on what the agency has heard from the community, present analysis for potential streetcar routes and provide an overview of the next steps in the process. These routes have been evaluated using criteria such as ridership potential and traffic. The meetings will be open-house style and will include two opportunities for participants to hear an overview presentation. The South Sub Area meeting (which includes Southwest) will be on Tuesday, June 10 from 3:30pm – 8:30pm at 1100 4th Street in the 2nd Floor community room. There will be two presentations – one at 4pm and another at 7pm. 

The Washington Kastles have decamped from Southwest entirely and are moving indoors this season to the Smith Center in Foggy Bottom, says the Washington Business Journal. Kastles Stadium at The Wharf lasted for three years and was dismantled after the end of last season to make way for phase one of The Wharf. The team was considering a move to a vacant lot at Waterfront Station, but after an extensive amount of due diligence, the site did not work out. While tennis won’t be played at Waterfront Station, there will be some bocce, at least for a day. DC Bocce will have their Bocce-N-Beers Charity Tournament and End of Season Party on Saturday, June 14, featuring 20+ kegs of beer, live music, and an all-day bocce playoffs tournament.

A Few Quick Saturday Morning Items: GSA Open House, Circulator Pop-Up Meetings, Running of the Chihuahuas, New Amidon-Bowen Windows

The GSA will host an open house on April 30 at the SW Library to solicit input on their RFQ involving the transfer of the Cotton Annex and GSA regional headquarters in exchange for construction services at GSA HQ and up to three historic properties at St. Elizabeths. As a part of the RFQ process, GSA needs to perform an Environmental Assessment, which involves community engagement, hence the planned open house. In addition, the GSA will be accepting comments on the "scope" of the Environmental Assessment through May 14. Comments can be sent by email to cottonannexrob@gsa.gov to via snail mail to:

Suzanne Hill, Regional Environmental Planning Officer

U.S. General Services Administration, NCR

301 7th Street, SW, Room 4004

Washington, DC 20407

 Image courtesy of GSA

DDOT will be hosting a series of "pop-up" meetings next week to solicit feedback on the Circulator system. One will be held at the Waterfront Metro station on Thursday, April 24 from 3:30-6:30pm. A survey to gather feedback will open April 22 on the DC Circulator website. Each participant will be entered to win a $50 SmarTrip card with a winner randomly selected after the survey closes on May 9.  As a part of the Mayor's FY 2015 budget proposal, the Union Station - Navy Yard Metro Circulator line will be extended to Southwest.

The third annual Running of the Chihuahuas will take place on May 3 at Gangplank Park at The Wharf (between 6th and 7th streets) from 12-3pm.  The entry fee is $20 and there will be cash prizes totaling $500. Entry fees will benefit animal charities. In previous years, PAWS of Southwest was the beneficiary, but the dog park is now fully funded and should open within the next couple of months at Lansburgh Park. Be on the look out for a leash-cutting ceremony soon. 



Renovations continue at Amidon-Bowen Elementary. The latest improvements include new windows, which have been installed over the past couple of weeks. Other improvements that have been made over the past couple of years include a substantial interior renovation that happened two summers ago, as well as a new playground and soccer field.

A Few Quick Items: New Douglass Bridge, Wharf Update, Greenleaf Shelter, Transpoint Lease

The Washington Business Journal reports that DDOT has narrowed down the list of teams that can compete for the contract to build a new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, traffic ovals on either side of the bridge, and the reconstruction of the I-295/Suitland Parkway interchange. Funding has been secured for the $622 million project, which covers Phase One of the South Capitol Corridor project. The current bridge design concept was criticized by the Commission of Fine Arts back in September, who wanted a more contemporary design for the span.

Rendering Courtesy of DDOT

According to the Washington Business Journal, the DC Court of Appeals last month did not overrule the decision by the Zoning Commission to approve the portion of The Wharf's Stage 2 PUD dealing with Parcel 11, where St. Augustine's Episcopal Church will get a new sanctuary and Hoffman-Madison Waterfront will build a mixed income condo building. Owners of the townhomes at Tiber Island Cooperative appealed the Zoning Commission ruling claiming that the planned condo building did not respect the historic designation of the townhomes across the street. The ruling clears the way for this part of the project to move forward. While the new St. Augustine's is being built, parishioners will be worshiping elsewhere in Southwest.  Hoffman-Madison Waterfront will be at Monday's ANC meeting to give an update on The Wharf.

Rendering courtesy of MTFA Architecture

Two recreation centers in the city have been set aside as temporary shelters for newly homeless families due to the increase in the homeless population as mentioned in a Washington Post article. One of those centers is King-Greenleaf Recreation Center. Homeless families started coming to King-Greenleaf last week. The temporary shelter will be in place until the end of hypothermia season on April 1.It is estimated that anywhere from 500 to 1,000 newly homeless families will need to be housed before the end of the season. Only a few families have used the rec centers in the first couple of days. From the article:

Thursday night was the first night families were referred to a rec center. Seventeen were referred, and nine wound up staying. And by Friday, the number was down to one.

With the clock ticking on GSA's pending lease expiration on April 30, 2015 at the former Coast Guard headquarters in Buzzard Point, the Navy issued a contract for remodeling the Navy Yard building that was damaged in September as a result of the mass shooting that occurred. About 3,000 employees were moved temporarily to Transpoint since the building was empty following the departure of the Coast Guard. From the Washington Business Journal article:

Monday Properties, according to the Navy, "has stated its intention to not renew a lease with the GSA."

Perhaps the owner is weighing its options with the prospect of a new soccer stadium being built two blocks away? Maybe. Further down the article, Tim Helmig from Monday Properties stated the following:

The company "welcomes any discussion to extend," and that Transpoint is an ideal facility for federal employees to occupy. "GSA and Monday Properties have worked together and were in discussions about extending the lease, but those discussions have not taken place since December of 2013."

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

A Few Quick Items: Upcoming Meetings and Events

The second Southwest Neighborhood Plan meeting will be held on Wednesday, December 11 from 6:30 to 9pm at Westminster Church, located at 400 I Street. The previous meeting was back in September at Arena Stage and was well attended. The Southwest Neighborhood Plan study area extends from South Capitol Street to Maine Avenue and from P Street to Interstate 395. The plan will focus on four key elements – people, parks, connections, and building. A project website and a second website called “Engage Southwest” have been created where community members can interact.

Image courtesy of Graphic Recorder Jim Nuttle

DDOT will be hosting an Anacostia Waterfront Initiative (AWI) transportation master plan update initiative meeting for the South Capitol Street corridor will be held on Thursday, December 12 from 6:30 to 8:30pm at the Capitol Skyline Hotel, located at 10 I Street. The AWI is a 30-year, $10 billion series of transportation, environmental, economic, community and recreation projects that are transforming the shores of the Anacostia River into a world-class waterfront. The AWI Program area stretches from the Tidal Basin to the city’s northeast border with Maryland.

Rendering courtesy of DDOT

The Southwest Neighborhood Assembly will have its annual holiday party on Monday, December 16 from 6 to 9:30pm at the Pier 7 Restaurant at the Channel Inn. All those attending will be able to order from the menu (menu items range from $14.95 and up). All entrees come with side salad and fresh baked loaves of bread. One check will be issued per table due to the unique seating arrangement in the dining room.

Image courtesy of SWNA

A second Randall Neighbor Day will be held on Saturday, December 21. The first one was held on November 30. All residents of Southwest and Near SE (Zip codes 20024 and 20003) get free admission to the Corcoran - normal admission is $10. This community benefit was negotiated with the ANC back when the Corcoran was planning to move its College of Art + Design to the Randall School site. Those plans fell through and now the Telesis/Rubell team is seeking PUD approval for a new modern art museum, a restaurant, commercial space, and 550 residential units; however, Randall Neighbor Day remains. Current exhibitions at the Corcoran include Alex Prager: Face in the Crowd and Mia Feuer: An Unkindness. The Corcoran is located at 500 17th Street, NW and will be open from 10am to 5pm.

Buzzard Point Streetcar Line Study

DDOT is preparing to undertake a year-long study of a new streetcar line that will run from Buzzard Point to Takoma according to WAMU. The nine-mile line will run through the Southwest Waterfront, the National Mall, downtown, Shaw, Columbia Heights, and Petworth. With the exception of the end points, the streetcar route is similar to Metro's Green line. Presumably, the study of this line is related to the planned DC United stadium in Buzzard Point. From the article:

Once this initial study is completed and the environmental approval process is underway, DDOT will be looking for a contractor to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the streetcar, Metro buses whose routes are entirely within the District’s border, and D.C. Circulator – as part of a public-private partnership. Project spokeswoman Dara Ward said finding a contractor to handle all aspects of the transportation network’s construction and operations would speed up its completion.

Over the next several weeks, the public outreach campaign will begin and DDOT will meet with neighborhood stakeholders. This initial planning comes at the same time WMATA is looking to eliminate the 74 bus whose route is pretty similar to a portion of the streetcar route. Another bus route that may be eliminated is the 5A bus that goes from L'Enfant Plaza to Dulles Airport since the Silver line to Wiehle Avenue in Reston is set to open early next year.

New Douglass Bridge Process Moving Forward

There is $622 million set aside in the District’s FY2014 budget to fund Phase 1 (Segments 1 and 2) of the South Capitol Street Corridor project, which includes a new bascule design Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, traffic ovals on either side of the bridge, and the reconstruction of the I-295/Suitland Parkway interchange.  Federal funds will also be used for the project.  The second phase has yet to be funded and will include the boulevardization of South Capitol Street from N Street to Independence Avenue, a new, at-grade intersection with M Street, and other improvements on both sides of the Anacostia River.  

The western section of the bridge.

The new bridge will have three lanes of vehicular traffic on each side as well as space for pedestrians and bikes. There will be an 18-foot shared use bike and pedestrian lanes on both sides of the bridge with connections to Potomac Avenue and R Street on the west side of the river. Ten feet will be dedicated to a two-way cycle track and eight feet will be used for a pedestrian pathway. In addition, viewing platforms will be located along the bridge. A shared use path will be located in the inner part of the traffic oval.

Lane configuration on the new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge.

A change from the earlier design of the bridge is its alignment, which will now be parallel to the existing bridge. Another difference is now there will be a traffic oval on the east side of the bridge instead of a traffic circle. The traffic oval on the west side will connect Nationals Park with the proposed DC United stadium and can serve as a focal point for the area, perhaps with a new memorial.

A new traffic oval will be built adjacent to the bridge.

DDOT will released a request for proposals in the fourth quarter of 2013 and a design-build team will be selected by the second quarter of 2014. Construction will begin by the end of 2014 and completion is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2018. During the construction period, some steps that will be taken to help minimize disruption to the neighborhood include the delivery of construction materials by water, the use of water trucks to reduce dust, designated haul routes, and no construction worker parking in neighborhoods.

Renderings courtesy of DDOT

Maryland Avenue Transporation Study Underway

 

DDOT is undertaking a year-long transportation study of Maryland Avenue, which began in April. On Monday, the agency held an open house meeting to introduce the project to the public. According to Shannon Hake, Transportation Planner for DDOT and project manager for the Maryland Avenue Transportation Study, Maryland Avenue can serve as the "spine between the Capitol and the waterfront." The study area includes the Maryland Avenue corridor from 7th Street to 12th Street. Currently, Maryland Avenue does not exist along this stretch, but is a set of railroad tracks shared by CSX, Amtrak, and VRE. The right-of-way is owned by several entities, including the District of Columbia, the National Park Service, the federal government, CSX, and private owners, which further complicates any potential reconstruction of the roadway.

View of the Maryland Avenue corridor from the Potomac.

The transportation study will look at the recommendations made by the Office of Planning's Small Area Plan for Maryland Avenue last year and a preliminary engineering study will be conducted to see whether a new roadway can be constructed above the railroad corridor. Traffic impacts in the area and multi-modal accessibility will be analyzed. In addition to the Small Area Plan recommendations, DDOT will develop cost estimates for two other alternatives.

After the completion of the study, the project development phase will begin, which will take two years to do the NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) process. Under the best case scenario, it will take 8-10 years before Maryland Avenue could be rebuilt, since there is no dedicated funding currently for rebuilding the street. The next public meeting will be this fall, where existing data will be reviewed and development alternatives revealed. A final public meeting will be in early winter 2014 with conceptual designs and analysis of the Maryland Avenue corridor.

Prepping for Inauguration Weekend

The presidential inauguration is nearly upon us and as such, the city is making preparations for large crowds to descend on the National Mall to see President Obama take the oath of office for his second term and the inaugural parade. A representative from DDOT briefed the community on the city's plans at Monday's ANC 6D meeting. While crowds are expected to be much smaller this time around than the estimated 1.8 million who visited the city back in 2009, between 500,000 and 800,000 people are anticipated to attend inaugural events this year. Above is a map of the pedestrian routes that will be used to access the National Mall and the parade route along Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. In Southwest, the main pedestrian routes will be along South Capitol Street, I Street, 4th Street, 7th Street, 15th Street, 17th Street, and Independence Avenue. Secret Service checkpoints in Southwest will be set up along Independence Avenue at 7th Street and 12th Street. For those who do not have tickets for the inauguration, the area of the National Mall from 4th Street to 12th Street will be available for viewing the ceremony on jumbotron screens. Parking restrictions will be in place on Inauguration Day along Maine Avenue and M Street from the Maine Avenue Fish Market to New Jersey Avenue, SE. Buses won't be parked on the streets as they were in 2009 - buses will need to park at RFK Stadium or a pay parking lot - ones that will be used in Southwest include 1st & V Streets in Buzzard Point and 14th & D Streets. There will be a maximum of 2,500 buses permitted in the city and about 300 of them are expected to park in Southwest.  None of these buses will be allowed to use local streets and National Guard personnel will be stationed at key intersections to enforce the ban. A taxi stand will be located long E Street from 4th to 6th Streets.  In addition, a water taxi will operate from Alexandria and will drop off passengers at the Gangplank Marina.  Metro will open on Monday at 4am and will stay open until 2am with rush hour and peak fare until 9pm, but the Smithsonian, Archives/Navy Memorial, and Mt. Vernon Square/Convention Center stations will be closed. Metrobus will operate on a normal weekday morning rush hour schedule followed by an early afternoon rush hour schedule. Some routes will be diverted that usually traverse the National Mall. Another way to get around is Capital Bikeshare, which will have a bike corral on Inauguration Day at 12th Street and Independence Avenue; however, two stations along Jefferson Drive at 12th & 14th Streets will be closed that day.

Pedestrians on 7th Street during the 2009 Inauguration

Local schools, including Amidon-Bowen Elementary and Jefferson Academy will be used as warming areas and a large 100' x 100' tent will be erected in Lansburgh Park for additional inaugural activities. DCPS buses will be stationed in various locations to serve as warming stations, including a couple at Lansburgh Park.  For more information about the inauguration, check out the website set up by the city.

A Few Quick Items: New South Capitol Street Bridge, Constitution Center Sale, Randall Rec. Center, Federal Triangle South

- DDOT is prepping for the replacement of the Frederick Douglass Bridge with a Request for Qualifications from contractors for design-build construction of the first two segments of the South Capitol Street corridor project.  Segment one involves the replacement of the bridge with an arched bascule bridge, along with approaches to the bridge, including a new traffic oval at South Capitol Street & Potomac Avenue and a traffic circle at South Capitol Street and Suitland Parkway. Segment two will reconstruct the Suitland Parkway and Interstate 295 interchange.  Future segments will include the reconstruction of the South Capitol Street corridor from M Street to Independence Avenue, part of which is making the South Capitol Street and M Street intersection at-grade. Funding for the first two segments is still pending so the start date of construction hasn't been determined.

Rendering courtesy of DDOT

- It was reported last week in the Washington Business Journal that Constitution Center sold for $734 million by MetLife, making it one of the most expensive commercial buildings ever in the District.  It was easier to sell the building once the building was fully leased.

- A concept plan was released for the exterior of the Randall Recreation Center based on feedback from a community meeting held last month. The plan includes a playground for children ages 2-12 and swings.  The dreary plaza area that fronts I Street would be replaced with freshened up landscaping, picnic tables, a spray plaza, game tables, sculptures, and a skate spot.  The revamped park space is supposed to be completed in 2013 and has already been funded by the city.

- The GSA has released a Request for Information (or RFI) for several parcels it owns in an area they have dubbed "Federal Triangle South." The RFI follows up on their Notice of Intent to release a RFI within the next 90 days back in September. The redevelopment of these parcels would result in the need for new office space for 5,300 Department of Energy employees, roughly 5,400 Federal Aviation Administration employees, and nearly 2,500 Department of Homeland Security employees.

According to the RFI, the vision of Federal Triangle South is the following:

Redeveloping FTS has the potential to transform an uninviting federal office precinct into an area that: 

• Provides right-sized, efficiently designed Federal facilities; 
• Includes sustainable land and smart buildings; 
• Successfully merges commercial, residential, civic, institutional, and green space; 
• Maintains a significant Federal presence along Independence Avenue; 
• Reintroduces portions of the L’Enfant Plan street grid.

Performance Parking Revenue Brings New Amenities

A new community-oriented Public Information Display System (PIDS) will soon make its way to the entrance of the Waterfront Station Safeway. The PIDS will be a community information kiosk giving real-time information such as when the next train or bus will arrive, number of Capital Bikeshare bikes available in the area, the performance schedule for Arena Stage, and other important information. DDOT is funding this project through its Ward 6 Performance Parking Zone program, which adjusts the cost of parking depending on demand, but is the brainchild of SW resident Cecille Chen, who heads up SWNA’s Southwest DC Heritage Project. The SW PIDS will be the first in a citywide rollout of this technology and will also be accessible to residents via DC’s free WiFi network. Total cost for the project will be $75,000 and is scheduled to be up and running by January 2013.

Other improvements potentially coming to the neighborhood thanks to Performance Parking revenue include some public art. The Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW) will receive $35,000 to install a statue or sign representing all of the lettered streets in the Southeast (and potentially Southwest) parts of the city. The program is designed to help children learn the alphabet.

Update: As Commissioner Craycraft mentioned in the comments section, Damon Harvey from DDOT also committed to funding the restoration of the underwater lighting at the SW Duck Pond during last week's ANC meeting, which was supposed to be done earlier in 2012.

Planning for a Complete Street on M Street

(This post is an abbreviated version of the South by West article that will appear in December's Hill Rag).

Over the past several months, DDOT has been working on a transportation planning study of the M Street, SE/SW corridor.  The study area includes most of ANC 6D, which includes everything south of the Southeast/Southwest Freeway to the Washington Channel and Anacostia River. The study began in early 2012 and after three community meetings and months of study by DDOT and their consultant CH2MHILL, three alternatives were developed for the corridor and surrounding streets. Each of the alternatives are distinct, although some aspects of each alternative are common.

The first alternative would remake M Street as a “Main Street” which would accommodate more transit service. Under this alternative, there would be a median of variable width, including a center turn lane on the Southwest portion of M Street, two travel lanes on each side of the street, and the outer lanes would be an exclusive transit lane for streetcars, Metrobus, and commuter buses. Street parking that currently exists on M Street would be removed under this scenario since the parking lane would be taken up by the transit lane. Right turns would be restricted to certain intersections throughout the corridor so the transit vehicles are able to travel more quickly on the street. In order to compensate for the removal of a traffic lane on M Street, a second travel lane would be added to each side of I Street by removing on-street parking. The bike lane configuration currently on I Street would change to include a mixed travel and bike lane in each direction. In addition, P Street would be widened from one travel lane to two travel lanes between 4th Street and South Capitol Street during peak hours. One-way traffic on some streets would be converted to two-way streets.  

Under the second alternative, or the “Balanced Linkages” scenario, M Street would accommodate cars, transit, and bike lanes. The typical cross-section of M Street west of South Capitol Street would have an eight-foot cycle track, an eight-foot parking lane, a 12-foot shared travel lane for general purpose and transit vehicles, and an 11-foot travel/turn lane in each direction.  This scenario reduces the number of travel lanes from three currently to two lanes in each direction on M Street. Streetcar service would be placed along I Street, where the parking lane would be removed and replaced with a shared vehicle/transit lane. The streetcar line would connect to 7th Street on the western side. On-street parking on P Street would be removed as well, replaced with a shared travel/transit lane that would serve the DC Circulator (assuming service is restored to Southwest). No Southwest streets would be converted to two-way streets under the second alternative.

Alternative number three, or the “Mobility Arterial” scenario would make M Street three travel lanes in each direction with the outer lane serving as a shared travel/transit lane. Streetcars would run on this shared lane.  No parking would be provided on M Street under this scenario. However, the middle travel lane would be shared with bicycles. The current configuration of I Street would not change under this scenario. Similar to alternative number two, no Southwest streets would be converted to two-way streets under the third alternative.

The full report can be found here.  Comments will be accepted by DDOT until Friday, November 30 at 5pm. Comments should be emailed to ddot.awi@dc.gov, mailed to Colleen Hawkinson, District Department of Transportation, Suite 500, 55 M Street SE, Washington DC 20003 or faxed to her attention at 202-671-0617.

Long Bridge Study Underway

DDOT (with cooperation with the Federal Railroad Administration) is conducting a study of the Long Bridge, a two-track railroad bridge that crosses the Potomac River and carries Amtrak, VRE, and CSX trains.  According to the project website, the purpose of this project is to complete a comprehensive study of the Long Bridge to include identification of short-term needs and long-term capacity improvements, identify and analyze alternatives that meet the short-term and long-term multi-modal needs, and identify, collect, and evaluate data in support of the recommended improvements. Multi-modal needs includes analyzing future operating requirements of high-speed and intercity passenger rail, commuter rail, transit, bike and pedestrian, and freight services.

There will be a public meeting today from 4pm - 6pm at Westminster Church. The purpose of the meeting is to introduce the project to the public and receive feedback and input on access and mobility needs.  Comments can be provided at the meeting, mailed or submitted electronically to info@longbridgeproject.com. There will be more meetings before the plan is finalized in the summer of 2013.

New Visitor Parking Passes

New visitor parking passes arrived in the mail this week for residents of ANC 6D.  The new pass is purple and has sparkles whereas the old pass is red.  Each pass has a unique ID on the bottom (the ID numbers were removed from the ones above). DDOT created the passes when Nationals Park opened so people who came to visit local residents during baseball games wouldn't be towed. The passes are only valid within ANC 6D. These new passes will expire on September 30, 2013. 

A Couple Quick Items: Maine Avenue Improvements Complete, Default Imminent at Donohoe Building

- DDOT announced last week that road and sidewalk improvements along Maine Avenue from 14th Street to the Fish Market have been completed. The $2 million project includes the widening of the sidewalk from four feet to a 14-foot trail to accommodate pedestrians and bikes, the reduction of road lanes from two lanes to one, new storm water drains, lighting, trees, signage, curbs, gutters, and fencing.  On-street parking has been eliminated along this stretch of road as a result.

- It was reported on CityBiz Real Estate that a $38.5 million loan for the Donohoe Building at 400 6th Street is in danger of being in default.  The building is located across the street from Constitution Center about a half block from the L'Enfant Plaza Metro and is currently leased by the District government for the Child and Family Services Agency.  The tenant is scheduled to vacate the building this summer at the conclusion of its lease.  The building was constructed in 1967 and was renovated in 1999. Perhaps this building could be a candidate for a conversion to residential to start the process of introducing residential to the predominately federal business district?

SW Duck Pond Update

Over the next month or so, some major infrastructure improvements are planned for the SW Duck Pond, located at 6th & I Streets. An appropriation has been provided by the DC government to do some brick work in the park, including the coping around the water's edge, as well as the retaining walls which are in pretty bad shape.  In addition, the appropriation includes the installation of new globe lighting with outlets at the base to allow lights to be strung around the light poles for special occasions (festivals, holidays, etc). The benches will also be painted. Bids have been submitted and a contractor will be chosen next week.  

Crumbling retaining walls will be fixed.

Under a different funding mechanism, the Neighbors of SW Duck Pond have applied for a grant from DDOT's Performance Parking program instituted when Nationals Park opened to restore the underwater lighting in the pond that have long been disabled. The park is used as a cut-through for people coming to and from the businesses on 4th Street and the Metro, so the addition of underwater lighting will increase safety in the park at night. Estimates for the repairs range from $1,800 - $20,000, depending on the condition of the existing wiring for the underwater lights, but the actual cost won't be known until the contractors get to work on the project.

Last year's fountain "turning on" ceremony.

Work on both projects will aim for completion by April 7, when Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells will be on hand for the annual ceremony to turn on the pond's fountains for the season, the same day as the SW Waterfront Fireworks Festival.  Last season, the pH balance was changed in the pond to return the water to a more natural state and make it hospitable for ducks to return. As a result, the pond water turned green and maintenance was more costly since the filters had to be changed more often. In previous years, the water was chemically treated to keep the water clearer and it will most likely return to that cleaning schedule this season.