Audi Field Breaks Ground

While I was out of town, D.C. United decided to hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday for Audi Field (the nerve!) at Buzzard Point. Alas, I was unable to get a picture of the ceremonial shovels digging in the ground, but below is a photo from when the District started site work several months ago. You can also check out coverage of the groundbreaking ceremony from several sources: 

• DC United 
• MLS 
• NBC 4 
• Sports Illustrated 
• Washington Business Journal 
• Washington Post 
• WJLA 

The 19,400-seat stadium will open during the 2018 MLS season at 2nd and R streets. While not as contentious as the Washington Nationals baseball stadium deal more than a decade ago, the D.C. United stadium deal had its share of drama, including a land swap proposal, eminent domain, and flirtations with moving the club to Prince George’s County and Baltimore. 

Rendering courtesy of D.C. United

DC United Stadium PUD Application Filed

DC United submitted a PUD application yesterday for their new planned stadium on Buzzard Point, to be located three blocks from Nationals Park at 100 Potomac Avenue. The 19,000-seat stadium has been designed by Populous (the same designers of Nationals Park) and DC-based Marshall Moya as “contemporary-industrial” as a nod to Buzzard Point’s industrial nature. Building materials include glass, concrete panels, zinc and aluminum panels and the stadium will rise to a maximum height of 98 feet. The stadium will also be designed to meet LEED-Gold standards (Nationals Park was designed to meet LEED-Silver standards). No on-site parking is planned, although 3,400 off-site parking spaces have been identified for use by patrons, both on Buzzard Point and at parking lots used for Nationals games. There will be 233 bicycle spaces, although it is unclear whether a bike valet will be set up at the soccer stadium like Nationals Park. 

The main entrance will be on the northeast corner of the site at a plaza along Potomac Avenue with 18 gates. From Potomac Avenue, spectators will get a view of the inside of the stadium and field since the pitch will be near ground level. The zoning application touts this street-activating feature as unique to any other professional sports stadium. Premium ticket holders will enter through a separate gate area south of the main entrance. Other entrances for fans will be at the northwest and southwest corners of the stadium. An entrance on the southeast corner will be used for media. 

Ticket booths will be located on the east side of the stadium. A building straddling the stadium at the corner of 2nd and T streets will contain retail on the first floor with office space on the second floor outside of the stadium. Inside the stadium, this building will contain concessions on the first floor and DC United’s offices on the second floor. The team’s locker room will be in the basement of this building. Decorative fencing will run along the west edge of the stadium along 2nd Street and a pedestrian walkway will be located on the east side to minimize disruption of the pedestrian flow on 1st Street.

Most of the seating will be on the east side of the stadium, due to an easement with Pepco which gives the utility access on the east side of the property. The west side of the stadium has outdoor seating while the east and north sides will have both outdoor seats and suites. The team store will be a separate, one-story building fronting R Street, located to the northwest of the main entrance so it will be accessible not just during game days. 

There is a separate parcel on the northeast section of the stadium footprint adjacent to the entry plaza that is not a part of the PUD application. This parcel will be developed in the future, likely as a hotel with retail. The stadium is scheduled to start construction in September, although PUD approval is needed first and the city needs to do environmental remediation and utility work to prep the land for construction. Construction is expected to be complete in time for the start of the 2018 MLS season.

Stay tuned for more about this project.

Renderings courtesy of DC United

South Capitol Street Parcels Sold

Six parcels along South Capitol Street totaling 31,000 SF next to Camden South Capitol apartments recently sold for $11 million to Ronald D. Paul Cos. as reported by the Washington Business Journal. These are the same lots where Altus Realty Partners plans to build 1319 South Capitol, a 230,000 SF rental apartment building across the street from Nationals Park. Altus will JV with Ronald D. Paul Cos. on the $80 million development, which will include inclusionary zoning units and some ground floor retail. 

The developer came before ANC 6D back in March to give an update on the project. At that meeting, it was mentioned that the PGN Architects-designed residential building will be in a “L” shape that wraps around six existing rowhomes on South Capitol Street which are more than 100 years old. Newer renderings have fleshed out how the project will look compared to what was presented back in the March meeting. 

According to Globest.com, the approximately 250-unit building is scheduled to be completed in 2018, which puts its construction start date sometime in 2016. Although the development team plans to build the project by-right, Altus will need to get ANC support for an alley closing and needs approval from the Zoning Commission since 1319 South Capitol is within the Capitol Gateway Overlay.

Renderings courtesy of PGN Architects

Latest on Buzzard Point Soccer Stadium Proposal

At Tuesday night’s soccer stadium Open House, representatives from the District government, DC United, and developer Akridge had a series of information stations covering different aspects of the proposal, such as transportation and planning. This Open House follows the forum hosted by SWNA back on September 15. Over the summer, a series of plans and studies have been conducted for the stadium proposal and surrounding Buzzard Point neighborhood, including a Special Events Study, a Transportation Management Plan, and the Buzzard Point Urban Design Framework. Here’s what we now know about the proposal: 

The Stadium 

The District and DC United propose a $300 million, 20,000-seat soccer stadium at 2nd and R streets in Buzzard Point, about two blocks southwest of Nationals Park. There is a chance that in the final design, the number of seats at the stadium could decrease to 18,000. The District will contribute up to $150 million in a series of land swaps with Akridge and Pepco, as well as infrastructure improvements needed for the stadium site; a tax abatement will be provided to the team over a period of 20 years. The land swaps will allow the District to provide a subsidy for the stadium without breaching the debt limit cap placed on the city. DC United will contribute the remaining $150 million to build the stadium.

Major League Soccer’s season lasts from March to November and most of DC United’s home matches occur on weekend nights. Once the stadium opens in the Spring of 2017, there will be an average of 23 home matches per season with an average attendance of 19,200; five sold-out international soccer matches; three sold out concerts; five community events with an average attendance of 4,000 people; and 10 other events with an average attendance of 6,000 people for a total of 46 events a year.

Buzzard Point 

The Urban Design Framework developed for Buzzard Point will inform and guide public and private development decisions for the next 10 years. A summary of the draft can be found here, but some interesting details were mentioned at the forum and Open House. Development in Buzzard Point will be focused toward the rest of the Capitol Riverfront BID area along Potomac Avenue in order to protect the existing housing north of the stadium site. A riverfront esplanade will connect to Yards Park and a more naturalized shoreline is envisioned. A Maritime Museum is planned for a site that lines up with the axis of the Capitol and the soccer stadium south of the proposed traffic oval on South Capitol Street. The addition of residential units in Buzzard Point will come from new construction on empty lots, but will also come from the repurposing of existing buildings in the area, including the Transpoint Building, 1900 Half Street, and the Buzzard Point Power Plant.

Vacant South Capitol Lot to Become an Apartment Building

 

Camden South Capitol may soon get a new neighbor to its north. 1319 South Capitol Altus LLC (Altus Realty Partners) has the vacant lot and some of the adjacent buildings under contract, located across the street from Nationals Park. It was just six months ago when a permit was issued to build a parking lot on this site. Leasing at Camden South Capitol has been averaging about 20 units per month since opening last spring, which is encouraging news to Altus. They are in the initial stages of planning a rental apartment building on the site and are negotiating with the remaining property owners on the block to potentially increase the lot size. The developers came to the ANC on Monday evening to give them an update on their preliminary plans. They are currently planning a 250,000 SF building which is allowable by-right with about 260 to 270 units and some ground floor retail. There will also be an affordable component due to inclusionary zoning requirements.

The lot in question (on left) is adjacent to row homes.

The parcels in blue are currently controlled by Altus.

The developers will need to come back before the ANC once their plans are further along in order to get their support for any zoning approvals needed since the site is within the Capitol Overlay District. If some or all of the rowhomes become part of the development footprint, hopefully they can be incorporated into the design of the new building. A recent example of where this has been done is 7th Flats at Progression Place in Shaw. There are so few older rowhomes in Southwest and their reuse as retail space (a dentist office currently occupies one of the rowhomes) could help bring some unique retailers to the area as the South Capitol Street corridor gets revitalized in the coming years.

Lot map courtesy of Altus Realty Partners

More on DC United Stadium Deal

 

Yesterday morning, Mayor Gray and Jason Levien from DC United, along with City Administrator Allen Lew and property owners in the stadium footprint, announced a deal to build a new, LEED-certified 20,000 to 25,000 seat stadium for DC United in Buzzard Point at 2nd and R streets. At the press conference, the mayor explained the complex deal that will bring a new stadium to Southwest, or as Lew stated, “a giant jigsaw puzzle.” The cost of the $300 million stadium will be split between the city and the team. According to the term sheet signed by Gray and Levien after the press conference, DC United will spend $150 million to build the stadium while the District will spend $40 million (up to a maximum of $50 million) on infrastructure improvements/environmental remediation and approximately $100 million for land assembly; however, the city intends not to actually use cash to purchase land for the stadium, but instead will do a series of land swaps. 

Mayor Gray at the press conference.

A land swap that has been agreed to already is between the District and Akridge, which owns a portion of the stadium site – the block bounded by 2nd Street to the west, S Street to the north, First Street to the east, and T Street to the south. The block is the northern part of Akridge’s 100 V Street project, which was initially designed to be a secure complex for a federal tenant. In exchange for the two-acre parcel, Akridge will get the Reeves Center building at 14th and U streets, NW, a functionally obsolete building in a rapidly developing part of the city. The employees at the current Reeves building would be relocated to a new Reeves complex to be built in Anacostia at Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Good Hope Road, SE.  Meanwhile, Akridge would still retain the southern two blocks of their 9-acre site in Buzzard Point, which presumably would be developed as a mixed use project similar to what they have planned to the north of Nationals Park on Half Street, SE instead of a secure federal complex. A rendering was displayed at the press conference of their proposed development on 14th Street, NW, but not for their remaining land at 100 V Street.  It sounds like they got a great deal.  

Stadium footprint is highlighted in red. A future streetcar station will be located adjacent to the stadium.

Agreements have not been reached yet with Pepco or Mark Ein (owner of the Washington Kastles franchise), the other two private landowners at the stadium site. While the term sheet dictates that the District must come to an agreement with Akridge and Ein by January 1, 2014, there is no deadline for an agreement with Pepco on the operating substation since it’s expected that it will take longer to reach consensus for that parcel. The stadium design will allow construction of the playing field to be complete and operational without the substation block, which is on the southeastern block of the four-block stadium site.

Aerial view of the stadium. Courtesy of Gensler

The team will be permitted to develop ancillary uses within the stadium footprint to enhance the game day experience (retail, hotel, etc.), but that development should be designed in such a way that it provides amenities to the surrounding neighborhoods on non-game days. From the looks of the overhead rendering, the playing field will take up two blocks from R Street to T Street and one block from 2nd Street to First Street, so the stadium can be built even if Pepco doesn’t give up their land. First Street will curve towards Half Street north of T Street and appears to be a pedestrian plaza (at least on game days). Ancillary development will occur on the east side of the stadium footprint from First Street to Half Street.

The National Defense University at Fort McNair is across the street from the stadium site.

The term sheet states that the District will “pursue (i) re-sequencing options so as to advance construction of the Buzzard Point/Downtown streetcar line and (ii) the construction of a streetcar stop adjacent to the Stadium Site.”  No details are mentioned whether the streetcar line would be completed before the stadium is completed in 2016.  The reconstruction of Maine Avenue for The Wharf project will be going on before then, so I imagine streetcar tracks could be installed at that time for the portion of the line from 6th Street to 7th Street. The District will not provide parking spaces at the site and it’s unknown how many parking spaces will be provided on site by the team for fans.

Night time rendering of stadium. Courtesy of HKS.

At least 51% of the jobs at the stadium (excluding United players, coaches, training staff, and front office management) will go to District residents. In addition, at least 35% of operation contracts for the stadium, including security, food service, janitorial services, etc., shall go to businesses certified by DSLBD. Throughout the term of the ground lease, the team is not permitted to leave the District of Columbia or move its principal offices outside of the city. In addition, the team must make reasonable efforts to locate its practice facilities within the city. The terms of the ground lease are still being negotiated, but it will most likely be for the estimated useful like of the stadium (25 to 35 years).

DC United Managing Partner Jason Levien and Mayor Gray sign the term sheet.

Upcoming milestones for the project include:

• October 1, 2013: A transaction agreement will need to be completed that explicitly states the terms between the District and DC United.
• January 1, 2014: The District must have site control of the stadium site, except for the Pepco substation block, as well as DC Council approval and Congressional approval (if necessary). DC United must provide evidence that it has the ability to fund the construction of the stadium within 30 days of the District completing the above tasks.
• March 1, 2015: The District must have the site prepared for construction, including infrastructure work and utility relocation, demolition of existing buildings on the stadium site (except for the Pepco substation), environmental remediation, as well as any street or alley closings.  In addition, DC United must have obtained all Zoning Commission and Zoning Adjustment approvals, as well as advanced the stadium design at least to the design development completion level.
• July 1, 2015: DC United needs to enter into a construction contract for the stadium.
• January 1, 2017: The stadium shall be substantially complete, but both parties are aiming for completion by March 1, 2016, in time for the beginning of the 2016 MLS season.

If the two parties do not reach the milestone dates, there are options available for either party to walk away from the deal.

The press conference and stadium deal has been widely reported in the press.  Here are links to some of the articles:

• The Washington Post
• Washington Business Journal
• The Washington Informer
• Housing Complex
• Greater Greater Washington
• The Blade
• NBC 4
• Fox 5
• ABC 7
• WUSA*9

Tentative Deal for New DC United Stadium

 

Who says nothing gets done in DC over the summer?  The Washington Post reports that District officials and DC United have reached a tentative deal to build a new $300 million stadium for the team in Buzzard Point, a few blocks southwest of Nationals Park at 2nd and R streets.  DC United currently plays at RFK Stadium, which is more than 50 years old. The area where the new stadium is planned is currently dominated by industrial uses and is adjacent to Fort McNair. The new stadium will seat between 20,000 and 25,000 people and can host other events besides MLS matches. The Post’s story is ahead of an official announcement on Thursday.

Aerial view of Buzzard Point looking southwest.

While metro access is not ideal compared to RFK – the nearest Green line stations are several blocks away – a new streetcar line is planned to run near the new stadium. In addition, there will be limited parking available at the stadium due to the tight footprint; however, parking lots used for Nationals games could presumably be used by United fans when the Nationals are not playing.

The new DC United stadium would be only a few blocks from Nationals Park.

The District will split the costs with DC United, with the city paying for land assembly and infrastructure costs while the team will pay for stadium construction. It appears that the city will not have to pay much for the land, but instead will use land swaps to obtain the land it needs. One of the District assets under consideration for a land swap is the Reeves Center at 14th and U streets, NW.  Presumably, the Reeves Center would be swapped for land owned by Akridge at 100 V Street.  Additional information about the tentative deal from the article:

D.C. United would be granted a 25- to 35-year lease for the land and would have the opportunity to develop restaurants, shops and possibly a hotel along Half Street. A sales and use tax abatement worth as much as $2.6 million in its first year is also a part of the tentative deal.

The earliest the stadium would open is 2016. Perhaps one day, Potomac Avenue, which will connect the two stadiums, could become an entertainment district lined with shops and restaurants, a far cry from what the area looks like now. There will most likely be a lot of coverage of this stadium deal over the coming days, weeks, and months, so stay tuned!

Renderings courtesy of HKS and Gensler

A Couple Quick Items: Southwest Neighborhood Night at Nats Park, Wharf Micro Units

The Washington Nationals will have their annual Southwest Neighborhood Night when they play the Milwaukee Brewers on July 2 (which happens to be my birthday) at Nationals Park. Local community members will be honored during the game. Discounted tickets are available in certain sections for area residents. Use the coupon code SOUTHWEST when purchasing tickets.

 

Another article about the micro units that are planned for some of the rental apartment units at parcel 2 in The Wharf, this time in Urban Turf. Parcel 2 is the large apartment building with the Wharf Center venue on the bottom levels at 9th Street and Maine Avenue. According to the article, about 17% of the units will be small studio units between 330 and 380 square feet. From the article:

At The Wharf, built-ins will fill up one entire wall, from the doorway to the window. Shelves for books, an armoire for clothing, a sleek kitchen and a Murphy bed that turns into a couch and shelf at night allow residents to make better use of the available floor space..Rather than swinging doors, the Wharf units will have a sliding barn door. The bathroom will have natural light coming through a translucent glass wall near the shower.

 Rendering courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

Camden South Capitol Ribbon-Cutting

 

This afternoon was the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Camden South Capitol, the first new apartment community built in Southwest in decades. Camden South Capitol is located at 1345 South Capitol Street, across the street from Nationals Park. Representatives from Camden Property Trust and the other firms involved with the project were on hand for the ceremony. The property has a total of 276 units and was designed by WDG Architecture. Donohoe Construction was the contractor. Unit sizes range from a 491 square-foot studio to an 1,197 square-foot 2BR unit. Check here for a list of amenities and features from the sneak peek I got a few weeks ago. One new thing I learned today is the building adjacent to the property that housed a plumbing company has been purchased by Camden and will be demolished. A dog park will be created for tenants in that space. The leasing office will be open starting tomorrow for tours and move-ins begin May 1st on the lower floors. The full building will be completed by mid-May. Below are a few more photos from today:

A view of the dining area and kitchen in the model 1BR unit.

Bedroom in the model unit.

Part of the outdoor courtyard.

The Camden mascot seemed appropriate, given the building's location across from Nationals Park.

Update: Below is a photo taken last evening of Camden South Capitol from Nationals Park.  Before photos can be found over at JDLand, who used to track this project before the "demilitarized zone" of South Capitol Street's median was established as the dividing line between her blog's coverage and mine.

Camden South Capitol at dusk.

Camden South Capitol Coming Soon

Pre-leasing and move-ins will begin next month on the first four floors at Camden South Capitol, the first new apartment building to open in Southwest in several decades, located across the street from Nationals Park at South Capitol and O streets.  I will be getting a hard hat tour later this month and will take some photos. In the meantime, take a look at their recently created Twitter account for some interior photos. Their website has been updated with floor plans and a more extensive list of in-unit features and project amenities. 

Entrance to parking garage on O Street.

The 276-unit building will have 12 units set aside as affordable housing for households up to 80% of Area Median Income (AMI). As a part of the approved PUD application, residents of the townhomes along the unit block of O Street will have the opportunity to lease a parking space in the apartment building at 50% of the market rate for a 20-year period. After the building has reached stabilization (defined as 94% occupied), the remaining parking spaces will be available for lease by the rest of the community at market rate.  In addition, residents of ANC 6D are supposed to be given preference when Camden reviews tenant applications. There is space carved out at the corner of South Capitol and O streets for ground floor retail - fencing has been installed to allow outdoor seating, perhaps for a restaurant; however, no lease has been signed yet.

More Progress in DC United Stadium Talks

According to an article in Capital Business, Pepco is in preliminary talks with the city to allow construction of a new stadium for DC United on property partially owned by the utility company in Buzzard Point. This is progress since Pepco was previously not interested in having its land used for a stadium. From the article:

“Pepco has been in preliminary discussions with representatives from the District and DC United regarding the potential siting of a new soccer stadium near the Buzzard Point Facility,” said Pepco spokesman Marcus Beal in an e-mail.

Beal did not say whether Pepco would consider selling or transferring the land to the District. But he said the company wanted to be supportive of the city’s economic development efforts in determining whether the site could accommodate a stadium.

“At this stage, we are only discussing the feasibility and impacts that building the stadium in the area might have on the existing underground electric infrastructure that serves this corridor of the city,” he said. “Pepco is supportive of efforts to bring new economic development opportunities to the District while providing safe and reliable electric service to our customers.”

The proposed stadium site is located just a few blocks southwest of Nationals Park at Potomac Avenue and 1st Street. If a deal goes through between the city and DC United, the team would pay to build the stadium and the city would be responsible for land acquisition and infrastructure improvements.  Besides Pepco, other landowners include the District, Akridge, and Washington Kastles owner Mark Ein.

Rendering courtesy of Akridge

SW ArtsFest 2012

On Saturday, September 29, the second annual SW ArtsFest will join the ranks of other Ward 6 festivals that take place in September, including those on H Street, NE and Barracks Row. This year, there will be 10 events occurring in SW and just over South Capitol Street at Nationals Park and Yards Park. Take a look at the above map for the locations of each event. Over at the SW waterfront, there will be a sock puppet art studio at 7th Street Landing from 11am - 5pm.  St. Augustine's Episcopal Church will host their annual End-of-Summer Fair with music, crafts, face painting, moon bounce, fried fish sandwiches, a bake sale, and a raffle from 9am - 4pm. Across the street at Arena Stage, there will be hand dancing performances and hourly theater tours from noon to 6pm. Westminster Presbyterian Church will have its 11th annual DC Jazz Preservation Festival with music, crafts, and food for sale from noon - 8pm. Across 4th Street from Westminster will be a farmers market and film series at Christ United Methodist Church. The farmers market lasts from 9am - 2pm and the film series from 2pm - 7pm. At the Waterfront Metro plaza in front of Safeway, there will be a Central Art Market with arts, crafts, food, and live entertainment from 10am - 6pm. Also in the vicinity of the Metro station will be two neighborhood walking tours by Washington Walks (Renewing Urban Renewal at 11am and Southwest Waterfront: From Watermen to Wreckers to "The Wharf" at 2pm). Each tour will last 90 minutes. Further down M Street at Second Union Baptist Church there will be a flea market from 10am - 3pm. From 1pm - 2pm, there will be a parade of Decorated Bicycles that will make its way from FIGMENT at Yards Park in Near SE west along M Street to 4th Street. Finally at Nationals Park, Don Giovanni will be performing in Opera in the Outfield - pre-opera entertainment will start at 5pm and the opera will be from 7pm - 10:30pm.  Admission to all events is free!

Construction Update Part II - Camden South Capitol

This week marks the point where Camden South Capitol will "top off", which means construction of the 276-unit apartment building has reached its full height a year after construction began. It took about six months to dig the foundation and reach ground level and another six months to reach its full height. In about a year, leasing will begin at Camden South Capitol, which is located across the street from Nationals Park.

Local architecture firm WDG has designed the apartment building, which will have a rooftop pool with BBQ grills and outdoor fire pit, cyber cafe, and a resident gaming lounge with kitchen. In-unit features will include: Energy Star stainless steel appliances, electric oven ranges with ceramic glass cook tops, solar shades, 42" upper cabinets, double vanities in select units, garden soaking tubs, and stand-up showers in select units.

Space for ground-floor retail will be located at the corner of South Capitol and O Streets.

 Rendering courtesy of WDG

More Details on DC United Stadium Proposal

According to an article in Capital Business, a study commissioned by the Greater Washington Sports Alliance concludes that a new soccer stadium at Buzzard Point for DC United would cost at least $157 million to build and generate $5.5 to $7.3 million a year in tax revenue. From the article:

The study envisions a 24,000-seat stadium — with 50 suites, 240 loge seats and 1,200 club seats — on Buzzard Point in Southwest Washington. It would hold 17 league matches a year for United as well 25 to 37 other events, including international and college soccer matches, concerts and community events.

 The stadium would be located in the vicinity of Akridge's 100 V Street site in Buzzard Point, which is only a few blocks southwest of Nationals Park.  Back in March, there were some details released about an entertainment district planned for the area along Potomac Avenue. More from the article:

According to the D.C. study, the stadium could be built as part of an $82 million mixed-use development on Buzzard Point that would include a 2,000- to 2,500-capacity music venue, 100,000 square feet of retail, 30,000 square feet of offices and 100 apartments.

Plans for a stadium have been discussed behind the scenes for the most part, but it appears the Buzzard Point proposal has some legs.  Infrastructure improvements would be funded by the city while the team would build the stadium, although there is no formal agreement in place.  The fact that a study has been commissioned to analyze the potential costs and benefits of a new soccer stadium means there may be some momentum.  Capital Business has set up a survey to see whether the city should invest in helping to build a soccer stadium built in Southwest.

WaPo Piece on Ballpark Neighborhood Development

This past weekend, there was a front page article in The Washington Post (online version here) about the impact Nationals Park has played in the development of (primarily) Near SE since the ballpark opened in 2008.  There's some mention of Southwest, although that focus was not on development, but on neighbor reaction to the ballpark (since the nearest residential units in SE are a few blocks away from Nationals Park).  From the article:

Despite the new construction east of the ballpark, the area across [South] Capitol Street in Southwest remains home to low-income housing projects where many residents were worried that baseball would price or push them out of the area.

One block west of the stadium, in front of the Friendly Food Market corner store on Half Street SW, three dealers at an open-air drug market sell marijuana and crack. With four teenagers stationed along the block as lookouts, dealers exchange plastic bags for cash in swift, well-practiced handshakes.

Despite the illegal sales in broad daylight, residents along this Half Street say baseball has been surprisingly good for them. “It made it look presentable around here,” said London Smith, 42, who found work at a stadium concession stand. “I just hope it doesn’t make it more expensive.”

Lovely. It's a bit more difficult to bulldoze all of the low-income housing projects in Southwest than it was to replace Capper Carrollsburg in Near SE, which was already pretty much gone by the time the stadium opened.  For one, funding for HUD's Hope VI program that was used to replace Capper is dried up. The District's version of Hope VI (New Communities Initiative) has been slow to get underway at places such as Barry Farm in SE and Northwest One. Also, there is still some bad blood from the last time wholesale neighborhood demolition took place in Southwest during urban renewal.

Rendering of Camden South Capitol at South Capitol & O Street.

While the focus of the article was in Near SE since that is where the stadium is located, there are a few things happening on the west side of South Capitol Street too. For instance, there was no mention in the article about Camden South Capitol, the new apartment building under construction across the street from Nationals Park (although it appears in the photo gallery). In addition, there was no mention of the velodrome coming to Buzzard Point this spring and the new stadium in the works for DC United, which would form a stadium district between Nationals Park and the proposed soccer stadium. Oh well.

Rendering courtesy of WDG Architects

A Few Quick Items: MLK Memorial Dedication, Nationals Neighborhood Game, Mixed Reviews for Station 4, L'Enfant Plaza Office Building for Sale

- On Wednesday, Mayor Gray announced a list of events leading up to the dedication ceremony of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial along the Tidal Basin. Most of the events will take place at the MLK Library downtown, but on Tuesday, August 23rd, DC residents will get to tour the memorial from 8am to 8pm - days before the official dedication. Timed tickets will be distributed to tour the memorial. Stay tuned for details on how to receive those tickets. The official dedication ceremony will take place on August 28th at 11am. Prior to the dedication, there will be a musical tribute to Dr. King from 10-11am and a concert from 2-4pm. All three events are free and open to the public. In addition, the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation has a slew of other events planned leading up to the dedication.

- August 25 is the make-up date for the Nationals Neighborhood Game at Nationals Park, which was rescheduled due to a rain-out from April 16th. Locals will be singing the national anthem, throwing the first pitch, and saying "play ball!". There are some free tickets available, so contact your ANC 6D commissioner or SWNA representative for details.

- The Washington Post's food critic Tom Sietsema recently wrote a review of Station 4 and it wasn't a good one. Here is a snippet:

Precious little of that magic surfaced in a recent dinner at Station 4, which started with breadsticks flavored with dried black olives and continued with a riff on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich using almonds, tomato jelly, foie gras and brioche. (Imagine really sweet French toast with some meat in each bite.) [Orlando] Amaro's "San Francisco style" cioppino is something no Bay Area resident would recognize as the classic robust seafood stew. "At least the kitchen didn't overcook the seafood," said the optimist at the table.

A waiter talks up the octopus, and we follow his lead. The herb-marinated, char-grilled seafood with potato confit cooked in duck fat and a trail of smoked paprika mayonnaise is the best thing we eat all night.

Station 4's pizza may be the worst. The pie is so without charm, we leave all but two slices behind.

Come to think of it, the previously frozen french fries, supposedly cooked in duck fat but revealing no such sign, are mediocre, too. Pappardelle with short ribs, thick and heavy, ignore the reality show outside, where the thermometer is pushing triple digits. A side dish of Brussels sprouts (hey, chef, it's summer!) is overcooked.

Meanwhile, it seems Metromix went to a completely different restaurant.  Here is some of what they had to say about Station 4:

When handpicking the chef for his new modern American restaurant Station 4, owner Med Lahlou decided go for a more nuevo route than new. And the results have been spectacular. Famed Venezuelan chef Orlando Amaro—whose Blue Moon has been named one of Miami’s top restaurants—has added his own flair in his signature dishes.

The restaurant’s location is a few blocks from the Southwest Waterfront (and across the street from the Metro station of the same name), and as you’d imagine seafood plays a key role in the menu. Amaro’s charred octopus is an excellent choice from sea, with potato confit, smoked paprika aioli and tomato-feta tartar. The combination makes for a succulent and crispy texture to the octopus.

Other excellent seafood options at the restaurant are the San Francisco-style cioppino—made with fresh crab, shrimp, mussels, clams and calamari in a saffron-tomato broth and served with a toasted baguette—as well as the sautéed calamari served with lemon-oil tapenade and squid ink vinaigrette.

There's only one way to find out which of these reviews is more correct...go check it out for yourself!

-  It was reported last week in the Washington Business Journal that 950 L'Enfant Plaza was put on the market by Heyman Properties. The office building is the south building at the plaza and is one of the buildings not owned by JBG (the other is the USPS headquarters), which is in the midst of renovating the retail center and plans to build a hotel, office, and maybe apartments.

A Few Quick Items: Digging at Camden South Capitol, Kastles in 1st Place, Redistricting Update

- Digging is underway at Camden South Capitol apartments at the northwest corner of South Capitol and O Street.  The ceremonial groundbreaking (with Nationals mascot Screech) occurred on June 1st, but actual digging of the foundation started later in the month. The hole is deeper now than when this photo was taken a couple weeks ago. The 276-unit project is located across the street from Nationals Park and is being developed by Camden Property Trust.  WDG designed the building. Its location should allow views into the stadium, the Anacostia River, and the Capitol for upper level residents. Some of the amenities planned for the $88 million apartment building include a rooftop pool and deck, below-grade parking for 250 vehicles, and ground-floor retail (perhaps a pub for baseball patrons?). Twelve of the units will be set aside as affordable housing. Leasing should begin around the middle of 2013.

- The Washington Kastles are 7-0 halfway through the season and on top of the standings in the Eastern Conference. There are still four home matches this season left at Kastles Stadium at The Wharf (as well as some away games). As a reminder, Friday's match is Southwest Night where Southwesters get 10% off ticket prices when ordering on Ticketmaster. Chris Evert will play in an exhibition match during halftime and Billie Jean King will be in attendance.  Fox 5 News' Holly Morris did a video series last week about the new stadium and the team. One of the videos is below.

 - JDLand provides information on the Ward 6 ANC/SMD redistricting process. The ANC 6D community listening meeting will take place on Thursday, July 28th at 6:30pm (location to be announced). Then there will be meetings on the first draft of the new boundaries, which is scheduled to be sent to the ANCs on Tuesday, August 18th. The task force will then make the rounds of the September ANC business meetings, submitting a final draft to Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells by September 26th, which he then will submit to the council by the required September 30th deadline.

Groundbreaking Set for 1345 South Capitol Apartments

In the May/June 2011 print version of Urban Land magazine, a caption for a rendering of Camden Property Trust’s 1345 South Capitol Street project reads that the WDG Architecture-designed apartment building is under construction. While that may not be the case today, it will be by the end of next week. As I tweeted this morning, a Camden representative told me a ground breaking ceremony will take place on Tuesday, May 17th at 11am. This is a couple of months later than expected when news of the revived project first surfaced in January. The 276-unit project will be located across the street from Nationals Park, at the northwest corner of South Capitol and O Street. Its location should allow views into the stadium, the Anacostia River, and the Capitol for upper level residents. Some of the amenities planned for the $88 million apartment building include a rooftop pool and deck, below-grade parking for 250 vehicles, and ground-floor retail. Twelve of the units will be set aside as affordable housing. Leasing should begin around the middle of 2013.

Rendering courtesy of Camden Property Trust

Regular Water Taxi Service Begins

After receiving final approval from the U.S. Coast Guard at the end of March, American River Taxi (ART) has finally begun regular water taxi service, with the first regularly scheduled commuter run made by the "Dolley Madison" at 8am this morning.  According to Anne Tabligan, VP Marketing and Sales for ART, all of the boats in the fleet will be named for First Ladies that have been advocates for the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers.  So far, there is just the Dolley Madison, but more vessels will come in the next few years. Fares are currently being offered at a discount of $8 per ride (normally priced at $9) until membership cards become available.  Seniors and children under 12 receive discounted fares (members of the military will also receive discounts soon).  Discounted fares will also be available when purchasing multiple trips.  Tickets can be purchased on board or at a kiosk (either at Cantina Marina or Tony & Joe's in Georgetown). 



There are currently three stops on the route (The Gangplank Marina at The Wharf, Washington Harbor along the Georgetown waterfront, and Diamond Teague Park across from Nationals Park). Plans are in the works to add stops in Alexandria and National Harbor.  Eventually, there will be other stops at Poplar Point and Reagan National Airport. Regular service will run from 10am - 6pm Monday - Friday (with an 8am commuter run) and Saturday from 11am - 9pm.  There's no service currently on Sunday, but this schedule is just for April - May as the water taxi service gets underway and may expand hours in the summer.  ART will shut down for about eight weeks in the winter (December - February) while captains get additional training and the vessels undergo regular maintenance. Washingtonians (and Southwesters in particular) now have another option to get around the city.