Revised Plan for Capitol Park Tower Addition

Development plans for the addition to Capitol Park Tower at 301 G Street have changed. Plans call for a seven-story, 270,000 SF building with 300 units – 8% of the building area will be set aside as affordable units. A 350-space garage will provide parking for the new and existing buildings. Gone is the four-story addition on the northeast corner of the site that fronts Capitol Park II. Also, the pool will remain, but it will be refinished. The pool pavilion, however, will be removed. The development team has proposed to enclose the open area of the first floor of the existing building with glass and turn this area into 20 apartment units, which will increase the total number of units in the existing building to 309. 

Last month, the ANC unanimously supported the plan, with a reservation about the building height. Zoning in the area is set at 60 feet, but the proposed addition is 74 feet. The development team is measuring the height of the building, not from the street, but from the Southwest freeway which abuts the site. The Office of Zoning approved that interpretation, even though the building will not be accessed from the freeway. By that measure, the new addition is 55 feet tall. In any case, the new building as proposed will be 12 feet lower than the existing building. 

At the July 30 Historic Preservation Review Board meeting, the Board voted unanimously for the following: 

The Board found that a new building addition in the proposed location could be compatible, but that revisions were needed to achieve compatibility with the site and existing building. Among its comments, the Board found that the pool pavilion should be retained, the end wings of the new construction should be eliminated, the design and materials of the new building should be restudied, the landscape plan should continue to be refined to closely follow Kiley’s design, the perimeter fence should ideally be eliminated or relocated and simplified, and that any enclosure of the ground level should be with much greater setbacks of the glazing. 

The development team will need to go back to the drawing table in order to gain approval for the project. Earlier in the year, it was projected that construction would begin by November, but it’s now likely that start date will slip a bit.

Rendering courtesy of WDG Architecture

Southwest Neighborhood Planning Process Kicks Off

Over the next six months, the DC Office of Planning will be engaging Southwest residents and stakeholders to create a community led plan to guide the changes in the Southwest neighborhood for the next five to ten years. The Southwest Neighborhood Plan will focus on four key elements – people, parks, connections, and building. A Public Kickoff meeting related to the Southwest Neighborhood Plan was held on September 11th at Arena Stage. The meeting was well attended with people who live and/or work in Southwest. For the first hour or so, there was an Open House with different stations that allowed residents to comment about the benefits and challenges that exist in each of the four key elements of the neighborhood plan. Afterwards, Planning Director Harriet Tregoning and Ward 6 Planning Coordinator Melissa Bird gave a presentation about the planning process and entertained questions from the audience. During Tregoning’s presentation, she mentioned that some of the values Southwest residents expressed to her during the Open House portion of the meeting include diversity, green space/tree canopy, and the library. Following the presentation, the Open House resumed for another hour. 

Some of the participants at the Open House.

During the planning process, the Office of Planning and their consultants will work with the community to analyze several components to help inform their recommendations for the Southwest neighborhood. First, they will assess the development potential for multiple underutilized District-owned sites. A number of underutilized District-owned properties are included in the study area, including Randall Recreation Center, the northeast parcel of Waterfront Station, First District headquarters, Lansburgh Park, the DMV inspection station, and the DCFD Repair Shop/Engine Co. # 7, among others. The team will create an urban design framework that promotes greater pedestrian access, improved neighborhood connectivity and increased multimodal transportation choices. A coordinated approach to public parks and public space improvements will be developed. Meanwhile, neighborhood conservation potential will be assessed to reinforce character in established residential areas. Finally, opportunities will be identified to enhance sustainability at a neighborhood-level. 

The Southwest Neighborhood Plan study area extends from South Capitol Street to Maine Avenue and from P Street to Interstate 395. Within the study area, the portion from I Street to M Street is considered to be the primary focus area – where most of the development opportunities are located, as well as urban design issues. A portion of Greenleaf is also included in the primary study area, but a separate study will be conducted for that site as a part of the HUD Choice Neighborhood Planning Grant recently submitted by the DC Housing Authority. The remaining area is considered to be the secondary study area, where neighborhood conservation, neighborhood connectivity, and sustainability are the principal focus. 

The Office of Planning has created a project website and a second website called “Engage Southwest” where community members can interact. Other ways to participate in the process include using social media (use the hashtag #SWDCPlan on Twitter, “like” posts on Facebook, etc.), submitting hand-written comments or questions at the public meetings, calling the Office of Planning at 202-442-7600, or sending an email to Melissa Bird. All of the comments from the Open House will be posted soon on the website. Not all Small Area Plans focus exclusively on real estate development – questions and comments from the audience at the kickoff meeting suggest that the Southwest Neighborhood Plan may include other components, such as teaching computer skills to seniors, helping break down barriers between longtime residents and newcomers, as well as other social improvements. 

Image courtesy of Graphic Recorder Jim Nuttle

Small Area Plan to Move Forward, KIPP Plan Stalls

The Mayor announced last week that the Small Area Plan process will move forward for Southwest, which in effect stalls KIPP DC's plans for the Randall Recreation Center site at South Capitol and I streets. Several neighborhood and civic organizations called on the Mayor to keep the SAP process moving forward after KIPP DC began maneuvering to build a new school and recreation center at the site, which has been contentious to say the least. KIPP DC's ambitious timeline called for a new school to open in time for the 2014-15 school year; however, the Small Area Plan will take about a year to complete. The plan boundaries are South Capitol Street to the east, 9th and Water streets to the west, the Southwest Freeway to the north and P Street to the south, which includes several District-owned parcels. The area highlighted in red on the map above shows the primary focus area, where most of the new development opportunity sites and primary urban design issues are located. The areas highlighted in blue are the secondary study area where neighborhood conservation, neighborhood connectivity, and sustainability are the primary focus.

Kick-off occurs this month and the plan will be developed over the next nine months with a series of public meetings. Final draft recommendations will be made by March 2014 along with a draft plan for public comment. By April 2014, the Mayor will transmit the plan to the DC Council for approval. Once completed, the Small Area Plan will guide land use and provide a neighborhood development framework to enhance pedestrian access, improve street connectivity and transportation options, integrate community amenities, and better serve residents.

Map courtesy of the Office of Planning

SW Ecodistrict Draft Released

The National Capital Planning Commission released the SW Ecodistrict Draft Plan last week.  The plan proposes to transform a 15-block predominantly federal precinct located just south of the National Mall into a highly sustainable, walkable neighborhood that connects the Mall and the Southwest Waterfront, and becomes a showcase of sustainable urban development and the site for new nationally significant memorials, museums, and events.  The proposed SW Ecodistrict comprises almost 110-acres bounded by Independence Avenue, Maine Avenue, 12th Street, and 4th Street.  I've written about the process on several occasions, so I won't go into much detail here about what the plan contains, but following are some highlights:


The plan suggests to re-create and connect streets throughout the Ecodistrict, including Maryland Avenue, Virginia Avenue, and 9th Street.  New pedestrian connections will also be created throughout.


The draft plan proposes four focus areas that would transform the area:

• Independence Quarter: A mixed-use community anchored by a new U.S. Department of Energy headquarters. The Forrestal Headquarters would be redeveloped with uses including residential, hotel, museums, and office.
• Maryland Avenue: A restored urban boulevard centered on a re-imagined park and an expanded L’Enfant Station intermodal center.  The DC Department of Planning released a draft plan for the Maryland Avenue corridor that was approved by the DC Council earlier this year.

An expanded L'Enfant commuter rail station.

• 10th Street and Banneker Park: An inviting civic corridor connecting the National Mall to the SW Waterfront, highlighted by Banneker Park—a nationally significant cultural destination. The demolition of the Forrestal complex would open views along 10th Street to the Smithsonian Castle.

Rendering of the 10th Street corridor.

A redesigned Banneker Park.

• Southwest Freeway: A collection of private mixed-use development and solar panels built on air rights over the SW Freeway. A deck over I-395 would stretch from 12th Street to 9th Street while solar panels would be installed from 9th Street to east of 7th Street.

Aerial view of the SW Ecodistrict.

The public comment period on the draft plan will last until September 10.  If you want to learn more about the draft plan, there will be a public meeting tomorrow from 6:30pm - 8:30pm at 1100 4th Street, second floor.

Renderings courtesy of the National Capital Planning Commission

M Street Transportation Study Kick-Off Meeting

DDOT held the first of three community meetings this evening to kick-off the M Street SE/SW Transportation Study, which has been a LONG time coming. The study area boundary includes the Southeast-Southwest Freeway to the north, 14th Street, SW and the Washington Channel to the west, the Anacostia River to the south, and 12th Street, SE to the east. During the nine-month study period, DDOT will work with CH2MHILL to identify current and future transportation issues and mitigation strategies along the M Street SE/SW Corridor and the Southwest/Southeast Waterfronts. A great deal of development is coming to the area and a comprehensive study is needed. DDOT will look at more than 30 other studies that have been done previously by others, including individual developers and the Complete Streets study that Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells and the Capitol Riverfront BID commissioned a couple years ago. Tonight's meeting allowed residents to gather around maps of three areas of focus (the Southwest Waterfront, the Ballpark District, and the SE Federal Center) and provide input on issues or challenges in those areas. On the Southwest Waterfront map, some of the issues mentioned by residents include the 4th & M Street intersection, lack of connectivity between Southwest and Near SE, commuters using P Street as a cut-through to avoid M Street, sidewalks, and parking, among other things. The next public meeting will be held in the spring and a third meeting will be in June. A stakeholder survey is available on the project website and is due on January 31 at 5pm. 

A Few Quick Items: L'Enfant Plaza Renovation Continues, Safeway Seeks Subsidy, South Capitol Acquisitions Funded

- In this week's Washington Business Journal (subscribers only), there's an update about the renovations underway at L'Enfant Plaza. There was a bit of new information in the article, including the addition of Crumbs Bake Shop to the retailers slated to open in the food court. This would be the 4th Crumbs to open in DC (although their website doesn't show the L'Enfant Plaza location yet on their "Coming Soon" page). It and Five Guys are now scheduled to open in January. A 234-key Homewood Suites extended-stay hotel planned for the corner of 9th and D Street may now get underway by the second quarter of 2012.

JBG is planning a meeting on December 13th from 6-8pm to give the community an update on their plans for the mixed use complex. Location TBA.

- The Housing Complex Blog at the Washington City Paper reported last week that Safeway is seeking tax relief for personal and real property taxes for its store at Waterfront Station and has been assisted by Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells. According to the article, the Supermarket Tax Credit was passed in 2000 to provide tax relief to grocery stores that opened in underserved areas of the city. Since then, the exemption boundaries have changed and as a result, the SW Safeway location has been outside of the exemption zone since 2004.

- JDLand reports that $68 million has been provided by the federal government towards the purchase of land for the right-of-way of the new Frederick Douglass Bridge. The $68 million is just a drop in the bucket compared to the approximately $800 million needed for the new bridge, improvements to South Capitol Street, and interchange improvements at I-295 and I-395.

The Great Freeway Flood of 2011

The following photos were taken of the Southwest freeway when it flooded on September 7th by Bonny L.

The Southwest freeway became two rivers during last week's excessive rainfall as several inches piled on the roadway.

Only one lane of traffic was able to get by as a front end loader tried to clear away the obstructions causing the road to flood.

SW Ecodistrict Public Comment Forum Created

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

Rendering courtesy of the National Capital Planning Commission.

Southwest Development Featured in WaPo

There’s an article in today’s The Washington Post about the redevelopment of Southwest. The basic premise of the article is that Arena Stage’s design has the potential to change the way the rest of the waterfront will be developed, which until now, according to the author, has been “desultory” in architectural design. From the article:

Bing Thom's new building demands better neighbors. And it calls for a more holistic approach to the waterfront -- more porous and open. There are not enough details in the existing plans for redevelopment of the blocks nearby to be sure that it will get what it deserves. The city and its chosen developers, PN Hoffman and Madison Marquette, have big plans for the waterfront just opposite the Arena Stage building, but will it be overbuilt? Will views be maintained? Or will it turn the waterfront in on itself, surrounding the marina and public plazas with structures that are so big they encircle the space, creating an insular, commerce-heavy, over-produced "urban space" that is in fact a giant suburban shopping mall?

The Hoffman-Madison Marquette team will be having a community forum this Wednesday to reveal more detailed plans about the redevelopment of the Southwest Waterfront, starting at 6pm at Arena Stage. I hear that there will be new renderings revealed and will get those up on the blog once I receive them next week.

Other encouraging signs of redevelopment mentioned in the article include the reopening of 4th Street and Waterfront Station, as well as plans to create a “grand public” stairway to connect the 10th Street Overlook with the Southwest Waterfront (a temporary staircase, that may last 10 years, will be built in the interim). Others have shared the same sentiment with me that the area near 4th & M has come alive since 4th Street reopened and the new Safeway made its debut in the spring. With more retail making its way to Waterfront Station, the area will become even more vibrant in the months to come (if only the retail could get open faster!). However, the Southeast-Southwest freeway remains a barrier that isolates Southwest from the rest of the city. Another barrier mentioned in the article is the Department of Energy’s Forrestal complex, which straddles 10th Street in front of the Smithsonian Castle. There are plans from the National Capital Planning Commission to redevelop the 10th Street corridor, along with other areas of the Southwest Rectangle described in its Monumental Core Framework Plan.

Update: There is a special section in Sunday's The Washington Post about Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater and its impact on the city (Southwest in particular). Several related articles are in the feature, including the one mentioned above, how Arena Stage will transform the theater scene in the city, a profile of architect Bing Thom, the transformation of Southwest, and the building's design. In addition, there are photo galleries, a guide, and a video tour (see below).

Scenes from Southwest...The Blizzard of '10

Clockwise (from upper left): (1) Fallen branches and a stranded vehicle along the 700 block of 4th Street. (2) There were plenty of people enjoying the snow at the National Mall. Here are a few of them, with the Washington Monument barely visible due to the snowfall. (3) The 500 block of G Street looked like a winter wonderland. (4) Road conditions were treacherous, so very few cars were on the highways during the blizzard, evidenced by the lack of vehicles on the Southeast-Southwest Freeway.

Road & Metro Station Closures

- DDOT announced streetcar tracks are being installed on parts of South Capitol Street on the east side of the Anacostia River. As a result, traffic at the intersection of South Capitol Street and Firth Sterling Avenue, SE will be reduced to one lane on each side, which began on September 16th and will last until September 30th. The Anacostia segment of the streetcar network is supposed to be operational in late 2012.

- DDOT is scheduled to close a lane on the Southeast-Southwest Freeway (I-395) this Sunday to conduct a field survey in the roadway. The far right lane on the eastbound side of I-395, west of the Francis Case Memorial Bridge, will be closed from 8 am to approximately 2pm. Additional work will be conducted next weekend on the opposite side of I-395. On Sunday, September 27, the right westbound lane will be closed from 8am to 2pm.

- Fox 5 News reports that some Metro stations will be closed during Columbus Day weekend, including L'Enfant Plaza and Waterfront-SEU. Metro is replacing four rail switches at L'Enfant Plaza. The stations will be closed October 9th starting at 9:30pm and re-open Tuesday October 13.

Road Closures This Weekend

According to DDOT, the ramp for Westbound 395 toward Maine Avenue will be closed to traffic from 7am to 1pm on Sunday for the Nation's Triathlon 2009. Alternate routes will be the 14th St Bridge, 9th & 12th Street Tunnels. Also, the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge will be closed to traffic on Sunday from 4am to 9am for the monthly test of the swing span.

What Bloggers Are Saying About Southwest

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

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

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

Stimulus Spending in Southwest

On Monday, it was announced by the Fenty Administration that the first DC road project funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has begun on the Southeast-Southwest Freeway. Last weekend, eastbound lanes from the Case Bridge to 3rd Street, SE were repaved. By the end of May, the westbound lanes and ramps will also be repaved. Too bad the decking of portions of the freeway isn't shovel-ready! Above is a sign posted near the Maine Avenue exit of I-395 and freshly paved road. In the background is construction activity related to the rebuilding of the 9th Street bridge, which won't be complete until November.

National Marathon Route Changed

An alternate route for the Sun Trust National Marathon has been planned, since parts of 9th Street are closed due to construction. Read my post from last month about the changes needed in the route for the National Marathon, which takes place on Saturday, March 21st. See below for the updated marathon map.

Instead of crossing the 9th Street bridge into the SW Waterfront neighborhood, runners will take the I-395 South ramp (SE-SW Freeway) beyond the 9th Street tunnel and then take the Maine Avenue exit. Next, they will make a U-turn onto eastbound Maiden Lane (never heard of this street), then go southbound on 12th Street, which merges with Maine Avenue. Once the runners pass 9th Street, the marathon route returns to its original alignment along Maine Avenue. Representatives from the Greater Washington Sports Alliance will be at tonight's ANC 6D meeting to go over the changes with the commissioners.

Lane Closures on I-395

DDOT issued a traffic advisory that lanes will be closed on I-395 (SE-SW Freeway) during off-peak hours starting next week until the end of April, related to the reconstruction of the 9th Street Bridge. Read the traffic advisory for more details.

Lane Closures on I-395 This Week

DDOT has a traffic advisory stating that two lanes of the SE-SW Freeway (I-395) will be closed due to demolition work on the 9th Street bridge. From the traffic advisory:

The District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) is scheduled to demolish a 1000-foot section of the 9th Street, SW Bridge this week. That work will require temporary lane closures on Interstate 395 beginning this evening. DDOT is in the process of completely rehabilitating both the 9th and 10th Street, SW Bridges. It is a year long project that began last November. The demolition work will require closing 2 lanes on southbound I-395 each night this week. The left and center lanes under the 9th Street Bridge will be closed from 8 pm to midnight. In addition, on Thursday, February 5 and Friday February 6, there will be single lane closures on northbound I-395 under the 9th Street Bridge. The far left lane will be closed from 10 am to 3 pm on both days. Variable message signs will be in place to alert motorists and direct them around the lane closures.

Alternative Transit Options on Inauguration Day

By foot: The Inauguration Day 2009 website created by the District government states the following pedestrian routes are available to get to the swearing-in ceremony:

The following access points have been identified as pedestrian-only routes to the National Mall:

• E Street, NE from Massachusetts Avenue, NE to 3rd Street, NW
• 7th Street, SW from D Street, SW to Independence Avenue, SW
• 19th Street, NW from K Street, NW to DuPont Circle, NW
• 3rd Street Tunnel (I-395) from New York Avenue, NW to SE/SW Freeway
• Arlington Memorial Bridge from Virginia, around Lincoln Circle to Independence Avenue, SW
• East Capitol Street, NE to North Carolina, SE to New Jersey Avenue, SE to I Street, SE [continue until 7th Street, SW to Independence Avenue, SW

By sea (ok, river): For those of you coming into DC from Northern Virginia, I heard on NBC4 this morning that there will be water taxi service from Old Town Alexandria to the Southwest Waterfront. From the NBC4 website:

The U.S. Coast Guard says it has approved water taxi service from Virginia to D.C. on Inauguration Day. The Inaugural Water Taxi will be provided by the Potomac Riverboat Co., for $90 roundtrip or $50 one way. The taxi will depart from the Alexandria City Marina at Union and Cameron streets in Old Town Alexandria and arrive at the Southwest Waterfront's Pier 4, at 600 Water St. in D.C.

600 Water Street is where Cantina Marina is located and the Odyssey is docked. Tickets go on sale today and can be purchased on the Potomac Riverboat Company's website. (The above photo is of Cantina Marina and the Odyssey dock, taken in July 2007)

By bicycle: A press release today from DDOT states that there will be two free bike valet parking stations available - one will be on the south side of the Jefferson Memorial and the other will be on 16th Street, NW between I & K Streets. From the press release:

Both sites are within walking distance of the Inaugural festivities and will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. A limited number of commemorative valet claim checks and spoke cards will be offered to cyclists who use the valets. WABA says the service will operate like a car valet. “You simply ride up to the valet, a volunteer will attach one half of a claim ticket to your bike and hand you the other half,” said Henry Mesias, the project manager at WABA. “The volunteer will then park the bike in a safe enclosure while you head off to enjoy the Inauguration. When you want to leave, you show us your half of the claim check and we get you your bike and you ride off. It’s quite simple.” The sidewalks on all bridges over the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers will be open to bicyclists and pedestrians, and the Memorial Bridge will be dedicated to bicyclists and pedestrians. Cyclists coming from Arlington, Alexandria, Southeast and Southwest DC can use the valet station at the Jefferson Memorial, while riders from the north can use the station at 16th and K Streets, NW.

Here's a link to WABA's website describing the bike valet service.

By Metro: According to the WMATA website, Metrorail will be running rush hour service on Inauguration Day from 4am to 9pm and commemorative passes & SmarTrip cards are available for purchase. The Smithsonian Metro station will be closed, so the closest Southwest stations to the National Mall will be L'Enfant Plaza and Federal Center SW. Those stations serve all rail lines, except for the Red Line. (The above map shows the Metro stations and bus routes near the National Mall, from the WMATA website)

What Bloggers Are Saying About Southwest

- JDLand, our prolific blogger neighbor to the east, has a couple recent posts relevant to Southwest. The first is about the new Frederick Douglass Bridge and news that a decision on the design will be released this spring (my personal favorite is the stayed bascule design). The second post shows a map of streets that will either be closed or will have parking restrictions during the inauguration, including the Southeast-Southwest Freeway, I Street, Maine Avenue/M Street, and Water Street.

(The above photo is of the current Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge taken in December 2008)

- DCmud describes the progress, or lack thereof, of development in DC during 2008 and what's in the pipeline in 2009. One of the few large-scale projects that gained momentum in 2008 was the Southwest Waterfront and bids were submitted for two parcels at Fire Engine 13 and the vacant lot at 4th & E Street. Senthil Sankaran from the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development told Southwest...TLQTC back in December that there would be a community meeting this month where the three submitted proposals would be presented. I'll let you know as soon as I find out more details.

(The Google Earth map shows the two parcels that DMPED is offering to developers)

- DC Metrocentric reports that the U.S. Coast Guard will remain at their headquarters building in Buzzard Point for the time being, since they just renewed their lease for a 10-year period with Monday Properties. Here is the link for the Washington Business Journal article describing the lease renewal.

Progress at Waterfront Station

Gordon Fraley, the project manager of Waterfront Station, gave a progress report at Monday's SWNA meeting. Currently, the 3rd floor is being poured at the site and the two office buildings should be topped off by February/March of 2009. By next August, the facades will be up at the Shalom Baranes-designed buildings. Both of the buildings will have a terracotta facade, similar to Monument Realty's office building under construction at Half Street - another Shalom Baranes-designed project near Nationals Park. Since the transfer of the 4th & I Street park to the DC Government from NPS occurred a couple weeks ago, the development team can reconnect 4th Street from I Street to M Street. The reconstructed portion of 4th Street will reopen before March 1, 2010, since the street must be reopened before DCRA and the DC Office of Tax & Revenue move into their new office space at Waterfront Station. By May 2010, the new Safeway should be open.

This is a rendering of the new SW Safeway, courtesy of Vornado.

Here's the exterior of the MVT Safeway.

The new SW Safeway may include a Starbucks and a dry cleaners, similar to the MVT Safeway. The SW Safeway Starbucks would be the 5th Starbucks to open in Southwest during the past few years. The other four Starbucks stores are at Capital Gallery (600 Maryland Avenue), The Portals (1201 Maryland Avenue), the Holiday Inn (550 C Street), and the Small Business Administration building at Federal Center SW (409 3rd Street). It would be the first SW store to locate south of the SE-SW Freeway.