District Square Retailers and Other Wharf News

 

While dozens of restaurants have been announced for District Wharf over the past several months, only recently have we been hearing about other types of retail that will be opening in the first phase of development. Today brings news of six more retailers – five of which will be coming to District Square, the area connected to District Pier at 9th Street and Maine Avenue. Joining Politics and Prose will be the following, according to a press release: 

• A Beautiful Closet, a boutique concept founded by former World Bank staff member Pamela Sofola, CPA, will open its first DC location at The Wharf. The 1,045 SF boutique will feature an artfully curated selection of clothing, jewelry, gifts, home décor, fair trade goods, and inspirational items from countries around the world, as well as offer personalized styling consultations. 
• BLINK Optical, the DC-based eyewear company, will open its third DC location in District Square, focusing on handmade eyewear, including prescription glasses and sunglasses, and will introduce exciting, exclusive new products handmade ins the U.S. as well as the new ic! Berlin screwless eyewear and Tarian spring collections at its new 1,149 SF location. Dr. George Flocos will provide eye exams at this location. 
• Blush Med Skincare, the Washington, DC area “health club for your skin,” brings its innovative monthly membership-based skin care concept to District Square. Founded by Dr. Arleen Lamba, Blush Med Skincare merges together skincare and makeup lines with a unique mix of skincare products many of which as exclusive to the market and organic. The 1,500 SF space will be the brand’s third DC area location. 
• Harper Macaw, the local and responsibly-sourced chocolate manufacturer founded in Washington, DC, will open its first store outside of the Northeast DC factory. Harper Macaw’s mission is to provide customers with the ultimate chocolate experience with products that support rainforest restoration and protection. The 831 SF space will sell their full line of chocolate bars and drops. 
• Ligne Roset, the high-end contemporary French furniture manufacturer, with showrooms around the world, is opening its second DC location at The Wharf with a 2,749 SF corner store. Collaborating with established and up-and coming designers, The Wharf location will feature a more edgy selection from the brand’s furniture line as well as long time classics and complementary accessories and lighting. 

In addition, a retailer not located on District Square was announced: 

• Patrick’s Fine Linens & Home Decor, the Alexandria-based lifestyle luxury retail store will open its first Washington, DC location at The Wharf. Patrick's second location is excited to bring upscale home decor brands and quality gifts to the charming 899 square foot store on Water Street facing DC’s southwest waterfront. 

Apparently, there has been a name change for Med Lahou’s (the owner of Station 4) planned Italian restaurant coming to Pearl Street from Marinai Pizzeria to Lupo Marino. These retail announcements follow the feature that Eater published earlier this month about restaurants coming to District Wharf. They include: 

• District Doughnut, which first opened on Barracks Row in Capitol Hill. 
• Kith and Kin, per the Washington Business Journal, will be a 3,500 SF restaurant from Top Chef’s Kwame Onwuachi (who opened Shaw Bijou and then closed within three months) coming to the ground floor of the InterContinental Hotel with “Caribbean flavors, Creole cuisine and African accents.” 
• Whiskey Charlie, a 2,200 SF rooftop bar at the Canopy by Hilton hotel. The name is the call signal WC for the Washington Channel. 

In other Wharf news, a parking garage is now open for patrons who want to visit the Municipal Fish Market. The cost is $2.00 for the first hour with validation. More information about cost and how to access the garage can be found here. 

Renderings courtesy of District Wharf

District Wharf Photo Update

The countdown is on for the grand opening of the first phase of development at District Wharf (formerly known as The Wharf). A new clock was installed along Maine Avenue, counting down the days until October 12, 2017. While 525 Water and St. Augustine’s church are both complete, the bulk of construction for phase one won’t be complete until next fall. The massive parking garage which will span most of the development will open in the middle of 2017. Many of the buildings have already “topped-off”, but progress seems to be furthest along on the apartments at 750 Maine Avenue and VIO condos. Meanwhile, 1000 Maine Avenue is finally starting to come out of the ground. A law firm may be one of the office tenants in either 1000 Maine or 800 Maine, which would be a significant milestone for the project and the Southwest Waterfront neighborhood since the majority of office tenants that have traditionally called Southwest home are government agencies or contractors. Following are a few progress photos taken from East Potomac Park.

Parcel 2 apartments & Wharf Hall

Parcel 1, District Pier & Parcel 2

District Pier & Intercontinental Hotel

Intercontinental Hotel, VIO &
Capitol Yacht Club (center) 

Docks under construction near Pier 4

Hyatt House & Canopy by Hilton 

View looking north

View looking south

525 Water Begins Settlements

The first units have settled at 525 Water, one of the condo buildings at The Wharf. According to the Washington Business Journal, four units have settled so far, and all of them belong to leadership at PN Hoffman, the master developer of the mega project on the Southwest waterfront. More than 50 percent of the units at 525 Water have sold so far, which means that settlements can begin. The article states that the building received its certificate of occupancy within the past week. 525 Water is part of Parcel 11 at The Wharf, which will be the first buildings to deliver in phase one. The new St. Augustine’s will open its doors next month with a convocation service on September 24. The remaining buildings in phase one from 7th Street to the Municipal Fish Market will deliver in the fall of 2017.

Parcel 11 Update

Construction will be wrapping up at the new St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in the next couple of months. On Wednesday, September 24, the church will celebrate its reopening with a convocation, starting at 4pm. Meanwhile, 525 Water condos are approaching 50% pre-sold and the building is open for unit tours. Move-ins are scheduled to start this summer. These are the first buildings at The Wharf that will be completed. Infrastructure work continues at Waterfront Park, a three-acre open space adjacent to 525 Water, and construction should be completed either late this year or by early next year. The remaining buildings in phase one are supposed to be complete in the fall of 2017.

Neighborhood Events

• On Thursday evenings, live jazz and blues will be played at Gangplank Marina Park at The Wharf, located at 600 Water Street from 6:30 to 8:30pm. The remaining schedule for June includes: 

June 9: Thad Wilson Quintet
June 16: Shirletta Settles & Friends
June 23: Marshall Keys Jazz Ensemble
June 30: Swampdog Blues Band 

• Tonight is the first “Dive-In Movie” night, a Friday night free movie series with water-themed movies at Gangplank Marina Park. Tonight’s movie is Sharknado. Dive-In Movie night begins at 8pm. Other movies in June include:

June 10: Finding Nemo
June 17: The Perfect Storm
June 24: Splash 

• Saturday mornings in June will bring Waterfront Workouts, including DC Dragons at 8am; YaLa Fitness at 9am; and M Street Yoga at 10am. 

• The USDA Farmers Market at Night starts today from 4-7pm at 12th Street and Independence Avenue. The market will operate each Friday from now until September 30. Below is a list of vendors: 

Farmers and Growers: 

Eco Friendly Food, Moneta, VA
Good Sense Farm & Apiary, Washington, DC
Quaker Valley Orchards, Biglerville, PA
Ryan’s Fruit Market, Timberville, VA
TLV (Triadelphia Lake View) Tree Farm, Glenelg, MD

Baker: 

Black Pearl Tarts
Emma's Bakeshop
Lynnette's Cakes and Catering
Second Rising
The Cookie Jar 

DC Food Truck: 

Ball or Nothing
Dirty South Deli
Far East Taco Grill
Federal City Brothers  

Food Concessions: 

Eat 170
Thunder Beast
Timber Pizza Company  

Soap Maker: 

Georges Botanique Aromatiques
Specialty: Greca Terra
Undone Chocolate
Value Added Food Producers:
Number 1 Sons
PinUp Preserves
Senzu Juicery
She Peppers  

Dairy Product Maker: 

Ruby Scoops Ice Cream  

This is in addition to the day market at the same location every Friday through October from 9am to 2pm. 

• Another farmer’s market can be found at The Lot at 4th and M streets on Saturdays from 10am – 2pm though November 19th. Dreaming Out Loud is bringing the Southwest DC Farmers Market to Waterfront Station with the support of SWBID and Waterfront Associates.

• Market SW night market returns for a second year to The Lot at 4th and M streets and will take place on the fourth Friday of each month (the first one was last Friday) until November. The next one will be on June 24. For more information, visit marketSWdc.com.

• There will be a Southwest Community Yard Sale tomorrow starting at 9am. The yard sale will be at Harbor Square and Tiber Island (4th and N streets).

Running of the Chihuahuas Rain Date is May 7

The 5th Annual Running of the Chihuahuas event at The Wharf was postponed from last Saturday to May 7 from 1-4pm due to inclement weather. The event will be located at 600 Water Street and include food from Sol Mexican, Red Hook, and Captain Cookie food trucks, as well as live music from Phil Kominski. The deadline to register dogs is Friday, May 6, but walk-ins will be accepted until all spots are full. Chihuahuas will only be permitted to run in the races, but other dog breeds can be entered for other contests including “Best Dressed Dog” and “Best Trick.” Admission to the event is free, but the entry fee for dogs to race is $25 per dog. All race proceeds will benefit Rural Dog Rescue, a non-profit organization which rescues dogs from high-kill rural shelters. 

So far this spring, the weather hasn’t been cooperative with events at The Wharf. Back in April, the SW Waterfront Fireworks Festival was cancelled due to high winds and chilly weather. Luckily, the current weather forecast for Saturday’s Running of the Chihuahuas looks promising.

1900 Half Street PUD Filed

A PUD was filed by Douglas Development for 1900 Half Street, which is currently an office building located along the Anacostia River on Buzzard Point. The building is visible as one crosses the Frederick Douglass Bridge. Douglas proposes to redevelop the nine-story structure into a multifamily building with 462 residential units and 24,032 SF of retail space. The current building is rectangular in shape, but the developer proposes to remove portions of the building to create two large open courtyards on the second floor, resulting in an “E” shaped building facing the river. The building as designed by Antunovich Associates, will be reskinned with a vision glass curtain wall, blue and white colored metal panels, and terracotta rain screens. 

Entrances to the residential lobby and retail will be along Water Street – one section of retail will be two levels. Ground floor units will have lofts and some second floor units will have private terraces facing the river. A fitness center and other amenity space will also be on the second floor while on the roof, an indoor lounge, rooftop pool deck and infinity pool will be installed, which should have great views of the river, Capitol dome and Washington Monument. Parking will be provided in the existing garage with 324 spaces accessed only from the north (the southern access point and curb cut will be removed). The building currently has 691 parking spaces and the Capitol Gateway Overlay regulations require only 182 spaces. 

Although the project won’t have a 75-foot minimum setback from the Anacostia bulkhead since the original building was completed prior to 2005, the river side of the building will have a promenade ranging from 14 to 24 feet (the larger promenade on the northern part of the site will be in two sections, divided by a 10-foot bioretention barrier). The project will seek LEED-Gold status. 

This PUD application was expected since the Office of Planning listed it as one of six major projects planned on Buzzard Point in the Buzzard Point Design Framework Plan document. 1900 Half Street is less than two blocks from the site of the new DC United soccer stadium and catty-corner from Ziegfeld's/Secrets, which was purchased by MRP Realty and will be redeveloped as a multifamily building. It’s also north of Marina Place where Capital City Real Estate plans to build about 100 condos and near the Transpoint Building, which is under contract to Redbrick. 1900 Half should be before the ANC later this year. 

Renderings courtesy of Antunovich Associates

Parcel 11 Construction Progress

Construction of 525 Water Street condos at The Wharf is progressing, with most of the exterior now covered in brick. By spring, the condos will be ready for occupancy. This will be the first new building to be complete in The Wharf and the first new construction condos to be built in Southwest since Potomac Place Condos were finished in 2005 (Waterfront Tower was a condo conversion). VIO, the other new condo building planned during the first phase of The Wharf, is also under construction and is scheduled to be completed in 2017. 

Meanwhile, the steel frame of the new St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church continues to rise along Maine Avenue. At the new St. Augustine’s, there will be views of the church from M Street and Maine Avenue since it will be located at a prominent corner. There will be a soft curved edge in front of St. Augustine's to complement the curvature of Arena Stage across the street. The two-story church will be approximately 15,000 square feet with the sanctuary located on the second floor offering views toward the Washington Monument. Also on the second floor will be classrooms and a library. On the ground floor, the entrance will lead to a vestibule that connects to classrooms and an all-purpose room, which will be available for community events, similar to how the former St. Augustine's building was used for meetings. The church began construction last May and is scheduled to be completed later this year. 

Waterfront Park, the 3.5-acre green space to be located behind parcel 11, began construction in the fall, but completion is still several months away. Park elements include plantings, pergolas, a water feature, play mounds, pathways, seating areas, an access road for the Harbor Patrol, and a plaza. The plaza will be named after DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton - the section of the park between the access road and the Wharf promenade.

Renderings courtesy of MTFA Architecture and Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

Annual Parade of Lighted Boats This Saturday

The 24th annual Parade of Lighted Boats will take place on Saturday evening from 6-8 pm at Gangplank Marina Park located at 600 Water Street.  As in previous years, festivities include photos with Santa Claus, the lighting of the Gangplank Marina Christmas tree, a firepit with s'mores, live holiday music, gingerbread cookie decorating, the first "snowfall" of the season, and of course, the boat parade, where boaters decorate their vessels and compete for prizes.

Wharf Updates

This week brought news that a restaurateur will bring two or three new restaurants to The Wharf, but another operator has chosen to not move forward with plans for one there. The WBJ reported earlier this week that in addition to opening an Asian restaurant serving Filipino cuisine, Cathal Armstrong has a letter of intent to open a distillery and was in discussions to operate a rooftop lounge at the InterContinental Hotel. Although the article didn’t say where the distillery would be located, one is planned at the Municipal Fish Market. The Filipino restaurant and distillery would open in 2018 while the lounge would open by 2017. 

Meanwhile, the WBJ reported later in the week that chef Robert Weidmaier of RW Restaurant Group decided against opening a restaurant at The Wharf. From the article: 

“The RW Restaurant Group made the decision to no longer open a new establishment at The Wharf in 2017 based on the competitive restaurant climate in D.C.,” said [RW Restaurant Group COO Frank] Schull. “Our decision was fully understood and we left on amicable terms.” 

In other Wharf news, the first phase of development was financed with $400 million in construction financing and $145 million in TIF/PILOT bonds, according to a press release. 

Sales began at 525 Water Street condos last month where 30 units were released for sale with prices ranging from the $400s for 1BR units to the $900s for 2BR/Den units. Condo sales at VIO began over the summer – all 25 units in the initial release have been reserved. The next release at VIO won’t occur until sometime in 2016. The sales center for both condo buildings is located at the former Channel Inn at 690 Water Street.

Renderings courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

525 Water "Tops Off"

After less than a year of construction, 525 Water condos has “topped off” according to a press release, which means the building has reached its maximum height. The five-story building will contain 108 condos and is adjacent to the new St. Augustine’s Church, where a groundbreaking ceremony was held last month. 525 Water is also adjacent to the new 3.5-acre Waterfront Park. The above photo was taken in early June when the building was only at three stories. 

PN Hoffman and Madison Marquette are partners on this development, which will be the first residential building to deliver at The Wharf. Delivery is scheduled for next summer and condo sales are slated to begin this fall. Prices will begin in the $400s for studios with the largest three bedroom units selling for over $1 million. 525 Water will be joined by VIO, which is the second condo building planned during phase one of development. Sales at VIO will begin this summer. 

Also in Wharf news, a tower crane is now visible for the planned Intercontinental Hotel – signage on the crane is illuminated at night. The WBJ reports that three additional tower cranes have been recently approved for the site, which is now a huge hole in the ground.

Kastles May Return to The Wharf

The Washington Business Journal broke the news last week that the Washington Kastles are in "a continuing dialogue" to return to The Wharf, perhaps for the 2017 season in July as phase one of the massive waterfront redevelopment nears completion. While the WBJ doesn’t give much details about where the stadium would be located (except that it would be on a partially floating pier), it was reported here in March of last year that the planned Transit Pier could be used for that purpose: 

Phillips Flagship occupies roughly where Parcel 2 will be built. An entertainment venue called Wharf Hall with capacity for up to 6,500 patrons, along with a co-generation plant and two mixed income apartment buildings (several with micro units), will replace Phillips Flagship. A Transit Pier will be built nearby to serve water taxis and can accommodate several roles, such as an ice skating rink in the winter and (with the addition of barges along its sides for seating) a stadium for the Washington Kastles, if they choose to return. 

The Kastles played for three seasons at 9th and Water streets before moving to the Smith Center in Foggy Bottom last year to make way for construction of The Wharf. At one point last year, the team was looking to stay in Southwest and play at Waterfront Station on one of the vacant parcels facing M Street; however, the deal fell through. During their tenure at Kastles Stadium at The Wharf, the team won three straight Mylan World Team Tennis Championships and broke the record for the most consecutive wins by a U.S. professional sports team with 34 straight wins. The proposed transit pier location is less than a block away from the former stadium footprint.

Rendering courtesy of Hoffman-Madison Waterfront

Parade of Lights This Saturday!

The annual Parade of Lights will return to the Southwest Waterfront this Saturday. This year, the event will be held at Water Street Park/Gangplank Park (600 Water Street) starting at 6pm. The annual event includes the lighting of the Southwest Christmas Tree, photos with Santa, a bonfire, s’mores making, and live jazz. Houseboats and other vessels will be decorated for the holidays and will parade along the Washington Channel between Old Town Alexandria and Southwest starting around 7pm with the winners announced at 7:45pm.

Going...Going...Gone

Over the past few weeks, demolition has moved along the Southwest Waterfront to make way for The Wharf development, claiming Zanzibar and 7th Street Landing in the process. This area of Water Street looks a lot different now than it did a few months ago. In addition, a raze permit was recently issued for the former Phillips Flagship restaurant over at 900 Water Street. 

View of dock construction from East Potomac Park.

Construction of the docks for the Capitol Yacht Club is underway now that pilings have been installed in the Washington Channel with completion scheduled for sometime in October. Once the Capitol Yacht Club docks are completed, work will begin on District Pier, which will extend from 9th Street out into the channel. 

St. Augustine's Church closed in June.

Meanwhile, demolition is scheduled to begin at St. Augustine’s Church in September. According to the Washington Business Journal, PN Hoffman has awarded the construction contract for the condos planned there to Balfour Beatty. The address of the condo building was first reported as 600 Water Street, but now, it appears that the address has changed to 625 Water Street. Completion of the 108-unit building is anticipated for the beginning of 2016 with sales to begin in 2015.

Update: The WBJ now reports that prices for the condos will "start out at around $400,000 and move on up to $1 million or more."

Buzzard Point Draft Urban Design Framework Released

Due to the proposed DC United soccer stadium and a new Frederick Douglass Bridge, an Urban Design Framework has been developed by the Office of Planning for Buzzard Point over the past few months and the draft summary has been released this week. The framework plan will inform and guide public and private development decisions for the next 10 years. It is broken into several sections, including: public realm, environment, housing and community development, and transportation. Below are summaries of each: 

• Public Realm: The urban design concept, as envisioned, would transform Buzzard Point into a vibrant, walkable neighborhood. The neighborhood would be centered around a series of open spaces along the Anacostia River, as well as the traffic oval planned at the foot of the new Douglass Bridge and near the proposed soccer stadium. These open spaces would connect with Yards Park and other destinations on the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail. 
• Environment: The urban design concept calls for improved environmental conditions, both through the public realm and private development. Over 1,000 new trees could be planted in Buzzard Point along with drought tolerant plantings, rain gardens, green roofs, and other green elements. Environmental remediation would also be done to clean up any potentially contaminated soil in the area. 
• Housing and Community Development: The urban design concept seeks to protect the existing public housing within the study area (which includes 80 out of 239 units at James Creek that are located south of P Street) and create additional residential opportunities. The current capacity for development in the Buzzard Point area under current zoning would allow up to 11.9 million SF of development with 5,480 residential units (370 affordable units). If the urban design plan is adopted and a stadium is built, the total potential development would decrease to 10.2 million SF, but it would be more concentrated, so up to 6,200 residential units could be built with 400 of those set aside as affordable units under inclusionary zoning. 
• Transportation: In the near term, the South Capitol Street bridge and soccer stadium improvements will improve access to major regional connections and enhance pedestrian and bicycle connectivity. An esplanade along the Anacostia River will be created that will facilitate the movement of pedestrians across the new Douglass Bridge. Patrons of the proposed soccer stadium who arrive by car would be encouraged to use the parking lots used by Nationals attendees. Streetcar lines are planned to potentially terminate in Buzzard Point, but those lines won’t be built for several years. 

Open space concept on Half Street

The draft urban design framework mentions that there may be a Maritime Museum planned for Buzzard Point and that was also mentioned by City Administrator Allen Lew during the first DC United stadium hearing back on June 26. It appears from the design framework document that this proposed Maritime Museum would be located along the Anacostia River roughly at Water and T streets, just to the east of where Ziegfeld’s/Secrets is located (the building is for sale). 

A copy of the Buzzard Point Urban Design Framework is available here. 

Images courtesy of the Office of Planning

New Condo Building to Soon Begin Construction

About a month after a raze permit was filed for St. Augustine's Church at 6th Street and Maine Avenue,  a press release states that PN Hoffman will get their permits sometime late this month to begin construction on a new, 108-unit mixed income condo building and a new St. Augustine's Church. According to the press release, the name of the condo building will be 600 Water Street. If that address sounds familiar, it is the current address for Spirit Cruises and Cantina Marina. Most of Water Street as it exists today will be removed to make way for The Wharf, but a portion of the street that runs by the site of the proposed condo building will remain. A 20-month construction timetable means that the condo will be completed around the first quarter of 2016. The condo building will be adjacent to the 3.5 acre Waterfront Park that will also be built during phase one of The Wharf and is expected to be completed in early 2017. Sales of the condo units are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2015.

Rendering courtesy of SK&I Architectural Group

Wharf Update

Three more cranes have arrived on-site at The Wharf over the past couple of weeks to help with demolishing the existing docks at the Gangplank Marina and the seawall. Gangplank Slipholders Association President Karen Anderson brings word that construction fencing has cut off the lower portion of the seawall promenade between 7th Street and what was formerly Phillips Flagship. The restaurant closed late last month and will reopen in a much smaller takeout format at L’Enfant Plaza this summer. Pier 7 Restaurant at the Channel Inn closed in late March. Meanwhile, Jenny’s Asian Fusion is still open for the time being and the Maine Avenue Fish Market will remain open through the duration of construction. Seventh Street Landing is also a part of the construction zone, so activities that used to take place over there have been moved downchannel to Gangplank Park closer to 6th Street, including Bufus’ King Ribs. 

Water Street

Water Street is now closed to traffic between 7th and 9th Streets while utility relocation work gets started. In addition, parking is no longer allowed along Water Street from 7th Street to the fish market. The street will no longer exist when phase one of The Wharf is completed in late 2017.

Houseboat Shuffle

In another sign that the transformation of the Southwest Waterfront to The Wharf will soon begin, houseboats at the Gangplank Marina have started to be relocated to temporary quarters. For instance, some houseboat owners at F Dock near 7th Street are being shifted south to C Dock. The houseboats are being moved so construction can begin on phase one of The Wharf. During this phase, the Capital Yacht Club will be moved from its current location next to Jenny’s Asian Fusion at 1000 Water Street and rebuilt between 7th and 9th streets. Back in August, Kastles Stadium at The Wharf was dismantled. No financing agreement has been publicly announced yet for the project and therefore no official construction start date has been set.

SWBID Legislation Introduced

Legislation was introduced yesterday in the DC Council to create a new Business Improvement District in Southwest. Steve Moore from PN Hoffman, who has been spearheading the BID effort, came before ANC 6D this evening to seek their support for the creation of the BID. After some questioning by the commissioners, the ANC unanimously supported the BID organizers' efforts.

The rough boundaries of the SWBID are Independence Avenue to the north, 15th Street and Water Street to the west, Maine Avenue and M Street to the south, and South Capitol Street to the east. In order to fund the BID, there will be four classes of membership, each with their own set of fees: commercial property, industrial or unimproved land, hotels, and residential. The residential class includes apartment buildings with 10 units or more and the BID fee will be sent to the owners of the buildings. Condominiums, co-ops, town homes, public housing, and apartment buildings with less than 10 units are exempt, but will have the opportunity to opt-in if they want.

The mission of the SWBID will be to advance the SW quadrant as a cleaner, greener, better connected place. There are seven main categories of services that the new BID will provide, including:

• Cleanliness/Maintenance/Beautification
• Safety and Hospitality
• Marketing/Branding/Special Events
• Public Space Management
• Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability
• Homeless Services
• Economic Development

Over the next year, there will be several initiatives undertaken by the BID, including an ambassador program; a "clean team", an inventory of public space; homeless outreach; creating a transportation network; a merchandising plan to attract and maintain businesses; creating special events; developing an identity for the BID; and keep stakeholders updated on progress made by the BID. If the DC Council and the Department of Small and Local Business Development approves the BID creation, services could begin as soon as the spring of 2014.

Google Earth map

2nd Annual DC Homebrewers and Sam Adams BBQ This Saturday

The second annual DC Homebrewers (DCHB) BBQ will be held this Saturday next door to the former Kastles Stadium at The Wharf site on the 800 block of Water Street.  It will be held from 2pm to 6pm. During the afternoon, members of the DCHB will be offering demonstrations and educational presentations, including:

Demonstrations

·         Extract Brewing with John Lutz          3:00 – 5:00 PM

·         All Grain Brewing with Jim Koebel     2:00 – 6:00 PM

·         Brew-In-A-Bag with Peter Jones         2:00 – 6:00 PM

Presentations

·         2:45 - Nanomashing: Tasting Caramel Malts - Bob Rouse, DC Homebrews Club President

·         3:15 - Homebrew Outreach and Participation Sisterhood (HOPS)

·         3:45 - Yeasts Gone Wild - Jasper Akerboom, Lost Rhino Brewing Company

·         4:15 - Brewing Historical Beers - Peter Jones, Historian

·         4:45 - Beer Judging Tips and Tricks - Jim Koebel, BJCP National Judge

·         5:15 - Hops 101 - Andrei Henry, NHC Presenter

There will also be fun activities for the entire family, including cornhole, pin the tail on the donkey, and entertainment from the Washington Nationals. A raffle will also be held with several items up for bid including Uber Gift Cards, Odyssey Cruises, private dinner from CESaute, a hat signed by Danny Espinosa, a ball signed byu Wilson Ramos, Nationals tickets, items signed by Adam LaRoche, booze, beer, art, brewing equipment, and more. Some of the beers that will be available include: Sam Adams, Angry Orchard, Flying Dog, 3 Stars, DC Brau, Bells, and Duve.

Admission is $15 and tickets are available here. Kids 10 and under can enter for free. Ticket price includes admission, a plate of BBQ (vegetarian option will be available), 2 sides, hand-crafted soda, Sam Adams beer and an additional beer ticket for one of several craft beers that will be on tap. Additional beer tickets will be available for $5. All raffle and beer sales will go to Common Good City Farm and some of the ticket sales profits are going to DCHB to further education and make more events like this happen.