Former SEU Campus Building Under Contract

It was reported in Capital Business today that The Shakespeare Theatre Co. has the former Southeastern University (SEU) campus at 6th and I streets under contract.  The campus has been vacant since The Graduate School USA absorbed SEU and the university lost its accreditation in 2009. At first, it was thought that The Graduate School USA would expand its L’Enfant Plaza campus to 6th and I streets, then it was announced in 2011 that the school would be the anchor tenant at The Wharf. Afterwards, the campus was put on the market. There were some suitors for the campus, including Apple Tree Early Learning Public Charter School, who wanted to renovate the building for a school, but that proposal never resulted in the sale of the building. It was announced publicly last week that The Graduate School USA had backed out of The Wharf deal due to federal government budget issues. 

The Capital Business article states that the Shakespeare Theatre Co. proposes an actors’ campus for the site, which would include actors’ housing, rehearsal space, and storage for costumes and set equipment.  It would not just serve as a campus for Shakespeare, but it could also serve other theater companies who have similar space challenges. From the article:

Neither Shakespeare nor Graduate School USA officials released the terms of the contract. [Chris] Jennings said he is in the early stages of determining how to finance his idea. Shakespeare could partner with a developer on a mixed-use project in which some of the market-rate housing helps pay for the artist and theater space. He also plans to approach D.C. officials about support the government may be able to provide.

The campus is slightly under one acre in size and is currently zoned as R-3, which allows matter-of-right development of single-family residential uses (detached, semi-detached, and row dwellings), churches, and public schools. Depending on what Shakespeare has planned, the campus may need to be rezoned. Next door to the campus is Amidon-Bowen Elementary school and row homes. Across the street is the SW Duck Pond. It is located two blocks north of Arena Stage and three blocks from the Waterfront Metro station.

Vacancy on ANC 6D

 

With the passing of ANC 6D commissioner Ron McBee, there is an opening on the 7-member commission. Interested residents of single-member district 6D03, which include Capitol Park Tower, Potomac Place Condominiums, Potomac Place Tower, Capitol Park II, and Greenleaf Gardens extension, now have the opportunity to run for the vacant seat. In order to do so, candidates will need to visit the Board of Elections and file the necessary paperwork, then obtain 25 signatures over the next three weeks (which began on Monday). After a one week protest period where the signatures are verified, those who meet the requirements will be able to run for the seat. There will be a special election at the December 9 ANC meeting where single-member district 6D residents will be able to vote for a new ANC commissioner. 

A memorial service for commissioner McBee will be held on November 11 at Westminster Church (400 I Street), starting at 11am. A potluck repast will follow the service downstairs. For those who will be attending, please bring a dish to share.

Update: Well it looks like there are now two vacancies at ANC 6D. Donna Hopkins, who represents SMD 6D01, wrote an email to her constituents announcing her resignation, part of which was posted in the Hill Rag.

A Few Quick Items While I Was Away: Wharf, Buzzard Point, L'Enfant Plaza Hotel

Capital Business reports that the Graduate School USA will not be coming to The Wharf. It was announced back in March 2011 that the school would be the anchor tenant. The article states that the Graduate School informed Hoffman Madison Waterfront over 18 months ago that they wouldn't be coming to the development due to instability in the market. Despite the setback (which apparently the developers have known for a while), the project is moving forward.  From the article:

“Overall we feel very good about it,” [Monty] Hoffman said. “Our tenancy and our letters of intent for restaurants are going very well and we are in for building permits.”

Hoffman said he was “working with a prospective capital group” to invest in the project. The D.C. government has agreed to put up approximately $198 million for the project, and last year Hoffman traveled to China with D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray last summer to try to raise capital.

 Rendering courtesy of Hoffman Madison Waterfront

It was reported in the Washington Business Journal that the GSA is close to finalizing a deal to allow the Navy to use the space vacated by the Coast Guard in Buzzard Point. From the article:

A handful of workers from the Naval Sea Systems Command were shifted to Transpoint in the aftermath of last month's Navy Yard shooting, but the Navy and GSA are working on a more formal agreement that would let the Navy officially take over the building once the Coast Guard clears out, the GSA said.

The L'Enfant Plaza Hotel is set for closure in December for extensive renovations according to an article in the Washington Business Journal. From the article:

Stanford [Hotels Corp.] plans to complete its $48.7 million acquisition of the hotel on Dec. 3 and will close down the property when that happens, said sources, including two employees set to be impacted by the closure. Stanford is buying the hotel from an affiliate of The JBG Cos. as part of a D.C. Superior Court order issued July 31. The hotel is not accepting reservations, either over the phone or through its website, beyond Dec. 2.

DC United Stadium Environmental Study Meeting

There will be a Public Scoping Meeting hosted by the DC Department of General Services on Saturday, October 26 to discuss the environmental review process needed for the construction of a new stadium for DC United in Buzzard Point. The environmental review process will analyze potential impacts on traffic, light, air quality, noise viewsheds, and other resources.  AECOM will work with DGS on the environmental review process. Comments from the public meeting will be used to help create a draft report later this year, which will then be open for a 30-day public review before the final report is presented to the DC Council. 

At this evening's ANC 6D meeting, representatives from the District government and AECOM gave a presentation about the stadium plan and took questions from the commissioners. Several issues/concerns were brought up by the commissioners, such as environmental concerns about site remediation and the potential relocation of a Pepco substation near housing; traffic; and the lack of coordination between agencies. It was also learned at the meeting that the southeast corner of the original stadium area footprint will not be available for development for at least 5-6 years because Pepco will be unable to remove the functioning portion of the substation it operates on the site. 

The Public Scoping Meeting will be held at St. Augustine's Episcopal Church (located at 600 M Street) from 10am to 12pm.

Rendering courtesy of HKS

Soccer Stadium Forums Planned

Still on vacation, but I thought I'd pass this along...

Open Forum

What's on your mind, Southwest?  While I'm away on vacation in Europe and taking a break from posting, feel free to write a comment about any neighborhood issue...

Demolition Begins at 400 6th Street

 

Construction fencing has been installed around the Donohoe Building at 400 6th Street, the former home of the District's Child and Family Services Agency. Their lease ended last year and now demolition is underway at the office building, which was purchased by Trammell Crow and the AFL-CIO Building Investment for $41.9 million in 2012. Once demolition is complete, construction will begin on a speculative 12-story office building designed by Gensler with 342,000 rentable square feet. There is space on the ground level for retail if demand supports it. The new office building is located less than one block from the D Street entrance to the L'Enfant Plaza Metro station. From the look of the above rendering, they are looking for a GSA tenant. Next door to the site is Constitution Center, which has its share of GSA tenants. Perhaps the office market in general (and GSA's appetite for leasing new space) will be improved by the end of 2015 when this building is scheduled to deliver.

Construction fencing went up this week.

Rendering courtesy of Trammell Crow

Design of New Douglass Bridge Criticized

It was reported in the Washington Business Journal that the Commission of Fine Arts finds that the concept design for the replacement Frederick Douglass Bridge that will carry traffic along South Capitol Street across the Anacostia River is uninspired.  From the article:

During its Sept. 19 review of the D.C. Department of Transportation’s concept bridge design, the federal CFA called for a “contemporary approach” and a “bolder look” for the new Douglass bridge, according to a Sept. 27 letter from Thomas Luebke, the commission’s secretary, to Ronaldo Nicholson, DDOT’s chief engineer. 

There is $622 million set aside in the District’s FY2014 budget to fund Phase 1 (Segments 1 and 2) of the South Capitol Street Corridor project, which includes a new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, traffic ovals on either side of the bridge, and the reconstruction of the I-295/Suitland Parkway interchange. The new Frederick Douglass Bridge is currently designed as a bascule arch, similar to other bridges in the city, such as Memorial Bridge. Having the CFA's support will be important in order to obtain federal funding which is needed to close the gap in financing for the bridge.

Rendering courtesy of DDOT

Buzzard Point Streetcar Line Study

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

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

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

Review of "The Velocity of Autumn"

Arena Stage begins the 2013-14 season with The Velocity of Autumn, a two-character play written by Eric Coble and directed by Arena’s Artistic Director Molly Smith. The Velocity of Autumn stars Academy Award-winning actress Estelle Parson as Alexandra, a 79-year old artist who lives alone in a brownstone in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn and has reached the point where she can no longer live independently. Her co-star is Tony Award-winning actor Stephen Spinella, who portrays her long-absent son Chris who returns to New York after several years to act as a mediator between Alexandra and her other children who want her to move to an assisted living facility. Resentment and ridicule by Alexandra toward Chris for staying away from the family for so long in the beginning of the show slowly changes into something else as the two reminisce about life experiences. 

The Velocity of Autumn is very thought-provoking – aging is something that everyone can relate to, whether personally or dealing with a family member that is advancing in age. Parsons and Spinella have great chemistry on stage and really bring their characters to life. I’d highly recommend seeing this show. It would be a chance to see it before it is adapted for Broadway. The Velocity of Autumn runs at the Kreeger Theater until October 20. Tickets start at $40 and Southwest Night has already passed for this show, where discounted tickets are available to workers and/or residents of Southwest between $25 and $35. The rest of the 2013-14 season is as follows: 

• Love in Afghanistan: October 11 – November 17, 2013 (Southwest Night on Tuesday, October 15)
• Tappin’ Thru Life: November 15 – December 29, 2013 (Southwest Night on Friday, November 29)
• Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner: November 29, 2013 – January 5, 2014 (Southwest Night on Tuesday, December 24) 
• The Tallest Tree in the Forest: January 10 – February 16, 2014 (Southwest Night on Tuesday, January 21) 
• Mother Courage and her Children: January 31 – March 9, 2014 (Southwest Night on Tuesday, February 4) 
• Camp David: March 21 – May 4, 2014 (Southwest Night on Sunday, April 20) 
• Smokey Joe’s Café the Songs of Liber and Stoller: April 25 – June 8, 2014 (Southwest Night on Tuesday, May 27) 
• Healing Wars: June 6 – 29 2014

Photo taken by Teresa Wood, courtesy of Arena Stage