Project Updates from Neighborhood Town Hall

October 14, 2013

A big thanks to everyone who attended my Oct. 10 Neighborhood Town Hall at Congressional Cemetery Chapel. We had a great turnout! For those who were unable to attend, here are some brief updates on major projects happening in the neighborhood:

  • Reservation 13/Hill East Waterfront – On Oct. 24, the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development’s Office announced that Donatelli/Blue Skye had been awarded development rights for parcels F1 & G1 at Reservation 13. DMPED and Donatelli/Blue Skye are now negotiating on an agreement that will allow the project to move forward (terms of land transfer, etc.). This agreement will need to be approved by the DC Council, most likely in early 2014. The Donatelli/Blue Skye proposal calls for two mixed-use buildings with a total of 354 apartments (248 market rate, 106 affordable) and 20,000-40,000 square feet of retail on the first floors, including the possibility of retail along the C Street extension. Donatelli/Blue Skye has also updated their proposal to remove the “traffic island” around the Stadium-Armory Metro plaza.
  • 1442 Pennsylvania Avenue SE (Old KFC site) – Construction has begun on this two-story retail building at the corner of 15th and Penn Ave SE. Douglas Development hopes to have construction completed by the end of the year. As for tenants, Douglas Development has not yet signed any leases though there has been interest in the site.
  • 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue SE (Used Car Lot – formerly 1550 Penn Ave SE) – NOVO Development hopes to begin construction on this 77-unit residential building by the end of the year or in early 2014. Greg Selfridge and the NOVO team plan to hold a community meeting soon to discuss construction and its potential impact on surrounding neighbors. I’ll share information on the meeting once it is scheduled.
  • 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue SE (Old Domino’s site) – Goldstar Group plans to build a 41-unit residential building at the old Domino’s site, with a mix of two bedroom, one bedroom and junior one bedroom units. While they plan to provide the required 21-parking spaces in an underground garage, Goldstar will probably have to ask the Board of Zoning Adjustment for zoning relief related to the size of the parking spaces (6-8 will have to be compact spaces). Goldstar is pushing the building as close to the 15th & Penn Ave SE intersection as possible to preserve some open space between the building and adjacent structures. The parking garage entrance will be off of 15th Street SE. Goldstar will present their plans and preliminary designs with neighbors at a community meeting in the coming weeks. I’ll share information on the meeting once it is scheduled.
  • 401 15th Street SE – Goodeon Kingston, LLC has begun construction on a 12-unit mixed-use retail-residential building at the corner of 15th & D Street SE. The big news is that they have now decided to include retail space on the first floor..about 1,000 square feet. Goodeon hopes to have concrete and foundation work completed by the end of the year. The building will have the six parking spaces required by zoning.
  • Barney Circle-Southeast Boulevard Project – The District Department of Transportation plans to hold its second public meeting on the Barney Circle-Southeast Boulevard Project on Thursday, November 21, 6:30 pm at Payne Elementary School (1445 C Street SE). At the meeting, DDOT and their consultant, CH2M Hill, will present options for public feedback. I encourage anyone who lives near Barney Circle to attend this meeting.
  • 17th & 19th Streets Safety Improvement Project – The good news is the design phase of the 17th & 19th Streets Safety Improvement Project is complete. The bad news is that DDOT has asked a consultant to do an additional environmental review of the project recommendations which will add another 6 months to the project timeline. We are now looking at mid to late 2014 for construction to begin. I plan to urge DDOT to move as swiftly as possible to complete the additional review and begin construction.

Please post any comments or questions below.

6 Comments | 15th Street SE, 17th Street SE, 19th Street SE, Barney Circle, Development, Penn East, Reservation 13/Hill East Waterfront | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

*UPDATED* DMPED Moves Forward on Donatelli/Blue Skye Plans for Reservation 13

September 25, 2013

During a Sept. 24 Council hearing on major economic development projects, Ketan Gada of the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development announced that DMPED has decided to move forward with the Donatelli/Blue Skye plans for parcels F1 & G1 at Reservation 13.

This is really good news for the neighborhood and will hopefully be the first step in the realization of the community supported Reservation 13 Master Plan. Over the next 120 days, DMPED and Donatelli/Blue Skye will negotiate an agreement that will allow the project to begin (transfer of land, etc.). This agreement will need to be approved by the DC Council prior to construction. Both affected ANCs – ANC 6B and 7F – will have an opportunity to weigh in on the negotiations and the agreement.

During the hearing, Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser, chair of the Committee on Economic Development, suggested the creation of a community task force to focus on the project. I plan to work with my ANC 6B colleagues to determine whether the commission’s existing Hill East Task Force or a new task force should take on Reservation 13/Hill East.

We also need to continue to push the city to take action immediately on preparing the remaining parcels at Reservation 13 for development. While DMPED answered my question on the status of the Donatelli/Blue Skye proposal, they have not fully answered the other three questions I posed in my testimony (pdf).

Please post any comments/reactions/questions below.

Updated 10/4/13 – Video from the Sept. 24 hearing is now posted on DC’s Office of Cable Television website. Just click on the third “View Meeting” link and fast forward to 1 hour 26 minutes to see testimony on Hill East.

3 Comments | Development, Reservation 13/Hill East Waterfront | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

Res. 13/Hill East Council Hearing Tomorrow

September 23, 2013

The DC Council’s Committee on Economic Development, chaired by Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser, is holding a hearing tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept. 24, on major economic development projects. Reservation 13/Hill East is one of four major projects on the committee’s agenda. The hearing begins at 11:00 am in Room 500 of the Wilson Building (1350 Penn Ave NW). Read the hearing notice.

At the hearing, I’ll be testifying on behalf of ANC 6B. The main witness will be Victor Hoskins, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. I’ll be curious to hear if Deputy Mayor Hoskins has any updates on the Donatelli/Blue Skye proposal and DMPED’s larger vision for Res. 13.

in addition to Councilmember Bowser, Councilmembers Anita Bonds (At-Large), Jack Evans (Ward 2), Kenyan McDuffie (Ward 5) and Vincent Orange (At-Large) serve on the Committee on Economic Development.

You can watch the hearing on the DC Council website. Written statements can be submitted to Rob Hawkins, the committee’s legislative director, at rhawkins@dccouncil.us.

1 Comment | Development, Reservation 13/Hill East Waterfront | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

Monday Quick Takes: Old KFC Site, Town Hall, Cupcakes, Day of the Dog

September 9, 2013
Construction underway at the old KFC Site on Penn Ave SE.

Construction underway at the old KFC Site on Penn Ave SE.

  • Construction is underway on the new two-story retail building at 1442 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, the old KFC site. At last week’s ANC 6B Planning and Zoning Committee meeting, Paul Millstein of Douglas Development, said that they expect construction to be complete by December.  The company has been contacted by potential tenants but does not have any leases signed as of yet.
  • A liquor license for District Taco (656 Pennsylvania Avenue SE), a fast food exception for Southeast Market (1500 Independence Ave SE), comments on proposed alternatives for the re-construction of Virginia Avenue Rail Tunnel and proposed testimony on Reservation 13 for an upcoming DC Council hearing are among the agenda (pdf) items for tomorrow’s (Tues., Sept. 10) ANC 6B September meeting. The meeting begins at 7:00 pm at the Hill Center (921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE).
  • A big thanks to Jennifer Howard, Nike Opadiran, Ross Parman and Claudia Vilato for volunteering to represent 6B09 as Resident Members on the ANC 6B Hill East Task Force. Their appointments will be voted on by the full commission at the Sept. 10 meeting. I’m still looking for a volunteer to serve as 6B09 representative to the ANC 6B Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee. If you are interested, please contact me.
  • I’m really excited that Curbside Cupcakes is moving into the old Crepes on the Corner space at 257 15th Street SE. Owners Kristi and Sam plan to open in  the next month or so and will be offering more than cupcakes. Should be a great addition to 15th Street SE and Hill East!
  • Mark your calendars! I’ll be holding a Neighborhood Town Hall meeting on Thursday, October 10 from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm at the Chapel at Congressional Cemetery (1801 E Street SE). More information to come!
  • Speaking of Congressional Cemetery, the first Day of the  Dog Festival will take place at the Cemetery on Saturday, Sept. 21 from  10 am – 3 pm. The festival is open to the public and will include contests, music and local vendors.

1 Comment | 15th Street SE, ANC 6B, Congressional Cemetery, Development, Penn East | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

What is the Best Future Use for the RFK Stadium Site?

August 7, 2013

With a new stadium deal for DC United seemingly in place, the city must now determine what to do with RFK Stadium and its surrounding land. Over the weekend, the Washington Post’s Mike DeBonis reported that Events DC, the city’s official convention and sports authority, will hire an outside firm to evaluate options with and without a new stadium on the 190-acre site.

The redevelopment of the RFK site could be a potential boon to Hill East and the entire city if city leaders are open to some creative and imaginative thinking. But it already appears that Mayor Gray and Ward 2 Councilmember and mayoral candidate Jack Evans have determined that a new Redskins stadium is the obvious future and best use of the site. According to Evans, “There’s nothing else you can do there.”

As usual when it comes to all things Hill East, Councilmember Evans is wrong. While I understand the lure of the site’s tradition and history, a new football stadium at RFK will bring the city and the neighborhood very little. First, football stadiums are used 10 times a year for games, leaving an empty shell the remainder of the time. Second, since tailgating is part of the football experience, football stadiums are typically surrounded by empty parking lots. At RFK, that would mean the continued separation of the surrounding neighborhood from the Anacostia waterfront. And third, even if you support a stadium, the Redskins lease at FedEx Field is not up until 2026, more than a decade from now, and there is certainly no guarantee that Dan Snyder will agree to move the team back into the city.

Instead of solely pining for a new stadium that will bring little, Mayor Gray, Councilmember Evans and other city leaders should be open to other uses for the site. A neighborhood-serving sports complex with recreational fields, suggested by Ward 6 Councilmember and mayoral candidate Tommy Wells, is an obvious future use for a portion of the site. Hill East is in desperate need of more playing fields for youth sports and activities and a sports complex would comply with the terms of the National Park Service lease. And if a new stadium is inevitable, surrounding it with recreational fields that serve the neighborhood would be much better than preserving the existing surface parking lots.

Speaking of the NPS lease, why can’t it be changed? Why can’t the city develop a comprehensive plan for the site similar to the National Capital Planning Commission’s 2006 plan (pdf) that includes significant recreational use and some mixed-use development on portions of the site? Such a plan could be used to lobby Congress to amend the lease and/or transfer the land.  That is exactly the strategy the city used 10 years ago to successfully obtain Reservation 13, the 67-acre site that sits immediately south of the RFK site, from the federal government.

Unfortunately, instead of asking appropriate agencies like the Office of Planning or the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development to review alternatives for the site, the Mayor has asked Events DC to take the lead. While I like the folks over at Events DC, their business is managing convention centers and sporting venues. Is there any doubt that they will recommend a stadium-focused option?

Hill East residents need to be involved in determining the future of the RFK site. Working with my commission colleagues, I plan to ask Events DC how their consultant will engage the public in determining alternatives. The city has already dropped the ball on development at Reservation 13. Let’s prevent them from fumbling away another great opportunity at RFK.

What do you think the city should do with the RFK site? Post your thoughts below.

12 Comments | Development, RFK/Stadium Armory | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

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