April 6, 2006
Development Roundup
Below, we take a brief look at development stories along the Red Line, but first, a brief Ask DCist:
Any idea what this 10th Street project is?
The question, posed by blogger dl004d, refers to the structure visible in the image at right. The metal work is going up along what would be 10th Street between New York Avenue and H Street, through the old Convention Center property. Actual plans for that site have been slow to come together (the D.C. Council voted earlier this week to preliminarily approve funds for a hotel near there), and at present, the huge open space serves primarily as a parking lot. However, we reported in December on the opening of a Holiday Market at that location, and the graphic we used seems to indicate a pedestrian walkway lying along the line of the curious formation currently taking shape. That's our best answer: a pedestrian walkway. Please let us know if you've heard otherwise.
Orange you glad he's not designing your neighborhood? Around the New York Avenue Metro station, the skeletons of tall, new office buildings testify to that area's future as an extension of the dense development stretching eastward from downtown. One stop north, at the Rhode Island Avenue station, a massive Home Depot stares across an expansive parking lot at a Giant grocery store, looking highly out of place in the heart of the urban environment. The shopping area, a pet project of Ward 5 Councilman Vincent Orange that opened three years ago, is about to get a little larger, according to today's Examiner. Ground has been broken on an extension to the center which will include a Foot Locker and a Radio Shack, along with other retail outlets. The Examiner quotes Ward 5 ANC commissioner William Shelton as saying, "It really signals an opportunity for all of us to shop in our own neighborhood." True, but only if you have a car; it's difficult to find a less pedestrian-friendly outlet anywhere in the District.
Graham and Fenty appear clueless with AFRH resolution: We've closely followed the debate over planned development on portions of land controlled by the Armed Forces Retirement Home. The plan under consideration certainly deserves scrutiny, and concerned residents nearby have raised compelling objections to aspects of the development, but a resolution in opposition to the plan, introduced to the Council on Tuesday by Ward 1 Councilman Jim Graham and Ward 4 Councilman Adrian Fenty, seems to entirely miss the nuances of the discussion. Let's take it point by point:
(1) The current Draft Master Plan for the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH) proposes development that would be far more dense than the neighboring residential communities in Wards 1, 4, and 5.
No, it doesn't. Most of the density would be concentrated on the east side of the property, surrounded by Catholic University and the Washington Hospital Center -- hardly outposts of ruralism. The neighborhoods to the west are, generally, two and three story townhomes. Development across from these should be restrained, but it should also be recognized that development on the west side of these neighborhoods is quite tall and dense.
(2) The proposed development, because of its scale, would cause an increase in traffic, ensuing noise and air pollution, and the loss of valued and historic green space.
Development will increase traffic. That includes the fixing up and occupation of nearby townhomes. I don't know how noisy office buildings are, but they can't be nearly as loud as the medical helicopter at the Hospital Center across the street. Most of the green space will remain intact. It also will remain off limits.
(3) In comparison to other parts of the District of Columbia, the neighborhoods around the AFRH offer relatively few parks or recreational opportunities.
Sounds like you've been neglecting your wards, gentlemen.
(4) The 1902 McMillan Plan for the District of Columbia calls for the preservation of the natural landscape of the AFRH.
I'm sure the wisdom of following an urban development plan that's over a century old is self-evident to some. To me, not so much.
(5) The current Draft Master Plan for AFRH will alter historical sites by threatening the tranquility and openness of the Lincoln Cottage and the nearby Rock Creek Church Cemetery and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.
No, actually, it won't. Lincoln Cottage isn't operated by AFRH and won't be in the future, and Rock Creek Church Cemetery is outside the development area. Any development that takes place near those areas will be for AFRH institutional buildings, and would likely go forward with or without this plan.
Efforts by neighbors to increase their oversight of the project are understandable and will likely prove beneficial to whatever development ultimately emerges. Graham and Fenty's resolution, by contrast, seems ham-handed and ill-informed -- a purely political ploy. Residents in opposition to the plan are understandably pleased by the resolution's introduction, but they ought to expect more from their representatives.
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Not to be nitpicky (but I will anyway):
The hotel isn't going on that spot. The hotel is going on the west side of 9th st. directly across from the Convention Center.
However, the landowners on that plot of land (9th and K) were given land to develop on the old convention center in exchange for giving up their land for the hotel.
So good to see more more stories or urbanism on DCist. It is what originally drew me to the blog.
Right you are, Reid. My bad.
This spot right now is just a big tease to skaters in this city.
It looks kinda like bus depot shelters to me
I heard a rumor last year that the landscape architect Martha Schwartz was going to design a temporary public artwork for the old convention center site. Could this be part of that?
The central section looks a little like a rail platform. Do you think this might be part of the upcoming H Street trolley line?
An array of solar panels to help the tif-financed marriott meet LEEDS certification standards? Okay, that was a joke.
Really, that Home Depot anchored center has one of the least friendly approaches of any plaza anywhere. It's so removed from the street, and the retaining wall screams "stay away". Of course, given the service at HD, that's just truth in advertising.
The structures are not shelters.. they aren't sloped enough (see one of the pics as dl004d's site that has a head on shot). They're also not solar panels as they're not aligned correctly for that purpose. I think I was through this area prior to the metal being erected and it appeared like it would be an artistic walkway, as described in Mateo's comment. I suspect (hope?) that there is further work to be done with the metal components.
the Urban Land Institute had a blurb about this in their latest magazine. It will be an art walk, with screens attached to those posts with some kind of abstract art walk-through experience.
A quick comment on each topic:
Any idea what this 10th Street project is?
A good 1/3 of the discussion at the DCPL "Listening Sessions" hinged upon the assumption (given to community members by the task force) that the future main library branch had a good chance of occupying this space. Personally, I hope this is still a possibility.
Orange you glad he's not designing your neighborhood? But he is, and it's truly bothersome (though the pun is cute). In addition to this extension of the urban wasteland at RI/Brentwood, Orange is pushing for some kind of Target/Costco/Name-Your-Favorite-Big-Box-Chain development at Ft. Lincoln/New Town (near where 50 and 295 intersect South Dakota Ave. NE). If that plan goes through, I think it will certainly be at the top of the list of anti-pedestrian retail developments in the District. I'll probably being going into this more depth in my blog in the near future, though Richard Layman's got the main points covered.
Graham and Fenty appear clueless with AFRH resolution And I will argue again that Ward 5 is not as active in this debate as it should be considering the fact that the land is a part of Ward 5. I spoke with Debbie Crain, the Ward 5 Neighborhood Planning Coordinator (a wonderful woman and resource for Ward 5), about this at the Ward 5 Summit last month. I don't have the notes from the discussion in front of me, but I think the general sentiment was that the Office of Planning isn't too happy about the proposed developments and understands the surrounding residents' concerns. The problem is that the land hasn't ever been under their zoning jurisdiction, so it makes it that much harder for the residents (and the Council members) to have a say in what's happening. Graham and Fenty appear to be doing what their constituents are asking for. I'd like to know why Orange isn't in on the resolution...oh, wait, see point two above.
Last poster hit the nail on the head. It will be an art walk. Contact someone at the Downtown BID. I think they are involved with it. They would at least know.
great, i was having such a hard time finding a place in ward 5 to buy more sneakers. this is excellent news. vincent for mayor!
argh.
Meh, that hospital's helicopter is almost always MedStar's EC-135. It's a great little helicopter, but one of the driving factors behind the design of the EC-135 is that it's very very quiet - so it's a favorite of urban hopsitals. (and when it's not, the second most frequent is MD state police's Trooper 2, another fantail helicopter that's regarded as a comparatively "good neighbor")
I can guarantee you you've been overflown by it and not noticed if you were, e.g. near a busy street.
Ryan, I can't understand how you get the impression that you get in point #1. Clearly, they are proposing density that is way beyond what is already there. Catholic U is a large grassy complex, and the hospital has its fair share of land. In your point #2 you fail to recognize that the DOT has stated that traffic on North Capitol Street will fail under the current plan (see Draft Environmental Impact Statement). Your assessment that "greenspaces will stay in tact" is just plain wrong and I can't but help feel that you know that. In point 3 - you can't hold Graham or Fenty responsible for planning that was in place when the AFRH was open to the public. Point 4 fails to recognize that the 1902 McMillan Plan is still in effect and refered to today for all development projects. Point 5 - you don't think 9,000,000 feet of development will effect the tranquility of the Lincoln Cottage???
Your right that this resolution is completely symbolic, as Graham stated, but right now thats all they can do. Once (or should I say IF) it is sold or leased to developers then Graham and Fenty can show us what they are worth. I know you want this project to go through, and you know I don't but please at least stick to the facts. I would really love to give you or anyone else a tour of this area from the neighborhoods point of view. We all want development, but the AFRH plain is one of the worse plans around, just ask what the Office of Planning has to say about it....
I don't know about that. Their helicopter may not rumble like Marine One, coming in low over downtown, but I could always hear them coming and going from my old residence in Columbia Heights, a good ten blocks away.
Here's a question I asked DCist but didn't see mentioned here - what's going on with F Street between 10th & 9th now that everything from the shoe store to Popeye's has been closed?
I'd love to know the status on about 4 differant projects that were supposed to break ground on Ga Ave around the Petworth Metro station. They were all supposed to start some time between Nov and Feb, but only signs are up - no crains....
Well, I live on Park Place and don't think I've ever even noticed the helicopters....
Cliff:
1) Catholic is grassy, but it's also full of big buildings and lots of people. The hospital complex is massive and it sits right against the AFRH land.
2) Traffic will fail? I just don't get your point here.
3) Most of the green space on the property will stay green and it will stay off limits, as it is now. If everyone wants a piece of that, I don't know why they weren't fighting this hard for it before the development plan.
4) 1902. Seriously, I don't care what the plan says, and neither should you.
5) Cliff, you know the most intense development is nearly as far from these "tranquil" areas as the hospital complex is.
The Home Depot and Giant development by Rhode Island is not that pedestrian unfriendly. There is a walkway between the stores through the parking lot plus its 200 feet or so from the Rhode Island Ave metro.
Yes, walkway through the parking lot just screams pedestrian friendly. I don't know why more people don't just plop down on the asphalt with a picnic.
Err..g..um. I guess we just disagree, but to further clarify: The Dept of Transportion did a study for the EIS and it said traffic on North Capitol would fail - in other words become a parking lot, so they recommended against this. With this in mind, I don't understand how the McMillan Res. and the AFRH can both be developed without over-developing an area. Believe me, I want to see DC grow and re-develope, and every new area of town that I can go hang out in is welcome but its got to be done with good planning. Our neighborhood started fighting for greenspace the minute we learned about this plan. The problem is, the AFRH went off and did thier own thing without involving the neighborhood or DC. Last year the Parks Dept did a study of our area and help a public meeting about how our area has less public greenspace that anywhere else in DC. If the AFRH would just sit down with the city they migh be able to work something out where AFRH gets thier money and we get some greenspace. I do care what the 1902 McMillan Plan says because it make for responsible planning. Finally, the development along Rock Creek Church Road and Park Place definately effects the tranquility of the Lincoln cottage, its very close by.
Devon,
I assume you're talking about F Street NW between 11th and 12th? The old Polly Esther's, etc.? Douglas Development owns all the buildings on the south half of that block now, and Kemp Mill was the last tenant to leave, earlier this week. I'm presuming that DD is gearing up to develop the property in the next few months as the Atlantic Building and Ventana projects wind down on F St between 9th and 10th (both were DD projects). I think the new project will just be your standard office building with first-floor retail, and I think they're keeping a couple existing facades, especially from the Lerner building on 11th Street.
I'd love to know more about this project, too, if anyone on DCist knows anything!
it's difficult to find a less pedestrian-friendly outlet anywhere in the District.
Really? The Rhode Island Avenue Metro station is right there. You have to walk across a parking lot, sure. But I can imagine loads of places (like Fort Lincoln) where ped access would be much worse. And I wouldn't characterize any of the neighborhoods north / east of the railyards as having a decidedly "urban fabric." Brentwood & Michigan Park & Fort Totten & Woodridge & Brookland are all pretty suburban-in-character. Those neighborhoods look more like Columbia Pike than Columbia Heights.
Density & TOD are great, in other words, but I don't think the Brentwood shopping center is ruining the character of the surrounding area. And it's definitely an improvement over what was there before.
The Home Depot/Giant isn't any more friendly to cars than it is to pedestrians- try getting in there on a busy day and see what I mean. Everyone uses the "back" entrance because the main one sucks so bad.
Not to pile on, but, I will. First I agree with vor's point above. I also agree with Cliff.
About North Capitol - have you ever driven up there between the hours of, say 4 pm to 8 pm? If they were to develop both sites, clearly DOT's assessment is right.
As to point 3 - you apparenently not been to Ward 4 in the past few years, there have been several new or updated rec centers.
The Home Depot/Giant isn't any more friendly to cars than it is to pedestrians ...
Although it's a sweet Sunday breeze compared to the Seven Corners Home Depot. Or anything else in Seven Corners.
1. OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Brentwood is such a missed opportunity and I have written even better entries about it (e.g., linking the issues with Skyland) than the one that you linked to, thanks by the way. It is one of the worst. It could have been transformational, adding density and housing, and strengthening retail, and generating more money for DC. Instead it is execrable.
2. Ryan, don't ever dismiss the L'Enfant Plan, which you didn't, or the Senate Park Commission Plan, which you did. One of the reasons that people don't understand planning in DC, not to mention urban design and all that good stuff, is because they have no idea about these two major foundations of land use planning and the development of the physical and cultural landscape in the city. (Also interesting to think about and read is the ignored NCPC Legacy Plan from 1997, which I just happened to have linked today in my blog entry on South Capitol.)
3. Which, because people know so little about urban planning, and apply their imprinted suburban-oriented automobile-centric planning and land use paradigm to _urban_ issues, is why we will continue to get comments like this for many years to come--
The Home Depot and Giant development by Rhode Island is not that pedestrian unfriendly. There is a walkway between the stores through the parking lot plus its 200 feet or so from the Rhode Island Ave metro.
4. Sam, I highly suggest you start reading my blog...
Thanks for focusing on these important issues...
Elliott, Fenty and Graham are saying there aren't rec opportunities, not me.
I live off Michigan Ave near North Capitol and the property in question. And yes, it's crowded during rush hour, just like every other road in the entire region. But the property is also within walking distance of Metro, so perhaps it's worthwhile to develop it densely. K Street's a bitch during rush hour, and yet dense development works there.
Or, we could put a big box retailer and a giant parking lot there, a la the Brentwood shopping center.
Ryan, K St is a 6 lane highway, supported by alt routes of I, L and M. Closing off Penn Ave hasn't helped. I do agree with you on one point, the Home Depot/Giant could have been developed better, but who knows whats planned for the surrounding metro there. There seems to be some room there and maybe they will re-design that enterance if they do something with it.
Having a walkway through a parking lot within 200 feet of the metro doesn't make something pedestrian friendly, it makes it pedestrian accessable. These are two different concepts. Pedestrian friendly areas are built to a more human scale (no looming retaining wall squeezing pedestrians against the road), and generally make people who are on-foot feel secure and welcome. The Brentwood development fails to do that because it is designed almost entirely for drivers. The fact that it is near a metro and has a few sidewalks thrown in doesn't change that, it points to a failure of vision.
Right on Vor. The unholy alliance of Seven Corners and Bailey's Crossroads is the Dark Lord of weekend traffic.
There is a way to sneak in and out of the Home Depot relatively unscathed, though. Coming west on 50, take a 45 degree left at Patrick Henry and take the service road right to Home Depot. Then leave by heading down the parking lot a little to the exit that allows you to get right back on 50 east.
Any mistake and you'll be stuck in Seven Corners for another half hour.
Re: AFRH point 2: Most of the "intact" green space is a golf course. And yes, that golf course, together with the northern portion of the campus, where the Home operates, will remain (largely) off limits. That doesn't mean that a park open to the public can't be created on the southwestern portion of the campus.
Re: AFRH point 3: The problems with parks and green space in this part of the city date to at least the 1950s. Planning documents for Wards 1 and 4 from the 1970s identify the need for parks in this area. The DC Dept. of Parks and Recreation likewise identifies this area --- over and over and over again --- as underserved.
Re: AFRH point 4: If the L'Enfant Plan is DC's urban plan Constitution, then the 1902 McMillan Plan is its Parks and Open Space Bill of Rights. Don't dismiss it. Anyone who knows anything about urban planning and parks in DC knows the McMillan Plan. It is the backbone for DC's current Comprehensive Plan's parks and green space (both city and federal elements).
Re: AFRH point 5: The ENTIRE campus of the Old Soldier's Home is National Historic Register Eligible. While the Landmark District actually containing the Lincoln Cottage is smaller, the remaining campus provides the setting for the Cottage, where Lincoln drafted the Emancipation Proclamation. To say that the massive development proposed south of the Cottage will not affect it is like saying that developing the land along the Potomac River in front of Mount Vernon won't affect it.
Mark--I think it's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, not LEEDS. Check out usgbc.org.
Yes, Peter, you're right. I should have written LEED's
Nothing new on the Douglas Development project on the Kemp Mill block. Yes, it will be an office building. Here's an article from December 2004: http://www.douglasdevelopment.com/news/121704.html. According to an article in the WaPo last month, construction is expected to begin next year: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/12/AR2006031200801_pf.html
Thank you to the person who recalled reading about that walkway in Urban Land Institute magazine. An "art walk" sounds nice, but it seems strange to invest the money to build it if we're just going to tear it down once the master plan for that property is finalized.
Here are some selections from the Urban Land piece (in the spirit of full disclosure, I work for ULI on the magazine, and didn't see this post until this morning):
The site of the former Washington, D.C., Convention Center recently opened as a multifaceted public amenity that will offer a venue for festivals and markets, short-term parking, and a series of public gardens. When final installation is complete in the spring, the site will also include a colorful, open-air arcade that will serve as a District "artwalk." Designated by the city as a "temporary contemporary landscape," the 10.2-acre site that once held the sprawling convention center spans four city blocks, from 11th to Ninth Street N.W., and bordered by New York Avenue to the north and H Street to the south. The design team Rhodeside & Harwell, Inc., a local landscape architecture firm, worked closely with the Washington
Convention Center Authority, the D.C. Office of Planning, the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, the D.C.
Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and a number of other federal and local organizations to create the concept, which is envisioned as an interim use until permanent development of the site proceeds—anticipated to be in about three years.
"We knew the interim use would be a parking lot, but we also saw the project as an opportunity for much more," says Patricia Zingsheim, chief of downtown planning for the D.C. Office of Planning. "It's a major design initiative with the goal of drawing people to the site and to the downtown. To have public art on that scale—featuring D.C. artists—is a great thing, and it will be constantly changing. The concept is a hybrid approach that accommodates a lot of functions,
including the artwalk, a rain garden, parking, and all kinds of special events. Since this is temporary, we emphasized that in the design and the materials. In fact, our guiding mantra became 'fast, cheap, and fun.'"
That sounds like a great use of that space in the meantime. The one thing that worries me though is that ten acres of baking black top is not the most pleasant place to stroll about in the middle of the summer.
I hope they do a good job creating a mini-village there. I think the key will be scale. As long as the keep the scale small, I think they could make something great. It would be even better if they created a 9 1/2 street to bisect the space even more.
Any development in DC should have green space. Trees make a city much cooler during the summer. Rather be under a tree, than a stop light when its 87 outside.
The old convention center spot that is now a parking lot will remain a parking lot for at least three years. There was some stipulation in the land swap that the owners are not allowed to build anything on that spot for three years. Nothing. Not a parking garage, nothing. So they are doing what they can to make the spot useful without being able to build anything on it.
The hotel will be built across 9th from the convention center. The building on that corner will remain there b/c it's been saved by a bunch of idiots who think it has some historical architectural value. It will be gutted to the facade and the hotel built around it. A hotel that is desperately needed and long overdue.
farmer is correct. the new shopping center is pedestrian unfriendly only if you havent been there. i shp there once aweek because the jungle giant sucks.