D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton announced today that a congressional committee had given approval to a bill that would allow a massive redevelopment of the Southwest Waterfront to take place. more ›

If you've got any use for a massive Art Deco-style heating plant in a great Georgetown location, the federal government might have what you're looking for. more ›

The City Paper reports on a development that will fascinate both homeowners along Georgia Avenue and streetcar-watchers across the city -- the planned redevelopment of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center might push plans for a streetcar up the commercial corridor higher on the city's list of priorities. more ›

Last October, we posted about the site where Bruce Monroe Elementary School once stood, highlighting the messy debate which had surfaced after the school was controversially demolished. In short: the community has been using the site as a park, but the city's redevelopment RFP produced a single bid proposing two options -- one a mixed-use development with a organic supermarket, a restaurant, a hardware store, apartments and town homes; the other, the option to rebuild the school with, perhaps, some housing on the side. more ›

>> The Metro board voted 5-1 to approve officially the largest increase in fares in Metro history. [NBC4] more ›

>> There's a new webcam available showing the progress of Monument Realty's Half Street project, which includes the expansion of the Navy Yard Metro station. [Near Southeast DC Redevelopment] >> Georgetown student pleads not guilty in hate crime investigation. [WJLA/AP] >> Members of the Metro board representing D.C. are pushing for higher parking fees at suburban stations in order to avoid increasing bus fares. [Examiner] >> A bunch of streets will be closed this... more ›

As of yesterday, Metro was placed among the many city agencies with pricey downtown digs currently being considered for more a affordable address. Mayor Fenty approached Metro yesterday with the idea of selling its eight-story headquarters at 600 5th St. in Northwest and relocating to a new, state-of-the-art facility at the Anacostia Metro station. Fenty and city officials say that such a move would provide an economic boon to both the downtown and Southeast areas,... more ›

One of yesterday's major stories was the release of a new study indicating that about one-third of adults in Washington, D.C. are functionally illiterate. Wikipedia actually has a decent definition of functional illiteracy: "the inability of an individual to use reading, writing, and computational skills efficiently in everyday life situations." In other words, a person may be able to read somewhat, but nowhere near well enough to hold down a job. The reality of the... more ›

So, it seems like George Mason may have used up much of the region's supply of NCAA tourney magic in last year's dramatic run. Of the seven regional teams in this year's tournament, only Georgetown survived the first weekend to make the Sweet 16 – stay tuned to DCist for more hoops coverage as the city unites behind the Hoyas. And before you ask: no, I'm not the least bit bitter about having a bracket... more ›

It's a slow news day around the city, which might be the only reason the poor Old Naval Hospital on Pennsylvania Ave between 9th and 10th Streets SE is getting some notice. The building has been sitting vacant for close to a decade now, falling into disrepair, but not, it seems, out of memory just yet. Though plans for the building have been idly tossed around — a new mayor's mansion, a library — nothing... more ›

Morning Washington. Animals everywhere are breathing sighs of relief this morning after one giant creature makes a recovery and five little creatures get some justice. Ambika, the Asian elephant at the National Zoo was found with a blood clot yesterday, worrying the vets with what could have been a life threatening condition for the 59-year-old female. Luckily, the clot isn't dangerous, and Ambika looks to live will beyond the typical 50-ish year elephant life expectancy... more ›

Good morning to all of you Washingtonians who, despite being forced to come in today, are honoring Dr. King today through peaceful resistance to actual work. Rather than confronting authority violently, you can make your dissatisfaction known through idleness and websurfing. We'll be right here with you. Then, outside work, maybe do something a little more meaningful to celebrate MLK Day. Guilty of Wrongful Deeds: D.C. police may have ended a rash of brazen break-ins... more ›

Good morning D.C. We hope you enjoy today's slightly more seasonal high of 46 before we return to 70 by the weekend. Channel 9 is also warning that a few (gasp) flurries may make an appearance this evening. Metro Safety Under Scrutiny: Investigators are looking into several aspects of Sunday's Metro train derailment near the Mount Vernon Square station. D.C. Fire officials say they didn't receive information about the accident fast enough, leading to a... more ›

Red Sage Gets Along Little Doggies One of the restaurants who helped usher in the redevelopment of D.C.'s downtown, Red Sage, will close its doors next Thursday. Tom tells us that, despite serving 20,000 people a month (that's over 160 four tops a night), high rents in the area are driving the proprietor away. How bad is it when you're outgentrifying the gentrifiers? Though it's not the best restaurant in town, Red Sage has always... more ›

>>A CNN/Gallup Poll released today reports that "100% of D.C.-Metro area residents" agree that they "like things that are great." Okay. There's no such poll. We're just giddy that after two-plus years of trying, we finally uncovered a local issue that we all agree on: following Vincent Orange into a redevelopment abyss over the Capital City Market is a bad idea. Further developments on the story shall be noted. >> Imminent show cancellation alert!... more ›

>> Metro police have arrested a 17-year-old from PG County in connection with the now 8 sexual assault incidents that have been reported in the past two weeks in and around Shaw and Howard University. For those detectives and officers involved in the arrest, allow us to say Thank You! You all get a lot of grief in this city, so here's to a job well done. [WUSA] >> Dude, Pareene, next time you crash... more ›

Even if today becomes the commuter apocalypse being predicted, at least the heavens won't open up and swallow you whole. After yesterday's violent storms, D.C. can expect a balmy 63 degrees and partly-cloudy skies to ease you into the weekend. So roll up your sleeves and get ready for some fun. Freaky (Freight) Friday: Are you one of the thousands of people are stranded this morning due to the Thursday night derailment of a freight... more ›

American business titan John D. Rockefeller once quipped, "A friendship founded on business is a good deal better than a business founded on friendship." Following the Post's in-depth look at the negotiations between the District and the Lerner Group over the direction of the new stadium's construction and development in surrounding Anacostia, it seems D.C. might have put too much faith in the Lerners' friendship. more ›

The last time we discussed a citizen-led campaign to convince a certain specialty grocer to open in D.C., we discovered our readers have a lot of opinions about their grocery store options. Well recently DCist met with Lydia Charles, the organizer of another similar effort to convince her favorite grocery store to open a store in the U Street NW neighborhood. Charles has just launched WeWantTraderJoes.com, the online arm of the petition she began circulating around MidCity at the beginning of this month. After abruptly losing access to a car, Charles said she became more aware of how limited shopping options are in her neighborhood, and believes the addition of a Trader Joe's would be the best option for the rapidly growing area.

The Union Row development project on 14th and V streets has yet to confirm what retail stores will occupy the ground floor. Opening a Trader Joe's grocery store in one of the two available spaces would not only provide another shopping option in the neighborhood, but one that's mission is to offer quality products at everyday affordable prices. Such a store would meet the diverse tastes and incomes of the Greater U Street community.

The Southwest Waterfront exemplifies one of the District's most obvious failings -- the city's inability to exploit property along the shores of the Anacostia and Potomac rivers. Much like the dismal, though improving Georgetown waterfront, the Southwest Waterfront is a soul-starved stretch of concrete and uninspired architecture. Shut off from the rest of the city by federal lands and a highway, the area has never much taken on a life of its own. That's soon to change, and today we can see just how. more ›

Hey there, Washington. How was your weekend? Ours was OK. Yeah, just OK. Oh sure, we're fine. We guess we're just a little troubled by some of today's headlines. As if the looming Heat Emergency, which has given us a Code Orange Air Quality day today and will place the heat index close to 110 through much of the week, wasn't disturbing enough, we alse read in the Examiner that the growth of online news readers nationwide has plateaued. According to a study by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, about three in 10 adults, or 31 percent, regularly read news online, which is roughly the same as two years ago. Wait a minute. DCist began almost exactly 2 years ago. Suddenly it all makes sense! DCist is such a force to be reckoned with in the online news community, we've actually swallowed all of the growth of the Internet over the last 2 years. Who would have thought? Well this changes everything. Here's a special shoutout to all of our loyal readers who made this day possible. more ›

As housing markets have exploded over the last several years, the pricey luxury condos springing up in many neighborhoods are seen as a sure sign that the city is on its way to a fully revitalized future. However, great as ultra-modern condos may be for developers and landlords, they don't exactly fit the requirements of aspiring young artists, chefs, actors, and entrepreneurs (much less students, teachers, and cops) who can bring a great deal of... more ›

A recent issue of apartment industry publication Multi-Housing News discusses a development about to take shape in the Adams Morgan area. The imposing, nearly century-old, neoclassical First Church of Christ, Scientist building at the corner of Euclid and Columbia streets will be reborn as a mixed-use condominium building. The newly monikered Unity Square Condominiums is a $27.5 million redevelopment, headed by the church, in partnership with Chevy Chase-based First Management Group. The church will... more ›

Former DCist editor Rob Goodspeed is pondering why it will take so long (2008?) to break ground at the old convention center site downtown, as well as what, exactly, the city will really end up doing with the area. His take is that an effort by the city to plan every inch of redevelopment themselves, such as the city's current plan for a $1 billion new main public library and entertainment complex with mixed-use... more ›

Windfall City? Last week, we discussed a report from an Arlington County task force recommending that Crystal City undertake some significant improvements after the Defense Department moves thousands of its office workers out of the complex. Officials advocated a shift toward residential development and the destruction and replacement of some of the office buildings. Now it appears that such a strategy could yield a windfall for Arlington County. According to Economics Research Associates, which... more ›

It’s spring, the season for all those bare tree branches to sprout gorgeous green leaves, for daffodils to pop up along Dupont Circle, for those of us with a green thumb to try and flex it in any way we can. For the past few years, Joe Carmack's Garden District store on 14th Street has been one of those places ready to help city gardeners get primed with perfect plants for the season. The store's arrival on 14th Street a few years back was one of the signs of the economic resurgence of the neighborhood, and provided a welcome alternative for green-thumbed city residents loath to make the trip to Home Depot. more ›

The District is often compared to our behemoth neighbor of a city to the north, New York. And as much as we hate the comparison -- and the resulting argument -- we may be moving in New York's direction, figuratively speaking. more ›

Things are looking up for the new stadium. more ›

The Year of the Dog kicked off with a bang yesterday, as revelers celebrated the traditional Chinese New Year's festivities by eating, eating, and eating some more, writes the Examiner. Residents and visitors alike packed Chinatown's many eateries for chicken, dumplings, and mandarin oranges as a parade proceeded down H Street. Chinatown is home to a number of traditional Chinese restaurants, including China Doll, Chinatown Garden, Tai Shan, Li Ho, Chipotle, Hooters, Potbelly, and... more ›

March for Life Takes to National Mall: The National Mall will be a few hundred thousand people more crowded this morning, as pro-life activists participate in the annual March for Life, reports WTOP. Large sections of the Mall will be closed to traffic, including the area between Pennsylvania Avenue and Independence Avenue from Third Street to Fifteenth Street. District officials have announced that starting at 7 a.m. they will turn on their 19-camera CCTV network to watch for any potential security threats and to better coordinate police response to the large crowds. In related news, Washington Cardinal Theodore McCarrick will give Mass to 20,000 teens at the Rally for Life and Youth Mass Monday at the MCI Center. more ›