Frosty lovers in Northeast D.C. may soon need to go beyond so-called Dave Thomas Circle to get their fix, but neighborhood groups are rejoicing at a particular nugget in Mayor Muriel Bowser’s proposed budget: $35 million over six years to acquire the Wendy’s sitting smack in the middle of this troubled intersection, and redesigning the area to be more friendly to pedestrians and cyclists.

“We’re ecstatic,” says Robin-Eve Jasper, the president of the NoMa Business Improvement District. “That circle is a barrier to economic development, it is a barrier between neighborhoods, it is unsafe for pedestrians, bicyclists, and cars, and it is the worst possible announcement that you have entered core downtown in the District of Columbia. This is amazing opportunity for the entire District to fix this scar in the city.”

The intersection of Florida Avenue and New York Avenue NE has a triangle-shaped plot of land in the middle, and traversing it by foot or on two wheels requires crossing four streets. It’s not ideal when traveling by car, either—it’s considered among the most dangerous intersections for drivers in the city. It also serves a key function as the primary road for vehicles entering D.C. from the north, accessing Eckington from the south, or traversing east to west.

But so far, the Wendy’s sitting at the center of it all has made it difficult for the city to take meaningful action to change the intersection. (The D.C. Department of Transportation instituted the current traffic pattern, similar to that of a traffic circle, in 2010.) That’s why Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, who represents the area that includes Dave Thomas Circle, requested money in the D.C. budget for the city to exercise eminent domain and seize the Wendy’s property. The city would compensate the franchise.

“I was pleased that the mayor responded to my request and the pleading of residents and visitors to the District of Columbia,” says McDuffie. While he says that he remains hopeful that the current property owners will reach an agreement to sell the land to the city, “in the event that the city can’t reach an agreement, then eminent domain should be one of the options on the table. The status quo is unacceptable.”

Bowser said during Wednesday’s presentation of her budget to the Council that her administration is involved in a private negotiation over the property, but declined to get into specifics. The current proposal from the mayor still needs the D.C. Council’s approval and will likely change before passage.

The property in question, at 100 New York Avenue NE, is currently valued at $6,668,370, and the land itself is worth more than $6 million, according to figures from the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue. It was sold for $2.3 million in 2006 to CRV Sunrise Valley, an LLC that’s associated with Bernstein Management Corp. But the history of that odd plot of land stretches back far longer than that—it was considered city limits when Pierre L’Enfant laid out the plan for D.C. in 1791, and both New York Avenue and Florida Avenue (previously called Boundary Street) stopped there. When D.C. grew, the intersection did, too.

The mayor had said in January that she planned to “fix” Dave Thomas Circle. DDOT conducted a study to look into different redesign options for it, and whittled down its options to two ways to make the space more pedestrian friendly. While one would preserve the Wendy’s in the center, the other would bulldoze the building and replace it with green space.

Conor Shaw, president of the Eckington Civic Association, is looking forward to the long-term fixes to the intersection, though “we don’t think the short-term, low-hanging fruit should be put off as we wait for the redesign,” he says, referring to changes like reducing the speed limit for cars on New York Avenue to 25 miles per hour and changing the timing and location of some of the intersection’s signals, as well as increased enforcement of traffic violations. “Drivers are so frustrated by intersection that it’s become kind of lawless, and that’s extraordinarily dangerous,” says Shaw.

He wants to make sure that local residents are considered during the redesign process just as much as commuters and visitors to the city. “The city already recognizes that this is a really important gateway into the city,” says Shaw. “What’s gone unappreciated is how important this intersection is to people who live in nearby communities and are using it to go to the grocery store or go to high school.”

Still, he says residents have no issue with Wendy’s overall. “Through things like an eminent domain process, I think that the owners and operators of Wendy’s will get a fair shake financially and we would certainly encourage them to stay in the area,” says Shaw, noting potential spots on North Capitol Street or near Union Market. But in his mind, the fast food spot can’t stay in its current location. “There’s no good explanation for why the restaurant needs to be right there.”

Wendy’s has not responded to a request for comment.

Previously:
Councilmember McDuffie Requests Funds To Seize The Wendy’s In The Middle Of ‘Dave Thomas Circle’
‘A Juggernaut That Needs A Solution’: Bowser Commits To Fixing One Of The City’s Most Vexing Intersections