JD's Photos Navy Yard News Items
|
The southern portion of the Washington Navy Yard, as viewed from across the Anacostia River. (10/05)
|
|
|
|
The Navy Yard's Latrobe Gate, at 8th and M; the original gate was built in 1805-06, with the three-story late-Victorian building constructed over and around it completed in 1881. (10/05)
|
The entrance gate at M and Hull Streets. The two red brick buildings and the parking lot at right are actually The Yards/Southeast Federal Center property; the buildings at left are within the Navy Yard. (10/05)
|
|
|
Looking north on Hull Street from within the Navy Yard. The is the northwestern boundary of the Navy Yard--the buildigns and land to the left, past the fence, are on The Yards/Southeast Federal Center property. (04/04)
|
Hull Street, south from the entrance gate to the Anacostia River. (04/04)
|
|
|
A plaza along the Anacostia River, looking northeast. This area will eventually be incorporated into the Anacostia Riverwalk, although it will become fenced off from access to the Navy Yard. (04/04)
|
The Display Ship Barry, open to visitors. (04/04)
|
|
|
The entrance at 11th and N Streets. (10/05)
|
Another view north on Hull Street. (04/04)
|
|
|
The northeast corner of the Navy Yard, at 11th and M Streets, just west of the 11th Street Bridge. (10/05)
|
M Street just west of 11th Street, with some of the older Navy Yard buildings just inside the fence . (10/03)
|
|
|
The 11th and O Street entrance to the Navy Yard, where two years of construction is all but complete. This will be the official visitor's entrance. (11/05)
|
The sign says "Welcome to the Historic Washington Navy Yard Riverwalk," but it's kind of hard to read through the two fences preventing access.... (11/05)
|
|
News Items Posted For This Project (Get All Latest Near Southeast News via RSS, E-Mail)
• Final Approval for Capper Zoning Changes; More Info on Security Requirements at 7th and M
(6/9/09 3:34 PM) Last night the Zoning Commission voted 3-0-2 to give final approval to the Capper zoning requests that have been wandering through the system for nearly a year. The record was reopened to add correspondence between the developer (Capper-Carrollsburg Ventures LLC, which includes the DC Housing Authority), the Marines, and the Navy Yard in reference to security concerns both service branches have about 90-foot buildings being constructed on the site of the old Capper Seniors building at Seventh and M. ( Read more about the concerns here.) The National Capital Planning Commission documents I linked to last week included letters sent by the Marines and the Navy in early April setting out their objections; the NCPC has now posted new letters from the Navy and also Holland and Knight (representing the developers), laying out the wording of the agreement between the parties to install (at the services' expense) surveillance cameras on the top of both the new office building that faces the Navy Yard and the new apartment building that faces the Marine Bachelor Enlisted Quarters, and that the developer will provide to the Navy Yard a list of tenants on the fourth through eighth floors of the office building, though "this provision shall not be deemed to grant the Navy any right to approve or disapprove of any tenants in the office building." There's also a requirement to notify the Navy and Marines about any events to be held on the roof decks of the buildings, but "for informational purposes only," without requiring any type of approval. With the Navy agreeing to the wording of this agreement, its objection to the zoning case was withdrawn. I'll note that there's also reference in these letters to a June 3 letter from the Marines that is not included in the document packet, which seems to indicate that the Marines did not agree to the wording despite the developer's having believed that there had been an agreement. Quoting ( see page 9): "In fact, nothing in the Marines' June 3rd letter indicates why the Applicant's proposed conditions are unacceptable, or what remaining concerns the Marines have." There's then this sentence, which seems to be hinting at plans by the Marines for some new development: "The Marines, beyond the scope of the proposed modifications which are the subject of this pending application, have requested a delay to accommodate their entirely new planning initiative." And what would this new planning initiative be? I'm hearing murmurs that the Marines may be looking for more land for more barracks, though I'm not able to confirm that. In any event, the developer laid out a list of reasons that this zoning approval should not be delayed, and both the NCPC ( last week) and the Zoning Commission (last night) gave their approvals for the zoning changes in spite of whatever objections the Marines were putting forth. There wasn't much discussion of all of this at the Zoning Commission's meeting, but I need an excuse to link to the Video on Demand section of the DCOZ web site, which apparently has been around for months but which I only noticed last night. So, if you want to watch this or any ZC/BZA public meeting going back to November of 2008, they're now there for the taking. (And it's also nice to see how quickly last night's video was posted.) Now, with these Capper zoning changes approved, the next milestone to watch for will be when the Housing Authority can find financing for another PILOT bond offering to rebuild the infrastructure on the west side of the Capper footprint (including around Canal Park), as well as the mitigation and demolition of the trash transfer station at New Jersey and K. That PILOT financing will also fund the Community Center that has been the subject of much contentious back-and-forth. Are the credit markets unfrozen enough to get this PILOT off the ground? We shall see.... • Navy/Marines Concerned About Buildings at 7th and M
(6/3/09 1:02 PM) Contained in the materials for Thursday's meeting of the National Capital Planning Commission is a document that sheds some light on something I've always wondered about--exactly how does the Navy Yard feel about the planned 90-foot-tall office building right across the street at 600 M, on the site of the old Capper Seniors building? And, concurrently, how do the Marines feel about the planned apartments directly between this new 600 M building and the Marine Bachelor Enlisted Quarters on L Street? The NCPC board is reviewing the Zoning Commission's approval of the slew of Capper zoning changes that I wrote so much about earlier this year, some of which focus on these two new buildings on the old Capper Seniors site. The Executive Director's recommendation document (which provides some good background if you haven't been following along), refers to letters included in the document to the Zoning Commission from both the Navy and Marines stating that the new buildings on what's known as Square 882 "may pose a safety and security threat to the military personnel at both the Navy Yard and the Marine Barracks and that the there will be a visual impact on the Navy Yard Historic District." Apparently the Navy, Marines, the DC Housing Authority, and Forest City (developers of 600 M) have tentatively agreed to a few steps to mitigate these concerns: the placement of surveillance cameras on the roofs of the proposed buildings, procedures for notifying the Navy and Marines when the roofs are to be accessed, review by the Marines and Navy Yard of tenants wishing to occupy the third through eighth floors of the 600 M office building, and a "window design to enhance security for Navy and Marines." (On this last point, the document says that "the Navy and Marines would request that the windows facing their sites not be operational," but I wonder how tenants in the proposed apartment building along L Street would feel if none of their windows could ever be opened.) The document says that memorandums of understanding between the housing authority and the Navy and the Marines should be able to be completed within the next few weeks. Additionally, in its letter to the Zoning Commission, the Navy Yard mentions its belief that "buildings exceeding the currently permitted fifty (50) foot height restrictions located across M Street from the Navy Yard Historic District will negatively impact the view shed from the Navy Yard" and "could potentially compromise the integrity of the Washington Navy Yard Historic District, including the Latrobe Gate." It might be worth noting here that the old Capper Seniors building, built in the 1950s and demolished in 2007, was nine stories high, and so an uninterrupted "view shed" is not something that the Navy Yard has always enjoyed since its arrival in the neighborhood back in 1799. The NCPC's reason for reviewing Zoning Commission cases in DC is to determine whether the proposed actions would have an "adverse effect" on federal interests, and, in this case, the NCPC staff is advising their commission to vote to advise the Zoning Commission that these Capper cases do indeed meet that "adverse effect" standard. Also, the NCPC staff is recommending that the Zoning Commission delay their final action on this case (scheduled for Monday, June 8) to allow the agreement described above to be finalized.
• A 'New' Near Southeast Overhead Image: 1949
(2/3/09 4:47 PM)  With great thanks to reader G. for passing this along, I can report that the newly released Google Earth 5.0 (beta, of course) now includes an option to page back through older satellite photos. As you might imagine, I raced to see what they had for Near Southeast, and found a not-razor-sharp 1949 image, which you can see on my Near Southeast Satellite Photos page if you don't have Google Earth. You might enjoy the "Where's Waldo?" test of looking for buildings you recognize, such as the Southeastern Bus Garage, the WASA buildings, and even that big brick warehouse at South Capitol and O that was demolished to make way for the ballpark. Things that *aren't* there: the Southeast Freeway (built in the 1960s), the second span of the 11th Street Bridges, a completed Douglass Bridge, and many of the Capper buildings that came in the 1950s. You'll also see how packed with buildings the Navy Yard was, especially since this was still during the time that its boundaries stretched all the way to First Street (across what is now The Yards). And look at how, north of Virginia Avenue, Garfield Park was bisected by Second Street. The other image offerings from Near Southeast are mostly variants on the ones I already have on my satellite photos page that came from non-Google sources over the years (1988, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007), though there are a few extras from the later years where the quality of the image isn't all that good. If this is whetting your appetite, I also have a batch of non-satellite historic photos of the neighborhood you can wander through, along with detailed street maps from 1903 through 1921. UPDATE: Commenter MJM rightly reminds me of a fact that an American History major such as myself should have remembered: Sputnik was the first *satellite*, launched in 1957. So these overhead images from 1949 are not satellite images, but were taken from planes. Or they attached a camera to Superman and had him fly around the globe a few times.
• Mishmash: Liveable, Walkable Awards, Waiting on N22 News, Navy Yard Parking, Tweets
(12/4/08 10:38 AM) * Tonight (Thursday) is Tommy Wells's second Liveable, Walkable Community Awards, from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H Street, NE. * Metro's live streaming of its board meetings seems to have been taking a lot of time off lately, so I can't yet tell you whether the Customer Serivce, Operations, and Safety Committee has approved at its meeting this morning the request to have a public hearing on discontinuing the N22 line. (Even if they have, the request still needs to be approved by the entire board at its Dec. 18 meeting.) * Infosnack Headquarters reports on the changes in on-street parking near the Navy Yard to discourage free all-day parking. DDOT chose to use signage to prohibit rush-hour parking, instead of using meters to garner additional revenue, and Infosnack is displeased. * The Nats will be ending their 2009 exhibition season on April 4 at Nationals Park against the Orioles, in what is apparently going to become a tradition. Latest Tweets, chock full of goodness: * '09 Nats home games added to my GCal. (You can add them to yours via the buttons at lower right) * And I'm reminded that I haven't mentioned the Parsons sign up in the windows at 100 M--they're leasing 30% of the building. • Reminder: Navy Day Events, Saturday Oct. 11
(10/10/08 12:22 PM)
 ( Reposting this as a reminder) From our friends at the Navy Yard, an invitation to all neighbors (and everyone else) to attend Navy Day in DC festivities, on Oct. 11 from 10 am to 5 pm, both at the Navy Yard and also the Navy Memorial at 7th and Pennsylvania, NW. Events and offerings at the Navy Yard include the Navy Birthday Celebration 9th Annual NJROTC Color Guard Drill Meet, a performance by the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard Drill Team, the Display Ship Barry, the Navy Museum (with activities for children), a performance by the U.S. Naval Academy Band, and displays from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (though I'm guessing Mark Harmon won't be there), Naval Sea Systems Command, and the Navy Yard Fire Department, and more. There will be continuous free bus shuttle service between the U.S. Navy Memorial and the Washington Navy Yard via the Eastern Market and Navy Yard Metro stations between 10 AM and 5:00 p.m. Photo ID is required to enter the Navy Yard. If you're walking over, pedestrians should enter at the gate at Sixth and M, SE; vehicles should arrive at the 11th and N gate. • Last Scheduled Weekday Afternoon Game in 2008; Big Pile of Neglected Recent Items
(5/26/08 1:36 PM) * The Post has an article on how today's Nationals game against the Brewers is the second of only two weekday afternoon games at Nationals Park this season. " 'We love afternoon weekday games but had to hold off this year due to the uncertainty about daytime parking availability,' Nationals President Stan Kasten said. 'We'd certainly like to have more next season, but no decisions have been made about '09.' " The article also talks to hookey-playing grownups who miss these games. Given that it's a holiday, and the gorgeous weather, and Sunday's second-highest-of-the-season attendance (35,567), this final weekday game might see a pretty big pile of people. And, catching up on a recent few links that I've been slow to post: * Columnist George Solomon Saturday's Post has a brief preview of the upcoming Congressional Bank Baseball Classic, which will showcase the the first-ever, city-wide high school baseball championship game, at Nationals Park on May 31. Games begin at 9:30 a.m., with private schools St. Albans and Maret meeting, followed by the DCIAA's Wilson High facing McKinley. Tickets are $5, and kids get in free-- read more here. * Dr. Gridlock hears that using the Capitol South station on the Orange and Blue lines and then walking down New Jersey Avenue to go to games is a great idea. Yes, it certainly is, even if it isn't exactly a news flash. (But use the JDLand Recommended Route instead!) In non-ballpark news: * Metro Weekly looks at the planned reopening of Ziegfield's and Secrets on Half Street SW in Buzzards Point, a few blocks away from their original homes at Half and O SE (now shallow left field). * The Naval Historical Center at the Navy Yard takes a bit of a beating in a piece from Saturday's Post, comparing it with the shiny new Marine Corps museum at Quantico. * For those of you counting the moments until the armed encampment at First and M departs, here's a May 14 story from the Mount Vernon Gazette on the progressing construction at Ft. Belvoir of the new home for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. It's expected to be completed by August 2011, with NGA employees from Reston, Bethesda, and the windowless white box on the old Southeast Federal Center footprint starting to move in early in 2011. Eventually that First-and-M site will be redeveloped as office space as part of The Yards. • Commuter Ferry Makes Trial Run
(10/27/07 9:04 AM) From NBC4 (this is the entire piece): "There could soon be a faster way to get from Prince William County to the District. The Potomac River Express commuter ferry took its first test run Thursday, traveling from Quantico Marina up the Potomac River to Navy Yard. During the trial run, the ferry got to the Wilson Bridge in 47 minutes. The ferry arrived at Navy Yard in just under an hour. That's nearly half the amount of time it can [take] by car during rush hour. More test runs for the ferry are planned for the spring. The company that will run it still needs to get approval to operate from the Virginia Department of Transportation." There's also a much more detailed story from the Potomac News. I don't think they actually docked anywhere along the Anacostia (since there isn't anywhere for a ferry to let people off--yet), they were just testing the time.
• September Naval Historical Center Events
(9/11/07 10:27 AM) I've updated my Upcoming Events Calendar with the lineup of activities for September at the Navy Yard's Naval Historical Center.
• Navy Museum Summer Public Events
(7/10/07 7:52 PM) The US Navy Museum has released its July/August schedule of events, which I've added to my Upcoming Events calendar. So take the Little Skippers down to the museum for some maritime craft-making!
• Media Briefing on Riverwalk - Update
(5/7/07 2:49 PM) On Monday (May 7), DDOT is having a media briefing to announce that construction has begun on the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail. This is the first phase, and so doesn't actually include the planned portion of the trail through Near Southeast (from the 11th Street Bridges to the Frederick Douglass Bridge)--according to the AWC page and a meeting AWC held a few weeks back, I believe what's now being constructed is Phase I, the trail on the west side of the Anacostia from the Navy Yard to the National Arboretum. Phase 2 will be on the east side of the river, from Poplar Point to Pennsylvania Avenue, and Phase 3 (the Near Southeast portion) is probably looking at a 2010 date (when the Waterfront Park at the Yards is completed, and they can build the pedestrian bridge to link that park to Diamond Teague Park and Florida Rock. UPDATE, May 7: A post-briefing press release says that the section of the Riverwalk now under construction is a two-mile stretch that will run from the Navy Yard east to Benning Road. There's also a link to a fact sheet on the trail (albeit from June 2006) that has a map of the planned trail and other information. And here's a WTOP piece on the new section.
• May Events at the Navy Yard
(5/2/07 12:50 PM) I've added the Navy Museum's slate of public programs for the month of May to my Upcoming Events calendar, if you're looking for entertainment and/or book larnin' right here in the Hood.
• Navy Museum April Public Events
(3/29/07 10:29 PM) I've added the Navy Museum's slate of public programs for the month of April to my Upcoming Events calendar--nice weather to stroll down to the Navy Yard, you can even walk on the completed section of the Anacostia Riverwalk (after you promise your first-born to the guards at the entrance gates) and gaze longingly westward past the fence toward what will eventually be the Waterfront Park at the Yards.
• March Calendar of Events at Navy Yard
(3/1/07 1:39 PM) I've just added to my Calendar of Events the March schedule of lectures, concerts, and other events at the Navy Yard's Naval Historical Center. The schedule for their monthly Naval History Seminar has been released through June, as well. If any of these events interest you, be sure to contact the museum at least 24 hours in advance so that your entry into Fortress: Navy Yard can be assured.
• US Navy Museum February Calendar
(1/31/07 12:33 AM) The US Navy Museum has announced its February lineup of seminars, lectures, concerts, and kids offerings, which I've added to my Upcoming Events Calendar. And, for those of you keeping track of the blog via RSS, I'm going to experiment with including the calendar in the feed. It gets updated pretty frequently (I can't stand a messy calendar with out-of-date entries), so this is just a test to see whether it's a good addition or just incredibly annoying. Apologies in advance if there's some kinks.
• January Navy Museum Public Programs
(12/29/06 10:15 AM) The schedule of public programs at the US Navy Museum for January has been released, and I've added them to my Events Calendar.
• Navy Yard Honors Ford
(12/27/06 4:24 PM) If you've heard big booms in the vicinity of the Navy Yard today, it was a salute to former President Gerald Ford, with guns fired every half-hour from 8 am until sunset. Ford served in the US Navy from 1942 to 1946.
• Alert System Test Tuesday at Navy Yard
(12/12/06 12:03 AM) Don't panic on Tuesday (Dec. 12) if you hear alarms and recorded messages coming from the Navy Yard: it's a test of "a high-powered alert system to determine decibel levels and whether the system is integrated," reports NBC 4. UPDATE: Alert DC says that there will be a test at the Navy Yard on Dec. 14 (Thursday) from 1 to 3:30 pm; another message said there will be tests over the next three days. So, while the specifics are a bit hazy, the main thing is that there will be some noise coming from the Navy Yard in the near future....
• Upcoming Events
(12/1/06 1:51 PM) The Navy Yard Museum has just released its calendar of events for December, including another candlelight tour of the Navy Yard (on Dec. 9), and the usual array of lectures, concerts, and "For the Little Skipper" Events. And, on Dec. 13 Mayor-Elect Fenty will be holding his Ward 6 Transition Townhall Workshop, from 6:30 to 9 pm at the King Greenleaf Recreation Center at 201 N Street SW. I've added all of them to my own Upcoming Events Calendar.
• November Navy Museum Events
(11/3/06 12:32 PM) The schedule of public programs at the US Navy Museum in November has been released, and I've added them to my Events Calendar. Note that they've scheduled a second Candlelight Tour of the Navy Yard (the first one is tonight) on Nov. 11.
• Navy Yard October Program Schedule
(10/4/06 9:26 PM) Got behind schedule on this, and am only now adding the Naval Historical Center's October slate of offerings to my Neighborhood Calendar. Make sure to check them out, there's some pretty neat ones, including a candlelight tour of the Navy Yard (space is limited, RSVP ASAP) and a baseball-related "Hip History" event on Oct. 7 (all gift shop visitors wearing Washington Nationals apparel will receive 10% off!), as well as a Halloween-themed "spooktacular" tour of the "Ghost Ship" Barry on Oct. 28. Because of the high level of security, all events require an RSVP in advance.
• Navy Yard Public Events for September
(9/1/06 9:46 AM) They haven't been posted on the Naval Historical Center's calendar yet, but I've received the list of lectures, concerts, and other activities being offered at the Navy Yard in September, and have added them to my Neighborhood Events Calendar.
• Sept. 6 Voice of the Hill Now Available
(9/1/06 9:32 AM) The latest issue of the bi-weekly Voice of the Hill is now posted on their web site (a big ole' PDF), with a big Voters Guide in advance of the Sept. 12 DC Primary, with question-and-answer tables comparing the stands of the candidates for Mayor, Council Chair, Council-at-Large, and Ward 6 (where Near Southeast is located). There's also on page 36 a nice piece about the history of the Navy Yard, mentioning that the Latrobe Gate at 8th and M is celebrating it's bicentennial this year, with a ceremony on the boards for sometime in mid-September. The Commandant's Office (Building 1) was rededicated in August after it's renovation.
• July/August Events at Navy Yard
(6/30/06 4:29 PM) The Navy Yard's Naval Historical Center has posted its calendar of July and August events open to the public. (I'll add them to my own calendar in a few days.)
• June Events at the Naval Historical Center
(5/30/06 7:53 AM) The Naval Historical Center at the Navy Yard has released its list of June events, which I've added to my Neighborhood Calendar.
• Blue Castle Rumors - Not True
(5/11/06 11:51 AM) UPDATE: Whole Foods is *not* coming to the Blue Castle--I've confirmed this with Preferred Real Estate Investments, Inc., the owner of the Blue Castle. Original entry: In this week's The Hill, Duncan Spencer reports (scroll down a bit) that it's "confirmed" that a Whole Foods grocery store is coming to the Blue Castle at 8th and M. There's no mention of it on the web site of the castle's owners ( Preferred Real Estate Investments, Inc.), but we all know that SOME web sites are better at updating with new information than OTHERS! Back when the sale was announced, the owners said they'd be trying to get Whole Foods and a national bookstore chain. Am trying to track down some confirmation. Meanwhile, Spencer's column also mentions two other Near Southeast items, one being the Anacostia Riverwalk and the issues with it running along the Navy Yard's waterfront (i.e., right now no one can get to it without going through the Navy Yard gates and showing ID). The article also says that the Southeast Federal Center financing has not been settled between GSA and Forest City Washington, although I thought it indeed had been back in June of 2005 when the development agreement was signed. Spencer also says that no SFC construction is expected for at least a year and a half--but the recent article from Shopping Center Business magazine quotes a Forest City representative as saying that "bulldozers will be moving by the end of the year at Southeast Federal Center." So make of all of that what you will.
• May Events at the Naval Historical Center
(4/24/06 9:03 PM) The Naval Historical Center at the Navy Yard has announced its public programs for the month of May, and I've added them to my Upcoming Events list. UPDATE: The events calendar on the historical center's site is now updated.
• 'Little Skippers' Program at the Navy Yard
(3/16/06 3:13 PM) The Washington Navy Yard's U.S. Navy Museum has for the past year been running a once-a-month family-oriented program called "Little Skippers," teaching children about the history of the Navy. On Saturday the 18th at 1 pm the topic will be "'Shooting the Breeze'- Target Kites in World War II." After learning about the history of target kites the children will be given the supplies to make their very own target kites. The parents can participate, helping their children with their creations. The program is free, but requires an RSVP 24 hours in advance (see the story for details). You can also subscribe to a monthly e-mail from the museum.
• Navy Yard O Street Gate Ribbon Cutting
(3/2/06 9:58 AM) "Navy Yard celebrates opening of O St. gate" describes the renovations to the 11th and O Entrance to the Navy Yard, now designated as the entry point for visitors and deliveries. (The renovated gate officially opened in November, but the ribbon-cutting ceremony was delayed to Feb. 23.)
• Navy Yard O Street Gate Set to Reopen
(11/17/05 12:55 PM) After 19 months of construction, the Navy Yard entrance at 11th and O Streets is set to reopen on Nov. 21, and will become the sole entrance for visitors and deliveries. A new visitor parking lot has been constructed as well. Next question--when will the public be able to access the beautiful Riverwalk the Navy has constructed along the Anacostia without having to show ID? (When visiting the area this past weekend, I saw what appear to be new fences between the Riverwalk and the Navy Yard itself, and a nicely done brick gate to enter the Riverwalk from the east, but the gate is closed and cyclone fences block it as well.) UPDATE: Scroll to the bottom of my Navy Yard page to see photos of both the new O Street entrance and the fenced-off Riverwalk.
•
(10/14/05 11:57 PM) In case you don't have enough Near Southeast items on your calendar:
ﾷ The October meeting of ANC 6D (which includes about 85% of Near Southeast in its borders) will be held Monday, Oct. 17. The agenda includes two presentations of Near Southeast interest: one on the Capper/Carrollsburg Second Stage PUD, and one on the Florida Rock PUD. [entry repeated from a few days ago as a reminder] See More News for This Project
|
JD's Photos Navy Yard News Items
|
