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Also at the ANC meeting, I found out a bit more about some of the new projects in the Near Southeast pipeline: the JPI residential project at 901 New Jersey (which was called "Jefferson at New Jersey and K" on the display boards) will have 237ish units, a pool, fitness room, conference center, etc. The Preston Partnership is the architect (fun web site, guys!). This project was before the ANC to ask for support in advance of its BZA hearing on May 16; however, its requests for a special exception for roof requirements and also a lessening of the residential recreation space were referred to the ANC's development subcommittee, and the ANC voiced its concern about the lack of an affordable housing component within the project, which will probably be something that developers coming to Near Southeast will need to address. As for the Square 743N Faison/Opus East projects along 1st Street, the alley closings brouhaha over the past few months has been settled (the city council approved the bill on its final reading April 4), the developers were back again, now asking for the ANC's support in its hearing before the Zoning Commission on May 25 for approval of the plans for the office building portion of the project, at 100 M Street. The commission voted 4-0-1 to give its support. Finally, a request for closing a portion of an alley on Square 0697 as part of Lerner Enterprises's 1000 South Capitol Street project came before the commission, and after the requisite squabbling over payments to the community for the loss of "public space", this too was referred to the development subcommittee.
 

Also at the ANC meeting tonight, there was a discussion about the DC Public Schools' upcoming plan to close/repurpose as much as 3 million square feet of school space over the next two years. Van Ness Elementary at 5th and M is unofficially considered to be very high on the list--although it had 400 students a few years ago, with the closing of Capper/Carrollsburg it now services just 30 Headstart Pre-K students and 48 Special Ed students from around the city. However, as school board member Tommy Wells explained, the city won't be selling school properties, and the feeling is very strong that an elementary school must remain in Near Southeast. Given that Van Ness's M Street location could be enticing to developers, it's possible that the city would agree to a swap, to have a new Van Ness built somewhere else in the neighborhood in exchange for a developer getting rights to the 5th and M lot. A plan to identify 1 million square feet of DCPS space that could be closed/repurposed is due to the school board on May 17, after which there will be a 30-day period of public input meetings (there are also public forums on April 18 and 22). For more information, see the DC Board of Education web site, in particular the rightsizing criteria and calendar.
 

DDOT will be holding a public meeting on May 4 at 6 pm to update the public on the latest South Capitol Street Corridor news, and also to allow public review and comment on the latest plans for the street and also the South Capitol Street Bridge. The South Capitol Street EIS and South Capitol Street Bridge Study web sites have more information about what's on tap.

 

In today's Washington Times, "Nats, City Officials Long For Owner" discusses how the lack of a new owner for the Nationals is impacting not only the team, but construction of the new baseball stadium:
City officials are particularly anxious for an owner to be named because of several upcoming decisions related to the new ballpark, to be located along the Anacostia Waterfront. Construction of the stadium could begin this month, and officials would prefer owner input about aspects of the ballpark design, including the location of an adjacent parking garage.
In addition, architects and the construction team would like to consult the owner about changes to the design of the ballpark and the materials used to build it. The sports commission has required the construction team to build the ballpark for no more than $320 million, and efforts to stay under that cap have forced some more expensive materials and design aspects to be removed.
In other words, get a new owner, and maybe there might be limestone instead of concrete made to look like limestone...
More posts: Nationals Park
 

It's not posted yet, but I've gotten a peek at the agenda for the April ANC 6D meeting, this Monday the 10th, and it's chock full of Near Southeast goodness. There will be a presentation by the DC Sports and Entertainment Commission on the immediate plans for the baseball stadium; then there are presentations on three projects in the pipeline: the Opus East 250,000-sq-ft office building at 100 M Street (the fractious debate at previous meetings over a request to close two alleys on the block for this project has really been jaw-dropping); the JPI project at New Jersey and I; and another request for alley closings (have fun with that, fellas!) for 1000 South Capitol Street. This project is a 320,000-sq-ft office building that Lerner Enterprises has had on the boards for a number of years, and so they appear to now be beginning to move forward with it. It's on the same block--and backs up to--Nation, where Potomac Investment Properties is also now moving on its long-planned 250,000-sq-ft office building at 1015 Half Street. UPDATE: The agenda is now posted.
 

Hank Steuver of the Washington Post describes the scene on Saturday night as the gay bars that have operated on O Street SE for the past 30 years closed down, to make way for the new baseball stadium. And whether or not drag queens ain't your thing, honey child, it's worth a read.
More posts: Nationals Park
 

With some demolition now underway (veeeeery slooooowly), I've freshened up my Capper/Carrollsburg page with some new photos. I've also updated the construction photos for the two Capper Seniors projects, and for good measure tossed in a couple of new shots on the Capitol Hill Tower page, to celebrate the opening of the Courtyard by Marriott, the first Near Southeast project I've tracked from its beginning to end....
 

I had heard rumblings that this would be the case, but a reader has now confirmed that the Courtyard by Marriott at New Jersey and L has opened today. For folks who work nearby, the Marriott will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner to the public as well as guests, and the bar will be open to all, too. As for the residential side of Capitol Hill Tower, folks who have already bought units are being given late April/early May move-in dates....
 

Now THIS is interesting, someone has posted a For Sale ad on Craigslist for the Star Market, the little red building that stood its ground while Capitol Hill Tower grew up around it. A mere $950k, after being bought less than a year ago for $580k. (Thanks for the link to my site, guys.)
 

With a court order now in place requiring the six gay clubs to leave their stadium-footprint properties by April 4, this will be their last weekend of operation on O Street, says The Washington Blade. The article also chronicles the continuing difficulties for the clubs in finding new homes, and also gives some history of their 30-year run in Near Southeast.
More posts: Nationals Park
 

(A little slow with this one, apologies.) On April 3 at 10 am, the DC Council will hold hearings on B16-0628, "Closing of Public Alleys In Square 702, 703, 704, 705, and 706 Act of 2006." This covers the closing of streets and alleys in the footprint of the new baseball stadium, including portions of Half Street, O Street, P Street, and Potomac Avenue (?). See Page 5 of this PDF for more information.
More posts: Nationals Park
 

Yesterday the DC Historic Preservation Review Board approved the Historic Landmark nomination of the Navy Yard Car Barn (aka the "Blue Castle" at 7th and M). This means that the building has now been added to the DC Inventory of Historic Sites, and is also now protected under DC's Historic Preservation Law. What does this mean for the company that just paid $20 million for the property with plans to use it for retail? We shall see.
More posts: Blue Castle, 8th Street
 

The Post reports on a study prepared for CFO Gandhi:
The Washington Nationals could generate $203 million in revenue during their first season in a new stadium, according to a District-commissioned report that includes projections that would make the franchise one of the richest in Major League Baseball. [...] The projections greatly exceeded the expectations of city officials and MLB executives. And several baseball officials, who had not seen the report, expressed skepticism about the estimates when contacted this week.
Last year the Nationals generated about $100 million at RFK; would they really be able to double that? I guess we shall see....
More posts: Nationals Park
 

Van Ness Elementary School, at 5th and M streets SE, is apparently on the city's list of approximately 30 schools it wishes to close by August 2008 as part of a financial restructuring of the DC Public Schools. I'm guessing that a developer or two might be willing to pay the city a tidy sum for the rights to that property on the southern edge of Capper/Carrollsburg.... Here's a Post story from a few days ago about the school closures initiative in general; and a Voice of the Hill blurb about Van Ness's principal going before ANC 6D looking for a letter of support for keeping the school open (the ANC wants more information before making a decision). The city is expected to make its decision in April.
 

The rumors have abounded for some time, and now there's confirmation that the Nation nightclub at Half and K will be closing, with July 15 given as the last night of festivities. Potomac Investment Properties has had plans for some time to build a 250,000-sq-ft office building on that site--they filed a building permit application back in August, 2004, but it lay dormant for months and months and months. However, the permit has had some movement on it within the past month, so there clearly is movement toward beginning the new project. The Washington Blade has more on the closing, and on Nation's history. I don't know when exactly construction would begin. See my North of M page for photos, etc.
 

Both the Post and the Blade report that Judge Zeldon has ordered the eviction of the last remaining stadium landowner holdouts, including the gay bars on O Street owned by Robert Siegel. Siegel, plus the trash transfer station at 1st and N also covered under yesterday's order, have until April 4 to vacate. The Blade says that Siegel's clubs are planning special large-scale celebrations for the final weekend they are open.
More posts: Nationals Park
 

Thanks to a tip from a reader, I checked out Capper/Carrollsburg this afternoon, and there are signs that some demolition is about to be started, on the block between 3rd and 4th and K and L, which is the one block where private homes have been existing alongside the abandoned housing. I don't know if this is the start of demolition for all of the remaining buildings, or if there was just a desire to get this particular batch of buildings taken down since they are right next to private homes, but one way or the other this is nice to see, because it's not good for a neighborhood to have so many deserted buildings still standing. And I would certainly imagine that EYA would not want the shells still there when sales start on Capitol Quarter this fall.
UPDATE, 10 days later: Not much progress has been made on the demolition site mentioned above, but I see now that initial work appears to also be going on in the block just to the north, which has nothing but abandoned Capper buildings on it (bounded by 3rd, 4th, I, and K). The roofs above the front stoops are being crow-barred off the buildings, and some piles of trash have appeared in the courtyards.
UPDATE: Also in the Spring-Cleaning department, the Star Market at 2nd and L has just gotten a fresh coat of red paint. Perhaps the new owner is planning on reopening the little bodega once Capitol Hill Tower opens its doors? (See the CapTower SE Corner slideshow to refresh your Star Market memory.)

 

The National Capital Planning Commission has posted the agenda for its April 6 meeting, whichs includes an informational presentation on the new Nationals baseball stadium; the meeting will be at 401 9th Street, NW at 12:30 pm.
More posts: Nationals Park
 

The On Luck Cafeteria on the northeast corner of 1st and M Street is the latest longtime small business to cash out in the Near Southeast Land Rush, having been bought in February for $4.5 million by Opus East, which is developing the 240,000-sq-ft 100 M Street office building. Today's Post has more about the sale, and also says that Opus East plans to start construction later this year.
More posts: 100 M, Square 743N
 

The Post does a man-on-the-street-reaction piece, "For Some Fans, Stadium Designers Whiffed Big-Time" (a pretty negative headline not particularly backed up by the story, although I guess the "some" is the hedge).
More posts: Nationals Park
 
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