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909 New Jersey Ave. ('09)
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70/100 I ('08)
Nationals Park ('08)
Seniors Bldg Demo ('07)
400 M ('07)
Douglass Bridge Fix ('07)
US DOT HQ ('07)
20 M ('07)
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Capitol Hill Tower ('06)
Courtyard/Marriott ('06)
Marine Barracks ('04)
 
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Dave Matthews Band at Nationals Park, July 23
From the Nationals: "Dave Matthews Band announced today they will perform at Nationals Park - the home of the Washington Nationals -- on Friday, July 23 with Zac Brown Band as support. This will be the ballpark's second-ever show, following Elton John and Billy Joel's sold-out show in July 2009. Tickets and parking will go on sale to the general public on Friday, February 26 at 10:00 a.m. online at www.tickets.com and by phone at 888-632-6287. The show will be held rain or shine and will be promoted by Live Nation."
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Justin's Cafe Liquor License Hearing March 22
For those keeping track, the Alcohol Beverage Regulation Administration has finally posted the hearing date for the liquor license for Justin's Cafe, and it's scheduled for March 22 at 10 am. From the notice: "NATURE OF OPERATION: New cafeteria-style restaurant serving salads, sandwiches, and pizza with 33 seats. Occupancy load of 61. HOURS OF OPERATION AND SALES / SERVICE / CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES: Sunday 11:30 am - 10 pm, Monday through Thursday 11:30 am - 1 am and Friday & Saturday 11:30 am - 2 am."
As I've written, Justin is also asking for a stipulated license, which will allow him to open the restaurant and sell alcohol before the March 22 hearing date. But I haven't heard of an opening date yet, though a reader reports that the amount of construction "stuff" in the space seems to have lessened.
 

Tidbits From the Past Few Days (Foreclosure, Marines, WMATA Cuts, 11th Street Bridges, 1015 Half)
Rounding up some new and Tweeted tidbits, now that I've recovered from cranking out the State of the Hood:
* (h/t "reader X") The second foreclosure sale held yesterday for the boarded-up apartment building and surrounding lots at Potomac, Ninth and L brought no bids above the $2 million starting point, so the properties will now return to the lender. An earlier auction back in October had brought a $2.461 million winning bid, but that deal fell through. The properties were originally bought by ICP Partners in 2006, along with the gray building at Eighth and Potomac, for $9 million.
* Via ANC 6B03 commissioner Norm Metzger, the Marines have created a web site for their "Community Integrated Master Plan." The site describes this planning process as evaluating "community-military development partnering options" because "[t]here are unmet facility needs and security requirements at Marine Barracks Washington and a potential to meet common community and military needs through the process" and that their goal is "to use a coordinated planning process to create a win-win in meeting the development needs of the local community and Marine Corps." Now that that's cleared up, you can go to the open house they're having on Jan. 27 from 5 to 8 pm in the North Hall of Eastern Market, to "assist the planning team in identifying issues, concerns, and potential opportunities for military-community development partnering."
* One of many service reductions proposed by WMATA to help close their FY2010 budget gap is to shut down one of the two entrances to the Navy Yard metro station on weekends. (They don't say which one.) The public hearing on their various proposals is Jan. 27 at 5:30 pm. UPDATE: From Michael Perkins, in the comments, it would be the west entrance, at Half and M. I wonder if this would only be when there are no stadium events?
* Via the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce's Twitter feed, there will apparently be one more Lower 8th Street visioning session, on February 22. After this final session, the group will forward its recommendations to the Office of Planning on what sort of development should be emphasized for these blocks south of the freeway.
* In Sunday's Post, Dr. Gridlock took a look at the 11th Street Bridges project, telling drivers what to expect as the construction unfolds, and that the "new bridges will forge a link between Maryland, the District and Virginia that has been missing since the original highway plan for the District was abandoned decades ago. And it will create a new link between neighborhoods on both sides of the Anacostia while relieving them of some of the commuter traffic that spills onto local streets."
* As part of the start of work on the bridges, a raze permit application has been filed to demolish the old red brick buildings between the current bridges that housed the Anacostia Community Boathouse, whose operations are now moving up-river to a temporary (maybe permanent) home at the Anacostia Marina.
* A little time spent trolling through public records shows that within the past month a bunch of the liens brought against Opus East when they liquidated and stopped work on 1015 Half Street have been settled. No indications from the new owner (Douglas Wilson Companies) as to when construction might restart, despite their statements back in October that it would be happening soon.
 

2010 State of the Hood: Looking Back, and Ahead (and Updated Residential Occupancy Numbers, Too)
It's become a tradition for me to do a yearly overview of what's happened in Near Southeast over the preceding 12 months, and what the next 12 months are looking like, and in my typically understated way, I've dubbed it "the State of the Hood." This year's missive is now posted, and while the expectation would be that 2009 was a whole lot of nothing, there were more milestones of note than perhaps it seemed--two residential buildings and one office building were finished, the first residents moved into Capitol Quarter, water taxis and Circulators arrived, Cornercopia opened, and work began on the new 11th Street Bridges. There were less auspicious events, too, with construction being halted on two projects, foreclosures hitting various commercial properties and private homes, and the drying up of the "development pipeline." But there's still a few new things coming in 2010, like the Park at the Yards and Justin's Cafe.
Whether you're new to the neighborhood, or an old hand, I hope you'll take a few minutes to plow through the whole thing. (And maybe even read the old ones, too, to relive the insane years of 2006, 2007, and 2008.)
As part of putting the SOTH together, I got the updated residential occupancy numbers from the BID--they say that nearly 2,800 people now live in the "Capitol Riverfront." Here's the breakdown of leasing/sales percentages for the multi-unit buildings:
Rentals
Onyx 95.5% leased, 94% occupied (250 of 266 units occupied)
Axiom 91% leased, 89% occupied (219 of 246)
Jefferson 77% leased, 76% occupied (340 of 448)
909 New Jersey 82% leased, 75% occupied (178 of 237)
400 M 100% leased and occupied (138 of 138)
Condos and Co-ops
Capitol Hill Tower (Co-op) 83% sold and occupied (285 of 344)
Velocity 32% sold, 8% occupied (16 of 200)
Capitol Quarter

 82% sold, 28% occupied (32 of 113)
(ownership units, 56 still under construction)
(Note that Capitol Quarter's numbers are a little behind the others, so these are higher now as the move-ins continue)
 

Happy Anniversary (Version 7.0)
I'm starting to feel like the aged relative pulling out the slide projector and retelling stories as the kids roll their eyes, but I do always feel the need to stop and recognize January 19, since it was on this date in 2003 that I forced my husband to drive around the neighborhood south of the Southeast Freeway while I snapped photos (crooked and poorly framed) of this little-known neighborhood that supposedly was starting to be targeted for redevelopment. Then I tossed them up on my personal web site mainly so that my parents could check them out, not ever imagining that it was the first step toward creating the obsessive-compulsive monstrosity that now rules my life.
Definitely take a moment to browse through the photos from that chilly Sunday seven years ago, to see the buildings that are gone as well as some that are still here (hello, trash transfer station!). Enough time has passed that some of the vistas--like this one of the boarded up rowhouses that stood until 2006 where the lobby of 909 New Jersey now sits--are now completely alien to the many new residents who have arrived in Near Southeast in the last two years. These photos also bring home what I feel is as important a part of JDLand.com as the never-ending stream of tiny tidbits of news, and that's the keeping alive of the history of this neighborhood, letting newcomers see what their surroundings looked like not all that long ago, before the city decided it was time for the area to get a makeover and before it was even considered a remote possibility that the Montreal Expos would be brought to DC and be given a shiny new stadium on South Capitol Street.
This anniversary is also always a good time to thank all of you who wander by and read my ramblings and look at my photos, and who send along tips and rumors, because there's no way I'd still be keeping the site going if I didn't feel the energy coming back from the folks who live and work in Near Southeast or who just find its redevelopment oddly fascinating. I will admit that much of 2009 was tough for me as I dealt with a persistent bout of flagging enthusiasm, but I feel like the doldrums have finally passed, and hope to keep chugging along for the foreseeable future.
Check back later today for my other January 19 ritual: the State of the Hood!
(Note to Mom and Dad: See, I told you that ditching journalism school and getting my degree in history would work out okay.)
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WeLoveDC Profiles Near Southeast
The WeLoveDC blog is highlighting Near Southeast today in its Where We Live series, and gives a pretty good overview of the history and current state of the neighborhood, which I would say even if they weren't quoting me and saying all sorts of nice things about JDLand!
(And, as an aside, "Near Southeast" and the "Capitol Riverfront" are actually slightly different areas, with Near Southeast being a subset of "the Front." The BID's boundaries include Buzzard Point in Southwest, an area just past my western borderline, the South Capitol Street median. My firm desire to *not* expand my zone keeps me tied to "Near Southeast" as my coverage area.)
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Lots on Potomac/9th/L Back Up for Auction
(thanks to reader C for the tip) If you are desperate to own the nine lots along Potomac Avenue, Ninth, and L that were foreclosed on earlier this year, you've got a second shot. They were picked up at auction in October for $2.461 million, but apparently that sale has fallen through, because the lots are once again on the Alex Cooper Auctioneers web site, scheduled to be auctioned again on January 21. The properties were owned by ICP Partners, who defaulted on a $2.3 million loan in 2009. ICP tried hard earlier this year to drum up interest in these lotsplus the gray building at Eighth and Potomac that houses Quiznos (which is not part of this foreclosure), after a previous sale attempt in 2008 went nowhere. ICP paid $9 million for all 10 properties in 2006.
 

Tidbits (Parking Data, Opera, Lower 8th, More)
Some small recently-Tweeted items (which you can have delivered directly to your Facebook news feed if you become a "fan" of JDLand.com). Some of these probably deserved their own entry, but goodness, 140-character blogging sure makes me lazy!
* I wrote back in December about the DDOT public meeting that gave a lot of updated information about how the Performance Parking Pilot around the ballpark is going; DDOT has now posted a 21-page report with all the details, which is worth reading for anyone interested not only in how parking is being handled in the neighborhood, but about the non-automotive improvements that the meter income will be funding.
* The Third "Opera in the Outfield" at Nationals Park will be on September 11, a simulcast of the Washington National Opera's season premiere, Verdi's "Un Ballo in Maschera" ("A Masked Ball").
* The Lower 8th Street Visioning project has posted both the materials from its December sessions, and the agenda for the upcoming meetings on Jan. 19, which "will progress to looking at best mix of uses, breakout workshops on land use, density and parking, and closing with a Q&A."
* Peeking at the building permits feed, I noted the approved permit for the ballpark, described as "INTERIOR DEMOLITION AS PER PLANS TO SUIT TENANT 'PNC DIAMOND CLUB'." A Twitter follower indicated that they had seen the work on the Diamond Club already underway. No word from the Nationals on what exactly is coming.
* The Nats put out this "Nats in Your Neighborhood" newsletter, detailing good works around the city, including the work last month by the Dream Foundation on the United Southwest Health Center a few blocks from the ballpark, in Southwest.
 

Reminder: Lane Closures on SE Freeway
From DDOT:
"The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is scheduled to temporarily close lanes on the eastbound side of the Southeast Freeway this weekend to complete the demolition of two RFK access ramps. The ramps cross over the freeway.
"Last Saturday, crews demolished the concrete on the ramps; this weekend they will remove the steel structure. The work is scheduled to take place from 5 am to 10 pm on Saturday, January 16. There could be additional closures on Sunday, January 17, but only if the work is not completed on Saturday.
"The left lane and shoulder will be closed just prior to the I-295 South and Pennsylvania Avenue split. That means all traffic approaching the split will have to take the I-295 exit. There will be no access to RFK Stadium or Pennsylvania Avenue from the SE Freeway."
They haven't posted the new advisory yet, but here's the link to last weekend's, with the graphics for detours and whatnot. Expect delays on the freeway.
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ANC Supports Liquor License for Justin's Cafe
Tonight ANC 6D gave its support in two separate votes to restaurateur Justin Ross's liquor license application for his new "Justin's Cafe" sandwich/salad/pizza place in the ground floor of the Velocity condo building at First and L streets, SE. There was little discussion, other than some concerns by commissioner Roger Moffatt about voting to support the full liquor license before the hearing is even "placarded," i.e., posted on the restaurant site, because he felt that this might prevent residents' concerns from being part of the ANC's decision (though, of course, the ABRA liquor license hearing process specifically allows for public comment). Two residents in the audience spoke strongly in favor of the proposed plans, and, in the end, the votes were 6-0-1 for a temporary "stipulated" license and 6-1 for the full license (Moffatt voting present/against on the two motions).
There's still no date set for the license hearing (Justin filed his application on Dec. 30), but he indicated that things should be moving pretty quickly in terms of getting the restaurant opened, and the stipulated license will allow him to serve alcohol until the full license is voted on.
Other Near Southeast-related tidbits:
* The Marines are going to be hosting an open house on January 27 from 5 to 8 pm at Eastern Market's north hall--they are formulating a new master plan for all of their space needs, and are looking to "partner" with residents, developments, government agencies, or any organization that can provide the space they're looking for. The open house seems to be the first step in "reaching out," though it all seemed a bit murky, and perhaps will be better explained when announcements for the open house are released. (Though "lower Eighth Street" was mentioned.)
* The commission also elected its offers for 2010, with Ron McBee being named chair. Vice chair Robert Siegel, secretary David Sobelsohn, and treasurer Jane Jorgensen retained their posts.
* This was the first time in all the ANC 6D meetings I've attended (starting in probably 2004) that I actually stayed until the very end (it lasted a mere three hours). Whether this is something to celebrate is another issue, especially on a night like this one where the heat at St. Augustine's seemed particularly, um, nonexistent. They did announce that soon the ANC and the Southwest Neighborhood Association will be moving to new digs at Waterfront (the new development about to open at the old Waterside Mall site at Fourth and M, SW). They will also have a public meeting space that presumably will have both sufficient HVAC offerings and decent acoustics, so that I will actually be able to *hear* what's going on.
 

Tidbits (ANC 6D, Boathouse, Georgia Ave, Cupcakes!)
A few items of note:
* Tonight is ANC 6D's monthly business meeting, at 7 pm at St. Augustine's Church, Sixth and M, SW. But, as is so often the case, there's no agenda yet released. However, the commission should be voting on whether to support the liquor license application of Justin's Cafe, which was approved by the ANC's alcohol/beverage subcommittee last week. Other than that, the lineup will just be a bundle of surprises! UPDATE: The agenda is now posted.
* The folks with A rower from the Anacostia Community Boathouse Association has started a blog to track the move of the boathouse operations away from its current home in between the 11th Street Bridges up-river to the Anacostia Marina. The move is happening because the new bridges are going to necessitate the demoition of the two existing boathouse buildings. (UPDATED with a new name for the blog, along with a clarification)
* The Hill is Home has a "Lost Capitol Hill" post about the original Georgia Avenue, SE, which is now Potomac Avenue. On these maps from the early 1900s of Near Southeast, you can see Georgia Avenue in 1903, but not in 1909. (If you haven't wandered through these maps before, they're worth a few minutes. Go to the main page, click on a section of the neighborhood, and then you can use the links to go from 1903 to 1909 to 1915 to 1921.
*The Curbside Cupcake folks are venturing into Near Southeast these days, and will be at New Jersey and M tomorrow (Tuesday, Jan. 12) from noon to 1 pm. (They set up shop there for a while last Tuesday, too.)
* And, while outside my boundaries, I think it's worth mentioning that Big Chair Coffee opened at 2122 MLK Avenue in Anacostia this morning--And Now, Anacostia has a pile of photos of the place, which is one of the only (if not the only) coffee house east of the river.
 

First Photos of 2010 (Cap Quarter, Trapeze Tent)
It's the age-old tradeoff: it's freezing outside, but it's also as clear a day as you'll ever have. So there was no avoiding a couple of (driving) treks around Near Southeast to update some photos this weekend. I concentrated mainly on the work on the last two blocks of the first phase of Capitol Quarter, including the new framing along I between Third and Fourth (above) and the bricking and painting on I east of Fourth. I also updated some of the shots along Third and also along Fourth to not only get close-ups of the new frames, but also to update farther-away angles where the new townhouses now peek through in the distance.
I also zipped down to Fourth and Tingey to check out the new tent that's just gone up for the Trapeze School New York, which is preparing to begin its operations on this lot at the Yards in mid-February. (Just for the record, I'm pretty sure I will not ever be flying through the air with the greatest of ease.) This lot on the southeast corner of the intersection, known as "Parcel O" in Yards-development-speak, will eventually be home to a high-rise building of some sort, but because it's not in the project's first phase of development Forest City and the trapeze folks were able to work out an "interim use" for the land.

I even took some long-needed updates of photos of the east side of South Capitol Street at I and K, which I only ever seem to get the energy to update when it's the middle of winter and the temperature is especially frigid. On the other hand, it cracks me up because the low angle of the sun always just happens to throw shadows that blot out everything from the median westward (in other words, in that OTHER quadrant, outside my boundaries).
Here's all the new photos. Don't forget you can as always click the icon on any page to see the entire range of photos for a certain location, many of which for today's batch come from my early days of photographing, in 2003 and 2004.
 

Trapeze School Coming in February
From the BID: "Beginning on February 15th, Trapeze School New York will open for classes at 4th and Tingey Street, SE! The concrete foundation has been laid and the large, heated tent is currently being erected at the site in preparations for next month's grand opening. The Trapeze School is dedicated to making flying trapeze available to anyone who seeks inspiration, challenge, fitness, or just a couple hours of unique recreation. Registration and more information is already available on their website here and open to people of all levels. Offerings include two-hour classes as well as intensive multi-session workshops for advanced flyers. Classes are also offered in trampoline, static trapeze, Lyra, and aerial silks. For larger groups and special occasions, they produce one-of-a-kind parties, corporate events and team-building workshops."
 

NatsFest at the Ballpark Jan. 31
From the Nationals: "The Washington Nationals today announced the schedule for their 2010 Winter Caravan when members of the Washington Nationals will tour the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area from January 27 to Saturday, January 30, and conclude with the second annual NatsFest at Nationals Park on Sunday, January 31. [...] Baseball fun returns to Nationals Park on January 31 for the second annual NatsFest, which will conclude the Caravan festivities. Fans will have the opportunity to receive autographs and take photos with Nationals players, participate in question-and-answer sessions with Stan Kasten, Mike Rizzo, Jim Riggleman and The Washington Post columnist and Nationals Season Ticket Holder George Will, and hit in the Nationals batting cages for a $1 donation to the Nationals Dream Foundation. A behind-the-scenes look at the Nationals clubhouse will be available and fans may enter to win Nationals prizes and memorabilia. Nationals Season Ticket Holders may receive up to four complimentary tickets per account for the event and will receive an e-mail on how to claim their tickets."
This is part of their "Winter Caravan," which features "meet-and-greets, autograph signings, community appearances and the second annual Hot Stove Luncheon," scheduled for Friday Jan. 29 at the ballpark, hosted by David Gregory. The caravan will also include appearances in Landover (where the team and its Dream Foundation "will make an announcement regarding plans to partner with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission's Department of Parks and Recreation") and at Ft. Belvoir (to make care packages for servicemen and women stationed overseas). There will also be autograph shows at the Build-a-Bear workshop in McLean, at White Flint Mall, and at the Hard Times Cafe in Arlington, along with other appearances.
Watch the Nats web site for details. UPDATE: Here's the press release.
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Justin's Cafe Gets 6D's ABC Committee Support
A very quick update from tonight's meeting of ANC 6D's alcohol/beverage committee, which voted 3-0 both to recommend support Justin's Cafe's application for a liquor license, and to recommend that a "stipulated license" be granted. This means that the restaurant could operate under a temporary license until its (still as yet unscheduled) hearing in front of the liquor board is completed. The full ANC will vote on these recommendations at their meeting on Monday (Jan. 11).
Owner Justin Ross said that the build out isn't quite complete yet and that there's still a few weeks of work to take care of, but he's hoping to open within four weeks or so.
 

Temporary Lane Closures for RFK Ramp Demolition
Just out from DDOT (link to come), official announcement of the upcoming road work that was initially "previewed" in the poorly written "Freeway to be Closed" flashing sign at the Sixth Street exit on the Southeast Freeway:
"The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is scheduled to temporarily close lanes on the eastbound side of the Southeast Freeway over the next two weekends for the demolition of two RFK access ramps. The ramps cross over the freeway.
"On the weekend of January 9 and 10, and again on January 16 and 17, the left lane and shoulder will be closed just prior to the I-295 South and Pennsylvania Avenue split. That means all traffic approaching the split will have to take the I-295 exit. There will be no access to RFK Stadium or Pennsylvania Avenue from the SE Freeway."
If you want to get to Pennsylvania Avenue from the freeway during those two weekends, the DDOT-approved detour is to go across the 11th Street Bridges, get off at MLK, turn left at Good Hope, then left at Minnesota, which will take you to Pennsylvania. But I wouldn't be surprised to see the traffic increase at the Sixth Street exit during these closures.
In a similar (though technically outside my boundaries) vein, starting tomorrow (Jan. 6), there will be lane closures on the east side of the 11th Street Bridges and on I-295 so that crews can place "construction access points, concrete barriers, attenuators and other traffic controls related to the start of 11th Street Bridge Project construction."
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Tinkering with the Home Page for 2010 (A New Map, Crime Reports Mashups, and Other Goodies)
I rang out 2009 with a sudden burst of creativity, and so am welcoming 2010 with another tweak of the JDLand home page design.
Featured ProjectsFirst and foremost, I've brought back a map to the main screen (a much smaller and less cluttered one), highlighting projects currently in progress. I was sick of the old one, but found I just couldn't live without *some* sort of map offering in this spot. Hopefully this one suffices.
Next, I added a box called "This Date in (Recent) Near Southeast History," which will dig into the archives every day and show links to blog entries and random photos since 2003. (The photos aren't marked with their location, so for the early ones it'll be a fun guessing game.)
There's also a peppier version of my "Rearview Mirror," with links to the Photo Archive, the Demolished Buildings gallery, historic photos and maps, and more.
And I've finally taken the plunge into Google Maps mashups, with two new offerings. On the home page, under the DC Government Data Feeds, there's a mini-map marking the location of neighborhood crime incidents over the past 30 days. Beneath that is a link to a new interactive map showing all crime incidents from 2005 to the present, with a table breaking out the different types of crimes so that you can filter the map by year or offense or both. (The incidents, which all come from the city's data feed, are then listed beneath the map if you prefer the old-school table format.)
And there's also some slight changes to the general design and color choices, plus some cleanup of the offerings in the "General Links" box at the bottom right of the page, and a box for "Recent Updates/Additions" which I added mainly to do *something* with all the white space around the ad beneath the first blog post.
So, Happy New Year to everyone, and I hope you like the updates.
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Construction Underway on New 11th Street Bridges
On a chilly morning (with winds high enough to scuttle the planned boat tour), DDOT announced that work is officially underway on the new 11th Street Bridges, the $300 million four-year project to build three new spans across the Anacostia River to provide both expanded freeway access between I-295 and the SE/SW Freeway and a new local-traffic bridge connecting Anacostia and Near Southeast.
Pile driving in the river is expected to start within the next day or two (it was supposed to start today, but the winds scuttled that, too). Engineers said it should be at least 18 months before there are any changes to the traffic flow on either side of the river.
The biggest changes in the configuration of the bridges will be the new ramps allowing for access from southbound I-295 to the bridges and from the bridges to northbound DC295, meaning that much of the neighborhood cut-through traffic and bad flow on Pennsylvania Avenue should be mitigated, though residents who oppose the expansion of the bridges' capacity--such as the Capitol Hill Restoration Society--differ with DDOT on the benefits of the project.
The third span--a "local street that happens to cross a river," in the words of DDOT's Bart Clark--will be built with streetcar tracks included in the two curb lanes, and will also include wide pedestrian/cycling paths, bulb-out bridge overlooks (where you can stop and look at the view without impeding the flow), and even osprey nest perches down by the water. This span, allowing local traffic to cross the river without having to mix with high-speed freeway traffic as it currently does, will reach street level at O Street on the west side of the river, which will also make for an easy connection to the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail. And all new bridges will be built with shoulders, to help lessen backups when there are accidents.
One additional change in all of this is that the Anacostia Community Boathouse operations, which are currently nestled between the existing spans, will be permanently moved northeast, to the Anacostia marina, and the old red brick buildings will be demolished. (A temporary structure is being built to get their operations moved by spring.)
For the next few months, pile driving and some off-roadway clearing and minor lane shifts on DC-295 will be the extent of the construction, but by late spring or early summer there will begin to be work underway on both O Street and M Street
I've added new graphics to my 11th Street Bridges page that show the plans for the new bridges. It will be an interesting project to watch over the next few years.
In addition, demolition work on the existing ramps to and from RFK has perked back up again, and there will be lane closures on the portion of the freeway that connects to Pennsylvania Avenue within the next few weeks. (If you saw the variable message sign at the Sixth Street SE exit that said "Freeway to be closed on or about 1/9/2010," it was a bit of a verbiage boo-boo that was meant to alert drivers to the coming lane closures, and is being fixed.)
There was a decent amount of press at the briefing (both Dr. Gridlock and Bob Marbourg were in the house, so you know it was serious), and I'll be updating this entry as stories come online, most of which will no doubt give more focus to the changes coming to the east side of the river than I have here (though I have posted some enlarged graphics that show both sides of the river). Here's the DDOT press release, fact sheet, and FAQ.
UPDATE: Links to Dr. Gridlock, WTOP, and City Paper. And WUSA. (I won't bother with pieces written right off the press release.)
UPDATE II: A bike-centric look at the plans from WashCycle.
 

11th Street Bridge Construction to Begin (Updated)
A press release just out from DDOT (not yet posted online) alerts the city that construction is about to start on the new 11th Street Bridges:
"On or about Tuesday, December 29, 2009, contractors will begin 11th Street Bridge Project construction activities, which may be noticeable to area residents and businesses but ultimately result in a number of important benefits.
"Initial work will include pile driving in the Anacostia River to construct foundations for three new bridges - one for local and two for freeway traffic. Barrier placement, off-roadway clearing, and drainage work is also to begin adjacent to both directions of DC 295, later resulting in shoulder encroachments and minor lane shifts. Eventually, land-side pile driving on both sides of the river will be required to construct new connecting ramps and improve the highway. To minimize impacts, noise and vibration levels will be monitored at all times.
"The new bridges will be constructed between the existing bridges, which are projected to serve almost 180,000 vehicles per day by 2030, allowing contractors to maintain all existing travel movements and 12-foot travel lanes except during approved work in off-peak travel hours.
"In addition, contractors will practice good neighbor construction by establishing designated haul routes, having most materials delivered via the river or highway, controlling dust, and requiring that workers not park on neighborhood streets."
The project is scheduled for completion in mid-2013, and at last report would be costing $260 million (unless they've found more funding). In addition to more lanes for cars and improved vehicle flow, the bridges will have new wider paths for pedestrians and bicycles, as well as the rails for the new streetcars that will connect Anacostia and the west side of the river.
DDOT is having a press shindig on Tuesday to give more specifics about the project; you can see my 11th Street Bridges project page for additional information and graphics, and there's also this PDF from DDOT that gives an overview of what the new bridges and traffic flow will look like.
UPDATE: In wandering around, I found this document, a 69-page Final Environmental Impact Statement "Reevaluation" from July 2009, which details what the changes are in the design from the FEIS "preferred alternative" and what's going to actually be built (now called the "Phase 1 Alternative", and seen in the graphic referenced above):
* The bridges (three, rather than two) will be placed in between the existing bridges on new foundation/substructures, as mentioned above;
* Minor reconfigurations of the expressway interchanges on both sides of the river;
* Reconfiguration of the local access interchange on the east side of the river;
* Ending work on the Southeast Freeway east of the existing Seventh/Eighth Street bridges, without replacing these structures;
* Modifications to the pedestrian and bicycle connections.
The Reevaluation has plenty more details on the above bullet points if you're interested. It also explains that, for now, DDOT is only funding the "Phase 1 interim improvements," which "will include complete construction of the three new river crossings and completion of the interchange on the east side (Anacostia) of the river. On the west side of the river, the inbound movement will be completed from the river to the proposed connection to the Southeast Freeway at the existing bridge over 8th Street. Ramp[s] will also be constructed and the inbound Southeast Boulevard [the old below-grade connector to Pennsylvania Avenue] will be connected to 11th Street. 11th Street will be widened from the Southeast Freeway to O Street on the west side of the river, with widening to the ultimate width from M Street to O Street." It also says that, as additional funding is found, the "remaining elements of the project can move forward in the same design that was approved in the EIS."
 

Holiday Slowdown Now Underway
Just a quick post to say that I'm still here, but with the snow and the holidays converging, I'm not expecting much news over the next few weeks. I'll post big news if it happens, of course, but otherwise I'll be taking it easy here on the blog. I'll tweet little things as they come along (like the great Tommy Wells Snowpocalyse interview outside the Tune Inn with City Paper on Saturday night), so if you're not already following my Twitter feed, now would be a good time, either via Twitter itself or by becoming a fan of JDLand.com on Facebook (where my Twitter updates will then automatically appear in your Facebook news feed).
I will note that the crime reports show a bit of an uptick over the past few days--be sure not to leave stuff in your car....
Happy Holidays to everyone!
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