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Late last week DDOT began installing "Pay to Park" signs and the green multispace kiosk meters on certain streets in Near Southeast--I've seen either the signs or the meters or both on K, L, M, N, First, and Potomac, but I didn't do a full-scale reconnaissance mission (I'm also seeing them around Garfield Park and I hear they're showing up on Barracks Row). These are indeed the beginnings of Tommy Wells's Performance Parking plan that is eventually going to regulate parking around the ballpark and in Southwest and on Capitol Hill. Right now I haven't heard any of the details like hours and prices, and whatnot, but hope to get some specifics soon. And yes, for a lot of you, this may mean your days of cheap on-street all-day parking could be coming to an end. More as I get it.
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More posts: parking
 

Last Thursday the National Capital Planning Commission gave unanimous approval to the early designs of the Waterfront Park at The Yards, which was not a surprise given the nice things said about it in the Staff Recommendation. According to the NCPC web site (I wasn't at the meeting), the commission "commended the applicant, the General Services Administration; the developer, Forest City Washington; and the team's designers for the quality of the design, the range of activities the park will support, its visual and physical connections, and for creatively adapting the design to the site's ground elevation constraints." The design was also endorsed by the Commission on Fine Arts last month.
I've now received a pretty fabulous aerial-view rendering of the park, which I've added to my newly rejiggered page for the project (I've finally separated out the five phase I projects at the Yards onto their own pages), where you can also see a few additional renderings of the design, keeping in mind that these are still preliminary plans--and the NCPC staff recommendation document has even more drawings and detail. Forest City's plan is to complete the first phase of the park in summer 2009, with the retail buildings and the piers and marinas to follow.
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More posts: The Yards, Yards Park
 

At the Anacostia Waterfront Community Fair a few weeks back, I picked up a card that indicated South Capitol Street Draft Environmental Impact Statement (which is centered around the construction of a new Douglass Bridge) would be released on Feb. 8. So, all last week, I kept checking in at southcapitoleis.com just to see if the site had been updated or if there were any "Coming Soon" announcements. Nada. Imagine my surprise, then, when on Saturday I received a brochure via snail mail (how wonderfully old school!) announcing the the EIS would be released on Feb. 15, with the two public meetings pushed to March 4 and 5, and the deadline for public comment moved to March 31. The web site still makes no mention of the impending release, though you can see the two build alternatives being evaluated. More about this when the draft is actually released.
 

As promised, I've now updated the rest of the Stadium Exterior Construction Gallery, where in addition to the usual spots you'll see some photos of the touches that are now being added to the ballpark, such as the directional signs, gates, the grand staircase, and even (if you have good eyes) the gold pendant lighting in the club lounge. There's also a shot or two of the outfield restaurant and the N Street Plaza, though the light still stinks for taking photos there. If you want more before-and-afters, there's also the First Street, Potomac Avenue, and N Street expanded galleries (as well as the South Capitol Street photos, which were updated yesterday), though be sure to look for the icon to make sure you're seeing the most recent images. (And don't forget to click on the Click to see all available photos of this location. icon to see every photo in the archive for angles you're interested in.)
Speaking of the ballpark, the Post says the first of the two job fairs for part-time and seasonal positions at the stadium drew 2,500 hopeful applicants. The second fair is on Feb. 21.
As for photo updates of the rest of the construction going on in the Hood, I'm going to string you along for another day or so. There's an awful lot of intersections to cover....
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More posts: Nationals Park
 

Thanks to some unexpectedly good weather this afternoon, I ventured down South Capitol Street and took a slew of updated photos of the ballpark's western facades. (I even walked about halfway across the Douglass Bridge, which is always an adventure for a white-knuckler like myself.)
You can all today's new shots on my main Stadium Exterior Gallery (where you'll want to look for the icon, since the new photos are sprinkled throughout the page) as well as additional images in the Expanded Gallery. Come back Sunday evening when I'll have another batch of photos, from the eastern and southern sides of the ballpark.
Of course, these days I'm far from the only blogger trooping around down at the stadium--Screech's Best Friend has a pile of new photos, inside and out. (My own Interior Gallery will be updated soon, I promise.)
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More posts: Nationals Park
 

In our latest edition of What's the Deal With...., reader JD of JDLand.com asks: "WTDW with the old trash transfer site at 900 New Jersey Avenue, that place with the smokestack and all the Department of Public Works operations?"
At Wednesday's marathon capital budget hearing (no, I'm still not done watching it) the agency's director mentioned both the New Jersey Avenue site and the maintenance yard on O Street beneath the 11th Street Bridges as DPW locations that will eventually be moving to make way for development associated with the city's Anacostia Waterfront initiatives. I e-mailed DPW to get some clarification on his remarks, and have been told that the street sweepers that currently operate out of 900 New Jersey will be relocating in November to DPW's Bryant Street, NW, facility, but that other DPW functions are going to remain at New Jersey and K until the Office of Property Management can find them a new home.
This site is eventually supposed to be redeveloped as a mixed-income apartment building under the Capper/Carrollsburg Hope VI plan, but no timeline has been announced. And William C. Smith's plans for a 1-million-square-foot project on the block just to DPW's north, which include reopening I Street between New Jersey and Canal, would seem to need DPW to move out before they can get started.
As I wrote about over the summer, neighbors have been wanting that building closed for a long, LONG time.
 

* Today's Washington Business Journal print edition (subscribers only) is reporting that the Nationals are finalizing a deal that would make Capitol City Brewing the "official local beer and the exclusive brew provider at the new stadium's beer garden." WBJ quotes Cap City's president as saying that the company is also negotiating for additional distribution points inside the stadium.
* From the Post, word that Benedict XVI will now be hauling out the Popemobile for two trips through the streets of Washington, adding public appearances that weren't originally part of the plan for his April 15-18 visit so that people who won't be able to get into the April 17 mass at the ballpark might still have a chance to see him. The routes haven't been finalized. Also, the Post says that information on tickets for the Mass is expected to be released this month.
* National Public Radio, which has been looking at locations in Near Southeast as well as NoMa and Silver Spring to consolidate its offices in 400,000 square feet of space, says it will make its decision by the end of May, according to the Montgomery Gazette, in an article that says Montgomery County has made a formal offer to lure NPR to Silver Spring. It's been rumored that NPR is the "preferred option" for DC officials to take over the city's lease at 225 Virginia Avenue (the old Post Plant).
 

The Washington Times's Tim Lemke reports on his blog: "The D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission has arranged for the city's high school baseball title games to be played at the Nationals new ballpark on May 31. The day will feature three games, plus an all-star game." So, that now makes two non-Nationals events scheduled for the new stadium (along with some Pope guy on April 17).
 

Feb 7, 2008 6:43 PM
For those (like myself) who have been wondering: John Catoe, Metro's General Manager, said at Wednesday's mammoth City Council capital budget oversight hearing that the agency is planning to be out of the Southeastern Bus Garage at Half and M by "the beginning of baseball season." He only briefly mentioned "legal issues" about the site's sale to Akridge that they "hope to have resolved" within a few weeks, and didn't say anything about what plans Akridge might have for the site.
Catoe also said (a couple of times) that the west entrance of the Navy Yard Metro station will be ready for Opening Day. If you've been sneaking peeks at it from the 55 M web cam (the station entrance is at bottom center), you've seen some concrete poured over the past couple of days for the floor and also the arrival of the escalators' steps.
(I've made it about half way through my recording of the six-hour-plus meeting, listening with one ear when I can spare a few moments. I still haven't gotten to the testimony from the Sports and Entertainment Commission and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, which might also yield a tidbit here or there.)
UPDATE: I'm not the only one reporting on the station's status today. Friday's Post has a piece with the latest: "[T]he station renovation is back on schedule, with all of the inside work to be finished by the end of this month. Work is also proceeding at street level, where the kiosk, ticket machines and turnstiles are to be installed. Fans will come up three escalators or one of the new elevators into the office building's lobby. One wall will be open, fenced with chain link, as construction continues." It also has some tidbits that people are always asking about, such as: "Metro plans 14 extra trains on game days." And there's this: "Metro is also considering flat-panel TVs at the station entrance, which would post train information and perhaps carry video telecasts of the games." (Hmmmm.) The article also mentions WMATA's Nationals page, which was announced a few weeks back.
 

Feb 7, 2008 10:26 AM
With thanks to reader PK for the news flash (confirmed by the 55 M web cam), we can officially mark this morning's demise of the Normandie Liquors building at First and M by adding it to the Demolished Buildings pantheon. (The irony is not lost on this former lover of high-alcohol-content rum that a liquor store is Demolished Building #151.) I'll get photos of the Normandie-less corner this weekend.
In fact, so many buildings have been torn down in Near Southeast since 2003 that I've now had to break up the Demolished Buildings page by year, so that the dang thing doesn't take three weeks to load. This has also allowed me to separate out the buildings demolished in the Nationals Park footprint into their own mini-gallery, which will be handy in the coming weeks as no doubt many people will want to know what got leveled to make way for the stadium.
 

Feb 7, 2008 9:26 AM
Your morning reading:
* Another worker has been fired at the ballpark for allegedly making "insensitive racial remarks," according to the Examiner and the Post (can't find this one online, though it was in the print edition). The Examiner says it's "the fifth dismissal of an employee at the stadium site over racially charged incidents in less than two weeks. D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission spokeswoman Chinyere Hubbard says a white carpenter made the remarks to two black electricians. She didn't specify what language prompted the action. The carpenter was employed by Mahogany Interiors, a minority subcontractor."
* Maryland congressman Steny Hoyer is concerned enough about the impact of the ballpark on the commutes of his constituents that he met with officials from the Nationals, DDOT, and Metro, and then sent out a press release about it: " 'With weekday evening games that begin at the tail end of peak commuter periods, it is critical that we explore all available options to streamline the flow of traffic and minimize congestion,' stated Rep. Hoyer. 'As opening day approaches, I intend to continue working with officials to mitigate the impact on motorists in our region.' "
* Hundreds are expected to compete this weekend to snag spots in the choir that will sing for Pope Benedict at the ballpark on April 17. About 550 people are signed up to fight for 250 slots.
 

Feb 6, 2008 9:15 AM
Readers with bird's-eye views of the southwest corner of First and M are writing in to say that fences and equipment have been put in place around Normandie Liquors, with perhaps the final bell ready to toll. I'm on Super Tuesday duty in "real life" tonight, so anyone with a view (either in real life or via the 55 M web cam) should feel free post any updates on the little building's fate in the comments.
(The Normandie is on the Willco/Square 701 site, which in the near-term is expected to be a surface parking lot, followed eventually by an office/residential/retail mixed-use project that little is known about.)
UPDATED, 2/6: Demolition is indeed underway this morning, as seen from the web cam and by folks at 80 M and elsewhere.
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More posts: staddis, Square 701
 

Feb 6, 2008 7:53 AM
An abbreviated list of Nationals Park links:
* On Tuesday the Post's Raw Fisher Radio talked about the ballpark and its related transportation issues with various big names, including Neil Albert and Andy Litsky. (I must admit I haven't had a chance to listen yet.) The podcast is available here for the rest of the week, and Marc blogged about the broadcast, too.
* Speaking of transportation, WTOP's Adam Tuss reports that DDOT is about to release the parking plans for the streets surrounding the ballpark. They say that the dry runs of the shuttle buses from RFK have taken about 15 minutes (about double the time the Nationals were quoting), and that "anyone who parks illegally will face consequences." The "Take Metro" mantra will be hitting the airwaves soon thanks to a Nationals' publicity campaign that's about to start.
* In the wake of the "noose incident" at the ballpark last month, City Council member Kwame Brown has introduced a bill that would make it a criminal offense to display a noose on any public or private property if the intent "is to deprive equal protection of the law, injure someone, to intimidate a person exercising a federal right or to cause fear of personal safety." Similar zero-tolerance laws already exist in the District for displaying a swastika or a burning cross with those intents.
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More posts: parking, Nationals Park
 

Feb 6, 2008 7:41 AM
It's the start of budget season for the DC City Council, a process which Tommy Wells's blog explains better than I ever could. (Bleary-morning-after-Super-Tuesday-brain doesn't help.) I've added the hearings that will probably have the most impact on Near Southeast to my Upcoming Events Calendar; the entire lineup is available on the City Council web site.
Today at 11 am is the 07-08 budget performance oversight hearing for DPW, DMV, DDOT, WMATA, the Sports and Entertainment Commission, and the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, which means there's a good chance that the ballpark and related issues will come up at some point. The hearing will be broadcast live on Channel 13 and streaming video, and will be available on demand a few hours after the broadcast ends.
 

Feb 5, 2008 11:50 AM
From Barry Svrluga's blog, rounding up some of the items from yesterday's media tour he didn't initially write about: "[Stan] Kasten didn't mention this, but the Nats have been discussing with the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum the possibility of haivng a permanent branch in Washington at Nationals Park. There is a two-story space down the left field line -- along South Capitol St. near the northernmost corner of the park -- that could house a museum. What Kasten did allow is that they're trying to figure out what to do with that space, if it could be a conference room or convention hall or museum or some sort of combination. In any case, it's unlikely it'll be done this year."
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More posts: Nationals Park
 

Feb 4, 2008 5:09 PM
There apparently was a media tour at Nationals Park today--check out Barry's blog to see updated photos of the stadium. And MLB.com has a long description of all the locales seen on the two-hour tour, including the locker room, the club lounges, and more, such as the outfield plaza, which includes the " 'Strike Zone' kids' area, featuring games, activities, picnic tables and a baseball-themed jungle gym for children four and under. Running along the side is a series of shops, including 'Build-a-Prez,' a shop operated by the Build-a-Bear company that will allow kids to construct their own racing president."
UPDATE: Here's the Examiner's the Associated Press's piece on the tour. And there's a second MLB.com article about the logistics of the new ballpark, addressing issues such as acquiring parking lots and including the news that "The park will usually open 90 minutes before games -- two and a half hours before in the outfield plaza -- but on Opening Day it will open at 3:30 p.m. ET for the 8:05 p.m. game against the Atlanta Braves, giving fans extra time to walk around and see the stadium that Sunday afternoon, as well as deal with any delays that occur."
UPDATE, 2/5: The Baltimore Sun describes the ballpark, as does the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star. And Tim Lemke posts about the tour on his WashTimes blog.
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More posts: Nationals Park
 

Feb 4, 2008 12:10 PM
A thought: With more than a dozen DC public schools closing at the end of this school year, and the Fenty administration stating that they have no intention of selling off the buildings, wouldn't one or two of them make a good location for a school bus parking lot? Or, at the very least, a better location than some of the locations currently being used?
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More posts: Canal Park
 

Feb 4, 2008 11:20 AM
It's a slow morning (when is the world going to do the right thing and make Super Bowl Monday a holiday?), so I'll just take a moment to point to Planetizen's 2008 Top 10 planning, design, and development web sites, where JDLand gets an honorable mention, nudged out by those weasels over at Rethink College Park. (As always, we kid because we love. Nice job, Rob and David!)
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More posts: JDLand stuff
 

Feb 2, 2008 11:43 AM
A slew of site plans and renderings showing the designs for the Waterfront Park at the Yards have now entered into the public record, thanks to requirements that early designs (35%) be shown to the National Capital Planning Commission. The NCPC will be voting on the designs at this Thursday's meeting, and NCPC staff is recommending is that they be approved.
The staff recommendation document is must reading for anyone interested in the park, as it lays out many of the plans for the 5.5-acre site. There will be a huge "Great Lawn" on the western portion of the site (south of what will be an extended Second Street). The currently existing inlet will be extended northward for a shallow "Canal Basin", with an elaborate pedestrian bridge above it. The designs also show the basic location of piers, marinas, and a water taxi stand (cue Nats fans salivating), although the review of their designs will come later. The existing Lumber Storage Shed (Building 173) will be renovated into glass-enclosed retail and entertainment offering, and two other buildings will eventually come to the park as well. At the eastern end will be a "River Garden", a shadier, more lush area of greenery. There will also eventually be some sort of "vertical iconic element" erected on the pier at Third Street, but no details are yet divulged.
It's estimated that the park will open in 2010. I have some photos of what the park area looks like now, and have also included a few of the new renderings, but it's been a tough spot to get to over the years. (If your browser doesn't jump you to the right place, scroll to the bottom of the page. I'm gonna have to revamp my Yards stuff--it's too much going on to try to shoehorn into my current design scheme!)
UPDATE: I should also mention, for those of you interested in parking issues, that blacktop is now being put down on the open lot at The Yards south of Tingey between New Jersey and Third.....
 

Feb 1, 2008 10:39 AM
Last night the Zoning Commission heard the Capitol Gateway Overlay Review case for 1111 New Jersey, Donohoe's now 220,000-square-foot office building on the northwest corner of New Jersey and M. The Office of Planning report laid out how the project properly adheres to the requirements of the CG Overlay, and there was actually very little discussion by the commissioners of the building's design or landscape (save for a few questions about the width of the sidewalk on M Street, which is wider than what the CG Overlay calls for, because of various hardware for the Navy Yard Metro station below).
What took up the bulk of the discussion was whether the building's parking garage should be accessed via New Jersey Avenue or via the block's alley that runs north-south between L and M (which is shared with 100 M, Onyx, and whatever gets built on the St. Matthew's site). The original design had the garage driveway on New Jersey, but DDOT is asking that it be moved to the alley because of both a desire to not have curb cuts on a major state street like New Jersey and because the alley is an existing curb cut where pedestrians expect vehicular flow. But the commissioners were uniformly unhappy with the alley solution, given the narrowness of the alley (14 feet), the heavy amount of traffic there will be, and the very awkward garage entrance/exit that Donohoe has had to come up with in order to make the alley entry work. Donohoe didn't appear to be especially happy with the alley solution, either, but DDOT was pretty firm in their desire to have it there.
The record was left open, and DDOT and Donohoe said they would continue to work on the garage issue. A ruling on the overlay review could come at the March 11 Zoning Commission meeting.
Chairman Anthony Hood also briefly touched on ANC 6D's opposition to the project because of a lack of a community benefits package--Hood said that this project is not a PUD, and any desires to have amenities packages be part of CG Overlay reviews should have been dealt with when the Overlay was created, so the ANC's opposition was viewed as not germaine.
 
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