Jazzy Wright
Thanks
once again, Jazzy, for covering Bloomingdale!
Firehouse Restaurant Moves Forward
Piece
by piece the old firehouse on North Capitol Street is slowly transforming into
a full-service restaurant. After years of waiting, owners of the three-story,
10,000 square-foot firehouse filed in August for a license to serve alcoholic
beverages. Washington Firehouse Restaurant will serve American fare. According
to a preliminary menu diners can expect pizza, steak, salad options, and raw
oysters.
The
restaurant has gotten off to a rocky start. In 2008 the city sold the building
to developer NextGen Development. According to a Washington Business Journal
report, NC Firehouse LLC managing partner Brian Brown bought the building for
$600,000. The building was originally slated to become a multi-themed dining
experience, complete with a restaurant, martini bar, performance stage, and
espresso bar.
At
the time of sale the restaurant was expected to be the first sit-down
establishment in the area. Not much happened to the property, though. While
other restaurants opened in the area, including Red Hen and Aroi Thai, the
firehouse remained shuttered for the following five years. Restaurant operators
began construction on the project earlier this year.
Neighbors
Give Back
Summer
is nearly over, and many schools across the region are reopening for the new
academic year. To help local students prepare for school the World Missions
Extension Center and the Rhode Island North Capitol Ecumenical Council of Churches
hosted its annual Back to School Rally & Giveaway on Randolph Place on
Saturday, August 17. World Missions has organized Bloomingdale-area giveaways
and rallies for the past 18 years.
As
part of the block-party festivities, the organization provided area children
and teens with school supplies and vouchers to help purchase uniforms. More
than double the expected number of children showed up for the giveaway.
Community support for the giveaway program was so high that the World Missions
was able to host two additional giveaway rallies in Wards 7 and 8, in addition
to the Bloomingdale event. In all, World Missions estimates that they gave
supplies to more than 1,200 children and families (they helped more than 785
families at the Bloomingdale event).
Several
key leaders helped to kick off the event, including Councilmember Kenyan
McDuffie (Ward 5), Academy of Ideal Education Principal Paulette Imani, Langley
Education Campus Principal Charlotte Spann, and now-retired DC Public Schools
Administrator Pat Sanker. Local pastors from the Ecumenical Council of Churches
addressed the crowd. Additionally DC Police Assistant Chief Diane Groomes and
Commander C. Robinson distributed supplies to children throughout the day.
“The
Back to School Rally is designed to provide essential school supplies to needy
children returning back to school,” said Dr. JoAnn Perkins, World Mission’s
founder and executive director. “As such, people living in the community are
able to express their support to the children and parents so as to show we care
and that providing school supplies is a way of expressing such support.”
The
school rally was funded primarily by the DC Children and Youth Investment Trust
Corporation. In addition to hosting food drives World Missions organizes back-to-school
fundraisers, mentoring programs, and tutoring lessons for students. Perkins
says that one of the best ways that local residents can give back is to become
a mentor to youth who participate in World Missions programs.
6 comments:
Poor Jazzy, why waste your time on write ups on the Firehouse. The actions you see now are likely just a little flutter to keep tax collectors at bay. Until this is sold to a real entrepreneur or restaurant group, you can recycle your story for the next 10 years. Last year, they painted the fence outside, this year they changed the front door, next year, who knows.
It could be the first sit down restaurant on that block of N Capitol, but Terry's wine bar might actually beat it if it opens in the next few years.
Soon, you can write about the new tex-mex place on 1st and maybe the tapas place will open next to Rustik in the next few years (though tapas went out of fashion two years ago). Hopefully this new place will reconsider their concept before opening, too.
They also move a really expensive pizza oven into the place and replaced the large front doors on it too. Seems to be an awful lot of money and time to spend if they are only trying to keep the tax collectors at bay.
Ok then why are they moving forward and on the ABRA hearing list for their license? Kinda lotta work to just be faking it. Plus, in the course of my day this make little difference to me so not sure why your so down on it.
mona, you must be new to the neighborhood and new to the group "developing" that site. You might be interested to learn about their past experiences with ABRA and various other hearings as well. Should all be public docs if you have interest to explore a bit.
Maybe someone will take it over and turn it into something good one day. I will share your optimism once this is in someone else's hands.
Well you go ahead and view this as never happening. I will be enjoying a meal there and you can enjoy a nice pb and j at home.
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