Rhode Island Row

Some of you may be interested in the developments at the Rhode Island Avenue Metro Station.

Rhode Island Row

Check out the Rhode Island Avenue Insider's POST on the development, including photos of the spaces.

Also, check out the Friends of Rhode Island Avenue site.

Community Presentation on the Development of the McMillan Sand Filtration Site

The Neighborhoods of EYA and Jair Lynch Development Partners.

WARD 5 COUNCILMEMBER HARRY “TOMMY” THOMAS, JR.,
THE DEPUTY MAYOR FOR PLANNING & ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT, THE MCMILLAN ADVISORY GROUP, &
VISION MCMILLAN PARTNERS

Invite You To A

Community Presentation on
the Development of the
McMillan Sand Filtration Site

Saturday, February 7, 2009
10:00am to 12:00pm
Trinity University Social Hall
125 Michigan Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20017

Vision McMillan Partners, the development team for the site, includes:

• EYA
• Jair Lynch Development Partners
• StreetSense
• The Alexander Company
• Smoot & Urban Service Systems Corporation


A TOWN HALL MEETING TO PRESENT CONCEPT PLANS FOR THE SITE, BASED ON PRIOR COMMUNITY AND DISTRICT FEEDBACK AND FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY MEETING ON DECEMBER 13TH.

WE ENCOURAGE STRONG ATTENDANCE AND WANT TO SEE YOU THERE!

Discussion Topics will include:

• Presentation of Revised Concept Plans Based on Feedback from the December 13th Community Meeting at Trinity - Will include Open Space, Historic Preservation, Mixed-Income & Multi-Generational Housing, Community Serving Retail and Restaurants, Job Creating Office Space, Hospitality, and Community, Education, and Cultural Space

• Key Community Issues - Context and Density, Traffic/Smart Growth, Infrastructure, Community Benefits, LSDBE Participation, Job Creation, Sustainable/Green Development, and Other Community Issues


Light Food and Parking Provided

For More Information, Contact:
Vicky Chambers, Office of CM Thomas, at 202- 727- 8204
John Basile, EYA, at 301- 634- 8600

Development of the McMillan Sand Filtration Site

Community Presentation on the Development of the McMillan Sand Filtration Site
December 13, 2008
10:00am to 12:00pm
Social Hall, Trinity University
125 Michigan Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20017

Vision McMillan Partners, the development team for the site, includes:
• EYA
• Jair Lynch Development Partners
• StreetSense
• The Alexander Company
• Smoot & Urban Service Systems Corporation

A TOWN HALL MEETING TO PRESENT CONCEPT PLANS FOR THE SITE, BASED ON PRIOR COMMUNITY AND DISTRICT FEEDBACK, AND TO PROVIDE TIME FOR ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AND DISCUSSION. WE ENCOURAGE STRONG ATTENDANCE AND WANT TO SEE YOU THERE!

Discussion Topics will include:

• History and Existing Condition of the Site

• Presentation of Concept Plans - Will include Open Space, Historic Preservation, Mixed- Income & Multi-Generational Housing, Community Serving Retail and Restaurants, Job Creating Office Space, Hospitality, and Community, Education, and Cultural Space

• Key Community Issues - Context and Density, Traffic/Smart Growth, Infrastructure, Community Benefits, LSDBE Participation, Job Creation, Sustainable/Green Development, and Other Community Issues

Light Food and Parking Provided

For More Information, Contact
Vicky Chambers, Office of CM Thomas, at 202- 727- 8204
John Basile, EYA, at 301- 634- 8600

Important meeting tonight

On the agenda for the Bloomingdale Civic Association

- the nomination of candidates for the Civic Association's upcoming election of officers, and

- an Association resolution about the liquor license application for the proposed tavern at 84-86 T St, NW. Under discussion will be the proposed hours of operation, parking, trash disposal, and the noise that may accompany operation of this business. We will issue an invitation to the owners to address the community on behalf of their business.


Neighbors with any other business to bring before the Civic Association should contact us at bloomingdaleca @ gmail.com to ask for a place on our agenda.

The meeting will be held at St. George's Episcopal Church, located at 160 U St, NW. It will begin promptly at 7:00 p.m. and refreshments will be served.

old eckington

here is a page concerning old eckington and the walking tour that happened on April 27, 2008.

there are some fantastic historic pictures.

the greyhound station is moving.

From the Washington Business Journal:

The Greyhound block is finally on the block.

The 1.6-acre depot at First and K streets NE, behind Union Station in the booming NoMa neighborhood, just went on the market after years of discussion about what to do with the site. D.C. officials have long wanted Greyhound to relocate, but the bus company was never able to cut a deal to move to Union Station.

old sand filtration development meeting recap

can be found HERE

big important meeting tonight concerning old sand filtration plant.

This development will impact Bloomingdale more than any other.


The Neighborhoods of EYA
Jair Lynch Development Partners

WARD 5 COUNCILMEMBER HARRY "TOMMY" THOMAS, JR., THE DEPUTY MAYOR FOR PLANNING & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & VISION MCMILLAN PARTNERS

Invite you to a

Community Visioning
Session on the
Development of the
McMillan Sand Filtration Site

Tuesday April 22, 2008
6:30 pm to 9 pm
O'Connor Auditorium, Trinity University
125 Michigan Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20017



THE GOAL OF THIS MEETING IS TO HEAR THE COMMUNITY'S THOUGHTS AND IDEAS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SITE.

WE ENCOURAGE STRONG ATTENDANCE AND WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!


Discussion Topics will include:

* Existing Condition of the Site

* Potential Uses & Opportunities - Open Space, Historic Preservation, Mixed-Income & Multi-Generational Housing, Community Serving Retail, Job Creating Office Space, Hospitality, and Community, Education, and Cultural Space

* Key Community Issues - Traffic/Smart Growth, Infrastructure, Community Benefits, LSDBE Participation, Job Creation, Sustainable/Green Development, and Other Issues


Light Food and Parking Provided.

For More Information, Contact
Vicky Chambers, Office of CM Thomas, at 202-727-8204
John Basile, EYA, at 301-634-8600


Vision McMillan Partners, the development team for the site, includes:

* EYA
* Jair Lynch Development Partners
* StreetSense
* The Alexander Company
* MacFarlane Partners
* Smoot & Urban Service Systems Corporation


due to a family obligation i can't make the meeting. if anyone goes and can send me pictures or thoughts, please do so.

wheresymycoffee @ gmail.com

old engine company 12 to become 2020 Martini

The city last month finalized the sale of Old Engine Co. 12 at 1626 N. Capitol St. to Brian Brown, managing partner of NC Firehouse LLC, which is led by his company, NextGen Development. Brown purchased the building for $600,000, the value at which the city assessed it, and plans to put another $2.4 million into renovations.

The three-story, 10,000-square-foot space will become home of 2020 Martini at Engine Co. 12, a restaurant concept by Twyla Garrett of Cleveland-based Garrett Entertainment Corp.





full article here
Washington Business Journal - by Gillian Gaynair Staff Reporter



other highlights include:

-XM radio is in on the deal and will be doing live broadcastings from the location
-Twyla Garrett of Cleveland-based Garrett Entertainment Corp will be the developer
-the will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner
-first floor will serve brick-oven pizzas.
-a small pasta bar and a sushi bar.
-2nd floor will have live music performances
-third floor will have an espresso bar
-a rooftop deck will offer tapas.
-Harry Thomas introduced a bill seeking 10 years of property tax relief for NC Firehouse LLC

here is the website for 2020 Martini in Columbus, Ohio, owned by Twyla Garrett
warning: music starts playing when the page loads.

apparently work has already started on the building.......

here was my first post about the firehouse

the obligatory negativity about the project can be found here.

Olsson's on 7th Street got the boot?

i'm told that Olsson's on 7th street in the landsburg building is closing. Apparenty they are getting kicked out because some business offered to pay twice as much rent.

How about moving to north capitol Olsson's?

Survey about the Future of the Gage-Eckington Elementary School

See this 4/15/2008 message from ANC 5C04 Commissioner John Salatti:


Many people in the area know, but just as many do not know, that, as part of the District's school closure program, one of our neighborhood schools, Gage-Eckington Elementary School at 3rd and Elm Streets NW will be closing at the end of this school year. The LeDroit Park Civic Association has taken the lead on coming up with a plan for the short- and long-term future uses of the building and grounds. Along with my ANC colleagues, Myla Moss and Margot Hoerrner, I am a part of a LDPCA working group. We have been discussing a number of great and exciting ideas, but to really create the best plan that reflects the needs of this area and that best serves the entire community, we need to hear from you.

To facilitate getting that feedback, we have drafted a survey and are circulating it widely. For example, in LeDroit Park, Howard University students who live at Slowe Hall on 3rd Street NW are collaborating with residents and going door-to-door with the survey. In another example, I attended one of Commissioner Hoerrner's monthly meetings at Kelly Miller homes this week where as part of the meeting, she distributed copies of the survey and assisted residents there in filling it out. In addition, I have given a copy of the survey to the Bloomingdale Civic Association and the BCA may be distributing paper copies of it as well. But we are also using electronic means to give you easy access to the survey.

Here is a link to the survey on-line:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=E6RKz0TmHxz8uQmKiXJgRA_3d_3d

Please go to the link and fill out the survey. We need to hear from you and need to hear soon, preferably this week. Within the next 30 days, the city will likely be making decisions about the future of many of the closing schools. Having a clear plan ready to present to the Mayor and other District officials will increase the likelihood that we as residents can determine what will happen at Gage-Eckington.

Together, we can transform the unfortunate closing of this neighborhood institution into the opening of needed new services and opportunities for this area. So make your views known!

I look forward to hearing from you. If you have any questions about this process, please drop me an e-mail, and I will get you an answer.

Have a great day,
John

John T. Salatti
Commissioner, ANC 5C04
Recording Secretary, ANC 5C
(202) 986-2592
jsalatti@earthlink.net
"Together, Building a Better Bloomingdale"

art spaces and developers in brooklyn

one can easily say that brooklyn, is a much hotter real estate market and a more dynamic area than DC. Sure Brooklyn is way bigger than DC and part of one of the larges economic city-states in the world, so that type of market is expected.

Whats not expected is that artists can find studios at $6.82 per square foot a year.
$6.82!!!! thats amazing. i had moved my studio out to Mount Rainier, Maryland for the allure of 10.00.

Last i checked that ground floor store front at 3rd and Rhode Island was going for 30-ish.
The difference is staggering.

So why did i bring up brooklyn and this rent? read here to see why these artists are getting that deal
.
Imagine a developer in DC savvy enough to pull that off. Imagine people with means that truly embrave the Arts as Catalyst model.

Target

am i the only one thats not that excited about Target in Columbia Heights?

i've hit the one in Potomac Yards, the one in College Park, the one in Hyattsville. i dont avoid target, but i'm also happy to go the few blocks to national wholesale liquidators. i'm just a bit non plussed by Target. i've got plenty of plastic stuff as it is.


thats not to say i'm not happy that DC is on the radar of stores, i just figure theres lots of stuff nearby, and i'd much prefer different things than more of the same, but slighty closer. hopefully it'll keep buckets of tax money in the district and that money will fix the schools, and add to transit infrastructure. and get more police coverage.

and maybe a city funded arts center.



anyway, i'm not meaning to be down on target, i'm sure i'll go there eventually, but i'm just a bit tired of reading about how people dont have to go to the "suburbs" to buy affordable t-shirts. there are places, they just don't have Michael Graves toasters.

NoMa BID To Host James Bond Film Festival

NoMa BID To Host James Bond Film Festival

In Summer 2008



Festival Kicks Off May 8 With “Oddjob Challenge”
The NoMa (north of Massachusetts Avenue) Business Improvement District (BID) will host a summer-long James Bond Film Festival from May 8 through August 28, 2008. Free and open to the public, the outdoor festival will feature 15 of the best Bond flicks from 1962 through 2006. Each film showing will be preceded by an Oddjob look-alike contest,
with all Oddjobs given the chance to toss their bowler hats at a statue. Viewers also can dress up as other Bond film characters.


The Bond films will be shown each Thursday night, rain or shine, on the site of the future Washington Gateway mixed-use development at the intersection of Florida and New York Avenues, N.E. The site is located directly across Florida Avenue from the New York Avenue Metro station and the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) headquarters.


“Along with Artomatic, which opens in NoMa on May 9, the James Bond Film Festival will bring tens of thousands of visitors to this exciting new neighborhood that is currently in the process of rapid transformation,” said Elizabeth Price, President of the NoMa BID. “The film festival will be held on the site of what will soon become nearly one million square feet of office, retail, residential, and hotel space, known as Washington Gateway. In addition to having a lot of fun watching old James Bond movies, visitors will experience NoMa’s great location and rapidly developing vitality.”



The film festival is being organized by Georgetown Film Festival. For more information, see www.georgetownfilmfest.com.

Schedule:
Thursday, MAY 8 | DR. NO | (1962)
Thursday, MAY 15 | FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE | (1963)
Thursday, MAY 22 | GOLDFINGER | (1964)
Thursday, MAY 29 | THUNDERBALL | (1965)
Thursday, JUNE 5 | YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE | (1967)
Thursday, JUNE 12 | DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER | (1971)
Thursday, JUNE 19 | LIVE AND LET DIE | (1973)
Thursday, JUNE 26 | THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN | (1974)
Thursday, JULY 10 | THE SPY WHO LOVED ME | (1977)
Thursday, JULY 17 | MOONRAKER | (1979)
Thursday, JULY 24 | FOR YOUR EYES ONLY | (1981)
Thursday, JULY 31 | OCTOPUSSY | (1983)
Thursday, AUGUST 7 | A VIEW TO A KILL | (1985)
Thursday, AUGUST 14 | GOLDENEYE | (1997)
Thursday, AUGUST 21 | TOMORROW NEVER DIES | (1997)
Thursday, AUGUST 28 | DIE ANOTHER DAY | (2OO6)

five guys to noma

eckington dc living tells us that five guys will be opening a place in NoMa.

so its looking like coffee, pizza, mussels and burgers over at atf.

Artomatic in NoMa!

For immediate release

NoMa BID media contact: Artomatic media contact:

Leslie Braunstein Marina Reiter

703-234-7762 202-271-4748

info@lhbcommunications.com reiter.marina@gmail.com

Artomatic Comes to NoMa May 9–June 15, 2008

Up to 800 artists and 50,000 visitors expected in
D.C.’s most exciting new neighborhood

The NoMa (north of Massachusetts Avenue) Business Improvement District (BID) will host this year’s Artomatic, the Washington, D.C. area’s homegrown art extravaganza. From May 9 through June 15, 2008, up to 800 local and regional artists will exhibit their works on eight floors of the Capitol Plaza 1 building, located at 1st and M Streets, N.E., just one block from the New York Avenue Metro station.

Held regularly since 1999, Artomatic transforms an unfinished indoor space into an exciting and incredibly diverse arts event that is free and open to the public. In addition to displays and sales by hundreds of artists, the event features free musical, dance, and theater performances; holiday celebrations; films; educational presentations; and much more.

This year’s Artomatic, occupying 200,000 square feet at Capitol Plaza 1, will be the largest to date. Designed by renowned architect Shalom Baranes and owned by an affiliate of The Polinger Company, Capitol Plaza 1 offers 293,000 rentable square feet of Class A office space, with dramatic Capitol and city views from the upper floors.

“We are thrilled to partner with Artomatic in an event that will bring tens of thousands of people to NoMa,” said Elizabeth Price, president of the NoMa BID. “It is a great opportunity to showcase the transformation that is underway in NoMa and infuse it with the energy and creativity of the artistic community.”

"Artomatic has come back to its roots in D.C. with our largest event ever,” said George Koch, Chair of Artomatic. “We are excited about our partnership with the NoMa BID and their help in bringing this new space to our attention. Artomatic 2008 will have an abundance of exhibit and performance space that will be open to all — from recognized artists to undiscovered talents.”

Registration for artists and performers who wish to participate in Artomatic will be open soon. To stay up to date on the event details and schedule, visit www.artomatic.org and sign up to receive the Artomatic newsletter.

###

About the NoMa BID:

NoMa is an emerging mixed-use neighborhood north of the U.S. Capitol and Union Station in Washington, D.C. Private developers have invested almost
$2 billion in 2007–2008 alone, with plans to develop more than 20 million square feet of office, residential, hotel, and retail space in the 35-block area covered by the NoMa BID over the next 10 years. For more information about the BID, including an interactive development map, see the BID Web site at www.nomabid.org.

About Artomatic:

Artomatic is a creative community that collaborates to produce and present a free arts spectacular. Participation is open to all, from recognized artists to undiscovered talents, who work in a variety of arts forms. In partnership with the development community, Artomatic transforms unused building space into a playground for expression, serves as a catalyst for community growth in up-and-coming neighborhoods, and helps to grow our creative economy. The nonprofit Artomatic organization is headed by a volunteer Board of Directors and is funded in part by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, an agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information, visit www.artomatic.org.

harris teeter in NoMa

you know, every time i go to the Giant at Brentwood Shopping Center i vow to never go there again.

i like cooking a lot and i like shopping for food. i go to lots of different places and am not really a big fan "one stop shopping". i try to go to area farmers markets, the florida avenue markets, trader joes, grand mart, shoppers, safeway, whole foods, even costco, glut, a couple of the indian markets in langley park, timor bodega, etc.. i hit them all. but really i only go to the giant when i'm already picking up stuff from home depot, or if i need something quickly, because its the most convenient grocery store to my house.

But at the end of 2010 i wont have to make my convenient runs to giant anymore. i'll have a new grocery store thats closer that i can complain about:

Harris Teeter. will be opening a store at First and M NE.






hopefully it wont be as expensive as the ones i've been to in virginia. ; )

any way check out the great renderings of Constitution Square here
and the official announcement on the NoMa BID site

this is the lot in this picture

Meet Bloomingdale!

Ever wonder what it would take to change the direction of North Capital Street? Specifically the area between Rhode Island Avenue and New York Avenue. In the past few weeks I have found neighbors with an interest/curiosity about how we, as Bloomingdale neighbors, can help North Capital Street regain it’s footing as a great street. Imagine, the power of a group of neighbors to buy one vacant building on North Capital Street. Daunting and exciting.

Let’s meet.

My agenda is to meet you. ....and,

• Talk about what is needed to form an LLC. How is an LLC different/better than a 503c. Is there a better option?


• How would we start? Would we have an initial investment amount per person? $1000, $10,000. More, less?
  


• Do we organize the seed money first, and then find the property....that seems to make sense.


• What is our mission? Is it solely to clean up North Capital? Is it to entice more businesses? Is it to make money? Are we only considering those buildings for sale, or do we approach other businesses....would SAVEMORE be interested in a new facade? Would that be something we would want to think about.
  

So let’s meet Bloomingdale! Tuesday, March 25th, 7:00pm at Nellie’s Sports Bar (9th and U Street). Please email me if you would like to be included: Karen_and_Howard at verizon dot net.

Think. Think. Think about it.

more stuff coming to noma.

NPR to Relocate to NoMa in Washington, D.C.

NPR has acquired the 165,000 square foot building at 1111 North Capitol Street, N.E. from J Street Development of Washington, D.C. Built in 1927 as a warehouse for the old Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company, it is currently used as warehouse space by the Smithsonian Institution.


All of NPR’s 600 Washington-based journalism, multimedia, business and executive activities will be housed in this new facility, with occupancy planned for 2012.

read about it here

interesting footnote about the Washington Gateway Project here
the city allowed the developer to measure the building’s height from New York Avenue, which soars up above surrounding street level to leap the train tracks. From the rest of the neighborhood, therefore, the building is going to look like one of the tallest in the city.

Washington Flower Center, Eckington

Info from Cassidy and Pinkard


Summary

For sale is the Washington Flower Center, a 52,740 square foot industrial/flex building constructed in 1987 and currently occupied by a group of wholesale florists. The building sits on a 1.9 acre development site and is located in Washington, DC’s most exciting submarket, NoMa (North of Massachusetts). The site is currently zoned M with a 6.0 FAR, which allows matter-of-right use as office, industrial or hotel. Through the Planned Unit Development (PUD) process, an owner is likely to achieve C-3-C zoning, providing for an FAR of 6.5, or as much as 538,616 square feet of development.

With three hotels, a grocery store and approximately two million square feet of office development delivering by 2010, NoMa is quickly becoming the area’s preferred mixed-use neighborhood. Union Station, only one Metro stop from the site, abounds with retail and dining options, and extensive retail is planned along 1st Street, NE, the primary commercial corridor of the submarket. The area’s growing commercial base also will support residential development, and Trammell Crow Residential is currently in the planning stages for a 650-unit rental project adjacent to the Washington Flower Center site. NoMa’s future is a “24-hour” mixed-use environment, and Washington Flower Center is well-positioned to capitalize on this dynamic transformation.

Size
52,740 square foot industrial/flex building located on 1.9 acres (82,864 square feet)

Location
Located in Washington, DC’s dynamic NoMa submarket, the property is only a five minute walk from the New York Avenue Metro Station, part of Metrorail’s Red Line, the most heavily traveled in the Washington, DC region. The site enjoys convenient access to major arteries including 1st Street, NE, New York Avenue (Route 50), Florida Avenue, North Capitol Street and I-395. The site is also proximate to the Metropolitan Branch Trail which, along with the New York Avenue Metro station, will encourage pedestrian and commuter access to and from the site.

Market
NoMa submarket of Northeast Washington, DC