more talk about the firehouse..you know.. the martini sushi pizza tapas waterslide place.

a developers agent vlogs about the firehouse on north capitol

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.

luciana cafe

See Kris Hammonds Post about a new restaurant on North Capitol.

EC-12: Is there a restaurateur in the house?

Here is a sad and frustrating message from Konrad Schlater, Special Assistant in the
Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development

All:

We had hoped to close on the sale of the fire station to NextGen Development by the end of the 2007. Unfortunately, due to lack of performance by the developer under our sale contract we did not proceed to closing on the sale as planned.

The developer has been spending a lot of time, money, and effort to push this project forward. However, the developer has failed to execute an agreement and lease with a restaurant operator - a necessary pre-condition for our sale of the building. As you may know, the original proposed operator, Mike Benson, moved back to North Carolina and abandoned the project a little over a year ago leaving the developer without a restaurant operator. Over the past two months, NextGen has been in serious negotiations with Twyla Garrett of IME Services, an LSDBE firm headquartered on North Capitol Street, to act as the restaurant operator. Ms. Garrett is just now preparing to open a restaurant with a very similar restaurant concept in Cleveland, Ohio. I have spoken with IME Services and they are very serious about this project.

Due to NextGen's failure to meet their commitments to the District under the sales contract, we have notified them that they are in default of our contract. The developer has 30 days to cure its default under the agreement. If the developer is not prepared to close on the sale, the District will have the option to terminate the agreement, restructure the terms, or find an alternative solution. It is our sincere hope that we can proceed to closing on the sale with the developer shortly. Brian Brown of NextGen Development has already completed designs for the project, obtained permits for the exterior work on the building, and lined up the necessary financing - and we are tantalizingly close to starting construction work on the firehouse. A deal between NextGen Development and IME Services represents the best hope for a prompt and successful development of the firehouse.

I can assure you that the Deputy Mayor's office along with Councilmember Thomas and his staff have been giving this project close attention and we will not take our eye off the ultimate goal, which is removing the blight of the abandoned building and replacing it with high quality neighborhood-serving retail.

I'd be happy to provide ANC5C with an update any time. Please give me a call if you have any questions about this email or the project generally.

Thanks,

Konrad Schlater
Special Assistant
Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development
(w) 202-727-6934

rumors of north capitol

posted on the eckington listserve was mention of Luciana Cafe coming to the corner of North Capitol and P NW.
i remember reading about "J. Bells" which was supposed to open in the very same spot quite a while ago.

so, we'll see.


Anyone been in the video store yet?

north cap and florida

Urban metro diary has got a story about the proposed development of the vacant lot at the intersection of North capitol and florida avenue nw.

look here.

on the bloomingdale farmers market

A resident of Bloomingdale has expressed frustration with the cost of produce and impacted parking conditions caused by the Bloomingdale Farmers Market. It was all abuzz on the bloomingdale and eckington email chains.

In Shaw has posted about it, with numerous comments

Does it seem that whenever there is a community concern in denser neighborhoods in DC someone pulls out the "move to the suburbs" line? Every so often its, " move back to iowa" or something like that.

I dont get it. Does our community actually expect people to up and move because they dont like something?

Now, i LOVE the Bloomingdale Farmers Market. In my short 4+ years in the neighborhood, nothing has created such community and been so pleasant. I hope it lasts and grows. I try to promote it on this blog and with my cash.

Still, i dont think a healthy tactic is to attack or say, "Deal with it" to people that have issues. some have suggested that they even sell their car.

I think the best way is to illustrate how beneficial the market is, not how mean the detractors are.

If the person seriously has issue, attacks wont change their minds.
Personal attacks on an individual detractor can however turn that detractor into many.

historic districts

talk of a neighborhood becoming an historic district always seems so contentious. doesn't it seem like there should be some sort of middle ground between a neighborhood that anything can be built as a matter of right ( based on zoning) and the tight and red taped path of an official historic district?


Doesnt it seem that anything that can cause so much rift in a community should be fixed?

here is a link to the historic preservation office.

thinking about farmers markets

i went down to the Bloomingdale Farmers Market today and now, while i'm enjoying an awesome heirloom tomato, pesto on "flute" sandwich i'm thinking about farmers markets.

When i was a kid we would only go to farmers markets occasionally. We'd make a special trip to the Union Square Farmers Market in New York, or to small roadside stands for seasonal harvests like apples, or corn, and to a few amish markets. But only a handful of times a year.

I was more interested in the adventure than the produce. All i wanted to eat was a tuna salad sandwich and a yoo-hoo. or pizza and soda.

It wasn't until i went to college that i actually met produce farmers, vegetable gardeners and began to care about the origins of the food i ate. It was then that i began making trips on my own to the few farmers markets that i knew of. and even then, it wasn't that often.

After college, i worked and lived on a Community Supported Agriculture farm in Maryland for 6 months. I ate really really well. We also set up at farmers markets and made deliveries of "shares" of each weeks harvest.

I learned to love farmers markets. After i left that farm, i would often go to farmers markets and roadside stands, but not religiously, more of a ... oh what would i like to do today kinda thing. I used to work at the Shakespeare Theatre and would hit up on the thursday afternoon penn quarter market, and i always encourage my wife to go, since she currently works in that hood.

Now, i try to make it every sunday to the bloomingdale farmers market and want to include it in my regular shopping habits. I love the quality of the produce there and feel that its an important thing to support.

While its pretty small and limited, the stuff available at the market is amazing. the heirloom tomatoes i got today were perfect, and i still can't believe bread line is setting up in our hood. they are simply the best bakery in the city, but the hours and the location of their shop was never convenient for me.

I have hopes that the market will grow and take over the entire street, but in the meantime i'll still do my best to make it every sunday.

I'm glad that establishing farmers markets has been a growing trend
here is the most current list of farmers markets in DC that i could find

renegade public art.

seen at the bus stop at florida and noth capitol.

noma, the video. want a vision of the future?

here is a video from the NoMa Bid.

anyone like it?

the big bear big bear.

photo by big bear

IMG_7457
Originally uploaded by Scenic Artisan

this is a painting i'm helping to work on. still unfinished.

we were trying to find that combination of making it blend in to the old signage underneath, and making it pop.



i think its coming along well........

Bloomingdale Farmers Market Sunday 10-2!

Please try to make it out and support the farmers market that will be happening from 10AM - 2 PM this Sunday, and every Sunday until November.


First and R NW (next to the Big Bear Cafe)
rain or shine.

From Robin Shuster:


First, THANK-YOU to everyone who was there last week for the first market of the season! That was so much fun! Come back this week to see all the new things we have. Here are some tastes of this weekend's harvest:

First of all, we have a new producer: Brian of Truck Patch is joining us -- and he is bringing the very first tomatoes of the season! His High Tunnel Tomatoes -- not hothouse, not greenhouse, but tomatoes grown in the ground with a protective tunnel above them that allows him to plant his seedlings a few weeks early. Good slicing tomatoes for hamburgers or bagels or sandwiches . (Lana will probably be using them in the Cafe for her bagels.) Zucchini and other yellowneck squash. Genovese Basil for Pesto. Broccoli, radishes, lettuces, arugula, baby spinach, mesclun, lettuce mix, Bright Lights Swiss Chard, chives, sage, lavender, cilantro.

And he has excellent fresh, pastured pork : boneless and bone- in pork chops, sausages, baby back ribs, tenderloins, fresh breakfast links and sage sausage, bacon. Brian is a good cook and can tell you the best way to cook every cut of his pork.

Reid's Orchard is FRUIT SALAD CENTRAL this week. Cherries, of course, but also early PEACHES, red raspberries for the early risers, gooseberries, red currants, and some apricots. Strawberries....and their first real picking of blueberries.

Sunnyside promises to have TWICE as many veggies as they did last week (when Carlos sold out at 11:30.) Be sure to get their really free-range, grass-range eggs from those hens Lana photographed three weeks ago. Look for summer squash, green green cabbage Italian Parsley, collards, carrots, leeks cucumbers, mini and red onions, kale, collards, chard, Kohlrabi, Basil, Elephant and Silver Skin Garlic, lettuces, escarole, broccoli, cider, apple butter, apple sauce, flowers.

DragonFly has those beautiful bouquets of flowers and their very special black currant and wine vinegars from their own wines.

7th Street Gardens will be have early peaches, salads and veg.

Your Market Manager, Ted McGinn, will be ringing the opening bell at 10 am. So, get some coffee at the Big Bear Cafe and come to market!

See you Sunday.

Robin

Bloomingdale Farmers Market Pictures.

I just got back from the bloomigdale farmers market and wanted to share some pictures.

North Capitol Street Business District

Charting the Future of the North Capitol Street Business District

Thursday, June 21, 2007, 7pm to 9 pm, at McKinley Tech High School, 151 T Street NE

You spoke out loudly and clearly - Over 200 residents spoke out in the North Capitol Main Street (NCMS) survey

Results are in - Hear what neighbors say are the "key" obstacles to a vibrant business community and learn why:
Neighbors rarely patronize neighborhood businesses
What type of retail and restaurant options are most desired in the community
Talk back to local businesses - Learn what neighborhood businesses say are major challenges to doing business in the community

Learn from small business experts - Michael Shuman is a nationally recognized small business expert ... teaching small businesses how to compete ... helping to create vibrant communities

howard town center

everything is a center, huh?


look here for info about the "center" thats going in at georgia and v street.



"center of the universe"
by Roger Cutler

Bloomingdale Farmers Market this Sunday!

Please try to make it out and support the farmers market that will be happening from 10AM - 2 PM this Sunday, and every Sunday until November.


First and R NW (next to the Big Bear Cafe)
rain or shine.

a note from Robin Shuster, the market organizer:


Reid's Orchards will be bringing fresh raspberries, sweet cherries, strawberries, crisp and juicy apples (from storage), basil and many potted herbs (different kinds of thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, chervil, parsley, cilantro) plus a variety of tomato plants for your sunny gardens. No, it is not too late to plant tomatoes. Catilin will also have lettuce gardens and other container vegetables.

Sunnyside Farms, our certified (Oregon Tilth) organic farm will have beautiful free range eggs from chickens who pranced around large pastures when Lana and I visited them a few weeks ago. Sunnyside will have lots of greens and salads: kale, chard, collards, lettuces, arugula, red and green mustard, baby turnips, baby beets, applesauce, apple butter, cider plus kohlrabi, the alien vegetable

Dragonfly Farms will be bringing a variety of beautiful cut flowers and bouquets and some potted plants plus their very special Black Currant and Varietal Grape vinegars. I visited their farm in Maryland yesterday. They have an 80 acre farm, 70 of which is a beautiful, cool, green forest. Their grapes take up 5 acres and the currants another 3 acres. The flowers are planted in other fields and the vegetables are in rows between the currants. Many of the squash and cucumbers are planted in large Oak barrels.

Baker Lamb: Joan has 12 acres of pasture for her sheep and she treats them very well, indeed!

the petworth geyser

wow. you gotta see this

the 17th street campaign

the 17th street campaign

almost two miles from bloomingdale .. but i thought this was an interesting resurgence of an old.. and in dc, failed... idea.

I'm personally a big fan of pedestrian only areas....I also think that we will see this idea crop up more and more in DC.

here is some text from the website:

17th Street, between Massachusetts and New Hampshire is the ideal location for a pedestrian promenade
in Washington due to several factors:


· The vast majority of people arriving at the businesses in the neighborhood already arrive on foot, not by car

· The area is dominated by independent restaurants and small shops, which would benefit by increased
pedestrian traffic and the ability to use parts of the promenade for additional seating and space.

· The area is bounded on one end by residential areas and the other by dense office buildings, insuring
use of the promenade for both lunchtime and evening/weekend activities.

· Minimal traffic and no metrobus routes currently exist on 17th Street, and traffic could easily be
diverted to New Hampshire, 16th and 18th Streets with minimal disruption.

Developers bullish on Northwest's Bloomingdale

Washington Business Journal Article on Bloomingdale