Bloomingdale Bites
Armed Forces Retirement Home Mulls Development
The Armed Forces Retirement Home may be getting a makeover soon. The independent agency, which is just north of Bloomingdale and the McMillan site, is seeking a developer to revamp and re-purpose 80 acres of the nearly 300-acre property. The Armed Forces Retirement Home is the nation's oldest continually operating retirement home for enlisted military personnel.
In October, the organization jump-started efforts to develop the property into a mixed-use project that will provide the retirement agency with an alternative income stream. Late last month, the Retirement Home hosted an industry event to present the development concept to the region's largest developers--several representatives from big-name corporations attended the meet-and greet, including staff from PN Hoffman, the Grunley Construction Company and David M. Schwarz Architects. Also at the event was EYA, a member of the Vision McMillan team selected by the city to lead development efforts at the nearby McMillan filtration site.
The Retirement Home agency is seeking to develop the southern segment of the campus into private-sector development that includes residential housing, office space, retail shops and additional assisted living housing. Since the Retirement Home campus is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district, the agency wants to develop the property in a way that minimizes adverse effects anticipated from mixed-use development.
Moving forward, the Retirement Home is in the process of developing a request for proposal for the property.
Crime Update
City police officers solved one puzzling crime in October: For most of the past year, a thief has been on the loose in Bloomingdale, stealing mail packages from unsuspecting residents. The thievery ended in October when Metropolitan Police Department officers from the Fifth District Vice Unit successfully conducted an undercover operation to identify and apprehend the suspected thief. Policy officers caught the thief in possession of a stolen package in unit block of Rhode Island Avenue NW. According to Ramey Kyle, a lieutenant with the Fifth District VICE, Street Crimes and Warrant Squad, the arrested person has been linked to numerous package thefts throughout the Fifth District dating back to January 2014. The suspect was arrested carrying what may have been a stolen Halloween costume.
On October 27, 2014, two suspects attempted to take a scooter from a victim during a carjacking. The altercation occurred on the 400 Block of Richardson Place N.W. in the early evening. According to a statement from the Metropolitan Police Department, authorities are searching for two black male suspects, both approximately 17 years old. The first suspect is tall and thin and wore a mask over half his face. The second suspend is heavyset and possibly wore a red shirt during the carjacking.
Local Church Gears Up for Thanksgiving Rally
The holidays are upon us, and the World Missions EXTENSIONS Center church is readying for their annual Thanksgiving and Christmas charity drives. World Missions will join forces with McLean Bible Church to host the 20th annual “Thanksgiving Basket Give-away,” an event that will donate food items for parents who otherwise could not afford traditional Thanksgiving meals for their families. The event takes place on Saturday, November 22, 2014 at the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church on Rhode Island Avenue N.W.
In past years, more than 2,000 parents and their children have lined up to receive free food baskets during the annual Thanksgiving Basket Giveaway. According to surveys conducted by World Missions, many give-away basket recipients are unemployed or leading single-family households.
Additionally, World Missions will host its Christmas giveaway on December 20, 2014. Donors have until December 19, 2014, to donate toys (or sign up to volunteer) for the upcoming community event.
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