Preservation League Guns for a Fight

The DC Preservation Leauge issued its 2007 list of Most Endangered Places in a press release. Here's a sampling:

• DCPL warns "the view from the west porch of the United States Capitol overlooking the “Grand Avenue” of the National Mall and beyond to the Potomac River and Arlington National Cemetery was once open to visitors. Today, extreme security measures cut off public access to this remarkable view . . . Centuries of careful urban planning that created a city symbolic of openness, freedom, and democracy have been overturned by spontaneous, ill planned measures."
  
  
  Is this a reference to the over zealous cops that put a few ropes on the Capitol, or a reference to the high-rises of Arlington? True the off-limit signs at the Capitol are off-putting, but the USA Today building and its ilk are worse, if you ask us DCPL. If the DCPL can wax about the lack of access, how about demanding that Arlington abide by the DC height limit?
  
• Three former DC public schools located between North Capitol and 3rd Sts.
  NW "represent an irreplaceable view of the developing architecture." Armstrong High School, Slater Elementary School and Langston Elementary School. Though plans are in the works all now "are completely empty and prey to squatters and thieves," DCPL said. "Attempts to contact the Board of Education . . . regarding these schools and their dilapidated condition went unanswered." Shame.


• The row houses of Columbia Heights, Eckington and Capitol Hill east are all under development pressure.


• Last year we wrote about the risk of turning Mt. Pleasant Street into a strip mall.

Ohhh....I Should Have Bought That Parking Space

See where that SUV is parked? It's yours for 25K.

Right smack in the middle of Columbia Heights at 14th and Euclid. Way back in the early 1990's you probably could have had a very nice apartment in that same neighbor for that same price.

Makes one think that the smart move perhaps would have been to invest in parking, not condo. You can't really live on parking space though . . . or can you?

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/doc/rfs/326539461.html

The Same But Different

Jair Lynch Cos./AHD Inc. is set to break ground on a mixed income condo at a mixed-use project at 14th and Belmont Sts., NW. The Solea will have 60,700 sf of residential space, comprised of 59 condominium units of which 22 will be dedicated to affordable or low- to moderate-income families. GlobeSt. reports local retailers, Trade Secrets and Zawadi.

With this condo project, the remarkable transformation of Columbia Heights continues. When Target et al. open their doors, 14th St. will be buzzing. The store not only will give DC another retail option, but also hopefully drive down prices at other retailers as well. Having the big-box in the middle of the city will make mid-city more like every city in America.

The mix of market rate and affordable housing, such as the Solera, near the Target certainly will make this store unique. How many other Targets, Wal-Marts, Costcos are located as close to mixed income housing. For that matter, how many other big-boxes are as close to any housing at all. This is one-of-a-kind.

Caution Flag On Yellow Line Extension

The Metro planning committee will continue discussion on extending the Yellow line to the U Street, Columbia Heights and Petworth stations. DC propsoed to pay for the extension and is ready to launch a $2.5 million, six-month pilot program that would begin in January 2007. Councilman Jim Graham says the Washington Post got it wrong when it said the panel held off on a vote because the discussion was only for information purposes.

Suburban jurisdictions want to know if the Yellow line can be extended into Maryland as well. On an average weekday, 53,400 people ride the Green Line from the Shaw/Howard U. Station, the stop after Mount Vernon, to Fort Totten.

Other Metro board members used the Yellow line extension to raise other issues, such as extending all Red line trains to Shady Grove and ways to speed service on the Blue line.

PUT THOSE SHOVELS IN THE GROUND TIMES TWO

Considering the lack of retail we all suffered though for decades these developments are amazing for their scope and location.

On March 1, a $51 million shopping center and residential project at Camp Simms, a 25-acre former National Guard property in Anacostia, is set to begin. Anchored by a 63,000 SF Giant Food store and about 45,000 SF of additional retail space, including a restaurant. The developer, William C. Smith & Co., also plans to build 75 detached single-family homes on the site, which sits between Alabama and Mississippi Aves.

The project really could transform DC east of the river, where the median household income is about $25k per year. Anacostia is the only area of DC that has not really seen gentrification, but with major developments like this the area will attract more and more people. Let's face it Anacostia is way closer to the Capitol than is Arlington, and there is no bubble there to wait to burst. The project was not listed in the recent supermarket roundup.

And ground has officially been broken on the Target-DC USA retail development in Columbia Heights. The 500,000 SF retail and entertainment complex is being developed on the west side of 14th Street between Park Road and Irving St. A two-level Target will anchor the complex and will occupy 180,000 SF.

In addition to Target the following retailers have signed letters of intent or are in negotiations: Bed Bath & Beyond, Whole Foods, Best Buy, Old Navy, Washington Sports Club, Marshall's, Staples, Starbucks, Petco, Modell's, Vitamin Shoppe, Payless Shoes, Casual Male, Mattress Discounters, Panda Express, McDonald's, Nine West, Motherhood, Cingular Wireless and various local retailers.