
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Seafair Sighting on the Waterfront

SW to See More Investment in Affordable Housing

Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Body Found in SW
According to NBC4, MPD discovered a body at 10:30 PM last night along the 300 block of P Street. The cause of death has not been determined yet. Once I find out more about this incident I'll post about it. (Update) According to MPD, the medical examiner said the decedent died of an accidental overdose and no foul play was discovered during the autopsy. (Update #2) According to an article from the Examiner, the decedent was murdered in Prince William County by a heroin overdose and his body was then transferred to the site on P Street. Three people in Manassas have been arrested in the murder. What a bizarre case!
Friday, August 22, 2008
Amidon-Bowen Elementary Participating in "Safe Routes to School" Program

Sunday, August 17, 2008
September Issue of The Southwester is Available
Unfortunately, my vacation is over, but that means I can start posting about Southwest again. The September issue of The Southwester, a monthly paper published by the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly, Inc. (SWNA) has been released. In this month's issue, two articles mention this blog as a newcomer to the Southwest DC media scene. The first article talks about three local blogs in the area, including Southwest...The Little Quadrant That Could, Knight-Batten Awards for Innovation in Journalism-nominated JDLand and SWDC Blog, another new blog on SW development. In the second article, it refers to my prior post about the Southwest Rectangle portion of NCPC's and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts' National Capital Framework Plan. Once I get back into the swing of things, I'll do a post on plans for East Potomac Park as well.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Details on Southwest Rectangle Portion of Framework Plan
If one walks along 10th Street SW today south of Independence Avenue, it would be hard to know due to the configuration of the street that at either end of the corridor lays the Smithsonian Castle and Banneker Overlook. Elsewhere in Southwest, Maryland Avenue is a disjointed boulevard blocked for the most part by railroad tracks. Empty lots and unused buildings litter the landscape. Freeways and expressways crisscross the area and disrupt the neighborhood urban fabric. These consequences of urban renewal in Southwest will change dramatically over the next few decades if the plans from the recently released National Capital Framework Plan are implemented. On July 10th, the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) in conjunction with the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts released the draft plan for a 90-day public review and focuses on four main areas surrounding the National Mall – Southwest Rectangle, Northwest Rectangle, Federal Triangle, and East Potomac Park. The main areas of interest in the Southwest Rectangle redevelopment include 10th Street, Maryland Avenue, redeveloping existing sites with infill development, and restoring the street grid by decking freeways.
10th Street & Banneker Overlook
The draft plan calls for 10th Street Southwest to become a mixed use corridor with shops, residences, offices, restaurants, and a memorial at the intersection of 10th Street and a rebuilt Maryland Avenue – most likely to be the site of the Benjamin Banneker Memorial. The Forrestal Building, home to the Department of Energy, currently straddles 10th Street at Independence Avenue and blocks the view of the Smithsonian Castle. Under the draft plan, the Forrestal Building complex would be redeveloped to allow multiple uses. At the southern end of 10th Street, a new major museum would be built at Banneker Overlook, helping to draw people from the National Mall to the new Southwest Waterfront below via a grand staircase.
Here's the current view of 10th Street north towards the Smithsonian Castle. Notice that the Forrestal Building blocks most of the castle from view.

Maryland Avenue
Maryland Avenue would be restored between 9th Street and 14th Street by covering the railroad tracks that currently run in the avenue’s right-of-way. As a result, Maryland Avenue would link the U.S. Capitol to the Jefferson Memorial. Under the draft plan, Reservation 113, a patch of land between 9th Street & 7th Street, would become the public space it was meant to be under Pierre L’Enfant’s original plan for Washington. Neighboring Virginia Avenue would be enhanced by creating a slender railroad trestle and enhancements to the VRE station would allow two-way traffic on that rail line.
Here's the L'Enfant Plaza VRE Station platform alongside Virginia Avenue.

Redevelop Existing Sites
Buildings such as the Liberty Loan Building near the 14th Street Bridge, the Whitten Building at the Department of Agriculture campus, and the unused Arts and Industries building at the National Mall could be redeveloped as museums or other cultural institutions. Other sites scattered around the Southwest Rectangle, including parking lots, vacant land, and decked over portions of I-395 (the Center Leg Freeway) could yield new mixed-use development opportunities.
Restoring the Street Grid
In addition to decking over the Center Leg Freeway near the U.S. Capitol complex, the draft plan calls for decking the Southeast-Southwest Freeway west of 7th Street so F, 9th, 11th, and 12th Streets can be re-established in the neighborhood. The 9th Street tunnel would be decked between Independence Avenue and D Street to re-establish 9th Street. In the long-run, the 14th Street bridges would be rebuilt, with tunnels approaching those bridges.
A copy of the National Capital Framework Plan is available on the NCPC website. The public review and comment period for the draft plan will extend until October 10, 2008.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Women's Museum Coming to Mall?

Monday, August 4, 2008
Construction Along Independence Avenue
DDOT had a press release about a week ago, but I didn't get a chance to post about it until now. From the press release: "The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is scheduled to begin work to resurface Pennsylvania Avenue, NW from 3rd Street to 15th Street, and Independence Avenue, SW from Washington Avenue to 1st Street. The nearly $2 million roadway project is scheduled to begin on Monday, August 11, 2008 with completion set for October 30th, 2008, weather permitting." This resurfacing project is in anticipation of Inauguration Day, which takes place on January 20, 2009. Here's some more from the press release: "Work will occur both during daytime and evening hours. Daytime hours will be from 9:30am to 3:30pm Monday through Friday with all lanes accessible for morning and afternoon rush hours. Milling and overlay work will be done nightly between 8pm and 3am. Some lane reductions should be expected during work hours." So the streets along the parade route will be pothole free for the new president!
New Construction at Marina View

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