Wednesday, March 31, 2010
NCPC to Take Up Several SW-Related Items Tomorrow
Food Cart Arrives at Waterfront Station
Sunday, March 28, 2010
What Bloggers Are Saying About Southwest
- Over on DCMud, there's a post about the continued space needs of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), even though their headquarters is being moved to St. Elizabeths in SE. The U.S. Coast Guard, which currently resides in Buzzard Point, will be one of the first agencies to make the move to St. Elizabeths, as their new headquarters is currently under construction. According to the DCMud post, the GSA will issue a request for proposals (RFP) for 1.1 million square feet of space to suit the needs of DHS. Constitution Center has 1.2 million square feet of empty space in a highly secure environment, so that complex is an obvious candidate for the RFP, but the space needs don't necessarily have to be filled in one building.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Design Concept Selected for Eisenhower Square

The commission chose the most elaborate of the designs, with a central grove and columns on the north and south sides, plus a "tapestry" of woven stainless steel mesh.
Instead, Gehry has proposed closing off a newly defined square defined by the intersection of Independence and Maryland avenues and Fourth and Sixth streets SW. The north and south sides of "Eisenhower Square" will be [lined] by huge limestone columns, the interior filled with a grove of large oaks and a semicircular space made of a rough assemblage of monolithic stone blocks. There will also be carvings and inscriptions and a service building. But the most intriguing and potentially most problematic element of the design are three huge tapestries, made of woven metal. Preliminary models show one tapestry running along almost the full height and length of the north face of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Department of Education Building. That could limit light and affect sightlines for workers who once had views to the Mall. Gehry, who attended the commission's Capitol Hill news conference, said that the tapestry would be translucent and that it will stand 90 to 100 feet away from the Education Department building, which is essentially the width of a city street.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
CityZen Pastry Chef Nominated for RAMMY; Sou'Wester Reviewed in Hill Rag

Subway...Eat Fresh!
Monday, March 22, 2010
DDOT to Install Speed Bumps Near Greenleaf Rec Center
Sunday, March 21, 2010
4th Street Close to Completion
Above is a photo of road crews laying the final layer of asphalt in front of 1100 4th Street.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Things to Do and Avoid This Weekend
- WeLoveDC via DCist reports that Cantina Marina’s outdoor deck will be open this weekend because of the beautiful spring weather we’re experiencing.
- Kites of Asia will be taking place at the National Air and Space Museum on Saturday (the event is indoors, but it’s free!).
- The SunTrust National Marathon will make its way through Southwest on Saturday, causing certain street closures. Check out their website for a list of closures.
- DDOT will be closing the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge from 4am – 9am on Sunday to test the swing span.
Update: DDOT has announced there will be a detour route for Circulator service during the marathon on Saturday. Here's a link describing the detour route.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
FRESHFARM Market Coming to HHS
FRESHFARM Markets strives to build and strengthen the local food movement in the Chesapeake Bay region. We use our markets to create vibrant urban and community places, to provide economic opportunities for farmers and to showcase our region's agricultural bounty. We aim to create a sustainable urban-rural partnership that brings the blessings of healthy local food to our communities and sustains the working landscapes that feed us.The HHS FRESHFARM Market will be run in collaboration with FedStrive, a new comprehensive health & wellness program initiated by the department of Federal Occupational Health (FOH) that’s being tested on HHS employees. According to an interview done by Corporate Wellness Magazine of FOH Director Dr. Gene Migliaccio last month, FedStrive hopes to achieve the following:
FedStrive hopes to bring a take charge approach to health, wellness, and work/life balance. Putting an emphasis on statements like “I want to be ____,” Federal employees are encouraged to fill in the blank and strive to accomplish their personal wellness goals. To help maintain momentum, the FedStrive program will also offer incentives to HHS Federal employees in the form of free Fitness Center memberships or other non-cash incentives.The HHS FRESHFARM Market will operate on Wednesdays from 2:30 pm – 6:30 pm and will run until October 27th.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Fences Come Down!
Monday, March 15, 2010
Safeway to Provide Shuttle Service During Closure
We have been advised by Safeway that they will be providing a shuttle service between the M St. SW store and its 14th and Kentucky Ave SE store during some portion of the 8 days its SW store will be closed. The leadership of the ANC6D is coordinating the details of dates, times and pick-up locations. Safeway will be announcing its plans shortly.
Naomi Mitchell
Community Relations
Office of Councilmember Tommy Wells
Ward 6
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Suite 408
Washington, DC 20004
Office: 202-724-8014
Fax: 202-724-8054
Email: Nmitchell@dccouncil.us
- Friday April 9: 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 6pm, 7pm, 8pm
- Saturday April 10: 11am, 12pm, 1pm
- Monday April 12: 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 6pm, 7pm, 8pm
- Friday April 9: 11:30am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm, 6:30pm, 7:30pm, 8:30pm
- Saturday April 10: 11:30am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm
- Monday April 12: 11:30am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm, 6:30pm, 7:30pm, 8:30pm
Sunday, March 14, 2010
A Stroll Down 4th Street
This is 1100 4th Street (East Tower). The retail space covered in blue is where CVS will be located; the green retail spot hasn't been filled yet and the orange space is where Safeway will open.
Workers were busy working inside the new Safeway at the base floor of 1100 4th Street and a quick peek inside shows the neon glow of the Starbucks sign at one of the store entrances.
This is the entrance to Safeway that's closest to the Waterfront-SEU Metro entrance. The shared wall between the new and old Safeway stores is visible.
The parking garage for Safeway is off of 4th Street. With a minimum $8 purchase at Safeway, parking will be validated for 90 minutes.
Here is a view of part of the Metro plaza, which is still under construction.
Spirit of the Pearl Makes its Way to the SW Waterfront

- Green Jobs
- Workforce Development
- Shipbuilding and Carpentry Apprenticeship Program
- Tour Guides (The Pearl Underground Railroad)
- Media Arts Program
- African American/ DC, Maryland and Virginia History Education Curriculum (School Literacy Focused Programming)
- Volunteer Coordination
Coastal Flood Warning Issued for DC
Expect low-lying areas of Southwest to experience flooding like Haines Point, the Fish Market, and some residential areas.The National Weather Service has issued a Coastal Flood Warning, effective until 1PM Monday. Water levels on the tidal Potomac River near D.C. are currently running 4 feet above normal. With freshwater runoff from recent rains & melting snow arriving from upriver tonight and tomorrow, moderate flooding is expected near the river during times of high tide over the next couple days. Next high tides at appx. 8:45PM, 9:00AM Mon, 9:20PM Mon. During this period, please stay clear of the Potomac & Anacostia rivers, as well as areas right near their banks.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Announcement Regarding DC Government Tenants Moving to Waterfront Station
The District Department of Transportation Public Space Permit Branch is moving from its current location at 941 North Capitol Street, NE to 1100 4th Street, SW. The new location is on top of the Waterfront-SEU Metro Station on the Green Line. The Public Space Office is moving simultaneously with the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) who also recently announced their relocation. The move will take place on Friday, March 19, 2010, and as such the Public Space Permit Branch will be closed for the day and again on Monday morning. The Permit Center at the new location will be located on the 2nd floor with the Permit Branch Offices located on the 3rd floor. Regularly scheduled hours of operation will resume Monday, March 22 at noon.New Location:District Department of TransportationPlanning Policy and Sustainability AdministrationPublic Space Permit BranchThird Floor1100 4th Street, SWWashington, D.C. 20004202-535-2982, phone
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
M Street Redesign Discussed Last Night

Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Northrop Grumman Tax Incentive Deal Unraveling?
Monday, March 8, 2010
4th Street May Open to Pedestrians by Next Week
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Upcoming Meetings This Week
Friday, March 5, 2010
NCPC Approves Design for C Street Renovation

...the Commission approved preliminary and final site development plans for site improvements and perimeter security for Federal Office Building 8 located at 200 C Street, SW. The General Services Administration (GSA) plans to convert the Modernist-style building—constructed in 1965 as laboratory space for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration—into office space primarily for staff of the Legislative Branch. At its January 2010 meeting, NCPC approved preliminary and final building plans for the building’s renovation. The plans propose to transform an existing surface parking lot located along C Street into a landscaped plaza that would provide an entry forecourt into the building. The plans also call for using hardened street furnishings as perimeter security elements around the building’s four sides. These furnishings include benches, bike racks, bollards, streetlights, garden walls, newspaper boxes, and trash receptacles. The perimeter security plan presented today responded to previously unfavorable comments made by the Commission at its October 2007 meeting. The Commission noted that GSA worked with NCPC staff and with other federal and local agencies to ensure that the new perimeter security elements will be successfully incorporated into the urban landscape with little impact on the surrounding public space.Several office buildings in the Southwest Federal Center area have parking lots in front of them, which looks terrible and takes away from the urban fabric of a city, so it will be nice to see one of these parking lots removed. The WBJ reports that the building will seek LEED-Gold certification and will be completed by October 2012. Below is a description of some of the elements of the exterior renovation, from the WBJ article:
The landscaped plaza will result in a 43-percent reduction in impervious surfaces north of the building, and the proposed plan increases the number of street trees from 15 to 35. The site will also accommodate storage for 100 bikes. Proposed perimeter security elements include steel bollards that are mostly made of recycled content.
Patriots Plaza II Gets Tenant
“Constitution Center has expressed strong interest in becoming the new FBI headquarters facility, with all 1,400,000 square feet being utilized by the FBI,” said Robert Hines, managing director at Cassidy Turley, who is marketing the building. While the Hoover Building’s size and design is widely shunned, it’s not clear if the FBI will ever entertain moving into a secure building in another location, freeing up the redevelopment of the existing Hoover site.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
SEU Campus News
I have it on good authority that the Graduate School has purchased the former home of Southeastern University at 501 I St., SW. Formerly associated with the US Department of Agriculture, the Graduate School is now an independent educational institution. It currently holds classes in the Capital Gallery, 600 Maryland Ave., SW. But for much of the year classrooms are full every day. They need more space.
When the Graduate School opens on I Street, the school hopes to continue Southeastern’s close relationship with the community. But my sources report that the Southeastern building would need enormous work to rehabilitate, and that the Graduate School considers it currently close to uninhabitable. The Graduate School has commissioned an engineering study of Southeastern & is considering its options, from renovation to demolition.
The Graduate School has been meeting with elected officials in DC & SW. It expects to make an official announcement by April.
David C. Sobelsohn
Commissioner, ANC 6D02Secretary, ANC 6D
(202) 484-8303