First impressions are vital, and this duplex co-op impresses from the moment you walk in, the foyer lit from far above by a huge skylight. It was a lot like that time I met my girlfriend's parents and refused to take my sunglasses off the entire meal (what, I was hungover!), except, you know, the complete opposite.
From the entry level you ascend to the main level, which features a huge triangular living area. The skylit dining area is next to a wall of french doors, which open onto a panoramic view of the city. Next to that is the superlative kitchen. Look at that diamond-shaped, marble-topped island! Look at the custom cupboards, the commercial-grade appliances, the six-burner stove that comes equipped with a griddle! The gap between the quality of your cooking and the quality of your kitchen will never be larger. There's also a beautiful study, for your studying (just kidding, being an adult means not ever learning anything ever again), and a truly fine master bathroom that's far too nice for the disgusting things you're going to do in there.
The unit comes with a parking space (indispensable in Adams Morgan) and storage. Also, the prospective owner will have the rights to build a private roof deck. I don't know about you, but designing and building your own roof deck sounds like a no-brainer. I'd just cover the entire roof with Slip-n-Slide material, put up a padded barrier around the edge's perimeter, and let loose. Yes, I'm 33 years old.
2370 Champlain St. NW #34
3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths
$775,000
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Your Next Place
1 comments
Posted by
Franklin Schneider on 8/25/2012 03:04:00 PM
Labels: Adams Morgan, Your Next Place
Labels: Adams Morgan, Your Next Place
Friday, August 24, 2012
Clarendon Project Underway
8
comments
Posted by
Amanda Abrams on 8/24/2012 08:52:00 AM
Labels: Arlington, Clarendon, Esocoff and Associates, USAA, Zom Inc
Labels: Arlington, Clarendon, Esocoff and Associates, USAA, Zom Inc
Clarendon is on its way to getting yet another apartment building. Zom Inc., which is developing USAA Real Estate's parcel at 1200 N. Irving Street in Arlington, finally began construction earlier this month on a 10-story apartment building with ground floor retail that will front both N. Irving Street and Washington Boulevard. The project was designed by Esocoff & Associates.
Formerly known as The Waverly at Clarendon Station, the development has now been christened The Beacon at Clarendon West, according to Greg West, chief development officer for the Florida-based Zom. "We’ve revised the design and rebranded the project," he said.
The company's original condo concept is off the table. Instead, the project will include 187 one- and two-bedroom units averaging 850 square feet, each with de rigeur hardwood floors, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. About half will have balconies, and a rooftop pool is included in the package.
The building will have "a very unique and interesting radius shape," said West. In part, that curvilinear facade is designed to take advantage of the lot's outline. On the ground floor, lining both N. Irving Street and Washington Boulevard - but not the corner itself - will sit 17,000 square feet of space designed for retail. Zom has hired Asadoorian Retail Solutions to fill the spaces, but West claims the development partners have not decided on a specific mix of types. "We have a lot of flexibility as to the size and variety of what we can take," he said. "We just want to find the best tenants who will provide a good amenity value to the building."
Construction of the project, which is being done by Donohoe Construction, is beginning with a major excavation to make room for two floors of underground parking. The development, which will incorporate an historic facade that’s still on the property, should be finished in about two years.
The site, located two blocks from the Clarendon Metro station, has a fairly long history. Zom bought it from Faison in 2006 but the property lay empty for several years. In 2011, USAA bought the property and is developing it together with Zom.
The partners are also involved in a second Arlington venture, located at 1919 Clarendon Boulevard in Courthouse. The Clarendon Boulevard project, which is also currently under construction, is similar to the N. Irving Street one: although it's five stories rather than 10, the development includes 191 high-end apartments and another 17,000 s.f. of ground floor retail. Asadoorian is screening tenants for that property as well. "We'll be selecting retailers soon," said West.
Arlington Virginia real estate development news
Formerly known as The Waverly at Clarendon Station, the development has now been christened The Beacon at Clarendon West, according to Greg West, chief development officer for the Florida-based Zom. "We’ve revised the design and rebranded the project," he said.
The company's original condo concept is off the table. Instead, the project will include 187 one- and two-bedroom units averaging 850 square feet, each with de rigeur hardwood floors, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. About half will have balconies, and a rooftop pool is included in the package.
The building will have "a very unique and interesting radius shape," said West. In part, that curvilinear facade is designed to take advantage of the lot's outline. On the ground floor, lining both N. Irving Street and Washington Boulevard - but not the corner itself - will sit 17,000 square feet of space designed for retail. Zom has hired Asadoorian Retail Solutions to fill the spaces, but West claims the development partners have not decided on a specific mix of types. "We have a lot of flexibility as to the size and variety of what we can take," he said. "We just want to find the best tenants who will provide a good amenity value to the building."
Construction of the project, which is being done by Donohoe Construction, is beginning with a major excavation to make room for two floors of underground parking. The development, which will incorporate an historic facade that’s still on the property, should be finished in about two years.
The site, located two blocks from the Clarendon Metro station, has a fairly long history. Zom bought it from Faison in 2006 but the property lay empty for several years. In 2011, USAA bought the property and is developing it together with Zom.
The partners are also involved in a second Arlington venture, located at 1919 Clarendon Boulevard in Courthouse. The Clarendon Boulevard project, which is also currently under construction, is similar to the N. Irving Street one: although it's five stories rather than 10, the development includes 191 high-end apartments and another 17,000 s.f. of ground floor retail. Asadoorian is screening tenants for that property as well. "We'll be selecting retailers soon," said West.
Arlington Virginia real estate development news
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Unbuilt DC: Public Murals Dot DC's Underdeveloped Landscape
1 comments
Posted by
Unknown on 8/22/2012 03:34:00 PM
Labels: Columbia Heights, JBG Companies, Kalorama, Shaw, U Street
Labels: Columbia Heights, JBG Companies, Kalorama, Shaw, U Street
Map of BicycleSpace & MuralsDC bike tour |
MuralsDC and bike purveyor BicycleSpace, located on 7th Street NW between the Shaw and Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhoods, organized the mural tour. The (official) murals are publicly-funded through the MuralsDC program, an organization established in 2007 with the goal of deterring graffiti on historically "frequently-tagged" walls.
Eric B. Ricks (right) in front of his mural at 8th and S Streets NW |
Albus Cavus's "Blended", 2030 8th St NW |
From Albus Cavus's "Blended" |
MuralsDC mural at Walter Pierce Park |
A public art mapping platform by the ArtAround project has created an open-source inventory of DC public art, including murals. Users can search by type of art, funding source, and location.
"Every Day I See Something New," by Cita Sadeli, Champlain Street NW |
"Let's Meet at the Corner", artist Alicia Cosnahan, 13th St. and Park Rd. NW |
"My DC" - Corner of 14th and Randolph Streets NW |
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Your Next Place
This penthouse is everything a penthouse is supposed to be; huge, open, full of light, and expensive enough so that when you casually mention the price at a party, a hushed silence falls over everyone. (If you don't have a multimillion-dollar penthouse, the same effect can be achieved by announcing the exact opposite: "I made nine thousand dollars last year!" If I'd known when I was young that poverty was such a social advantage, I never would have majored in English with a minor in Painting. Oh wait, yes I would have.)
This luxury gem boasts interiors by Zaptaka Interiors, and it shows. Everything, from the faucets to the windowframes, to the basins and cupboards, exhibits a sort of unifying aesthetic, which I would describe as "really nice." (What, I'm not a designer, I don't know the lingo.) The main area is wide open, loft-style, with separate dining and living areas, as well as a large, well-appointed kitchen. There are three bedrooms, all of them large and boasting floor-to-ceiling windows. The master bath is massive and has sweet twin basins facing a frosted glass window, and a futuristic walk-in closet that's literally bigger than some studio apartments.
The unit comes with two garage parking spaces, as well as multiple outdoor terraces with stunning views of the city. You could use one just for pensive gazing at the horizon, and the other just for throwing pots of spoiled food down into the yard. That's what I do with my outdoor deck. (True, possibly related, story: the guy who lives below the aforementioned deck stepped out to have a cigarette the other night and was attacked by a opossum. Oops.)
2818 Connecticut Avenue NW #PH4
3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths
$1,750,000
3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths
$1,750,000
Washington D.C. real estate news
Monday, August 20, 2012
Petworth Safeway Announces September Start Date
14
comments
Posted by
Ken on 8/20/2012 10:47:00 PM
Labels: Duball, Georgia Avenue, Petworth, supermarkets
Labels: Duball, Georgia Avenue, Petworth, supermarkets
Duball LLC and Safeway have announced a start date for their Safeway project at 3830
Georgia Avenue. The project, announced several years ago, will develop
a 62,000 s.f. Safeway with 220 apartment units above. The development will replace the dated 21,000 Safeway building. A groundbreaking ceremony will be held September 19th.
The "transit oriented state-of-the-are Safeway," sitting on 1.56 acres, is one block north of the Georgia Avenue-Petworth Metro and will include 86 below grade spaces for customers and 135 spaces for residents. The development agreement, worked out between landowner Safeway and developer Duball, keeps Safeway as the owner of the land with Duball granted development rights for residential units and parking on top of the Safeway.
Marc Dubick, founder of Duball, was the principal developer of the CityVista Safeway in Mt. Vernon Triangle. Duball previously developed Lionsgate in Bethesda and Rockville Town Center.
Washington D.C. real estate development news
The "transit oriented state-of-the-are Safeway," sitting on 1.56 acres, is one block north of the Georgia Avenue-Petworth Metro and will include 86 below grade spaces for customers and 135 spaces for residents. The development agreement, worked out between landowner Safeway and developer Duball, keeps Safeway as the owner of the land with Duball granted development rights for residential units and parking on top of the Safeway.
Marc Dubick, founder of Duball, was the principal developer of the CityVista Safeway in Mt. Vernon Triangle. Duball previously developed Lionsgate in Bethesda and Rockville Town Center.
Washington D.C. real estate development news
MRP Breaks Ground on Washington Gateway
9
comments
Posted by
Ken on 8/20/2012 05:00:00 PM
Labels: Davis Construction, MRP Realty, NoMa, SK and I Architects
Labels: Davis Construction, MRP Realty, NoMa, SK and I Architects
Earth movers arrived at the Washington Gateway site in NoMa several weeks ago, signaling the imminent groundbreaking of the $360 million Washington Gateway, and now MRP Realty officials have acknowledged that construction is in fact beginning on the mixed-use project. A groundbreaking ceremony will be announced shortly.
In February 2012, DCMud reported that MRP had moved equipment to the site for preliminary work, but nothing substantial followed. Now, officials say that construction is beginning on a 14-story, 400-unit apartment building at 100 Florida Ave., NE. The promotional material states that the building will feature a "brick and metal panel exterior with floor-to-ceiling glass at the prominent corners." The residential building will be the first of several phases that will eventually include an office component. SK&I designed the building, Davis Construction is the general contractor.
An important component in the growth of NoMa neighborhood, Washington Gateway is bordered by the intersections of New York and Florida Avenues to the west and the Metropolitan Branch trail to the east. It is also situated one block from the New York Avenue Metro Station and neighborhood amenities including Harris Teeter.
Washington Gateway will join Archstone's First and M 469 luxury apartments and Mill Creek's Trilogy NoMA project (pictured, at left) which includes 603 units, just to name a few of the "3,500 residential units delivered or under construction."
Update: Developers say the project will be in 3 phases, with 2 and 3 being office buildings. The project will break ground Sept. 12.
Washington D.C. real estate development news
In February 2012, DCMud reported that MRP had moved equipment to the site for preliminary work, but nothing substantial followed. Now, officials say that construction is beginning on a 14-story, 400-unit apartment building at 100 Florida Ave., NE. The promotional material states that the building will feature a "brick and metal panel exterior with floor-to-ceiling glass at the prominent corners." The residential building will be the first of several phases that will eventually include an office component. SK&I designed the building, Davis Construction is the general contractor.
An important component in the growth of NoMa neighborhood, Washington Gateway is bordered by the intersections of New York and Florida Avenues to the west and the Metropolitan Branch trail to the east. It is also situated one block from the New York Avenue Metro Station and neighborhood amenities including Harris Teeter.
Washington Gateway will join Archstone's First and M 469 luxury apartments and Mill Creek's Trilogy NoMA project (pictured, at left) which includes 603 units, just to name a few of the "3,500 residential units delivered or under construction."
Update: Developers say the project will be in 3 phases, with 2 and 3 being office buildings. The project will break ground Sept. 12.
Washington D.C. real estate development news
Georgetown Project Renovation Begins Tomorrow
0
comments
Posted by
Ken on 8/20/2012 09:30:00 AM
Labels: Argos Group, DMPED, Georgetown, Potomac Investment Properties
Labels: Argos Group, DMPED, Georgetown, Potomac Investment Properties
District officials will hold a ceremony on Tuesday morning for construction of The Montrose, formerly known as the the Henry and Anne Hurt Home, at 3050 R Street, NW in Georgetown. Developers will turn the vacant property into 15 condominiums through demolition of non-historic portions of the building and renovation of the main building.
In September 2010 the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) selected the joint venture of the Argos Group and Potomac Investment Properties to redevelop the historic Hurt Home mansion at 3050 R St., NW. Disposition of the property awaited negotiations and plans for the building, but on July 11, 2012, the property was recorded as selling for $7,750,000 according to DC Recorder of Deeds. Neither pricing nor floorplans have been established, though a construction fence now surrounds the building and some interior work has begun. The Montrose, named for it's proximity to Montrose Park, is scheduled for completion in late 2013.
The Argos Group's other projects include The Station (pictured above), located at 524 9th Street NE, a mixed income historic condo conversion and The Firehouse, located at 1340 Maryland Avenue NE, a mixed income residential condo conversion.
Washington D.C. real estate development news
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Your Next Place
I genuinely loved this newly-renovated U Street rowhome; as you can see in the pics, it's one of the most open, brightest rowhome spaces you'll ever see. From the front door you can see all the way to the glass doors leading to the patio - and not just through a narrow hallway. You could legitimately use this apartment as a single-lane bowling alley, though I think we can agree that that's a pretty stupid idea. (Though that assessment could very well change after a few drinks.)
The living room area is flooded with light through the oversized bay window, and leads naturally to the dining area, which flows naturally to the eat-in kitchen furnished with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. Upstairs, the master bedroom is also generously proportioned, and outfitted with a custom walk-in closet that, let's face it, is far too nice for your wardrobe of Adidas tearaway pants and threadbare kickball t-shirts. The en-suite master bath features dual vanities ("Do not ever use my vanity, even if you're literally on fire" sign not included), a glass stand-up shower, and a soaking tub for when you've, I don't know, been sprayed by a skunk or something? (I literally couldn't think of a single other reason why you'd need to soak.)
There's also a fantastic stone patio out back, where you can sit and look at all the people in the surrounding apartment buildings looking down at you in your yard and thinking, "I wish I lived in a place with a backyard patio. I knew I shouldn't have majored in English." And being just a block above U Street, this place is also very close to all the very best bars in DC, which of course is defined as "bars where I know the bartenders and drink for free."
1347 V Street NW
Washington, D.C.
2 Bedrooms, 1.5 Baths
$759,000
Friday, August 17, 2012
Gensler Out, BBG-BBGM in as Watergate Architects
2
comments
Posted by
Unknown on 8/17/2012 09:45:00 AM
Labels: BBG-BBGM, Euro Capital Properties, Foggy Bottom, Gensler Architects
Labels: BBG-BBGM, Euro Capital Properties, Foggy Bottom, Gensler Architects
Interior restoration work on the famed Watergate Hotel has been quietly moving forward for weeks now and DCMud has confirmed that hotel owner Euro Capital Properties has engaged BBG-BBGM as the new architectural firm on the project.
BBG-BBGM replaces Gensler as the architectural firm working on the hotel at 2650 Virginia Avenue, NW in DC's Foggy Bottom neighborhood. Architectural firm Gensler, which completed conceptual designs for the project, has not had any involvement since October, according to a source.
Thomas Luebke, FAIA, secretary with the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) said the Commission gave preliminary approval under a courtesy conceptual review of the designs for the restoration last July 2011. The CFA asked Euro Capital Properties to make a few minor changes. But Luebke said the CFA has not seen plans since. "If there is a final proposal, we would love to see it," Luebke said. Designs submitted to the CFA last year showed very minimal changes to the exterior of Italian architect Luigi Moretti's iconic 1960 structure.
The Shipstead-Luce Act of 1930 designates that exterior changes to properties within a geographic overlay area - the Watergate complex falls within that area - are subject to final approval from the Commission in order to promote design sensitivity. Under Federal Law, the project must have CFA's stamp of approval on plans for exterior work before the DC permitting authorities can issue permits for exterior restoration work.
Final plans for the hotel must also be approved by the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) in the Historic Preservation Office of D.C. Office of Planning. According to city staff, HPO staff last met with BBG-BBGM in January 2012 to discuss details of the initial restoration plans, but has not received any new plans from Euro Capital Properties.
Plans to renovate the hotel have seen challenges since the property was sold to Monument Realty in 2004. With the hotel still open, Monument plowed forward with plans to revert the building to its historic use as co-operative residences, but pre-sales slumped in 2006 and legal problems beset the conversion. Monument stalled and closed the hotel in 2007. Monument's lender PB Capital Corporation foreclosed on the hotel and put it up for auction in 2009 but there were no bids.
Euro Capital Properties bought the hotel in 2010 with plans to turn the property into a $300 a night luxury hotel. Euro Capital principal Jaques Cohen has said his company plans to invest $70 million in the project, according to The Georgetown Current. Progress on the Watergate Hotel restoration again seemed to hit turbulence last fall when some residents of the Watergate complex's co-op residential units voiced opposition to the developer's restoration plans. Neither Euro Capital Properties nor BBG-BBGM had responded to DCMud inquiries at the time of publication of this article.
Washington D.C. commercial real estate news
Thomas Luebke, FAIA, secretary with the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) said the Commission gave preliminary approval under a courtesy conceptual review of the designs for the restoration last July 2011. The CFA asked Euro Capital Properties to make a few minor changes. But Luebke said the CFA has not seen plans since. "If there is a final proposal, we would love to see it," Luebke said. Designs submitted to the CFA last year showed very minimal changes to the exterior of Italian architect Luigi Moretti's iconic 1960 structure.
The Shipstead-Luce Act of 1930 designates that exterior changes to properties within a geographic overlay area - the Watergate complex falls within that area - are subject to final approval from the Commission in order to promote design sensitivity. Under Federal Law, the project must have CFA's stamp of approval on plans for exterior work before the DC permitting authorities can issue permits for exterior restoration work.
Final plans for the hotel must also be approved by the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) in the Historic Preservation Office of D.C. Office of Planning. According to city staff, HPO staff last met with BBG-BBGM in January 2012 to discuss details of the initial restoration plans, but has not received any new plans from Euro Capital Properties.
Plans to renovate the hotel have seen challenges since the property was sold to Monument Realty in 2004. With the hotel still open, Monument plowed forward with plans to revert the building to its historic use as co-operative residences, but pre-sales slumped in 2006 and legal problems beset the conversion. Monument stalled and closed the hotel in 2007. Monument's lender PB Capital Corporation foreclosed on the hotel and put it up for auction in 2009 but there were no bids.
Euro Capital Properties bought the hotel in 2010 with plans to turn the property into a $300 a night luxury hotel. Euro Capital principal Jaques Cohen has said his company plans to invest $70 million in the project, according to The Georgetown Current. Progress on the Watergate Hotel restoration again seemed to hit turbulence last fall when some residents of the Watergate complex's co-op residential units voiced opposition to the developer's restoration plans. Neither Euro Capital Properties nor BBG-BBGM had responded to DCMud inquiries at the time of publication of this article.
Washington D.C. commercial real estate news
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Today in Pictures - NPR Home in NoMa
Initial work was secretive, as NPR refused requests to release initial plans or renderings of the project, which bears an unfortunate resemblance to the FBI headquarters downtown. Hickok Cole Architects designed the addition to the historic warehouse, which is providentially set back from the historic structure.
Washington D.C. real estate development news. Photos courtesy Rey Lopez
DIY City Planning: OP and AIA DC Launch Citizen Focus Groups
Ever been to a planning meeting? Fuzzy on development zoning and permitting, but still have ideas about D.C. development or what exactly makes a great neighborhood? The D.C. Office of Planning (OP) - the municipal authority charged with shaping the District's urban landscape - still cares about what residents like you have to say. That's the message the office is sending with a new series of focus groups.
In collaboration with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) DC Advocacy Committee, the OP, under the direction of Planning Director Harriet Tregoning, has launched a series of focus groups to get a picture of resident thoughts on place-making and everything from transportation to use of public space. Two focus groups, of two hours each, have already met and two are coming up.
The focus groups signal a real effort in the planning department to look beyond planning meetings and foster citizen agency.
The deadline to join the groups was August 8th, and OP officials say there was an overwhelming interest to join: the office received hundreds of applications and selected participants who had been both more engaged and less engaged in official city planning processes.
"We have these very official – and some might say officious – ways of doing business and engaging people," Tregoning said. She noted that development and planning initiatives go through a complex approval process some residents might find distancing. But, she said, many are already working informally - both outside city hall and with the city - to improve their neighborhoods. Tregoning points to a recent project under the city's Temporary Urbanism Initiative in which, with grant funding from ArtPlace, citizens painted a plaza with cafe tables and imagined structures to show what the plaza would be like if it were a place for people and not cars.
"People have a lot of energy around this but there is not necessarily a place for it to go, and how can we harness it for the betterment of the city and for the neighborhood?" Tregoning asked.
The idea for the forums emerged from joint meetings between OP officials and the new D.C. advocacy committee of the AIA. Carolyn Sponza is the enthusiastic head of the committee and has been a key force behind spearheading the effort. She said the two groups realized there was a real "synergy" between AIA D.C.'s advocacy committee's goal to engage broad community issues larger than architecture, and the OP's "Citizen Planner Initiative."
An architect at Gensler and AIA volunteer, Sponza said that residents have raised a diverse range of issues so far. She said two main themes have been urban mobility and connectivity. "There were a lot of things about making connections, like the 'I can't get there from here syndrome,'" Sponza told DCMud. She said people were also interested in growing connections, both between neighborhoods and between citizen organizations and non-profit planning and architecture services.
Tregoning said the forums are meant to explore ways to reach people and engage people more informally and more frequently on different kinds of issues. "There is just a ton of interest in what makes good neighborhoods and good places and a lot of people in the city have this deep curiosity in good cities," Tregoning added. "We were interested in ways to try to satisfy that curiosity and at the same time try a better constituency for better planned neighborhoods and better citizen engagement."
Tregoning pointed to many possible outcomes that could emerge from the focus groups:
The AIA DC advocacy committee will present an overview of the meetings on October 4th at the new District Architecture Center at 421 7th Street NW, in DC's Penn Quarter neighborhood, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. The street-level space, also home to the Washington Architecture Foundation, was designed by Washington firm Hickok Cole Architects. The center hosts events and exhibits aimed at engaging the public and professionals in architecture.
The District Architecture Center, Image courtesy AIA |
The focus groups signal a real effort in the planning department to look beyond planning meetings and foster citizen agency.
The deadline to join the groups was August 8th, and OP officials say there was an overwhelming interest to join: the office received hundreds of applications and selected participants who had been both more engaged and less engaged in official city planning processes.
"We have these very official – and some might say officious – ways of doing business and engaging people," Tregoning said. She noted that development and planning initiatives go through a complex approval process some residents might find distancing. But, she said, many are already working informally - both outside city hall and with the city - to improve their neighborhoods. Tregoning points to a recent project under the city's Temporary Urbanism Initiative in which, with grant funding from ArtPlace, citizens painted a plaza with cafe tables and imagined structures to show what the plaza would be like if it were a place for people and not cars.
"People have a lot of energy around this but there is not necessarily a place for it to go, and how can we harness it for the betterment of the city and for the neighborhood?" Tregoning asked.
The idea for the forums emerged from joint meetings between OP officials and the new D.C. advocacy committee of the AIA. Carolyn Sponza is the enthusiastic head of the committee and has been a key force behind spearheading the effort. She said the two groups realized there was a real "synergy" between AIA D.C.'s advocacy committee's goal to engage broad community issues larger than architecture, and the OP's "Citizen Planner Initiative."
An architect at Gensler and AIA volunteer, Sponza said that residents have raised a diverse range of issues so far. She said two main themes have been urban mobility and connectivity. "There were a lot of things about making connections, like the 'I can't get there from here syndrome,'" Sponza told DCMud. She said people were also interested in growing connections, both between neighborhoods and between citizen organizations and non-profit planning and architecture services.
Tregoning said the forums are meant to explore ways to reach people and engage people more informally and more frequently on different kinds of issues. "There is just a ton of interest in what makes good neighborhoods and good places and a lot of people in the city have this deep curiosity in good cities," Tregoning added. "We were interested in ways to try to satisfy that curiosity and at the same time try a better constituency for better planned neighborhoods and better citizen engagement."
Tregoning pointed to many possible outcomes that could emerge from the focus groups:
- A "Development 101" module about how development happens in the city and how residents can have influence in the process.
- Further engagement of citizens around traffic and development and aspects of "the built environment that lead to more trips by car or fewer trips by car."
- Efforts in particular neighborhoods to clean up trash, get more retail, or build facilities from public trash cans to parking.
- DIY projects
- New ways people can participate in planning. Most avenues for citizen input in planning are geared toward in-person meetings. Possible new avenues might use technology to include people to engage remotely.
- Walking tours in areas that citizens nominate geared toward fostering dialogue surrounding the question: "what makes a great place?"
The AIA DC advocacy committee will present an overview of the meetings on October 4th at the new District Architecture Center at 421 7th Street NW, in DC's Penn Quarter neighborhood, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. The street-level space, also home to the Washington Architecture Foundation, was designed by Washington firm Hickok Cole Architects. The center hosts events and exhibits aimed at engaging the public and professionals in architecture.
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