Skyland Struggles Towards Uncertain Timeline

With the specter of a Wal-Mart vs. Safeway showdown over a decade-old exclusivity covenant having receded, the District can get back to resolving the many other issues standing in the way of the Skyland redevelopment in Southeast DC, a top priority of Mayor Vincent Gray’s embattled administration. But can Skyland overcome the many hurdles it faces?

Safeway, one of the District’s top private employers (15 stores), and high-profile retail anchor Wal-Mart squared off in November over an agreement Safeway had entered into with the owners of the shopping center, Skyland LLC, to bar certain types of competitors from the property after Safeway relocated to a nearby shopping center. Each side issued bland statements but retained powerful advisors; Safeway hired Maryland lobbyist Bruce Bereano, famously an ex-fraternity brother of Mayor Gray, and Wal-Mart hired David Wilmot, a local dealmaker who co-hosted a fundraiser with Mayor Gray just last month. Fast-forward a couple of days, and the matter was suddenly settled.

"A covenant exists on one lot of the many that comprise the Skyland redevelopment site," says Nimita Shah, Project Manager in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) by way of clarification. “The District is in discussions with Safeway about the removal of the covenant and anticipates a resolution in the upcoming year. However, it is important to note that the Safeway covenant noted above will have no impact on the proposed Wal-Mart that is to be included in the redevelopment, given that its placement on the site is outside of the affected lot.”

Either no one at Safeway or Wal-Mart actually read the covenant before throwing down their respective gauntlets, or the issue was quietly resolved through backroom horsetrading (the very sort of thing that Gray denounced when he pledged to bring transparency to the mayor's office). At any rate, with this issue put to bed, does this mean that Skyland faces a clear runway to approval and groundbreaking? Far from it.

Since first seizing Skyland in 2005 by invoking eminent domain, the District has spent over $12 million on settlements. Three more tenants settled in 2011 – Hong Kong Inn, Hilltop Cleaners, and New York Fried Chicken – leaving perhaps as few as one holdout, though according to the District there are over a dozen tenants are still operating at Skyland. “Fifteen tenants remain in operation at Skyland," says Shah. “The District is in the process of working will all of the remaining tenants to coordinate their relocations over the upcoming year.”

Everyone out by the end of 2012? Count Elaine Mittleman, an attorney who represents several Skyland tenants, among the skeptics. Mittleman contends the eminent domain proceedings have been slipshod and disorganized. “Wild ineptitude,” Mittleman snaps when asked to characterize the District’s handling of Skyland. Mittleman also provided DCMud with extensive correspondence between herself and the District that seems to raise questions about who holds the titles to seized Skyland properties, as well as concerns about the eventual turnover of Skyland to private developers, one of whom is a close associate of Mayor Gray’s, and has done repairs at his home.

Serious questions also remain regarding the project itself. There’s no firm consensus on whether Skyland is in fact a viable site for redevelopment; critics have pointed to the lack of public transportation options (the nearest Metro station, Anacostia, is a mile and a half away) and an already dicey traffic situation. There are also multiple competing projects in Southeast – St. Elizabeths East, Poplar Point, and Kenilworth-Parkside, just to name a few - as well as another Walmart planned nearby, on East Capitol Street. In the face of these doubts, the conventional wisdom is that with millions and years spent and so many promises made – none more than by the present administration - the District can hardly back out now.

Or can it?

People who point to the 2005 Supreme Court ruling that empowered the city of New London to oust intransigent homeowners so they could build a Pfizer plant as proof that Skyland is all but inevitable, overlook the fact that the Pfizer plant was never actually built. The drawn-out process of settling with and vacating tenants, as well as appeals and the administrative labyrinth of state seizure of property, can often outlast the patience of prospective tenants. Before Wal-Mart agreed to anchor Skyland, a similar Target deal fell through. Who's to say Wal-Mart won't walk, if litigation drags on for another year or three? Is Mayor Gray prepared to

follow through on his threat to block Wal-Mart's four other stores in the District if they don't put one in Skyland?

Some cite the possibility that the District's resolve on Skyland is, at least in part, opportunistic. If it comes together, it will be a victory for some mayor's scorecard. But if it doesn't, that mayor (like the last three) can still curry favor with the voters of Southeast by telling them he tried. In fact, the prospect of a mayor fighting the good fight on behalf of the city's least-served quadrant, only to be stymied by other forces, is arguably a more valuable asset in a general election than a mere shopping center, however big and shiny. But the Mayor has been personally advancing the cause of Skyland to private businesses that might have a stake in the proposed development.

Elaine Mittleman disagreed with this cynical view of things – with conditions. Mittleman believes that the District sincerely wants Skyland, and wants it badly, but just got in over their heads. “The District courts rubber-stamped everything, basically, and there was never any comprehensive plan, just a back of the envelope thing,” Mittleman says. “It seems like they have just not put in the proper effort. It seems like they just magically thought it would happen.”

For their part, lead developer The Rappaport Companies, who won rights to Skyland way back in 2002, doesn’t seem the least bit perturbed by these latest developments, either stoically patient or just resigned to sticking it out for the long haul.

“The Skyland project is definitely gaining momentum, and the Mayor has made this a priority,” said Sheryl Simeck, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Rappaport. “But it is still too early in the process for us to be able to supply construction dates," (despite Mayor Gray's prediction it would break ground last year.) "The District continues to work on resolving the outstanding legal issues involving eminent domain. Development cannot start until these last few issues are resolved.” At this time, no one is prepared to say when that will be.

Washington D.C. real estate development news

District Announces Developer Submissions for Mt. Vernon

The District announced Tuesday that its solicitation to develop a vacant half-acre site at Fifth and Eye streets (I Street, to purists), NW, in Mt. Vernon Triangle, grabbed the attention of seven developers. Deputy Mayor Neil O. Albert announced the names of the development teams that responded to the January Request for Proposal; bids were due March 7.

The District received proposals from Buccini/Pollin Group; Clark Realty Capital (which recently won the Poplar Point bid); Donohoe Development Co and Holland Development Group; JBG Cos.; MVT Associates, LLC; NDC-Jarvis; and Potomac Investment Properties, Inc.

"This is really one of the last sites left in the Mount Vernon Triangle," Albert said, speaking of the lot that will almost certainly have competition nearby, as several developments have been announced in the immediate vicinity. "This neighborhood has basically sprung up overnight and this site presents a great opportunity to add some dynamic uses to better serve the existing community and the new mix of office, retail and housing." The site will have the advantage of high visibility on Massachusetts Avenue, making it a dream at least for the marketers.

Proposals for the site include high-end retail such as hotels, restaurants, cafes, fitness clubs, spas and live entertainment venues. Some also included a residential aspect with apartments and condominiums (didn't they get the word that no one would finance condos?), which would include 30% affordable housing, according to the District's rules. Each plan featured underground parking with 100-plus spaces.

NDC-Jarvis proposed building a luxury boutique hotel connected to upscale condominiums (see rendering below), with the pair sharing concierge services and amenities. Proposed retail included a small home furnishings store, an upscale restaurant to serve the hotel and neighborhood. A small jazz performance venue would also be on the site.

"I think we are very invested in this neighborhood," said Adrian Washington, Principal with NDC, and former Anacostia Waterfront Commission frontman, whose current company has performed a number of apartment renovations and conversions throughout DC. "I think our proposal would be a great addition to neighborhood. It's the type of development that is not in the neighborhood right now. It is a boutique, high-end, architecturally distinctive project. And the restaurant would be a great addition to the neighborhood."

Robert Holland of Holland Development Group, co-developer with Donohoe Development Co., said their design would include a Shalom Baranes-designed hotel. "As far as I know, many of the developers were proposing hotel/apartments, a mixed-use development, with some local neighborhood retail," Holland said. "Our difference is that we have identified a Spanish hotel chain to go in there, along with a 10,000-s.f. restaurant jazz venue. It's a London-based established jazz club, not a big commercial destination jazz club, but more local, with very excellent food. It should be a great a compliment to the neighborhood."

Mount Vernon Triangle spans 15 blocks over 30 acres, and already includes more than four million square feet of development, such as CityVista, which is well into the back nine of its 441-unit condo project next door.

The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development will study the proposals over the next few weeks and will schedule a public meeting for the community to hear presentations from each of the development teams.

Washington DC real estate development news

Industry Insight: Neil Albert on DC Development

He may not get microphone time at every press conference or a pair of scissors at every ribbon cutting, but Neil Albert, Washington DC's Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, keeps busy as the man behind the curtain for development in DC. Despite a schedule kept full by the 10,000 new affordable housing units he has been charged with creating in his first four years, Albert made time to sit with DCMud to discuss the latest RFPs, affordable housing, and why he thinks DC can shed its monumental, federal skin and become an full-fledged international city. 

You went from working with the previous Mayor as Deputy Mayor for Children and Families to the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. How did you get into development? 

Albert: I started in finance and headed a nonprofit in New York. I was interested in parlaying that expertise into development on a small scale. I had the opportunity to really get into development when I was Parks director; a large part of what I did was real estate development. We built a number of recreational facilities in the city, including the first LEED-certified facility in DC. I then became Deputy Mayor of Children Youth and Families because that portfolio was one of the ones that needed a little shaking up and focus and energy. The former mayor asked me to do it and I did it for a year. Then I went into the private sector and started a nonprofit working with DC schools in professional development and bricks and mortar actually building new schools. I’ve always had a real estate finance focus throughout my career. When the mayor-elect asked me to join his administration in this role, I thought it was a great opportunity to put what I’ve been doing together. What I do is not just about financial real estate development, but there is a human component to what we do. A major part is the New Communities portfolio, the human capital – HOPE VI-type developments. We’ll be removing a lot of traditional government subsidized housing to create more mixed income housing. Part of that is changing psyche, the mindsets; preparing them to be able to write a red check, go to work every day like everybody else.

Speaking of subsidized housing, the bar for the amount of subsidized housing private developers must provide is being raised from 20-30 percent. On what basis was that decision made? 

Albert: That decision was made before us. When the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation was dissolved, the Council adopted legislation that required the affordable housing component - that’s the majority of what my office works on. By default, it has become standard here. 

How does that play into some of the other new developments the city has issued RFPs for - in which the city asked for 30 percent but is not doing the workforce housing? It’s like the city is focusing on lower income development. 

Albert: The mayor made a real commitment to affordable housing when he was elected and we are committed to building over 10,000 units in the first four years at different AMI levels, so all RFPs have the 30 percent requirement and our language is pretty general because we want to make sure that we achieve affordable housing levels without paying unnecessarily for it. And so what drives affordable housing in mixed-income developments is having market-rate housing that can actually subsidize lower income housing without having to come to the District government for subsidies. We want true diversity in housing. Whether it’s Hill East, Poplar Point, 5th and I, including the affordable component is necessary to have the correct mix. 

These are perhaps not the best times for condo builders. How does that play into the marketability of a project during difficult times? Albert: I don’t know if it makes it more difficult. From our experience, in the last few years, the development community has embraced not necessarily the 30-30-30 mix, but at least the 30 percent affordable component. City Vista is an example, and I think that’s kind of what’s driving that project being sold. It came on line at a time when the condo markets were going in the wrong direction, so having twenty percent of the units as affordable provided some stability. The market on the affordable level was much greater than the market than on market-rate level. The results and feedback from the development community have been positive. Yes, people like to make as much profit as possible, but we have to balance their need for the highest return with the broader city policy and goals for providing affordable housing. 

You referenced City Vista and other projects that have an affordable housing element. Some developers have told us that they are having some difficulty finding qualified people and actually bringing them to the table, that this makes their job more difficult. Have you ever studied that?

Albert: I would say they need to try a little harder. We can do a better job as a government, having a central repository database, which we are working on. I know the city Council actually passed legislation that will require a sort of central registry for those interested in taking advantage of affordable housing projects. In some cases it’s about us doing a better job preparing applicants; it’s a huge education process that needs to go into preparing people for home ownership. You can’t just get up one day and decide to be a home owner. When you buy a condo, pay the fees, have to abide by the rules of the condo board or association - you have to have a down payment, some sort of reserve in case the AC breaks and it’s not the condo association’s responsibility - we can do a better job of preparing those in that income category to take advantage of these opportunities. In that case, yes, people have gone to the table and not closed. 

Where did the 10,000 unit figure come from? 

Albert: The 10,000 number came out of a housing task force in the Williams administration, and then-Councilmember Fenty introduced legislation that set up this Comprehensive Housing Strategy Task Force and they made a recommendation that the city needed to build 55,000 new units of housing over the next ten years to deal with the population increase, special needs housing, etc. And then they broke down some sub categories – 19,000 affordable, and for those affordable units, there were some smaller ranges that included special needs 2,500 units, etc. We wanted to make sure that we could achieve that in a ten year period, so we set a goal of 10,000 in first four years, so with about 2,500 a year we are well on our way to at least funding those projects. We’re not only calling for them, we are providing funding for them through the housing production trust fund and some of the other housing sources available. I am confident that we’re going to make that. 

In terms of your position, you have a huge hand in what happens in terms of development, and development seems very high on Fenty’s list given his appearances at development press conferences. How do you want DC to be perceived from a national standpoint, what are your development goals? 

Albert: We want to truly make a diverse city here, but my opinion is that we have the great opportunity of positioning this city as a great international city on par with Paris and London and Amsterdam. People talk about great cities and I see DC as one of those. We are not on the cusp of that yet, we have a little ways to go, but I think we’ve got the major elements coming together. We have a vibrant downtown, people want to be here, and every vacant office building is being gobbled up by big lobbying firms or law firms or national organizations that need to be near the seat of power. We’ve started to pay attention to our retail. We can now shop in DC, when I came here eight or nine years ago, you couldn’t do that. Now there are good restaurant choices, you have really great options springing up and also good entertainment options. The Washington Post did an article about how DC is no longer a daytime town, it’s becoming a nighttime destination, so you don’t just leave the office canyons and go home to the suburbs, you go to night clubs and restaurants in the central business district. 

What I think will put us on par with some of the mature cities that make a statement both locally and internationally is having kind of the right balance between cultural amenities, which we have a lot of in our museums, but also local cultural amenities like the Spy Museum and Madam Tussaud’s; cultural amenities not just downtown, but also in other neighborhoods. We have lots of theaters and shopping destinations, so that when tourists come, they are not just sleeping in hotels and visiting the Mall, but also getting into the neighborhoods and discovering them. So what I would like us to be known for is raising the bar to be a city on par with a lot of the other international cities. And right now, we kind of lay in the shadow of great U.S. cities, but we are still holding our own. 

How do you see your specific role and interaction with the private development community and with residents of the city - how do you mix the two? 

Albert: I see myself as convener of private sector and the natural community residents who sometimes have needs that complement each other and sometimes oppose each other. In many cases, my role is just to be the arbitrator. Getting the services from the private sector that the residents need, whether it is incentives or bringing offices to neighborhoods so people don’t have to jump into a car to get to work, but can hop one metro stop to another. I really see my role as a convener or facilitator of those communities. I am really concerned about the amount of new jobs we create in the District, I’m happy to say that even while the rest of country is going through a downturn, we are still seeing job growth in DC. Traditionally, you look at the government as the creator of jobs. In the District they still are, but the service industry is also creating new jobs in entertainment, restaurants, retail and the federal government is doing its role by positioning government agencies in the District – the DOT by the ballpark or the ATF building at New York Avenue. They put us in partnership with each other to keep the economy going. Our job is bringing the balance between the haves and the have-nots in DC, so we have the big law and lobby firms and the non-profits and the associations who are squeezed by real estate taxes right now, but that add to the flavor of DC. Instead of them having to relocate to suburbia, we step in and try to provide incentives to keep them here. We are trying to keep a vibrant balance of community within the city. The city has issued a number of development RFPs. When will we see some selections? Albert: 5th and I will be announced soon, and Minnesota- Benning, we are so excited about that project, but we won’t make a selection until August. The developers up for that are City Interest who owns the East River Shopping Center and Parkside, Donatelli Development, and Marshall Heights Community Development Organization which is partnering with Rick Walker who did the Home Depot and Brentwood Shopping Center by the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station. They are all competing for the 600,000 s.f. of developable space. 

And Tenleytown? 

Albert: Tenley is still outstanding; we’ll hopefully have a decision soon. 

Can we ask about MIZ (Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning, requiring most developers to build subsidized units)? Councilmember Graham has been vocal about moving it forward… 

Albert: Yes, the mayor is committed to MIZ, but he wants to do it in a way that doesn’t slow or stop the development of mixed-income housing. My job is to do it right. We are getting comments from a wide cross section of the city including the private sector, affordable housing providers, and advocates. We issued administrative regulations two months ago for comments. We are going to take those comments and reissue a draft of the regulations and put it out for final vetting and hopefully make a decision in the next sixty to ninety days. I also believe that the housing development community will embrace it because I think we’ll do it in a responsible way that’s non-punitive. Then, we’ve been looking across the country to see how this has worked. It’s a mixed bag but it’s going to happen. 

 Finally, developers have told us that they struggle with the amount of information that has to be provided with a PUD and with the amount of time it takes to get approval for projects in DC. What is your response to that? 

Albert: I totally agree. We are working on it; the Office of Planning will be sending suggestions about how to streamline the process in the entire District. The PUD shouldn’t take 18 months anywhere in the world, not to mention the DC area.

DC Lauds SE Development

Mayor Adrian Fenty, Washington Nationals President Stan Kasten and various District officials gathered at today Nationals Stadium for a press conference with a two-fold purpose. First, to pat themselves on the back for the redevelopment initiatives currently underway in Southeast, and second, to ensure the public that those projects are still very much on track, even as the commercial real estate market remains perilously on edge.

"A lot has happened in just over a year since the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation was dissolved into the rest of the government," said Fenty. "I think, from my perch, that there's probably even more decision-making, fast action and decisiveness by having the Council and Executive Branch in charge - with no fault going down on the input of the community and making sure we follow the original plan."

Fenty also gave a brief rundown of the $8 billion worth of development, infrastructure and community projects targeted at reinvigorating the city’s waterfront: Poplar Point ($2.5 billion), the Southwest Waterfront ($198 million in TIF/PILOT funds), Hill East ($1.4 billion), Park at the Yards ($42 million), Marvin Gaye Park ($7.7 million), Canal Park Development Corp.’s as-yet unnamed Ballpark District park ($13.1 million), the South Capitol streetcar line ($30 million), the 11^th Street Bridge project ($260 million), the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail System ($50 million), Diamond Teague Park ($16 million), the St. Elizabeths plan (as-of-yet unbudgeted) and various community initiatives such as the Green Summer Job Corps, an online water quality monitoring system, a new stormwater rate structure and the Anacostia 2032 plan – which seeks to make the polluted river “boatable, swimmable and fishable in 25 years.”

“I’ll tell you what’s going to happen along the Waterfront in the decades and years and months and days to come,” said George Hawkins, Director of the District Department of the Environment. “We will have a cleaner river. We will have a better environment…At the same time, we are going to bring almost unparalleled economic vitality and jobs to this city.”

With regards to the economy, Mayor Fenty presented an optimistic view of the impact the fiscal crisis is having on projects heading down the development pipeline. “The national economy, as everyone is aware, is having an extremely hard time. The District of Columbia is not immune from that, of course, but there is a certain degree of insulation and there’s a large degree of momentum, which is allowing a lot of projects…to continue to go forward,” said Fenty.

Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, Neil Albert, followed up Fenty’s remarks by characterizing developers with stakes in Southeast projects as “still very bullish,” despite a dearth of client interest in the commercial real estate market. “While some of the surrounding areas are having difficulty leasing space, they're still leasing space here in the District,” said Albert.

Interested citizens will have to chance to examine the marketplace for themselves this coming Saturday, November 15^th, as the District hosts a “Community Education Fair” at Nationals Park. Several District agencies, local developers, community groups, and local not-for-profit organizations will lead bus tours to the site of upcoming projects and panels on the Southeast redevelopment. For more information, visit the District’s website.

DC Announces New Convention Center Site Agreement

Mayor Adrian Fenty announced plans today for one of the last remaining parcels of land on the site of the old convention center. Under a new agreement, the city will allow development of a 400-room "high-end" hotel and 100,000 s.f. of additional retail space on the 53,000 s.f. plot of land now known simply as "Parcel B". This portion of the site had previously been reserved for construction of a library, but the District had not made any final decisions on the facility and did not want to further delay what is being designed as a "new city center."

(Dcmud's information on "Parcel B" is too new to have renderings - the rendering shown is of the southern parcel.)

Standing in a corner of the current Convention Center, overlooking the site of the old one, Fenty said the District reached a deal with developers Hines Archstone to lease the site for 99 years. The District had previously cemented a deal with Hines Archstone for the southern half of the site - a project estimated at $850 million that will add 350,000 s.f. of retail space, over 670 apartment and condominiums with at least 134 affordable units, and 465,000 s.f. of office space between New York Avenue, 11th, H, and 9th Streets NW.

“The one thing the District is missing that so many other large cities have is a bustling area where people come after work to shop or eat or to hang out, a city center.” Fenty said. In addition to the office, retail, and residential space, the project will include an additional 1.5 acres of public open space. There will be a park in the northwest corner as well as a central plaza between the residential buildings on the corner of 9^th and H streets.

The “B parcel", bound by New York, 9th, and what will be 10th Street, was originally considered as a potential site for a museum or library in order to attract more families. Today, however, Fenty said that while the District is still “working aggressively” with the Library Board, there is a significant amount of programming under the current plan to attract DC residents to the site."

As the master developer, Hines Archstone had the first right of refusal to lease the B parcel from the District if the city chose not to locate a library on the site.

“This area is surrounded by museums; the Newseum just opened a few blocks away, the Portrait Gallery, the Spy Museum…we want this place to provide a social atmosphere outside their homes where residents can come and sit without having to sit at a café or pay to eat or drink,” Fenty said.

Kingdon Gould III acquired a parcel on the Northeast corner of the site - the last site to reveal development plans - in a land swap that the city conducted to facilitate construction of the Marriott next to the new Convention Center. The Parking Management, Inc. president has his own plan for the site, but it must be "consistent with the entire site's master plan."

While retailers have not yet been announced, the developer has committed to devoting thirty percent of retail space to merchants with six or fewer stores in the United States, but will focus on a wide range of grocery stores, restaurants, fashion stores, and entertainment or performance venues. There are also plans for one larger retailer like Nordstroms or Macy’s; Fenty and the development teams will be meeting with companies in the coming weeks, but a final announcement is not likely for about six months.

The project will generate 3,000 development-related jobs and 2,500 direct permanent jobs. It will also generate a projected $32 million a year in annual direct tax revenues. According to developers, the District will receive more than $200 million in consideration for the land as part of the land lease including a minimum of $28.5 million in lease payments, $55 million to provide affordable housing on site, and $48 million in payments for new infrastructure. Two new streets, I and 10th, will be constructed through the site.

When asked about the likelihood of delivering the project in a timely manner given the not-so-exuberant state of the economy, Councilmember Jack Evans, D-Ward 2, said the District has not been affected by the economy and that this project’s success would be no different than that of other D.C. projects like the Nationals Stadium.

“The Southwest waterfront looks pretty good. Poplar Point is off in the distance, but Clark, the main developer hasn’t had problems getting the money they need. There is such a strong interest in the development of the District that as long as that interest remains, these projects will stay on schedule,” Evans said.

The first phase of the project, which includes the office, apartments, and condominiums, will begin in the second quarter of 2009, while the entire project will be completed by the end of 2011.

Evans added that this summer the city is planning to set up a large screen in the parking lot on-site to continually broadcast the Olympic Games. He said the city’s goal is to use the backdrop of the Chinatown arch to attract families and residents to the area.

“This is the most exciting property on the East Coast,” he said.

Congress Grants Approval to Federal Land Transfer to DC

The gears of legislative process grind forward, and fans of soccer and baseball (and development!) should feel some joy. On November 16, the US Senate approved legislation (the House ok’d it earlier this month) that will transfer dozens of Federal land lots located in the District to the DC government, including title to 100-acre Poplar Point (pictured) across the Anacostia, considered to be the site for DC United’s new soccer stadium and additional development, and smaller properties along Potomac Avenue that will make up part of the new Nationals baseball stadium complex. Also included in the transfer are 66 acres around the old DC General Hospital at Massachusetts Avenue and 19th Street SE that are targeted for a new major development featuring housing, retail, and parks. Besides gaining this land for economic development, it will also bring in needed tax revenue, as the Feds didn’t pay property tax on the lots.

RFK Redevelopment Gets a Hearing

The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) held a forum last week on the potential redevelopment of the RFK stadium site. The stadium, which sits on a 190-acre site owned by the federal government, is likely to be nearly obsolete with the Nationals relocating to Southeast and D.C. United potentially moving to Poplar Point in Anacostia. With the National Mall filling up like a cheap yard sale, proposed uses include set-asides for future commemorations, as well as park space, commercial and residential development. The DC government retains jurisdiction over the site only for use as a stadium, so redevelopment would require federal cooperation - no word yet on whether a new stadium would be named after the current Attorney General.