Walter Reed reuse plan approved by LRA, will be presented at public meeting next week

The final reuse plan for the Walter Reed site was approved by the Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) at its meeting on Wednesday evening. The plan will be sent to the City Council as a bill for approval before being sent to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The LRA voted unanimously to include language in the final plan that will prohibit a bus storage or bus maintenance facility on the site. However, when it was suggested that language prohibiting a streetcar maintenance or storage facility should be included as well, the LRA decided against it, as not enough is known about how the streetcar infrastructure on Georgia Avenue will work. Including language prohibiting streetcar facilities could potentially hurt the system in the future.

As for a timeline for the development, the southeast corner of the site, at Georgia and Aspen, will be first, with construction projected to begin in 2014. The northeast corner of the site, at Georgia and Fern, which is slated for commercial development, is projected to begin in 2018. Planners stressed that these timelines could change according to market conditions. Estimated cost of the entire redevelopment is between $625 and $640 million. More details are available at Housing Complex's report.

The plan will be presented to the public at a special presentation next week:
When: Thursday, February 2, 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Where: Tifereth Israel Congregation, 7701 16th St NW
Childcare will be provided during meeting hours

Link roundup; Walter Reed LRA meeting this Wednesday

The Walter Reed Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) will hold its penultimate meeting on Wednesday, January 25 at 7:00 pm at Fort Stevens Recreation Center (1327 Van Buren Street, NW). The public is invited to observe the meeting. The LRA Team will present the proposed final Re-use Plan and NOIs for a recommendation vote by the LRA Committee. The Final Re-use Plan will be presented on Thursday, Feb. 2, 7:00 pm (location will be announced at a later date).

Also:

• If you missed the meeting held last night by CM Bowser and Chief Lanier addressing the current uptick in crime in Ward 4, you can read the minutes here.
  
  
• A post from Drink DC about Three Stars Brewing's progress at its new space on Chillum Place NW.
  
  
• Under the new proposed capital budget, Roosevelt High School won't be modernized until 2016, and Coolidge High School will have to wait til 2017. Needless to say, Ward 4 residents are unhappy, and the Post reports that grievances were aired at last week's public meeting on modernization plans.
  
  
• Whether you love it or hate it, there are interesting stories behind the graffiti that you see every time you ride the Red Line (or bike down the Met Branch Trail).
  
  

Who will implement Walter Reed's redevelopment?

At the Walter Reed Local Redevelopment Authority meeting last week, the main topic of discussion was the key implementation phase of the redevelopment. The LRA had asked Victor Hoskins, the District’s deputy mayor for planning and economic development, to perform an analysis of the implementation procedure.

The report (below) details the pros and cons of three different types master developers – a group made up of DC government agencies; a for-profit developer; or an SPE, a non-profit development corporation with DC government Board representation and funded through private capital, federal and other grants.

Hoskins intends to submit the final reuse plan to HUD in March, and HUD's approval is expected by August. LRA director Eric Jenkins said the goal is to have a master developer selected between March and August (a period of time that is craftily referred to in a timeline within the presentation below as “The Sweet Spot”).

The LRA will be dissolved once the final reuse plan is completed; then the city will establish an new LRA to advise on implementation.

“The goal of the ILRA (Implentation LRA) for Walter Reed is to be prepared to sit down with the Army in July to negotiate how the land would be be paid for and work out the terms of conveyance,” said LRA committee member Alice Giancola. “Selection of a Master Developer as a consultant is only one step in the direction of preparing a case for the Army that the City is a reliable buyer.” Going the private developer route would slow down the process significantly because an RFQ and RFP would be required; the SPE option would be also be slow due to the organizational structure and vetting process it would involve. The redevelopment process would be fastest if the District served as the master developer, but that would require the District to produce the funds to purchase the land from the Army...funding that isn't readily available.

Walter Reed Redevelopment Implementation Report

Public meetings on development in Ward 4 tonight and tomorrow night

Four public meetings over the next two nights promise to keep us busy....

Can Small Businesses Survive in Ward 4?
When: Wednesday, December 7, 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Where: Peoples Congregational UCC, 4704 13th Street NW
RSVP: kim@voteformax.com, (202) 695-3444
Sponsored by the Max Skolnik Campaign for Ward 4 Council.
"Given the economic challenges and the decision to locate two Wal-Marts in the Ward, this panel and community discussion will focus on developing a viable small business plan."

Panelists include:
Warren Brown, CakeLove Bakery
Veronica Davis, NSpireGreen DC
Andy Shallal, Busboys & Poets
Kim Weeks, Boundless Yoga
James Kerns, Corehaus
Max Skolnik, Ward 4 Candidate for the DC Council


.....

Ward 4 Thrives monthly meeting
When: Wednesday, December 7, 6:30 pm
Where: Fort Stevens Recreation Center, 1327 Van Buren Street NW
"Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Victor Hoskins
has confirmed his attendance at this meeting. Our focus is how we can create
a 'win win' situation for the residents and business community in Ward 4."

.....

Walter Reed Local Redevelopment Authority NOI Respondent Presentations
When: Thursday, December 8, 7:00 pm
Where: Tifereth Isreal Congregation, 7701 16th Street NW

"As required by the Base Closure Community Redevelopment and Homeless Assistance Act of 1994, as amended (the Redevelopment Act) and its implementing regulations, the Government of the District of Columbia, the Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) for the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, requested notices of interest (NOIs) for consideration in obtaining buildings and/or property on a portion of the previously unscreened surplus property at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

"The seven (7) new NOI respondents have been invited to each present their vision of their NOI response. Each NOI Respondent will present a brief five-minute summary of its proposed program to the public followed by a general Questions and Answer session. The sole purpose of the NOI Respondent Community Presentations is to provide the opportunity for the community to learn about each NOI proposal. The participation request does not represent an indication of confirmed eligibility or qualification for selection.

"Both Homeless Assistance Providers (HAP) and Public Benefit Conveyance (PBC) organizations will be represented at the community presentation. An executive summary of the presentations can be found at www.dmped.dc.gov under the Walter Reed Icon. Below is the Schedule of Presentations:

Transitional Housing Corporation

National Capitol Veterans Coalition, Inc.

Global Schools Collaborative, Inc.

Washington Latin Public Charter School

Educational Services Overseas Limited FZ LLC

GA Ave Business Improvement District & Development Corporation and the Walter Reed Health Education and Research Foundation

CentroNia"


......

Georgia Avenue Business Association meeting
When: Thursday December 8, 7:00 pm.
Where: Sweet Mango Café, 3701 New Hampshire Avenue NW
"The Agenda:
1). Introductions and Recap of our last meeting and minutes.
Opportunity to highlight progress and insert additional ideas

2). Discussion of organizational structure with guest speaker from Barracks Row Main Street

3). Jump Start Committee Work
Clean Streets and Safety Committee"

Walter Reed reuse planning meeting tomorrow night - register here if you haven't already

If you haven't registered to participate in tomorrow night's Walter Reed reuse planning workshop, you can register here.

Info:
When: Tuesday, November 15, 7-9 pm
Where: Tifereth Israel Congregation, 7701 16th Street NW
This is a important opportunity for residents to guide the redevelopment process. Community input will ensure that the reuse plan continues to reflect the needs of residents living in nearby neighborhoods and the city as a whole.

Georgia Avenue, it's time to start talking about streetcars

One main takeaway from last night's meeting of the Walter Reed Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) committee meeting was that the city is considering moving the Georgia Avenue streetcar project along more quickly than we expected. This is due to developer interest in the site, and the fact that the 25 or so developers that have met with planners Perkins + Will have all mentioned that the streetcar will be an essential economic development catalyst. LRA director Eric Jenkins said that this could result the Georgia Avenue streetcar being moved from Phase 2 to Phase 1 in the streetcar rollout. Read Housing Complex's report for more information.

Councilmember Bowser pointed out that since residents in the area surrounding Upper Georgia Avenue have thought that the streetcar was such a long way from happening, there's been little public dialogue about them, as there has been in Ward 8. Though I've never been to any of the Ward 8 streetcar meetings, from what I've heard some have been quite heated. Time to start discussing streetcars, Ward 4 residents.

The other subject that came under much discussion was concern for how long the site will be vacant before we see the major redevelopment projects begin, particularly since the LRA will cease to exist once the planning phase ends. The LRA made a motion that will require the city to provide an analysis of how the development phase will be implemented; the analysis will be due in one month, in time for the next meeting of the LRA. Victor Hoskins has his work cut out for him.

Walter Reed Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) meeting tonight @ Fort Stevens Rec

The Walter Reed Local Redevelopment Authority Committee will meet tonight. This is the first LRA meeting since the finalization of the District's new boundaries; a report on last week's community meeting will be included. LRA meetings are open to the public under the Sunshine Act, however there will be no Q&A period and the public will not have the opportunity to speak; if you have a concern that you wish to be addressed, the LRA representative for Brightwood is Arlene Davis, who can be reached via email.

When:
Thursday 10/13, 7:00pm until 9:00pm.

Where:
Fort Stevens Rec Center, 1327 Van Buren St. NW (between 13th & 14th Streets)

Upper GA Avenue businesses keeping erratic hours; a result of the Walter Reed Effect?

Image from Google Street View

A reader wrote in to say that the past few times he's walked by the Cork 'n Bottle during its posted business hours (11:30am - 8:30pm Monday-Thursday and 10am - 10pm Friday and Saturday, according to the Cork 'n Bottle's website), the store has been shuttered, complete with the security doors pulled down. He wondered if the store had closed. I haven't heard anything about the store shutting down, but I have to wonder if they've reduced their hours recently (and if that's the case, how much is it the result of less foot traffic due to Walter Reed's closure)?

I called and emailed the Cork 'n Bottle (during their posted business hours), and will update this post when I hear back.

4A03 ANC Steve Whatley recently asked Councilmember Bowser if assistance could be provided to the businesses on Upper Georgia Avenue that have been adversely impacted by the closure of Walter Reed. Specifically he asked about business tax relief, low or no interest loans, asistance grants, and federal BRAC support.

First of new series of Walter Reed redevelopment planning sessions: Wed., 10/5/11, 7pm, Ohev Shalom

(If, like me, you've received not one but two phone calls from America Speaks representatives reminding you of the importance of attending these sessions, you can probably skip this post.)

The first in the new series of Walter Reed redevelopment planning sessions is tomorrow evening. All residents and stakeholders in the neighborhoods surrounding Walter Reed's campus are encouraged to attend.

When:
Wednesday, October 5, 7-9 pm
Where:
Ohev Sholom - The National Synagogue.
1600 Jonquil Street NW, Washington, DC

RSVP here.

For those of you who didn't attend the planning sessions that were held last spring, or who have never attended a session conducted by America Speaks, they're very inclusive and interactive, with a facilitator present at each table to ensure everyone gets heard (and also to ensure smooth, neighborly communication). Mary Lauran passed on this video that will give you an idea of how an America Speaks town hall meeting works.

News roundup: Walter Reed and local businesses

A location has been confirmed for the first of the new series of community forums on the redevelopment of the Walter Reed campus. The forum will take place on Wednesday, October 5 from 7-9 pm at Ohev Shalom, 1600 Jonquil Street NW.

Speaking of Walter Reed, as I've mentioned before, and as WTOP and Fox 5 report, its closure has already had a major detrimental effect on Georgia Avenue businesses. These businesses depended largely on Walter Reed's employees as patrons, and without them the businesses lack a customer base. Richard Layman notes that there's a long history of local economies suffering when military bases close. I encourage you to support Ward 4 businesses (and yes, I'm going to work on updating that list...lots more businesses have opened up since I first created it).

Park View DC reports that the former Lion's Liquor space at 3614 Georgia Avenue is being renovated and will reopen this fall as a more upscale liquor store, which will include a wine bar and possibly food as well.

DCist has an interview with Sara Polon, proprietor of Takoma's Soupergirl.

Walter Reed has closed. Now is the time for residents to patronize Georgia Avenue businesses.

The following note was posted to the Shepherd Park listserv yesterday; it expresses much of what I've been feeling lately. There are a lot of cool businesses in Ward 4 that are well worth your patronage.

Since the decomissioning of Walter Reed Sept. 15, business at many of
the retail and restaurant establishments on Geogia Avenue going north
to the Maryland-D.C. line has dropped 20 percent, and more in some
cases. I have been told of layoffs, curtailed hours, and lack of
customer traffic in the past week and a half -- and this is down from
the reduced level of business activity as Walter Reed started winding
down earlier this year.
 
This, I believe, is the time for us as citizens, residents and
neighbors to make a conscious effort to redirect our dollars toward our
businesses along Georgia Avenue. This could challenge our
long-established spending habits. Would you otherwise think about
switching beauty or nail salons? Or where you get your medicines? Where
you go out to dinner or get some takeout or delivery? What about where
you buy gasoline? (For me, megaspills in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico
ordinarily deter me from going to Exxon or BP, although my head tells
me the guy at the cash register had nothing to do with it.)
 
But to look at it differently, reduced revenues at the Georgia Avenue
businesses give our own money more relative clout. This is our chance
to make the kind of Georgia Avenue that we want to see. And I would
rather see business succeedeing (even if it requires struggle) than
businesses collapsing. Let's be friends of, and friends to, Georgia
Avenue; it will benefit them, and us, both short term and long term.


Rhode Island Avenue NE faces a lot of the same issues as Georgia Avenue. See this post from the Rhode Island Avenue Insider blog: The key to redevelopment is supporting our local businesses:

A local developer/property owner recently told me that the communities around RIA have a reputation among the small business/developer community as not supporting the local businesses on RIA. Whether or not this is true, perception is reality. Small businesses like to take chances with other small businesses, so if the ones that are among the first to come to RIA to take a chance are not supported and fail, we can nearly guarantee that others will see this area as not worth their investment. We, as a community, need to change this perception.

Support Ward 4 businesses.

New series of public forums on Walter Reed redevelopment begins October 5

From an email:

The historic closing of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in August signaled new changes not only for the 120 year old medical campus but also for the city and Ward 4 residents. Last year, several hundred people who live near Walter Reed came to community forums and gave their views about what should be done with the campus. Community input provided a strong foundation for the reuse plan and continues to influence the process.

The District of Columbia’s Local Redevelopment Authority (“LRA”) completed the Draft Reuse Plan in October of 2010. However, due to changes in the assignment of Federal property, the LRA, the Army and the Department of State have redrawn the boundaries of the WRAMC campus.

RSVP Today!
Much of what was decided last year will still be included in the plan that goes forward. The LRA needs additional input from the community and is hosting three forums to discuss the revised reuse plan. The meetings will be held 7:00pm – 9:00pm at a convenient location in Ward 4 that will be announced later.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011 – Community Meeting

Thursday, November 17, 2011 – Community Meeting

Thursday, February 2, 2012 – Final Reuse Plan Presentation

Visit America Speaks' website for updated information

City seeks Notices of Interest for surplus property at Walter Reed

As Housing Complex notes this morning, the division of land between the State Department and the District at the Walter Reed site has been made official. The District will be gaining 67.5 acres of the site. The DMPED has issued a Notice of Interest for "state and local government agencies, homeless service providers and other interested parties." NOIs can be submitted through November 18.

Walter Reed redevelopment will likely move much faster than other planned developments in DC

This week the Washington City Paper's Housing Complex column takes on some of the concerns that our neighbors have expressed about the Walter Reed site; mainly, that it's in danger of languishing for a long period of time with no redevelopment, as we've seen happen at various other vacant sites in our area. It's unlikely, however, that the Walter Reed site will suffer a similar fate, mostly due to the timeline for its closure and redevelopment that's been issued by the U.S. Army.

This morning, the Washington DC Economic Partership alerted its Twitter followers that its representatives were touring the Walter Reed campus with retailers who expressed interest in the site at last May's ICSC conference in Las Vegas. The WDCEP has not replied to my prodding to give a hint as to which retailers were on the tour.

Mayor Gray on WTOP: no bus garage at Walter Reed

Mayor Gray received a question during WTOP's "Ask the Mayor" call-in program this morning about whether he would support the construction of a bus garage at the redeveloped Walter Reed site. In short: his answer is no. Below is a partial transcript of Mayor Gray's comments from WTOP:

"Given the enormous value of the Walter Reed property, I don't support putting a bus garage there.

"Millions of business dollars leave D.C. every year, and here we have an opportunity to retain some of that.

"The Walter Reed property is a real jewel."

He added that the Friendship Heights and Upper 14th Street communities could present their cases for moving the Northern and Western bus garages out of their neighborhoods, but that the land at Walter Reed is too valuable to be turned into industrial use.

Gray being lobbied to build bus garage on Walter Reed site

Remember David Alpert's proposal to build a bus garage on the soon-to-be-redeveloped Walter Reed site?  Well, it's coming back to haunt us.

When that piece was posted, almost exactly a year ago,  I wrote it off as a pipe dream.  But apparently Tommy Wells, along with Tom Downs of the WMATA board, has been lobbying Mayor Gray to make this into a reality.  The proposed bus garage would be enormous, large enough to accommodate all of the buses currently housed at the Northern garage (on 14th Street between Buchanan and Decatur) and the Western garage (on Wisconsin Avenue above the Friendship Heights Metro station). 

The Walter Reed site is a tremendous opportunity for Ward 4's growth; let's not diminish opportunities by sticking a bus garage there.  As Alpert said, "Who wants a bus garage? Nobody wants one in their neighborhood."

Alice Giancola, a member of the Walter Reed Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA), said that the LRA will oppose this plan as a group.  However it would be helpful for individual citizens to send emails to Mayor Gray (eom@dc.gov) and city administrator Allen Lew (oca.eom@dc.gov) to let them know that we'd prefer to stick with the plan of building an attractive retail/residential center on that land.

First meeting of Walter Reed LRA in a long time held last night; State Dept. says it will build chancery center on its portion

The first meeting of the Walter Reed Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) since the announcement that the land formerly designated to the General Services Administration will now be granted to the District of Columbia was held last night. A representative from Perkins+Will, the Chicago-based architecture firm that's serving as master planner for the site, emphasized that the District gaining all of the Georgia Avenue frontage, particularly the upper northwestern corner of the site, opens new opportunities for both development and street connectivity. The series of community meetings/workshops on the redevelopment of Walter Reed held last spring will recommence next month, as the gaining of the 30+ acres of land will provide more opportunities for community input.

A representative from the U.S. Army said that the Army intends to meet the planned closing date of September 15, despite the fact that some have called for the closure to be delayed. The new boundaries between the District's portion of the site and the State Department's portion will be officially published in July. After closure, ten federally-appointed resident caretakers will be onsite to assist with the transition process.

A representative from the State Department discussed the department's plans for its portion of the land: a chancery center, similar to the one on Van Ness Street NW between Connecticut Avenue and Reno Road. He said that some chanceries would most likely relocate to Walter Reed from older embassy buildings on Massachusetts Avenue, giving them the opportunity to modernize. These plans raised many concerns for members of the LRA...will it be like a blockade cutting off the neighborhood, which countries would be represented, what security measures are in place? The State Department rep couldn't give concrete answers to most questions as the plans are in the very beginning stages.

Perkins+Will emphasized that the new chancery center will also enhance development opportunities, as officials at the chanceries will want and need easy access to amenities.

ANC4B unanimously votes to oppose Square 2986 Large Tract Review unless Commission recommendations are met; Walter Reed LRA meeting Thursday

After much deliberation at last night's meeting, ANC4B finally voted to not support the Large Tract Review for Square 2986 (aka "the Curtis Chevrolet Site" or "the site of the potential Walmart") unless a long series of recommendations are adopted. The recommendations are in the areas of transportation demand management, traffic circulation, building design, safety, neighborhood impact, and community benefits. I only have access to the draft resolution at this time; I'll link to the final resolution once I get a hold of it.

ANC4A has also unanimously opposed Walmart's LTR.


.....

On Thursday night, the Walter Reed Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) will meet for the first time since the announcement was made that the General Services Administration no longer wanted its 30+ acres of land on the site, and that all of the Georgia Avenue frontage will go to the District. This decision will significantly alter the development plans devised by the LRA and the community through a series of meetings last spring.

WRAMC LRA Committee Meeting
When: Thursday, June 30, 2011, 7:00 PM
Where: Ft. Stevens Senior Recreation Center
1327 Van Buren Street, NW

Walter Reed personnel call for delaying the facility's closure

The closure of Walter Reed is scheduled for September 15, but some personnel are asking for a delay of the closure because facilities at the newly expanded army medical center in Bethesda are not yet sufficient to accommodate wounded troops returning from the wars, reports The Examiner:

Local government officials are already urging the Pentagon to delay moving more than 30,000 local defense personnel in the Washington area until road improvements can be made around the office and hospital sites to accommodate more daily commuters and avoid gridlock. But the new warnings from medical personnel add a sense of urgency to those efforts.

"My equipment could break down tomorrow, and that should be OK because we're going to [Bethesda]," one Walter Reed nurse said. "But they're not ready to handle my workload."
.....
The Pentagon is required by law to move personnel by Sept. 15, but Congress is crafting legislation that would give the defense secretary the authority to delay some of the moves.

Wegmans exec: Walter Reed "might be interesting to us at some point"

More on the discussions between Mayor Gray and Wegmans execs at the RECon conference in Las Vegas:

The meetings show that the chain has interest in the District, but it isn’t easy for Wegmans to enter D.C. because the chain wants at least 120,000 square feet and at least 800 parking spaces, which is hard to find in the city. It could potentially be had, however, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where the city is set to acquire property that includes around 1,200 existing underground parking spaces that front along Georgia Avenue NW.

D.C. does not have control of Walter Reed yet, and Gray has not announced a plan for how to pay for millions of dollars of infrastructure improvements there, so the Wegmans idea, like a lot of those at ICSC, is about something that is at least years away. But Ralph A. Uttaro, Wegmans senior vice president of retail development, walking into the meeting with Gray, said Walter Reed, “looks like something that might be interesting to us at some point.”