Great Streets Update 7/31

Here is a PDF document I found today about development info on the Great Streets Corridors of the Shaw Metro Area, Petworth Metro Area (including the "Park Place"), H Street NE, Minnesota Metro Area, and Martin L. King, Jr. Ave.

Georgia Ave./ Petworth Station Development Groundbreaking

Groundbreaking will start soon for the "Park Place" mixed-use development project above the Georgia Ave./ Petworth Metro Station. The building will include 156 condominiums, underground parking and 17,000 square feet of retail space.

New 6000 Series Rail Cars Revealed Today!

So the press was invited to see the newly designed Metrorail cars today. I got these images from Express. The new seating arrangement allows more space for standing passengers, and more room for bicycles.
The announcement reads:

One older model railcar now has bench seating. Eight seats and five windscreens have been removed and about 40 feet of seatback-to-ceiling, overhead and wall-mounted handrails have been added. Spring-type handholds also will be added to the railcar in the coming weeks. The older remodeled car will go into service tomorrow on the Orange Line. ...
A third design will have 16 seats removed, and adds four folding seats at one end of the railcar and leaning rests at the other. The design provides more space for wheelchairs, luggage and bicycles. The model also would have more seatback-to-ceiling, wall-mounted handrails and spring-type handholds, fewer windscreens and floor-to-ceiling poles.

So hopefully when these cars are in use they will allow bicycles on rail cars during peak hours.

Mixed-Use Development Approved for Nats Stadium

"Near Southeast" DC Redevelopment

So the ANC voted against the Mayor's plan for the two towers of residential, hotel, retail, and parking, however the city council approved it the next day. Voice of the Hill has a summary of the meeting here.

Metro to Show Redesigned Rail Cars

I caught this on Metrobloggging DC today. WMATA today posted a press release about the showing of the new and improved rail cars. The new models will be shown on Monday, from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm at the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport Metrorail Station. The press release states:

"As part of Metro’s efforts to improve passenger flow into and out of railcars, officials have redesigned the interiors of some railcars for testing. News reporters and the general public are invited to see a remodeled interior layout of an existing railcar featuring bench seating, more grab bars, and an open floor area to accommodate more passengers. Also on display will be the interior layout of Metro’s newest 6000 series railcars, which differs from all of the other models. This car features back of seat to ceiling poles, no floor to ceiling poles, and some wall grab bars. The 6000 series car is expected to be in service later this summer."

I wonder if this will make it so that bicycles will be allowed on certain trains during rush hour...hmmmm.....

Hyattsville Development Update 7/26

So I had some time today, and I went around all the development in Hyattsville to take pictures...


One Independence Plaza


...View from side street off Belcrest Rd.


...View from pedestrian bridge to metro station.


...View from Adelphi Rd.


Metropolitan Shops at Prince George's Plaza


...View from PG Plaza front entrance on East-West Highway.


..View from pedestrian bridge.


...Another view from the pedestrian bridge.


...Another view from the PG Plaza front entrance.


Arts District


...View from Route 1, Lustine building will become a community gym, with the original fascade maintained.


...View of Lustine building across the street, I believe these will be demolished.


Mosaic at Metro Luxury Apartments

While walking around today, I was able to spot a website for the apartments going up behind the metro station. The apartment complex is Mosaic at Metro, and unlike my previous information of 250 luxury apartments, there will be 260 apartments. Over 30 different floorplans including live-work spaces and lofts. Amenities include a clubroom, e-lounge, theatre, landscaped courtyards and a pool. Walk outside and you are at the subway station, across the street from a Starbucks, Quizno's, Cleaners, the coming soon Metropolitan Shops, and the coming soon University Town Center.


...View from metro station's back bus stops.



...Another view from the station's back bus stops.


...A constuction worker driving a bobcat.


Pedestrian bridge over East-West Highway

This has been here for a while, but I still took a few photos...


...Walking to the bridge.


...At the entrance to elevator and stairs.


...View of Target from bridge.


...View of 2:30 traffic from bridge.

582,049

The D.C. population increase is official. I thought the population wasn't decreasing with all of those luxury condos being built...... who would've guessed it?

Hyattsville Logo...

Hyattsville is designing a new city logo. Check out the three choices. I personally like the "Seal" logo, more favorably the one with the blue. The other two more so stress a sort of small town feel...which Hyattsville is not, and definately isn't moving towards. Maybe it's just my bias because I'm so much for urbanization, but I don't think the houses and trees will really help to attract people from outside the city. I really just prefer a more solid, professional design.

Development in Hyattsville...

There are several projects in the works for East-West Highway in Hyattsville, including student housing, luxury condominiums, luxury apartments, and plenty of retail... all on two blocks. One great amenity: Everything is within walking distance to/from Prince George's Plaza Metro Station.

One Independence Plaza


This mixed-use project includes a high-rise student housing building, with 910 beds, a luxury condominium building with 112 units, a town center with 240,000 sq. ft. of retail space, Consolidated Theaters' "Varsity 14 Cinemas", a 56,000 sq. ft. "Lifestyle Safeway", over 56,000 square feet of storefront retail, restaurants and cafes, and more... which is more than these few blocks have ever seen.

Metropolitan Shops at Prince George's Plaza



This retail/commercial destination is what used to be the metered parking lot for the metro station. Now just dirt, it will soon be 144,618 sq. ft. of retail including a Circuit City, Bally's Total Fitness, Staples, and available retail space on the first two levels, a third level of 33,129 sq. ft. of office space, and a fourth level 219,201 sq. ft. precast parking garage. Passing by the site almost everyday, and being a frequent metro rider, I can see that the development is going to somewhat block the view of the metro station, although there seems to be a passage way on the first level where a sidewalk used to be.

Behind the metro station...

There is construction right now for 250 luxury apartments, although I cannot seem to find any information on it at this time... I will update this as the development progresses.




Also in Hyattsville, on Route 1 right inside the Maryland-DC border is the Arts District which is a large development of rowhouses on both sides of the street. This area is targeted to the art gallery/cafe crowd, which I happen to be a part of. The units include rowhouses and live-work rowhouses, which have 1st floor retail space. Fourth level lofts are also optional .

Flashpoint Gallery Art Installation Destroyed

As an artist, I feel the pain as well...

Prince George's County Crime Rates Drop

The Post today talks about the lessening of homicide, robberies, and carjackings:

SINCE THE beginning of the year, someone has been murdered about every three days in Prince George's County. That's quite an improvement. In 2005, the county, on average, had a homicide every other day.
Last week, Prince George's Police Chief Melvin C. High held a news conference to tout an impressive drop in crime. Sixty-one people have been killed this year, compared with 84 this time last year. Commercial robberies have declined 49 percent, and carjackings are down 27 percent. This in a county once saddled with surging crime rates -- from 2000 to 2005, robbery and car thefts increased 76 percent and carjacking climbed 175 percent.

This is good news for me, seeing that I reside in PG County, although the statistics are still far from great...

DC Writes to Maryland and Virginia...

The DCist posts here... Funny and serious at the same time.

The Real Opener..

Alright, let me start this out by introducing myself. My name is Justin, and I am a Fine Arts/Graphic Design student at Montgomery College. I also have interests in architecture and transportation design.
Growing up in Maryland, 5 minutes outside of Washington (what tourists call it), DC was very different than what it is today. Plagued by drugs and crime, it was more of a murder capital than "Our Nation's Capital". Ever since around the turn of the millenium, though, there has been evergrowing redevelopment and revitalization in and around the city. Because of this, I am very much of an enthusiast, researching, discovering, and experiencing as much as I can about the changes going on now, which will transform DC today into "The District" of tomorrow.

1st post...

I am in the process of putting this thing together....I need to make a lot of changes to the layout. Once that's done I will be able to actually write about myself and this blog is about.