New DC Metro

Dulles Corridor Metro Renderings..

2007-02-23T20:05:00.000-05:00

So these renderings are available on the Dulles Corridor Rail site. I think they've been up for a little while, but I just recently spotted them. This project is good in the additional suburbs that will be able to reach downtown, but it will add congestion to the city lines. The orange, blue and silver lines will share tracks in the District, which will be the first metro tunnel to run three lines. M Street subway plan anyone??

Logan Construction...

2007-02-14T17:51:00.000-05:00

Future Retail Scene? Maybe?

Church St. Retail.

Columbia Heights: "COMING SOON!"

2007-02-07T11:21:00.000-05:00

2006-11-30T22:45:00.000-05:00

"The owners of the House of Blues, a popular chain of concert venues, are negotiating with the District to build a $120 million complex near the new Washington Convention Center that would include a live-entertainment hall, a hotel, retail stores and restaurants." (WaPo)

House of Blues Want D.C. Location (Free Ride)
Bring on the Blues (Life in Mount Vernon Square)

I personally think this will be good for the city, although some think it will be bad for local clubs like the 9:30 Club and The Black Cat. The House of Blues books different artists though, and I think the 9:30 Club and The Black Cat have an established audience (like me). I'm sure there will be some effect, but I'm personally optimistic. Especially about the fact that it will "include a live-entertainment hall, a hotel, retail stores and restaurants." The location would give a nice boost to the area of Northwest One, where there is so much current mixed use development construction right now, such as the City Vista and Yale Steam Laundry projects. This would also move some excitement a little north of downtown. It will be interesting to see how this develops. Any comments?

The New Old Convention Center...

2006-11-21T22:50:00.000-05:00

So DCist has a good post on the finalized plans for the Old Convention Center site. More info here.

EXERCISE MAN!!!!!

2006-10-01T20:32:00.000-04:00

Improve Our Roads!

2006-10-01T16:41:00.000-04:00

As posted at Silver Spring Scene, I second that the following become law:

Rules of the Left Lane

The left lane is the fast lane, if you happen to find a line forming behind and you are the line leader, get off the left lane. The farthest left lanes especially are for those who are not out sight seeing but have places to be on time.

Don’t play traffic cop. If someone wants to pass you because you’re too slow, let them!

Tracker Trailers, utility vans and other behemoths on the road should stay off the left lanes, don’t get pissed if someone cuts you off

Packing 10 people into a 2 door 1985 Honda Civic or Toyota Tacoma should be deemed illegal. Any on duty police officer should immediately pull them off the road.

If you are from another state and don’t know the territory say as far right as you can and go as slow as you want to go. Perhaps you should turn your hazards on because you were not smart enough to study a map.

If everybody moved up once we would all be at our destination.

Just because traffic is backing up doesn’t mean you get to go two miles an hour and leave a 1000 feet in front of you.

New roads and less people will not solve our traffic problems if the drivers themselves do not know the rules of the road. Are slowing everybody else down.

2006-09-08T22:23:00.000-04:00

I have been wondering about this for a long time. Metro is considering several improvements to the current subway system, including express service trains and splitting the Blue line into two routes. Check out the WMATA press release here. I wonder a lot about the express service, since the current system only has two sets of tracks (one going in each direction). The express train wouldn't be able to skip stations on the side that it is normally on (right side), so it would obviously have to jump to the opposite side and jump back over before a train runs head first into it. This would require a lot of time coordinating, but I think this is the possibility that they are considering.

Rethink College Park

2006-08-14T19:02:00.000-04:00

Rethink College Park was very much needed. So much potential development is there, and we need a place to communicate. The Godspeed Update has more information here.

NoMa Corridor

2006-08-07T21:42:00.000-04:00

The new hot development district in the District is NoMa, or North of Massachusetts Avenue. Bordered by North Capital to the west and New York Ave/ Florida Ave. to the north, several anchor projects are under construction and on the way. I think my favorite is the Eckington Hotel... or maybe the Washington Gateway... And with 16 million sq. ft. of potential development, there's plenty more projects on the way in the coming few years. Express has a good blurb about NoMa. The scene between the New York Ave. and Union Station Metro stops is definately changing...

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Visitor Center

2006-08-06T21:23:00.000-04:00

The Post states:

The federal commission with final say over monuments and memorials in the nation's capital gave the green light yesterday for the newest addition to America's front yard: a sprawling underground Vietnam Veterans Memorial visitor center that will be constructed between the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall.

Continue here.

Great Streets Update 7/31

2006-07-31T16:55:00.000-04:00

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

2006-07-31T15:45:00.000-04:00

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!

2006-07-31T15:34:00.000-04:00

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

2006-07-28T19:02:00.000-04:00

"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

2006-07-28T18:24:00.000-04:00

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

2006-07-26T15:29:00.000-04:00

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

2006-07-24T19:20:00.000-04:00

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...

2006-07-20T19:09:00.000-04:00

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...

2006-07-19T20:12:00.000-04:00

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

2006-07-19T19:59:00.000-04:00

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

Prince George's County Crime Rates Drop

2006-07-19T19:35:00.000-04:00

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...

2006-07-18T14:34:00.000-04:00

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

The Real Opener..

2006-07-18T13:56:00.000-04:00

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...

2006-07-18T13:06:00.000-04:00

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.