From: Woody, Derrick (EOM)
Sent: Friday, September 21, 2007 7:25 PM
To: Woody, Derrick (EOM)
Subject: H Street NE Great Streets Update

Pictorial Update of H St. NE Development

I am having posted a pictorial update of most H Street development to the ANC 6A and 6C yahoogroups sites and asking that it is posted to the Old City Capitol Hill site and others as well. The update is a five year overview of most of the changes that have happened over the last five years (2002-2007) since we began the discussions and planning for reviving H Street until today—from plan to progress. The document could be longer, but it should also get the point across that a great deal of our collective work is showing results. What the overview also shows is where more work needs to be done.

The great news is that  H Street NE is definitely on the investment map by the private sector now! Larger development projects are planned or newly completed within the Urban Living section of the plan and some properties are being improved. At the east end, new businesses have opened around the H Street Playhouse and the Atlas Performing Arts Center and an Arts and Entertainment experience can be had on H Street. These things did not exist five years ago.  But within all of this there is still a need to really assist the folk who have been on  H Street for some time and need help and a need to attract more entrepreneurs to fill vacancies. In Fiscal Year 2008 (FY08) which begins  October 1, 2007 , the focus on Great Streets within the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development will be on the following:

 In July 2007, DC Council approved the establishment of six neighborhood retail priority areas and the potential spending limits for Tax Increment Finance bonds.  Up to $25 million in bond issuance was approved for  H Street NE. The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) is working with Councilmember Wells’ office to determine the process by which these potential resources can leverage amenities for the businesses and residents of  H Street NE. In earlier meetings with property and business owners and neighborhood constituents, it was requested that priority be given to building rehabilitation grants and loans, mix income/mixed use projects, anchor retail tenants, strategic public parking and some potential transit enhancements. In conjunction with Councilmember Wells, DMPED anticipates using available resources to support key, anchoring development projects on the corridor as well as to augment resources targeted toward smaller property and business owners. 

 At the moment, DMPED is working with the Office of the Chief Financial Officer and the Office of Tax and Revenue to iron out some issues related to this important resource, but we are confident that we will reach a resolution.

Despite all of our work, the corridor still looks and feels underinvested. In partnership with other District agencies, DMPED plans to launch a building improvement campaign targeting vacant, unattractive and potential unsafe structures on  H Street NE. The Retail Priority Area resources married with Great Streets resources may be used to begin this process.  DMPED has been coordinating with and through Councilmember Wells’ office to address the issues of vacant and abandoned properties on  H Street NE. This collaboration will continue moving forward.

In order to encourage reinvestments by private land owners, the District needs to address how it uses its own vacant or underutilized land. A Request for Proposals was issued for 1113-1117 H Street NE. Two responses were received. They are being evaluated now. A selection will be made in early FY 2008.

 Here again is another opportunity to leverage public land to produce a number of public benefits, i.e. new library, new housing or offices. There has been some community concerns about a mixed use library site development on  H Street —some for and some against, but at the core of it, everyone wants a new facility for all residents to take pride in and patronize. 

DMPED plans to competitively offer the R. L. Christian Library site for mixed use development in early FY 2008. The new building will contain a larger library facility on the ground floor and housing and/or office uses above. $510,000 has been set aside to temporarily relocate the library to another facility on the 1300 block of  H Street NE northside until the construction period is completed.

DMPED recently met with William “Bill” Barrow and Eric Jones of H Street Community Development Corporation. We are excited about future opportunities to partner with the HSCDC to bring about certain improvements on  H Street NE.

The  H Street NE streetscape and transportation improvements are slated to begin in either late fall or early spring according to DDOT. The Improvements will be phased in nine phases over a 30 month period. DMPED and other agencies will be actively working to assist as needed and where possible to mitigate impacts on local businesses. It is important that all of us continue to remind business owners now that the improvements are coming and to plan accordingly. DDOT staff can provide more detail information on the scope and the timeline. Call 202.671.2542 or email karina.ricks@dc.gov with specific questions related to these planned improvements.

H Street is well underway to becoming a greater street! There is a lot more work for all of us to do. DMPED is open to new and innovative ideas and thinking about addressing some of the challenges and opportunities ahead. We welcome your input. Please feel free to contact me via email at derrick.woody@dc.gov so that I can more easily maintain a record or any responses and ideas.

Burnham Place and  Station Place final phase will be included in future iterations of this document. If any of you have images of other new investments on H Street that are not include here, please share with me via email. You will be credited.

Derrick Lanardo Woody

Coordinator - Great Streets Initiative

Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning & Economic Development

1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 317

Washington,  DC 20004-3001

202.727.2981 phone, 202.727.6703 fax

EMAIL: derrick.woody@dc.gov

More information: www.greatstreets.dc.gov or www.dcbiz.dc.gov