We're Fine, How Are You?

We've been working with the District Government to create a world-class development for 5th & I. The Arts Team has been meeting with the Deputy Mayor's office to work out the details of the development plan, including agreements for hiring DC residents, schedules for construction, etc. We've had more than 50 meetings so far. In the coming weeks, we're looking to the Deputy Mayor's office to finalize our LOI (Letter of Intent) and to forward The Arts project to the DC Council for review and approval.

In the meantime, Commissioner Karen Wirt and ANC 6C have invited us to appear at their December meeting. Maybe we'll see you there?

Zenith Gallery Announces its Move to The Arts at 5th & I

Zenith Gallery has officially announced that it will leave its current home in Penn Quarter and will join The Arts at 5th & I.

From the release:

...founder and proprietor Margery E. Goldberg said, “Mind you, we are not closing. We’re just changing the way we do business. We will continue to sell art and remain active in Washington’s cultural arena.”

The new move to The Arts will allow a fundamental rethinking of how Zenith approaches its gallery, consulting and non-profit activities:

For Goldberg, Zenith’s future holds opportunities and promise as she begins to explore options and plan how she wants to present, provide and promote art in her next phase as a Washington impresario and activist. In the next few years, she’s also slated to move Zenith Gallery to a luxury hotel at Mt. Vernon Triangle, which is part of a multi-use project (The Arts at 5th & I, awarded by Mayor Fenty) that will include a residential complex, jazz club, restaurant and more.

We're excited to welcome Margery Goldberg and Zenith to the MVT neighborhood.

Shown: Artist Donna McCullough's Team Gulf (Blue), tin cans w/ steel base, from Zenith Gallery's current show Zenith for Real.

The Arts at 5th & I - Now with More Arts

It's been mentioned by the Mayor and the blogosphere, and we're happy to confirm it. We'd like to announce the inclusion of a new member of the Arts at 5th & I team - D.C.'s Zenith Gallery.

The award-winning Zenith Gallery has been a D.C. institution since 1978. Zenith represents dozens of artists, many D.C. locals. The new Zenith location will occupy storefront retail on I St., opposite the triangle park.

Also coming to 5th & I will be Zenith's non-profit arm, the Zenith Community Arts Foundation. The Zenith Community Arts Foundation advances social causes through art, and works in fundraising collaborations with non-profits such as the Capital Area Food Bank.

Photo courtesy Zenith Gallery

Coming Soon!

Everyone, we're happy to announce that the Arts at 5th & I team has been selected by the District to redevelop the corner of 5th & I!

Most importantly, we appreciate all the support we've gotten from the neighborhood. We've listened to the community, and we're looking forward to turning the vision of a better Mount Vernon Triangle into a reality.

Update 9/22/08: Coverage of the announcement:
Washington Business Journal
Washington Post
MVSNA's blog
The Triangle Blog
PQ Living
DC MUD
DC Metrocentric
The Triangle Blog rounds up these and other mentions here.

Countdown

The Best and Final Offers for 5th & I were turned in August 18th. The Arts at 5th & I team is counting the hours until the announcement by the District.

Every indication is that the District will move quickly to announce their winning team, and we expect an announcement within the next week or two. We thank our neighbors for their continued support. And we look forward to a revived 5th St., a livelier, friendlier streetscape, and a development in keeping with community wants and needs.

Photo credit: laffy4k

Madrid - Cabo - Cancun - Barcelona - D.C.

Congratulations to our partner, Sol Melia, on their fourth hotel under the ME flag, the ME Barcelona. The new ME opens in Barcelona's Innovation District, an area of the city with a high-tech focus. And yes, that actually is a photograph.

Press Announcement - New York Times article - ME by Melia website.

Rainbow Over MVT

Courtesy Thais Austin, 555 Mass

Click for a larger version. From the rooftop of 555 Mass looking east across Mount Vernon Triangle.

U.S. Immigration (425 I St.) and Penzance's office building are in the foreground, with the Capitol dome in the distance. This being DC, there's also 5 tower cranes in the background.

Voice of the Hill on MVT

Voice of the Hill reports on the recent ANC 6C decision in favor of the Arts at 5th & I:

The commission... praised Donohoe/Holland for meeting nearly all the criteria the commission hoped would be included -- "much needed neighborhood retail, a neighborhood gathering spot at its café and an entertainment venue well-suited, both in scale and theme, to the area."

It's good to see Voice of the Hill covering the process in Mount Vernon Triangle. I took the opportunity to ask Davis Kennedy, publisher of Voice of the Hill and the Current family of newspapers, whether we could expect a version of the Current tailored to the growing population of Penn Quarter/MVT. The Current already has versions tailored to Georgetown, Upper Northwest, Dupont, and Foggy Bottom. He says he's been thinking about it, but the more economical approach, at least for awhile, will probably be to expand the reach of Voice of the Hill. It's good to hear that they're thinking about moving in that direction.

ANC 6C Endorses The Arts at 5th & I

We're happy to announce that ANC 6C has endorsed The Arts at 5th & I! At tonight's meeting, ANC 6C endorsed the vision that the Donohoe/ Holland/ Harris/ Spectrum team is working to bring to the MVT community.

We were equally pleased by the unanimous support of the members of the local community that made their voices heard this evening. Thanks to ANC 6C and everyone who attended for taking the time out of their own schedules to participate in the process. We will continue to work to earn your support.

Update 5/30/08: The Triangle blog reports on the meeting and excerpts the ANC endorsement here.

Downtown Neighborhood Association Supports the Arts at 5th & I

We're happy to announce that the Downtown Neighborhood Association supports the Arts at 5th & I!

Miles Grove, on behalf of the Downtown Neighborhood Association, says:

... we favor Donohoe/Holland because they are actively working to acquire the lots north of the 5th and Eye development lot to K Street and are gathering great local retail commitments.... We ask that you give great weight to their effort and if selected, work expeditiously to resolve any zoning /HPRB issues that might exist so that development of the full block can begin.

If our team is selected, we look forward to working with the Downtown Neighborhood Association (DNA), as well as ANC6C, the MVSNA, and the CID. We'll also work with the residents of 555 Mass and and all our neighbors to limit the issues that construction brings. And we will work to maximize the potential for a safe, vibrant MVT.

The Bike Shop for Mount Vernon Triangle

We're happy to announce the newest member of our team - District Hardware/The Bike Shop! Neil Conway, President of District Hardware/The Bike Shop signed a Letter of Interest with The Arts at 5th & I team earlier today.

Neil notes:

When we opened in Dupont Circle in 1971, our neighborhood was much like Mount Vernon Triangle is today. We would be excited to bring a new location to Mount Vernon Triangle and be a part of the improvement of another District neighborhood.

District Hardware/The Bike Shop has been a local institution in D.C. for 37 years. They were the first True Value hardware store in Washington, D.C.

Neil Conway, the second generation of this D.C. family business, incorporated The Bike Shop into the business, offering bicycle and bicycle accessory sales, as well as full bike repair services.

The new location is planned to include the store's signature mix of neighborhood hardware store and full-service bike shop. District Hardware/The Bike Shop joins our ME by Meliá hotel, Cappuccinos Café and Boisdale Jazz.

Traffic, Part 2

This is a follow up to an earlier post. Read part 1 here.

The Mount Vernon Triangle doesn’t have just one traffic problem, it has several.

Many non-local drivers use these streets as cut-throughs during rush hour. Others (on Verizon Center nights) drive in circles, faster and faster, looking for on-street parking. Late-night drivers seem to accelerate as fast as possible between intersections. And still other drivers, confused by all the turning options at 5th, I, and Massachusetts, forget to look for cars and people at all.

All of this makes for an unsafe environment for pedestrians. The public realm should be more than a space for moving the maximum number of cars at the maximum speed.

A combination of improvements – all working together - could transform 5th and I Streets:

• Traffic Light with Pedestrian “Countdown Timer”
• “Bulb-outs” or Curb Extensions
• Changing Parking Restrictions
• Raised Crosswalks
• Lighting Improvements
• Quality Street Trees
• Strong Retail Options

Bulb-outs or curb extensions, like the intersection above, decrease pedestrian crossing distances.

Stoplights are important, but creating a quality streetscape is just as important. Drivers naturally hurry through areas with abandoned storefronts and vacant lots. By contrast, interesting retail and visual interest encourages drivers to slow down.

Some of these might seem like minor improvements, or things that aren’t related to traffic safety at all. We think they are all important, because they change the behavior of drivers. Street trees, bulb-outs and appropriate lighting help define the street and visually narrow it, which drivers process as natural reasons to go slower. And when 5th & I Streets have good, interesting neighborhood retail, we’ll have more pedestrians, and that will help create a friendlier, safer neighborhood. We’ve thought about these issues with regard to 5th & I extensively, and we want to be a part of the solution.