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.

Traffic, Part 1

Like our mayor, Germany’s Ampelmannchen (“little street-light man”) sports a stylish hat

Traffic – and dealing with it - is always a concern downtown. We’re already thinking about it for The Arts at 5th & I. Our project also plans for meeting or exceeding all parking requirements onsite, with four underground levels of parking to handle demand created by new shoppers, residents, workers, and guests.

Our team leader, Donohoe, has programs at its DC headquarters for providing employees Metro SmarTrip cards, providing subsidies for employees who bike or ride Metro to work, and providing onsite lockers and showers for employees who bike to work. These programs can be extended to the site as well. We also are thinking ahead to providing remote parking with courtesy shuttles for workers to limit traffic and parking woes during construction.

Hiring local helps in this way as well, both for construction and for the completed project. Hiring from D.C. and Ward 6 first increases the chance that workers will use Metro – and that will further limit our carbon footprint, as well as our “traffic footprint.”

Thanks to All...

...Who came out tonight to the public meeting at the Carnegie Library in Mount Vernon Square. The four development teams presented their plans for 5th & I, and members of the community got to ask questions about those plans. We'll explore more about those questions here on this blog and in future public meetings. Didn't get to attend but have questions? We'd love to hear your comments. Email us your comments, or post a comment here on the blog.

The Future of 5th & I - Now Online

Our companion website, 5th-and-i.com, goes live today. Check it out for more info on our team and our vision for the corner of 5th & I Streets NW. You'll find video on our hotel partner, ME by Melia, and music from Boisdale, our neighborhood jazz club and restaurant.