Posts tagged Historic Preservation
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Could Southwest become DC’s second downtown?
The Southwest Waterfront master plan, released yesterday, adds to an impressive collection of plans and development that could collectively transform the way we think about the area south of the National Mall. One day, not too many decades from now, Southwest (and Near Southeast) could become a second downtown for DC, as large as the existing downtown area. Consider… Keep reading…
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Streetcars are historic preservation in Georgetown
All Georgetowners want to see the historic character of Georgetown preserved. Few initiatives have the potential to impact Georgetown’s historic character as profoundly as the DC Streetcar project. Streetcars are obviously a central feature of Georgetown’s historic landscape. What may be less obvious are the benefits streetcars would… Keep reading…
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Lunch links: Food fights
The powerful vs. the food trucks; Eat more, drink less; Shaw/Bloomingdale will get a sit down restaurant; Why no bike sharing on the Mall?; Security might not always trump public access; Museum bubble takes shape; Preservation meets race in Alexandria; New New Carrollton; More car-free, less traffic. Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: Setting a date
Capital Bikeshare to start September 20th; Is DC pedestrian unfriendly?; DC’s neglected Civil War history; Free WiFi on the Mall; Stadiums die, debt lives on; Linking cabs and passengers; Obama infrastructure proposal, political reality at odds; Fear vs. Reality. Keep reading…
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Great Hall’s new look could accentuate its past
Having spent most of my life in the DC area, I have a good stock of memories of things that I found particularly impressive or pleasing: Meridian Hill Park, rowhomes in Capitol Hill, the Tidal Basin, and seeing the Washington Monument at night have stuck, indelibly, in my head. Union Station is the train terminal for DC, and it’s historic, too. It should be on my personal list… Keep reading…
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Should Union Station’s Great Hall be less great?
Union Station’s Great Hall is one of the city’s most fantastic public spaces. It is beautiful, engaging, and lively. And somebody wants to tear a couple of giant holes in its floor. Earlier this week, Washington City Paper reported on a proposal to cut holes in the Great Hall’s floor in order to provide better access to the basement food court, and to replace… Keep reading…
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The little shop that survived (sort of)
A recent article in The Washington Post about the historic synagogue downtown that was moved once and will be moved again soon got me thinking about historic buildings in D.C. that have been moved. Georgetown’s exquisite Dumbarton House is another example; it was moved north about 50 feet in 1915 to allow the Georgetown stretch of Q Street to be connected up with its Washington… Keep reading…
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Lost Washington: The old Palais Royal department store
Many Washingtonians remember the Woodward & Lothrop department store, which used to be downtown at 11th and F Streets, N.W. The old Woodies Building is still standing. But less well-known is its old rival, the Palais Royal, which was located in the block immediately to the north, at 11th and G. The Palais Royal got started in 1877 on the northeast corner of 12th Street… Keep reading…
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HPRB denies S Street addition
The Historic Preservation Review Board decided not to follow the Dupont Conservancy’s recommendations and will not allow the 3rd floor mansard roof at the corner of 15th and S Streets, NW. Keep reading…
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Preserve our buildings with conservation districts
DC should create a less restrictive form of historic district, in many places called a conservation district, for its historic row house neighborhoods and other areas with historic value but which aren’t interested in becoming full historic districts. Residents of neighborhoods recently considered for historic review have expressed much trepidation about the designation… Keep reading…