Posts about Development
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Breakfast links: Doomsday edition
Will they just cancel MARC entirely?: Maryland’s transportation revenue is down another $2.5 billion beyond the $1 billion cuts already made, reports the Post. That’s very bad news for the Purple Line and Corridor Cities Transitway. But of course, the $2.4 billion ICC is immune thanks to its privileged financing agreement. MARC riders spoke out against the previous… Keep reading…
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Designing sustainable communities with LEED-ND
One big shortcoming of the LEED green building code is its focus almost entirely on the building rather than the location. A building could get high marks in LEED with a green roof, cutting-edge stormwater management, effective heat insulation, electricity-saving equipment, and more, but be located in the middle of a former forest where the average employee drives 30 miles to work. Keep reading…
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Metro plans to share parking with Marriott hotel
At this week’s meeting, WMATA’s Planning, Development and Real Estate Committee will consider a proposal to enter into an agreement with Marriott to build a 162-room hotel on the Prince George’s Plaza Metro station site (see map). Originally, the site was to have a free-standing bank, which is not a very high-density use of land near a Metro station. This is much… Keep reading…
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Weekend reading: around and around in circles
Phew: WMATA reached a deal with the bank trying to shake it down for millions. But it’s not home free yet. Keep reading…
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I’m unique too!: Whitman-Walker development plans
No sooner had the dust settled in Dupont Circle and U Street from the debate over the Utopia project at 14th and U, or the furor over the Room and Board purchase of 14th and T, than controversy erupted on the next block. Earlier this year, JBG acquired the former Whitman-Walker Clinic at 14th and S, along with the adjacent, non-historic buildings making up that block of 14th. They plan a… Keep reading…
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Dinner links: urban lifestyle vs. bad transportation policy
We need 3 bedroom condos: All About Cities points out that we’re going to start needing 3-bedroom condos in the future as more families want to stay in the city. Right now, almost all demand is for 2-bedrooms and smaller, but families need 3- and 4-bedrooms. Manhattan has them (at high prices of course) in its old buildings, but most other cities don’t. Vancouver planners… Keep reading…
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Wheaton’s butterfly effect
Despite being a thoroughly walkable urban location, downtown Wheaton has a few empty parcels of land, particularly on its borders. One such parcel is the intersection of Georgia Avenue and Blueridge Avenue, a ten minute walk north of the Wheaton Metro and currently owned by WMATA. WMATA plans to sell this land to a developer for a mixed-use project including residences, office space,… Keep reading…
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Breakfast links: The more things change…
What does Obama’s win mean for the District? That’s what a lot of local blogs are asking. Politico and Eleanor Holmes Norton suggest not to get expectations too high, at least at first. If he follows Newark mayor Cory Booker’s advice, Obama’s policies will likely help all metropolitan areas, including DC. But whereas JFK (who started the Metro system) had… Keep reading…
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Our curb cut is limited to the present circumstances
How often does Councilmember Phil Mendelson (at-large) personally show up to the Board of Zoning Adjustment to testify in support of a variance? I suspect not often, but show up he did at yesterday’s BZA hearing on the 14th and U “Utopia” project. Keep reading…
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cArmy Base: Fort Meade
Military bases dot the landscape all around the Capital region. This is a unique presence, as many cities in America are largely defined by the one or two military bases near their boundaries, like Fayetteville, North Carolina; Pensacola, Florida; Kileen, Texas; Norfolk and even San Diego. Washington, DC, however, is home to the entire Federal Government, so a few military bases… Keep reading…