Breakfast links: Underground spaces, above-ground fights

Center Leg gash to heal

A deal is almost done to deck over the I-395 trench from Massachusetts Avenue to E Street. Louis Dreyfus would build 3 buildings and some green space to fill the current “gash” in the area and reconnect F St. across the site. (Capital Business)

Dupont tunnels: Public money or not?

Roger Lewis thinks DC should make the Dupont trolley tunnels a great civic amenity using some public and private money, as New York did with the High Line, instead of requiring an all-private project as they are in the current RFP. (Post) … The arts coalition bidding for the space thinks they can fund a rehab on their own, and is raising money right now.

UMD backs down halfway

Following pressure from students, Prince George’s leaders and Rethink College Park, UMD has offered to partly modify their planned Campus Drive summer closure to ban transit vehicles for only half the summer and private vehicles the entire summer. There’s also a forum tonight on the Purple Line and UMD sponsored by SGA and Purple Line advocates. (Rethink College Park)

Fighting over VRE

VRE is about to switch from having Amtrak operate its trains to French company Keolis Rail Systems, but Keolis is not ready on schedule. The VRE Board is accusing Amtrak of interfering with the transfer, like offering bonuses to employees to not switch to Keolis and raising qualification standards. (Fredericksburg.com)

Commission opposition

DC Councilmember Phil Mendelson is objecting to Mayor Fenty’s newest Zoning Commission nominee, a developer, saying the nominee should have closer community ties like Commissioner Anthony Hood, who he is replacing. (WBJ)

Lawyers on bikes

Law firm Nixon Peabody launched a bike rental program with three bikes employees can check out. Even better would be for this or other firms to create their own stations in the new bike sharing program. (Post)

Down with opaque windows

Philip Kennicott’s latest column laments the covered-up storefront windows in many urban stores, especially CVSes and grocers. (Post)

And…

Alexandria cabbies say they need higher rates, especially with rules requiring them to spend some time outside airport runs (Examiner) … Middle schoolers try designing the Anacostia waterfront (Housing Complex) … UrbanTurf asks what the new hot neighborhoods will be in 2015 … A mixed-use apartment building is moving Arlington’s Columbia Pike one step closer to the walkable vision. (DCmud)