Breakfast links: Pennsylvania Avenue NW could get makeover between White House and Capitol
Pennsylvania Avenue NW just west of the Capitol grounds by Joe Flood licensed under Creative Commons.
Local and federal leaders want Pennsylvania Ave NW to be a grand destination
District government and the National Capital Planning Commission have agreed to start redesigning the stretch of Pennsylvania Avenue that links the Capitol to the White House. The new space will have fewer, or maybe even no, cars, and more space for parks, events, pop-ups, markets, and other similar activities. The NCPC asked for public comment on three “concepts” last year, and along with the DC government and the other federal agencies responsible for various parts of the avenue are now ready to hire consultants to start creating the master plan. (This article may be behind a paywall) (Luz Lazo / Washington Post)
Want a “starter home” in DC? You need to make over $91,000
Redfin reports that the average cost of a “starter home” in DC is now $350,000, which at current interest rates requires prospective buyers to earn approximately $91,000 per year. That is 12% higher than the income needed to buy the same kind of home last year. (Urban Turf)
Alexandria is working on an “updated community vision” for one of the few remaining affordable neighborhoods
The city is in the process of reviewing several small area plans, one of which has not been changed since the early 1990s, to address the housing affordability and related issues in the West End area. It has recently announced a series of meetings, workshops, discussions, and other events with current residents in the area, which has been “a hotbed of conflict” between residents and landlords. (Vernon Miles / ALXNow)
It’s official: Bus Rapid Transit is coming to Route 7 in Tysons
Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved an amendment to the comprehensive plan that reserves lanes for bus rapid transit in the future remake of Virginia Route 7 Leesburg Pike between International Drive to West Falls Church Metro station. That section is part of a larger regional BRT line that will extend all the way to Mark Center in Alexandria. (Angela Woolsey / FFXNow)
Under-developed areas of Montgomery County’s “upcounty” getting a development plan
Montgomery Planning has approved a scope of work to update the Clarksburg Gateway Sector Plan for the first time since 1994, as part of an effort to improve planning in underdeveloped areas. The county is particularly focused on the area east of I-270 in the transit corridor. Next steps will include multiple opportunities for public participation and comment. (Elia Griffin / MoCo360)
Prince George’s County opens six new schools using public-private partnership
The Blueprint Schools Program will include 14 new schools in total, each with state-of-the-art technology, STEM labs, and arts resources for music, theater, and dance, as well as security features like panic buttons and surveillence feeds. The schools are estimated to cost $1 billion over 30 years, and are the first public schools in the country to be financed using this type of public-private partnership. (NBC4)
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