Over the last week or so at The Triangle blog we've been discussing development of Squares 450 and 451 with consideration of many angles. It wasn't triggered by any recent news, we simply hadn't talked about these parcels since our blog started and thought it was time for a discussion. Today the Washington Business Journal chimed in with a piece of their own Douglas Development amasses properties for downtown project (note: some of the article is subscriber only).
The full coverage of the our articles on these Squares can be accessed using our Douglas Development tag.
I would be especially interested in discussion on these 3 articles:
Thanks!
[[ please send to your neighbors and lists ]]
Help Make Shaw Library A Sparkling Jewel!
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WHAT: Your intelligence, body and voice are needed on THURSDAY, SEPT 4, 2008
WHEN: Folks will gather at 6:00PM; Meeting begins 6:30PM
WHERE: Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Interim Library -- 945 Rhode Island Avenue, NW
WHO: Presentation by DC Public Libraries and Board of Library Trustees
WHY: This may be your last chance to give feedback for the new Shaw
Library, and if don't speak up, we may trade our old brown brutal box on a slab for a new metal box on a slab -- but this time, with a green tarp on top.
FMI: http://tinyurl.com/65ylq3
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Check out the library design switch here >>
http://tinyurl.com/67zksv
There is $15 - $16 million in the DC budget for our new Shaw Library.
Ground-breaking is rumored for October.
Some Questions People are Asking:
* Where is the line-item budget for this important project?
* Why did the widely lauded "Sparkling Jewel of Shaw" exterior get an ugly make-over?
* Why no chance for the DC residents to make suggestions for the interior and library programming plans?
* How can we have a "final design meeting" prior to getting community input about the latest design plans?
* Is it senior-friendly? There is the Asbury Senior Housing across the street and senior housing is included in the O Street Market project.
* Why no computer training lab or space for adult computer literacy training?
* Should staff work areas be integrated into library or walled off?
* Is there too much space for meetings and staff lounge - is the mix right?
* Why no coffee shop? That would make the library truly user friendly, an amazing amenity addition to Shaw.
Please contact Chief Librarian Cooper and let her know you are concerned
about the exterior and the interior, and, as a high visibility project, at a high visibility location, we need to do the Shaw Library right. Use this online email tool here >>
http://www.districtdynamos.org/forms/email_city_officials.php
PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD
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WHAT: Your intelligence, body and voice are needed on THURSDAY, SEPT 4, 2008
WHEN: Folks will gather at 6:00PM; Meeting begins 6:30PM
WHERE: Watha T. Daniel-Shaw Interim Library -- 945 Rhode Island Avenue, NW
WHO: Presentation by DC Public Libraries and Board of Library Trustees
WHY: This may be your last chance to give feedback for the new Shaw
Library, and if don't speak up, we may trade our old brown brutal box on a slab for a new metal box on a slab -- but this time, with a green tarp on top.
FMI: http://tinyurl.com/65ylq3
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We hope to see you Thursday.
~ The Shaw Library Study Group
202-294-3693
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SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
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* Check out the Shaw Library evolution over past 7 months >>
http://www.districtdynamos.org/dynamos/shaw/library_evolution
* ANC-2C Declaration on the poor library process >>
http://tinyurl.com/6yfogo
* SLSG Spring Survey Results >>
http://tinyurl.com/5trzcr
* Shaw residents and employees at Board of Library Trustees meeting >>
http://www.districtdynamos.org/dynamos/shaw/videos/bolt_7_23_08
* SLSG Open Letter to Mayor about BoLT
http://tinyurl.com/57o3d2
* Article from about a year ago regarding the Interim Shaw Library >>
http://tinyurl.com/6fcmep
DONT BACK JACK
well, i'm shocked! yesterday, saturday morning at 7 AM, a group of DC taxpayers got together and legally placed Cary for Council signs along P St NW from 23rd west to wisconsin avenue. WE DID NOT REMOVE A SINGLE EVANS SIGN. by sunday morning every Cary for Council sign had been REMOVED and every evans sign was still up and beyond the legal limit.
WHO INSTRUCTED THE SIGNS REMOVED JACK? WHO? WE DONT LIVE IN RUSSIA JACK.
Night Visions
Roc Central has got it a$$ backwards. and this sign has been up for a while. and I did not touch this photo :)

What do you all think of this method of projection advertising? I'm intrigued, its mobile, totally temporary & non invasive. If it wasn't on one of Douglas Develpment's vacant dumps I think I'd be into it. Amusingly enough this Toyota ad was being projected from a Nissan vehicle right next to another traditional billboard car ad for a Lexus i think.

Some selected images from a larger set of shots of Mount Vernon Triangle & PQ/Chinatown taken mostly from atop 400 Mass. Enjoy!




Well I hiked my butt up to Scott Montgomery Elementary last saturday for DCPS beautification day. It was nice n sunny and a pleasure to see a few neighbors helping out, principal Melissa Martin (who also hates the prison grates) & quite a few of the 500 volunteers that McLean Bible Church sent to the schools. Yes thats right, McLean Bible Church supplied 25% of the volunteers that day for the entire city (some were DC residents). MVSNA prez & Ward 2 Council candidate Cary Silverman was there shoveling leaves & picking up trash and blogged it here. His opponent in the Sept. 9th Ward 2 City Council primary, Jack Evans did stop by for 30 min or so but I did not see him actually cleaning. He did send a bunch of campaign workers who were very nice & a big help. All in all it was a good day for some school sprucing. Scott Montgomery has gotten a very nice blue! indoor facelift so we were outside the whole time in the nice weather. I picked up 11 crack baggies, 1 condom & 1 hypodermic needle (with the needle thoughtfully bent over) ...not too bad, always amusing to count. Neighbor J did find a shell casing tho. thats just f-ed up, in a schoolyard! here are some pics:




Mass Baptism
DCist just put up some awesome photos. Thanks UHOP for picking up the trash & leaving the block nice n' clean!


