5th & I on the Agenda

Posted By Si Kailian, 05/06/08 9:03 PM

The short list of presentations has been pretty well covered by bloggers at PQLiving & MVTriangle so I wont get majorly into the details. Excellent job btw! read those posts for the full scoop. Also check out the info posted on the DC Gov website. We've got a choice of 4 developers:

JBG - traditional configuration hotel/retail/residential to be combined with substantial adjoining parcels, not so many details & specifics. Conceptual design includes a hexagonal tower on the corner with a big wall behind it.

The Arts at 5th and I, Donahoe/Holland - frou frou ME Hotel/residential, spa, Boisdale restaurant/jazzclub, Cappucinos (breakfast...). One of the presenters got very excited when talking about the plans (ME! hotel!). He started describing Boisedale, its steak tar-tar, its steak quality, its steak aging durations, and the dripping meat blood. really, i swear! oh the design is like a big glass box with random elements - i think they are balconies. maybe some of them. take a look. this one may acquire parcels to the north. They have a website linked above & it plays jazz music.

I5, PIP - boutique hotel/spa/residential, the design has 2 towers in a U shape with an elevated outdoor space. The design is fairly traditional with the roof stepped back in 3 sections. commitments from the owner of Tryst & the Diner, Avalon Hotel, China Tresure (flowers). They also plan to incorporate chinatown cultural elements, artist space, & exhibit space. i do not believe they are seeking to obtain adjoining parcels. Click the link for the PDF...

Buccini/Pollin - 2 hotels atop a World Cafe Live, a small live music venue/ restaurant that will have a musical community outreach element. Hard to tell but the conceptual design seems to contain glowing boxes that may stick out on the upper levels.

All of the proposals have excellent local involvement, green elements, adequate parking arrangements...There was much talk about iconic architecture.

There is a public comment period and I believe it should be directed to ANC 6C. They also have a Yahoo Group. we will make sure DC gov & the ANC are reading the blogs too so as many people as possible get their voices heard. also MVTriangle has a nifty poll. Consider attending upcoming public ANC 6C Meetings where this will be discussed:

Wednesday May 7th, 7:00pm, NPR, 635 Mass Ave NW (ANC 6C Planning & Zoning Meeting)

Wednesday May 14th, 7:00pm, Heritage Foundation, 214 Mass Ave NE (ANC 6C full commission)

DC will be making their decision around June 1st. Then we will be on our way to having more vacant property developed!

Categories: ANC, Development, Events, Meetings, News, Real Estate, Restaurants, Shops | Comments (8) | del.icio.us | Linking Blogs

Comments

thanks for talking(linking) about it here i dont have time to look at all these different sites

Posted By richard rogers / At 5/7/08 7:25 AM

i wish we could end up with a hybrid of The Arts & I5. Im really digging the (Shalom Baranes)design & concept of The Arts (despite the talk of meat blood) but ...the I5 prospect of having our own Tryst/Diner is scintillating! Plus the artist studios & exhibit space incorporated into the I5 plan are definitely a bonus. Tis a shame the conceptual design is lackluster. Oh hell I'll say it, I hate the I5 design. As for the other 2...meh.

Posted By Si Kailian / At 5/7/08 9:38 AM

I think for the residents who have attended or read the presentations it really boils down to I5 versus the Arts. It's easy for me to dismiss JBG when they come to the table with no retail/hotel partner specifics and claim 555 Mass and the Convention Center as prominent success stories in their portfolio. Buccini/Pollin is highly unlikely to earn support of local residents for their 1000 patron World Cafe Live even if it may not be as obnoxious neighbor as House of Blues would have been.

I agree that a Tryst/Diner type cafe in I5 is an appealing option. People have an idea what to expect there whereas the Cappuccino's cafe is an unknown. Still when looking at the entire retail package I think Boisdale/Cappucinos/Me/Yhi >> I5 Cafe/Flower Shop/Avalon/Spa both in impact to the neighborhood and generation of jobs. Additionally I feel that the ME hotel by being larger and more of an affluent hotel will create more daytime pedestrian traffic than the Avalon hotel. This will help the neighborhood attract retail more quickly at the ground level of the Penzance building and the adjacent lots of this project.

I also just have a hard time looking at the I5 rendering and not having the phrase "Hampton Inn" pop into my head. The building reminds me of a hotel off the interstate in a sprawling city like Charlotte or Orlando.

Posted By FourthandEye / At 5/7/08 10:22 AM

i5 is that the one where you have to tilt your head to read sideways? wassup with that? i vote no.

shalom barnes i like alot

sorg? kennedy rec center and yale laundry i could be wrong on yale

shalom barnes is my pick

Posted By richard rogers / At 5/7/08 4:28 PM

http://dcmetrocentric.com/2008/05/09/me-likey-the-arts-at-5th-and-i-street/

Posted By Si Kailian / At 5/9/08 1:07 PM

updates: at the 6c p&z meeting, donahoe announced they had reached a deal that very night to acquire the parcels all the way up to K street. shortly after, they announced on their blog that they had a letter of intent from True Value/The Bike Shop that had closed at 22nd & P. Donahoe's blog:
http://5th-and-i.blogspot.com/
also at the 6c p&z, buccini suggested their world cafe live would be a venue for kid's birthday parties. all teams went into more detail about community job training.

Posted By Si Kailian / At 5/15/08 11:14 AM

sorry I typed to fast, Donahue has a contract on Fun Fair and intends to acquire up to k st...

Posted By si kailian / At 5/16/08 2:09 PM

donahoe

Posted By si kailian / At 5/17/08 7:21 PM