Homicide in Edgewood

This morning, Monday, November 14, 2011, at about 2:20, a 21 year old man was shot and killed in the 500 block of Edgewood St., NE. Homicide detectives are working on this case.  If anyone has any information about this shooting, or if anyone saw or heard anything around this time, we would like to hear from you.

Please call 202 – 727 - 9099 with any information.

Andy Solberg
Commander, 5D

Edgewood Development Update

On Tuesday they broke ground on the CUA South Campus Development now named the Monroe Street Market.  Again all over the media and neighborhoods people have been calling it Brookland's new development.  I feel like a broken record trying to get these developments to acknowledge that they are in Edgewood!  So below are the updates of the developments ongoing in the Edgewood neighborhood for your reading pleasure.

Chancellor's Row (3015 4th Street NE) - 10-acre residential development on St. Paul's campus which began construction Fall 2010 as promised and already has residents living there. They have sold 91 houses as of September 23, 2011. Phase 2 is currently open for sales.  Their prices have risen seven percent since opening in 2010.  They are building a total of 237 new townhouses in this development and the speed at which they build will depend on sales. At the current rate of sale I imagine they will be building pretty fast and with all the other developments in the area may sell out sooner than they expected.

Monroe Street Market (formerly CUA South Campus Development) (7th Street and Michigan Ave NE) - mixed use development will include approximately 720 housing units, 45 townhouses, and a public square with a college main street with 83,000 square feet of street-level retail, 15,000 square feet of artists' studio space and 850 below-grade parking spaces. They started demolition on the CUA buildings last year and broke ground on November 9, 2011.  The first phase of 562 residential units is scheduled to be completed in Summer 2013.  There will also be improvements made to the sidewalks, crosswalks and Met Branch Trail connection in that area.

Brookland Artspace Lofts (3225 Eighth Street NE) - 41 live/work rental units directly adjacent to Dance Place's HQ and studio space for qualified DC artists making 60% or less of the area median income construction began Spring 2010 and is completed and at 100% occupancy now.  They are accepting applications for their wait list.

Developments Surrounding Edgewood

Rhode Island Row (919 Rhode Island Ave NE) - This project is well underway and should have residents moving in in waves as the apartments are completed.  They have posted the rents and they range from $1630 for a 1 bed/bath to $3500 for a 3 bed/bath.  The retail is supposed to be announced the end of this year and open Spring 2012.  I have only heard that CVS is going to open over there. 

Mint Condos (329 Rhode Island Ave NE) - This project is currently underway and is across the street from Edgewood in Eckington. The burnt out shell of a building is being converted into 20 luxury condos priced between $200,000 and $300,000. The building is also supposed to include five retail units and was scheduled for completion in Spring 2011.  They have been painting the building and it looks to be well underway with renovations.  I am not sure when they plan to have it move in ready or announce retail.  They have updated their website.

901 Monroe Street NE - This project is just entering the planning stages across the street in Brookland, but looks promising. The plans are to demolish the current buildings and build 212 Apartments, 16 units at below market rents, and 13,000 sq. ft. of neighborhood-serving retail including a restaurant. Groundbreaking is scheduled for Spring 2012.  The zoning commission public hearing is scheduled for January 19, 2012.

Washington Gateway (Intersection of New York Ave and Florida Ave NE) - This project which has been recently revived and perhaps modified to include more residential instead of a hotel will connect NoMa with the Eckington neighborhood. A huge empty 3 acre lot will be transformed into office space and residential with a small retail component. There will be improvements made to the Met Branch Trail which will connect to this development. The groundbreaking is supposed to happen before the end of the year for Phase One which is a building with 400 residential units and 5,200 sq. ft. of retail.. 

NoMa West (Eckington Place and Q Street NE) - This development broke ground in March 2011 and they have been hard at work with construction every since.  There will be a total of three buildings when they are completed and a small amount of retail.  There will be an extension of Q street, a pedestrian walkway and connection with the Met Branch Trail included in the project. 

McMillan Sand Filtration (North Capitol Street, Michigan Ave, 1 Street NW) - This huge 25 acre site has been the focus of many meetings and plans over the years and I'll put its timeline as I'll believe it when I see it. The current plans call for mixed-use development and park space which I think would be amazing! There are many sites and posts about this development as everyone seems to have an opinion as to what should happen with this piece of land.   They have recently filed a draft PUD and there have been more meetings so I am sticking to my last update that I will believe it when I see it.

REMINDER: Edgewood Neighborhood Cleanup TOMORROW!

Just wanted to send out a reminder that tomorrow is the Edgewood Neighborhood monthly cleanup. The group meets in front of the Edgewood Rec Center at the corner of 3rd and Evarts NE at 10:30 a.m. The cleanup is sponsored by the Friends of Edgewood Recreation Center and occurs the first Saturday of every month same time and location. The group picks up trash around the neighborhood including the rec center and has a cookout afterwards.


This is a great way to meet your neighbors and show pride in our neighborhood!

If you cannot come try and cleanup around your block today or tomorrow morning so we can cover more areas!!!

Chocolate City Beer Update

This post is long overdue!  Chocolate City Beer has been up and brewing for months now and they keep expanding the list of locations where you can buy yourself a pint.  The closest one to Edgewood is the Colonel Brooks Tavern in Brookland.  I had a few pints of the ESB that is on tap there last week and really enjoyed it.  I have also been told that they are planning to sell growlers hopefully starting this month!! 

Here is the list of places that have Chocolate City Beer on tap:

The Wonderland Ballroom
The Looking Glass Lounge
The Pug
RFD
Tryst
Breadsoda
Bier Baron
Bar Pilar
Dodge City
Colonel Brooks Tavern
Argonaut

Ward 5 Redistricting and Edgewood

In case you have missed it there has been a series of posts on Greater Greater Washington the past three days on the Ward 5 redistricting maps and process.  I encourage everyone to read them and comment.

Yesterday they posted a map which the authors of the posts thought would be best for the new ANCs and SMDs in Ward 5.  They have grouped Edgewood with Eckington, Truxton Circle, Bates-Hanover and Bloomingdale.  I think that Edgewood would be better served to be in the same ANC as Brookland.  There are so many projects and developments on the Edgewood/Brookland border and Edgewood is constantly left out of the process.  Many residents in Edgewood think they live in Brookland.  I think that if we were in the same ANC it would allow the Edgewood neighborhood to have better representation and stop the overuse of the Brookland name for the projects/developments that are partially or even wholly in the Edgewood neighborhood.

The thing that I do really like is that Edgewood now has 3 SMDs that are pretty much all in its neighborhood boundaries. This is really a great thing for the neighborhood as before my SMD was half Eckington and half Edgewood in a weird "Z" shape across Rhode Island Avenue NE.  I think that it would also help the Ward 5 ANCs be more even in size and give all of them an odd number of SMDs if Edgewood was with ANC 5C.

Geoffrey Hatchard was kind enough to provide me with a map for this post.  The three Edgewood SMDs are a darker green/blue between the blue ANC 5B and the green ANC 5C.  My thoughts are that we would be better off with the green ANC 5C, but I would really like to hear from fellow Edgewood neighbors on what they think.


What do you think?  Please state in the comments your feelings on where Edgewood should end up in this redistricting process.  Also please email our council member your thoughts and attend the meeting when it is announced.

DDOT Announces Solicitation of Bids for Construction of Rhode Island Avenue Pedestrian Bridge

Please see the press release below about the pedestrian bridge from the Met Branch Trail to the Rhode Island Ave metro station!!!  It looks like we could have it built and maybe even finished next year!!!!

Government of the District of Columbia
Department of Transportation For Immediate Release
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Media Contact: John Lisle at 202-671-2004, john.lisle@dc.gov

DDOT Announces Solicitation of Bids for Construction of Rhode Island Avenue Pedestrian Bridge

Construction of Key Connection to Metropolitan Branch Trail to Begin Next Year(Washington, D.C.)

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) today announced a solicitation of bids for the construction of a pedestrian/bicycle bridge over the CSX railroad tracks at the Rhode Island Avenue Metro Station. The bridge links to the Metropolitan Branch Trail and will be a safe passageway for community members who currently use the Rhode Island Avenue underpass, which is narrow and dark, or who cross the active railroad tracks illegally. Combined with last year’s completion of the Metropolitan Branch Trail, from New York Avenue to Franklin Street, the bridge will also increase access to transit and recreation for thousands of residents.

The truss bridge is designed in the style of an old railroad bridge. The design is the result of unprecedented cooperation among numerous stakeholders including DDOT, WMATA, CSX, utility companies and the community. Following award of a construction contract, work could start sometime next year. Bids are due December 5, 2011. Bid documents are available at the OCP Bid Room on the 3rd floor of the Reeves Center at 2000 14th Street, NW.

For procurement information contact Bernetha Armwood at (202) 671-1563. For technical information contact Mr. Mohamed Dahir at (202) 671-4617.

The Metropolitan Branch Trail is a multi-use trail that runs from Union to Silver Spring, linking people to jobs, schools, stores and mass transit. Three miles of the planned trail have been completed to date.

Heather Deutsch
Bicycle Program Specialist/Trail Planner
Policy, Planning & Sustainability Administration
District Department of Transportation
We've moved to...55 M Street, SE, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20003
tel: 202.671.2638
fax: 202.671.0617
mailto:heather.deutsch@dc.gov
http://www.ddot.dc.gov/

Join Mayor Gray’s One City • One Hire - 10,000 Jobs Campaign
“Putting District Residents Back to Work – One Hire at a Time”
Learn more at http://onecityonehire.org/

Support the DC One Fund Campaign, Each One Give One.
Learn more at http://www.dconefund.org/ or http://www.onefund.dc.gov/. One City, Working Together!

Tonight at the Edgewood Rec Center

There are two events at the Edgewood Rec Center tonight.  The world drumming class which is offered every week followed by the Friends of Edgewood Rec meeting.  Please come join both!!!

Here are the details:

Title: Music Class: World Drumming

Date: Wednesday November 2, 2011
Time: 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm
Repeats: This event repeats every week.
Street: Class is taught by Michael Henderson
Notes: No experience necessary. For all ages.

Title: Friends of Edgewood Recreation Center

Date: Wednesday November 2, 2011
Time: 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Repeats: This event repeats every month on the first Wednesday.
Location: Edgewood Recreation Center 3rd and Evarts Street NE