At last week’s ANC 5A meeting, zoning counsel for the Cafritz Foundation presented a few high level renderings for the second phase of Art Place at Fort Totten. This phase will be located generally on South Dakota Avenue NE between Ingraham and Kennedy. The developer must submit its second phase plans to the Zoning Commission by September 4. We generally knew about everything they presented. The second phase will be mainly commercial, but there may be some residential use. They will incorporate uses that were scheduled for future phases. They envision the space as a family entertainment zone, but think moreso a family theater and other theater and arts uses, not Dave & Busters type entertainment zone. The Explore! Children’s Museum will be in the second phase. The development team is still talking about a grocery store. The building itself is currently designed to have a grand plaza on South Dakota Avenue to serve as a “striking entrance” into the building.

Cafritz’s zoning counsel was there to talk about the second phase, but lots of residents had lots of thoughts to share about the first phase, mainly centered on when there would be sit-down restauarants and useful retailers in the first phase. The team there did not have much to say about that because of course they were hired to provide assistance with zoning not retail. We’ll be hearing more about the second phase in due time.