Fridays at Fort Totten Concert Series featuring music by Allthebestkids and Carnivore BBQ food truck. 6:00 pm, corner of South Dakota Avenue & Galloway Street NE. Bring a lawn chair for seating
June 29, 2019
DDOT Rock Creek East I Livability Pop-up: Share your views on how to make the transportation network safer and more accessible. Study area is defined by Rock Creek and the Maryland border to the West, Eastern Avenue to the North, New Hampshire Avenue NE and the Red Line Metrorail tracks to the East, and Military Road NW, Missouri Avenue NW, and Riggs Road NE to the South. 10:00 am-12:00 pm, Safeway, 6500 Piney Branch Road NW
Explore! Jumpin’ July Community Festival featuring petting zoo, music show, science show, coloring, storytelling, face painting, and more. 10:00 am-1:30 pm, The Modern at Art Place, 400 Galloway Street NE
Art met life, or at least neighbors and businesses in upper Northeast Washington D.C., as artists and artisans created art to depict local small businesses and engage the community at the 2nd Annual Riggs Park Art Crawl. Originally created and sponsored last year by Veronica “Ms. V.” Cooper, owner of local small business Culture Coffee Too, and muralist and creative director Jay Hudson, this year, The Parks Main Street and Culture Coffee Too partnered on the event, held on June 14 and 15, 2019.
The Parks Main Street, formerly known as the South Dakota Avenue and Riggs Road Main Street, is the newest member of the District’s Main Street program aimed at retaining, revitalizing and recruiting small businesses in traditional historic business districts across the city. The Parks Main Street is a community-based organization that utilizes public-private partnerships and community volunteers to build on neighborhood assets and implement strategies to support and improve the business corridors in the Riggs Park and Manor Park neighborhoods.
The 2019 event kicked off on Friday June 14 with artisans stationed at Culture Coffee Too presenting their creations, such as jewelry, for sale. In the evening, a lively discussion was held during an artist panel at the Bilingual School located on Riggs Road NE.
On Saturday June 15, live painting by artists was a howling success under the gaze of the silver wolf sculpture located at the intersection of South Dakota Ave NE and Ingraham St NE.
Sculpture at the Modern at Art Place
This is where the Modern at Art Place apartment community resides and is also the future site of the famed arts collective Meow Wolf, a children’s museum, and a Family Entertainment Zone. In addition to this site, painters were stationed at a total of 10 participating small businesses in the Riggs Road and South Dakota Avenue NE corridor. When the paint dried, the muralists then handed off their completed masterpieces to the small business who inspired them, which we can also enjoy as a community for a long time to come.
Let’s meet
some of the artists who shared their art and views about the Art Crawl now.
Nessar Jahanbin
Artist Nessar Jahabin creating a piece for T-Mobile
“I like painting natural and organic imagery,” says Nessar Jahanbin, also known as JAH One. He created a flower bud suspended in a dewdrop to represent the T-Mobile Store at 5210 South Dakota Avenue NE. Using the company’s logo colors and a creative vibe inspired by graffiti street artists, the muralist deftly free formed the image, twisting and turning aerosol spray paint cans with a finesse usually reserved for paintbrushes.
Trained in the fine arts and a painter since childhood, this was Nessar’s first year participating in the Riggs Park Art Crawl. His T-Mobile inspired piece paid homage to the environment and graffiti street artists like Jay Hudson.
“It’s important to remind people about the artwork that comes from graffiti,” he says of the art form. “People appreciate murals but look down on street graffiti because what they generally see are tags and letters written on walls. They never get to see the beautiful art hidden away in places under bridges, or understand there is no way I could have done this (mural) without learning graffiti.”
Painting
letters with spray paint and then learning to manipulate their shapes and textures
to create new images inspires Nessar’s career as a muralist who shares stories and history on city walls.
“We live
in a society where people want instant gratification,” he says. “But spray
painting takes time” to record the times of our lives.
Orange Clockwork
Piece created by artist Orange Clockwork for Shining Stars Pediatric Dentistry
The mocking feline from Alice in Wonderland found a place on South Dakota Avenue during the 2nd Annual Riggs Park Art Crawl. “When I got here they told me the business I was to represent was the dentist office,” Shining Stars Pediatric Dentistry, located at 435 Ingraham Street NE.
The camera-shy
aerosol artist calling himself “Orange Clockwork” says he focused on “creating a kid friendly street
scape, something with a big smile,” to present the message “stay fresh,” adding
stars to make it pop. “That’s how I came up with the Cheshire Cat.”
J’nell Jordan
Artist J’nell Jordan working on a piece for Ramdass Pharmacy
“I love people and figurative work; a smile, body language,” says artist J’nell Jordan, a newcomer to the Art Crawl thanks to muralist Jay Hudson, who helped recruit the participating artists.
Painting for more than a decade, the Northern Virginia
native said she moved to the District five years ago after studying art at Adelphi
University in New York. She represented Ramdass
Pharmacy, located at 475 Ingraham Street NE, creating a piece
depicting a child clutching a lollipop and the hand of an adult to convey her
message of a friendly, neighborhood community. Learn more about Dr. Ramdass and
his pharmacy by listening to a podcast here
with David Kosub, Vice Chair of The Parks Main Street.
“It’s nice to do something in your own neighborhood and have
art uplift the businesses and get people involved.”
Matt Riegner
Artist Matt Riegner in front of his piece for the Modern at Art Place
“Originally
I had some grandiose ideas” of how to interpret the Modern
at Art Place apartment
community, says muralist Matt Riegner. See how grandiose
his work can be. Eventually the elegant simplicity of the building’s logo won
out, inspiring Matt to create a bold, abstract art piece.
“The arts scene in DC has blossomed and grown dramatically
over the past 10 years,” he says. “It comes and goes with who is in office,
idea exchanges, and social media.”
Recruited by Jay Hudson for the project, Matt said he has worked on
projects with the legendary street artist for the past seven years.
“The arts draw attention. Attention brings money. Money
brings development,” he mused. “I think DC has done a good job of defining the
District’s art culture. They’re using the arts in a constructive way that I
think people can appreciate and engage.”
Rhythm Bowers
Artist Rhythm Bowers working on her piece for Riggs Dry Cleaner
Even mystical, purple-hued, fairylike beings need their garments dry-cleaned. At least that’s the playful message Rhythm Bowers, a graduate of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, wanted to communicate while painting her animated street art outside Riggs Dry Cleaner at 5585 South Dakota Avenue NE.
“The Art
Crawl has been amazing,” she said of her debut experience with the second annual
event. “I’ve been wanting to paint outside and do something like this for a
while.”
“I feel it
will give my work more publicity and, hopefully, bring my pop culture style
into the city. It’s nice seeing art in
the city that has an animated style, like the art I create.”
Will Watson
Artist Will Watson in front of his work for Riggs Wine & Liquor
“I didn’t
know how to represent a liquor store in a positive light, admits Will
Watson
The recent graduate of a MFA in painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art represented Riggs Wine & Liquor at 5581 South Dakota Avenue NE. He rose to the challenge, using spray paint to create an image of friendship and celebration.
“I wanted
to show something that wouldn’t encourage alcohol abuse but light heartedness
and fun, with a diverse group of colors. Cheers to friends,” says Will. “I hope
the work ends up in a place where people can look at it and smile.”
The young artist says his first time participating in the Art Crawl resulted from his patronage of the Art Crawl’s co-sponsor, Culture Coffee Too.
“I come to Culture Coffee Too often for lunch. I overheard Jay Hudson and [Edwin
Washington, (the Executive Director of The
Parks Main Street)] planning this event and I slipped them my business card.”
*Joann Stevens is a board member of The Parks Main Street. Edwin Washington is the executive director of The Parks Main Street. To learn about sponsorship and engagement opportunities, contact Edwin Washington at (202) 774-5542 or info@theparksmainstreet.org.
ANC 5A packed the agenda for its meeting on June 26, 2019, the final meeting before the summer break. Isaiah Burroughs, who previously represented ANC 5A04, which covers Catholic University, has resigned because he graduated from Catholic in May. All other comissioners were present: Frank Wilds (5A01), Grace Lewis (5A02), Emily Lucio Singer (5A03), Ronnie Edwards (5A05), Jamaal Lampkins (5A06), Sandi Washington (5A07), and Gordon Fletcher (5A08).
ANC Business
Commissioners voted for Commissioner Singer (5A03) to replace Mr. Burroughs as the new secretary for the ANC.
The ANC wants to purchase “Do Not Litter” signs. Resident input on the issue was mixed, but it appears that the ANC is going to move ahead with the purchase. They are still researching the cost.
Lt. Patrick Schaut is new to MPD’s Fourth District. The best way to reach him is by email at patrick.schaut@dc.gov. Usual report: You can report tips anonymously via text at 50411. Take advantage of the camera voucher/rebate program. If you are buying and selling online, arrange pickup at a police station to be safe. The McDonald’s in the 4900 block of South Dakota Avenue NE was robbed in the early morning hours earlier this week.
Councilmember McDuffie Satellite Office at Luke C. Moore
Next week, Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie will open a satellite office at Luke C. Moore High School, located at 1001 Monroe Street NE. The satellite office will be open Tuesday and Thursday each week from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm (except next week when the office will be open on Friday July 5 instead of Thursday July 4). It will be staffed by Kelley Cislo, Silas Grant, and Jonathan McNair. If you have any issues, drop in. The office plans to set up a calendar so that residents can reserve 30-minute time slots.
Rocketship Fort Totten
The big presentation for the evening came from a team that is planning to open a Rocketship public charter school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in two older warehouse buildings owned by the Cafritz Foundation near Fort Totten metro (5450 3rd Street NE) in fall 2020. Some background: Recall we previously shared that the Cafritz Foundation intended to lease two older warehouse buildings located at 3rd and Kennedy Street NE to City Arts and Prep Public Charter School, which was then located in Edgewood. I only learned that information when I looked at the zoning case file for Art Place at Fort Totten and noticed a letter from the Foundation’s previous counsel asking the Zoning Administrator for confirmation that the developer could lease the two warehouse buildings to a charter school as a matter of right. I asked for updates about the charter school, did not get any, and was eventually told that City Arts was being shut down and that the Foundation was in negotiations to lease to a different school. City Arts did in fact close at the end of the 2018-2019 program year. Now, the Foundation is finalizing a lease with Rocketship, which is a national network of public charter schools that started out in California. The school is known for embracing “blended learning,” which incorporates online learning into the curriculum.
The school plans to open in phases, occupying one building in fall 2020 and eventually the second one in fall 2021. It will focus on STEAM, robotics, and foreign language. Rocketship partners with AppleTree Early Learning Public Charter School to serve pre-kindergarten (PK3 and PK4) students at its locations, so the Fort Totten location will serve those grades as well. From what I recall of the presentation, their target enrollment for fall 2020 is 100 Rocketship students and 50 AppleTree students. They hope to eventually grow to 400 students. It is worth taking a look at the presentation to see what they are proposing for the Fort Totten location.
I asked the team about Rocketship’s failure to launch in Ward 5 last year, which was widelyreported in local media. When I asked what has changed between last year and this year such that they believe they will successfully get off the ground at the Fort Totten location, they explained that there is new leadership leading the effort this time around. They also said the previous location they were seeking in Brookland was only going to be a temporary location while they looked for permanent space. Accordingly, they said their enrollment numbers were lower than they wanted, so they decided not to open and to focus on finding a permanent space. That explanation pretty much tracks what they said in their public statement last year. They plan to have a 35-year lease at the Fort Totten location so they are definitely committed to being part of the community for a long time.
They said Rocketship’s model is to open quality schools in underserved areas. There are three charter schools around the corner from the Fort Totten location, with another three or four public charter or traditional public elementary schools within a mile radius of the Fort Totten location. Rocketship currently operates two schools in DC, Rise Academy in Ward 7 and Legacy Prep in Ward 8.
The ANC meeting was the first stop on their community engagement tour, so look out for more community meetings after the summer break. By that point, their traffic study should be completed or just about, and the school will have a formal presentation on the design and other aspects of the school.
Rocketship design presentation
Wesley Housing
Wesley Housing representatives were back before the commission to share the concerns they have heard from the Fort Totten community about the proposal to replace an existing apartment building on a triangular island at Hawaii Avenue NE, Rock Creek Church Road NW, and Allison Street NW with a new building. The new building will consist of all income-restricted units just as the existing one. The existing building has 34 units, and Wesley initially planned 78 units in the new one. Some residents in that area feel that is too many. The existing building does not have any three-bedroom units. The planned building will have three-bedroom units and a decent number of two-bedroom units. District officials and residents always talk about the lack of affordable family size units in DC so this project will address that need.
Residents apparently also have concerns about the height of the proposed building. The existing building is three stories. The new one is planned to be five stories, with the fifth story set back. Residents have also asked if the developer can increase the number of the planned 12 parking spaces, which is the minimum required for the site. The current site does not have any parking spaces. Residents have also asked the developer to work out where the building’s entrance will be located because of concern that ride-hail vehicles will drop off residents and impede the flow of traffic on Hawaii, where the proposed entrance is located. Over the summer, the developer will continue to meet with the Fort Totten Civic Association and Commissioner Sandi Washington (5A07) to seek resolution on these issues before the Zoning Commission hearing, which is scheduled for September 16.
Due to the closure of Providence Hospital, Carroll Manor Nursing & Rehabilitation Center will begin operating as an affiliate of Ascension Living. Services will remain the same, but they do plan to renovate part of the nursing home facilities.
The urgent care facility at Providence will open July 9 in the former emergency department. A ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for August 2. Business hours will be 8:00 am to 10:00 pm on weekdays and 8:00 am to 3:00 pm on weekends (including Sunday). Follow updates on the planned healthy village at www.providencehealthyvillage.org. Share feedback at communityrelationsdc@ascension.org.
Verizon
Verizon plans to install small cells (Class B installation) throughout the District to support its new 5G technology. One will be located near Riggs Road NE and Blair Street NE.
Aggregate Industries
Aggregate Industries has operated in Fort Totten since 1957. The company has a corporate giving policy for giving away concrete to worthy projects, such as installing handicap access ramps at homes for residents in need. If you have any ideas in mind, please contact them.
Student Seeking Interviews About Providence Hospital Closure
Blake Coleman, a 16-year-old student in the neighborhood, is seeking to interview residents about the impact of Providence Hospital’s closure. Contact her at bcoleman@cathedral.org.
DC MicroTransit
DC is operating a new shared shuttle service called DC MicroTransit in parts of Northeast and Northwest DC thanks to a federal grant. The original boundaries have expanded since the launch of the service earlier this month. New boundaries: Georgia Avenue (west), Florida Avenue (south), Eastern Avenue (east), and Bladensburg Road (south). Service is free until September 30, 2019. After that each ride will cost $3.00. Download the MicroTransit app or call (202) 398-0500.
Free Summer Meals
DC is offering free summer meals at neighborhood libraries and recreation centers throughout DC.
Bus Bay Reassignment: Routes E2 and E4 at Fort Totten Station, June 23
Advisory Effective: 6/22/19 – 7/31/19 Effective: Sunday, June 23, 2019
Routes Affected: E2, E4
In response to customer requests, routes E2 and E4 will be assigned to new bus bays at Fort Totten Station beginning, Sunday, June 23.
E2 Ivy City-Fort Totten southbound toward Ivy City E4 Military Road-Crosstown eastbound toward Riggs Park • Current Bus Bay Assignment: Bus Bay G – Stop ID 1003439 • New Bus Bay Assignment: Bus Bay D – Stop ID 1003237
Be sure to visit the Bertie Backus farmstand tomorrow. The farm stand appears at UDC-CC Backus (5171) 10:00 am to 2:00 pm every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month, June through November.
The following lines strive to remember where we were, how we felt, and what has happened since the Fort Totten metro train accident ten years ago. Though not meant as a singular story, this is more so a collective communal story woven together with memories shared from neighbors, news coverage, quotes from surviving family members, and a walk through Legacy Memorial Park.
June 22, 2009 Rush hour Sitting on a red line train Don’t remember how long it took me to get home Don’t remember the alternate route I took I do remember the delay and wondering why is this happening I just wanted to come home from work
When above ground and with access to the radio I was like, “Oh my” That’s when I heard the commotion about the crash And also Feeling selfish for those earlier thoughts
Curiosity leading me to the FIRE-EMS staging area Realizing how bad the accident was Just imagine being on the scene and imagine what you may have witnessed
Doolittle, DuBose, and Fernandez Hawkins, King, and McMillan Wherley, Wherley, and Williams Nine lives lost Many others injured
Every day, we can commemorate this tragedy Through a plaque on a metro station pillar We recognize “those whole lives that were forever changed” And also understand what the first responders experienced Coming to “our aid in our time of greatest need”
Through a nearby memorial park While ringing with the sound of children playing Mere steps from where a community grows together We are also encouraged to meditate, remember, reflect, and hope
Words are found etched in stone “The space inhabits the hearts of nine uncommon Souls. They were put here to leave eternal love. In stillness…embrace love, peace, courage, and strength.”
The saga that is the Fort Totten South project, a mixed-use townhouse development proposed by a partnership of EYA and JBG Smith for the southeast corner of South Dakota Avenue and Riggs Road NE, moved forward on Tuesday June 18 when the DC Council approved the closure of the slip lanes at South Dakota and Riggs that took place in 2011.
This project was actually supposed to break ground some time ago but it was held up by a bureaucratic snafu. The project dates back to at least 2006. We have been reporting on this since 2014 (the blog was created in December 2013), so this project has been around in some form or fashion for a long time. You can read posts about the project here, here, here, and here.
In 2011, DDOT reconfigured the intersection at South Dakota and Riggs into a standard four corner intersection by closing two slip lanes at the southeast and southwest corners of South Dakota & Riggs. Development of Fort Totten South was predicated on that closure and the creation of a contiguous parcel of land for the development. Closing the slip lanes technically constituted a road closure, and road closures require Council (and Congressional) approval.
Part of the land to be developed for the project belonged to the District (known as the Fort Totten triangle). The above image shows the southeast corner of South Dakota & Riggs where the District parcel was located and the adjacent parcel owned by developer JBG Smith/EYA. A slip lane used to separate the two sites before the intersection was reconfigured by closing the slip lane. Previously the site was to be developed by a partnership of JBG and Lowe Enterprises as multifamily rental units. JBG Smith formed a new partnership with EYA to develop townhomes instead. Over a period of years, the District and the developer negotiated a purchase price, eventually coming to agreement on the final purchase price in 2016. When it came time to officially close the deal and prepare to break ground, officials realized that the Council had not approved the closure of the slip lanes (the road closure) when it actually happened back in 2011. That part of the process just fell through the cracks for whatever reason. Legislation was repeatedly introduced over the ensuing years to approve the closure. Now after the Council’s Tuesday vote approving the emergency legislation to close the slip lanes, it looks like financial closing on the sale of the District parcel can take place in the next few months and the project can finally break ground.
In the interim, the developer has tweaked the project. Recall that the original plans called for 160 townhomes, the majority at grade and around 65 stacked townhomes above a podium with retail on the ground floor. Now, the developer is proposing to replace the stacked townhomes on the podium with around 60 to 80 rental units for seniors, with the goal of providing as much affordable senior housing as possible. At grade, there will still be around 90 traditional townhomes. Retail square footage remains the same, sufficient for about seven retail spaces. Not clear what prompted this latest change, but given the ever-present concern in the community about seniors, this seems like it will be a welcome change.
The developer hopes to break ground by the fall and certainly no later than the end of the year.
Another Explore! FREE Community Festival is coming for everyone to enjoy. Learn about Explore Children’s Museum of Washington, D.C. while you enjoy arts and humanities activities with your friends and neighbors.
From 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. The Explore! Mission Mobile bus brings Sounds of the Solar System a musical composition program
Performance Schedule: 10:15 – 10:45am: Story Time with Lamond-Riggs Neighborhood Library Children’s Librarian
11:15 – 12:00pm: A Mad Science of DC Show: Spectacular Science of Fire and Ice!
12:30 – 1:30pm: Sarah Stardust: Science, Music and Movement! Stardust will play a science-y music set about microbes and supernovas from 12:30-1 p.m. followed by low gravity Space Yoga appropriate for all ages.
From 10:00am – 1:30pm:
The Uncle Devin Show – A Percussion Petting Zoo! Cowboy Barry’s Farm Petting Zoo Color with Luna from Adventures with Luna and Friends Face Painting by Fairy Jennabelle Makerspace with District Dance Arts
** Supported in part by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, these festivals are free to the community. The Modern is an ADA compliant, indoor/outdoor space donated in kind for these community events. Due to the free nature of the events, please only take as many tickets as needed, and cancel so others may attend if you are no longer able.**
On June 11, 2019, Shelly Gray was selected as the new permanent principal at LaSalle-Backus Education Campus, where she currently serves as an assistant principal. She replaces Interim Principal Nikeysha Jackson, who was selected as the permanent principal for West Education Campus. Ms. Gray’s appointment is effective June 24, 2019.
For some reason, DCPS principals have one-year contracts and it seems like elementary and middle schools in particular see new principals every one to two years. It is hard to see how that kind of constant leadership change is good for schools.
This latest round of musical chairs for LaSalle, which is now resulting in principal number three in two years, was prompted by an unfortunate incident at Roosevelt High School. Former LaSalle principal Justin Ralston was tapped to lead Roosevelt after that incident, even though LaSalle itself was and still is in the middle of its own transition phasing out its middle school grades. Ms. Jackson was tapped to serve as interim principal of LaSalle. In the same period, DCPS selected Megan Vroman, former principal of West, to lead the new Ida B. Wells Middle School. That selection opened an opportunity at West that will be filled by Ms. Jackson.
Hopefully this latest appointment will provide leadership stability for LaSalle for the next few years.
The Lamond-Riggs Library will be rebuilt at its current location on South Dakota Avenue NE. On June 12, DCPL presented initial concepts for the space and services for the new library. Click the link to view the presentation.
The new library is expected to be roughly 23,000 square feet occupying two floors. One overarching issue is that the current library occupies roughly 50 percent of the current lot, which is over the 40 percent occupany allowed in the current zone. DCPL officials want the new library to likewise occupy 50 percent of the lot, so they will have to go to the Board of Zoning Adjustment to get approval. The new building will be built closer to the South Dakota Avenue property line with setbacks on the sides and rear.
The design team contemplated where to put the entrance. Currently, the entrance sits in between Jefferson and Kennedy. The team orginially thought about placing the entrance closer to Jefferson because that street does not see much traffic. However, there is not a controlled traffic signal at Jefferson and though there is a crosswalk at South Dakota and Jefferson, that crosswalk will likely be removed in the future. Therefore, the design team is leaning towards putting the entrance closer to Kennedy Street.
Parking will likely remain where it currently sits, closer to Kennedy Street across the street from the service station. Current plans project room for 12 spaces. The team is contemplating building a parking lane in front of the library that could possibly accommodate another eight spaces. Those spaces would not be restricted to library parking only.
As for the interior, current plans show a marketplace/neighborhood living room concept upon entering the building, along with an information desk. A large meeting room suitable for 100 people that can be subdivided and a space for children’s services will also be on the first floor. The second floor will have the adult services, smaller study rooms, and what the design team is calling a productivity space that will provide enhanced business services. There could be a small teen space on the second floor. Residents generally seemed fine with this division of space, reiterating the need to have separated children’s space that will allow children to be as loud as they want to be and roam freely in their own space.
Several residents expressed the desire for outdoor space, whether that be on the roof or perhaps balconies. It was hard to tell how seriously the design team is taking this idea. Other newly constructed libraries have beautiful, functional outdoor space, such as Woodridge and Cleveland Park libraries. Several residents also requested a cafe but DCPL Exeuctive Direcotr Richard Reyes-Gavilan stated, DCPL is in the library business not the coffee shop business. He stated that his 25 years of experience in the library business has taught him that the cafe within a library model fails more than it succeeds, so it’s pretty certain there will not be a cafe in the new library.
In the fall, the team expects to present renderings. DCPL is still on track to close the existing library in the first quarter of 2020. Construction will take approximately 18 months, so the new library is expected to open in late 2021. They will announce a location for interim library services closer to the date of construction. Updates on the project are available on the project website at https://www.dclibrary.org/newlamondriggs.
DC Public Library and Politics & Prose will host Jacqueline Woodson, the 2018-2019 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and author of numerous award-winning books, including Brown Girl Dreaming, a mesmerizing memoir in verse about growing up as an African American girl in the 1960s and 1970s. Woodson’s story is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line offering a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world.
Thursday, June 20, 6 p.m. Dunbar High School 101 N St. NW (Metro: NOMA-Gallaudet on Redline)
This event is free and open to the public; however, to attend, an entrance ticket is required. Please register here.
Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon Todd is hosting a public safety meeting with representatives from MPD, Office of Neighborhood Safety & Engagement, and the Deputy Mayor’s Office for Public Safety & Justice on June 15 at 11:30 am at Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center, 501 Riggs Road NE.
Creative Fun for the Whole Family – Live Painting at 12 locations featuring 10 Small Businesses in Riggs Park
Pick up a “Crawl Passport”
Have participating businesses stamp your passport
Take pictures of live art
Return passport to Culture Coffee Too
Crawlers who return their passports with at least 6 stamps to Culture Coffee Too will be eligible for a prize. Winners need not be present.
Participating businesses will have exclusive promotions for crawlers. Just present your passport. (See crawl map for participating businesses).
Events Friday, June 14
10:00 am: Craft Vendors Location: Culture Coffee Too Crawl passports available
7:30 pm: Artist mixer & panel discussion Location: DC Bilingual Public Charter School Crawl passports available
Saturday, June 15
10:00 am: Live painting at 12 locations Crawl passports available at Culture Coffee Too, The Modern, Riggs Liquor, Troka Insurance, & Hellbender Brewery
12:00 pm: Storytelling with live painting Location: Hellbender Brewery
5:00 pm-6:30 pm: Sip n’ Paint ($$-RSVP on eventbrite) Location: Culture Coffee Too
5:00 pm-7:30 pm: Jam Session Location: Culture Coffee Too
8:00 pm-10:00 pm: Karaoke Location: Culture Coffee Too
Events at Crawl Headquarters Craft vendors Giant hand-painted photo booth Live music Dancers from the Davis Center Crayons ‘n’ paper for kids Art contest & more!
Crawl Map/Participating Locations
Culture Coffee Too (300 Riggs Rd. NE) Hellbender Brewery (5788 2nd St. NE) Hunan Shrimp Boat (5585 South Dakota Ave. NE) DC Bilingual Public Charter School (33 Riggs Rd. NE) (Panel discussion only) Ramdass Pharmacy (475 Ingraham St. NE) Riggs Dry Cleaning (5585 South Dakota Ave. NE) Riggs Wine & Liquor (5581 South Dakota Ave. NE) Robtco Property Management (206 Riggs Rd. NE) Shining Stars Pediatric Dentistry (435 Ingraham St. NE) The C.H.I.L.D. Center (202 Riggs Rd. NE) Troka Insurance (212 Riggs Rd. NE) T-Mobile (5210 South Dakota Ave. NE) The Modern at Art Place (400 Galloway St. NE)
Sponsors Culture Coffee Too; South Dakota Avenue/Riggs Road Main Street; District Department of Small & Local Business Development; Center for Nonprofit Advancement; Yo Jay Hudson Creative Director: Yo Jay Hudson
Last night, the Zoning Commission voted 5-0-0 to approve the second phase of the Art Place at Fort Totten planned unit development (Block B). As a reminder, below are the key features of the second phase and the phasing plan for the remainder of the project.
Family Entertainment Zone (FEZ): Meow Wolf arts collective, children and adult programming
24,000 square foot Aldi grocery store
Food Hall
Explore! Children’s Museum
Subsidized ground floor artist studios & maker spaces
270 apartments with subsidized artist housing throughout – mix of studios (20%); 1 bedrooms (40%); and 2 bedrooms (40%)
Ground floor artist studios similar to Brookland Arts Walk
Other cultural uses
35,000 square feet additional ground floor retail
4th Street closed to provide shared vehicular/pedestrian walkway
Green roofs
Plazas and dog run
Proposed phasing plan
1st quarter 2020: Block B construction begins, expected to take 30 months
3rd quarter 2022: Block B construction completed
December 31, 2024: Developer will file PUD application for either Block C or Block D
December 31, 2030: Developer will file PUD application for final block
The Riggs Park Art Crawl returns for a second year next weekend, June 14 and 15. If you would like to volunteer at the event, please attend a volunteer meeting on June 8 at 11:00 am at Culture Coffee Too, 300 Riggs Road NE.
On Saturday morning June 8, the Bertie Backus Urban Farm Stand returns to Riggs Park! Come out from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm to the UDC-CC Backus campus at 5171 South Dakota Ave NE every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month and purchase some yummy veggies and meet some neighbors too. In this installment of the Next Stop Neighbors podcast, we meet the people behind the project, Dr. Kamran Zendehdel and Maryam Sabur. They will describe to us exactly what is going on in those big greenhouses, describe the College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability, and Environmental Sciences (CAUSES), hear the history of the Urban Food Hub, goals for the farm stand, and what to expect in farm stand’s second year. We even get to go inside the hydroponic greenhouse! How cool is that? We hope you enjoy the conversation and have your collard green recipes ready to go.
Welcome to Next
Stop Neighbors where we get an opportunity to hear the voices behind the faces
and places in Lamond-Riggs and the surrounding communities. Through this
podcast series, you will meet some friendly neighbors and hear their
perspectives on the community through civil, casual conversations. From the
small business owner who just opened up, to the non-profit organization trying
to make a difference, to the community leader describing their vision for the
neighborhood, and the resident around the corner who has lived here for 50
years, we all have a story to tell.
Like the Next
Stop Neighbors podcast and want to tell the story of someone in the community?
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The Fridays at Fort Totten free concert series kicks off tomorrow with the Jimi Smooth Band! The concert series, hosted by The Modern at Art Place, features a different band and food truck every Friday 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the corner of South Dakota Avenue and Galloway Street NE. Bring a lawn chair for seating.
Each year, the Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) awards college scholarships to neighborhood youth. This year, three outstanding young people will each receive $1,000 to support their college education thanks to the residents who paid LRCA membership dues and who gave donations to LRCA’s scholarship program.
Jade Charity is a student at Capital City Public Charter School. After participating in Tuskegee University’s AgDiscovery program, she developed an interest in agriculture and growing food locally. The research paper that she wrote as a part of this program earned her an invitation to an agriculture conference in Iowa where she presented her reserach to members of the industry. She will be attending Florida A & M University in the fall.
Zakia Faiza attends Theodore Roosevelt High School and has been named the Valedictorian of her class. She interned at the World Bank and they liked her so much, they kept her on as an employee during the school year. Zakia has an interest in criminology and the law. She will be attending Clark Atlanta University in the fall.
Noah White attends Benjamin Bannker High School. On the weekend, he is a volunteer instructor at Northeast Taekwondo where he teaches the young “Tiny Tigers” class. He speaks French and last year, he went on a European study abroad trip with his school. He will be attending University of Wisconsin-Madison in the fall where he hopes to study Biomedical Engineering.
Next Stop...Riggs Park 