By David Kosub (Contributor)

As you know, construction on Phase B of Art Place at Fort Totten project is underway. I had a couple of follow up questions related to construction activities and reached out to the team around Thanksgiving via the hello@fezartplace.com email address for answers. I encourage everybody to ask their questions via that email address as they are very responsive.

Regarding general construction status, the foundation for the buildings is proceeding with the completion of the construction documents.  The general contractor, L.F. Jennings, put out the project for competitive bid, with the process expected to be completed by January or February. They also noted that, “as with everything and everyone, Covid-19 has had an impact on our lives, our health and how we all work.” The general contractor has implemented strict guidelines at the site for its workers and visitors, going on to say, “So far, we have not had any outbreaks, or any significant delays related to an outbreak.” That said, it has been difficult to get District agencies and utilities to perform inspections, they admit.

The team also does not have any new updates to share at this time regarding the groups who have already signed leases (e.g., Meow Wolf, Explore! Children’s Museum and Aldi). However, announcements may be forthcoming in the spring about operators for the food hall.

I asked if they have received any concerns from the community about construction. They have not. I am taking that as a good sign that construction activities may not be interfering too much with our day-to-day lives. If any arise going forward, they are willing to address them. On a related note, the construction team is willing to participate in a community meeting to discuss construction related activities. A date and time needs to be worked out, but in the interim, please indicate in the comments section if you would like to join such a conversation and if you have any concerns or questions to share.