The Cafritz Foundation, developer of Art Place at Fort Totten (the development at South Dakota Avenue & Galloway Street NE), is gearing up for the second phase of the development, which will be on South Dakota between Ingraham and Kennedy Street NE. You can send your ideas for retail and public space programming to artplaceprogramming@gmail.com.
We’ve had our “Neighborhood Wish List” on the site since we first started the blog, so if you’re looking for ideas you can start there. We also participated in the Vibrant Retail Streets workshop for the neighborhood conducted by DC’s Office of Planning and Streetsense. We reported on the results of that work and what they determined the neighborhood could support in these posts. For those of you who may be new to the neighborhood, it might be worthwhile taking a look there as well.
We know it seems like the first phase is still pretty empty, but there is progress. Shining Stars Pediatric Dentist is now open. A daycare tenant has been signed. T-Mobile and Ramdass Pharmacy will open soon. X-Sport Fitness gym is still on track to open near the end of the year on December 26 according to the developer. Several spaces are under negotiation.
The developer is required to submit plans for the second phase to the zoning commission by September of this year. The second phase will be mostly commercial. With Walmart around the corner, the market for certain kinds of retail is just not there, so the developer wants to be a little creative and maintain a focus on the arts by having more unique retailers that will draw people to the neighborhood. Explore! Children’s Museum is still slated for the second phase, as is a grocery store. (Don’t get too excited; we’re pretty sure it’s not Trader Joe’s but it’s kind of close). To firm up ideas, the developer hired the firm responsible for programming Bryant Park in New York City and put out a retail and public space programming survey that received over 450 responses from residents (well done!). (Disclosure: We had a hand in working with the consultant on the survey). The consultant also conducted focus groups on May 29 and 30 with smaller groups of residents who live in the development and in the surrounding neighborhoods. The consultant presented a long list of around 50 ideas for public space programming, including cooking classes, art classes, dance classes, capoeira, string quartet, buskers, movable chairs/tables, umbrellas, board games, fire pits, magic shows, puppet shows, public restrooms, author discussions, silent dj, yoga, tai chi, outdoor bar, pretty much all of the activities that take place at Bryant Park. Bryant Park of course is humongous, so the development team will select the items that appear to have the most support and that are the most feasible for the site.
If you did not get a chance to fill out the survey or attend a focus group, or if you simply have more on your mind, you can still share ideas with the development team by sending an email to artplaceprogramming@gmail.com. Be as specific as you can be. For example, it’s not enough to say you want a sit-down restaurant. It’s better to say you want a sit-down restaurant that is like [insert your choice restaurant]. Same with the public space programming. It is not enough to say you want activities for kids. What kinds of activities do you want for children? What do you do with your children outside of the neighborhood that you wish you could do closer to home? For example, some people have asked for dog fountains, language classes, tot pools, arcades, laser tag. If you’ve ever thought to yourself that you wish the neighborhood had this or that, now’s your chance to speak up and let the developer know.
Next Stop...Riggs Park 