Category Archives: Neighborhood Development

Coffee Shop Culture Coffee Too Coming to Riggs Park Summer 2017

Posted by nextstoprp in Fort Totten Square

Culture Coffee Too owner Veronica Cooper (aka Ms. V) at Culture Coffee in Brightwood Park

This summer Culture Coffee is opening a second location, Coffee Culture Too, in Riggs Park at Fort Totten Square. Culture Coffee is a neighborhood coffee house that combines coffee and culture, hosting open mic nights, live music, and artist exhibits. We caught up with Culture Coffee Too owner Veronica Cooper at the original Culture Coffee, which she opened with her business partner on Kennedy Street NW in Brightwood Park in 2013.

Ms. Cooper (known as “Ms. V” to her regulars) anticipates holding grand opening events for Culture Coffee Too the week of July 10 through July 16, 2017, with a soft opening before then. A retired dressmaker, an accountant, a certified barista, Ms. Cooper hopes that Culture Coffee Too will be a community gathering spot for everyone. She will host sewing and arts and crafts classes for girls and looks forward to welcoming the neighborhood’s senior residents to Culture Coffee Too for activities as well. In addition to hosting art exhibits, Ms. Cooper wants to establish a jazz program for the new location, featuring jazz events on a weekly or monthly basis. The space will also be available to host meetings and private rentals.

Culture Coffee Too will serve coffee, tea, smoothies, wine, beer, coffee cocktails, pastries, and sandwiches. There will be outdoor seating. Some details, such as operating hours, may be adjusted over time. The coffee shop could be open as early as 6:00 or 6:30 am and as late as 10:00 or 11:00 pm depending on the pace of business.

We look forward to supporting a small, locally-owned business that will provide a true neighborhood gathering spot for coffee, culture, and conversation in Riggs Park. Culture Coffee Too will be located on the corner of 3rd Street and Riggs Road NE, occupying the last available retail space at Fort Totten Square. Stay tuned for the soft opening date and grand opening events.

 

 

April 1: Explore! Children’s Museum April Fools Fest

Posted by nextstoprp in Cafritz Art Place at Fort Totten

Another family friendly event from Explore! Children’s Museum of Washington DC:

April Fools Fest
Saturday, April 1, 2017
11:00 am – 1:00 pm
5455 3rd Street NE

We’re hosting our third FREE backyard fest – and this time we’re celebrating spring! Enjoy family-friendly activities, meet new neighbors, and learn what Explore! has in store for the Spring! Families and children of all ages welcome; dress for outdoor weather and bring your own smock or old t-shirt for wall painting. We will also be partnering with the Lamond-Riggs Library who will join us with exciting programming!

Activities to include:

  • A saxophone demo with Herbert Scott
  • Music and storytelling with Sylvia Zwi
  • Storytime about Spring and a matching craft activity with the Lamond-Riggs Library
  • Weaving on the collaborative loom
  • Fundred Dollar Bill project
  • Arts and Crafts
  • Snacks and Drinks

RSVP and info at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/april-fools-fest-tickets-32435484407

To volunteer, contact Irina Rubenstein at irina@exploremuseum.org or (202) 248-3490.

January 28: Explore! Children’s Museum Pop-Up Opens at National Portrait Gallery

Posted by nextstoprp in Cafritz Art Place at Fort Totten

On January 28, 2017, Explore! Children’s Museum, which will be part of a future phase of the Art Place at Fort Totten, will open a temporary pop-up exhibit downtown at the National Portrait Gallery. The exhibit will be free to the public.

The museum held a couple of neighborhood events last year to introduce staff and concepts for the museum. The year-long pop-up is another chance to showcase the museum and test out some exhibits in a cool collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery. Tell your neighbors and friends.

Details from the website:

In Explore! with the Portrait Gallery, kids can experiment with portraiture in an age-appropriate way to answer questions such as “What is a portrait?” “How do I see myself?” and “How do others see me?”. Young visitors will be able to trace each other’s silhouettes, strike a pose for a projected video art piece, and experiment with expression and emotion by building faces out of illustrated blocks.

  • Open Tuesday to Sunday, 11:30 am to 6:00 pm on the first floor of the gallery
  • Designed for children ages 18 months to eight years old
  • Text in English and Spanish

Check the website for additional details.

 

WBJ: Children’s Museum Profile

Posted by nextstoprp in Cafritz Art Place at Fort Totten

The Washington Business Journal profiles the Explore! Children’s Museum, which is anticipated to be part of a future phase of the Art Place at Fort Totten development. The museum will open a temporary location at the National Portrait Gallery on January 28, 2017. We have covered the museum’s progress on this blog in several posts, noting in our year-end neighborhood development profile that there are still open questions regarding the museum. The article provides a few details on the temporary exhibit and notes that museum officials hope to begin construction on the permanent museum here in Riggs Park at the end of 2017:

The portraiture exhibit is one that could be replicated in the eventual permanent museum, though Explore! has not yet decided exactly what exhibits will be installed, said [Executive Director Rhonda] Buckley. She and the other museum principals are still keeping mum on other details on the project as well, including size and cost.

They hope to begin construction by the end of 2017 and open to the public in mid-2019, however. The museum will be built on “Parcel B,” as the developer refers to it, which is in the second phase of the Cafritzes’ Art Place development. . . .

 We will see if this timeline holds. In the meantime, check out the temporary museum at the National Portrait Gallery later this month.

2016 Year-end Neighborhood Development Roundup

Posted by nextstoprp in Neighborhood Development

Lots of movement in the neighborhood development pipeline. Let’s take a look.

Fort Totten Square

Fort Totten Square, a mixed-use development by JBG Companies and Lowe Enterprises consisting of approximately 345 apartments atop ground floor retail, officially opened in 2015 on Riggs Road NE between 3rd Street and Chillum Place. While the 117,000 square foot Walmart anchor opened in October 2015, ancillary tenants Subway, Five Guys, and Petco all opened near the corner of Chillum Place and Riggs Road NE in 2016.

We still anticipate that a local coffee shop will occupy the space at 3rd Street and Riggs Road, but it looks like we will have to wait until 2017 for that. We have our fingers crossed and look forward to supporting what we believe will be a great addition to the neighborhood.

Art Place at Fort Totten


Construction continues on this multi-phase mixed-use development by Cafritz Enterprises along South Dakota Avenue NE between Galloway Street and Kennedy Street. According to the project page on leasing agent HR Retail’s website, the first phase of the project will open in May 2017. The first phase will consist of approximately 520 apartments atop approximately 100,000 square feet of ground floor retail, with around 141 units set aside for seniors and the tenants of the Riggs Plaza apartments. Relocation of the Riggs Plaza tenants is expected to begin in April 2017.

X-Sport Fitness anchors the project. Other leased tenants include T-Mobile, a pharmacy, and Shining Stars Pediatric Dentist. Lots of retail space remains available for lease as of this writing. Early design plans included space for up to three restaurants. No word on any restaurant tenants just yet though.

The project permanently closed Hamilton Street NE west of South Dakota Avenue. An extension of Ingraham Street NE to the west of South Dakota Avenue still needs to be constructed.

One great aspect of this project is that power to the site will be provided underground. No more butchered trees, so we should enjoy a nice tree canopy along South Dakota Avenue in the future.

Explore! Children’s Museum

We are excited to add the Explore! Children’s Museum of Washington DC to our neighborhood development pipeline this year. One big draw of the Art Place at Fort Totten development is that a children’s museum is planned for the development. While the exact location and timeframe for construction are still open questions, we were excited to see the ball get rolling on plans for the museum.

This year, Explore! museum staff opened an office in the neighborhood and held a Fall Fun Fest and Winter Wonder Fest in their museum hub at 5455 3rd Street NE to introduce themselves to the neighborhood and get feedback on their plans for the museum. Snowflake painting, DIY snow globes, DIY bird feeders, masks, music, and storytelling were just a few of the fun activities that drew families from not just the neighborhood, but from across the metro area. We look forward to having a true destination spot in the neighborhood.

The museum plans to open a pop-up location in the National Portrait Gallery in late January 2017. The next neighborhood event will take place on April 1, 2017.

Fort Totten Metro Donatelli Development

Donatelli bid

Metro issued a request for proposals to develop the long-term parking lot at Fort Totten metro station way back in 2014. The agency selected Donatelli Development’s proposal to build 345 rental apartments, 10,000 square feet of ground floor retail, and a parking garage to replace the surface parking lot. According to Donatelli’s website and Metro’s term sheet with Donatelli, construction on this project will begin in 2017.

Fort Totten South

Also known as Fort Totten Square Phase II, plans for Fort Totten South (pdf) are moving steadily. JBG has teamed up with EYA to build a mixed-use development with approximately 26,000 square feet of retail and 170 to 180 mostly back-to-back townhomes atop a retail podium on the southeast corner of Riggs Road and South Dakota Avenue NE.

Early design plans show one- to two-bedroom loft-style homes fronting South Dakota Avenue with ground floor retail fronting Riggs Road and stacked two- to four-bedroom townhomes above the retail podium. A minimum of 29 of the homes will be set aside as affordable dwelling units and the developers have committed to set aside 5,000 square feet of the retail for a local retailer. A parking garage will sit behind the homes.

The DC Council recently recommended approval of the sale of District-owned property for the project. The developers will start removing trees from the site in January 2017. Current timeline anticipates construction starting in late 2018.

That wraps up our year-end neighborhood development report. Lots to look forward to in 2017. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year.

Reminder: Sign up by Nov. 25 to testify at Fort Totten South Public Hearing

Posted by nextstoprp in Riggs Park Place (formerly Fort Totten South)

Public Hearing
November 29, 2016
10:00 a.m.
Hearing Room 412
John A. Wilson Building (1350 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

On November 29, 2016, the DC Council will hold a public hearing on the sale of District-owned property to developers EYA and JBG for the second phase of Fort Totten Square (known as Fort Totten South). The hearing will begin at 10:00 am in Room 412 in the Wilson Building (1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW). To testify, contact Randi Powell, Legislative Policy Advisor, with your name, address, and organization affiliation, at cow@dccouncil.us or (202) 724-8196 by November 25. Individuals who wish to testify are encouraged, but not required, to submit 15 copies of their written testimony. Those who cannot attend the hearing may also submit written testimony by December 5 to be included in the record.

November 29: Fort Totten South Public Hearing

Posted by nextstoprp in Riggs Park Place (formerly Fort Totten South)

Post Updated

On November 29, 2016, at 10:00 am, the DC Council will hold a public hearing on legislation to approve the sale of District-owned land to developers for the construction of townhomes and retail as part of the second phase of Fort Totten Square, known as Fort Totten South. (See legislation at PR21-904 & PR21-905). The hearing will take place in Room 412 in the Wilson Building (1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW).

Those who wish to testify must notify the Council by November 25. From the Council’s website:

Those who wish to testify are asked to telephone the Committee of the Whole, at (202) 724-8196, or email Randi Powell, Legislative Policy Advisor at cow@dccouncil.us, and provide their name, address, telephone number, organizational affiliation and title (if any) by close of business on Thursday, November 25, 2016. Persons wishing to testify are encouraged, but not required, to submit 15 copies of written testimony.

If you cannot attend the hearing, you may submit written testimony by December 5, 2016, to be included in the record.

We have covered this process extensively on the blog. To see a proposal of the project, click here: EYA Fort Totten South Presentation to LRCA. The Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) conducted a survey to obtain the views of residents on community benefits as part of this project. To see the results of the survey, click here.

November 14: DC Comp Plan Amendment Public Meeting

Posted by nextstoprp in Neighborhood Development

From DC’s Office of Planning:
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The DC Office of Planning (OP) is leading the amendment process of the District’s Comprehensive Plan, its 20-year framework for the future planning and development of the city. OP is holding its seventh PlanDC: Amending the DC Comprehensive Plan community meeting on Monday, November 14th at Luke C. Moore High School, 1001 Monroe St. NE, from 6pm-8pm.  Due to the revised schedule for WMATA’s SafeTrack Surge #10, the Brookland Metrorail station, the nearest station, will be closed on November 14th. OP sincerely apologizes for this inconvenience. OP reviewed upcoming SafeTrack work when scheduling its PlanDC community meetings and secured this meeting location and date when SafeTrack Surge#10 was originally scheduled to be completed before November 14th.

We encourage you to take alternative means of transportation to the meeting; please allow additional time for your travel. Please visit safetrack.godcgo.com to learn more about other transportation choices. Specific options include:

  • Metro shuttle buses will be running between the Fort Totten and NoMa Metrorail stations.
  • Bus routes servicing the Brookland Metrorail station include the H1, H2, H3, H4, H6, H8, H9, R4, G8, and 80.
  • A Capital Bikeshare station is located at 10th and Monroe Streets, NE.
  • On-street parking is available as well as in the school parking lot.

If you are not able to attend the November 14th PlanDC meeting, please visit PlanDC.dc.gov to review presentations and other meeting materials from the first six PlanDC meetings and fill out an online survey.

Additionally, a Meeting Summary and Public Comment Digest for Meeting #1 on October 19th is available online at PlanDC.dc.gov. Summary reports for the remaining meetings, including the November 14th meeting, will be available soon.

For more details about the Comprehensive Plan Amendment Process, please visit PlanDC.dc.gov and sign up for alerts or contact the DC Office of Planning at (202) 442-7600 or plandc@dc.gov. Follow us on Twitter: @OPinDC #PlanDC #DCCompPlan.

October 22: Fall Fun Fest

Posted by nextstoprp in Neighborhood Development

Fall Fun Fest tomorrow! Events in the warehouse and outdoors. Dress accordingly

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Fall Fun Fest
Saturday, October 22, 1 PM – 3 PM
5455 3rd St NE, Washington, DC 20011

Curious about the new children’s museum coming to the Fort Totten neighborhood? Come get a FREE sneak peek!
• Fanciful music and storytelling with Sylvia Zwi
• Large-scale whimsical weaving
• Saxophone demo with Herbert Scott
• Make your own bird feeder
• Create a spooky mask

Families and children of all ages welcome. Share your ideas for the museum and learn how to get involved.

October 19: Public Meeting on DC Comp Plan Area Element

Posted by nextstoprp in Neighborhood Development and tagged with

DC Comprehensive Plan Public Meeting
October 19, 2016
6:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Location: Columbia Heights Education Campus (3101 16th Street NW)

DC’s Office of Planning (OP) is updating DC’s Comprehensive Plan. This plan provides the framework for development and growth throughout the city.

On October 19, 2016, OP is holding a public meeting on the “Rock Creek East Area Element” of the plan. This part of the plan covers one part of the neighborhood. It is super important that residents participate in the plan amendment process, so if you can make the meeting, it would probably be informative. Otherwise, OP has lots of information on its plan amendment page. And remember to take OP’s survey on how you see DC growing and developing.

 

 

 

Volunteer for the Children’s Museum Fall Fest

Posted by nextstoprp in Neighborhood Development and tagged with

The Explore! Children’s Museum is having a neighborhood Fall Fun Fest this Saturday. The actual museum is still a ways off from being constructed, but it would be really cool for neighbors to come out and show support for having a neighborhood children’s museum by volunteering and attending this Saturday’s event. It would also be a nice way to meet neighbors, meet the museum staff, and share ideas about what a neighborhood museum could look like. We plan to help out at the event, so we hope to see lots of neighbors there. If you are interested in volunteering, send an email to Irina Rubenstein at irina@wdckids.org.

Fall-Fun-Fest-2016-Flyer

fall-fun-fest-2016

Neighborhood Children’s Museum Fall Fest – Call for Volunteers

Posted by nextstoprp in Cafritz Art Place at Fort Totten and tagged with

Update: The volunteer happy hour has been postponed

On October 22, the Explore! Children’s Museum of Washington DC is holding a Fall Fun Fest to offer families a sneak peek of the new children’s museum coming to Riggs Park (see event details below). Volunteers are needed for the event. See the list of volunteer duties here: Fall Fun Fest Volunteer Job Descriptions (pdf)

Anyone interested in volunteering is encouraged to attend the Volunteer Happy Hour at Hellbender (5788 2nd St. NE) on October 20, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm, for a brief orientation and to sign up.

For more information, contact Irina Rubenstein at irina@wdckids.org.
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Fall Fun Fest
Saturday, October 22, 1 PM – 3 PM
5455 3rd St NE, Washington, DC 20011

Curious about the new children’s museum coming to the Fort Totten neighborhood? Come get a FREE sneak peek!
• Fanciful music and storytelling with Sylvia Zwi
• Large-scale whimsical weaving
• Saxophone demo with Herbert Scott
• Make your own bird feeder
• Create a spooky mask

Families and children of all ages welcome. Share your ideas for the museum and learn how to get involved.

Repost: Take the Community Benefits Survey

Posted by nextstoprp in Neighborhood Development

Update: Survey is closed

Plans are afoot to develop the second phase of Fort Totten Square, which will consist of 170-180 townhomes and 26,000 square feet of ground level retail on the southeast corner of South Dakota Avenue and Riggs Road NE. A minimum of 29 of the homes will be offered at below market rate price. The District owns part of the land on which the developers want to build. Therefore, LRCA is exploring a community benefits package related to potential sale of the land for the project. Please take a moment to take LRCA’s brief survey soliciting resident input on community benefits.

Click the link: Community Benefits Survey