Shaw Middle School Pride

Thanks to my educator friend Brad for pointing me to this heartwarming piece about students at Shaw Middle School. The school's new principal Brian Betts (whom Chancellor Rhee "stole from Montgomery County") is apparently doing an excellent job.

Shaw Middle School is currently located at the Garnet-Patterson campus on U Street. It will return to the Shaw campus (located on Rhode Island Avenue between 9th and 11th Streets) when that campus is renovated or rebuilt.

CCCA Meeting Tomorrow Night

The Convention Center Community Association (CCCA) promotes the civic interests of the residents of the area in the District of Columbia near the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Their meetings are open to all.

The next meeting will be held tomorrow (March 31, 2009) at 7:00 pm at Chatman's D'Vine Bakery and Cafe, 1239 9th Street NW. The following is the agenda for tomorrow night's meeting:

Agenda:
Announcements
Mayor Adrian Fenty scheduled to speak at April 28, 2009 meeting.

Standard Solar Presentation
Presentation on residential and commercial solar energy products and services, from Jim Pierobin, VP and Chief Marketing Officer, and Brian Desmond, Solar Consultant, at Standard Solar.

DC Department of the Environment
Charles Satterfield and members of the community outreach team of the DDOE will discuss "GreenDC" programs, utility discounts, and incentives for installing renewable energy systems in homes and buildings.

2009 Shaw Vacant Property Survey
David Smith will present the latest details on the CCCA's vacant property survey. Nicholas Madjett, Deputy Director of the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, will be present.

Ward 2 Council Member Jack Evans
Mr. Evans will address community concerns about vacant properties and economic development in and around the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, and other topics. Mr. Evans chairs the Committee on Finance and Revenue and is a member of the Committee on Economic Development and the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary.

At Large Council Member Kwame Brown
Mr. Brown joins Mr. Evans to discuss community concerns. Mr. Brown chairs the Committee on Economic Development. He is a member of the Committee on Government Operations and the Environment; the Committee on Libraries, Parks, and Recreation; the Committee on Finance and Revenue; and the Committee on Public Works and Transportation.

Approval of February 2009 meeting minutes

Old and new business

Adjournment

It should be an informative, helpful meeting. I look forward to attending.

Thanks to all behind this great community organization!

Congrats to Shaw's City Paper Best-Of Winners

City Paper has released its Best of 2009 list, and several Shaw businesses earned notable recognitions. Among the first place winners in our midst are Vegetate (Best Vegetarian Restaurant), Town Dance Boutique (Best Gay Bar/Club), and Nellie's (Best Sports Bar). We had several second and third place winners in other categories, including Wagtime Pet Spa and Boutique (Doggie Daycare), 9:30 Club (Live Music Venue), Etete (Ethiopian Restaurant), Vegetate (Vegan Restaurant), Nellies (Gay Bar/Club), and so on and so forth. Of course, I think several places were robbed of their rightful titles, as Corduroy wasn't recognized in the best American Restaurant category or for having the best chef in Washington, The Space did not get recognized for its ahhh-mazing roof deck, and The Long View gallery wasn't mentioned in the gallery categories.

Anyway, all to say, congrats to our great businesses for these notable recognitions, and we all know we've got some pretty incredible places that didn't get the attention they deserved!



PS - I haven't had a chance to pop open every category online, so let me know if I missed any!

Best New Shaw Business of 2008 Crowned

Last night's Shaw Main Streets Annual Meeting, held at the impressive
Center City Public Charter School - Shaw Campus (formerly Immaculate Conception), was an informative gathering. In addition to celebrating past successes and discussing future challenges of our Main Streets program, the meeting revealed the results of the annual Best New Shaw Business of the Year contest.

Chatman's D'vine Bakery and Cafe received the most votes in this year's contest. If you've not experienced Chatman's amazing red velvet cupcakes or their beef brisket sandwich, you are missing out. Congrats, Chatman's, for being voted the best new Shaw business of 2008!!!!

First runner-up was 1905 Restaurant. I've spoken about their delicious Gouda burger before, and am eager to try their newly added Sunday brunch.

Second runner-up was Bell Architects. Their new historic home on 9th Street is easily recognized by its bright blue doors (which I love!). I learned last night that the meticulously renovated rowhouse is LEED Certified, an impressive feet for a historic renovation.

Congrats and welcome to all of new business owners in our neighborhood.

2009 Shaw Main Streets Annual Meeting Tonight

The 2009 Shaw Main Streets Annual Meeting will be tonight (Wednesday, March 25, 2009) at 7:00 PM at the Center City Public Charter School Shaw Campus (formerly Immaculate Conception School), 711 N Street, NW. The event is free and open to the public, all are welcome, and no reservations are required.

Highlights of the event will include presentation of the Best New Shaw Business Awards for 2008; an overview of Shaw Main Streets accomplishments during 2008; election of Shaw Main Streets Board Members; and a reception featuring food and beverages from Shaw Main Streets service area businesses.

Tours of the historic landmark school building will be offered before the meeting, starting at 6:30 PM. If you would like a tour, please plan to arrive early.

For more information, call 202-265-SHAW or email shawmainstreets@ aol.com.

Section 8 Contract Expiring for Lincoln Westmoreland II

Lincoln Westmoreland II is the garden apartment community located between R and S Streets between 7th and 9th Street (excluding the high rise Lincoln Westmoreland I building, which is currently under renovation and is owned separately). The 1970's era-structures of Lincoln Westmoreland II are relatively low density in design, mostly fenced in, inward oriented, feature surface parking abutting the sidewalk, and have no retail component. Lincoln Westmoreland II provides affordable housing in an increasingly expensive neighborhood. The community is across the street from an entrance to the Shaw Howard Metro Station entrance.

It seems clear that the property could be better utilized to enhance the Shaw streetscapes and to capitalize on its proximity to mass transit. Hopefully the owners of Lincoln Westmoreland II intend to make better use of the property in the near future and will create a beautiful, vibrant, mixed-income (inclusive of affordable housing), mixed-use, and high density community. That said, many of our neighbors call Lincoln Westmoreland II home, so sensitivity must be used when pontificating on what could be made of the property.

One DC -- whose mission is "to exercise political strength to create and preserve racial and economic equity in Shaw and the District -- issued the following email recently about Lincoln Westmoreland II:

In February 2009, the tenants at Lincoln Westmoreland II (LWII) received a notice from their landlord, informing them that the Section 8 contract for their building is set to expire on Jan. 31, 2010. The landlord, Mid-City Financial Corporation, has indicated that although it intends to extend the contract through at least February 28, 2010, it does not intend to renew the contract upon its expiration.

The decision by Mid-City Financial is yet another recent example of landlords who own project-based Section 8 housing in the District deciding against renewing their Section 8 contracts. There are 7,800 project-based Section 8 units set to expire by 2013. Of those, 5,400 units - 55 properties in total - are owned by for-profit landlords. Many for-profit owners decline contract renewal because of opportunities to charge higher rents and generate more rental income on the open market. With each decision against renewal, the number of affordable housing units in DC is reduced substantially. This increases the obstacles to economic sustainability faced by ONE DC members and low-income residents.

More of our members face displacement from their homes and communities as the socio-economic inefficiencies caused by gentrification drive up property taxes, increase rental rates, and diminish the affordable housing stock. With meager financial resources, they face the possibility of enduring substandard living conditions, exemplified by overcrowding, displacement, and homelessness.

We believe that housing is a human right, as fundamental as the right to free speech. ONE DC intends to work with the tenants of LWII to ensure they have every opportunity to exercise their rights as this process unfolds. Stay tuned - we'll provide updates about this situation as new developments occur.

Old City Green Blooms at 9th and N

Old City Green opened to the landscape industry this past weekend (if you’re a professional landscaper or gardener find out more about the OCG Landscapers Co-op) and opens to the public this Saturday, March 28. The official grand opening weekend will be the weekend of April 11.

Located at the corner of 9th and N Streets, NW, Old City Green is the first garden center to open on Shaw's Main Streets and is a very exciting addition to our neighborhood's retail offerings. The mission of Old City Green is "To invite nature back into the city by supporting local landscapers with market value product and by providing the Shaw community and D.C. at large with plants, garden supplies, training and opportunities to increase awareness of and appreciation for 'our urban garden.'"

Co-Op HOURS
Tuesday - Friday 7 - 11 am

Retail HOURS
March 28th - April 10
Sat. 9-6 pm
Sun. 9-3 pm
Thu. & Fri. evenings 3-7 pm


Old City Green
Corner of 9th and N Streets NW
202/412.2489

Shiloh's Vacant Properties No Longer Vacant According to DCRA and Tax Databases

With Vacant properties on my brain due to the Class 3 tax discussion, I happened to peruse the DCRA's Winter 2009 Vacant Property List, accessible here. Oddly, I noted that only one of Shiloh Baptist Church's vacant properties, 1600 8th Street, appears on the list. Stated differently, the following Shiloh properties do not appear on the list: 1543 8th Street, 1526 9th Street, 1528 9th Street, 1532 9th Street, 1533 9th Street, and 1534 9th Street.

Disturbed, I looked up all of the properties in the online Real Property Assessment Database and found that six of the seven vacant properties on 8th and 9th Streets, NW, owned by Shiloh are no longer listed as vacant Class 3. Here is a table I made showing what I found in the online tax database:Something smells rotten -- how did these properties get re-classified when they are all clearly vacant still? Is Shiloh not going to have to pay Class 3 vacant property taxes on these highly visible properties that are blighting our neighborhood?

Thinking About: Support for Vacant Property Tax Rate

The Washington Examiner ran this article today about the D.C. Council being "poised to roll back the tax rate on vacant property that it doubled only six months ago." As you may recall, "The District’s Class 3 nuisance property tax rate was raised from $5 to $10 per $100 of assessed value as part of the fiscal 2009 budget and applied to 3,609 parcels citywide. The goal of the tax increase, implemented in October, was to spur the rehabilitation of 'unimproved or abandoned' real estate."

Ward Two Councilmember Evans is apparently one of the councilmembers against the tax. The Examiner reports that Evans believes "The Class 3 rate has never been effective and should be abolished, said Ward 2 Councilman Jack Evans, finance and revenue chairman. Fines and liens are better ways to tackle nuisance properties." Evans stated “We can’t point to one house that was fixed up as a result of this approach."

I am a big proponent of the Class 3 tax rate on vacant properties and on the recent increase in the same. In particular, I think the Class 3 tax dis-incentivizes holding onto vacant property for speculative investment's sake and gives owners an incentive either to sell or to put their properties to good use (surely, e.g., Shiloh's membership is opposed to so much of their money going to holding costs for the church's extensive vacant property portfolio in Shaw and will someday demand change). I also do not think six months is a sufficient test period for determining whether the recent tax increase is working, and think the council should wait at least another year to study its impact further.

Fines and liens are not enough to address the problem. It seems fines are generally the result of neighbor complaints about a particular property. Neighbors already bear enough of the onos of vacant properties by living next to them (e.g., dealing with trespassing vagrants, graffiti, and trash); they should not also have to be watchdogs for the city to keep irresponsible owners in check.

Responsive to Mr. Evans's claim, I think I can cite several previously vacant properties (all in the 1500 block of 8th Street) that have changed hands recently and are under rehabilitation currently -- most likely a direct result of the tax and/or tax increase. It would be great to compile a list of previously vacant properties that have been sold recently and are now under renovation/soon to be under renovation as a result of the vacant property tax to present the council. Please feel free to email me any such properties you know of (slumhistorique at yahoo dot com) or leave addresses of such properties in the comments.

Washington Home and Garden Show This Weekend

The Washington Home and Garden Show starts tomorrow at the convention center. I love this event, as it always provides such great inspiration and contacts for projects around the house. Our planned backyard overhaul from last year was delayed and will hopefully come to fruition in the coming months, so I have definitely an agenda for my time at the show this weekend. Hope to see you there!

Washington Home and Garden Show
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
March 19 - 22, 2008

Shaw Historic District Brochure Online

Last year, the District of Columbia Historic Preservation Office printed a beautiful and informative brochure about the Shaw Historic District. The publication, available online here, contains a lot of interesting information on the history of Shaw and some great past and present photographs. Hard copies are available throughout the neighborhood (I believe I saw a stack at Chatman’s D’vine Bakery & Cafe this past weekend).

Restoration of a Favorite

Back in 2007, I wrote about one of my favorite buildings in Shaw, 1314 9th Street. At the time, the building was looking pretty sad, but its potential and its gorgeous bones were evident.

I recently noticed that this grand structure is being restored by its owner. Today I snapped this photo of its progress:

Exciting, right?! I particularly love that the copper above the bay windows is being polished -- I had no idea that such metal detailing was even there!

I am hopeful that the retail bays will soon be filled. I could totally see a gallery and a boutique in the spaces.

Buy Me: Evanti Row Development Plans and Site

In October 2007, I reported about a development planned for 1900 Vermont Avenue to be called Evanti Row (read the post here). It appears that the site and plans for Evanti Row are now for sale. The following is from this listing:

Vacant land with R-4 zoning. Seller has plans for 14 large condominium units on 7 subdivided lots. Plans allow for up to 4,200 buildable s.f. on each site; current plans include 14 parking spaces - plans are HPRB approved.

Located one block from Metro entrance, in the heart of the U Street retail district, and just blocks from the trendy Logan Circle neighborhood.

The13,000 square feet of vacant land and the beautiful plans for development of the same can be yours for $2,495,000. For more information, contact Ken Johnson (202-309-0935, DCrealestate.com)

Anna U. Davis at Long View Gallery

In case you haven't already checked it out, the Long View Gallery's current show of works by Anna U. Davis is stunning. The provocative exhibition, entitled Bull's Eye, runs through March 21. The following is from the gallery's press release:

The Long View Gallery is pleased to announce a new exhibition of work by local D.C. artist, Anna U. Davis.

Anna U. Davis paints with a unique perspective and provocative style. Davis moved to the United States from Sweden in 1998. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of the District of Columbia in 2002 and has since worked as a full-time
artist. Davis' paintings consist of thousands of colorful paper squares that create the backdrop for her Frocasian (borne of "Afro" and "Caucasian") figures. Davis' work has been shown in Sweden and around the DC metropolitan area.

Davis’ paintings demonstrate her ability to explore relevant issues through a female perspective. She juxtaposes her painted Frocasian figures with glossy magazine cut outs in order to create balanced symbiosis in her work. The word Frocasian was
inspired by her interracial relationship and means someone who transcends racial divide. These Frocasians are a recurring image in all of Davis’ work. They are gray colored figures, neither black nor white, a reference to the underlying “human-ness” of us all.

I really love this show and am wowed by both the artist's general aesthetic and her arduous attention to detail.


The Long View Gallery
1302 9th Street, NW
202.232.4788




Image Credit: Under-Taker by Anna Davis, mixed media 54x72

1216 and 1218 9th Undergoing Renovation

Check out the Blagden Alley and Naylor Court Blog's report, with pictures, of the ongoing renovations at 1216 and 1218 9th Street by Douglas Development. It is very exciting to know that these notable properties across from the convention center will be restored to their former glory. I found this CoStar listing marketing these properties for office/retail lease. For further information, contact Norman Jemal at Douglas Development Corporation ((202) 638-6300).

The 1200 block of 9th Street has seen quite a bit of change and investment in the past two years. Among other improvements to the block include the gorgeous building renovations by Bell Architects and Wag Time and the openings of Old City Green, D'Vine Bakery and Cafe, and Old Dominion Brewhouse. Hopefully the momentum will continue and the few remaining un-transformed properties will experience a renaissance also.

Vote for the Best New Shaw Business of the Year

It's time to cast your vote for the best new Shaw business of 2008. The following is from the press release of Shaw Main Streets regarding the same:

Vote in Shaw Main Streets’ fourth annual Best New Shaw Business of the Year contest! New businesses that opened in 2008 are eligible. Businesses that relocated within the Shaw Main Streets service area and service businesses not located in retail locations are not eligible. The business that receives the most votes will be recognized as the Best New Shaw Business of 2008 at the Shaw Main Streets Annual Meeting on March 25, 2009, at 7:00 PM at Center City Public Charter School’s Shaw Campus, 711 N Street, NW.

Here is the list of candidates:

A1 Promotions, 900 M Street, NW

Ambassador Restaurant, 1907 9th Street, NW

Bell Architects, 1228 9th Street, NW

Chatman’s D’vine Bakery & Cafe, 1239 9th Street, NW

Corduroy Restaurant, 1122 9th Street, NW

Euphoria Bar/Lounge, 1914 9th Street, NW

High Lights Salon, 1907 9th Street, NW

Italy Pizza, 634 Florida Avenue, NW

Max James State Farm Insurance Agency, 1713 7th Street, NW

1905 Restaurant, 1905 9th Street, NW

To cast your vote, send an email to info@shawmainstreets.com with the name of your favorite new retail business of 2008 in the subject line and your name in the message no later than 12:00 PM on Monday, March 23, 2009, in order for your vote to be counted. Only one entry per email address will be accepted.

Wow -- what an impressive list of new businesses in our neighborhood! Several, of course, have been featured on this blog, including Bell Architects, Chatman's D'vine Bakery and Cafe, Corduroy Restaurant, and 1905 Restaurant. Several were unknown to me prior to receiving the press release, including Italy Pizza, A-1 Promotions, and High Lights Salon.

Good luck to all! I can't wait to find out the winner at the upcoming Shaw Main Streets Annual Meeting (details forthcoming)!