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After a period of inactivity and questions on its future development, the Corcoran Gallery’s plans to move its school to the Randall School site in Southwest and develop housing on part of the site may be moving forward. David Julian, the gallery’s general counsel, appeared before Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6D to report on the status of the project and request support for a two-year delay in implementing their Zoning Commission-approved Planned Unit Development (PUD). The delay is required because the original PUD was granted in March 2008 and expires in March 2010.

Julian outlined the history of the project, going back to 2006, and talked about the withdrawal of Monument Realty as the gallery’s development partner as a result of the economic collapse. He also reported that the Corcoran is currently in the final stages of negotiation with a potential new partner, the result of an aggressive and successful search. He announced that they hoped to reach an agreement before the Zoning Commission hearing on Feb. 8 to request the PUD delay.

Julian addressed several questions that Southwest residents and commissioners have raised, including longstanding rumors that the Corcoran was trying to sell the Randall School building. Julian said that the building was purchased by the gallery in 2006 for $6.2 million, and if specific milestones are not reached by 2016, only the city will have the right to repurchase the building for $6.2 million. He said that because of the current delays, that date might also have to be renegotiated, but otherwise the building will not be sold. He also responded to questions about the project having tax abatements by saying that the Corcoran is a not-for-profit entity (a 501(c)(3)) and therefore tax exempt, but that any commercial or residential development on the site is subject to all taxes.

Several commissioners raised questions about the status of the extensive community benefits agreement that the ANC negotiated with the Corcoran. Commissioner David Sobelsohn reminded Julian that it was necessary to appeal proposed changes in the agreement to the courts for enforcement of the original document, and Commissioner Andy Litsky said that support for the delay would be on blind faith without specific guarantees about the agreement.

Julian assured the commission that an agreement would be included in any modifications to the PUD that would be made as a result of the new developer’s plans and pointed out that there is difference between the extension they were requesting, which just extends the existing PUD, and modifications, which will require approval of the ANC. However, the commission voted to make its support of the extension contingent on the inclusion of the community benefits agreement in the extension request, which it voted unanimously to support.

Ground Broken on Consolidated Forensic Lab, Support Requested for Leafy Treescape
Saying that a now-resolved challenge from another developer had caused an eight-month delay in the start of construction of the Consolidated Forensic Lab, Bill Vosberg of HOK Architects reported that the old District 1 Metropolitan Police Department headquarters was finally being leveled so that construction could begin at the site.

The construction team, with representatives from the City Department of Real Estate Services and Office of Planning, asked the ANC to support a public space permit application for the removal of five trees at the site and the addition of 19 oak trees surrounding the building. This is part of the developer’s plan to seek a LEED Gold (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) designation for the building. The plan has been approved by the city arborist, and the tree boxes will be connected to the storm-water runoff cisterns. Litsky expressed his appreciation for the development’s contribution to Southwest’s tree canopy, which has suffered major losses in the recent past. The public space request was approved 5-2, with Commissioner Roger Moffatt and Hamilton in opposition.

New Bistro, Justin’s Café, Seeks Liquor License
Justin Ross, owner of the soon-to-open Justin’s Café at First and L streets SE in the Velocity apartment building, presented his request for a Class C Restaurant license and a stipulated license to the commission. The stipulated license will allow him to operate until his permanent license is approved.

Several neighbors of the establishment hailed its imminent opening as providing an impetus for an expanding choice of restaurants and café offerings in the still somewhat bare Southeast neighborhood. Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee Chair Coralie Farlee pointed out that a voluntary agreement between the ANC and the café had been negotiated. Moffatt was concerned about supporting the final license before the stipulated license went into effect, and he provided the one vote in opposition to supporting the license.

New Chair for ANC, Other Officers Reelected
Commissioner Ron McBee, who represents the Capitol Park 3 development as well as the easternmost area of Southwest, west of South Capitol Street, was elected unanimously as chair of ANC 6D. Former Chair Andy Litsky chose not to run for reelection. The other three officers, Vice Chair Bob Siegel, Secretary David Sobelsohn, and Treasurer Jane Jorgensen, were all reelected for 2010. McBee has been active in many important community issues, including the local schools, community relations with the Nationals baseball team, and parking and traffic issues.

Other Actions:

The ANC also:

• Voted unanimously to approve the revised and strengthened renewals of voluntary agreements for Friendly’s Market, Shulman’s Liquors and CAP Liquors, containing a waiver from the ban on sales of single cans of alcoholic beverages. The waivers had been granted last year for a year.