Where is the largest concentration of residential construction in DC? Mount Vernon Triangle.

Rich in history, Mount Vernon Triangle is the area east of Mount Vernon Square bounded by New York Avenue on the north, New Jersey Avenue on the east, and Massachusetts Avenue on the south.

Recent History
After the 1968 riots, DC fell on hard times. Mount Vernon Triangle floundered on the edge of downtown, which was struggling with its glut of office space. Commuters drove quickly past the neighborhood with its decaying buildings and empty lots as a convenient way to get onto the Interstate Highway 395.

In the late 1990s, downtown began its rebirth with the construction of new office and residential buildings, the creation of the Downtown Business Improvement District, and the opening of the Verizon Center. As downtown became increasingly built out, developers started looking east for the next neighborhood renaissance. Mount Vernon Triangle was the obvious choice.

Development in the Triangle
You have probably seen the new Hampton Inn at Sixth Street and Massachusetts Avenue, and the success of 555 Mass, the new condo building at Fifth Street and Massachusetts Avenue. A few months ago, residents started moving into the elegant Sonata at Third and H streets, NW. Condo sales remain strong in the Triangle despite reports that there is a housing slump around the country, and a number of new buildings are slated to open shortly. These include The L condominium (CityVista) this summer, Madrigal Lofts condominium and The Dumont condominium next spring.

The Triangle’s first new office building in 30 years will open soon with a ribbon cutting at 455 Massachusetts Ave. An urban lifestyle Safeway will open next spring at Fifth and L streets, NW; and Results: the Gym, a hardware store and Starbucks will also be opening in the CityVista project. Mount Vernon Place will be breaking ground shortly offering more office space along K Street in the Triangle.

When Mount Vernon Triangle is fully built out in a few years, there will be 2,300,000 square feet of new office space, 1,200 apartments, 4,500 condos, 600 hotel rooms, and 200,000 square feet of retail. It will be a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood offered the best in living, working, shopping and dining.

Rebirth of Mount Vernon Triangle
The redevelopment of Mount Vernon Triangle began with an innovative public-private partnership in 2002. The DC Office of Planning and major property owners in Mount Vernon Triangle, including Quadrangle, The Wilkes Company, Lowe Enterprises and Steuart Investments, worked for two years to develop a comprehensive master plan to guide the revitalization of the area. The Office of Planning, District Department of Transportation and the Mount Vernon Triangle Alliance were major partners. This collaborative effort produced the Mount Vernon Triangle Action Agenda, which Mayor Anthony Williams unveiled in March 2004.

The Action Agenda includes five key items to ensure the successful development of the Triangle: design recommendations for a livable neighborhood; a retail plan to identify and attract a healthy mix of shops, restaurants, and services; coordinated capital improvements; great public spaces, green space, plazas and public art; and creation of a Community Improvement District – a business improvement district that includes commercial properties and residential buildings.

The Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District was created by mayoral order in May 2004 pursuant to the city’s Business Improvement District law. In December 2006, a revised tax structure was approved by DC Council to expand the organization from a start-up to a full-service CID.

MVTCID Services
Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District provides clean and safe services and marketing to the Triangle. The Triangle’s clean team consists of a two-man clean team from Ready to Work (which also staffs the Capitol Hill BID and the Adams Morgan Partnership), with three men working on Tuesdays. The clean team sweeps up the sidewalks seven hours a day, seven days a week between the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Marketing consists of media exposure through the MVTCID Web site, quarterly newsletter, press releases, banner program and events, such as walking tours of the Triangle through Walking Town DC.

Other MVTCID services consist of homeless outreach, planning, streetscape coordination and economic development.

As the MVTCID budget grows over time, so will services, including the addition of a safety team to improve security in the area. The safety team will work directly with the police department to foster a welcoming environment throughout the Triangle.

In closing, Mount Vernon Triangle is a rapidly developing mixed-use neighborhood that had been overlooked for decades. With new residential and commercial buildings being constructed in the Triangle, the potential for this neighborhood is enormous. And with Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District in place to maintain the neighborhood, its future looks bright.