Hill Rag

Eastern Market Renovations Provoke Debate

by: Martin Austermuhle

It was in August 1871 that the Legislative Assembly of the District of Columbia obtained a plot of land along Seventh Street SE for $80,000, setting it aside for the construction of a public fresh food market. Two years later Eastern Market emerged, centered around the large and airy South Hall designed by German-American architect Adolph Cluss. Sparing the 1908 addition of North and Center Halls, Eastern Market remains much as it did then – and that’s how some local activists would like things to stay.

A number of renovations to the market proposed by the District Office of Property Management (OPM) and architectural firm Quinn Evans have kicked off a debate over balancing long-needed upgrades against the market’s historic integrity, with local historians and Eastern Market advocates pushing for the city to rethink additions to facilitate wheelchair and stroller access and do away with plans to add skylights to the South Hall.

The list of renovations currently proposed by OPM and Quinn Evans encompass the North, Center and South Halls, both internally and externally. They are currently at the conceptual phase – also known as the 35 percent complete phase – and were formally presented to the Commission on Fine Arts (CFA) on April 20 and the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) on April 27, both of whom have to approve the plans before any work begins. The CFA focused on external changes, while the HPRB reviewed internal ones.

Quinn Evans lead architect Tina Roach, who presented the plans to residents in an open meeting on April 19, noted that “community involvement is key” in finalizing the renovation plans. When approved, the renovations will cost an estimated $3 million and be completed in two phases, with the first slated to start in early 2007.

Roach provided Hill Rag with a copy of the plans, which include creating ADA-compliant wheelchair access at three entrances in the South Hall and two entrances in the North Hall; installing air conditioning units, ducts and chillers; enclosing existing dumpsters along the southwest side of the South Hall with a wooden fence; adding an exterior fire escape staircase to the Center Hall; replacing plastic glazing on doors with clear security glass; rehabilitating doors and window sashes; adding a door to reconnect the North and Center Halls; installing a new stage in the North Hall; adding two accessible bathrooms to the Center Hall; replacing existing fluorescent lighting in the South Hall with 38 single lamp pendant fixtures and lighting North Hall with 30 pendant fixtures.

Various local activists have expressed concerns with a number of the renovations, testifying before both the CFA and HPRB as to what they believed should be changed before receiving the necessary approvals. First among their concerns have been the proposed wheelchair access ramps at two entrances to the South Hall, whose concrete ramps (measuring between 9 and 12 feet) and metal railings could negatively impact the building’s historic fabric by obscuring its base. Stephen J. Ackerman, a Capitol Hill resident who is currently researching the market’s history for a book, noted in testimony before the CFA that the South Hall was originally planned to include public access from all sides, and that an existing ramp on the hall’s western side currently used for service deliveries would be a better alternative than adding new ramps to the eastern side. Monte Edwards, chair of the Capital Improvements Subcommittee of the Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee (EMCAC), added a second concern, testifying before CFA on how access ramps would impede pedestrian traffic and crowd out vendors. He noted, “Of equal importance are the surrounding sidewalks and Farmers’ Line Shed because, unlike other public sidewalks in the City, the public sidewalk at Eastern Market is rentable, commercial space and the vending that occurs on that space is essential to the maintenance of the historic character of the Market as well as the livelihood of the vendors.” Both Ackerman and Edwards similarly pushed for the alley along the west side of the halls to be returned to its original intent – it served as an access point to the South Hall and was lined with vendors – instead of being used as a service alley and to contain dumpsters and the chillers for the proposed air conditioning units.

Another contentious issue has been the addition of skylights to the South Hall. Nancy Metzger, a local resident and chair of the Capitol Hill Restoration Society’s Historic Preservation Committee, noted in remarks to the CFA that the skylights never existed on the original hall, and their addition would have a negative impact on the building’s preservation as a historic landmark. Moreover, she argued, skylights would promote heat gain within the hall and could possibly leak.

Concerns were also raised on the placement of air conditioning ducts in the South Hall, and the replacement of the existing plastic glazing on doors and windows with clear security glass.

While the CFA did not issue a definitive ruling on the exterior renovations, some members expressed worries with the wheelchair access ramps, the exterior corral for dumpsters and chillers and the fire escape staircase off of the Center Hall. Since the HPRB meeting took place as we went to press, we were not able to cover its proceedings. A HPRB Staff Report dated February 23, 2006, though, proposed turning down the addition of skylights to the South Hall. It also expressed support for ramps for wheelchair access along one entrance in the South Hall and two in the North Hall and for the Center Hall’s fire escape while suggesting further study on exterior alterations for wheelchair and stroller accessibility, the restoration of the natural ventilation system, alternative air conditioning configurations to reduce or better conceal the ducts and alternate locations for the dumpsters and chillers.

Once the CFA and HPRB officially express their conclusions on the proposed plans, Quinn Evans will amend their designs as needed before submitting them again for final approval.


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Eastern Market Renovations Provoke Debate

by: Martin Austermuhle
It was in August 1871 that the Legislative Assembly of the District of Columbia obtained a plot of land along Seventh Street SE for $80,000, setting it aside for the construction of a public fresh food market. Two years later Eastern Market emerged, centered around the large and airy South Hall designed by German-American architect Adolph Cluss. Sparing the 1908 addition of North and Center Halls, Eastern Market remains much as it did then – and that’s how some local activists would like things to stay. A number of renovations to the market proposed by the District Office of Property Management (OPM) and architectural firm Quinn Evans have kicked off a debate over balancing long-needed upgrades against the market’s historic integrity, with local historians and Eastern Market advocates pushing for the city to rethink additions to facilitate wheelchair and stroller access and do away with plans to add skylights to the South Hall. The list of renovations currently proposed by OPM and Quinn Evans encompass the North, Center and South Halls, both internally and externally. They are currently at the conceptual phase – also known as the 35 percent complete phase – and were formally presented to the Commission on Fine Arts (CFA) on April 20 and the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) on April 27, both of whom have to approve the plans before any work begins. The CFA focused on external changes, while the HPRB reviewed internal ones. Quinn Evans lead architect Tina Roach, who presented the plans to residents in an open meeting on April 19, noted that “community involvement is key” in finalizing the renovation plans. When approved, the renovations will cost an estimated $3 million and be completed in two phases, with the first slated to start in early 2007. Roach provided Hill Rag with a copy of the plans, which include creating ADA-compliant wheelchair access at three entrances in the South Hall and two entrances in the North Hall; installing air conditioning units, ducts and chillers; enclosing existing dumpsters along the southwest side of the South Hall with a wooden fence; adding an exterior fire escape staircase to the Center Hall; replacing plastic glazing on doors with clear security glass; rehabilitating doors and window sashes; adding a door to reconnect the North and Center Halls; installing a new stage in the North Hall; adding two accessible bathrooms to the Center Hall; replacing existing fluorescent lighting in the South Hall with 38 single lamp pendant fixtures and lighting North Hall with 30 pendant fixtures. Various local activists have expressed concerns with a number of the renovations, testifying before both the CFA and HPRB as to what they believed should be changed before receiving the necessary approvals. First among their concerns have been the proposed wheelchair access ramps at two entrances to the South Hall, whose concrete ramps (measuring between 9 and 12 feet) and metal railings could negatively impact the building’s historic fabric by obscuring its base. Stephen J. Ackerman, a Capitol Hill resident who is currently researching the market’s history for a book, noted in testimony before the CFA that the South Hall was originally planned to include public access from all sides, and that an existing ramp on the hall’s western side currently used for service deliveries would be a better alternative than adding new ramps to the eastern side. Monte Edwards, chair of the Capital Improvements Subcommittee of the Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee (EMCAC), added a second concern, testifying before CFA on how access ramps would impede pedestrian traffic and crowd out vendors. He noted, “Of equal importance are the surrounding sidewalks and Farmers’ Line Shed because, unlike other public sidewalks in the City, the public sidewalk at Eastern Market is rentable, commercial space and the vending that occurs on that space is essential to the maintenance of the historic character of the Market as well as the livelihood of the vendors.” Both Ackerman and Edwards similarly pushed for the alley along the west side of the halls to be returned to its original intent – it served as an access point to the South Hall and was lined with vendors – instead of being used as a service alley and to contain dumpsters and the chillers for the proposed air conditioning units. Another contentious issue has been the addition of skylights to the South Hall. Nancy Metzger, a local resident and chair of the Capitol Hill Restoration Society’s Historic Preservation Committee, noted in remarks to the CFA that the skylights never existed on the original hall, and their addition would have a negative impact on the building’s preservation as a historic landmark. Moreover, she argued, skylights would promote heat gain within the hall and could possibly leak. Concerns were also raised on the placement of air conditioning ducts in the South Hall, and the replacement of the existing plastic glazing on doors and windows with clear security glass. While the CFA did not issue a definitive ruling on the exterior renovations, some members expressed worries with the wheelchair access ramps, the exterior corral for dumpsters and chillers and the fire escape staircase off of the Center Hall. Since the HPRB meeting took place as we went to press, we were not able to cover its proceedings. A HPRB Staff Report dated February 23, 2006, though, proposed turning down the addition of skylights to the South Hall. It also expressed support for ramps for wheelchair access along one entrance in the South Hall and two in the North Hall and for the Center Hall’s fire escape while suggesting further study on exterior alterations for wheelchair and stroller accessibility, the restoration of the natural ventilation system, alternative air conditioning configurations to reduce or better conceal the ducts and alternate locations for the dumpsters and chillers. Once the CFA and HPRB officially express their conclusions on the proposed plans, Quinn Evans will amend their designs as needed before submitting them again for final approval.