It’s not easy to buy a carton of milk in Southwest Washington these days. There are almost no convenience stores in a neighborhood of 70,000! The area’s one major grocery store is located in an abandoned mall. The area lacks a bookstore, a hardware vendor, and just about every other amenity most Washingtonians take for granted. A spattering of services inhabited the now-quiet Waterside Mall until recently. Last year all but four businesses— Safeway, CVS, Bank of America, and a drycleaners—were evicted. This dearth of small businesses is a result of a mid-century urban planning effort that left Southwest one of the most commercially inhospitable sections of the District.
How Not to Plan
A half century ago, the Southwest Urban Renewal, a federal initiative, attempted to revitalize what was then a dense, largely black, residential community. The government seized a vast tract of land by eminent domain, demolished tree-lined streets of single-family homes and allowed developers to erect block upon block of apartment and office buildings. Some are architecturally significant.I.M. Pei designed four of the towers framing the Waterside Mall. Clothiel Woodard Smith, the city’s pre-eminent female architect, designed others. And, now that the trees have grown up to meet the buildings, many Southwest streets have developed into vibrant, green oases.
Urban Renewal did not foster the growth of small neighborhood businesses. Planners did not set aside significant space for retail nor did they create the network of small and large parks so beloved on Capitol Hill. As a result, street life has never flourished in southwest Washington and no major commercial activity has taken root.
Today, a combination of city agencies and private developers are once again attempting to revitalize the area. Several major developments are underway. While not officially related, their combined effect could transform what for decades has been the District’s quietest quadrant.
Current plans call for creation of thousands of new residential units, millions of square feet of commercial and retail space and additional parking. At least eight new buildings ten stories or higher are on the boards. Hotels, cultural venues and new parks all play into this larger, polyglot vision of a renewed Southwest.
Not surprisingly, significant hurdles stand in the way of the Southwest’s rebirth. Private developers and city agencies are beset by delays on all fronts. Residents worry that planners and developers, in the rush to build, will overlook their needs.
Despite overlapping schedules and close quarters, coordination among the various interested parties is lacking. The DC Office of Planning has yet to issue a comprehensive study of how the surge of new developments will affect the neighborhood. In interviews, neither developers nor city officials or residents could point to a single individual or agency responsible for planning the coming boom.
Andy Litsky, Commissioner for Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6D (ANC 6D), which represents the area, hasn’t forgotten the area’s history. “For those who bemoan what happened to Southwest 50 years ago, I shudder to think what today’s uncoordinated development will do,” he observes wryly.
“It’s Finally Our Turn”
It was only a matter of time before Southwest was targeted for redevelopment. Businesses have flocked to the District in recent years. Many formerly blighted neighborhoods, such as Columbia Heights and the U Street Corridor, have risen on the economic tide. In the last two years enormous activity has enveloped Near Southeast, just across South Capitol Street from the Southwest. Among the developments there are the new SE Federal Center, the Department of Transportation headquarters, and the new baseball stadium.
With many neighborhoods in Washington built out to near capacity, interest in Southwest real estate is high. “We’re in the middle of a land rush down here,” Litsky points out.
"There's always been somewhere else more important," says Marge Maceda, President of the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly (SWNA), a civic organization that has represented Southwest residents for over 50 years. "Now, it's finally our turn."
Geographic Challenges
Southwest has geographic hurdles to overcome. Although just blocks away from the National Mall, the neighborhood is psychologically isolated from the Capital City’s front yard. The Southeast-Southwest Freeway (I-395) blocks its northern edge; bustling and unfriendly South Capitol Street cuts off access to the east; and the Washington Channel and Anacosita River serve as western and southern barriers. “We’re cordoned off by the freeways, so sometimes people forget about us,” said SWNA president Maceda.
Southwest holds appeal for those who get there. Many streets are quiet and lined with well-maintained townhouses. Greenery is abundant. Tall trees create an attractive canopy. Westminster Presbyterian Church at 400 I St. features lively Friday night jazz concerts. The Maine Avenue Fish Wharf, though a bit dilapidated, does robust business serving the best oysters in the city.
Efforts are underway to reconnect Southwest to the rest of the city. An ambitious initiative to revitalize South Capitol Street Corridor is underway. While this plan is primarily associated with the Near Southeast redevelopment, it will undoubtedly provide a new entrée to Southwest.
Additionally, the 10th St., SW, Overlook at L’Enfant Plaza is the subject of a controversial redesign The concept features a grand staircase that would provide a pedestrian corridor from the Mall to the Southwest waterfront. Water taxis and a new metro stop are also envisioned.
Yet, Southwest is still not a “destination.” The historic, psychological and physical barriers are just too great. Georgetown remains the District’s premier waterfront locale, while the Near Southeast is receiving the lion’s share of developers’ attention. Many believe that all this will soon change.
Down By The River
By far the most ambitious plan on the boards is the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation’s (AWC) redevelopment of the Southwest Waterfront. Today, the one-mile stretch from the 14th St. Bridge south to N Street Southwest isn’t the lively esplanade it might be. There is a marina, but instead of framing high-end real estate and a lively commercial district, its only neighbors are the ramshackle fish market, a few big nightclubs and restaurants.
The AWC, a quasi-governmental agency, is publicly charged with the revitalization of the whole of the waterfront through public-private residential and commercial development. The basis for their work is the Southwest Waterfront Plan, a document drawn up by the National Capital Revitalization Corporation (NCRC), a similarly municipally chartered organization, and the DC Office of Planning in 2003.
The Southwest Waterfront Plan calls for a series of twelve-story buildings hugging the Washington Channel. These would be interspersed with smaller construction and vistas from Maine Avenue to the water. The new buildings would house nearly 1,000 new residential units, millions of square feet of commercial space, as well as a new 400-room hotel. The development would completely eliminate Water St., SW.
According to AWC President and C.E.O. Adrian Washington, the 2003 plan is still the guiding document for the redevelopment. "When the plan was developed they worked very closely with the neighborhood to address their concerns,” he stated in an interview. “We did not want to make any major changes to that plan."
Many in the neighborhood contend that the planned high rises are out of scale for the area. They point to pockets of development in Amsterdam, Vancouver, Portland and Buenos Aires that have successfully redeveloped similarly sized waterfront areas without overwhelming the skyline.
In March, the AWC issued a call to developers for expressions of interest in being part of new construction. Responses are due May 1. Washington said he hopes the AWC will select a developer before the end of this year's city council session. Construction, however, is still a ways off. "Given the complexity of this project it will be difficult to break ground any earlier than 2008," said Washington.
Conditions are conspiring against the project. In the last year the AWC lost both its founding director and deputy director. Its budget was slashed. Now, the complex deal that would secure the AWC much of the waterfront property as part of a property exchange with NCRC is stymied over issues of unclear title and complex financing. Washington insists that these factors have not delayed the project. Ward Six Councilmember Sharon Ambrose, who is moving legislation to resolve the imbroglio between AWC and NCRC, says, "The AWC is moving more slowly than we want."
The Waterside Maul
Waterside Mall is a microcosm of the bungled development of the entire Southwest. Known by the misleading moniker of the Waterfront, it is completely landlocked, situated on a rectangle defined by M, 3rd, 6th and I Sts. It sits right across from the Waterfront Metro on the Green Line.
Erected in the 1970’s, the mall is a concrete monstrosity. Two nondescript towers looming over a bland commercial block that currently covers 4th Street. Occupancy rates were dismal for years. In 2002, the mall’s last major tenant, the Environmental Protection Agency, fled for Federal Triangle.
Now Waterfront Associates, a joint venture between developers Forest City Washington and the Kaempfer Company, have partnered with the mall’s owner NCRC to redevelop the site. The current deal calls for Waterfront Associates to acquire 13 acres of land outright while the NCRC retains a parcel for residential development. Jennifer Budoff, Senior Development Manager at NCRC, says that the planned tower would accommodate area residents. "At least 20% will be below-market housing for low and medium income families," she states.
Until April of 2005, Waterside Mall was also home to Southwest ’s last remaining pocket of small businesses. There was a Chinese restaurant, Blimpie’s, a grill, a card store, a drycleaners, a nail salon, a tailor, a video rental store, a bookstore, a watch repair store, a computer repair facility, a dress shop, a liquor store, a check-cashing establishment, a convenience store and a Radio Shack. But in preparation for construction, the developers evicted all those businesses. Now, the only Safeway, CVS, a drycleaners and Bank of America remain.
It was unconscionable that Forest City decided to do that," says Litsky. “More than 15 retail establishments were forced to close years before construction was begun, leaving our community without basic services and, most importantly, without a neighborhood gathering place.” The mall is a ghost town.
Forest City developer David Smith says that Waterfront Associates are committed to keeping the three of the four remaining businesses open during construction. CVS, however, will have to be temporarily relocated.
Under current plans, the low-lying, central structure of the Waterside Mall will be demolished. 4th St. will be reopened to traffic. Several million square feet of space are planned for commercial and retail use. Until recently, home mortgage giant Fannie Mae agreed to lease 60% of the site. In early 2005 Fannie Mae pulled out. In the absence of an anchor commercial tenant, the project has floundered. “As of today, we do not have a major tenant,” David Smith of Forest City states.
The Mall’s Neighbors
Two pairs of residential towers designed by legendary architect I.M. Pei flank Waterside Mall on M St. Though distinguished designs, all four, comprising 125 residences each, suffer from serious disrepair and slated for redevelopment.
The eastern pair, known as Town Center, is currently uninhabited. The towers sit on land owned by the NCRC, but a deal that will sell the land to private developers is closing soon. Refurbishments on the first Town Center tower will begin this summer. Joe Galli of Bernstein Companies, one of the partners developing the site, said that the first tower’s 125 housing units could be available as soon as 12 to 14 months.
In a nod to the social failures of the Southwest Urban Renewal, developers and Town Center residents worked together to allow current renters to buy their refurbished apartments. "Town Center is the first condo conversion project in Southwest where tenants will be able to purchase their units," says NCRC C.O.O. Therman A. Baker, Jr.
The western pair of Pei towers, called Marina View, is also slated for redevelopment. Marina View is currently occupied. Many renters complain of substandard conditions and a deteriorating building. In addition to refurbishing the existing structures, developers hope to construct two new 10-story residential towers on the land that now comprises the Marina View parking lot.
Construction at Town Center and Marina View will overlap. It will also undoubtedly impact the rebuilding of the Waterside Mall and reopening of 4th St. Yet no one interviewed for this article could identify any individual or group coordinating the building efforts among the three adjacent, but independent sites.
Other Southwest Developments
Other residential developments on the horizon in Southwest include the land currently occupied by the vacant St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church at 2nd and M Sts., slated to be the home of new condominiums. NCRC also owns a parking lot at 4th and E Sts., but Baker says, "A mixed use project of some sort would make sense." "We're going to have the appropriate community input," he says. Commissioner Litsky questions this relationship. Speaking the organization’s historic involvement with the Southwest Waterfront, Litsky said, "NCRC never sought adequate input from the community."
Arena Stage, the esteemed theater on 6th St., is the Southwest’s one artistic draw. Now, it is getting a major facelift. Construction on a glorious new three-theater complex designed by award-winning Vancouver architect Bing Thom is slated to begin this year, and scheduled for completion in 2008. Located across from the Waterfront, the renovated Arena Stage is truly a Southwest destination.
Another addition to Southwest ’s cultural landscape will come when the Art School associated with the Corcoran Gallery of Art begins to occupy the former Randall School at 65 I St. Margaret Bergen, Chief Communications Officer for the Corcoran, declined to offer specifics on a timetable, but acknowledged, "We're optimistic we'll be coming to an agreement with a developer shortly."
Traffic Jam
Southwest is already encountering the hassles of development, as construction traffic from Near Southeast regularly spills over onto its streets. "Even today, Southwest is impacted by a lot of industrial traffic," acknowledges Kathleen Penny, Deputy Chief Engineer at the District Department of Transportation. Looking ahead, many worry that the overlapping construction schedules of future projects will create an unmanageable situation in the neighborhood.
To soften the impact of new construction, Penny has formed a task force between DDOT and members of ANC 6D to address traffic issues. "The idea is to protect Southwest streets," she said. The task force has only held one meeting so far, and while another is scheduled, Penny said it would not be open to the public. In addition to finding routes that will keep construction trucks off Southwest streets, DDOT has determined that 1st St. and Potomac Ave., SE, will serve as the major construction arteries.
Perhaps the most significant upcoming change to Southwest streets will occur with the reopening of 4th St. between I and M, SW. "We have to ensure that 4th Street is open, pedestrian friendly,” said Commissioner Litsky. “We have to make sure they put in traffic calmers so this isn't a thruwayto Fort McNair, Buzzard Point, the redeveloped waterfront and the baseball stadium."
Waterfront Associates, the mall’s developer, intends to coordinate closely with DDOT on the street reopening. “It’s an integral part of our plans for the site,” states David Smith. “We hope to begin construction on the road early next year.”
Just a few blocks down, Water Street, which runs parallel to Maine Avenue along the waterfront, is slated to be demolished. According to the AWC, this should not affect traffic on Maine, which will receive new signals to accommodate any increased usage. The new arrangements will take some to get used to. "There are undoubtedly people in Southwest who are unaware that Water Street is being closed," says Councilmember Ambrose.
DDOT engineer Penny said that the city would push for increased public transportation use in the area. "This isn't about moving cars," she said, "it's about moving people." "We don't want Southwest residents to bear an unfair burden," she said. "Certainly there is a lot we can improve on," she says.
Councilmember Ambrose acknowledges the impact development is having on the community. "I don't know that all of this can happen without disrupting residents' lives," she said.
"It's going to be a bumpy ride, and we recognize it,” observes Commissioner Litsky. “We want the city to recognize it and do something to ameliorate that bumpy ride."
AWC C.E.O. Washington also recognizes the scope of the projects at hand. "It will be a tremendous challenge,” he said. “It's a lot going on in a very small neighborhood."
Neighborhood Concerns
Besides increase traffic congestion, the main concern among residents seems to be the lack of local amenities—shops, parks and schools in particular. Currently, most residents commute to Virginia or other parts of the District for the types basic services Washingtonians take for granted. An already dire situation made worse by the recent evictions from Waterside Mall.
"Other than Safeway we have nothing,” says SWNA President Maceda.
“Right now there is no neighborhood center,” says Commissioner Litsky. Indeed, the few area parks are in disrepair, while the existing waterfront promenade is narrow and unremarkable.
"I'd like to see a space where people can hang out and be together,” says Maceda, “a plaza maybe, an opportunity for people to walk around and be safe, with a coffee shop maybe."
The Southwest Waterfront Plan calls for the construction of a grand esplanade along the water several years down the road. None of the other planned developments address this need.
Rudderless Development
Yet with so many projects underway and in the works in a small, constrained neighborhood, no single individual or agency is taking a holistic look at how the various efforts will reshape Southwest as a whole.
"A number of us in Southwest for years have raised the issue of lack of coordinated planning in this neighborhood," said Commissioner Litsky.
Councilmember Ambrose echoed the concern. "I don't know that anybody is coordinating it right now," she said.
When asked if the Office of Planning had taken a comprehensive look at development, Cindy Petkac, Ward 6 Planner, referred to the 2003 Southwest Waterfront Plan as the guiding design. However, upon examination this plan only takes a glancing look at the nearby developments, and is thus incomprehensive. It completely omits any mention of Waterside Mall and the adjacent towers, for example.
"There's a lack of acknowledgment in this administration that any of these projects have any relation to one another," said Commissioner Litsky. "What we need in this city is a planning commissionto coordinate such activity. It cannot simply be left up to happenstance "
Officials from NCRC and AWC contend that there is adequate interagency communication. AWC Project Manager Liz Price states that the AWC is in regular contact with NCRC and the Office of Planning, but is lax on details. "We don't have a specific plan because we don't have a clear idea of where we're starting or when," she says. "As we get closer quarterly coordinating meetings may make sense. We're just not there yet."
NCRC C.O.O. Baker also affirms that the organization is working closely with the Office of Planning. He cites the corporation’s recent revitalization of Columbia Heights as an example of its ability to successfully coordinate multiple construction projects. With as many as five developments moving bricks and mortar at once, NCRC had a traffic supervisor on the ground at all times, he says.
"We have a presence there all the time,” Baker says, “making sure we don't have 300 concrete trucks on the same street at the same time, making sure kids have a safe path to school."
But Commissioner Litsky remains skeptical. "That's fine for what's happening on land they control, but they don't have that kind of control down here because they don't own the land. In fact, with ownership split among a dozen developers, and the city administration mustering out in preparation for a new administration, no one has chosen—or been given the assignment—of coordinating this activity."
Not all developers seem to be communicating either.
“We haven’t talked with AWC. We haven’t talked with Waterfront,” says Town Center developer Galli. “Not yet.”
But Forest City’s David Smith states that he has been in touch with Bernstein Companies, as well as the developers of Marina View and the Office of Planning.
Signs of Life
Still there are abundant signs that the time may have finally come for Southwest to be redeveloped. The AWC is soliciting developers, Arena Stage is breaking ground, Waterside Mall deal is nearing closure, Town Center is beginning work soon, and numerous other projects follow closely behind.
Within years, Southwest could be home to thousands of new residential units, grand new public spaces, many new restaurants, and a thriving cultural scene. All involved admit it will be a huge strain on the neighborhood, but most concede that it will likely improve residents’ quality of life.
"It's a good-news, bad-news thing for residents," said Councilmember Ambrose. "Southwest has been a quiet area for years, and now it's the focus of a lot of development. It will be an adjustment, but hopefully it will be a good thing."
And even the skeptics show hints of optimism. "This will change the character of Southwest,” states Commissioner Litsky (ANC 6D). “Will it be more congested? Yes. But we will have restaurants, we will have shops, we will have opportunities for employment. Maybe we'll even rebuild a school or two."
Asked to consider what Southwest might look like in five to ten years, SWNA President Maceda laughed. "I'm laughing because I'm excited about it," she says. "I'm looking forward to having our own restaurants, our own shops. I'm looking forward to saying all is well in Southwest."