I got this email from the H Street listserv this morning (I'm posting it without hesitation because it isn't croversial, it's a public listserv & the author is generally pretty public with his ideas):
I am not going to be able to attend tonight's meeting, but Douglas Development will be presenting their initial proposal for the Uline Arena site, which calls for building on top of the arena, as well as high density residential on 3rd St. NE. Interestingly enough their concept plan calls for a supermarket, they depict Harris-Teeter, in the arena building. They are likely to land Harris-Teeter, given that H-T is locating a store in the Kalorama district of DC in a building complex owned by Douglas Development. (Given this relationship, I could even see H-T ending up in the Wonder Bread warehouse that Douglas Development owns by the Shaw-7th Street subway station.)
The presentation will be at the monthly meeting of Near Northeast Citizens, from 6-8 pm, at 660 K Street NE (7th and K Streets NE).
RL
The thing is that this site is right down the street from the former BP site. Everyone's been buzzing for months about a Harris Teeter store going in there. In addition, Harris Teeter actually submitted a letter of interest re: the site. I've heard that on sales tours of the Abdo condos the propsed Harris Teeter store is treated like a done deal. Now I hear that they are showing up in another major developer's sketches just down a block or so. What gives? It looks like Harris Teeter is shopping the area hardcore (unless, of course, Douglas just slapped the H-T logo on their drawing). Either location would be a good site for a grocery store. What will land on the BP site if it doesn't become a Harris Teeter?
15 comments:
What is the address of the Uline area site?
I fear that this may be the end of the HT on Hst. NE.
From the DC Preservation League:
THE ULINE ARENA - BETWEEN 2ND & 3RD AND L AND M STREETS, NE
STEWARD: DOUGLAS DEVELOPMENT
This building is located on Third Street, NE, directly adjacent to the railroad tracks just north of Union Station and bounded by L and M Streets. It was built in 1941 and operated by Miguel L. “Uncle Mike” Uline for the Washington Lions of the Eastern Hockey League. The building seats 9,000 people. This concrete vaulted building was the site of the Beatles first North American performance (before the Ed Sullivan Show) and also noted as the home of Go-Go music where local musicians such as Chuck Brown, Trouble Funk, and Rare Essence performed. Political rallies and speeches were a tradition in the arena including a rally stated by Fight for Freedom, Inc. in support of the US involvement in WWII a month before Pearl Harbor and a speech by Nation of Islam Founder Elijah Muhammad in 1959. Since its construction in 1941, the arena (later known as the Washington Coliseum), has been a place for figure skating, jazz, wrestling, ballet, basketball, Washington’s Go-Go music style, midget auto racing, rock, hockey, karate, politics, tennis, boxing, and Indian ragas. DCPL nominated Uline Arena to the DC Inventory of Historic Sites in June 2003. The application is pending hearing by the Historic Preservaton Review Board.
damn. the application was submitted in june 2003, and it's still pending?
how long does that often take?
does anyone know of a specific buildings application to approval time?
The reason the hearing hasn't been scheduled is because it is understood that it will be approved, and that since this is the case, why spend the time on the hearing now?
Anyway, it is true that DD did just "slap" on the HT logo, although (1) they said they have had discussions and (2) DD actually is putting HT into the old Citadel concert-roller rink in Kalorama.
Finally, the FT blog is always welcome to reprint from my writings, just like I benefit from your great photos (and I would have included this one in my "Agony of Defeat" entry had I known about it). Great photo as always.
Oh yeah, I posted some shots of the concepts in my blog.
One thing to think about regarding the empty lot next to Senate Square: Do you really think those units are going to command top $$ if the fate of the empty lot is uncertain? Of course not and Abdo knows this. Abdo will use his connections to ensure something grand is in that space. You all remember the story of how Whole Foods arrived in Logan? If not, put "Whole Foods Abdo" into a google search.
I agree that Abdo will try to leverage his rep for that site -- or maybe just wait to put the lofts on sale a little longer until the Senate Square condos are all largely sold, and the development nearby is further underway.
From the perspective of a supermarket though I expect Douglas Development (even with the owners under indictment) might look a better development partner than the dudes who own the BP site (who are, as I understand it, the former lessees for the gas station, who don't own the whole site, have no development background, and haven't yet lined up anyone to design/plan/make up stuff about whatever it is they think should be there.)
The realtors are of course claiming that the supermarket on 3rd & H is a done deal, that light rail is on its way, and that all of H Street NE will look like 8th Street SE by early next year. But if you believe everything a realtor tells you .....
On the Uline concept plan, do you think the same group that claims that a nondescript concrete arena used as a trash transfer station for years is "endangered" will take kindly to building condo towers on top of the thing? I wonder.....
I'm sure the site across from Abdo will be fine. Abdo & Douglas are both big developers with lots of connections. Something good will, no doubt, go into each space. The H Street site seems like a better location for Harris Teeter to me, but only time will tell.
If we are lucky, someone else like a Whole Foods, Trader Joes or Wegmans will move into the H street site. It actually helps grocery stores to have another one nearby. My quess is that shoppers feel like if one store doesn't have what they want, they can just cross the street to another. Both stores do better, because the area becomes a shopping destination.
I'm sure that Richard Layman can explain this idea in much more technical terms.
Does anyone know what we can physically (other than wishing) to get the attention of one of these stores?
Your explanation is fine. The "technical" wouldn't add anything to your basic point, which is you are (re)creating a destination shopping district.
Re: getting those stores
One of my disillusionments with HSMS, why I got kicked off, was all the self-dealing and unwillingness to truly engage residents in the process of building and executing a revitalization program. (That's about power and change issues.)
At a board meeting, Anwar Saleem suggested a letter writing campaign to Whole Foods for the very site you're talking about. (We did actually help convince Steuart Investment to buy out BP's lease--I discussed this with them in March 2003, e.g.).
Anyway, letter writing campaigns are worthless. They aren't data-centric and they don't respond to the needs of the store company.
Companies don't care that people want their store in a particular neighborhood, what they care about is locating stores in areas that meet their success profile (which reduces risk) so they are likely to make (a lot of) money.
What I said in the meeting was let's bring the people over from 14th Street NW who did the campaign that successfully attracted Whole Foods (mentioned in an earlier comment in this thread)--which was packaged into a National Main Street training--and do a big "Economic Restructuring" Committee open house-training, and develop a campaign to do this, as well as to attract lots of interest and new members to a sputtering committee.
Anwar dismissed it with an off-hand comment. I was pissed for a couple reasons. (1) The Main Street model is one of community involvement, not just trying to get some $ from the city. (2) The MS model is supposed to be volunteer-driven, not top-down machinations and self-dealing (that's what the developers do already). And a DC Main Streets consultant was in the meeting and didn't say squat... but then she doesn't really know the Main Street model either...
My written analysis of this meeting and subsequent communication of this document became the "cause" for which I was removed from the Board. Enough of that though...
Now I remember, the woman's name is Carol Felix, and there is another person.
I bet you could get Abdo Development to sponsor a community training... But this isn't something I have the energy or time to organize as I am moving on to other things. (I'd happily come to the training though.)
HSMS has the training packet which you ought to be able to get access to, the training was in the summer of 2003. (I wasn't informed about it, otherwise I would have gone...)
The comments about the Steuart investment folks aren't accurate. They are the descendents of the old Steuart Petroleum/Steuart Ford interests. They control the entire site. They do a lot of development around the region but not to the scale of Douglas Dev. Steuart has a big project across from the coming Wax Museum project (that now has a different name) at 5th and K NW.
The Uline site is bigger and has better road access (2nd Street is like a hidden freeway if you ask me, at least it's a great way to zip around by bike...)
I am not going to name names, but I happen to know that an architecture firm has been hired by the developer and Harris Teeter IS involved in the H Street Site. I am not sure what is going on with the Douglas project, but designers tend to put logos on, so that People can associate a brand with the Project. It is more effective than typing the works "Generic Market"
Has anyone tried to get Abdo engaged with the community to work together to bring Whole Foods or other places to the area? He seems like a wonderful source.
I think the frequent "anonymous" should change his id to "annoying". Get over yourself, .
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