A resident/reader alerted me to some news in the latest ANC 6C05 update-
http://anc6c05.blogspot.com/2008/10/newsletter.html
Of interest-
a. Developers are trying to put in a 7-Eleven on the even-side of the 400-block of H Street NE. The buildout would also include space slated to become an Irish pub.
b. Chef Shawn Lightfoot seeks to open Cornerstone Bistro [an American bistro] at 400 H Street NE. He wants to offer sidewalk and rooftop seating.
c. Across the street at 401 H might become an upscale jazz restaurant. According to the update, this one has hit a slight snag because the owners want to open up a basement culinary academy for at risk youth.
The posting also talks about an upcoming neighborhood clean-up. Click through for details.
35 comments:
Making a 7-Eleven more palatable by including space for an Irish pub doesn't fly with me. It won't change the traffic, loitering, panhandling, and double-parking all too common with these places. We need a convenience store that sells bread, milk, and eggs...not blunts, lottery tickets, and lousy coffee.
The "basement culinary academy for at-risk youth" sounds an awful lot like the art/music instruction Studio 400 was supposed to be providing to their "at-risk youth".
I welcome Shawn Lightfoot's restaurant, though wonder where exactly Liquid Lounge and Restaurant is located...
the 400 block wouldnt have any space for parking. There is no room. a 7-11 would be fine there in my opinion because there wouldnt be selling of alcohol, or gas. The 7-11 at the corner of MD and 8th seems to be pretty good. Yes, you may have panhandlers, but you will get that anywhere.
I just want someplace close that i can get stuff 24 hrs a day.
An Irish pub would be an awesome addition to this end, are there actual plans for one though?
I kind of like the idea of a 24/7 convenience store, what harm could it do? I live 1 block away from that corner and would hit it up all the time for random stuff that I don't want to rent a zipcar for.
Not so sure about another Jazz place though..
With apologies to Gloria Steinen, H Street needs a 7-11 like a fish needs a bicycle. Snacks, drinks (both with and without alcohol), chewing gum, coffee, etc. are all amply available on H. What H street lacks is sit-down restaurants, a decent grocery store and a mix of retail. "Not on parker" is exactly right - 7-11 doesn't do anything for the neighborhood.
H street only has crappy stores that have virtually no food and arent open late. And almost none of those stores are on the west end, where there arent many corner stores to start with. There are 7-11s in many places of DC like georgetown, U street, etc. that are run very well.
Not every building can be a sit-down restaurant or trendy bar.
And actually, one of the things I look at in a neighborhood is how close the nearest 24-hr store is. I've been annoyed on any number of accasions that i have to DRIVE to goto a store at 1 in the morning.
The only way I will accept the 7-Eleven is if they don't sell alcohol, design their store to blend into the existing H Street facade, don't have payphones, and sign a voluntary agreement with the ANC addressing things like litter and chewing gummed sidewalks.
I am still not a fan but recognize the potential proprietors of this establishment have clout and money (which is in short supply granted the credit market conditions).
God forbid u walk the 1/2 mile to the one on Maryland Avenue to get your ring dings at 1:00AM. Or drive the 30 seconds it takes to get there.
Sorry mate I don't see instant gratification as reason enough to put in a store with such notorious problems.
not in my back yard !
i wonder if chef lightfoot is light in the loafers?
you are very clever! thanks for showcasing it for us, we all really appreciate it.
We desperately need development on the west end of the street. That being said, it needs to be thoughtful development that compliments the zoning overlay and the character of the street. I don't fundamentally oppose a 7/11, but I agree with Not on Parker--it needs to fit the historic character of the street.
I'm excited about the Cornerstone Bistro.
I'm also optimistic about the other possible new restaurant at 401 H. But, as we learned with Studio 400, there are legal requirements to running a mentoring facility--one of which includes background checks on all adults involved with the program. If they want to conduct a mentoring program within the confines of all of the legal requirements, then I'm open to the idea. If not, then I'm sure the neighborhood will appreciate just having a restaurant without the mentoring.
I like the idea of a 24 hour 7-11 on H Street if it's done right. If the building blended in well to the neighborhood, I think it could be nice. If it does come though, I'd like to see that it does NOT sell alcoholic beverages. I'd also like to echo what "Not on Parker" said and see an agreement reached with the ANC that addresses litter, chewing gummed sidewalks, and loitering.
I would love to see an outside sit down restaurant on H Street. That would be GREAT for the neighborhood and help spur development!
NOP, just as we appreciate knowing what you will or won't "accept."
Those that know me in person are acutely aware that what I "accept" matters. And it has nothing to do with clout, power, importance, etc. Sorry you have a hard time grasping that.
I don't think a 24 7-11 would be a bad thing on H. I hate that there was no place on H to get a soda after 9 p.m (its not even a 1 am thing all the little corner stores close at 8 or nine). I assume that the reason these places close so early is for safety and because f the fact the sell alchohol, right? Which is also why all the 7-11's in the city that are open 24hrs don't sell alcohol. Can anyone confirm this? I have also never scene a 7-11 with bullet proof glass, so that would be an upgrade.
My take on the supposed "upscale jazz restaurant" at 401 H Street is that it will be an upscale club that serves enough food to not be classified a nightclub. Along the lines of the oh-so-successful XII, which marketed itself the same way.
I havent seen any 7-11s that sell alcohol in DC. Moreover, I will reiterate that a well run store does not have to bring down the character of a location. All the 7-11s in DC that i've gone into carry alot of staple food items....you know, milk, frozen foods that the "corner" stores dont seem to carry.
Although it may conterintuitive but a chain-store like 7-11 may be more receptive to local complaints. If the corporate office gets yelled at, the local owners may lose the franchise. I used to work at a 7-11 as a kid and complaints that went to the corporate office were quickly dealt with.
With a store that somewhat blends in, an agreement not to sell singles and clean up, a 7-11 (or any quality convenience store) would be a good addition.
I think the 7/11 on Barracks Row is generally pretty well-received.
And they do seem to stock useful things that the corner stores don't carry.
And the corners stores do close awfully early.
The 24 hour aspect would be great, especially for people in the big condo / apartment developments at 2nd and H, which were inexplicably built without even the smallest convenience store option
rbgwm
I had heard that the 7-11 plan was scrapped. Has anyone else heard this?
Doesn't MPD use 7-11's as kind of like police substations? I know they have a presence at the one in Mount Pleasant, and I'm pretty sure they have some sort of set-up at the one at Eighth and Maryland (in any case, there always seems to be a squad car there after dark). I think that would be a plus to having a 7-11 in the neighborhood, no?
Viva Slurpee!!!!
Oh no. A 7-11 is about the last thing we need. The Rite Aid sells all the same kind of crap that a 7-11 does, and that's just a few blocks away.
What ever happened to the idea of a smaller grocery store down on the West end (like Trader Joe's, since Harris Teeter pulled out)? Now THAT is something I could really get behind!
Is this the same location that the Harris Teeter was to go? The same lot that was up in the air since? I inquired about locating a Marvelous Market on H Street on the West End and the response was that there is not enough foot traffic to support a store there. A new 7-11 could be a model for the chain. I see nothing wrong with a store like this being there because it would add activity (other than the late night Chinese Take-outs) and development.
The Jazz club? Nevermind. He needs a new model unless the "at-risk-youth" is from a well established resource.
when i lived in g-town in the mid nineties, the 7/11 had a substation for cops... at that time g-town was not what it is today.
i think it's a voluntary agreement. they provide a station, phone, free coffee and doughnuts to the cops that work the substation.
it might be a good idea.
24 hour staples, and a constant police presence.
however, that would have to be worked out as a voluntary agreement, not a given assumption.
i was coming home via 3rd and H the other day, and a porta potty was laying in the middle of the road on 3rd, just north of H. two cops on segways rolled right by it, without paying any attention to the potential traffic hazard.
i had to whistle and wave to get them to come back (they were heading toward 4th street on H). i said that i would help lift it up and put it back on the curb, and they vehemently declared that it was not their responsibility, but they would call it in... and they went on their way.
i think a stationary substation might be the way to go.
YOU KNOW the cops will be around if there's free coffee and doughnuts. :o)
by the way, they've abolished the substation at the g-town substation on P street. the hood has gotten better in recent years.
but we *need* one.
i'm for a pub, a 7/11 with a substation, and hopefully, some enforcement of law around this end of H street.
A 7-11 is a terrible idea. On any day of the week I challenge any of you to go to the 7-11 at Maryland Ave. and you will see one or all of the following:
1.) Litter out in front of place on the sidewalk;
2.) People parking their cars out front (with the engine running and still on the street) to run in and get stuff -- causing congestion on the street;
3.) Dudes hanging out on the street corner out in front of the place with seemingly nothing better to do for hours on end.
I live close to the 7-11 and I go by it everyday. Its always looks unkept and their is constant rush of cars coming and going from the place.
Ask yourself: Who is going to want to come to H street and walk down the street to visit all the bars, shops and plays if we keep sticking in 7-11's and mentoring spots for "at risk youth" to go along with the liquor stores, H Street Connection, Murry's and the Big Grey Box.
Answer: Nobody.
7-Eleven is a completely normal convenience store that would offer something to the residents on this end of H street that have been staring at scary boarded up buildings for the past several years.
If not this, what do you want? Sure, everybody would love Trader's or Marvelous Market (and I don't see how this would deter that from happening), but there's no chance of attracting a fancy vendor when you live amongst the tumbleweed.
The fact that it'd be open 24 hours is huge, there's no alternative for us right now after 9pm.
I agree with jj, though he forgot to add 4) Aggressive panhandlers. I've been threatened there for declining to donate to some guy's MD 20/20 fund.
I used to go there a lot until I discovered DC supermarket a few blocks north on 8th. That guy runs a tight ship.
Part of the problem is that 7-11 offers so much take-out style food now in the form of hot dogs, and all variety of tube-shaped delights, nachos and microwavable items. Wrappers and trash would be everywhere.
I believe the Harris Teeter / Trader Joes were looking in the 300 block of H, not the 400 block.
I tried using my house as a police substation, but apparently they get angry when you discriminate based on physical attractiveness. And a surprising number of DC cops are very skittish about eating donuts naked.
It's like we live in Bugtussle.
Ah Hillman, you made my day :-)
I'm for a 7-11 with the right kind of voluntary agreements. If I lived there I'd want to be able to stroll out of my house and have that convenience available. Some swank condo places have such stores in them...it's not the store, it's the people who use it and the owners that will determine if it's nasty or clean.
Dude, I used to live right by the 7-11 on MD and 8th. I've never seen any problems there. A tiny bit of trash, maybe. Jeez, the benefits of having a 24 hr store that has stuff you actually need outweights a tiny bit of trash. And the panhandlers? If you cant deal with panhandlers you seriously need to learn how to. Its endemic in the city. Its no worse there than any other stores.
Look, dont get me wrong. I would love a upscale store, but none of those are open 24 hrs. I live a 24 life, and I want someplace that I can walk to and get stuff at midnight, or at 3am after the bars, and on holidays.
The trash by the 7-Eleven at Eighth and Maryland is caused more by the nearby Metrobus stop than by the 7-Eleven. Certain segments of society still think it's okay to just dump their trash on the ground, even when there's a garbage can nearby, which baffles me.
Seriously, look at any Metrobus stop along the 92-93 line. Trash everywhere, even the ones that have garbage cans. The one at Eighth and H might be the worst.
Talk about throwing trash, I saw two white ladies throwing carry out french fries on the ground today on 10th and H. I guess they were too dry for them, but the trash can 15 feet away was just too much effort to keep our streets clean.
On the west side of H, we have and empty lot, a liquor store with a parking lot that no one uses, and a ragtag ensemble of shuttered and small business rowhouses. What prey tell would be keeping up with the H st facade?
I'm not for a 7-11 on H st entirely for some of the reasons posted (more sit-down restaurants? Really? Are you bored with GMs/Argo/Napa/Stick Rice/Naby's/etc. already?) but I'm for people living in those highrises down the street from the proposed newness. Having an amenity like a familiar 24-hour convenience store might sweeten the deal for some potential renters.
Funny, all of the complaints about the things that a 7-11 would bring to that part of H Street (litter, loitering, alcohol, chewing gum on the sidewalk...) are all ALREADY THERE. In droves.
As long as it doesn't have a parking lot out front (and given the lots' footprint, I don't see how it could), I'm for it.
so, basically, we agree.
let's get the 7/11!
with an agreement with dcmpd, of course.
it's better than drug dealers, and addicts trying to sell live chickens to fuel their habbit..
jeezus, have you folks even been around there after 9 p.m.?
no offense, religilous folks..
or maybe we should just pray...
"Good lord, or all people's.. please help us out... jesus, or... whatever saint has the time..."
Thanks in advance higher beings!
I'll put another 25 cents into the communal pot if you listen to me!
Uh huh......
Das wat im talkin 'bout.
Uh huh.
As far as 401 goes anyone else think that a mentoring facility for youth should not serve alcohol at the same location?
It would stike me as odd if someone wanted to open a gun shop and also treat people with depression.
Is Dizney involved with this one?
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