Roundtable on Future of Main Streets Program

From the listserv, but slightly edited:
Councilmember Kwame R. Brown, Chair of the Committee on Economic Development, announces a Public Roundtable on "The Status and Future of the Main Streets Program". The Roundtable will be held on Wednesday April 18 , 2007 at 2PM at The Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H Street NE., Washington, DC.

Those who wish to testify should contact Mr. John Adams at the Committee on Economic Development by email at Jadams@DCCouncil.us or by telephone (202) 727-6683 by 5pm on Tuesday April 17, 2007. E-mail contacts should include the full name, title, and affiliation - if applicable - of the person(s) wishing to testify.

Witnesses should bring 15 copies of their written testimony to the roundtable. Representatives of organizations will be allowed a maximum of five (5) minutes for oral presentation and individuals will be allowed a maximum of three (3) minutes for oral presentation.

If you are unable to attend the Roundtable, written statements are encouraged and will be made a part of the official record. Copies of written statements should be submitted to the Committee on Economic Development, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 119, Washington, DC 20004 no later than 5:30pm Friday April 27, 2007.

When: WEDNESDAY APRIL 18, 2007 AT 2:00PM

Where: The Atlas Performing Arts Center 1333 H Street, N.E.

WBJ: Englert Transforms H Street

I haven't seen the full article (you need a subscription for this one [but here's a free version]), but I'm going to try to grab a paper copy (and you might want to as well because this looks like a big one). Washington Business Journal: One Bar at a Time, Englert Transforms the Spirit of H Street.

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UPDATE
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I've since purchased a paper version of the WBj annd it is a big article (the cover story, no less). There's a large photo (on the cover, and appearing again on pages 28-29) of Joe Englert inside Dr. Granville Moore's (which is to feature Belgian beers, mussles, and other light fare). It's an interesting read on the ambitious gamble one businessman (Mr. Englert is the focus of the artilce, even though it does discuss others) is taking in creating a destination district on H Street. Notably, Englert calls for additional parking (not instead of a streetcar/courtesy shuttle, but in addition to these accomodations). if you are puzzled by a statement (near the conclusion) by one of Mr. Englert's sons (it isn't a negative statement), he says it refers to his son using Dupont as a reference point for typical DC.
Paper readers will also find a sidebar piece titled H is for History that mentions the riots and focuses on area development over the last 6 years, and an opinion piece (p.36) called It Takes a Block: Grassroots-Style Gentrification Requires the Cooperation of Everyone. The opinion piece calls for cooperation among merchants, and with the City Council to revive H Street through a concerted effort. The Robeys and the H Street Playhouse (along with others) garnered mentions for their contributions.

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2nd Update
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Here is a free version of the article.

Historic District on the Move?

Plans to possibly extend the Capitol Hill historic district northward have made the news again. This time Roll Call (subscription required) is on the beat. The article contains a little discussion of how a historic district might protect H Street from certain types of incongruous development. Various people have advocated extend the historic district to different points (it currently ends at F Street). Right now there is certainly some buzz about pushing its northern boundary to include H Street. Others want to push a block or two further, and Richard Layman has suggested extending it to Florida Avenue.

Community Gardens in Cleveland

The Cleveland Sun News has an interesting article on legislation that could help preserve community gardens. Two choice quotes:

They (urban gardens) really have a community cohesion that's extraordinary. Communities that have them get along better, are safer and have less racial tension.

Crime rates in communities with urban gardens are reduced by up to 48 percent, with 56 percent less violent crime.

DC actually has some pretty impressive legislation on community gardens, but, to the best of my knowledge, the plans it lays out have never been realized.