Fb 03 22 2017

Page 1

The Foggy BoTTom CurrenT

Wednesday, March 22, 2017

New chancellor seeks input on goals for schools

18th St. pipe project plans overnight work

A STORYBOOK SETTING

■ Transportation: Residents

objected to rush-hour timing

By CUNEYT DIL

Current Correspondent

Nearly two months into the job, D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Antwan Wilson has begun preparations for the school system’s new five-year strategic plan, including hosting community meetings to solicit parent and teacher feedback. At a Ward 4 meeting last Thursday, Wilson said D.C. Public Schools is on target to meet some of the major goals in its most recent strategic plan: raising fouryear high school graduation rates to 75 percent citywide and increasing reading and math scores by this school year. The school system’s current strategic plan was developed in 2011 and expires at the end of the school year. In general, Wilson said his values include expanding social services in schools, boosting school culture and leading a “studentcentered” focus in classrooms. He also said he wants to grow high schools’ travel abroad programs, increase music and art offerings, See Chancellor/Page 5

By MARK LIEBERMAN Current Staff Writer

A contractor for DC Water plans to seek an after-hours permit for a portion of its water main replacement project on a frequently congested stretch of 18th Street downtown, averting community concerns that the work would further snarl rush-hour traffic. The stretch of 18th from K Street to Pennsylvania Avenue NW will soon be closed overnight

Monday through Friday as contractors for the water authority replace 777 feet of 12-inch water mains, according to DC Water spokesperson Vincent Morris. The exact timeline won’t be determined until works begin, but the project could last up to 15 months, stretching into next summer, according to Morris. “We do not expect it to take that whole period of time; we should know more soon,” he wrote in an email. The bulk of the work was originally scheduled to take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, with occasional work on See Construction/Page 5

Glover Park grocery plans remodel after rodent issue ■ Business: Trader Joe’s said

Susann Shin/The Current

to have signed lease nearby

Leading chefs, bartenders, artists, performers and D.C. notables came together at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library on Thursday for “Story Time Gala 2017,” a fundraiser for children’s programs at the D.C. Public Library.

By BRADY HOLT Current Staff Writer

Prominent firm hired for C&O upgrades By MARK LIEBERMAN Current Staff Writer

The next phase of a project to revitalize the C&O Canal National Historical Park in Georgetown has reached a key milestone with the selection of a nationally known design firm. Georgetown Heritage officials announced Thursday that James Corner Field Operations will work to develop new ideas along the first mile of the canal. Construction is underway on $6.5 million of repairs at the currently drained Locks 3 and 4 between 30th and Thomas Jefferson streets NW, with work expected to wrap up by summer 2018. In the meantime, the Georgetown

Vol. XI, No. 15

Serving Foggy Bottom & the West End

Brian Kapur/The Current

The National Park Service is already conducting repairs near Thomas Jefferson Street.

Business Improvement District’s heritage offshoot is moving forward on plans to establish more vibrant surroundings at the park, coinciding with its ongoing plan to restore the historic canal boat, which shuttered in 2012.

Georgetown Heritage — in collaboration with the National Park Service, the D.C. Office of Planning and other staffers at the business group — narrowed 13 design contenders to five finalists at the end of last year, according to executive director Alison Greenberg. Though numerous applicants had strong presentations, Greenberg told The Current, Corner’s firm won out because of demonstrated experience engaging with the community on unique projects like the High Line in New York, the Presidio in San Francisco and the Navy Pier in Chicago. “It was a really hard decision to make,” Greenberg said. When asked in an interview See Canal/Page 11

While Glover Park celebrates news that a long-rumored Trader Joe’s will come to 2101 Wisconsin Ave. NW, the neighborhood is dealing with the temporary loss of its Whole Foods Market, which abruptly shut down last week after apparent health violations. The D.C. Department of Health responded to a complaint about the Whole Foods at 2323 Wisconsin and an inspector identified various issues last Monday, according to agency spokesperson Jasmine Gossett. “Our inspection reflected that they had failed to minimize the presence of insects, rodents and other pests on the premises,” Gossett told The Current. “Once they saw some of the issues that we saw, they said, ‘OK, we’re going to take some time and close and fix these issues.’” The Health Department concluded two days later that the issues had been addressed. But

Brian Kapur/The Current

Whole Foods voluntarily closed for renovations in response to a health inspection’s findings.

Whole Foods elected to remain closed for unspecified upgrades. “We announced today that we will be remodeling the Georgetown store to offer our customers a fresh, new shopping experience,” a company representative wrote last Thursday on the Glover Park listserv. “Our goal is to exceed our customers’ expectations on every shopping trip, and making these investments in the store will help us to do that. We apologize for the inconvenience and welcome our customers to continue to shop with us at our nearby stores, including our brand new H Street location.” The company’s message did See Glover/Page 21

HEALTH & WELLNESS

SHOPPING & DINING

EVENTS

INDEX

Kidney transplants

Dupont restaurant

Asylum architecture

Calendar/22 Classifieds/29 District Digest/2 Foggy Bottom News/7 In Your Neighborhood/10 Opinion/6

GWU Hospital program up for review after protracted legal skirmish / Page 13

Le DeSales launches as owner aims to keep up with stiffening downtown competition / Page 21

Building Museum exhibit focuses on D.C.’s storied mental health facility, St. Elizabeths / Page 23

Police Report/4 Real Estate/9 School Dispatches/12 Service Directory/27 Shopping & Dining/21 Week Ahead/3

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