The Georgetown Current
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
UDC officials seek housing at office site
K, Water change would cut into parking spaces
TONIGHT
■ Transportation: Officials
By BRADY HOLT
seek to create new bike lane
Current Staff Writer
A Fannie Mae office building near the University of the District of Columbia could become student housing, with talks underway now between university officials and the building’s new owner. Fannie Mae sold its 4250 Connecticut Ave. NW building for $24.8 million last year, but plans to maintain offices there until it consolidates into a new downtown headquarters in late 2018. The sprawling Van Ness building has a horseshoe shape that’s well-suited for conversion into a two-winged apartment house, according to Fred Underwood, a senior vice president at Bernstein Management, the property’s new owner. Given the building’s location just across Veazey Terrace from the university campus, UDC officials quickly expressed interest, according to chief operating officer Troy Stovall. The school has planned student housing for years and won Zoning Commission approval to construct dorms on its See UDC/Page 20
By MARK LIEBERMAN Current Staff Writer
Tentative plans to remove more than 40 metered parking spaces below the Whitehurst Freeway to accommodate a dedicated bike lane and other traffic enhancements drew mixed reviews from the Georgetown community Monday night. However, all agreed that the current roadway configuration needs improvement along K Street/Water Street NW.
The Georgetown Business Improvement District partnered last year with the D.C. Department of Transportation and Toole Design Group to plan short- and long-term improvements along the neighborhood’s southernmost street, which runs near the Potomac River. The first phase, set for implementation this fall, includes a bike lane between 34th and 30th streets NW, improved and expanded crosswalks, an improved system for tour bus drop-off and a new left-turn lane from K Street westbound onto Wisconsin. See Parking/Page 2
Mayoral address promises action on Northwest issues ■ Politics: Bowser highlights
Brian Kapur/The Current
Georgetown Visitation Preparatory presented the classic Broadway musical “West Side Story” at the school’s Nolan Center over the weekend. The play features star-crossed lovers caught up in a gang war marked by ethnic divisions.
Fillmore, transportation work
By MARK LIEBERMAN Current Staff Writer
Agency vows improvement after complaints By BRADY HOLT Current Staff Writer
Many District streets are in poor condition and communication with residents has been spotty of late, D.C. Department of Transportation director Leif Dormsjo acknowledged in a recent D.C. Council hearing. However, the director said his agency has plans to improve both issues. Dormsjo was speaking during the annual performance oversight hearing on his department, held by Ward 3 Council member Mary Cheh’s Committee on Transportation and the Environment. His remarks followed hours of testimony by public witnesses, including advisory neighborhood com-
Vol. XXVI, No. 35
Serving Burleith, Foxhall, Georgetown, Georgetown Reservoir & Glover Park
Brian Kapur/Current file photo
The agency promises more road paving projects this year.
missioners from Chevy Chase, Cleveland Park and Petworth who blasted the agency’s dealings with their communities. “The testimony that we had today is people complaining that DDOT is not responsive,” Cheh
said. “They call for assistance, they call and call, there will be a statement of understanding and ‘things will be tended to’ — and then the ball is dropped.” Dormsjo said that the agency has struggled with turnover among key personnel responsible for community engagement, and many officials recently had to prioritize preparations for the January inauguration. “I wasn’t surprised by the comments I heard — it has only inspired me and my team to do a better job,” Dormsjo said at the March 13 hearing. “I’m not going to deny that some of those gaps have plagued us most recently.” He said staffers sidetracked by the inauguration have now resumed See Transportation/Page 17
Mayor Muriel Bowser spent much of her 51-minute State of the District address on Thursday speaking to citywide concerns: rising costs for housing, inequalities in education and failures of infrastructure. But she also made room for several issues specific to Northwest, which include the Fill■ BUDGET: more Arts CenBowser unveils ter, a D.C. Pubplans for fiscal 2018 spending. lic Schools proPage 3. gram that has been repeatedly at risk of closure; the National Park Service project to rehabilitate stretches of Beach Drive NW; and the D.C. Department of Transportation project to replace the closed section of Klingle Road NW through Rock Creek Park with the controversial Klingle Valley Trail. In her remarks, Bowser touted what she described as “expanding our investment” in the Fillmore
Brian Kapur/Current file photo
In her remarks, Mayor Muriel Bowser pledged support for the Fillmore Arts Center program.
Arts School program, which currently serves students from five area public schools but will drop two of those schools — HydeAddison and Marie Reed elementaries — from its roster next school year. The mayor has previously emphasized a new option that allows public schools anywhere in the city to apply to use the Fillmore space. Ward 3 D.C. Council member Mary Cheh told The Current on Tuesday that she’s thrilled to see Fillmore in the 2018 budget as promised, though disappointed See Mayor/Page 5
NEWS
SPORTS
SHOPPING & DINING
INDEX
Tree trouble
Revving up
Shaw award
Calendar/22 Classifieds/29 District Digest/4 Getting Around/13 In Your Neighborhood/16 Opinion/8
One street’s residents say plantings would block unique Potomac Gorge views / Page 2
IAC stalwart St. Albans baseball starts to build momentum after slow start to season / Page 11
Main Streets group picks 8th Street spice shop as ‘best new business’ of 2016 / Page 21
Police Report/6 Real Estate/15 School Dispatches/10 Service Directory/27 Shopping & Dining/21 Sports/11
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