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Tuesday, May 15, 2012 5:55 p.m.

GW Museum receives approval from zoning commission

by Matthew Kwiecinski

A digital rendering of the four-story GW Museum that will be located at 21st and G streets. Courtesy of the GW Office of Community Relations

Correction appended

The University received a green light Monday to go forward with plans to build the GW Museum.

The D.C. Zoning Commission voted unanimously to support construction of the GW Museum in a 5-0 vote, Jennifer Jenkins, public information officer for the commission, said.

Construction on the $22 million project transforming the Woodhull House into a home for the Textile Museum and D.C. artifacts will begin this summer, following the University Police Department’s move to the Academic Center.

Alicia Knight, senior associate vice president for operations, said the University was “pleased” with the vote in favor of the museum.

“With the positive input received from DC agencies and GW’s neighbors, this process was inclusive and collaborative and will provide a terrific resource for the GW community, the Foggy Bottom and West End neighborhoods and DC as a whole to study and appreciate the art, history and culture the GW Museum will offer,” Knight said in an email.

The project must still earn the go-ahead from the National Capital Planning Commission. GW first made its case for the museum to the zoning commission on April 5, but the body held off on a decision citing traffic concerns surrounding the site.

The new building – constructed out of limestone similar to Lisner Auditorium and the Hall of Government – will offer a main entrance on 21st Street and a second entry on G Street. It will also feature a gift shop.

This post was updated May 16, 2012 to reflect the following:

The Hatchet incorrectly reported that the GW Museum will be constructed out of a limestone similar to that of Lisner Hall. In fact, the limestone will be similar to the material used for Lisner Auditorium.

 

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Friday, April 27, 2012 6:23 p.m.

The Avenue wins local award for best real estate deal

by Matthew Kwiecinski
The Avenue, Square 54

Residences at The Avenue began pre-leasing apartments out in March 2011, after about three years of construction. Hatchet File Photo.

The Avenue nabbed the “deal of the year” title Friday from the Washington Business Journal list of 2011′s top real estate projects.

The commercial investment property that drives revenue into the University’s pockets was lauded on the list for leasing out 95 percent of its office space, according to the Journal.

“Now the site has taken on another moniker, The Avenue, and what stands there has burst onto downtown D.C.’s landscape as one of the most successful mixed-use developments in recent history,” the Journal wrote.

Square 54 – the lot where The Avenue resides – sat vacant for about six years after GW Hospital moved to its location next to the Foggy Bottom Metro in 2002. Boston Properties signed onto a 60-year lease in 2008, closing on a $220 million deal after initially agreeing to redevelop the site in 2004.

Whole Foods Market landed a lease in 2010 to open its doors at the about 500,000 square foot property that also includes two 12-story residential towers with more than 300 apartments, as well as six restaurants and a Citibank.

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Thursday, April 26, 2012 3:20 p.m.

WMATA approves Metro fare hikes

by Matthew Kwiecinski
Foggy Bottom, GWU, metro

Metro rail riders will pay 5 percent more on fares starting July 1. Hatchet File Photo.

Metro riders will dole out more cash for rail and bus rides starting this summer.

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority approved a 5 percent hike in rail travel and 10 cent increase for bus fares Thursday, as of July 1.

The minimum cost of a ride during peak commuting hours will increase to $2.10 from $1.95, with fares maxing out at $5.75 per ride.

For off-peak hours, riders will pay a minimum of $1.70, up from $1.60, to a maximum of $3.50.

The uptick is meant to help fill the deficit gap – a projected $103 million – in WMATA’s proposed 2013 fiscal year budget, according to The Washington Post.

Riders without a SmarTrip would have an additional 25 cents added to those fares, an effort that WMATA hopes will encourage more riders to use SmarTrips.

Bus fares for SmarTrip users would increase 10 cents to $1.60, with a 20-cent surcharge being added to riders not using SmarTrip. Parking at Metro locations would increase 25 cents.

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Wednesday, April 25, 2012 1:07 a.m.

Knapp addresses concerns from Foggy Bottom residents

by The GW Hatchet

President Steven Knapp speaks with Foggy Bottom Association President Asher Corson at one of the group's meetings Wednesday. Shannon Brown | Hatchet Photographer

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Cydney Hargis

University President Steven Knapp addressed community concerns about the 2007 Campus Plan at a neighborhood meeting Tuesday.

Knapp’s attendance marked his first visit to the Foggy Bottom Association, a local neighborhood group, since his introductory appearance at a 2008 meeting after he assumed his role as the University’s 16th president.

Multiple Foggy Bottom residents voiced apprehension regarding the University’s plans to keep tabs on its student enrollment cap, a population limit outlined in the campus plan.

“We monitor that obsessively throughout the entire admissions process,” Knapp said. “It’s a very tricky process every year because you can never be sure of who is going to come after we offer them admission.”

Foggy Bottom resident Michael Dudich asked that GW consider buildings’ appearances while redeveloping old structures.

“What happens inside the building doesn’t really affect us,” Dudich said. “The exterior of the building affects us as a neighborhood.”

Knapp said though he does not have a personal opinion on building appearances, he is happy to take suggestions.

Relations between GW and its Foggy Bottom neighbors were strained under former President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg’s 19-year tenure, when Foggy Bottom transformed from a quiet residential area into a bustling college neighborhood but have become less fractious in the last two years.

FBA President Asher Corson said the meeting did represent an improvement in relations between GW and the Foggy Bottom residents.

“I think fundamentally a lot of the same issues in terms of development are still there, but I do think the tone has improved,” Corson said, referring to large campus construction projects.

Matthew Kwiecinski contributed to this report

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Saturday, April 21, 2012 8:38 p.m.

Water main break near City Hall shuts down block

by Cory Weinberg

A pedestrian leaps across the water in an attempt to cross I Street at New Hampshire Avenue. Metropolitan Police officers closed down 24th Street between K Street and New Hampshire Avenue as water surged down the street southward. Francis Rivera | Assistant Photo Editor

A water main break near City Hall caused a river of water to flow down 24th Street on Saturday but an official with the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority said the break would likely do little damage to the street or surrounding buildings.

The Metropolitan Police Department shut down 24th Street between I and K streets at about 5 p.m. after the water main break spilled drinking water onto the street.

D.C. Water officials arrived at about 7:15 p.m. and the flooding ended by 8 p.m.

One official from D.C. Water said the water main below City Hall was likely the one that broke but he added that the other two water mains in the area would be inspected.

Some units in the Jefferson House apartments, also along 24th Street, did not have running water because of the water main break, but an official from D.C. Water said it should be restored with 24 hours.

Cars parked on the block started being towed away around 7 p.m. in case the street incurred any structural damage. The block will remain closed for the night.

- Monica Mehta, Gabriel Muller and Francis Rivera contributed to this report.

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Wednesday, April 4, 2012 12:13 a.m.

Alumnus loses D.C. Council bid, Evans glides to sixth term

by Priya Anand

Ward 2 D.C. Council member Jack Evans, who was first elected to the body in 1991, won the city's primary elections Tuesday facing no opponent. Hatchet File Photo

Ward 2 D.C. Council member Jack Evans sailed to victory in an unopposed primary race Tuesday, while an alumnus was trounced by his incumbent opponent for the Ward 4 seat.

Evans, 58, is slated for a sixth term to represent the ward covering neighborhoods including Foggy Bottom, the West End, Dupont Circle and Georgetown. Alumnus Max Skolnik, who graduated from GW in 2002, garnered slightly more than 9 percent of the vote while Muriel Bowser skated to a Ward 4 victory with 65.8 percent of the vote.

Skolnik – whose campaign students bolstered in the days leading up to the primary with increased canvassing and phone banking efforts – received just 967 votes.

Voter turnout for the election totaled 58,210, according to D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics data. Evans, who ran unopposed, nabbed 80 percent of the vote.

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Tuesday, March 27, 2012 3:26 p.m.

School Without Walls students protest Trayvon Martin killing

by Cory Weinberg

Students from the School Without Walls Kristin Ellis, left, Quintess Bond, middle, and Angelique Gaston, right, march along G Street from the White House Tuesday calling for justice after the killing of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin. Elise Apelian | Hatchet Staff Photographer

The sign that reads “Silence is acceptance” in the front window of the School Without Walls says it all for Neah Evering.

He joined 350 of his classmates Tuesday from the Foggy Bottom high school to march to the White House in protest of the contentious killing of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin.

“That sign epitomizes everything we do. We have a voice,” said Evering, a 12th-grade student who helped organize the demonstration. “The march was emotional and powerful. It felt really good.”

Evering said the Feb. 26 shooting of the Sanford, Fla. teen galvanized students at the 450-student public high school after government classes and African culture clubs discussed the killing.

Five seniors sparked a letter-writing campaign and coordinated the protest. Bernard Demczuk, GW’s assistant vice president for D.C. government relations and an African American history teacher at the high school, helped to secure Metropolitan Police Department permits to demonstrate.

“We’ve discussed a lot about oppression in school,” 10th-grade student Samantha Kolawale said. “But it’s not just the black community that’s upset. It’s everyone. It’s about justice, not about race.”

Martin, who was black, was killed last month by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer who said he shot the 17-year-old out of self defense. Police did not arrest Zimmerman, 28, because of the state’s Stand Your Ground law.

The shooting has drawn demonstrations across the country, and was lifted further into the spotlight when President Barack Obama discussed Friday how the situation has affected him personally.

At the high school, students in classes and small assemblies listened to the 9-1-1 tapes of police officials advising Zimmerman to not pursue Martin, which 10th-grade student Anna Tsai said helped students learn more.

“The way they investigated it was perverse. Allowing this man to hide behind this is wrong,” Tsai said. “Everyone in school is on board.”

Edward Ismail, an A.P. Literature teacher who helped students organize the rally, said the march would help combat people’s perception that the school is cut off from other D.C. public schools because of its location on GW’s campus.

“There’s always this feeling that we’re not completely connected. By spearheading this youth movement, it shows we’re at one with the youth of the District,” Ismail said.

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Thursday, March 22, 2012 2:03 p.m.

ANC drafts letter of concerns for GW Museum project

by The GW Hatchet

The Foggy Bottom and West End Advisory Neighborhood Commission heard plans Wednesday night from the University on the GW Museum project. Becky Crowder | Hatchet Staff Photographer

This post was written by Hatchet staff writer Danielle Telson.

Foggy Bottom’s top advocacy group chose not to take action regarding the University’s plans for the GW Museum at a meeting Wednesday night.

The Foggy Bottom and West End Advisory Neighborhood Commission wrote a letter listing concerns to pass along to the D.C. Zoning Commission but did not move to declare support or opposition to the project. GW will make its case for the museum before the zoning body – which must approve the project – April 5.

Commissioners and local residents shared concerns surrounding parking near the Woodhull House – the site of the museum’s future home – citing concerns related to rush hour traffic on 21st Street and the potential for increased pedestrian foot traffic after the museum opens its doors.

The $22 million project uniting the District’s Textile Museum with a cache of historical city artifacts donated to the University last year is slated for completion by spring 2014, pending approval from the zoning commission.

Susan Cora, director of campus planning, said the University hopes to inform tour groups in advance about metered parking that will sit along G Street, offering more space for vehicles to unload away from traffic. GW also plans to keep temporary “no parking” signs in stock to place on G Street – where the new metered parking will sit – when buses are unloading passengers.

The ANC asked in its letter that the zoning commission consider the parking issues and require GW to follow through with the plan for temporary signs.

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Thursday, March 1, 2012 5:33 p.m.

University files zoning for Pennsylvania Avenue redevelopment

by The GW Hatchet
Pennsylvania Avenue, Froggy Bottom Pub, rendering

Rendering courtesy of the Office of Community Relations.

This post was written by Hatchet staff writer Danielle Telson.

The University released detailed plans Friday for a new office building on Pennsylvania Avenue that will replace a cluster of townhouses and commercial space.

The detailed designs filed with the D.C. Office of Zoning bring GW a step closer to tearing down an office at 2100 W Pennsylvania Ave. and two neighboring University buildings, as well as Froggy Bottom Pub, Thai Place, Panda Café and Mehran Restaurant.

Sara Bardin, director of the D.C Office of Zoning, said the project is being referred to the city’s Office of Planning for review this week. GW must receive a green light from the zoning commission to move forward with the site’s development.

Developer selection for the sleek 255,550-square foot office building will begin in mid-2013, according to the documents. Construction is estimated begin in early 2014 and last 24 months.

The building will include sustainable features, like a green roof, and will collect rainfall. It will also include 183 below-ground parking spaces and 50 bicycle spots.

The project follows a model similar to that of The Avenue – redeveloping a property for commercial use to draw in more revenue for the University’s academic programs, facilities and financial aid. A price tag has not yet been determined, University spokeswoman Michelle Sherrard said, adding that costs are typically calculated after meeting with a developer.

GW first announced plans to demolish buildings along the block in November, after learning that health care center Kaiser Permanente, the tenant at 2100 W Pennsylvania Ave., plans to relocate in late 2012. The 2007 Campus Plan outlined future demolition of the townhouses but the University must gain approval from the zoning commission to redevelop the building where Kaiser Permanente operates.

Alumnus and Foggy Bottom and West End Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Asher Corson railed against the project then, calling the commercial property a profit-maker that strays from GW’s academic mission.

He suggested the commission bring on legal counsel to evaluate GW’s development projects, a request that led the group to allocate $2,000 at its February meeting to hire an attorney specializing in zoning laws.

“I can remember as a student I had classes throughout every year when I was a student at GW that were blocks and blocks off campus,” Corson said. “The student health center is off campus still. Here is a major building on campus and instead of using it for the needed classroom space and instead of using it to house a student health center, which I would say should be on campus for the sake of the student body, GW is going to go and use this property to make money.”

Corson said the redevelopment of the block would eliminate several affordable neighborhood restaurants and the University should seek out dining options that are low-cost – on which young professionals and retired individuals in the area rely – when the building is erected.

Sherrard said GW is committed to maintaining a positive relationship with neighbors.

“The process of engaging with nearby building tenants and the community has begun and will continue throughout the planning process,” she said.

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Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012 6:37 p.m.

Neighbors, students remember local activist and alumnus

by The GW Hatchet
jack batham memorial

Friends and family of GW alumnus Jack Batham were greeted with a photograph of the late neighborhood activist as they entered the memorial service held in his honor at Hotel Lombardy Saturday afternoon. Sierra Schwartz | Hatchet photographer

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Frankie Kane.

Members of the community gathered Saturday to remember Jack Batham, an alumnus and longtime neighborhood activist in Foggy Bottom and West End. Batham, 89, died in early November.

Every seat was filled at the memorial service at the Hotel Lombardy, with many standing to honor “grandpa Jack.”

Until his death, Batham served as president of the West End Citizens Association, a local neighborhood group, and worked with the Foggy Bottom Feeding Program Foundation, a charity focused on food distribution.

Ward 2 D.C. Council member Jack Evans recalled Batham as a constant force in advocating for city improvements.

“Jack’s got to be up there, sitting down saying, ‘Lord, I’ve got an idea for you,’” Evans said, joking.

Sara Maddux, the West End Citizens Association’s current president, described Batham’s strong commitment to improving the city and the life of locals.

“He was always concerned about somebody, calling to see how they are,” Maddux said.

Batham was initiated into Sigma Chi in 1945 and graduated from GW in 1948, former Student Association president and Sigma Chi member Jason Lifton said.

Junior and Sigma Chi member Rhys Seiffe said Batham was “a truly noble soul,” who once returned to a grocery store because he forgot to say hello to a woman there who baked him muffins weekly.

Batham is survived by his three nephews. His oldest nephew, Joseph Brantley IV, said his family unsuccessfully tried to convince Batham to move down to Louisiana, near their home.

“We really never understood why he resisted until we came up here right after he passed away and started delving into what he was involved in” Brantley said.

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