Monday, April 27, 2009

11th Street Anacostia Bridge Update

The $300 million initiative is the largest construction job in DDOT history. The project will allow better regional connections and provide drivers with easy accessibility to neighborhoods like Historic Anacostia, Capitol Hill, Navy Yard as well as Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue and Anacostia Park. The freeway bridges will connect the Anacostia Freeway and the Southeast Freeway, providing the missing movement from the north to the east and the east to the north.

Currently, southbound motorists on the Anacostia Freeway cannot access the bridges; and motorists on the bridges are currently restricted from going north onto the Freeway. Two separate bridges for arterial local traffic and freeway traffic will reduce congestion and improve the mobility of traffic.

The 11th Street Bridge project will add a third bridge dedicated to local traffic, which will feature bicycle and pedestrian accommodations along with streetcar tracks for improved transit accommodations.

The new bridges will replace deficient infrastructure and will increase the traffic safety providing alternative evacuation routes in and out of the nation’s capital.

Mayor Adrian Fenty recently announced the contractor selected for the work on the 11th Street Bridges project is Skanska/Facchina. Skanska/Facchina have offices in the District and Maryland and are well-respected leaders in the construction industry.

Construction will start in July and the bridges are expected to be completed by 2013. All four lanes of the 11th Street Bridge will remain open during construction.

Additional information on the 11th Street Bridges Project may be found at
http://www.theanacostiawaterfront.com/11thstreet.jsp.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

WASA Saluted for Cleanup of Anacostia River

WASA (DC Water and Sewer Authority) received an award from the Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS) acknowledging its leadership in reducing rain waste overflow into the Anacostia River

The presentation was made by Col. Peter Mueller of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Saturday Apr. 18, 2009 during an Earth Day rally at Bladensburg Waterfront Park for the 15th Annual Anacostia River Clean Up & Earth Day Celebration.

The 176-square-mile Anacostia River is a slow-moving waterway that begins in Maryland and flows through the District and into the Potomac River. DC WASA budgeted $196 million for improvements to a number of pumping stations and tide gates and for small sewer separation projects, all to reduce sewer overflows to the Anacostia River by approximately 40 percent.

"Although we are extremely proud of this achievement, the road doesn't stop there," said WASA CEO Jerry Johnson said. "The effort continues with a $2.2 billion DC WASA combined sewer overflow (CSO) program to reduce these wet weather discharges to the Anacostia River by a total of 98 percent over the next 15 years. This is a commitment that we've made to correct a long-standing problem in the District of Columbia," explained Johnson.

Also commenting, James Connolly, Executive Director for the Anacostia Watershed Society, said, Jerry Johnson has done a tremendous job to achieve the reduction to date and in leading the planning and groundwork for the remainder of the projects. These steps are dramatically improving the health of the Anacostia River."

DC WASA also operates two skimmer boats that pick up approximately 400 tons of trash and debris annually from the District's rivers. DC WASA is only one of several partners, including the District and Maryland, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, AWS and a number of environmental organizations, working to make the Anacostia a better river.

First Lady Plants Trees Along the Anacostia River

Michelle Obama joined volunteers and DCPS students at Kenilworth Park in Northeast, DC to celebrate Earth Day. The mix of local residents, politicians, Senator Edward Kennedy and former President Bill Clinton, in addition to the First Lady planted trees along the Anacostia River.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Earth Day Event: Help Cleanup the Anacostia River

Gloves, trash bags and boats and canoes will be provided to help clean the Anacostia River and the surrounding area from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, in honor of Earth Day.

Afterward, participants can stay for live entertainment and environmental displays. Students can earn community service hours. Children 16 and younger must be accompanied by an adult. Bladensburg Waterfront Park, 4601 Annapolis Rd., Bladensburg. Free. 301-779-0371.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Anacostia Street Car Update

Plans for a D.C. streetcar are getting more costly, now that the route for the cars has been changed.

The route will be changed so it goes to Martin Luther King Boulevard and Good Hope Road, an area of Anacostia not served by Metrorail.

The change will cost the city $1 million. The original 1.3-mile route covered only Bolling Air Force Base, a route Graham says didn't make sense.

"Before we spend $60 million, I wanted to make sure we had a route that served D.C. residents," says D.C. Council member Jim Graham.

The District will reimburse Metro the $1 million for the materials and equipment problems the delay has cost and for storage of the rail cars in Czech Republic.

Completion is now scheduled for 2012.

Monday, April 13, 2009

DC Area Home Sales on the Rise

Good news when it comes to the housing market in the Washington, DC metropolitan area: Home sales in our region are on the rise.

New sales numbers released Friday by the Metropolitan Regional Information Systems show sales in the Metropolitan Washington area are up 15.3 percent in March compared to the same time last year. Only three counties in the region saw a decline in sales: Arlington, Calvert and Charles Counties.

Here's the breakdown on some areas:

  • DC + 1.5 %
  • Prince George County +10.5%
  • Fairfax County +11.9%
  • Montgomery County +15.5%
  • Frederick County +11.8%
  • Loudoun County +1.4%
Until now only a few counties had seen a jump in home sales, mostly areas hit hard by foreclosures and a steep decline in prices. This is the first time since the market crashed that we've seen such a broad increase in sales across the Washington region, and it may indicate the market is on the way back up.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

ANACOSTIA CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL and ART WALK

Saturday, April 11, 2009
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Location: Anacostia

ALL DAY LIVE MUSIC, ART AND GREAT FOOD!!!

The Anacostia Cherry Blossom Festival and Art Walk promises a full day of fun for the whole family, including a tree planting and dedication ceremony, exhibitions, live jazz, African dancers and drummers, workshops for youth, and much, much more!

Featured activities include:

*Cherry tree dedication in Anacositia Park (Good Hope Rd. SE entrance). Honoring; Councilman Marion Barry, Anacostia Economic Development Corporation's CEO/President Butch "Albert" Hopkins, and Anacostia Activist Philip Pannell. 10am-11am.

* A jazz concert featuring The Young Lions

* Cherry blossom mobile and charcoal drawing workshops for kids as well as face painting

* Exhibitions galore, including Honfleur Art Gallery's current show, Cross and Ladder, featuring the works of Darren Smith

* The African Heritage Dancers and Drummers

* An art and craft market featuring local independent crafters.

*Eric Whitehead presents a sneak peek of Anacostia's NEW JazzNSoul Cafe with SamO & JFC, Earl Carter, Glenn Arnett & more! Supported by R.E.E.L. 4pm-11pm.

* Face Painting for Kids

* Photography Show

* and other exhibitions throughout the Historic Anacostia corridor!

Event Information

Location: Historic Anacostia Corridor, from the 2200 block of Martin Luther King Avenue, SE past the "Big Chair" and along to the 1200 block of Good Hope Road, SE
Admission: Free
Reservations: Not required
For more info: Online


General Information

Admission: Free
Address: 1241 Good Hope Road, SE
Metro: Anacostia (Green line)
Phone: 202-285-7665
Email: DDavis@AnacostiaRiverRealty.com

Monday, April 6, 2009

Anacostia Cherry Blossom Festival

Anacostia Cherry Blossom Festival

Apr 11, 2009 - Apr 11, 2009
10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Anacostia Park & Anacostia Gateway Building
Good Hope Road & MLK Avenue, SE
Cost: FREE

Main Street Anacostia and this historic SE neighborhood will gather for a community celebration including a tree planting and dedication ceremony, and an art walk featuring local artists and performers. The annual tree planting ceremony at 10:00am at the Anacostia Park (Good Hope Road entrance) will honor City Councilman Marion Barry, Anacostia Economic Development Corporation's CEO Butch Hopkins, and Anacostia activist Phillip Pannel. For more information about the event call Darrin D. Davis at 202-285-7665.