RSS FeedMore Air Rights News: Center Leg Freeway
A couple of days ago, we wrote about how the District’s Office of Planning is in the midst of redefining Downtown DC, calling it Center City. One of their Center City Action Agenda items is to develop air rights all around the city.
In the comments section of that post, Chris mentioned that a “portion of the Center Leg Freeway (I-395 North), across from Georgetown Law, was awarded to a developer named Conrad Monts […] back in the late 80’s by the Barry administration. Nothing happened and the District sued to get it back. Not sure what the status is now.” Center Leg Freeway is on the eastern boarder of our neighborhood.
We dug around and found that the Civil Litigation Division of the Office of the Attorney General DC had the following juicy success (page 20 – pdf) in March 7, 2005:
- In Washington Development Group, the District regained title to the air rights over the I-395 tunnel, ending years of dispute over who has the right to develop this valuable property. While that case remains on appeal, the District is well-positioned to preserve the trial court’s ruling.
On another note, did anyone know that the city was interested in developing the air rights around I-66/Lincoln Kennedy Center?
Image source: DC Office of Planning (pdf)
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Comments
uhhhh… when did they change the name of the Kennedy Center to Lincoln Center? Did I miss something??
andy: good catch. I thought they were putting a name to the empty space between the Lincoln Memorial and the Kennedy Center.. But maybe it’s just that a NYC-transplant is working for the DC Office of Planning?
Conceivably they’re referring to the air rights over the E Steet Expressway – it’s a below ground cut similar to 395
This air-rights development could be really exciting, but something tells me we’re looking at decades before any of this is done. Burnham Place is already going, and they don’t expect to deliver for 10 years or so.
Conrad Monts should be on ANC2C. Sounds like he’d be right at home.
Um, “Center Leg Freeway?” Was “Third Leg Freeway” and “Schlong Highway” already taken?
Worst name since Reverse Cowgirl Creamery.
were it not for activists like kay eckles, harriet hubbard and a lot of other good folks “center leg 395” would have continued north through the neigborhoods to meet I 95 near college park. damn those big mouth activists.
On another note, it looks like another neighborhood is having their own grocery drama.
http://www.dcist.com/archives/2007/02/07/the_great_groce.php#more
I can’t wait for the development over 1-395, however, I really hope they work out the traffic pattern properly at 395 and New York Ave.
I like seeing that there are some streets on the development docket for reopening. 4th Street in SW and 10th Street in NW through the old convention center site.
20 years ago planners had some leftover money and nothing to do so they created a new metro line, the purple line that would run from bladensburg road/new york avenue NE to to Georgetown via M St. at bladensburg & NY NE is the point where the tunneling needs to start to meet 395 under a new sursum corda. mr jack evans is aware of this plan to revitalize new york avenue.
Architect Rafael Vinoly designed an expansion plan for the Kennedy Center in 2002/2003. It involved a large park (Richard’s correct in that regard) and preserved the sight lines toward the east.
The money for this sort of thing could actually come through for us. The K.C. has a lot of congressional heavy hitters on its board and they could deliver the funding one of these days.
The New York Times published an article on this (Kennedy Center Approves Dramatic Expansion Plan, TODD S. PURDUM, January 23, 2003). I haven’t been able to find graphics, but do recall that it was a really nice design.
Here’s the URL for some pics of Vinoly’s design for the KC:
http://www.artdaily.com/section/specialreports/index.asp?int_sec=110&int_index=24
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remember mayor williams plan to sell 441 4th street and 300 indiana avenue to the hotels for redevelopment?