A New Iron Fence For the Lots Surrounding 1230 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Foreshadows A New Temporary Frager’s Location
The Past Week and the Week Ahead….Frager’s Update and ANC Elections
by Larry Janezich
Frager’s Scales Back Plans for Pennsylvania Avenue Outlet
City storm water regulation issues have forced Frager’s to scale back plans for construction of a planned 5800 square foot temporary structure on the lots surrounding 1230 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, as first reported by Capitol Hill Corner (see here: http://bit.ly/1gTO5J6). Frager’s is reported to have downsized the operation intended for that location and intends to erect a temporary structure within what regulations permit without addressing the issues associated with a larger structure. Details of the new plans are not yet available, but the fence with murals which once fronted Pennsylvania Avenue has been replaced by a ten foot iron gated fence and the land is being improved to facilitate the hardware and gardening outlet’s expansion. Owner John Weintraub intended to move much of the hardware operation currently located at 1323 E Street, SE, as well as the gardening center now located across from Eastern Market to the Pennsylvania Avenue location. Frager’s will lose the Eastern Market pad if a pending court decision is in favor of the developer – that decision which will allow the demolition of the Hine building to begin. Frager’s has reportedly bought the building on E Street and no longer has to worry about operating there under a short term lease. Meantime, there has been no visible progress on reconstruction of the original location at Frager’s at 11th and Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.
1230 Pennsylvania Avenue and the surrounding lots are owned by Larry Quillian, author of a controversial plan to demolish the historic Shotgun House which backs up to to lot and faces E Street, SE. CHC posted on that plan here: http://bit.ly/1qAicMC
Election Update
Last week, ANC6B 10 Commissioner Francis Campbell became the seventh ANC6B commissioner to announce retirement at the end of the current term. The announcement of the 12 year veteran came as a surprise to many who had expected him to run again..
As of close of business on Friday, only three candidates for ANC6B had picked up petitions necessary to have their names appear on the ballot in the general election in November:
ANC6B04 Kirsten Oldenburg (re-election)
ANC6B06 Nick Burger (Nichole Opkins’ is not seeking re-election)
ANC6B09 Brian Flahaven (re-election)
The Week Ahead…..
Monday, July 14
ANC6D meets at 7:00pm, DCRA Meeting Room, 1100 4th Street, SW, 2nd Floor
Agenda not available at press time.
Tuesday, July 15
CHRS Board of Directors meets at 6:30pm in Capitol Hill Townhomes, 750 6th Street, SE.
Wednesday, July 16
ANC6B Outreach and Constituent Services Task Force meets a 7:00pm in Hill Center.
On the agenda:
Neglected and blighted properties
Thursday, July 17
PSA 108 meets at 7:00pm, Liberty Baptist Church, 527 Kentucky Avenue, SE.
Great news re the 1200 block! Glad to see that dreary mural gone and glad to hear that Frager’s will be near it’s old spot –my sense is that many people had not realized that they had had moved their hardware operations. Also nice of Larry Quillian to give Frager’s a sweetheart deal (which he did).
Hoping that this shakes the crazy shotgun house situation loose (i.e., shakes some sense into the local preservationist crazies) but for now let’s focus on the good.
Yeah, Frager’s!
doesn’t begin to address the lingering burned out shell on the 1100 block. Any word on plans for this now blighted block to the west on Penn?