Monthly Archives: May 2015

Barracks Row’s Homebody to Relocate Across from Eastern Market in September

by Larry Janezich

Henriette Fourcade, owner of Homebody, the popular contemporary living retail outlet on Barracks Row, has announced the store will relocate to the lower level of Forecast, the women’s clothes boutique, at 218 7th Street across from Eastern Market.  Fourcade will be out of her current location by August 1, and hopes to open across from Eastern Market by September 1.

Homebody is closing the Barracks Row location at 715 8^th Street, SE, to make way for a sister restaurant to Rose’s Luxury.

Fourcade says that Forecast’s owner, Debbie Danielson, called her yesterday and told her she could not imagine Homebody going out of business, and offered Forecast’s lower half to Fourcade.  Homebody’s owner has been seeking space to relocate since February, when she learned her lease on the space would not be renewed.

Former Finley’s Boxing Club Now Home of EastSide Yoga

by Larry Janezich

The cultural shift brought by gentrification and changing demographics on Capitol Hill could not be more apparent than in the conversion of the legendary Finley’s Boxing Club to East Side Yoga.

The unpretentious façade of Tenth Street Auto Repair at 518 10th Street, NE, gives no clue that the second floor was once the location of the legendary fighting venue or its current repurposing into a ​yoga studio.  Despite the differences between the two, both hoped to serve the community from a largely residential setting – a quietly growing trend across Capitol Hill.

James Finley,​ who owned the auto repair shop, died on January 28, 2014.  But from 1960 until 2001 he operated a boxing club that reflected his passion and featured among those who trained there a long roster of world class and champion boxers, including Sugar Ray Leonard​ and​ Bob Foster​.​  ​A​t one time or another, Mike Tyson, George Foreman, and Larry Holmes dropped by, and Jazz legend Miles Davis would workout​ there​ occasionally.

In 2001, as rents increased and local residents’ interest in ​boxing ​​beg​an to decline and Finley saw clients turn from professionals to ​beginners wanting to learn basic skills and stay in shape​, ​Finley​ decided to​ close the ​boxing gym​.

Earlier this year, Alia J. Khan – who describes herself as a “recovering attorney​”​ – opened East Side Yoga where boxing once reigned.  She says the studio and the location are unique because of its size and because it is located in the heart of Capitol Hill – actually in the neighborhood, not on one of the main retail strips.

Neighbors who want a look as the space as it is now,​ and perhaps re​imagine​ the space as it once was​,​ will be able to check it out as part of the Capitol Hill Restoration Society House tour, on May 9th and 10th.

For more photos and details, see the studio’s website is here:  www.EastSideYogaDC.com

Tenants Signed for Douglas Development Building at 15^th and Pennsylvania Avenue, SE

by Larry Janezich

According to the Douglas Development website for the mixed use retail/office building at 1442 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, two tenants – McCormick Paints and New York Pizza – have been signed to occupy the first floor retail space.  The site was acquired by Douglas in 2007 and the redevelopment was completed in December, 2013.  The website says the two story project has 13,139 square feet with abundant space for outdoor seating and the potential for a rooftop terrace.  Offices are planned for the projects second floor.  To see the project’s website, go here:  http://bit.ly/1K7X8pT

The majority of the first floor retail space will be occupied by McCormick Paints.  This will be the third paint store in SE Capitol Hill which already has Frager’s Paint Store at 12^th and Pennsylvania Avenue, and Duron Paints on Barracks Row.  It appears that McCormick’s will be the largest of the three.  NY Pizza is looking for a new home since the current site at 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue is scheduled to be redeveloped by CAS Riegler who plans to put a six story 150 – 180 residential building on the site.  For a previous post on this development, go here:  http://bit.ly/1F6lYGl

Douglas Development has been steadily increasing its presence in SE Capitol Hill.  It is currently redeveloping a commercial project at 1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.  DC Restaurateur Ari Gejdenson of Acqua al II has expressed interest in opening a ground floor specialty market at that location.  In addition, Douglas owns the building housing Pret a Manger at 3^rd and Pennsylvania Avenue, SE and the building housing District Doughnuts on Barracks Row.  For previous posts on Douglas Development Capitol Hill projects, go here:  http://bit.ly/1PiJJgo

Sunday Flea Market Expects To Move to 7^th Street With Minimal Loss of Vendors

Community Meeting Tonight Will Provide Details on Flea Markets and Hine Construction

by Larry Janezich

Sunday Flea Market operator Mike Berman says he’s not excited to move to the street on May 16, but he thinks it is workable.  He has a plan for reconfiguring the vendor space on 7^th street to maximize vendor space during each of the three construction phases (demolition, excavation, and construction) although at the cost of reduced retail space for vendors.  The operation will shrink to 66 spaces on Saturday, May 16, but Berman says he expects to accommodate all of his permanent people – those who have been with him a long time as well as many of his regular vendors.

The key, he says, is an agreement that market vendors will be able to set up on public space which the city has allocated to the Hine developers for construction space.  This includes a strip of grass between the Hine parking lot fence and 7^th Street which will allow for 21 additional vending spaces during the demolition phase.  That number could grow to as many as 40 during the excavation and construction phases through utilization of the sidewalk adjacent to the current Hine building on 7^th Street.

Without the use of this public space, Berman would have been faced with a substantial reduction in the size of his operation – as it is, he expects to lose only 12 – 20 vendors – some have decided not to make the extra effort involved in the move to the street, and some have decided to seek space as part of the weekend Eastern Market outside vendors who operate around Eastern Market and on7th Street between C Street and North Carolina Avenue..

Sunday Flea Market vans and trucks will park in the surface lot at 6^th and C Streets for a flat rate of $10 a day.  The same rate will be applied for smaller vendor vehicles and for public parking in the 100 spaces in the underground garage opening onto Pennsylvania Avenue next to Sizzling Express.

Berman says “the move to 7^th Street will help vendors by saying that everybody visiting Eastern Market has got to walk by the vendors – and it helps Eastern Market by creating a really festive street.”

More details will be forthcoming at a community meeting tonight at 5:30pm in the North Hall of Eastern Market.  Matthew Harris, Stanton EastBanc Hine project manager, will provide an update on the Hine redevelopment.Barry Margeson, Eastern Market Manager, (who will oversee the 7th Street  flea Market operations on behalf of the Department of General Services)will provide an update on the transition of the flea markets to their new location as well as provide updates on traffic flow and parking changes.

The Week Ahead…..

by Larry Janezich

Monday, May 4

ANC6C Alcohol Beverage Licensing Committee meets at 7:00pm, at Kaiser Permanente Kaiser-Permanente Capitol Hill Medical Center, 700 2nd Street, NE.

Among items on the agenda:

New license for Nando’s Peri-Peri, 411 H Street, NE.

New license for Union Kitchen Market, 538 Third Street, NE.

Renewal of license for Capitol Fine Wine & Spirits, 415 H Street, NE; Oasis Liquor, Inc., 1179 Third Street, NE; Union Wine and Liquor, 50 Massachusetts Avenue, NE; Coast In Liquors,301 Florida Avenue, NE; and Kogod Liquors, 441 New Jersey Avenue, NW.

Monday, May 4

Community Meeting at 5:30pm in the North Hall of Eastern Market to update community on Hine Construction plans and move of Hine Weekend Flea Markets to 7^th Street.

Matthew Harris, Stanton EastBanc Hine project manager, will provide an update on the Hine redevelopment.

Barry Margeson, Eastern Market Manager, (who will oversee the 7th Street flea Market operations on behalf of the Department of General Services) will provide an update on the transition of the flea markets to their new location as well as provide updates on traffic flow and parking changes.

Monday, May 4

CHRS Historic Preservation Committee meets at 6:30pm, Kirby House, 420 10^th Street, SE

Tuesday, May 5

ANC6B Planning & Zoning Committee meets at 7:00pm, at St. Coletta of Greater Washington, 1901 Independence Avenue, SE.

Among items on the agenda:

Public space request for a new un-enclosed sidewalk café for Souk, 705 8^th Street, SE.

Raze permit for Potomac Electric Power Co. structure at 732 7th Street, SE.

Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Marine Barracks Washington, Bachelor Enlisted Quarters – comments deadline – Tuesday, May 26, 2015.

Tuesday, May 5

ANC 6C Parks and Events Committee meets at 7:00pm, Kaiser-Permanente Capitol Hill Medical Center, 700 2nd Street, NE.

Among items on the draft agenda:

NoMa Parks informational session – Discussion with Stacie West, Director of Park Projects, NoMa Business Improvement District, concerning NoMa parks.

Miscellaneous – Discussion of  6C public school playground access, jurisdiction of Reservation 84, Peace Corps memorial.

Tuesday, May 5

North Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association (NLPNA) meets at 7:30 at Maury Elementary School, 13th St. and Constitution Ave. NE.

Wednesday, May 6

ANC6B Transportation Committee meets at 7:00pm, Hill Center.

Among items on the agenda:

Discussion on Office of Planning’s Southeast Boulevard Planning Study: Final Report.

Update on Department of Transportation’s SE Boulevard Feasibility Study.

Review of the DDOT Traffic Study involving the addition of a signalized pedestrian crossing on 11th Street between K and L Streets, SE.

Discussion of a Green Alley Designation for Freedom Way.

Wednesday, May 6

ANC 6C Planning, Zoning, and Economic Development Committee meets at 7:00pm, Kaiser Permanente Capitol Hill Medical Center, 700 2^nd Street, NE.

Agenda not available at press time.

Thursday, Mary 7

ANC6B Alcohol Beverage Control Committee meets at 7:00pm, Hill Center.

Among items on the agenda:

License renewals for Hayden’s 700 North Carolina Avenue, SE; Chat’s Liquors, 503 8^th Street, SE; JJ Mutt Wine & Spirits, 643 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE; Albert’s Liquors, 328 Kentucky Avenue, SE; Capitol Hill Wine and Spirits, 323 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE; Congressional Liquor 404 1^st Street, SE; World Wine and Spirits, 1453 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE; Gandel’s Liquors, 211 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE; S&J Liquors, 1500 Massachusetts Avenue, SE.

Elaine’s One LLC, 715 8th Street SE, new CR license with sidewalk café endorsement – this is the application for the new restaurant coming from the owner of Rose’s Luxury to the space currently occupied by Homebody.

Thursday, May 8

PSA 107 meets at 7:00pm in Southeast Library.

Thursday, May 8

Friends of Southeast Library meets at 5:30pm in Southeast Library.

Saturday, May 9

Opening of Apoptosis – a sculptural installation by Peter Krsko.  Reception at 7:00pm at The Fridge, 516 8^th Street, rear alley.

Hine Saturday Flea Market Starts Downsizing To One-Third Its Size

Community Meeting on Monday, May 4, Will Provide Details on Flea Markets and Hine Construction

by Larry Janezich

Visitors to the Saturday Flea Market on the Hine Parking lot today will get a preview of what to expect as the flea market downsizes in preparation for its move to 7^th Street starting May 16.

Saturday Flea Market operator Carol Wright says when the market moves to 7^th Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and C Street, SE, on Saturday, May 16, the number of available vendor spaces will shrink from 155 – used by vendors allocated up to three spaces each for tents and parking to a much smaller number of 34 spaces for tents.

Wright says she will lose some vendors to other venues such as the Georgetown flea market.  She will allocate some spaces on 7^th Street on a regular basis to those vendors who have been with her longest.  Since demand for the remaining spaces exceeds supply Wright says she will allocate spaces to other vendors on alternate weekends to accommodate as many as possible.  Once on 7th Street, Vendors will be confined to one side of the 35 foot wide street, since the city will require a 20 foot fire lane to be kept clear of vending spaces.   After an initial six week transition period while the Hine building is demolished, vendors will pay for parking in nearby lots.

Deciding which vendors to accommodate in the downsizing has been a wrenching experience, Wright says, and neither she nor her vendors are certain how successful the new arrangement will be.  According to Wright, fewer vendors will attract fewer customers while less space for each vendor will mean fewer choices for those customers.

Sunday Flea Market operator Mike Berman faces similar issues and CHC will report how Berman expects manage the transition in a subsequent posting.

Clark Construction is scheduled to finish hazmat removal by May 16 – when that happens the Hine lot will close in order to permit demolition to begin.  Demolition could start as soon as May 18, and will start with the Hine buildings facing 8^th Street. Demolition is expected to take about six weeks.

Community Meeting on Monday, May 4 at 5:30pm in the North Hall of Eastern Market

Matthew Harris, Stanton EastBanc Hine project manager, will provide an update on the Hine redevelopment.

Barry Margeson, Eastern Market Manager, (who will oversee the 7^th Street  flea Market operations on behalf of the Department of General Services)will provide an update on the transition of the flea markets to their new location as well as provide updates on traffic flow and parking changes.