The former Congress Market at 421 East Capitol SE.
Signage appeared Saturday, June 7, on the former Congress Market at 421 East Capitol SE, indicating it intends to open as a cannabis dispensary. Neighbors are up in arms at the prospect and a lot of them sent emails of protest to CM Charles Allen and ANC6B.
It didn’t take Allen long to respond, despite it being a weekend, let alone a Sunday.
As it turns out, it does not appear that the owners of the shop have begun the process of applying for a license to dispense medical marijuana. The expectation in the neighborhood has been that the former corner store would reopen as just that. The owners had applied and the ANC had supported the application to renew the store’s previous retail alcohol beverage license – but this has nothing to do with the sale or gifting of cannabis. Word spread that the renewal might come up tomorrow, June 9, at an Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) hearing, and neighbors felt blind-sided, feeling that they had lost an opportunity to protest and would have had they suspected the intent to open a dispensary.
Sunday morning Allen reached out to Fred Moosally the head of ABCA to apprise him of the issue and the illegal signage. Moosally, he said, will flag the property for inspection and alert the ABCA Board of the pending application for the alcohol license renewal. Allen told neighbors in an email, “I’ll work to get more information from (Moosally) this week and follow-up…. This feels like a bad actor trying to open up under false pretenses, not engaging with the community about what it needs and wants, and appears clearly to not be what the neighborhood needs.”
New Gathering Place at Hill Center – The new construction on the grounds of Hill Center will be seating in the round for community gatherings and the Center’s outdoor activities. According to Hill Center Executive Director Diana Ingraham it will be named in honor of Hill Center visionary John Franzén. Franzén, who died in 2020, was one of the Center’s founding board members and at one time was president of the Old Naval Hospital Foundation which created Hill Center. He was also one of the founders of the Ruth Ann Overbeck Capitol Hill History Project.
Here’s a rendering of the finished project – The pavilion was designed by Oehme, Van Sweden and is expected to be completed in June. A grand opening is planned for October. In addition to being remembered as a prominent community benefactor, Franzén had a long career in national politics as a media consultant for Democratic candidates, and progressive environmental groups and education organizations.
CM Charles Allen’s Community Office Hours – Friday morning, CM Charles Allen held community office hours at The Roost on Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. A contingent of Hill East residents showed up with questions about RFK. David Wyman (center left), who recently purchased a home near RFK told CHC that the biggest concerns of nearby residents are the parking garages cutting connectivity for the neighborhood to the Anacostia River and having large parking structures cannibalize potential development. He said that retail and commercial businesses and more housing should not come at the expense of parking.” (That’s ANC7D commissioner Ebony Payne in the orange top with back to camera.)
Update on Saint-Georges boulangerie near EasternMarket – A source familiar with the status of the development of the new French bakery told CHC that the project is back on track after getting temporarily derailed by an unreliable architect and a burdensome permitting process. New equipment is scheduled to arrive this week and the owners hope to open this summer – though it would not be surprising to see that slip into early fall.
The Flying Mexican on Barracks Row – The former Playa Ocho at 514 8th Street, SE, Barracks Row, is morphing into The Flying Mexican. The space has been occupied by a series of Mexican food restaurant since its days as the home of Capitol Video Sales.
Consulting Firm Will Move to Barracks Row – Speaking of Oehme, Van Sweden, here is a pair of photos of the landscaping firm’s former offices at 800 G Street, SE, and the status of the conversion into the new headquarters for the DC consulting firm, Capital Group, founded by Curtis Porter in 2011.
Friday Night Live on Eastern Market Metro Plaza – Friday night, dancers performed the Lion Dance on the Eastern Market Metro Plaza as part of Barracks Row Main Streets’ celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Photo: Deborah Hernandez
The Week Ahead…
Monday, June 2
ANC6D will hold an administrative meeting at 7:00pm to set the agenda for the meeting of the full commission on Monday, June 16.
Please contact the office at 6D@anc.dc.gov if you wish to have a link to view the Admin meeting.
Tuesday, June 3, 2025
MPD 1st District Community Advisory Committee will hold a virtual meeting, 6:00pm – 7:15pm.
424 7th Street, NE: Zoning Adjustment – Expedited-review application for a special exception from the rear-yard requirements to demolish an existing two-story rear addition and construct a two-story with basement rear addition on an existing semi-detached two-story with basement.
406 7th Street, NE. Zoning Adjustment Application for a special exception from the rear-yard requirements and a special exception from the lot occupancy requirements of to demolish the existing two-story rear porch and replace with an enlarged two-story with cellar enclosed rear addition to a semi-detached three-story with cellar.
605 Constitution Avenue, NE. Historic Preservation for concept approval to construct a third-floor addition to an existing one-story row dwelling with two-story addition.
Thursday, June 5
ANC6B June Planning & Zoning Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.
CAPITOL HILL CORNER 