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909 New Jersey Ave. ('09)
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70/100 I ('08)
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400 M ('07)
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US DOT HQ ('07)
20 M ('07)
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Capitol Hill Tower ('06)
Courtyard/Marriott ('06)
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Don't Call it the Blue Castle Anymore: Hello, 'Capital Turnaround'
It was nearly five years ago that we learned that the Navy Yard Car Barn, aka the "Blue Castle" at 8th and M SE, was being purchased by the National Community Church, with ideas of turning some of this building constructed in 1891 (and 1902) into a theater/performance (and Sunday service!) space, as well as some other unnamed ideas that "the community would be excited about."
Earlier this summer, the first part of the renovation swung into action, as the 11,000-square-foot theater/performance space with about 1,000 seats opened for use. And the building itself has a new moniker, "Capital Turnaround," in honor of the car barn's initial use as the end point for the Navy Yard streetcar line, and the space is filled with all manner of historic photos of the building in its heyday.
I was given a tour today by NCC's Mark Batterson--believe it or not, it was my first time ever in the don't-call-it-a-Blue-Castle. With the theater space (basically) finished, work is now starting to get underway on Phase 2, renovating the building's northeast section into a large child development center, which could open in spring 2020.
The third phase, along 8th Street, is being eyed as a community market/co-working type of offering, which probably won't see the start of construction until at least summer 2020. As you can see in the photo above, the building's eastern side is two stories high, and it's possible that the western side might see an additional floor as well, as part of later construction.
Plus, who knows, maybe they'll get a hold of one of the old DC streetcars to display.
And yes, I took some photos. Here's some shots of the event space, the lobby, the rabbit warren-like corridors that filled the entire building in recent years, and the sizable phase 2/child development space--the green drywall will eventually come down and the lobby outside of the event space will continue into here.
But, while NCC is dispensing with "Blue Castle" as a moniker, the reality is that the building (or most of it) will probably still be blue for a while to come. But if you head down 7th Street south of L, you can see where some of it has been de-blued, giving a feel for what the building might feel like at some point in the future.
 

CSX East Three-Building Project Getting Underway, Plus Tidbits
Finishing up my prodigious output this week:
CSX EAST: Readers with bird's-eye views of the former CSX land west of New Jersey Avenue have been sending photos showing the start of digging for what will be three buildings, according to a long-time reader who sent in a report from an August meeting about the project, dubbed CSX East for now: a 225-room AC Marriott at 861 New Jersey, and two additional buildings with about 800 units total of residential, and a substantial "co-working" space. There's no publicly released renderings, but here's a site plan of how the three buildings will fit between 70/100 Capitol Yards and ORE 82 and the freeway.
Amazingly enough, I finally created a project page, and added a star to the map. Yay me!
And a couple additional tidbits:
* CAPPER SENIORS: The permit to reconstruct the senior apartment building destroyed by fire last year has been approved. Bozzuto construction signs went up a few weeks ago, so work should probably be getting underway Any Minute Now. The base designs are the same as the original building, but I assume (hope?) there have been some updates in the infrastructure.
* NOVEL SOCAP: Novel South Capitol announced in August that the east tower has begun pre-leasing of its 184 units, with move-ins starting in October. This is along side the west tower's 355 units. See the official web site for more.
* BRIDGE VIDEO: Can't wait for the new Douglass Bridge to get here? Here's a new video on its progress.
 

Catching Up on Tidbits, Edible Edition
Some nom news items to send your way, most of which you will know already if you read the JDLand comment threads or check out the Tidbit Ticker on the home page:
* ROY BOYS: The second outlet of the fried chicken/oysters/and more offering is now open at 1025 1st St., SE, in the ground floor of the Velocity condo building, in the space previously occupied by Justin's Cafe. And a sign in the door says that daily lunch service will begin this Saturday, Sept. 14.
* ABC PONY: The previously unnamed Erik Bruner-Yang cafe at Novel South Capitol now has a name, ABC Pony, and Eater says it "will mine the middle ground between Italian and Asian cuisines." "Late this summer" is what Eater said the anticipated opening date is, but {sneaks look at calendar} We Shall See.
* SOMEWHERE: The combo cafe-with-clothing store from one of the originators of Maketto is now open in the ground floor of F1rst, at 1239 1st St., SE.
Between this post and my recent one on West Half, I've managed to mention almost every restaurant currently known for the neighborhood, except for the Albi/Maxwell combo that is supposed to be coming to the Bower, plus Punch Bowl Social, which will be bringing its "eatertainment" lineup to 1250 Half Street (I'm sorry, The Kelvin), and Maialino Mare, the "Roman style trattoria" Danny Meyer's group is bringing to the soon-to-open Thompson Hotel at 3rd and Tingey.
But there's a lot of retail space hitting the boards in coming months, so we'll see what else shakes out.
 

West Half Now Leasing; HipCityVeg, Basebowl Added to Lineup
The JDLand commentariat (and those who stop by to keep up on Tidbits) knew all of this a few weeks ago, but JBG Smith has now officially announced the start of leasing at West Half, its 465-unit building just across the street from Nats Park. The official web site has floor plans and prices, which show a range from a 365-sf studio starting at $1,770 up to a 1,250-sf three bedroom going for upwards of $6,400. There's also of course information about the building and its amenities, and a hint about...
THE 1205 COLLECTION: What we have been calling "West Half" is now apparently two separate residential "buildings," with the portion closest to the ballpark now dubbed "The 1205 Collection." It will have its own lobby entrance, and has larger units, with terraces, higher-end appliances, and additional amenities. The 1205 will open later this fall.

Also officially announced (and also already posted a few weeks back on the Ticker) are two more food outlets: DC's third outlet of HipCityVeg, and Basebowl, a ramen, dumplings, and Asian barbecue restaurant from the restaurateur behind Reren in Chinatown.
With all of this news, I wandered down to Half and N to check things out, and found that the two residential lobbies are furnished (but the windows were too dusty to take pictures), and vegetation is being planted up on the balconies. But, more importantly, there is now signage marking all of the leased spaces, so you can start sketching out your plan of attack. So I had to make a dumb map.
Starting in the corner space directly across from the Center Field Gate, there's the two-floor space for both the American bistro Gatsby and its sibling the all-day Mah Ze Dahr bakery. Heading up Half, you'll next encounter Basebowl, then then sizeable Atlas Brew Works space, followed by HipCityVeg, and Cold Stone Creamery. Then--surprise!--Compass Coffee and Union Kitchen Grocery run along the building's northern side, along a pedestrian-only "Via" between Half and Van. The two lobbies are on Van Street. As of now, there's no retail announced for the two-story corner space in the building's southwestern corner, at Van and N.
Half Street is gonna feel a little different next season. (And this is just one side of the street, as we await announcements from the Kelvin apartments and Envy condos to see what the offerings will be on the east side of Half, other than Punch Bowl Social.)
Here's a few photos of the signage and whatnot. Just because.
 

Entertainment Venue Addition Eyed for Nats Park at 1st and Potomac
For, oh, about 14 years now, people have been asking me when the 1st Street SE facade of Nationals Park might ever be "activated," as the kids say. Well, I might place a bet on that time finally arriving.
The Washington Business Journal reported late last week that there are now plans by the team for a 35,000-square-foot "entertainment venue" attached to the stadium--an actual addition, not just opening some eateries in the existing ground-floor retail spaces--as seen in these first renderings:
It *could* be a space for a sportsbook, a notion which the team has said it is "exploring." But in the meantime, it is "expected to offer three restaurants: one white tablecloth restaurant just shy of 2,800 square feet, and the two others, and the main and mezzanine levels, totaling nearly 19,000 square feet--and 742 seats." There would also be a "large main bar" on the ground floor.
The Nationals would be the developer, and would pay for the "expected to be substantial" construction costs, except for the $2.6 million that Events DC has contracted to contribute--if the council allows the contract to move forward. (Why Events DC? Because back when it was the DC Sports and Entertainment Commission, the ballpark's zoning order required DCSEC to build 36,000 square feet of "retail, services, entertainment or arts uses" at the ballpark, of which only about 11,000 square feet has been completed.)
The Nats would also get to keep all the revenue from the space.
The 1st and Potomac intersection, after being a pretty lonely spot for the first years of the ballpark's life, is now reaping the rewards of the outdoor bars at Dacha and the Salt Line, along with there now being actual residents living along Potomac Avenue, in Dock 79 (and the Maren before too much longer).
Will it happen? Will it end up looking like this? Will there be betting? We Shall See.
And, just for the fun of it, here's what the angles depicted in the two drawings looked like Before the Ballpark, in February 2006. Truly. I'm not kidding.
 

Lerner's 1000 South Capitol Street Apartments Officially Underway
Another residential project is now officially on its way, as Lerner Enterprises announced last week the start of construction on 1000 South Capitol, its 244-unit apartment building on the site of Nationals Parking Lot K between K and L Streets, SE (sharing the block with the 1015 Half Street office building, home of Bonchon).
The project will have 10,000 feet of retail alongside the sort of amenities that are de rigeur in new buildings: 24/7 concierge, state-of-the-art fitness center, private dining room with a demonstration kitchen (and wine lockers!), theater room, business center, infinity-edge rooftop swimming pool and club area, luxury pet spa, bike storage, and more.
Back in the day, 1000 South Capitol was initially planned to be an office building, but in 2015 word first started filtering out that the site had been switched to residential. And now, here we are.
It is, somewhat surprisingly, only the fourth project to get underway in the neighborhood in 2019, along with the new DDOT HQ at 250 M Street, the 74-unit condo building at 37 L, and the I-promise-I-will-get-my-act-together-and-build-a-project-page multi-building project being called "CSX East" on the railroad company's former land west of New Jersey and adjacent to the freeway. (And I will update my Current Projects map as soon as I can figure out how to squeeze in more words in the extremely well-filled areas west of 1st Street.)
And stay tuned for a post on the other new Lerner(ish) project now on the boards.
 

August Tidbit Roundup and Open Thread
Giving the commentariat a fresh thread (and tidbit delivery system!) and also enshrining a few items that readers may have missed while sweltering through August:
* MAIALINO: The Union Square Hospitality outpost at the new Thompson Hotel at 3rd and Tingey is going to be Maialino Mare, a "Roman style trattoria." (Eater DC)
* TINGEY SQUARE: Via Twitter, it looks like the construction of the long-planned Tingey Square at the intersection of New Jersey and Tingey is underway.
* GREYSTAR: Via Twitter, evidence that work is apparently gearing up at the Greystar project on the old CSX site west of New Jersey and immediately south of the freeway. Here's my post from a few months ago on the plans.
* PROTECTED LANES: Via Twitter (sensing a theme?), after much (much!) discussion of the perpetual vehicle occupation of the 1st Street bike lanes, both sides of the 1200 block are now separated and protected.
* BOXING: 9Round fitness kickboxing is coming to the Insignia on M building at New Jersey and M.
* BRIG: The Brig beer garden at 8th and L SE is one of the first three bars to apply for a sports betting liquor license.
 

Tidbits: Lazy Hazy Heat-Emergency Days of Summer
It's the summer doldrums, when not only is there not really much news, but even when there is, I can't summon energy from my heat-depleted body to do much about it. But here are a few, plus a fresh new thread for the on-the-ball JDLand commentariat to keep chatting about the latest goings on.
* SHILLING OPEN: It took a while, but the Shilling Canning Company, a "modern mid-Atlantic restaurant." is now open at 360 Water Street, SE, in the ground floor of Arris across from Ice Cream Jubilee. Here's the Washingtonian and Eater pieces on the latest addition to the neighborhood's culinary lineup.
* UPS STORE: Longtime JDLand reader @202FSUNole passed along this shot yesterday of a "UPS Store Coming Soon" sign in the space previously occupied by Capital One on New Jersey between L and M, making it the neighborhood's first shipping store.
* POPLAR POINT RAMP CLOSING: The ramp that leads from Poplar Point and the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail up to the northbound side of South Capitol Street and the Douglass Bridge is being closed as of July 21, DDOT has announced. It's not clear yet whether this means the side path will be closed as well.
* THE KELVIN: When it's this hot, it's particularly apropos to pass along the news that the apartment project at 1250 Half Street (the rental sibling to Envy condos) has been named The Kelvin.
 

Tidbit Roundup: Hair, Food, Golf, and Straws Edition
Let's round up the news items that have trickled in from readers and via Twitter:
* HELLO, BISHOPS: Signage and the company web site indicate that the salon coming this year to the ground floor of the Harlow at 1100 2nd Street (across from Wiseguy) is Bishops, which, as an oldster, I have not heard of, but which apparently was founded in Portland in 2001 and offers the full lineup of cuts, color, styling, and facial hair grooming "that will empower local residents to feel more confident in their individuality" as well as "creating a space where everyone is accepted." (h/t eat_dc and reader BD)
* HELLO, LITTLE BUILDING: This has been on the boards for a very long time, but it looks like developers may finally be moving forward with the plans for a two-story-with-roofdeck retail building on the northwest corner of 1st and N (where the Aslin beer garden pop-up was, nestled between the wings of the Hampton Inn). The leasing flyer says that it would be delivered in 2020 (We Shall See) and shows what the design could be. Would certainly seem to be a prime spot for a large food and beverage operation... (h/t commenter NavyYardRes)
* HELLO, SHILLING (ALMOST): The long-awaited restaurant near 4th and Water in the Yards has started the job interview process, so maybe we are in Any Minute Now territory.
* HELLO, MORE ITALIAN: Looks like Union Square Hospitality's new restaurant offering at the Thompson Hotel at 3rd and Tingey will be "Italian fine dining," according to recent job listings. (h/t sjb11)
* HELLO, TOPGOLF CRUSH: As someone who did little this weekend other than lay on the sofa and watch the US Open at Pebble Beach, it's my duty to inform you that "Topgolf Crush," a four-day festival of food, beverage, music, and, oh yeah, golf, will be coming to Nats Park Aug. 22-25. You'll be able to play out your own Cinderella Story by getting to smack golf balls from the third-base line at targets on the field, which will be lit up at night if you want the After Dark experience. Tickets on sale at nationals.com/topgolf.
* HELLO, STRAW MOCKERY: The Daily Show was in town last week, and one of their taped pieces was showing a DC "straw cop" enforcing the city's ban on plastic straws, much of which was filmed here in the Hood, with festive visits to Bluejacket, Philz Coffee, Willie's, and Nando's.
* GOODBYE, PHILLY WING FRY: The upscale wings and cheesesteaks counter inside the SoChill Whole Foods has departed, replaced with a WF burger and fries counter. (h/t @minnesota_nicer)
 

Tuesday Tidbits: Cleaners, Crossing, Ice Cream Social
A few small things as we head into summer:
* DC CROSSING: We still don't have an officially sanctioned rendering (so you know what that means!), but we now know that what we've been calling Square 696 will now be known as DC Crossing, with an address of 949 1st Street, SE. The new placeholder web site says that apartments will be delivered in 2020, and it will be managed by Bozzuto. My photos from last week show that the eastern half of the project, along 1st Street, is making good progress, and, if you can decipher it, this site plan schematic I found in public records shows the layout of the block, from above.
* CONGRESSIONAL CLEANERS 2.0: This is not quite as exciting as neighborhood cafe concepts or Nashville chicken, but I've confirmed that Congressional Cleaners will be returning to the neighborhood this summer, this time in the ground floor of the Park Chelsea on I Street just east of New Jersey. This is the cleaners that was located at Capitol Hill Tower from 2007 to 2017. Hopefully it won't get robbed on its opening day, like it did last time. But that was a different era.
* COOL PIC: A reader on a flight leaving DCA last week happened to be in the right place at the right time and got this great overhead shot of the neighborhood and the Douglass Bridge construction. Guess I'll need to start paying a fortune in airline tickets.
* ICE CREAM SOCIAL: A final reminder that--weather permitting!--there will be an Ice Cream Social at Canal Park on Thursday, May 30, at 6:30 pm, with free scoops from Altani Gelato and Ice Cream Jubilee, to celebrate the BID's "Then and Now" exhibits. And I'll be there, pointing at the photos and saying, "I took that. I took that. I took that one, too." RSVP on the BID's Facebook page, so that there's enough scoops to go around and we don't end up with The Great Ice Cream Riot of 2019.
 

Nom News: Bruner-Yang, Roy Boys, Smorgasburg Summer Market
You probably have to be a foodie for the title of this post to not sound like gibberish, but:
* ALL-DAY CAFE COMING TO NOVEL: Highly regarded restaurateur Erik Bruner-Yang (of Maketto and other ventures) will be opening a 3,000-square-foot "day-to-night neighborhood cafe concept" in the ground floor of Novel South Capitol, at the corner of South Capitol and I Streets, SE. The press release says that the space "will be integrated with" Novel's lobby but will be a "unique community gathering and dining experience" for all comers, not just residents. The as-yet-unnamed cafe will have "breakfast-oriented offerings, evening snacks, and craft cocktails," and is shooting for a late summer opening. More on Bruner-Yang's plans via Washingtonian.
* ROY BOYS: It has apparently been a good start for Roy Boys, the fried chicken and oyster restaurant that opened in Shaw a few months ago, because window signage being put up this morning--as well as this Washingtonian piece--confirm that a second location will open later this year in the old Justin's Cafe space on 1st Street SE between K and L. If you want to get a head start on licking your chops, here's the Shaw location's menu.
* SMORGASBURG: Starting on June 15, a pop-up outdoor food market known as "Smorgasburg" will offer food and beverages from 30 local vendors every summer Saturday from 11 am to 6 pm at Tingey Plaza, at New Jersey and Tingey. Eater DC has a list of the confirmed vendors, as of last week.
If you haven't been keeping up, the list of new food and beverage offerings coming to the neighborhood over the next year or so is starting to get kind of long, and as more buildings are completed, the list will probably grow. (West Half alone accounts for about 40 percent of the list, which they are now touting with their fence signage.) You can see my map of food options and then scroll down to the bottom to see the full future lineup.
 

Catching Up with the New Douglass Bridge
The Post reports today that the new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge is at the midway point in its construction, with construction of the bridge itself and the two new traffic oval approaches still expected to be completed in 2021. The work on the new bridge is also now at a point where photographs actually show something resembling the final product, so I can now finally start feeling like I'm not completely ignoring it.
The most obvious progress is on the form work for the bases of the bridge's arches, as you can see in a photograph taken on Sunday alongside a, um, tweaked graphic to help non-bridge-o-philes understand what they are seeing:
I also ventured up onto the existing bridge to get a closer look:
If you haven't been paying attention to the plans for the new bridge, you can check out my project page for lots of renderings of the bridge, the wide side paths, and the plans for the ovals. Also, the official web site for the project also has lots of information, and is pretty active on social media, posting the sort of pictures that bloggers who don't have sea-level access can't get.
 

Assault Outside Scarlet Oak, Plus a Tidbits Roundup
Late Wednesday night/early Thursday morning, many readers noticed police activity and caution tape outside of Scarlet Oak at New Jersey and K, SE. According to the MPD 1-D mailing list, a person got into a "dispute" with a group of people and that person was subsequently assaulted by the group. The person is apparently in the hospital. That's the latest as of this writing.
Now, rounding up a week's worth of tidbits:
* DC WATER OPEN HOUSE: DC Water is throwing an open house to mark the "grand opening" of its sparkling headquarters along the Anacostia, on Thursday, May 30, starting at 3 pm. But be sure to not stay so long that you miss the ice cream social/JDLand camera meet-and-greet that starts at 6 pm at Canal Park.
* HELLO, MERIDIAN: The apartment building under construction at 1000 1st Street SE now has a name and a placeholder web site, so say hello to Meridian on First.
* SOMEWHERE, ALMOST HERE: Washington City Paper reports on the arrival later this month of "Somewhere," the combination clothing-and-coffee venture from the DC native behind Maketto and streetwear brand DURKL coming to the retail row on 1st Street SE south of M.
* CFA VS CHEMONICS HQ: The Commission on Fine Arts does not like the design for the planned Chemonics headquarters at New Jersey and Tingey. Really, really does not like it. (WBJ)
* REMEMBERING TRACKS: Marty Chernoff, the creator of the legendary Tracks nightclub that ruled the northwest corner of 1st and M Streets, SE, from 1984 to 1999, died on May 3. The Washington Blade printed a nice remembrance of both Chernoff and Tracks, and subsequently a reader pointed me to two YouTube videos from 1998 and 1999 touring the club.
 

Tidbits: Meet the Photographer, Retail (and Sportsbook?) News, More
Pulling myself together to pull together recent tidbits for those who don't wander by the site often or don't follow me on Twitter (or don't wander by the site to see my tweets in the handy box on the home page):
* ICE CREAM SOCIAL/MEET AND GREET: On Thursday, May 30, the Capitol Riverfront BID is kicking off its summer lineup of events with an Ice Cream Social at Canal Park, starting at 6 pm. In addition to having free scoops from Altani Gelato and live acoustic music, the event will celebrate the Then and Now photo exhibits, and I'll be on hand to say hello and point at the photo displays and say "I did that!" Hope to see everyone there! And if you haven't been to the Yards Park in the past few days, that portion of the photo exhibit has now been moved down to the boardwalk, which is a pretty cool spot.
* NATS PARK RETAIL SPACES: For 11-plus years now, readers have been asking me when the empty retail spaces along Nats Park's 1st Street facade would get any tenants. Now, WBJ is reporting that the Nats have a deal for a year-round 35,000-square-foot "restaurant and entertainment venue." Given that a similar announcement about Capital One Arena quickly morphed into confirmation of a sportsbook there, it's being assumed that this Nats Park venue will be a sportsbook as well. More as it becomes available.
* WELCOME TO WALTERS AND DACHA: If you haven't heard yet, Walters Sports Bar is now open at South Capitol and N in the ground floor of 1221 Van (as previewed by Washingtonian), and Dacha has now opened its interior space in Dock 79 at 1st and Potomac across from the Nats Park grand staircase (as also previewed by Washingtonian). Its 800-person beer garden on the plaza is expected to open later this month.
* MEDSTAR PRIMARY CARE: On the heels of the news that CVS will be coming to the corner of Half and I in the ground floor of One Hill South, I've received confirmation that Medstar has signed a lease to open a primary care facility in the building.
* SALON?: A recently approved building permit indicates that a hair salon will be coming to the Harlow, the new apartment building at 2nd and L facing Canal Park. That's all I know for now.
* SUMMER SERIES-ES: The lineup has been announced for the Friday Night Concert Series at Yards Park for the Friday Night Concert Series at Yards Park, which will run from June 7 through Aug. 30. And, if I didn't already share it, here's the lineup for the Thursday Outdoor Movie Series at Canal Park, which runs from June 13 to Aug. 22.
* CONSTRUCTION AT 1ST AND K: For those wondering about the new construction happening at the old A-1 Tires garage at 1st and K, it's becoming additional space for the Waterfront Church. (The wrangling over whether developers can build a "sliver" residential building on that site is as-yet unresolved.)
(A new post also means a fresh thread for the JDLand commentariat. If you don't read or participate in the comments, you should--it's a great place to talk about neighborhood goings-on.)
 

Tidbits: Then and Now Exhibit, Nicoletta, Taco City, More Residential
If you have wandered through Canal Park or the Yards Park in recent days, you may have come across the large displays that make up the Capitol Riverfront BID's new two-part "Then and Now" exhibit, showcasing photos that probably look very familiar to longtime JDLand readers. The BID also included explanatory text for the 20 sites highlighted, and they are a very striking way for people who've never heard of a "JDLand" to see exactly what has gone on in the neighborhood in such a relatively short period of time. And no need to be hunched over a computer or squinting at a phone screen! The exhibits will be on display through mid-summer.
In other news that I've been extraordinarily neglectful of:
* NICOLETTA PIZZA: It was almost six years ago that I first wrote of plans for Chef Michael White's plans to bring a sibling of his Osteria Morini to the Yards Park boardwalk.The notion seemed to fall by the wayside, especially when Morini Piccolo arrived in the fall of 2017, but lo and behold, a few weeks ago signage went up, and now it is open. Eater DC wrote a preview, if you are looking for information beyond ***PIZZA*** (and frozen Negronis, which Mr. JDLand would have been quite revved up for).
* MORE APARTMENTS UNDERWAY: My coverage of the eastern portion of the neighborhood is even worse than my coverage of the rest of it, so I haven't written much about either the completed renovations of the 19-unit apartment building now known as the Callisto at 816 Potomac or about the adjoining four-story, 49-unit new construction apartment building apparently dubbed Europa at 818 Potomac, both by MMg Development. Work is now underway on Europa, as I captured in a terrible photo a few weeks ago. (And maybe I'll get my development map updated with these items soon. Any Minute Now.)
* MORE CONDOS UNDERWAY: Readers have been noticing digging underway on the south side of L Street between South Capitol and Half, and it is the start of construction on an 11-story, 74-unit condo building at 37 L Street, a project of DBT Development. Here is a rendering, from the web site of Bonstra Haresign Architects, that shows the building if you are looking toward the southeast from across L Street. This was the site for the former Empire Cab company, and before that, the site of one of the city's deadliest fires. This is not to be confused with the Metro "chiller plant" site next door, on the corner of Half and L, where residential is slated to happen Some Day.
* TACO CITY DC: One other east-end item that I have neglected terribly is the arrival of Taco City DC, next to Las Placitas on the southeast corner of 8th and L in a storefront that has seen at least three other food ventures come and go within the past few years. But it looks like the jinx might be broken, with the Post's Going Out Guide quickly naming it one of the ten best taco shops in the area.
 

Retail News: CVS Coming to Half and I Streets SE
Word is filtering my way that One Hill South, the 380ish-unit apartment building at Half and I that opened not quite two years ago, has now signed CVS as its first retail tenant.
The ubiquitous drug store will be occupying the building's entire I Street frontage, including the corner space at Half and I. (I don't know the square footage, but it ain't small.)
While it will be the neighborhood's second CVS--the other one being about five blocks away at New Jersey and M--one could say that this portion of the neighborhood is a bit under-served at the moment, unless you want Korean fried chicken.
I'm also hearing that another lease in the building is going to be announced Any Minute Now.
As for the second phase of the Ruben/Related joint venture, the 300ish-unit apartment building temporarily dubbed 950 South Capitol (and not Two Hill South, which is just a criminally missed naming opportunity) is going to be the next skeleton to sprout from the ground before too much longer.
No word on the estimated timeline for CVS's arrival.
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More posts: One Hill South, cvs, Retail
 

What's New Outside Nats Park for 2019, Food- and Building-Wise
It's time once again for a look at what Nats fans might find that's new *outside* the ballpark when they head to Half Street this season, other than far fewer fans wearing number 34 jerseys. (If you want to know what's new *inside* the ballpark food-wise, check out this Washington Post report.)
WHAT'S NEW, FOOD-WISE:
Let's start with what has opened since the end of last season:
(I know, one of these things is not like the others, but it still might be of interest.)
Circa and El Bebe are centrally located at 1st and M (kitty corner from Biersch), and will no doubt be big draws before and after games, with Circa offering a wide-ranging menu and Bebe going the tacos-and-tequila route. Both will have lots of outdoor seating, too. Wiseguy Pizza opened in October at Canal Park at 2nd and M, offering both slices and pies (and brews), while its Altani Gelato and Coffee offering is supposed to gear up soon. As for Whole Foods, well, you never know what organic offerings you might need before or after a game. It's at New Jersey and H, just south of the freeway. Not pictured is Bluestone Lane, a coffee shop next to Circa on M Street west of 1st.
WHAT'S COMING SOON, FOOD-WISE:
We'll start with what will be of most interest to stadium-goers, Walters and Dacha:
It looks like fairly soon (April?) we'll see the opening of these two new offerings within steps of the ballpark, albeit on completely different sides of the stadium. Walters Sports Bar will be at South Capitol and N (on the ground floor below Mission and across from the Geico Garage), offering, well, sports bar-y stuff.
Meanwhile, across from the "grand staircase" at 1st and Potomac (and next to the Salt Line), Dacha is prepping to open its second location, serving comfort food inside and offering a large beer garden on the plaza by the Anacostia River.
WHAT'S COMING LESS SOON, FOOD-WISE:
Sit down restaurants Albi (and wine bar-sibling Maxwell) and the Shilling Canning Company should be coming to the Yards later this year, as well as ramen shop Hatoba.
However, mark your calendars for 2020, when all of the retail space in all of the current construction projects starts to come on line. Of most interest of course will be Half Street just north of the ballpark, where JBG Smith's West Half residential building is expected to welcome two highly anticipated ground-floor offerings: a second location for Ivy City's Atlas Brew Works and The Commons (or is it the Gatsby?), a two-story 300-seat "contemporary with an upscale diner feel" restaurant. And, before I could even get this post published, news arrived that West Half will also be home in 2020 to Compass Coffee, Union Kitchen Grocery, and Cold Stone Creamery.
Meanwhile, across the street, the 1250 Half Street apartment building will house Punch Bowl Social, the "eatertainment" venue that pairs a "scratch-made menu and craft beverage program" with pinball, skee-ball, karaoke, video games, bocce, bowling, and more, will occupy two floors facing Half Street, likely early in 2020.
Check out my Food Options map for what's still around and for a fuller look at the coming attractions into 2020.
WHAT'S NEW BUILDING-WISE:
I know nobody is still reading, but I can't bear to not talk about the construction that continues on all around the ballpark, starting with the vastly changed streetscape that stadium-goers will be met with on Half Street (as seen here).
On the west side of the street, the aforementioned West Half project (the funnel-y building) will have 420 rental units along with its scads of retail offerings. Then, across the street on the east side, there are two residential projects in one, the 1250 Half Street apartments facing Half and the "eNvy" (don't @ me) condo building facing N, both of which should see move-ins starting in 2020.
What about all of the other buildings that are under construction? Let me give you a brief summary:
* That beige building with the curved glass right at South Capitol and M? That's the new headquarters for the National Association of Broadcasters.
* That brown-brick sliver of a building at 3rd and Tingey behind USDOT? That's going to be a Thompson Hotel, a boutique offering that is also expected to have a full-service restaurant and rooftop bar by Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group, the people behind Shake Shack and a whole lot more, probably in 2020.
* That hole in the ground at 2nd and M? It'll be the new HQ of the District Department of Transportation.
* Every other building under construction? Apartments. Take a look at my map at the top of every page of my site for details on each one.
There. That was easy.
(Check back for a link to DDOT's press release on How to Get to the Ballpark, 2019 Edition, which they've e-mailed but not yet posted.)
 

Slider-Palooza, March 2019 Edition
It's Slider time! It takes a fair amount of work to update the cool little displays of then-and-now photos that allow you to slide a bar back and forth to compare the images, but I have now finished the Herculean task of not only updating *26* existing sliders, but adding 10 new locations to the Slider lineup. (Plus there's all the ones that just didn't need an update this time around.)
Below are the 10 new angles, and clicking on them takes you to the Photo Archive page for that angle, which will not only allow you to see the Slider but also all of the photos I've taken of that particular angle over the years.
But if you want to play with all 36 new and updated locations at once, go to the Sliders page. From there, if you choose, you can then go to the individual archive pages to see the additional photos.
These might be in order of which ones are my favorites--but I'll also bring attention to the 4th and Virginia slider, which does a really good job of showing how Virginia Avenue has been straightened in the wake of the tunnel construction.
Again, the page for all 36 new and updated sliders is here. There's also always a "Sliders" link in the photo box at the top of the home page.
Slide away!
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More posts: Development News, photos
 

Signage, and Not-Yet-Signage
Boy, did I take a lot of pictures on Sunday, because there are way too many projects underway right now.
I decided to ease my way into posting photos with this survey of the latest signage around the neighborhood, but I'm starting with an image of the one spot that isn't "signed" yet but that is looking interesting, which is the Dacha space at Dock 79, across from the Nats Park "grand staircase" on Potomac Avenue. I didn't take a picture of the actual beer garden construction, since right now it just looks like a patio being torn up.
A note for those unsure: the Harlow is the mixed-income apartment building almost ready to open across from Canal Park. (With that signage and location, I could see people thinking it might be a restaurant.)
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Retail News: Atlas Brew Works, District Dogs, Bebe, Shilling, Wells Fargo
Some new-ish retail items, in order of likely levels of reader ecstasy:
* ATLAS BREW WORKS: Ivy City's brewery/tap room Atlas Brew Works announced last week that it is coming to JBG's West Half building next year, where it will occupy 4,500 square feet mere steps away from the Nats Park Center Field Gate. The new space, double the size of the Ivy City location, will also have a kitchen and a "limited food program" along side its brewery and 12-draft-line tap room. Atlas is the second announced retail offering at the non-box-like West Half building, along with the previously announced Commons Restaurant and its bakery/breakfast operation Mah-Ze-Dahr.
* DISTRICT DOGS: The neighborhood's second-largest population gets a new retail offering in the coming days, as District Dogs has announced it will officially open its second full-service pet care facility in the ground floor of 1221 Van on Saturday, March 9. In a custom-built space that faces South Capitol Street just north of N, DD will offer daycare (with four separate playrooms), boarding, grooming, walking, sitting, and a "boutique retail shop." There will be an open house on Friday, March 8 from 5 to 9 pm, and services can be booked starting on the 9th.
* EL BEBE: A reminder that Circa's tequila-and-taco sibling El Bebe is opening this Tuesday, Feb. 26, on the southwest corner of 1st and M in the ground floor of the 99 M office building. Here's the menu, should you wish to peruse in advance.
* SHILLING PROGRESS: A reader passed along on Twitter photographic evidence that the Shilling Canning Company seems to at last be inching closer to opening in the ground floor of Arris, on Water Street across from District Winery. The placeholder web site says "Opening Spring 2019," and the restaurant is now hiring.
* WELLS FARGO COMING DOWN THE STREET: If your heart was broken last summer when Wells Fargo closed its branch in the ground floor of 20 M, you can now perk back up, because it was announced last week that a Wells Fargo "Express Center" will be coming to the ground floor of the aforementioned 99 M office building. With this, 99 M's retail space is fully leased.
 
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