As we slide into the New Year's weekend, I'm bringing 2006 to a close with a pile of new photos. The most comprehensive update would be on my Department of Transportation HQ page, with updated photos from almost every angle, including the not-yet-open-to-the-public views from the south side of the project, along Tingey Street. And I had a lovely time on Christmas Eve morning being briefly detained by security and then escorted off the premises, so I hope you appreciate my sacrifice. I also updated all the 20 M Street shots, as workers have switched into a high gear to have the building ready for a Spring 2007 delivery. The demolition work on the last Capper block has brought some new photos to the Capper Apartments page (updated since yesterday), and my wanderings around the Capper footprint made me also add some new shots to the Capitol Quarter page and even at the bottom of the main Capper/Carrollsburg Overview page. Then I had to go take a few new Nationals ballpark shots (yes, new just since Christmas Eve). Then, because I never want to be accused of ignoring a construction site, I've even posted fabulously exciting pictures of the excavated holes at 70/100 I and 100 M/Onyx. And sprinkled two new M Street images, too. The beloved icon is your guide to all the latest, of course. And I hope to have another big update early in 2007 with some new overhead shots, once the Capper demolition is complete. In the meantime, enjoy this overwhelming bounty.

With no debate, the four Near Southeast alley closing bills that have been snaking their way through the DC legislative process in 2006 were passed at today's city council session, with both emergency and permanent bills being passed (emergency bills allow the statutes to take effect immediately, allowing the closings to be considered law as the permanent bills await mayoral and congressional approval). To recap, this batch included the closing of alleys on the west side of Square 701 between M, N, Cushing, and Half (at Monument Realty's 55 M Street site); the closing of alleys and the creation of streets named 2nd Place, 3rd Place, and an official designation of a portion of L Street, all part of the Capitol Quarter footprint; the closing of alleys and the eventual reopening of H and I streets between 2nd and New Jersey to make way for W.C. Smith's 1-million-sq-ft mixed-use project at 800 New Jersey; and finally the closing of alleys on the east side of Square 700 (between Half, Van, M, and N), where Monument will eventually add to their Half Street domination. That makes seven Near Southeast alley closings and street changes put on the books in 2006, when you include the stadium street closings, the Willco land on the east side of Square 701 (M, N, Cushing, and 1st) and the Square 743N west-side alley closings that allowed the start of construction on the 100 M Street office building and the Onyx on First residential tower. There's one more potential alley closing wandering around out there somewhere, and that's for Lerner's 1000 South Capitol Street office building; representatives came before ANC 6D way back in April, but (believe it or not!) a squabble broke out about an acceptable community benefits package in return for the ANC's report, and nothing's been heard on this since.

The was a ceremonial groundbreaking today at Onyx on First, the 266-unit residential tower at 1st and L streets scheduled for delivery in 2008. Just-Minutes-Away-From-Being-Mayor Fenty was in attendance, as were representatives of Faison Enterprises and Canyon-Johnson Urban Funds (I had thought that maybe Magic himself might be in attendance, but we had to settle for Screech, the Nats mascot). A few photos of the ceremony are at the bottom of my Onyx on First page. UPDATE: Here's the WashTimes piece on the groundbreaking and the project.

Faison Enterprises and Canyon-Johnson Urban Funds are holding a ceremonial groundbreaking (with Most-Likely-To-Be Mayor Fenty in attendance) for the Onyx on First residential project, on Nov. 1 at 10:00 am. This is the 260-unit residential building at 1100 First Street SE; the project will also "include a rooftop pool, underground parking, a fitness center, an outdoor courtyard, a game room, and great views of the city from the upper floors. Condos will range from studios to 2-bedrooms, and prices are anticipated to start in the upper $200s." UPDATE: Here's a GlobeSt.com blurb on the project.

A web site has been launched for the 260-unit residential building at 1st and L, which I've been referring to as 1100 First Street but which has been dubbed Onyx on First. Not much in the way of actual information there, but there is a registration form to fill out. (And I hope people who aren't in-the-know about Near Southeast aren't baffled by the "Ballpark Metro" references, since there's no station with that name, of course.) This is the project being developed jointly by Faison and the Canyon-Johnson Urban Fund (Magic Johnson being the "Johnson" part of that).

There's not much in it that oh-so-informed visitors to this site don't already know, but here's a brief from Commercial Property News about the start of construction at 100 M Street. The only tidbit in it that's new to me is that CB Richard Ellis will be handling the marketing and leasing.

Speaking of taking pictures, I've added some ones to my 100 M Street, 1100 First Street, Capper Seniors #2, and M Street photo galleries. 1100 First in particular has some striking before-and-afters now that trees have been removed along 1st and L streets. I also did some creative cropping of a Sept. 2000 photo of M Street to document (barely!) a solitary rowhouse that used to stand on the 100 M Street lot (where those steps-to-nowhere just west of the alley had been for the past few years, until meeting the wrecking ball over the past few weeks).

Not a huge update, but with demolition having now brought down all the buildings on the 1100 First Street site, I added a few pictures of the new streetscape to the page.

Thanks to the reappearance of the sun, I was able to take a pile of photos this weekend. It'll take me a bit to get them onto the site, so for now here's pictures of the results of the demolition at the 100 M Street site, which took down the On Luck Cafeteria, the Zohery Bus Tours garage, and some long-abandoned brick townhomes. Demolition will continue this week on that site, to clear the 1100 First Street portion of the block.

Hat tip to reader Erik, who reports in this morning that demolition has begun at the 100 M Street/1100 First Street site. These two projects are by different developers but being constructed concurrently (it's always so nice to see kids sharing on the playground!). 100 M, by Opus East, will be a 240,000-sq-ft office building with about 13,000 sq ft of ground-floor retail, and 1100 First, by Faison, will be a 266-unit residential building. Delivery is expected in late 2008. Another big big change to M Street and the North of M area begins.... UPDATE: As of Wednesday evening, the old Zohery Bus garage is now a pile of rubble. Will get pictures posted within a day or two (I may not be able to wait for a sunny day, as is my usual preference). UPDATE II: On Friday, the On Luck cafeteria met the wrecking ball. And I'm still hoping the sun may be seen once again.