Near Southeast makes the front page of the Post on Friday with "The Last Handshake Deal", a long feature on colorful real estate investor Marty Chernoff and other men who bought land in the area years back and are now cashing out. (As an example, Chernoff bought the trash transfer station at 70 I Street for $800,000 in 1988, and sold it last year for $35.9 million.) The print version also has a huge fabulous half-page graphic with a map of the neighborhood (centered mainly on the North of M area) with nine stunning and brilliant photos of streetscapes along 1st, K, L, and M streets. (Yes, they're my photos.) The Post's web site has an interactive version of the graphic, which is a nice companion to their interactive map of all of Near Southeast (which has been updated with six months' worth of new information). And if you're visiting here for the first time as a result of the Post story, welcome to Near Southeast, and try not to be too scared by all that this site contains.

From the AP: "Officials from the District and Major League Baseball worked late Thursday hammering out negotiations for a lease on a Nationals baseball stadium. [...] Williams has said he hopes to have something top present to the council Friday. That's the deadline to schedule a vote on Feb. 7. But Williams spokesman Vince Morris says even if there's no deal by then, officials could try for a deal by next Friday and a Feb. 14 vote."

For those wondering if the Capper/Carrollsburg ("Capitol Quarter") townhome development would ever get moving.... Today 143 building permit applications were filed with the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs for addresses in the eastern half of the Capper land. The applications cover lots for all the areas between 4th and 5th streets where the old Capper buildings have already been demolished, plus the triangular sliver of land along Virginia Avenue. As for when shovels will go in the ground, who knows. And sales aren't expected to begin until summer. I just read somewhere that 100 of these will be market-rate, and 40 will be "workforce housing", but for the life of me I can't find the link. Will keep searching. UPDATE: Duh, it's on the Capitol Quarter page itself. I've got to get new glasses.