Mixed-use Development and a Bike Trail, Too: Rhode Island Avenue-Brentwood is Looking Up
In 2012, the station's flat parking lot should look like this (image from DC Metrocentric).
The Rhode Island Ave.-Brentwood metro stop has some dubious distinctions. According to WMATA’s February Safety and Security report, it’s one of the ten most dangerous stations in the system. Situated behind a shopping center full of big-box stores and a sprawling parking lot, its entry point is the south side of busy Rhode Island Avenue. Narrow sidewalks and formidable staircases make exiting the station so difficult that many choose instead to hop the fence and electrified CSX railroad tracks that lay behind it. On top of everything else, it's just not very attractive. As Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas said, "The nation's oldest highway deserves better."
So, things are changing. Bozzuto Construction broke ground on that sprawling parking lot on Saturday, May 1 to begin a mixed-use development that will include 274 residential units, 65,000 square feet of retail space and a 215-vehicle multi-level parking facility. On the same day, the Coalition for Smarter Growth and representatives from DDOT and Bethesda-based Urban Atlantic Development hosted an informative walking tour of the area to discuss its eventual transformation.
It all sounds pretty good from a transit-oriented development standpoint. Urban Atlantic's Caroline Kenney told the crowd—a healthy mix of neighborhood officials, community residents, and local bloggers—that the "main street"-esque, tree-lined project would allow 7,000 square feet to local businesses and 20% of housing to below-median-income residents. General contractor Bozzuto's work should take about 27 months in total, but retailers should begin to move in in about a year and a half.
DDOT Representative and Bicycle Program Specialist Heather Deustch showed off the swath of the new Metropolitan Branch Trail that runs behind the metro station. The trail covers eight miles between Union Station and Silver Spring, allowing bikers and pedestrians to bypass Florida, New York, and Rhode Island Avenues—some of the most dangerous and trickiest thoroughfares to navigate.
More than a few bikers rode by on the trail, to the applause of the assembled group. Most looked confused at the attention, but one gave us a salutary fist pump of approval.
2:26 pm
When you say residential units, is that condo or rental? And if I move in, does that count as gentrification or am I just another minority?
2:42 pm
The story was very interesting till I got to the part that the CXS railroad has electrified rails, Not a true fact. The railroad is not electrified at the point where pedestrians cross
2:57 pm
Native,
They were supposed to be condos, but are now going to be rentals. However, there are a number of deals to be had in the neighborhood as far as condos go. Specifically, there are several very nice flips of apartment buildings to condos (some rowhouse-style if you prefer that, some larger buildings that look a little more like apartment/condo developments) in the Brentwood area (behind the old Brentwood Rd. DMV) and in the Edgewood area (Evarts St. hosts several new conversions). There are also a number of affordable flipped houses. Most condos and houses feature yards and parking, which is a refreshing change from most of the city. Beware of foreclosures, in these cases, the original developers tried to ride the housing boom, didn't really update the buildings, and they're poorly laid out, have little to no design elements, don't feature any niceties, and are overpriced for what they are.
Despite the area's reputation, most parts are overwhelmingly families that have been in the area for generations, retired people, and new residents. If you're considering it, run a crime report on the specific area first (for example, the area where I live has almost no crime, but you go 5 blocks north and that is not the case, so you need to check). And don't get too far from a Metro, that's where things can get a little sketchy (ala NY/FL Aves.).
You won't be seen as a gentrifier, yet. I'm surprised at the fact that we don't get any flack from the neighbors about raising their property taxes and requiring the few scofflaws in the area to clean up their act (DPW is surprisingly responsive to "junk in the alley" and "unkempt yard" calls), but I imagine that will change as DC's semi-affordable housing stock continues to decline.
3:55 pm
More stupid bike trails like the one that Lord Fenty proposed down the middle of Pennsylvania Ave. This arrogant son of a bitch was told by D. and the AAA that this will cause large traffic problems. God I can't waite till this PRICK is voted-out!
4:18 pm
How exactly is the Metropolitan Branch Trail a problem, Rick? It doesn't interfere with traffic in the least (totally separate from all roads). Perhaps you should move to a car-friendlier place. I hear LA is nice and smoggy.
4:44 pm
'Mrs. D', I am talking about PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE! what the hell are you talking about?
5:25 pm
I'm talking about your apparent hatred for all bike trails ("More stupid bike trails like the one..."). PA Ave. is typically not that busy (orders of magnitude less busy than many other streets, such as C St. or 14th St. for example). The bike lanes on PA Ave. will be done shortly, I'll laugh at your fuming (for the record, I do not ride bikes, but they're significantly less of a threat to me, as a pedestrian, than cars, and I think the fact that drivers - WHO ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY LIVE OUTSIDE OF THE DISTRICT - get their panties in a wad about the fact that bikes are accommodated in the city).
11:11 pm
The Hood Reporter: Re: Electrified tracks: Thanks for the correction. I'm not familiar with CSX specifics and they weren't delved into at the walking tour.
However, Heather Deustch of DDOT stated that several pedestrians (kids, I think), had gotten stuck in barbed wire, and also injured on live tracks around the station. This NCPC doc (link here: http://www.ncpc.gov/DocumentDepot/Actions_Recommendations/2007May/DHS_TSA_Security_Cameras_CSX_del_6740_May2007.pdf) indicates that live switching tracks are, if not immediately behind the metro station, very close to it.
12:57 pm
'Mrs.D' I do hate the MAJORITY of bicyclist because they are arrogant assholes who don't observe traffic laws and the right of way to pedestrians, even in cross walks. I guess you are more of an expert than d. and the MPD and AAA who say that there is going to be a major problem with this dumb ass idea, RIGHT?
2:20 pm
AAA is a car-promoting lobby. Of course they don't want people riding bikes, they don't make $100+ per year off of those people so that they don't have to fix their own flat tires. At least getting bikes onto the street, in a designated lane, contains the offenders. The idiot bikers whose wheels I would love to jam are those riding on the sidewalks downtown at rush hour. And as someone who walks PA Ave. EVERY DAY between 14th NW and Capitol Hill, I do consider myself kind of an expert on the stretch. I've driven it on occasion, too, and it's really not that busy. I've spent longer in traffic/seen much more traffic on any number of roads, during rush hour and not (off the top of my head...17th St. NE/SE, 4th St. NE/SE, 14th St. NW (basically the whole length of it), U St., E. Capitol St., NY Ave., FL Ave., Mass. Ave., 395, 495, 66, B-W Parkway, G-W Parkway, etc.).
2:21 pm
I should also note that 4th St. NE/SE, which I lived by for years, has a bike lane and that never seemed to interfere with the MUCH heavier traffic.