EEK Brought on as Lead Architect for McMillan Site
The first generation.
As plans for the McMillan sand filtration site have sat on the shelf, and a new battery of studies gets underway, the Vision McMillan development team has quietly hired a new master planner to knit the vast site together. Ehrenkrantz, Eckstut and Kuhn, an unspellable architecture firm based out of New York with offices in D.C., will also serve as the primary interface with the community. The guy in charge, Matthew Bell, has done several projects in the area: master plans for George Washington University and the Armed Forces Retirement Home, as well as the just-opened Deanwood Community Center and Library.
I say "quietly" because Jair Lynch and EYA, the two major players in the deal, have not returned repeated calls for comment. A representative of the Lessard Group, the architectural firm that's been with the project from the beginning, says that they would continue to be involved on the residential elements of the development, and that even more firms may be brought on to design other parts of the 25-acre site. It's unclear at this point how much money the city will be kicking in to help pay the bills.
9:55 am
i'm curious as to their intentions with transit. current bus lines inadequately serve this site. that streetcar line may never happen, and First street will become a parking lot. a new north /south transit option is a must. this is an amazing piece of land, with beautiful views of the capitol, the cathedral and the washington monument. higher floors will also have a view of the national shrine. i hope there is a way for the public to experience its development without having to pay a lot of money. they want neighborhood buy in? what's in it for the neighborhood? how about a public park on the rooftops? maybe with a food and beverage kiosks, places to grill, etc... they would have buy-in.
9:48 am
First Street already is a parking lot during shift changes at the Hospital Center. Without a transportation solution for the four existing hospitals (Children's, Veterans, Rehab, and Wash Hospital Center), the identity of the designer doesn't matter. This entire process is currently being driven by the EYA Jair Lynch people who have paid the politicians and now want their payback. These wealthy out-of-town developers are desperately trying to complete the transfer of ownership of this public property for their own private profits. Where is the study showing how Bloomingdale basements will cope when 25 acres of sand reservoirs are replaced with asphalt, concrete and buildings, which will dump hundreds of thousands of gallons of water into an already overburdened sewer system? What is the city's response to the question of why they are ignoring existing historic designation laws? Why are the developers being allowed to withhold studies that have been undertaken? (The McMillen Park folks have had to sue to get information, as though this was a Dept of Defense weapons project) Why were the developers "pre-selected" rather than allowing for an open competition for ideas that could benefit the neighborhood and taxpayers? No plan can be considered comprehensive without incorporating the reservoir. Why not include a jogging/biking trail that surrounds the reservoir and the 25 acre property? The answer to all of these questions is that the developer is calling the shots and all they want to do is maximize their profits by maximizing the square footage. This means going as vertical as possible and minimizing park space, which they cannot re-sell. Yes, I said re-sell. At the heart of this corrupt deal is a clause in the draft of the deal that would allow Bethesda-based EYA to re-sell any and all property once the deal is passed.
If you want a world-class solution to this valuable space, support an international competition and invite the world's most talented architects to provide a vision that incorporates the unique attributes of this space-- a 25 acre canvas, unfettered views of the U.S. Capitol and Mall, the water feature of the untreated reservoir and a park for Childrens Hospital, U.S. veterans and all of those who work and visit the four hospitals, and the taxpayers of Ward 5 who own this property and have been treated with contempt throughout this corrupt process.
4:06 pm
Dear Mr. McKinnon,
It is obvious that you have your facts wrong; the developers are local and are in DC. For the traffic situation are you aware of the Stage 3 Cable cars that will connect CUA all the way to AU/Tenlytown? As for the water run off, do you think that all the concrete cells on the site are doing anything right now to help the storm water run off. The site after it is developed will provide better water seepage into the ground than we currently have along with additions to the infrastructure of the combined sewer system. As for the historical aspects, this is not a National Historic Site, but rather a DC designation; there are big differences between them. I have been receiving completed studies on the site so you again are very misinformed. As for McMillan Park committee's lawsuit it is without merit and was filed a while back and no word from them on it, because what they were requesting was outrageous and frivolous. The developers were selected via an RFP and it was a very public process so you are misinformed again. As for opening the reservoir, that most likely will not happen as it is a security issue and that must be dealt with the Federal Government and the ACE; not DC. It's federal property and it's a backup in case of emergency.
As for you words on re-sell yes it's is set up so that the Developer can get others involved in developing the site in potential 8 different sections as opposed to one developer doing the entire project. That is the one phase you picked out of context. As for the park space, it's one third public space, 1/3 commercial and 1/3 residential, that's not what you are suggesting which again is misinformed.
As for you harsh comments on corruption, I would suggest that you look to those that have informed you and corrupted your mind and opinions. It is these individuals that are not serving the interests of Ward 5 or DC.
I suggest you attend the MAG meetings and the public meetings coming up instead of relying on Mr. Mansouri, his outrageous propaganda and threats; also be aware of the McMillan Park Committee and its tactics. Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear, and you might gain some perspective to come up with you on onion.