Archive Page 2

23
Mar
13

New Chuck Brown Park Design

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The City held another meeting on the proposed Chuck Brown Memorial Park at the Center of Aging today. The meeting was to unveil their new concept for the Park and pavilion. Here is the old plan and concept of the pavilion:

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The new concept, which will have only 200 seats and much more greenery and open space is below:

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What do you think?

10:27 am The new park’s seating has been reduced by more than 40%. The concept will resemble a Roman amphitheater. The playground area is to remain as is.

10:29 am The entire height of the Pavilion will stand 26′ high with the Tower being the highest point, nine feet higher than the pavilion itself.

10:33 am Concerns about sound from the Amphitheater by area neighbors was answered with “the sound ordinances will be enforced”. There will not be restrooms built because they cannot be maintained and for potential drug issues. They will provide a “restroom pad”. Users of the Amphitheater will be responsible for bringing in Porto-potties, their own lighting and equipment.

Parking and security will need to be part of the permit process.

10:40 am “the goal is to not have big events here….but I don’t know that honestly”

10:42 am Jon Mandel: “the city has negotiated with a local church to use their parking lots during events.”

10:43 am The scape will block line of sight of MPD to see into the park, which they currently have. Concern over security. Also concern about the huge morals of Chuck Brown. “I don’t want to have to look at a huge moral everyday” – resident

Response on MPD line of sight is that they are spacing scape enough for police to see through and mesh design will allow to see “shadows”

Photo of morals and tower:

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10:50 am The Mayor ignoring residents concerns borders on the “line of scandal” using tax payer money for something like the Pavilion. “It can be a memorial for Chuck Brown but without pavilion and amphitheater”.

“It isn’t about go-go music, I don’t want to hear music all the time.”

10:55 am “quality of life of residents has not been addressed. This isn’t a racial issue.”

10:57 am City official basically says that this new pavilion is the only way to clean up the park.

10:58 am “We have 600 children homeless in this City…the Mayor is running a dictatorship….I’m sick of it…. If Mayor wants it, put it in his backyard,” says 57 year resident.

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22
Mar
13

RIA Insider Turns Four!

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************Let us know your thoughts on how you found the Insider and if it has been helpful over the last four years!! ************

Tomorrow, March 23, the Rhode Island Insider will celebrate it’s fourth birthday. I am so proud of what this blog and its readers have done to help amplify and start the conversation of revitalizing RIA NE.

My partner and I moved to the Woodridge area of RIA NE, living one block in from the Avenue’s Main Street, because we loved the potential of what it could become. For more than a year of not really having anywhere to meet our neighbors, engage the City in a meaningful conversation about bringing economic development to RIA NE, or holding our elected officials to account for paying attention to what was suppose to be the “Diamond of the District”, we bought our domain name and got started to get the conversation going with this first blog post on March 23, 2009.

The Rhode Island Insider has been home to bringing information of new businesses, happenings, and efforts to revitalize the Avenue to the area. We have grown to have more than 300-400 visitors on a daily basis (even more when I get around to posting something new), and nearly 800 followers on Twitter and nearly 350 likes on Facebook.

But it wasn’t just the conversations. Back in the summer of 2011, me, my partner (Daniel), Stephanie Liotta Atkinson, Sara and Garret Thayer, and James Holloway, connected through this blog and agreed to meet to discuss how we can make a difference offline. From that initial meeting at San Antonio’s Restaurant, the Friends of RIA NE (FoRIA) was formed. Starting out as a grassroots neighborhood group, it has grown to become a non-profit organization with hundreds of members. And yes, it is still a organization focused on the same ideals that this blog started with: revitalize RIA NE from the grassroots level. (and you wonder why I like that organization so much on this blog! :-) ) If you aren’t a member yet, you should be!! They are one of the main reasons so many great things are opening up on the Avenue today!

From DC UrbanTurf article: “The activism found a forum on the Rhode Island Insider blog, which attracted readers who saw the potential of the neighborhood and were anxious to see it realized sooner rather than later. Commenters kept chiming in to ask when things would change, said Atkinson, and eventually they decided to meet in person. “There was no concentrated voice of neighbors saying ‘this needs to happen’, so we started Friends of Rhode Island Avenue (FoRIA),” remembers Atkinson.”

The energy and enthusiasm since 2009 to today has been tremendous and it is because residents and readers like yourselves are talking, engaging, and continuing the conversation about an Avenue we can all enjoy! From the bottom of my heart, thank  you for the support and continued reading/comments of this blog!! (and for letting me know when I’ve gotten lazy and I haven’t posted something in a while….)

For four years, we have had some great conversations with all of you and many of you have become some great friends. I look forward to the next four years and beyond! So much great stuff happening along the Avenue!

Best,

Greg

21
Mar
13

RIA is about to Get Caffeinated

Rhode Island Ave NE is about to be jolted with some great news!

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Rendering courtesy of Zekes Coffee

Zeke’s Coffee of DC is planning a new “Roastery and Coffee Lab” for the 2300 block of Rhode Island Ave NE. Zeke’s, which got it’s start roasting beans and selling coffee in 2005 in Baltimore, MD, is a family-owned business and a member of that family, John Kepner, who is a local resident, has been managing the DC-side of the business. John decided to open this new location to fulfill the wholesale side of his DC operations and to experiment with new flavors and mixes of coffee, hence the “coffee lab” concept. The rear part of the shop will be where John and his team will roast and blend beans, bag them, and prepare for shipment (added bonus: they will offer tours so folks can learn how the process works)… but no worries, local coffee lovers, because the front 2/3 of the shop will be retail, a coffee bar, and seating (counter and bar stools) so you can pick up your favorite flavor of bean, try samples of the coffee, or just go all in with a cup of Zeke’s and enjoy it on site. In fact, they are planning to have outdoor seating so folks can enjoy their coffee while watching the world flow by.

Zeke’s will feature between 40-50 varieties of coffee, which you can sample in store, or show up on most Saturdays to enjoy the “coffee lab” where you can sample new concept blends not available to the public. This is what will make Zeke’s stand out from other coffee shops and RIA NE is proud to have them here!

John and his team are excited about this new opportunity along the Avenue, and credits the fact that the engaged neighborhood (and having local friends) helped convince him that this location was the right one. The shop’s operating hours have not been determined yet but John mentioned that it will depend on the neighborhood. In other words, more demand, more coffee time.

So get ready…. Zeke’s Coffee is aiming for an early summer opening!

(side note fact: John’s grandfather used to repair/fix coffee roasters for a living, and because their family was so big, his grandfather used to call everyone “Zeke”…now you know where the name comes from and how the family honor’s their grandfather!)

18
Mar
13

RIA NE Gets Density

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Courtesy of UrbanTurf.com

Rhode Island Ave NE is getting some density…on the Maryland side of the border. In the midst of Mt. Rainer’s Gateway Arts and Entertainment District, Landex Companies will develop a six-story mixed use development, with retail on the ground floor and residential above. In total, it will be 17,000 square feet and located at 3807 Rhode Island Ave, Brentwood.

Check out more from UrbanTurf.com.

16
Mar
13

Pizza on the Avenue

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Photo courtesy of Manny and Olga’s

It seems that Rhode Island Ave’s “Main Street” is about to get its own pizza place soon. Manny and Olga’s Pizza is announcing their intention of opening a shop 2117 RIA NE. Their website says that they already have 14 locations in the DC Metro area, including H Street, 14th Street, and Georgetown. Their menu boasts pizza, subs, calzones, wings, and much more. And, they deliver.

So, how good is a Manny and Olga’s? The Yelp reviews are kind of all over the place but mainly in the low rating category. Maybe Manny or Olga can expect nothing but 4-5 star ratings with this new location? Let’s hope so.

Do you have your own experience with a Manny and Olga’s Pizza? If so, let us know!

28
Feb
13

Cool Off from the Cold With Ritas

Friday (March 1) may be a balmy 48 degrees but don’t sweat it….

Rita's Italian Ice on Rhode Island.Rita’s Italian Ice will be open for business for its 2013 season!! Some come on down and enjoy some Rita’s and support a RIA business!

26
Feb
13

Your Help Is Requested To Get RIA Funded!

The Friends of RIA are not letting the 2014 DC budget go idly by and hope that RIA gets some of it. They are going on the offensive. This morning, I, along with the rest of FoRIA’s membership received the following email:

RIA LetterThe email points out that Mayor Gray will soon send the 2014 budget to the DC Council soon and asks that you send an email to the Mayor to ask him to include the following for RIA:

  • Grant Programs to support new and existing small businesses
  • Streetscape improvements
  • Transportation options
  • Funding for the Retail Incentive Amendment Act

The email directs readers to click on a link to send the letter, which reads:

Mayor Vincent C. Gray
1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC
20004

Dear Mayor Gray,

I write to you urging you to include Rhode Island Avenue NE in your budget plans for Fiscal Year 2014.

We would like grant programs for new and existing businesses, infrastructure improvements to the streetscape and funding for the Retail Incentive Amendment Act, which creates a retail priority area along RIA.

Sincerely,

Your Name

Want to help and send a letter? It’s as easy as just entering your name and address. Try it out here!




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