Posts Tagged ‘ne

21
Mar
13

RIA is about to Get Caffeinated

By rhodeislandinsider 8 Comments
Categories: Redevelopment
Tags: , , , , , ,

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

Image

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!)

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22
Jun
12

Rhode Island Row Grand Opening

By rhodeislandinsider 17 Comments
Categories: Life on RIA and Redevelopment
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

The new mixed use development called Rhode Island Row had its grand opening yesterday (Thursday, June 21) and the neighborhood turned out to enjoy some great food from Carolina Kitchen, great locally brewed beer from DC Brau, and even greater company (the Friends of RIA were well represented in their t-shirts).  The new development, already with an open CVS, will also include a Carolina Kitchen, a Chipotle, and many other retailers. Residents are already living in the residential units above the retail spaces and many could be seen enjoying the live music of the grand opening party from their balconies all around the pool area.

Below are some pictures from the event that we found on Twitter…if you attended and have more, send them to the Insider so we can include them!

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17
Nov
10

How many WalMarts Can Fit In DC? **Updated

By rhodeislandinsider 8 Comments
Categories: Redevelopment
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

***UPDATE***

According to an article on Wal-Mart’s DC-specific website, the company is planning on four new stores by 2012 within DC. All of the stores will have full grocery components to them and be between 80,000 to 120,000 sq ft stores. The locations slated for these locations are:

801 New Jersey Avenue NW in Ward 6; Georgia and Missouri Avenue NW in Ward 4; and East Capitol Street and 58th Street in Capitol Heights in Ward 7, and the last one being proposed for Ward 5 at New York Ave and Bladensburg Road. 

Of course, there will be people who oppose these developments and according to the Washington Business Journal:

“All four sites are zoned for mixed-use and would require few, if any, zoning approvals. It is unclear whether Wal-Mart is asking for any taxpayer assistance, but the company is launching a public relations offensive, asking its supporters to “help get the word out about the benefits.”

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The answer apparently is less than 10.

According to chatter among the Councilmembers in DC, Wal-Mart is eyeing to bring in multiple Wal-Mart stores into the District with Ward 5 and Ward 7 leading the way. Councilmember Yvette Alexander started the twitter-fest. The stores being considered for DC are much smaller than the average Supercenter that Wal-Mart builds (150,000-200,000 square feet). Instead, they plan to build stores starting at around 80,000-90,000 sq ft according to Councilmember Tommy Well’s tweet in response.

Walmart’s coming to DC.

As for the Ward 5 Wal-Mart store, the current proposal is slated for the area off of New York Avenue NE and Montana Ave NE. There are a lot of issues that will come with this proposal especially with concerns to traffic already being a headache along New York Ave throughout the day and not just during the peak hours of travel (which is when they will most likely conduct the traffic counts).

28
Oct
10

Stadium Club and DC Star

By rhodeislandinsider 4 Comments
Categories: Redevelopment
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

There has been a lot of things going on in regards to the two clubs along Queens Chapel Road, NE. The first issue revolves around how the Stadium Club received permission to locate there after claiming not to be a sexually-oriented business. The second is the ABC License renewal for the nightclub, DC Star.

I received this press release from the Ward 5 Improvement Association. Apparently there is some very interesting issues coming to light in regards to how this strip club became to be in Ward 5 near RIA.

Ward 5 Improvement Association

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OCTOBER 28, 2010

CONTACT: Don Padou

(202) 832-4038, cell: (209) 728-4407

don.padou@yahoo.com

BZA Holds Hearing on Spread of Red Light District in Ward Five

Washington DC —The Board of Zoning Adjustment held a hearing yesterday on whether strip clubs are “sexually oriented businesses” under DC regulations. The Board’s decision is due December 7 and will determine if a red light district is allowed to spread in Ward Five.

The hearing was the result of an appeal brought by the Ward Five Improvement Association, which challenged the Stadium Club’s Certificate of Occupancy issued by the DC Zoning Administrator. The Stadium Club is a strip club that opened at 2127 Queens Chapel Road NE in April 2010.

The Association presented evidence that the Stadium Club provides lap dances and that strippers engage in sexual fondling in exchange for payment from customers inside private “champagne rooms.” James Redding, an owner of the establishment, said customers pay $600 per hour to spend time with a stripper in the 8’ x 6’ private rooms.

Matthew LeGrant, the Zoning Administrator, testified that he determined the Stadium Club was not a “sexually oriented business” based on a review of the architectural drawings and a promise from the owner of the establishment.

“The Zoning Administrator didn’t do his job,” said Don Padou, President of the Ward 5 Improvement Association. “He is required to investigate before issuing a certificate of occupancy, but he did nothing of the sort. He simply took the owner at his word. Mr. LeGrant never once visited the establishment or even looked at its website.” Mr. LeGrant provided the Stadium Club with expedited, personal service by approving the Stadium Club’s certificate of occupancy the same day the application was submitted.

Mr. LeGrant also testified that his staff “made a mistake” when they put a hold on the building permit for another strip club in the same area, Club AKA 555 at 2046 West Virginia Ave NE. Mr. LeGrant said that he was reversing the hold and would allow the building permit to be issued so the strip club could renovate and open its doors.

“The Zoning Administrator is willfully looking the other way on this one,” said Mr. Padou. “These strip clubs are sexually oriented businesses and they are the last thing we need in Ward 5.”

I find it interesting, if true, that LeGrant could not see clearly what the Stadium Club’s intention was unless the owners falsely presented themselves to him. Getting approval at the time of submission, if true, is suspect beyond measure.

In regards to DC Star (the club next to Stadium Club) has a liquor license renewal hearing coming up on December 20, 2010. If you would like to testify on this ABC renewal license, you must register by 12/06/2010. This blog will post further details in the near future on this process.

I have heard from a lot of residents in the area that have concerns on both of these night clubs. Majority of these residents live close to the area and are constantly battling the trash and loud noises from having these clubs so close to their neighborhood and homes.

07
Dec
09

The money is coming…

By rhodeislandinsider 10 Comments
Categories: Redevelopment
Tags: , , , ,

…by means of tax increment financing (TIF). Before the Council is a proposed revision of the 2004 Retail Incentive Act which will designate Rhode Island Avenue NE, along with various other areas in the City, as Priority Retail Areas.

YES! Rhode Island Avenue is part of this. It is slated to get no more than $15 million in TIF monies to aid in redevelopment. The Act is in its 3rd reading before the Council. Here is the Wikipedia definition of TIF:

Tax Increment Financing, or TIF, is a public financing method which has been used for redevelopment and community improvement projects in many countries including the United States for more than 50 years. With federal and state sources for redevelopment generally less available, TIF has become an often-used financing mechanism for municipalities. Similar or related approaches are used elsewhere in the world.

Here are the areas mapped out that will receive the funding for Rhode Island Avenue NE.

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