I was recently made aware of a halfway house located at 2000 RI Ave NE. It is the corner of across from the 7-Eleven. Apparently, there are at least 5 individuals living there now.
Is this the redevelopment that is coming to Rhode Island Ave? Why isn’t everyone on the same page down at DC’s planning and zoning? Once I get more info, I will pass this along.
rhodeislandavene.com 
And what exactly is wrong with a half-way house? People in DC places like half way houses to get back on their feet. I would love to see development happen along the RI Ave NE corridor, but not at the expense of granting services to DC residents. I’ve got a home for autistic adults in my neighborhhod (Woodridge) and I’ve got no problem with them being there. What I woudl love the city to focus on is getting anice family style restaurant moved into the old Bubba MsCogee’s building, it actually has parking.
John,
A halfway house on a commercial strip along Rhode Island Ave that our Councilmember and the Mayor’s office are promoting as our Main Street doesn’t fit. The streetfront buildings are better left for commercial uses not residential housing. If they want a halfway house, it should be just that, a house in an area that is appropriate for residential dwellings.
Now, if they decide to build residential above street-level commercial, then that is fine. That location is a prime location for a business to move into, and not only that, businesses like to congregate in groups to increase foot traffic and passer-by generations. If you start mixing it up with residential here, commercial, then more residential, then you have business owners looking elsewhere.
I am happy that you support autistic adults, that is great. There is nothing inherently wrong with a halfway house either except this one caveat: residents should be made aware of its existence and at what level. Meaning, is it simply ex-cons who were in jail for robbery or assault or for a sexual crime? Trying to get it approved and started in a cloak of secrecy will only create anxiety and suspicions from residents. It’s about being a community and knowing who and what is coming to your neighborhood.
All that said, I do not think any residential should belong on the street-level areas of 20th Street through 24th Street along Rhode Island Avenue. I also think that these storefront churches should be limited, as well as, liquor stores. I hope that a good restaurant comes into Bubba’s and at least cleans it up and makes it look more presentable than Bubba’s did….it didn’t give the impression that good food was served there by its outside facade.
People have GOT to start thinking differently around here if they expect anything to change. If your idea of a nice “Main Street” area includes a halfway house, then I must be setting my bar quite a bit higher. I mean…I’m not expecting RIA NE to be Park Avenue, but I can remember a time where the Logan area was broken down and full of undesirables (drunks, prostitutes, druggies, etc) not all that long ago…and now it is THE “it” neighborhood in the city, full of new restaurants, shops, and nice housing. Businesses are not going to want to invest in an area where the storefronts around them aren’t going to help them draw in business. Furthermore, quality businesses aren’t going to move into an area where the residents don’t care what’s around.
I moved to this area because I saw its potential. I’ve seen what other areas in DC have done and I figured that this area had just as much potential to become a vibrant neighborhood like those. It’s going to take all of us doing our part to clean up this area to light the fire of change around here. That includes taking a stand against crime and letting our government leaders know that we want/deserve better for our community.
The location at 2000 RI Ave. NE falls within ANC 5A-10. Why wasn’t the Commissioner of the ANC aware of the halfway house moving in and contacted neighbors and concerned citizens? Former ANC Commissioners I know of have been aware of halfway houses being placed in neighborhoods and taken steps to get approval/disapproval from the residents.
Is there an official non-profit group in charge of Main Street on RI Avenue? When do they meet and what are their plans for the corridor? Whether it’s the city or these local groups, they need to get the residents and concerned citizens involved so that they can support these business development projects.