1/24/03: WBJ confirms that Benetton will open two stores this spring in former Janus space at Conn Ave & R: a "women's-only Benetton and a Sisley store, which sells 60% men's clothing and 40% women's clothing." Also says "a deal for a restaurant is pending." See "Dupont movie theater gives way to Benetton, restaurant," http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2003/01/13/newscolumn7.html WP says restaurant David Greggory to open at 2030 M St in April. See 2nd half of "The Weekly Dish," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21715-2003Jan21.html WT reviewed bistro in One Washington Circle Hotel. See "Atmosphere most impressive part of Circle Bistro," http://www.washingtontimes.com/weekend/20030123-24606106.htm MW profiles The Cairo. See "High Times: A Brief History of 17th Street’s Tallest Resident," http://www.metroweekly.com/feature/?ak=295 WBJ profiles Mobil station at 22nd & P. See "In D.C. even a gas station can have 'dignity and stature'," http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2003/01/13/focus7.html Current says P St Bridge renovation to begin in March, lasting 14 months. Exposed-pebble concrete sidewalks will be replaced with concrete stamped in brick patterns, which as far as I'm concerned looks awful, and is the wood-grain paneling of the new millenium. ANC 2B voted to support naming section of 21st St between Mass Ave & Q after Kivie Kaplan on behalf of Religious Action Center. InTowner reviews background of conflict over Burton- Marinkovich gallery's plan to open at 1629 21st St. See "Art Gallery’s “Special Exception” Application Re-ignites 1988 Dupont Circle Zoning Battle," http://www.intowner.com/fr/issue/stories/story1.htm BZA approved the application on January 14. See "Through Addition, Phillips Sees an Answer to Its Needs," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A7091-2003Jan17.html New consignment shop Fufua at 1642 R St. NBC reported on Jan 19 gun attack at 20th & N: sources said that "the two were in a car near Dupont Circle when another man opened the door and started shooting. See "Two People Shot Near Dupont Circle: Police Look For Suspect," http://www.nbc4.com/news/1918635/detail.html See report on Jan 15 fire at 1617 21st St: "District of Columbia Firefighters Battle Pre-Dawn Two Alarm Blaze," http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/article.jsp?id=3857§ionId=46 See also "Man Dies Two Days After Fire: Three Others Hurt In Fire," http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/article.jsp?id=4134§ionId=46 See "The Year in Review for DCCA (2002)," http://www.dupont-circle.com/dcca/news.htm Health Bar hopes to open by Results February 4. Will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus smoothies, frozen cosmopolitans, and Capitol City beers. Also has nifty rainbow-colored kinetic light display. CakeLove will open the Love Cafe across the street at NW corner 15th & U; opening hopefully in late March. New furniture store coming to former Black Cat space, at 1831 14th St. Muléh, which has an existing store in Bethesda, expects to open DC location this March. See http://www.muleh.com/ WP's Forgey reviews 15th St's Post Mass Ave. See "On Massachusetts, Curving Away From the Apartment Block," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8526-2003Jan3.html See "Cocktails are Forever: Pretend you're 007 in Hotel Helix's sexy, slightly naughty lounge," http://www.cultureflux.com/issues/01162003/helix.html See site for residences at 1320 13th St, now being completed: http://www.icon-lofts.com/ Jim Graham reports "the Ellington mural has been removed for safe keeping. It will be reinstalled in its entirety on the PWF/True Reformer building. In addition, there will be plans considered for a new mural in the remaining space." Michael Gould says approximately 20% of Admams Morgan business owners have signed up to form a BID. 51% is needed to start. See http://www.adamsmorganonline.com/ Idle Time bookstore now open at 2467 18th St. Josh Gibson reports Galaxy, the "massage parlor" at 2318 18th St, has closed. See [1] below. WP reports on shootout this AM at Ontario & Columbia. See "Two D.C. Officers Wounded In Adams Morgan Shootout: Suspect Also Injured In Late-Night Robbery," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36318-2003Jan24.html WP reports on efforts to preserve area between Columbia, 18th St, Florida, and Conn Ave - home to 2,800 people. See "Historic District Proposed: Washington Heights Developed in Late 19th Century," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59708-2003Jan15.html WP says DC gave Tivoli developer $8 million to begin work, presumably in April. Project at 14th & Park Rd to include a restored theater, a new Giant, shops, offices, and 40 duplex condos. See "Project At Tivoli To Begin In Spring," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30729-2003Jan22.html WBJ says Kate Spade will open a store at 3061 M St. WP profiles the Georgetown Metro Connection bus. See "Georgetown Buses Bursting With Business: Demographics a Surprise To Private Operators," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12087-2003Jan18.html See also http://www.georgetowndc.com/shuttle.php WT covers launching of "Supper in Upper Georgetown" event. See "Eateries to offer Tuesday specials," http://www.washtimes.com/business/20030120-59723360.htm WP says Best Buy will take 64% of the retail space in old Tenleytown Sears store, under 175 apartments in 4 floors above. See "Best Buy Plans 3 New Area Stores," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51959-2003Jan13.html WBJ says Loehmann's will come to Friendship Heights in former Eddie Bauer space, down the block from the new J Crew. See "Loehmann's to open first D.C. store," http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2003/01/13/story2.html WP announced plan for KenCen plaza, meeting E St at 23rd St, with a cascading fountain, and footpaths to the Lincoln Memorial. See "Kennedy Center Picks Architect for Expansion," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30453-2003Jan22.html See also "A Welcome Sign: Design Plan Would Give the Kennedy Center New Connections," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30429-2003Jan22.html See also "Kennedy Center Approves Dramatic Expansion Plan," http://nytimes.com/2003/01/23/arts/design/23EXPA.html See also http://www.kennedy-center.org/about/plaza/ Firehook has a new store on 1200 block of F St. WBJ says 383-room Embassy Suites might come to 1000 K St. See "Hotel pursues tax increment financing route," http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2003/01/20/story4.html WP says big project planned behind facade of Atlantic Building at 930 F St and adjacent parcels, with first- floor retail. See "Office Building Planned for F St.: CarrAmerica, Jemal Redeveloping Old 9:30 Club Site," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19360-2003Jan6.html WBJ says plans have begun to build office building on E St parking lot between 8th & 9th, s of Spy Museum. WBJ says "RFD Washington" is replacing Coco Loco in Chinatown, with a beer-influenced menu. See "Brickskeller owners brew new concept as beer blast," http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2003/01/20/story7.html Will have an outdoor beer garden in spring. WBJ says Marvelous Market is coming to 7th St, between G and H, this spring. That block recently became home to a Potbellys, and across the Street there is a new street-level Chipolte and McDonald's. WCP focuses on new condos in Adams Morgan, Logan Circle and elsewhere. See "Suite Deal: Luxury condos are overpriced, pretentious, and critical to the District's financial future," http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/archives/cover/2003/cover0110.html See how NYC addresses noise disturbances: http://www.nyc.gov/html/om/html/2002b/weekly/weekly_100702.html http://www.gothamgazette.com/iotw/noise/ Marc Fisher looks into frustrations brought to light by negligent police performance in response to John Aravosis' mugging. See "It Took a Mugging And Police Apathy To Make it 'Home'," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63802-2003Jan16.html See also http://discuss.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/zforum/02/r_metro_fisher011603.htm New Web site is documenting dissatisfaction with police force. See http://www.safestreetsdc.com/ WCP calls Sep 27 mass arrests "one of the most serious collective violations of civil rights in this city since the Vietnam War era." See "Boss Hogtie," http://washingtoncitypaper.com/cover/print_cover0117.html See "Irate citizens, council members hit Ramsey," http://washtimes.com/metro/20030116-20193452.htm The MPDC Gay and Lesbian Liaison Unit has received approval for 2 additional full-time cops and 4 reserve cops. See http://www.gaydc.net/gllu/whatsnew.html WP profiled head of Office of Planning. See "Altman Backs Urban Vision With Substance," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11543-2003Jan4.html See "After Decades of Decline, Trees Blossoming Anew: $50 Million Donation, Push by City Pay Off," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59717-2003Jan15.html Recent article bemoans DC's many underground projects: the Capitol Visitor Center, the Washington Monument Visitor Center, and others. See "Subterranean Blues: Washington digs itself into a hole," http://www.WeeklyStandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/002/080kbblp.asp See "Baseball's Bounty: District Boosters Believe Downtown Stadium Would Outperform Suburban Site," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16024-2003Jan19.html WP says smart multiuse projects are less likely to be built. See "For Urban Developers, A Hard Row to Hoe: Bethesda Row Is a Hit, but Many Builders Say That For the Effort Required, They'll Stick With Strip Malls," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44138-2003Jan11.html WP looks at new bathroom in Huntington Metro Station. See "Station to Try Self-Cleaning Restroom," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35155-2003Jan23.html WP has update on project with 1,364 condos, 60 townhomes and a grocery store. See "4 Condo Towers Approved for Tysons Corner: Fairfax Project Uses Incentive Designed to Attract Residential Rather Than Office Development," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19788-2003Jan6.html WP says Rockville's 15-acre Town Center to get face- lift, with street and landscaping improvements, a town square, offices, restaurants with outdoor seating, condominiums and apartments, anchored by a library and a cinema. See "Growing Pains Come With Town Center," http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A12232-2003Jan18.html Saturday, January 25: Crime Forum. See http://washingtondc.gov/mayor/news/advisory.asp?id=375 Tuesday, January 28: I'll be giving my annual State of the Circle speech at 8pm. There's a chance I'll be at the Dupont fountain, but frankly I'm more likely to be in my living room. Tuesday, February 4: Music performance, Church of the Epiphany. See http://www.bachconsort.org/noontime.html Thursday, February 6: Washington Renegades Rugby Social & Recruitment Event. See [2] below. Best regards, Michael ------------------------------------------------------ [1] [from joshgibson@alumni.ksg.harvard.edu] It looks like Galaxy, the "massage parlor" located at 2318 18th Street, has finally closed its doors. Despite clear evidence that this was more of a borderline house of prostitution than an actual massage parlor, it took months of complaining to multiple city agencies to get this business closed. Galaxy's demise follows that of a second "massage parlor" formerly located above Saigonnais restaurant, which was closed down a month or two ago. ------------------------------------------------------ [2] Washington Renegades Rugby Social & Recruitment Event It's time to kick off a new season of rugby. We had our most successful fall season ever and in the process earned the respect of the other men's clubs within the Potomac Rugby Union. We're the only team based in and practicing in the Dupont Circle area. On Thursday, February 6, 2003, the team will hold its spring 2003 season kickoff and recruitment event at Hamburger Mary's/Titan Bar, located at 1337 14th St., NW (between Rhode Island Ave. and N St) from 6:30 to 9:30 pm. The event will feature free food and draft beer as well as rugby videos on the big screen. If you ever thought of playing rugby, please join us team for an evening of fun and learning more about this challenging sport. For more information, please visit the Renegades’ website, http://www.renegades-rugby.org or email Michael Stebbins at mstebbins6@yahoo.com |