Section 10-A1601. CONTEXT HISTORY

 

1601.1Prior to 1791, Central Washington consisted of open fields, pastureland, groves of trees, and meandering creeks and wetlands. This landscape was reshaped as work began on the new national capital in the 1790s. Grand municipal buildings rose along the avenues, a canal was constructed (on what later would become Constitution Avenue), and homes and businesses were erected along the side streets. During the early 1800s, the government built the White House, the Capitol, City Hall, and other public buildings. 1601.1

 

1601.2Throughout the 19th and early 20th Century, the area extending from the Capitol to the White House and from Pennsylvania Avenue north served as the commercial heart of a growing urban area. In the mid 1860s, the city’s first street car line opened between the Capitol and the Willard Hotel at 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. A streetcar line was later constructed along F Street, NW, which eventually became the city’s primary shopping corridor. 1601.2

 

1601.3As the federal government expanded through the late 19th Century, government buildings and related offices slowly displaced Downtown’s residences and small businesses. By 1891, there were nearly 21,000 federal employees in the central city, and federal bureaus spilled into many buildings originally designed for other functions. Residential growth shifted to new neighborhoods to the north, east, and south. 1601.3

 

1601.4By the end of the 19th century, the National Mall and Smithsonian museums had taken on increased importance as an American gathering place and cultural center. This role was recognized and elevated by the McMillan Commission in 1901. The Commission’s grand plan for the National Mall and its environs reshaped the city for the 20th Century, bringing a unified vision for Central Washington oriented around parks, fine architecture, and “city beautiful” design principles. Central Washington’s physical form was further shaped by the 1899 and 1910 Height Acts, enacted just as other major American cities were discovering the modern skyscraper. 1601.4

 

1601.5The area continued to grow for the next 50 years. Two world wars and the New Deal swelled the federal workforce, creating the demand for yet more Downtown office space. Downtown’s retail core thrived as the city’s population grew to more than 800,000 residents by 1950. Conversely, the shrinking number of residential areas in Central Washington began to deteriorate. They were among the first parts of the city targeted for urban renewal in the 1950s. 1601.5

 

1601.6As the metropolitan area decentralized in the 1950s, Downtown’s role became more one-dimensional. Its retail function waned as interstate highways were constructed and the customer base shifted to the suburbs. Office development moved from the traditional Downtown to K Street and to the redevelopment area south of the National Mall. Plans to revitalize Pennsylvania Avenue and other “special streets and places” were developed in response, and a variety of redevelopment concepts were explored for the West End, South Capitol Street, and the near Southeast. 1601.6

 

1601.7These plans did little to stem Downtown’s decline. The center of office activity continued to shift north and west and many of Downtown’s historic landmarks, department stores, and office buildings were demolished or vacated. The 1968 riots also took a toll. 1601.7

 

1601.8Creation of the Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation (PADC) in 1972 set the stage for Downtown’s revival. From 1972 to 1994, the PADC was responsible for bringing the first large scale modern buildings to the traditional Downtown. Despite these efforts, the area still lacked street activity and urban vitality. 1601.8

 

1601.9In 1982, the Mayor’s Downtown Committee with support from the Office of Planning produced “Downtown DC: Recommendations for the Downtown Plan.” The proposed objectives and policies in that document were later placed into legislative format and adopted almost intact as the Downtown Element of the District’s 1984 Comprehensive Plan. The recommendations addressed the area’s decline and called for more diverse uses, with a strong emphasis on housing. The Plan envisioned a city center with retail uses focused on F Street, Gallery Place and Chinatown; new arts uses along 7th Street; and significant residential development at Penn Quarter and Mount Vernon Square. Quantified targets for new housing units, hotel rooms, office space, and arts space were established. 1601.9

 

1601.10Downtown revitalization initiatives continued through the 1980s and 1990s. In the early 1990s, the Zoning Commission created the Downtown Development District (DDD) which required a greater mix of uses, such as housing, arts, and retail space. In 1996, the 100-member Interactive Downtown Task Force developed a “Vision and Action Plan,” including recommendations for new retail and entertainment venues, visual and performing arts facilities, an intermodal transportation center, a Downtown Arts Committee, and international communication and trade facilities. The Plan led to the formation of the Downtown Business Improvement District in 1997 and tax increment financing legislation in 1998. 1601.10

 

1601.11By 2000, the targets set in the early 1980s were finally becoming approachable realities. The Downtown Action Agenda of 2000 provided an updated framework for decisions, established a new vision, and set new goals for the traditional Downtown. An update of the Agenda was launched in July 2006, providing an opportunity to develop new goals and strategies for the coming years. 1601.11

 

notation

The provisions of Title 10, Part A of the DCMR accessible through this web interface are codification of the District Elements of the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital. As such, they do not represent the organic provisions adopted by the Council of the District of Columbia. The official version of the District Elements only appears as a hard copy volume of Title 10, Part A published pursuant to section 9a of the District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1994, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; D.C. Official Code § 1 -301.66)) . In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions accessible through this site and the provisions contained in the published version of Title 10, Part A, the provisions contained in the published version govern. A copy of the published District Elements is available www.planning.dc.gov.