Section 10-A1614. CW-2.4 MOUNT VERNON DISTRICT

 

1614.1The Mount Vernon District includes the blocks adjacent to and including historic Mount Vernon Square and the newly developing Mount Vernon Triangle area on its east. Located at the crossroads of New York and Massachusetts Avenues, the Mount Vernon District provides a transition between the lower-scale residences of Shaw on the north and the highdensity commercial areas of Downtown on the south. The area suffered from disinvestment and blight during the late 20th Century. Much of its building stock was abandoned or demolished, and large areas were converted to parking or became vacant. The area has undergone a turnaround since 2000 and is currently one of the city’s most active development areas. 1614.1

 

1614.2Mount Vernon Square itself was designed to be a focal point in Washington’s ensemble of great civic landmarks. Its focus is the 1902 former Carnegie Library building, an elegant historic structure that is now in use by the Washington Historical Society. Facing the north edge of the Square is the 2.3 million square foot Washington Convention Center, completed in 2003. To the southwest, the now vacant site of the former Convention Center is awaiting redevelopment. Immediately northwest of the Square, a major convention hotel is planned. Large-scale office buildings occupy other sides of the Square, framing it as a potentially great public space. 1614.2

 

1614.3In 2004, the Office of Planning prepared a design workbook for Mount Vernon Square to enhance the Square’s identity as the heart of a new urban neighborhood. The workbook explored alternatives to make the Square more accessible to pedestrians, more active and animated, and more visually dramatic. Its recommendations include enhancing the L’Enfant Plan “bowtie” parks along Massachusetts and New York Avenues, improving access to the square, using placards to formalize the identity of Mount Vernon Square as an urban center, and re-inventing the Square itself as a 21st Century landmark. 1614.3

 

1614.4East of Mount Vernon Square, the 30-acre Mount Vernon Triangle is bordered by Massachusetts Avenue, New Jersey Avenue, and New York Avenue. An “Action Agenda” for this area was developed in 2003 to guide its transformation to a new mixed use neighborhood. Since that time, projects like Sovereign Square, the Meridian, and 555 Massachusetts have redefined the area and generated momentum for additional development on the remaining vacant sites. A 55,000 square foot grocery store and more than 600 housing units are currently under construction in the City Vista project at 5th and I Streets NW, and more than 1,000 more new units are in the construction or planning stages nearby. A limited number of office buildings are also planned, but the emphasis is on housing with supporting retail and cultural uses. 1614.4

 

1614.5The Mount Vernon District provides an important opportunity to draw residents from outside the city as well as to attract residents looking for a unique urban experience not available in other Washington neighborhoods. The expected population growth will require the improvement of public facilities, parks, streets, transit, infrastructure, and community services. It will require ongoing planning to protect historic resources, respect the fabric of adjacent communities, and ensure that new uses are compatible with and connected to their surroundings. As Mount Vernon Triangle and Mount Vernon Square evolve into Downtown’s newest neighborhood, coordinated public and private investment will be needed to create economic value, and to ensure that a quality environment for new residents, workers and visitors is created. 1614.5

 

1614.6Policy CW-2.4.1: Re-envisioning Mount Vernon Square

 

Improve Mount Vernon Square as a center of cultural activity, a memorable civic landmark, and a crossroads between Downtown on the south and the historic Shaw neighborhood on the north. The Square’s function should be reinforced by encouraging active ground floor uses and prominent entries on the blocks that front it, and promoting high quality architecture and streetscape design on its perimeter. Redesign of the Square itself should be explored, retaining it is as an important civic open space but modifying pathways, landscapes, paving patterns, street furniture, lighting, and access points to make it more usable and inviting. 1614.6

 

1614.7Policy CW-2.4.2: Emphasizing the Avenues and Visual Axes

 

Emphasize and reinforce the historic elements of the L’Enfant Plan in the planning and design of the Mount Vernon District. This should include the creation of more dramatic and well-lit gateways along Massachusetts and New York Avenues, capitalizing on the 8th Street NW view corridor (mitigating the effects of the TechWorld “bridge”), creating a park-like promenade along the K Street axis (on both sides of the Square), and reinforcing the continuity of 7th and 9th Streets as access points to the Square. 1614.7

 

1614.8Policy CW-2.4.3: Convention Center Area Land Uses

 

Encourage land uses around Mount Vernon Square which capitalize on the presence of the Washington Convention Center. Such uses include hotels, restaurants, retail, and entertainment uses. Convention-related hotel construction should be focused on vacant or underutilized land immediately adjacent to the Convention Center to minimize impacts on the surrounding neighborhood. 1614.8

 

1614.9Policy CW-2.4.4: Mount Vernon Triangle Residential Development

 

Develop the Mount Vernon Triangle (east of Mount Vernon Square) as a high-density residential neighborhood. Zoning incentives for this area should encourage the production of housing, as well as local-serving ground floor retail, arts, and small office uses. Public and private sector improvements to parking, infrastructure, transit, and other community services and facilities should be provided as development takes place. 1614.9

 

1614.10Policy CW-2.4.5: Creating a Sense of Community in Mount Vernon Triangle

 

Foster a stronger sense of community in Mount Vernon Triangle by including affordable housing as well as market rate housing, providing family-oriented amenities such as larger housing units and parks, encouraging small-scale cultural uses and small businesses, and preserving historic landmarks within the area. The 5th and K Street area should be emphasized as the area’s “neighborhood center” and the 3rd and K Street area should be emphasized as its “residential core.” 1614.10

 

See also the Near Northwest Area Element, and the Urban Design Element for additional policies regarding development along the edges of Central Washington.

 

1614.11Policy CW-2.4.6: Mount Vernon District Parks

 

Improve the network of public open spaces in the Mount Vernon Square and Triangle area to meet the needs of residents, workers, and visitors. Special attention should be given to enhancing the “bow-tie” shaped park reservations on Massachusetts and New York Avenues, and providing more active, programmed uses in Mount Vernon Square itself. This will require coordination with the National Park Service and the National Capital Planning Commission. Eventual transfer of park management responsibilities to the District should be pursued for these spaces. 1614.11

 

1614.12Policy CW-2.4.7: Creating Pedestrian-Oriented Streets in the Mount Vernon District

 

Promote active, pedestrian-friendly streets throughout the Mount Vernon District. Place a particular emphasis on improving K Streets as a major east-west pedestrian route, with wide sidewalks and abundant street trees and landscaping. Pedestrian amenities should also be provided along 5th, 7th, 8th, and 9th Streets to improve the connections between the Mount Vernon District and the Gallery Place and Chinatown areas to the south. 1614.12

 

View corridor from Mt. Vernon Square south to National Portrait Gallery

 

1614.13Action CW-2.4.A: Mount Vernon Square Design Vision and Mount Vernon Triangle Action Agenda

 

Implement the recommendations of the Mount Vernon Square Design Workbook and the Mount Vernon Triangle Action Agenda, particularly as they relate to zoning, urban design, streetscape improvements, capital improvements, and development of priority sites. 1614.13

 

1614.14Action CW-2.4.B: Convention Center Hotel

 

Develop a major convention center hotel in close proximity to the Washington Convention Center. The hotel should be sited and designed to complement adjacent uses and add activity and aesthetic value to the Mount Vernon Square neighborhood. 1614.14

 

1614.15Action CW-2.4.C: Parking Management Program

 

Develop and implement parking management programs to protect residential areas from spillover parking associated with the Convention Center, Downtown office and retail growth, and new attractions on the Old Convention Center site and elsewhere on the northern edge of Downtown. 1614.15

 

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.