Section 10-A2011. MC-2.1 GEORGIA AVENUE CORRIDOR

 

2011.1Georgia Avenue is one of the city’s most significant and historic avenues. As a traffic artery, it carries thousands of commuters in and out of the city daily. As a commercial corridor, it provides goods and services to residents in neighborhoods like LeDroit Park, Pleasant Plains, and Park View. Yet today, the avenue is in need of revival. Despite its distinctive building stock and the strong housing market around it, the avenue still has pockets of crime, deteriorating commercial and residential properties, a steady increase of automobile-oriented businesses, and declining infrastructure and public space. 2011.1

 

2011.2Several planning initiatives have been launched for the Georgia Avenue corridor during the past five years. In 2005, the Office of Planning completed a Revitalization Strategy for the portion of the corridor extending from Euclid Street on the south to Decatur Street on the north. Below Euclid, much of the street frontage is controlled by Howard University and is addressed in the Howard Campus Plan. The University’s plans include joint development of Howard Town Center, a large mixed use residential and retail project. The University also has launched the “LeDroit Park Initiative” to spur improvement and reinvestment in the surrounding neighborhood. South of Barry Place, Georgia Avenue/7th Street is contained within the Strategic Development Plan for the Uptown Destination District. The entire corridor is also one of the city’s designated “Great Streets.” 2011.2

 

2011.3Although these initiatives cover different sections of the corridor, they share common goals. These include revitalization through strategic growth and development, preservation of historic assets and unique architecture, improvement of the streetscape and public space, creation of new housing and job opportunities, and upgrading of public transit. Such initiatives are bolstered through efforts by local faith-based institutions to provide family support and job training services in the community. 2011.3

 

2011.4Plans for Georgia Avenue seek to attract quality neighborhood-serving retail businesses and services, reduce vacancies, and explore shared parking strategies to meet parking demand. A number of specific actions have been recommended, including creation of an overlay zone to encourage redevelopment, market incentives such as tax increment financing, façade improvement programs, and targeted improvements on blocks with high vacancies. New parking lots or structures are suggested on specific sites along the corridor, and pedestrian safety measures such as more visible crosswalks and improved lighting have been proposed. The Georgia Avenue Revitalization Strategy includes an “Action Plan” to initiate and monitor these measures. 2011.4

 

2011.5Policy MC-2.1.1: Revitalization of Lower Georgia Avenue

 

Encourage continued revitalization of the Lower Georgia Avenue corridor. Georgia Avenue should be an attractive, pedestrian-oriented “Main Street” with retail uses, local-serving offices, mixed income housing, civic and cultural facilities, and well-maintained public space. 2011.5

 

2011.6Policy MC-2.1.2: Segmenting the Corridor

 

Develop distinct identities for different segments of the Georgia Avenue Corridor. Within the Mid-City area, these should include a ParkView/Park Morton section (Otis to Irving), a Pleasant Plains section (Irving to Euclid), a Howard University section (Euclid to Barry Place), and the Uptown Arts District (Barry Place southward). 2011.6

 

2011.7Policy MC-2.1.3: Georgia Avenue Design Improvements

 

Upgrade the visual quality of the Georgia Avenue corridor through urban design and public space improvements, including tree planting, new parks and plazas, upgrading of triangle parks, and façade improvements that establish a stronger identity and improved image. 2011.7

 

2011.8Policy MC-2.1.4: Howard University

 

Encourage and strongly support continued relationship-building between Howard University and the adjacent residential neighborhoods. Work with Howard University in the abatement of any outstanding community issues such as the redevelopment of vacant property, façade/building enhancements, and buffering issues associated with campus expansion. Stimulate joint development opportunities with the University that benefit students and surrounding residents. 2011.8

 

2011.9Action MC-2.1.A: Georgia Avenue Revitalization Strategy

 

Implement the recommendations of the 2004 Revitalization Strategy for the Georgia Avenue and Petworth Metro Station Area and Corridor. 2011.9

 

2011.10 Action MC-2.1-B: Howard Town Center

 

Develop a new mixed-use neighborhood center on land to the west of Howard University Campus.  This should include not only the planned Howard Town Center site (with housing, retail, and structured parking), but additional medium-high density housing development, civic space, cultural facilities, and public open space on surrounding sites.  Appropriate transitions in scale should be established between this center and the lower density row house neighborhoods to the west.

 

2011.11Action MC-2.1.C: Great Streets Improvements

 

Implement the Great Streets initiative recommendations for Georgia Avenue, including transit improvements, façade improvements, upgraded infrastructure, blight abatement, and incentives for housing and business development along the avenue. 2011.11

 

2011.12Action MC-2.1.D: Park Morton New Community

 

Pursue redevelopment of Park Morton as a “new community”, replacing the existing public housing development with an equivalent number of new public housing units, plus new market-rate and “workforce” housing units, to create a new mixed income community. Consider implementing this recommendation in tandem with plans for the reuse of public land on Spring Road. Ensure that every effort possible is made to avoid permanent displacement of residents if this action is followed. 2011.12

 

2011.13Action MC-2.1.E: Reuse of Bruce School

 

Encourage the reuse of the vacant Bruce School (Kenyon Street) as a neighborhood-serving public facility, such as a library, recreation facility, education center for youth and adults, or vocational training center, rather than using the site for private purposes. Open space on the site should be retained for community use. 2011.13

 

2011.14Action MC-2.1.F: Senior Wellness Center

 

Develop a Senior Wellness Center on the Lower Georgia Avenue corridor to meet the current and future needs of area residents. 2011.14

 

authority

Pursuant to the District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; D.C. Official Code § 1-306.01 et seq.), the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital: District Elements of 2006, effective March 8, 2007 (10 DCMR A300 through A2520) (“Comprehensive Plan”).

source

Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2006, effective March 8, 2007 (D.C. Law 16-300) published at 54 DCR 924 (February 2, 2007); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2010, effective April 8, 2011 (D.C. Law 18-361) published at 58 DCR 908, 931 (February 4, 2011).

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.