Mt. Vernon Square District Project Kicks Off

[caption id="attachment_2869" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Aerial view of Mt. Vernon Square"][/caption]

The D.C. Office of Planning and District Department of Transportation kicked off the Mount Vernon Square District Project at the D.C. Historical Society on Wednesday. The project’s main objective is to transform Mount Vernon Square and the immediate area in to a more attractive and functional space for residents and tourists.

“The plan has great synergy and presents amazing recreational opportunities,” said Emily Yates, the neighborhood planning coordinator for Ward 2.

On Wednesday evening, at the former Carnegie Library – now home to the D.C. Historical Society – about 85 local residents, business owners and media examined preliminary drawings, viewed a slideshow presentation and asked design questions of several project consultants. Some seized the opportunity to provide suggestions and feedback on how to best address and accommodate the practical needs of the community.

The project, initiated in May and currently in its “information gathering and assessment phase,” plans to add satellite “bowtie” parks at four symmetrical locations surrounding Mount Vernon Square. The parks would run along Massachusetts and New York Avenues – approaching the former Carnegie Library – and would contain artistic sculptures, perennial flowerbeds, increased tree cover and large seating areas.

The project also aims to simplify pedestrian and traffic routes and to implement bicycle lanes running north/south at Sixth, 12^th and 13^th Streets and east/west at K and L Streets.

The design concept draws its inspiration from compact, urban recreational sites like the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, Bryant Park in New York City and the grounds of the Los Angeles Public Library.

To meet the final report deadline in January, the Office of Planning and Department of Transportation have partnered with urban design, real estate and architectural firms to provide consultant services and draft formal plans. The team will also calculate the project’s anticipated costs and financial benefits. The program is jointly funded by private stakeholders, property tax revenue and federal stimulus money.

Project manager Patricia Zingsheim is enthusiastic about the proposed changes and believes the current economic climate provides ample opportunity to invest in the neighborhood.

“This is an area with great potential and can be very well positioned for real estate and development once the economy recovers,” she said.

Rosalynn Hughey, deputy director of the Office of Planning, noted the area’s historic and economic importance and pledged to use the project as a way to draw more people to the area.

“When you think about this part of the city, it’s a vital center. This is an incredible opportunity to take what we already have and bring it up a notch,” she said.

The project’s planning phase will last 28 weeks. The next public meeting, at which time project leaders will release preliminary findings, is scheduled for early to mid December.