Opportunities and Constraints

Opportunities

1. Proximity to Anacostia Riverfront

2. Direct access from Benning Road & DC-295

3. Adjacent to existing residential land uses

4. Close to Minnesota Ave station

5. Defunct CSX line in site

6. Brownfield remediation potential

Constraints

7. Floodplain

8. Existing roads and metro lines

9. Auto-oriented industrial land uses

10. Active CSX lines

11. Existing trash processing facility

12. PEPCO infrastructure

The planning process began with an identification of opportunities and constraints. This site presented challenges of a complicated intersection at Benning Road and DC-295, PEPCO’s electricity infrastructure, a trash facility at the northwest, and a storm surge line that cuts into the site. Conversely, it provided opportunities to better connect the neighborhoods of Parkside and River Terrace, strengthen the uses of developable land as community assets, and protect the river’s natural ecosystem.

Through our planning process and outcomes, we reiterate that the communities of and around this site know their needs best.

Extend transportation networks, move site boundary out of floodplain, and open up developable land

To continue the boulevard all the way through the corridor, it needs to be brought to grade with Benning Road at the place where they intersect. To bypass the existing metro lines running overhead and CSX lines below, we designed the road to curve into the site at the southeast corner. This would create large areas of developable land with unique opportunities for transit-oriented development.

We propose an extension of the H Street streetcar line across the Anacostia River down to Benning Metro Station with two additional transit stops: one on 34th Street at the main entrance to the site, and another at the Benning Road/Boulevard intersection. With this dedicated streetcar lane, Benning Road would get a Complete Streets treatment including protected bike lanes and pedestrian friendly infrastructure. To strengthen connections to Minnesota Avenue Metro Station, a station entrance should be added near Parkside, connected to existing MetroRail infrastructure through a short underground corridor.

Based on our research, we determined it was feasible to condense PEPCO utilities to about 750,000 sq ft in the middle of the site, retaining most existing transformers and buildings. We also made the decision that there would be no development built within the floodplain and buildings would be built accordingly to prepare for rising sea levels and storm surges. This still leaves a large amount of land for development surrounding the condensed PEPCO site.

Programming land uses to provide for mixed-use, mixed-income development

To develop the land to provide for mixed-income groups and create opportunities for upward mobility, a mix of uses catering to Wards 7 and 8, as well as DC at large is included. Entering the site through 34th Street at the south are dense, mixed use areas, which can be mid-rise buildings with mixed income apartments on top and retail at ground level. This is complemented with additional mixed use community assets closer to the waterfront - including affordable apartments, a health clinic and a small business incubator. Many of the commercial spaces on the site can be held for participants of the incubator program who need affordable space to grow their business ideas, such as restaurants, salons, and other small businesses.

Across Benning Road, a more unified commercial corridor with zoning regulations to restrict certain industrial related uses is proposed. This proposal accommodates existing auto related companies as part of a wider business retention strategy by consolidating footprints and creating a green buffer between them and the adjacent residential community. Lastly, an anchor grocery store would be located at the corner of the new intersection, making it accessible by car, transit, and bike from surrounding communities.

Planning for transit-oriented development and a spectrum of housing communities

To capitalize on transit-oriented development, the curved portion formed by the boulevard would be used for high-density, mixed-use buildings with commercial and hospitality, which is currently lacking east of the river. With an activated ground plane, this site can connect to neighborhoods across the CSX lines through thin “land bridges”.

To extend the boulevard’s philosophy of providing for people, place, and nature, green street networks are integrated across the site. The abandoned CSX rail that currently enters into the site would be extended into a wheelchair and bike accessible trail - directly connecting Minnesota Avenue Metro Station to the waterfront through the site’s green and public spaces. A community garden, farmers market, and tool library would anchor the eastern corner, directly accessible to Parkside and surrounding communities.

Near the waterfront, a new neighborhood of over 200 dense, attached single family homes, staggered in their height to provide views of the river, is proposed. Residents and visitors alike would have access to the riverfront and the site’s new amenities through neighborhood streets. Deeper into the site, a public park that could include a playground, picnic tables, and basketball courts for the neighborhood and those visiting the retail centers. Lastly, expanding the current trash facility to be an environmental education center and resilience hub, focused on building community stewardship for the Anacostia River would create another community asset.

Zoning and parking policies to support equitable, community-centered development

Since all development will be built on higher ground, parking for both commercial and residential uses would be located in underground parking lots to ensure walkability and pedestrian friendly streets. Parking garages in the single family homes would be built below grade in alleyways between the houses. This would allow for conversion to another room if owners do not have a car or act as floodable space that protects the rest of the home from future flooding. Parking for the environmental center would be the only “surface” parking lot, but would be programmed into a green parking lot with solar panels, permeable paving, and rain gardens.

To support holistic, equitable development across the site, several policy and zoning tools were explored. Changing the site to a ‘Special Purpose Zone’ can allow maximum density close to transit stops, as well as consistent design standards and an opportunity to preserve affordability. About 650,000 sq-ft of land in the northwest corner of the site could be given to the Douglass Community Land Trust to preserve affordability and maintain community control over the area. The site will also align with broader EcoDistrict standards, centering equity, resilience, and climate justice.