Growing Pains in Adams Morgan

Adams Morgan project could mean progress - and headaches

Think Adams Morgan is a madhouse now? Just wait until the construction begins.

DDOT is looking to fix up the popular neighborhood by widening sidewalks, improving parking and upgrading crosswalks.

Sounds great, right?

Tell that to the business owners, who’ll have to deal with the mess during the renovation.

“I think everybody was very, very reluctant to move forward for fear of what happened on P Street,” Tryst and The Diner owner Constantine Stavropolous told the Washington Business Journal. “The nightmare stories we heard of businesses going out of business. The incompetence of some agencies to coordinate things. But most of us felt we needed a facelift, something dramatic that’s going to keep us in competition with a growing city.”

The P Street “nightmare” he’s referring to is the 18-month streetscape project from 2007 and 2008. Some restaurant owners reported losing more than half of their business.

But for those who traverse down the neighborhood's main thoroughfare on 18th Street, the project will be a welcome addition.  Just ask local blog The 42:

"18th Street NW, even on a slow weeknight, is sometimes a pain to travel around by foot. Narrow walkways, empty treeboxes, uneven sidewalks and multiple curb cuts have pedestrians on their (toes) nightly. ... I wouldn't go as far to say it's the Wild West of DC, but sometimes, it can feel a bit out of control on a given weekend night, specifically at the corner of 18th and Columbia."

Several Adams Morgan businesses have come together to oversee the project. They’re making a concerted effort to be involved with every aspect of the construction to make it as painless as possible.

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