Around the Eastern Market on Capitol Hill last week, there was a lot more than fresh vegetables and meats on the menu.
Just a few steps away at the old Hine Junior High School, Mayor Adrian Fenty was serving up his latest helping of economic development.
The mayor announced the city had picked a developer to turn the old school into a 3.5-acre mix of retail, office space and housing.
Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells said the development -- which will take years to complete -- should be on the fastest track possible.
"I'm excited about the plans for this site," he said, "located in the heart of Capitol Hill."
Despite the faltering national and local economy (be glad if you don't live in Maryland or Virginia), the mayor has announced a stream of development projects all around the city for the past few years.
This past weekend, the mayor celebrated a multi-unit development in Ward 8 in the Highlands neighborhood. It's called the Overlook at Oxon Run, featuring market-rate and affordable housing.
Near the Southwest Waterfront, Forest City DC is completing the first phase of a transformative project at 4th and M streets. (Disclosure: The Notebook lives a few blocks away.)
The project next spring will reopen 4th Street at the site, a stretch of road that has been closed for 45 years. The District government itself leased 500,000 square feet of space in the new project. Several city agencies, including the Office of the Chief Financial Officer as well as the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, will begin moving in next March.
The lease with the city, signed when Mayor Tony Williams was in office, provided the backbone for critical financing. And the thousands of city workers are spurring new retail and restaurant spaces the community desperately wants.
Some longer-term development at the site is being delayed because of the difficult economy that's also hurting projects near the baseball stadium and elsewhere.
But there is no question the city is still one of the best locations in the nation for new development, and Fenty has made sure the city government provides as many sparks as possible. Now ... if only the economy would improve commercial lending options! Then watch the dirt fly.
• Chinatown Arch Refreshed
It was fun to be downtown on H Street Monday morning. A nice crowd gathered to celebrate the restoration of the Chinatown Arch that spans H Street at 7th.
Fenty and Ward 2 Council member Jack Evans were there to cut the ribbon. The city spent about $300,000 to spruce up the arch. It cost about $1 million when it was erected in 1986, with the city and China splitting the costs.
Evans, who looked around at the bustling corner and development on every street near the Verizon Center, recalled that the area was once crime-ridden and run-down. Now the arch is in the center of a city neighborhood that is lively every day of the week.
• Bump In The Road
The innovative bus routes covered by the DC Circulator have hit a snag. The District as of Oct. 4 is canceling part of the route between Georgetown and Union Station. The Circulator will no longer run along Wisconsin Avenue north of M Street. That kills about seven stops.
Other changes -- some are good -- are being made in the popular routing system, which costs only a dollar to ride. The D.C. Department of Transportation says check with dccirculator.com for more information.
• Bikes Are Back
We're beginning to feel like a real estate agent with all this focus on places and transportation, but we're happy the new bike rack will open soon at Union Station. It was a hodge-podge of bike racks before.
Now, Bike and Roll, a private company, will be offering bike repairs, rentals and accessories. Check it out at bikeandroll.com. And if you want to reserve a regular bike space at Union Station, check out bikestation.com.
• National Book Festival
We'll be down on the National Mall Saturday afternoon to take part in the Library of Congress' National Book Festival. We'll have the pleasure of introducing public television's Gwen Ifill at 3:15 p.m. in the History and Biography Pavilion.
Ifill will be talking about her insightful 2009 book, "The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama."
Gwen and I worked together at The Washington Post. I'll get two minutes to introduce her and make her nervous.
Ifill will be just one of dozens of authors at the popular event where you can see and talk to authors and buy books, too.
Check out the festival plan at loc.gov/bookfest.
