CHAMPS Recommends Delay in Development of Hill East Waterfront

The Capitol Hill Association of Merchants and Professionals recommends the DC Government delay development of the Hill East Waterfront in light of the poor economic situation and the large number of vacant offices, condominiums and apartments on the market.

Capitol Hill Association of Merchants and Professionals

PO Box 15486 ● Washington, DC 20003 ● Tel. 202.547.7788
champs@capitolhill.org ● www.capitolhill.org

January 29, 2009

Mr. Neil Albert
Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 317
Washington, DC 20004

RE: The Redevelopment of the Hill East Waterfront (Reservation 13)

Dear Mr. Albert:

I am the President of CHAMPS (Capitol Hill Association of Merchants and Professionals), an organization of over 300 businesses in the Capitol Hill community.

I write today to voice CHAMPS’ position on the development of the site known as the Hill East Waterfront (Reservation 13).

We have met individually with each of the development teams who have submitted proposals for the site, and have spent a significant amount of time learning about each proposal, the reasons for each team’s approach, and the effects of each plan on the wider Capitol Hill community.

As you are aware, there are a large number of vacant offices, condominiums and apartments on the market right now, and it is somewhat unrealistic to plan to build more in light of the current worsening economic conditions. Adding to that surplus at this time could be detrimental to the community.

Given the current economic condition, and its unlikelihood of improving anytime in the near future, we believe that the most prudent step at this point would be to slow the development of this site until the market appears to be changing in a positive direction. As such, we encourage the DC government to select a development team that adheres to common-sense principles and that any proposal that is selected be one that includes the hallmarks outlined below.

We feel that the winning bidder should be one who shows a commitment to creating a development that:

• is economically feasible, from the initial build-out up to and including final occupancy;

• incorporates the highest level of green building as possible – both in infrastructure and in operation;

• is low-scale and architecturally compatible with the Hill and the immediate neighborhood;

• complies with the overall comprehensive plan of the Office of Planning;

• ensures that any "star" anchor of the retail district - like a Wegman's for example - not overwhelm the transportation infrastructure of the immediate neighborhood or the greater Capitol Hill area, taking into account that the Anacostia river is at the end of Mass Avenue and road options will be limited;

• is preceded by an economic study of the area to identify the effects that any large anchor type establishment might have on current Capitol Hill businesses; and

• provides space for neighborhood-owned businesses, encouraging intensive interaction between the "new town" at Hill East and the rest of the Hill.

We have formed this position based on the thorough one-on-one meetings we have conducted with each group, and we have dedicated a large amount of time to this project in order to form an educated decision about which team to support. Our conclusion is that the best way to proceed is to do so in a slow, needs-based approach and to allow the economy and the market to inform the process. Such an organic growth approach will better serve our population and is more in tune with the concept of green growth that has become part of urban development vernacular.

CHAMPS appreciates the opportunity to provide our views and we look forward to being involved in this development process, as the plans are studied and a bidder is chosen.

Sincerely,
Martha Huizenga

Cc: Genevieve Hanson
Adrian Fenty
Tommy Wells
Jose Sousa