On Thursday, January 29, 2009, there was a community meeting with the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development (DMPED) about the “planned redevelopment of the West End library” was the fourth and final in a series begun in the summer of 2008.
The sessions have all been essentially the same. None have included any actual planning. Instead they consisted of brief presentations by officials from DMPED, Fire Dept and Library officials, interspersed with Q & A. Attendance at the meetings has steadily declined from about 75 at the first meeting to fewer than 30.
As with the earlier meetings, little was divulged. Just three pieces of new information emerged.
First, Eric Scott of DMPED announced that the long promised Request for Proposals (RFP) to develop Square 37 (site of the current West End Library and Special Ops Police Facility) and Square 50 (current site of the firehouse) is expected to be released around February 18.
Scott said the RFP would include priorities outlined in two reports commissioned and prepared by community groups - Visioning Sessions, Friends of Library.
Scott assured the audience that their feedback concerning the RFP would be welcome and encouraged them to respond via DMPED website.
Scott is also the manager for an RFP in Tenley where a public private partnership (PPP) to rebuild the library and modernize Janney elementary school on adjacent property as well as erect housing over the library has been proposed. As I pointed out at the first of these sessions, Tenley residents felt their comments in response to an RFP were disregarded, even after multiple extensive meetings with officials.
Although the Mayor held a press conference in July 2008 to announce his selection of a developer (L-COR) for the Tenley project, that situation still has not moved forward. In October the Councilmember representing Tenley, located in Ward 3, Mary Cheh withdrew her support for the project.
And in November, the Board of Library Trustees announced that they had authorized the Chief Librarian Ginnie Cooper to finalize construction drawings for a stand alone library that is already fully funded, see here.
The Trustees instructions appear to defy the Mayor’s wishes. Tenley has been riven by the controversy, pitting school against library, but everyone in Tenley including the School Improvement Team (SIT) and now the Ward 3 Councilmember is calling for the library to be built according to DCPL plans and for there to be no further delay. That situation remains unresolved and Janney remains in a modernization queue.
By contrast, the West End community is desirous of private development, in part because public funding for a new or renovated library is considered to be many years away. In neither instance has the mayor delivered financial impact statement that the law will require for the sale of public land, and which must be approved by the DC Council. Groups in West End have joined together and plan to contract for their own independent land valuation, in order to better represent the community’s interest.
Further in Tenley as at the West End, libraries are involved. Under the LEAD Act of 2006 revenues from the sale or lease of library lands are required to go a trust fund for the development of the library system. It is not clear, in view of the LEAD Act, how funds from the sale of library property or library air rights could be used to offset joint development for a school, fire station, or affordable housing.
Second, in response to a question at the last session from the DCCA requesting examples of existing mixed-use fire stations. The Dept had presented an example of fire house with housing for fireman over it, planned for Potomac Yards but not yet built. At this meeting, Chief Rubin referenced a Boston project at 150 High Street for Engine Company One where he said a multistory office building was built over a fire station. The developer rebuilt the firehouse in exchange for the development rights.
Third, no funds for either fire house or library were requested by Mayor Fenty in stimulus bill. LINK Biz journal
Videos from January 29 DMPED meeting in the West End...
introductions
overview of the rfp
fire chief
fire house more questions
west end library questions
dcpl staff and the west end library
why 20,000 square feet?
pledged next steps
More library videos here
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