Shaw's Tavern Receives Liquor License

In long-awaited news, Shaw's Tavern announced today that it has received its liquor license from the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board.  It said it will soon announce full-service, evening hours.

The restaurant/bar, located at the southeast corner of Florida Avenue and 6th Street, NW, has been open since mid-February, but was operating with limited hours and without a liquor license.

For more information on Shaw's Tavern's application for a liquor license, read prior posts here and here.

Bankruptcy Court Approves Sale of Mood Lounge Building

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Columbia has approved the planned sale of the Mood Lounge building to Tom Power, the owner of Corduroy restaurant, which is located at 1122 9th Street, NW.  Power entered into an agreement to purchase the building, but the agreement is contingent on Power receiving financing and may be terminated by either party at any time after March 31, 2012, if the closing has not occurred by that time.  Click here for a prior post on the planned sale of the building.

I reached out to Power, and he declined to comment on the status of the planned purchase.  

Click here for more information on the bankruptcy filing by the Mood Lounge building owner.

Schedule Announced for Howard Theatre Community Day, April 9, 2012

The schedule for the Howard Theatre Community Day, celebrating the grand re-opening of the Howard Theatre, has been announced.  The Community Day events are free and open to the public. Schedule details (via WPGC) are below:

WHEN: Monday, April 9, 2012, at 11:30 a.m.

WHERE: Howard Theatre Plaza, 620 T Street, NW

WHAT: The Howard Theatre raises its curtains after a $29 million renovation and a 30-year hiatus with an opening day to celebrate with the community.

SCHEDULE (as of April 4, 2012):

• 11:30 a.m.: Welcome, Saleem Hylton
• 11:35 a.m.: Robert Thompson and The James Brown Experience Band
• 12:00 noon: Reverend Sandra Butler-Truesdale introduces Reverend Trent and clergy for invocation (Melvin Deal, libation; Reverend Ivy Hylton, The Lord’s Prayer in song)
• 12:05 p.m.: Duke Ellington statue unveiling/dedication.  Words from the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and the Humanities; recognition of the Ellington family and statue artist
• 12:15 p.m.: Reverend Sandra Butler-Truesdale introduces speakers: Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton; Mayor Vincent C. Gray; Council Chairman Kwame R. Brown; Councilmember Jim Graham; Councilmember Vincent B. Orange, Jr.; Commissioner Myla Moss (ANC 1B Chairperson)
• 12:30 p.m.: Ribbon cutting; unveiling of “Jazz Man” statue atop theatre.  Words from Howard Theatre Restoration (Chip and Malik Ellis) and Brower Hatcher, artist commissioned to create “Jazz Man”
• 12:35 p.m.: Live entertainment. Scheduled performers include: Darlene Dancy, Delonte Copeland, Jimi Smooth, Matthew White, Wendy Hicks, NuEra, Teri Swenton, Velons, Orioles, Skip Mahoney, The Jewels, and Al Johnson
• 2:45 p.m.: Grand finale

Bundy Dog Park Opening Saturday, April 7, 2012 at 10:00 a.m.

Bundy Dog Park

Great news! The Bundy Dog Park is scheduled to open this Saturday, April 7, 2012, at 10:00 a.m.  (The park is located on P Street, NW, between 5th Street and New Jersey Avenue.)  No formal activities are planned to mark the opening, but hopefully a lot of Shaw dog owners will be there to celebrate.

The dog park's regular hours after Saturday's opening will be 7:00 a.m. to sunset daily.  After lighting for the park is arranged, hours are expected to be extended to 10:00 p.m. daily.

The dog park rules can be viewed after the jump.

Read more here about the plans for the Bundy athletic field, which is expected to open in May.

HPRB Gives Preliminary Approval to Concept Plan for JBG Florida Avenue Project

Rendering of west building,
at Florida Avenue and 8th Street, NW

The Historic Preservation Review Board has given preliminary approval to the concept plans for JBG's Florida Avenue project.  (You can view the HPRB's March 22, 2012, hearing here.)

The JBG project is located on Florida Avenue, NW, between 7th and 9th Streeets.  It consists of two planned buildings centered on 8th Street, NW, on lots comprised of approximately 30,000 square feet of land area.  Each building would have ground-level retail space, five stories of residential units, and one floor of below-grade parking.  (You can view the March 5, 2012, project renderings at this prior post).


JBG Florida Avenue project site

The Board found the following aspects of the JBG concept plan "to be compatible with the character of the historic district and consistent with the purposes of the preservation act":

•  Overall site organization 
•  Height and massing along Florida Avenue, NW
•  General architectural direction, subject to further development and material selection
•  Relocation of the front, original section of 1933-35 9th Street, NW, to the southern portion of the site
•  Reconfiguration of the alley on the western parcel to exit on 9th Street

At the same time, the Board asked JBG to "study reductions in height and mass at the southern ends of the two buildings to improve the transition to the adjacent smaller scale rowhouses."

The Board also asked JBG to "continue working on the designs, materials and articulation of the proposal and return for further review when appropriate."

Excerpts from the staff report are after the jump, along with a copy of the full report.

HPRB Approves Shipping Container Restaurant on U Street

Planned shipping
container restaurant.

The Historic Preservation Review Board has approved the Hilton brothers' plans to build a restaurant out of shipping containers on a vacant lot at 919 U Street, NW.  The Board gave its approval at a meeting on March 22, 2012.  The Board "determined the proposed conceptual design [is] consistent with the purposes of the preservation act" and it delegated final approval of the project to HPRB staff.

Read more details about the planned restaurant — and view the developer's site plan and the HPRB staff report — at this prior post.

24-Unit Residential Project Planned for 435 R Street, NW

Project rendering
(click to enlarge)

Local developer Community Three has announced plans to construct a 24-unit residential building at 435 R Street, NW.  The site (pictured below) currently consists of a one-story building, which formerly housed a dry cleaner, and two vacant lots.  The current one-story building will be demolished and the site will be environmentally remediated before construction begins.

Unit sizes are expected to be between 500 and 800 square feet, with prices in the $250,000 to $350,000 range.  Six parking spaces will be included in the rear of the building. Because of the environmental remediation issues, it is expected to be two years before the project is delivered.

Community Three has developed other projects in the Shaw community, including The Nine in Naylor Court and the M Street Flats at 444 M Street, NW.

Community Three will provide additional information on the planned project at this week's ANC 2C meeting.

The project site includes the one-story building to the right
and the fenced-in area to the left.