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Happy New Year! As we kick off the new year, at the Office of Planning (OP), we will continue to promote opportunity-rich neighborhoods, uplift local history by advancing ongoing work on commemoration, and get more people involved in city planning through outreach that is educational and accessible.
I invite you to follow and participate in our work through your preferred information channel.
Sincerely,
Anita Cozart
Director, DC Office of Planning
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OP pays tribute to Gretchen Pfaehler, FAIA, who passed away this month. Gretchen served as Architectural Historian on the DC Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) and previously served as the chairperson. Gretchen was also a Preservation Architect at InSite Consulting Architects in Washington DC. She was an industry leader, known for her passion for preservation of historic buildings and landscapes, sustainability, and social justice.
Over her 33-year career, Gretchen continued to invigorate and celebrate historic sites, domestically and abroad. During her tenure with HPRB, Gretchen had a positive impact on DC’s and the nation’s architectural heritage. Going above and beyond the required board effort, her advocacy created an alignment of preservation and energy reduction strategies, raised awareness of preservation resources among DC residents, and developed technical guidelines in collaboration between DC agencies. Her efforts informed other preservation commissions throughout the U.S. and Canada in considering their approaches to both environmental and architectural preservation.
OP is thankful for Gretchen’s contributions during the 12 years that she served on the HPRB.
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OP is pleased to share the story of the rehabilitated Kenesaw Apartments building. Through an interagency partnership, the District was able to provide homeowners with financial resources to preserve their historic building and advance Mayor Bowser's goals of preserving affordable homeownership opportunities for District residents.
Located at the corner of 16th and Mount Pleasant streets, the seven-story Kenesaw Apartments is a pivotal neighborhood landmark. Built originally in 1905 as a luxury apartment building, it was reborn as the Renaissance Condominium when it was purchased by its tenants in 1984, becoming one of the earliest successes of D.C.’s Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act. Today, residents represent a diversity of backgrounds, ages, and incomes; many owners came as immigrants, have lived in the building for several decades, and raised their families there. It is not only an example of grand Beaux-Arts architecture but a symbol of tenant organizing, affordable housing, and the District’s Latino community heritage.
By 2021, the building was in need of significant repairs. The massive metal cornice at the top of the building was rusting, leaks in the roof required patching, and the elaborate terra cotta decorative balconies were structurally unsound. In 2023, the District awarded over $2M in funding to help offset repair costs at the Kenesaw, including grants to 31 low- and moderate-income homeowners and also to the condominium association.
The repairs to the Kenesaw were completed in late 2024.
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Inside the lobby of the Kenesaw/Renaissance in Mount Pleasant hangs a photo capturing tenants’ struggle to purchase the building from its landlord in the 1970s. (Dee Dwyer for WAMU/DCist)
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 OP recently released Reimagining North Capitol Crossroads, a transformational vision for the area surrounding the McMillan Reservoir. The report draws from the history of the area and the stories and perspectives of its residents. It contains guiding principles for connecting neighborhoods, expanding access to the site, leveraging area institutions, and prioritizing equity and diversity as the District prepares for future development in the area.
Community voices were centered through a series of oral histories culminating in the District Crossroads podcast miniseries which includes interviews with neighborhood residents, activists, artists, universities, and public space stewards.
Reimagining North Capitol Crossroads
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The District of Columbia and the National Park Service are excited to announce the start of the planning process for the redevelopment of Poplar Point. Join us for a virtual kickoff event on Tuesday, February 11, 2025 (register here). To receive information throughout this project, we invite you to visit publicinput.com/poplarpoint and sign up for updates.
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OP is seeking two Artist Professionals and/or Artist Teams to support our Commemorate DC program to increase commemoration of native Washingtonians, leaders and prominent figures of color, historic events, organizations, and cultural staples across all wards of the District.
To view the Request For Applications and submission details, visit planning.dc.gov/RFA-Commemorate-DC-Artist-Grant.
The submission deadline is February 28, 2025 at 3:00 pm. OP will host a virtual pre-application information session on February 5th at 3:00 pm.
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Rhode Island Avenue Planning Study
OP is kicking off the Rhode Island Avenue Planning Study, which will evaluate a portion of the Rhode Island Avenue NE Corridor located between 13th Street NE and Eastern Avenue. The planning study will look at the corridor's retail market, public realm, housing, and other land use opportunities. The goal is to envision a future for the Rhode Island Avenue NE corridor that better meets the needs of the corridor's communities and local businesses. Visit the project website for more information and how to get involved!
 Learn more and get involved in our community planning projects:
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Join us at the following events where OP staff will be available to answer questions and share information about OP’s work:
Performance oversight hearing information:
OP will testify before the DC Council in an upcoming public hearing about the agency's performance in Fiscal Year 2024. The performance oversight hearing is scheduled for February 25. Access details and view the hearings through the Council's website.
Director Cozart at the Moment for Housing is NOW Summit hosted by Mayor Bowser and the National League of Cities on January 16, 2025.
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