The UDC Theater of the Arts (2016 photo)
by Marlene Berlin
Van Ness has been the subject of many studies and visioning sessions, including three from the Office of Planning since 2011, the latest being 2016’s Van Ness Commercial District Action Strategy. DDOT, after many years of study and design, released its final concept plan for its Van Ness Commercial Corridor Project in 2022.
Now, a new group is studying Van Ness. Urban Land Institute is coming to Van Ness on February 19th and 20th to convene a panel of real estate and land use experts. They will present their report at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 20th, and the public is invited to attend in person or online. You’ll find the details here.
Gloria Garcia, executive director of Van Ness Main Street (VNMS), and Stan Wall, a co-chair of the VNMS Economic Committee, have been working with UDC to bring ULI Washington to Van Ness. It is Van Ness Main Street’s hope that the ULI process and report moves the corridor from planning to action, and paves the way for new development and vibrancy.
Per this project’s press release: “This exercise – a Technical Assistance Panel (TAP) run by ULI Washington, the local District Council of the Urban Land Institute – will examine key opportunity parcels along Connecticut Ave. NW between Tilden St. NW and Albemarle St. NW and will develop an approach to enhance vibrancy through retail and housing initiatives, improved transit accessibility, and expanded arts and cultural programming.” (emphasis mine)
A vision of Van Ness Main Street since its founding is one of Van Ness as a cultural arts destination. The seeds of making the area a distinct center for the arts are already present.
UDC, with its own performing and visual arts programs and facilities, is an obvious hub, and while under-enrolled could fulfill a citywide need for more (and more affordable) studio and other creative spaces. The former Intelsat/Whittle School could serve these needs as well.
The former Intelsat headquarters (2014 photo)
There could also be a dynamic partnerships with Levine Music, Jackson-Reed High School’s band, orchestral, choral and theater programs, and other culture and arts programs from around the city. And Politics and Prose is always on the lookout for book talk venues.
The ULI process could be boon to our Van Ness corridor and attract more students to UDC. Think of the vibrancy that could come of musicians, actors and dancers performing in our public inside and outside spaces, of community dances and sings. What could better breathe new life and bring new business into our area?
This Forbes article describes performing arts as an economic driver:
“Mayors understand the connection between the arts industry and city revenues,” said Reno, Nevada Mayor Hillary Schieve. “Arts activity creates thousands of direct and indirect jobs and generates billions in government and business revenues. The arts also make our cities destinations for tourists, help attract and retain businesses, and play an important role in the economic revitalization of cities and the vibrancy of our neighborhoods.”
With mayoral support, the ULI report could open up a new world for performance and vibrancy in this commercial corridor.
Marlene Berlin is the editor-in-chief of Forest Hills Connection, and a co-founder and past president of Van Ness Main Street. The opinions expressed are her own.
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Barbara Kraft says
I love this idea of our Van Ness neighborhood as a cultural and arts center. Thank you,
Marlene. UDC has an excellent studio arts program in addition to its music programs. Van Ness planners might get some ideas from the Brentwood Arts Center and similar venues in the DMV. UDC and/or the Commission on Arts and the Humanities could sponsor artists in residence and arts programs connected to UDC’s CAUSES programs.
Years ago when Walgreens abandoned the building at Connecticut Ave., NW and Veazey St., NW, I inquired about using that building for art space for UDC artists, local unaffiliated artists, and artists connected with the Washington Studio School, where I was then on the board of directors. The leasing agent said the owner was looking to sell, not lease, the building and that insurance costs incident to temporary artist uses would be prohibitive. With its large windows and spaces full of light, it would have been ideal for artists’ uses, much like the Jackson Art Center in Georgetown, formerly a public school. It appears (to one who walks by the building almost every day) that not much is going on inside.
Thanks again for putting this idea out there!
Carren Kaston says
Barbara Kraft points out that Walgreens in the Van Ness area closed years ago and there was no forward movement on turning it into an arts space . . . or anything else. Similarly the Uptown Movie Theatre has languished unused for years, despite a community group offering to buy it and turn it into an art space. The UDC event described above is similar in format and language to a “study” I attended at UDC eight or so years ago.
That time, I was one of the people who was interviewed. The interviewer promised to reflect my views and those of others who felt as I did in the recommendations that were put forward. But these views were not reflected.
Then, as now, recommendations were compiled within a day of the interviews or on the same day. NOTE: It’s hard to have confidence in recommendations issued so soon after the study and interviews are done. There’s no time for the “experts” to think, do further research, etc. They do call this a “study” after all.
This same immediate issuing of recommendations will take place this time.
In the past, the event seemed intended to be cloaked in the appearance of community participation.
I later recognized the man who interviewed me as working for one of DC’s private, for-profit developers — i.e., not an objective land use “expert.” Indeed all of the “experts” then were associated in one way or another with developers. And in this invitation, they don’t even tell us who the experts will be.
People who attend the Van Ness meeting later this week — on Feb. 20 — may want to ask questions with some of the above in mind.
Evan Snow says
Loved hearing this! We have been having conversations with other stakeholders in the community regarding some of the vacancy activation initiatives, and are glad to support when we can!
To provide some context and better introduce ourselves, we are arts advocates, community builders, and Placemakers who, among other endeavors, started a Creative Placemaking Initiative to activate vacant commercial real estate spaces (storefronts and office spaces) into affordable working artist studios. These spaces provide artists with places to create, collaborate, and be discovered + collected outside of their homes while providing benefit to the community and neighboring tenants walkability.
Over the past 5+ years, we’ve successfully activated 32 spaces across four states, welcoming over 700 artists into our program and positively impacting 100s of lives thousands of times over with countless success stories on all levels. Our spaces have grown into thriving Creative Placemaking hubs for classes, workshops, artist potlucks, nonprofit fundraisers, and so much more, while delivering significant economic and social benefits to the communities we serve.
Should this be of interest to you and benefit to the community we would be delighted to discuss synergies further with the right synergistic stakeholder.
https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/using-vacant-commercial-spaces-as-affordable-artist-studios-is-a-win-win
https://www.loopnet.com/learn/this-company-fills-vacant-commercial-properties-with-local-artists-studios/1731062856/