The Georgetown Metropolitan

1200 block of 3oth St.

Last month, GM ranted that the liquor license moratorium is broken and not needed any more. One of the strongest arguments he offered was that when the licenses are available they have almost always ended up in the hands of speculators with no genuine business plans. For instance, last year four licenses were released and so far no restaurants have opened using them.

One of them went to an entity called MYIA, LLC. This group went as far as to enter into a settlement agreement with the ANC and CAG in order to open a brick oven pizza restaurant at 1419 Wisconsin Ave. Last month, GM noted that that space was vacant and had a For Rent sign with no signs of restaurant-related construction. This didn’t seem to portend well for a restaurant actually opening. Continue reading →

Photo by Mike Maguire.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Median one-bedroom apartment in Georgetown cost $2600/month.
• Some Georgetown restaurants in this Citypaper food issue, like Best Place to Bring Your Parents (Chez Billy Sud) or Best Place to Bring Your Grandparents (1789).

3100 block of R St.

At the Georgetown BID’s annual meeting yesterday, Councilmember Jack Evans announced that he secured $3 million in the city’s budget to contribute towards the critically necessary repairs of the C & O Canal, as well as the construction of a new canal boat.

This news was actually already reported by the Current last week, but it was tucked away in an article about how that is only half of what is necessary to achieve the BID’s goal. The other $3 million will come from fundraising via the newly created Georgetown Heritage charitable organization. Continue reading →

Photo by Mike Maguire.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• The S & R Foundation paid $2.5 million over list for the historic Fillmore School. (Although don’t feel sorry for them, they snatched up Evermay and Halcyon House at fire-sale prices, relatively speaking).
• People in and around Georgetown pay over 25% of their salaries in housing.

1400 block of 33rd St.

Five years ago, in a deal that still leaves a bad taste in GM’s mouth, the city entered into an agreement with Maret School to renovate the Jelleff field. In exchange for Maret moving the pool and building an artificial turf field, the private school was granted a generous easement to give it exclusive use of the fields during prime hours. The easement was to last ten years, we’re halfway to its extinguishment.

Don’t get GM wrong, the fields are beautiful and the pool is great. When the property was owned by the Boys and Girls Club, the pool was not open to the general public (outside the club’s programs), and the fields were often in rough shape. In 2009, the city purchased the property from the Boys and Girls Club. At the time, the club was apparently in the midst of an RFA process to allow a private school to renovate the fields in exchange for certain use privileges. Continue reading →

Photo by Mike Maguire.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Georgetown student dies in Dupont fire, in unlicensed apartment.
• Cat Cafe opens June 20th.

Volta Park