The Georgetown Metropolitan

As mentioned earlier, buried in the $13 billion budget adopted by the DC Council was a measure providing $35,000 to contribute to a study proposed by the Georgetown Business Improvement District to analyze the feasibility of constructing an aerial gondola from the Rosslyn Metro stop to M St. in Georgetown and terminating at the Georgetown University campus. This proposal has generated biting contempt from several quarters, but this criticism is misguided and ill-informed. We should absolutely study the possibility of constructing an aerial gondola between Rosslyn and Georgetown.

As documented by the Post, this idea is the brainchild of the BID’s CEO Joe Sternlieb. Having seen an aerial gondola in action in Portland, Oregon, Strenlieb became entranced with the idea of bringing this idea to Washington.

After taking charge at the BID, Sternlieb was quickly able to persuade all the relevant stakeholders that the idea was worth pursuing. It was adopted as a particularly eye-catching action item in the Georgetown 2028 long term planning study produced by the BID with significant community-input two years ago. Funding the study is a significant step towards completing that action item. The BID has raised $130,000 from donors and is seeking an additional $35,000 each from DC and Arlington to fund the anticipated $200,000 study. While Arlington has not officially approved its contribution, a county spokesperson stated that it was working towards it. (Full disclosure: GM served on the steering committee of the Georgetown 2028 study). Continue reading →

Photo by Ron Cogswell.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Some more detail on the approval of the gondola study.
• The Sports Fix returns to the Q & A Cafe.

2900 block of O St.

The official fiscal year 2016 D.C. budget was approved yesterday, and two Georgetown projects received significant financial support: Hyde-Addison School and the proposed Georgetown gondola.

The Hyde expansion has been in planning for over five years. And many proposed start dates have come and gone. But having finally obtained approval from the Old Georgetown Board earlier this year, the project was finally and truly set to begin in June 2016 (if not June 2015). But Mayor Bowser proposed to push the start date back to 2017. Thanks to successful community support and the intervention of Councilmember Jack Evans, Hyde’s gym project was restored to the start date that it had before Mayor Bowser cut deeply into the school reconstruction budget. Continue reading →

Photo by Citron Smurf.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Mayor Bowser speaks to CAG.
• Smalest condo in DC is in Georgetown, and could be yours.

3100 block of P St.

Next Friday, the Friends of Volta Park is holding its annual spring cocktail party and auction. You should go! It’s fun and for a great cause, namely keeping the beautiful park that so many of us use beautiful.

And if you need more reasons, check this out: one of the items now up for bid is a 24 hour test drive of the highly rated Tesla Model S.

Now, GM’s not saying you should spend most of those 24 hours flooring the car in the “Insane Mode”, but he’s not not telling you to do it:

This could be you!

Photo by Alan Kotok.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Mayor Bowser attending the CAG meeting tonight.
• Speaking of the Mayor, she proposed a budget item to help to fund the gondola study.

Georgetown Waterfront Park

The Alexander Memorial Baptist church complex on N St. is currently being converted into condos and a single family residence.

And above is a photo of what the interior looks like right now as shared by the project’s realtor. Makes you wonder what the sanctuary could have been made into if the plans for its conversion to a single family use had gone through. Continue reading →