The NoMa BID's Park Foundation closed on the $14 million purchase from PEPCO of the empty 2-acre lot to the west of the Metropolitan Branch Trail, but not adjacent to the Z-Curve
The NoMa parks plan describes the Pepco site as the "best opportunity to provide an expansive open green space in the neighborhood." Tentatively titled "NoMa Green," the park site buy followed roughly two years of negotiation between the BID and Pepco.
Jasper said she hopes to break ground on the NoMa Green in about a year, which leaves enough time to take the parcel through a community vision process and to hire a master planner and landscape architect.
As noted last year, the full four acre plot would provide an opportunity to straighten out the Z-curve, which was an unfortunate, but necessary, modification of the original design. But the NoMa Green will only be built on the southern 2 acre portion of this plot, and so it will not provide an opportunity to fix that.
The cover of the old WABA concept plan for the trail, shows this area as a wide green space with the trail running down the center. When DDOT originally started to design the trail, they had it making a pair of 45 degree turns for a more fluid path from the tracks to the back of the buildings. You can see this on the original image below (unfortunately, I can't find the draft plan online anymore). But, DDOT wasn't able to acquire the land, currently fenced off for earth moving equipment storage, necessary. Staff had to work hard to get the current easement for the trail, and it was a source of some concern at the time.* (as I recall.)
The draft trail angled from the current first turn of the Z on the line with R Street to Randolph Place. The trail as built makes a sharp 90+ degree turn, follows the line with R Street and then makes another 90+ degree turn to run behind the buildings along the right-of-way.
I know that the NoMa Park Foundation wants this to be an active recreation space but if they did acquire it, it could also be a chance to rebuild the trail more in line with the original vision by having the trail bisect it at an angle. This would move the diagonal south a bit from the original design, but still get rid of the Z-curve, making for a better trail. On the one hand, it would create two smaller spaces separated by a bike/ped trail - which may not be desirable, but on the other, it would make a little more space available for the park (hypotenuse needs less space than the sides). It's worth considering.
*I heard that the reason they didn't get the land was that they couldn't get any property acquisition staff to work on it. They were all busy on the baseball stadium land. File that under opportunity cost.
DDOT has been trying to fix this since at least 2006. They were trying to buy the land back then, perhaps the city can buy the northern 2-acre plot, or at least include the trail in a PUD.
Note: This post has been updated from its original state. It previously stated that NoMa Green would include the northern part of the plot adjacent to the Z-curve, which was incorrect.
Great! Now I hope someone buys the Penn Center and turns it into a restaurant/bar similar to Dew Drop ;)
Posted by: Likes_To_Salmon | January 05, 2016 at 08:41 AM