Atlas Performing Arts Center thanks Mayor Gray for help covering recent historic renovation costs

ATLAS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER RECEIVES $6.5 MILLION DHCD LOAN TO RETIRE RENOVATION DEBT & CONTINUE PROVIDING QUALITY JOBS AND PROGRAMMING ON VIBRANT H STREET

The Atlas Performing Arts Center announced today that it has received an interest-free loan of $6.5 million from DC’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) that will enable the Atlas to pay off the loan that financed its historic renovation in 2005. The Atlas will repay the loan over the span of 25 years in the form of community benefits valued at $260,000 annually, in accordance with the approved Community Benefits Plan. Together with funds raised through its Capital Campaign, and other sources, this loan will fully retire the renovation debt.

“The Atlas is profoundly grateful to Mayor Vincent C. Gray and his exceptional team including, Deputy Mayor Victor L. Hoskins in the Office of Planning and Economic Development and Director Michael P. Kelly in the Department of Housing and Community Development for this commitment,” said Atlas Founder and Board Chair Jane Lang. “The loan reflects the Mayor’s confidence in the Atlas, its contributions to the community and its future.”

In discussing the loan and Atlas’ role in the community, Mayor Gray stated, “The Atlas historically has been a symbol of the neighborhood’s resilience and potential. The vitality of H Street NE today demonstrates that public-private partnerships do work and can lay the foundation for growth that benefits us all.”

The Atlas is credited with having launched the revival of H Street NE corridor. Originally built as a movie theatre in 1938, the historic building was first acquired from the H Street Community Development Corporation in 2002. Today, the Atlas presents contemporary programming in music, theatre, dance and performance arts connecting diverse artists and audiences together through shared artistic experiences. Throughout the year, audiences have opportunities to attend high quality performances and participate in arts education programming and workforce development programs for free or at low cost.

“The Atlas is fortunate to have had the support of many talented and generous people over the years,” said Atlas Executive Director Sam Sweet. “This new loan from the District reinforces our commitment to serve the community and increase growth through excellence in the arts.”

Department of Housing and Community Development Director Michael Kelly echoed Sweet’s sentiments.

“The Atlas demonstrates the connection between  economic development and the arts,” noted  Kelly. “We are pleased to leverage the Community Development Block Grant Program to invest 6.5 million dollars in an organization that is a model for community development – one that is widely recognized and appreciated throughout the region, especially for the opportunities it creates for low and moderate income families.”

In addition to presenting over 80 performances in the arts, the Atlas is also home to Joy of Motion Dance Center, Congressional Chorus, American Youth Chorus, Northeast Senior Singers, Capital City Symphony, Step Afrika, Rorschach Theatre and African Continuum Theatre Company.

The Atlas has received numerous accolades and awards including the 2012 Mayor’s Arts Award for Excellence in Service to the Arts, and the 2013 Top Performing Arts Venue award in the Washington City Paper’s Best Of reader’s poll. Additionally, the Atlas was added to the National List of Historic Properties in 2011.

Boundary Road opening for Labor Day lunch (9/2) & 1st day of Congressional session for brunch & punch (9/9)

Our friends at Boundary Road (414 H St) have decided to open for lunch on Labor Day, Monday, September 2.  They are typically closed on Mondays, but will be open for lunch on this federal holiday. 

They're also planning a "Congressional Brunch" for the following Monday, September 9, which is the day Congress gets back in session.  They will be serving brunch and unlimited punch from 11 - 3 and the bar will be open all day.  Sounds like a fun way to spend the day if you don't have to be at work. 

RedRocks Pizzeria opening next week at 1348 H Street

We've been pining for RedRocks Pizzeria to bring their terrific Neapolitan style pizzas to H Street for a couple years now.  Their team looked at a handful of H Street locations -- and was a finalist to fill the space that will soon become Maketto -- before finding the perfect spot at 1348 H Street.  The building is double wide, recently renovated, and boasts an open skylight retractable roof as well as front open façade.  After various delays, RedRocks H Street will open once they've finished training staff, and you're going to want to check the place out early and often.



1st floor booths, center bar with 20 taps and flat screen TVs



RedRocks already has a few locations around the DC area, but plans to treat H Street as its flagship.  The H Street location will be the group's largest and will feature executive chef Angel Mendoza who has overseen the menu at their other locations, 18 beers and two wines on tap, three levels of food and drink, and an outdoor roof deck with an indoor-outdoor bar and Capitol views.



View from the roof deck include the Atlas Performing Arts Center and the Capitol



A recent tour of the space reveals a large and attractive environment, featuring a good deal of exposed brick, high ceilings, and abundant natural light.  The roof is all glass and retractable and is the largest of its kind on the East Coast and the management team hopes to keep it open most of the time.  The large space is one of several features that are likely to be received as family friendly in a neighborhood that increasingly boasts a large number of families with young children.  RedRocks H Street also has a large private dining room with a full bar and additional pizza oven, which will make it easy to accommodate large private parties.  It feels spacious and bright, but they've managed to maintain a comfortable ambiance.



2nd floor dining room has ample space and natural light



Retractable roof is huge, welcomes tons of light and will be open as much as possible



Co-owners Doug Baj and James O'Brien have installed neighborhood resident Ken Fulkroad as general manager.  RedRocks will be open daily, offering lunch and dinner with brunch coming soon (yes, there will be bottomless mimosas).  Brick ovens are located on the first and second floors and will continue churning out fresh pies for late night dining.  Reservations are certainly not required, but can be made via their website through City Eats.  Look for them to open quietly and to welcome neighbors in for brick oven fired pizzas before the end of next week.



Co-owner James O'Brien & neighborhood resident GM Kenneth Fulkroad in front of the roof deck's indoor/outdoor bar which features 20 taps



 

Join the call for DCPS to restore neighborhood preference for School-Within-School at 10th & F NE

School-Within-School (SWS) will move to the Goding Elementary School building that previously housed the Prospect Learning Center at 10th & F Street, NE later this month.

SWS currently has the highest percentage of in-bounds neighborhood children attending it of any school in Ward 6.   Unfortunately, when DCPS decided to move the school to its new location at 10th & F, they dropped the boundaries and the proximity preference that provided an advantage to neighborhood children in the enrollment process.   Already this year, two children who live directly across the street from the school applied through the lottery and were denied the opportunity to participate in the school community.   Children should be able to attend the public school that they can see from their living room.   The neighborhood school that draws most heavily from the neighborhood should not be unilaterally changed to no longer allow neighborhood children to attend it.   Join your neighbors, ANC6A, and Councilmember Wells in support of restoring neighborhood preference at SWS and sign the petition to ensure SWS continues to be a neighborhood serving public school. 

Bikelanes coming to G & I Streets NE this fall

After much neighborhood agitating and far too many incidents where bikes got stuck in H Street streetcar track, DDOT proposed bike improvements to G Street and I Streets NE.  H Street was not a viable option because it had already been recently redone  and the streetcar tracks were positioned in a manner that did not leave room for bike lanes.  ANC6A  and ANC6C held a joint committee meeting in June and both ANCs voted unanimously to request that DDOT implement "Option 2", which features contraflow bike lanes on G & I Street.  Contraflow lanes are bike lanes that run opposite of traffic.  Both streets will also have shared lane markings (aka "sharrows") that indicate to vechicular traffic that bicycles are welcome to share the flow of traffic, thus allowing bike traffic in both directions on G & I Streets.  The hope is that this will benefit the safety of the neighborhood's many bike users and will be of particular benefit in steering bicycle traffic off of H Street where the streetcar tracks have snagged far too many bicycle wheels and caused unnecessary accidents.  DDOT and its streetcar team report that the lanes should be installed this fall, so that they are available when streetcar service commences.  We've asked DDOT to address the need for repaving on G Street prior to installation, but have not received an update since they told us they would investigate that matter in May.  Hopefully, they'll be able to address this as some blocks on G Street -- especially the 500 and 600 blocks -- are badly in need of repaving and currently provide for a very bumpy ride.  Regardless, we're looking forward to seeing the improved bike infrastructure installed in the coming months. 

For more background on the process, see this GGW post by neighborhood ANC Commissioner Tony Goodman describing the four options that DDOT presented to the community.

FreshFarm Markets now running outdoor market at Union Market Sundays 10-2

FreshFarm Markets -- the folks who run our terrific H Street Farmers Market on Saturday mornings (as well as the Sunday morning Dupont Circle Farmers Market and a host of others around town) has opened a Sunday farmers market outside of Union Market, which runs each week from 10 am - 2 pm.  Their release and the producer line up for the market is below.

FRESHFARM Markets, the non-profit that operates 10 producer only markets in the D.C. Region and Edens, the real estate owner and developer behind Union market, joined forced to open Sunday farmers market on July 21. The market (Sundays, 10am to 2pm) is operated outside Union Market on Neal place and has 11 farmers and producers, all highlighting the best foods and flavors of the Chesapeake watershed. In order to lower economic barriers to fresh local foods, FRESHFARM Markets is offering Match Dollars to shoppers using their SNAP (Food Stamps/EBT), WIC, and SFMNP checks - for $15 spent in these nutritional benefits, FRESHFARM will give the shopper an additional $15 FREE Market Dollars to spend at market.

Farmer Producer Line up:

Baklava Couture Greek sweets made with local honey
Banner Bee raw honey & handcrafted beeswax candles
Mock's Greenhouse hydroponic salad greens, tomatoes & herbs
Full Cellar Farm fresh vegetables, flowers &  pastured eggs
Kuhn Orchard apples, apricots, berries, peaches, plums & field vegetables
McCauley's Roasted Pepper Relish
Number 1 Sons fermented local vegetables & pickles
Praline Bakery croissants, quiches, cookies & cakes
Richfield Farm field vegetables, flowers & plants
Soupergirl! vegan soups made from local produce
Wildcraft Sodas botanical sodas

The Wandering Shoe - quality, full-service shoe store planned for eastern end of H Street and seeking community input

Chuck Murphy plans to open a shoe store called The Wandering Shoe on the eastern end of H Street.  To help ensure his succeess, he's asking neighborhood residents to participate in this survey to help him provide us with the type of shoes and apparel that we want to see for sale on H Street. 

Chuck has an extensive background with over 10 years in retail shoes and will carry chidren's, men's and women's shoes, along with accessories and footcare/shoecare products. He explains his decision to open a shoe store on H Street as arising from his love of retail and retails shoes and his love of H Street.  He loves shoes and once owned 72 pairs of Chuck Taylors.  He views shoe sales as the best use of his psychology degree and his desire to help others, noting that he finds it especially rewarding to help someone with foot trouble find the right fitting shoes.  Chuck first came to H Street because of family connections to Jason Martin who has ownership stakes in Sticky Rice, Dangerously Delicious Pies, Rock and Roll Hotell, and Chupacabra.  He's especially excited about the energy of the corridor's eastern end where he hopes to open The Wandering Shoe soon. 

The Wandering Shoe's will be a a shoe store with adult's and children's shoes that doesn't require a trip to upper Northwest or the suburbs (there are few, if any, quality shoe stores that market to families east of upper Northwest.)  Chuck feels parents and kids deserve better quality and not in the suburbs.  TWS will sell comfort and fashion footwear in an exciting environment and will stock shoes in hard to fit sizes, including smaller and larger shoes as well as narrow and wide options. 
The two level space TWS expects to use is large and would allow for a variety of shoe options to be available on site.  TWS will feature many American made or American designed shoes as well as some international options.

Help bring this new form of retail to H Street and help it succeed by filling out this survey, so TWS has what it needs to best serve our market.