Southwest DC Ecodistrict

| SW Ecodist rict
National Capital Planning Commission

The Nat ional Capit al Planning Commission is t he federal government s cent ral planning agency in t he Dist rict of Columbia and surrounding
count ies in Maryland and Virginia. The Commission provides overall planning guidance for federal land and buildings in t he region. It also reviews
t he design of federal const ruct ion project s, oversees long-range planning for fut ure development , and monit ors invest ment by federal agencies.
COMMISSION
L. Prest on Bryant , Jr., Chairman, President ial Appoint ee
John M. Hart , President ial Appoint ee
Elizabet h Ann Whit e, President ial Appoint ee
Arringt on Dixon, Mayoral Appoint ee
Robert E. Miller, Mayoral Appoint ee, NCPC Vice Chairman
The Honorable Leon E. Panet t a, Secret ary of Defense
Represent ed by Bradley Provancha
The Honorable Ken Salazar, Secret ary of t he Int erior
Represent ed by Pet er May
The Honorable Dan Tangherlini, Act ing Administ rat or of General Services
Represent ed by Mina Wright
The Honorable Joseph I. Lieberman, Chairman, Commit t ee on Homeland Securit y and Government al Af fairs, Unit ed St at es Senat e
Represent ed by Elyse Greenwald
The Honorable Darrell Issa, Chairman, Commit t ee on Oversight and Government Reform, Unit ed St at es House of Represent at ives
Represent ed by Howard A. Denis
The Honorable Vincent C. Gray, Mayor, Dist rict of Columbia
Represent ed by Harriet Tregoning
The Honorable Phil Mendelson, Chairman, Council of t he Dist rict of Columbia
Represent ed by t he Honorable Tommy Wells, Member, Council of t he Dist rict of Columbia
Marcel Acost a, Execut ive Direct or
The SW Ecodist rict Plan was prepared t hrough t he collaborat ion of t he federal government and t he Dist rict of Columbia.
The Nat ional Capit al Planning Commission had primary responsibilit y for oversight of t he project and ZGF Archit ect s LLP served as t he
principal consult ant .
SW Ecodist rict |
Chairman's Message
We have a compel l i ng oppor t uni t y t o revi t al i ze a f ederal preci nct i n t he hear t of t he nat i ons capi t al i nt o a
showcase of sust ai nabi l i t y. In col l aborat i on wi t h f ederal and l ocal par t ner s, and a communi t y of ci t i zens, t he
f ederal gover nment prepared a pl an t hat si gni f i cant l y reduces greenhouse gas emi ssi ons, st or mwat er r unof f,
and wast e, and exceeds t he goal s of t he Presi dent s Execut i ve Order 13514: Federal Leadershi p i n Envi ronment al ,
Energy, and Economi c, and Perf ormance.
The SW Ecodist rict : A Vision Plan f or a More Sust ainable Fut ure is a roadmap f or creat ing a highly sust ainable
mixed use neighborhood, nat ional cult ural dest inat ion, and downt own workplace t o meet t he needs of t he
next generat ion of f ederal workers, cit y resident s, and visit ors. It demonst rat es how precinct -scale planning f or
environment al syst ems achieves signif icant ly bet t er out comes t han individual building-scale st rat egies. The SW
Ecodist rict Plan is not only a great vision f or Washingt on; it s innovat ive approaches t o maximize ef f iciency and
sust ainabilit y can serve as a model t o revit alize f ederal buildings and campuses, and cit ies across t he nat ion.
The pl an addresses t he cur rent and f oreseeabl e chal l enges of our f i scal cl i mat e, acknowl edgi ng t hat we need
t o t hi nk beyond t radi t i onal approaches t o i mpl ement at i on. It provi des a f ramewor k f or coordi nat i ng physi cal
devel opment and operat i onal deci si ons. It f ul l y l everages t he f ederal gover nment s asset s t o creat e a more
ef f i ci ent and sust ai nabl e wor k envi ronment t hat wi l l reduce operat i ng expenses and provi de ret ur ns on
i nvest ment over t i me.
The SW Ecodi st r i ct vi si on was shaped by a remar kabl e par t ner shi p of 17 f ederal and Di st r i ct of Col umbi a
agenci es, as wel l as cont r i but i ons f rom ci t i zens and proper t y owner s. As t he chai r of t he SW Ecodi st r i ct
Task Force, I wi sh t o t hank t hese par t i ci pant s f or t hei r commi t ment and par t i ci pat i on. In par t i cul ar, I want
t o recogni ze t he General Ser vi ces Admi ni st rat i on and t he Di st r i ct of Col umbi a Of f i ce of Pl anni ng f or t hei r
l eader shi p i n devel opi ng key component s of t he pl an. The SW Ecodi st ri ct Pl an i s a si gni f i cant mi l est one
i n t he par t ner s ongoi ng ef f or t s t o t ransf or m t hi s area i nt o a hi ghl y sust ai nabl e communi t y.
Si ncer el y,
L. Pr est on Br yant , Jr.
Chai r man
Nat i onal Capi t al Pl anni ng Commi ssi on
SW Ecodist rict |
OVERVIEW i
The Vision
The Pat h t o Sust ainabilit y; The Development Scenario; Focus Areas
Measuring Success
1 CONTEXT 1
2 THE NEIGHBORHOOD FRAMEWORK 4
Civic Realm; Land Use; and Mobilit y
3 THE ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORK 24
Energy; Wat er; Wast e; and Green Inf rast ruct ure
4 THE DEVELOPMENT SCENARIO AND FOCUS AREAS 50
The Development Scenario
Focus Areas
Independence Quart er
10t h St reet Corridor and Banneker Park
Maryland Avenue and 7t h St reet Corridors
Sout hwest Freeway
5 SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIPS 84
Economic Findings
Implement at ion
Policies, Direct ives, and Regulat ions
Financing Tools
Plan Applicabilit y
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 98
Elect ronic copies of t his report , and addit ional mat erials, are available at www.ncpc.gov/ swecodist rict .
Table of Contents
| SW Ecodist rict
The foundat ion of ecodist rict planning is t hat implement ing and operat ing at a neighborhood or dist rict -scale
achieves great er sust ainabilit y and f inancial benef it s t han t radit ional building-scale st rat egies.
Overvi ew | Page i
The SW Ecodistrict Plan
The SW Ecodist rict : A Vision Plan f or a More Sust ainable Fut ure is
a comprehensive forward-looking approach t o urban sust ainabilit y
and redevelopment . In 2010, in part nership wit h federal and local
st akeholders, t he Nat ional Capit al Planning Commission ( NCPC) ,
est ablished t he SW Ecodist rict Task Force t o evaluat e how t o
best t ransform t he 10t h St reet and Maryland Avenue corridors in
Washingt on, DC, int o a livable and highly sust ainable
mixed-use communit y.
The SW Ecodist rict Plan examines how federal asset s and nat ural
resources can be used most ef f icient ly and cont ribut e t o t he
economic vit alit y and environment al healt h of t he cit y. The plan
is a roadmap t hat recommends how t o achieve t hese goals by
using dist rict -scale sust ainable pract ices t o int egrat e land use,
t ransport at ion, and environment al planning wit h high performance
buildings, landscapes, and inf rast ruct ure. Known as ecodist rict
planning, t his approach yields great er environment al and economic
benef it s t han t radit ional building-scale st rat egies.
The plan recommends how t o best accommodat e f ut ure federal of f ice
space needs, est ablish new cult ural dest inat ions, and ext end t he civic
qualit ies of t he Nat ional Mall. It proposes expanding t ransport at ion
choices and creat ing a new walkable neighborhood of connect ed
parks and plazas. It int roduces st rat egies for capt uring, managing,
and reusing a majorit y of t he energy, wat er, and wast e among mult iple
sit es and buildings.
The plan includes neighborhood and environment al st rat egies; a
recommended development scenario; and four focus areas t hat
organize sit e-specif ic recommendat ions. Recognizing t hat t here
are exist ing f unding const raint s, t he plan lays out a f lexible but
crit ical pat h t o coordinat e improvement s. It ident if ies near-and
long-t erm priorit y project s including pre-development st udies
necessary t o move project s forward. Finally, t he plan includes
a governance st rat egy out lining t he part nerships, agreement s,
f unding, and legislat ive t ools t hat can t ranslat e t he SW Ecodist rict
recommendat ions int o act ion.
Page i i | SW Ecodi st ri ct
NOW IS THE TIME
The conf luence of several ef fort s present a once in a lifet ime
opport unit y t o achieve t he SW Ecodist rict . A combinat ion of
proposed development , federal planning init iat ives, and market
condit ions are put t ing Sout hwest Washingt on at t he cusp of change.
Now is t he t ime t o leverage t his moment um.
The federal government is re-examining it s propert y t o meet
aggressive sust ainabilit y t arget s.
The General Services Administ rat ion (GSA) is seeking t o opt imize
how federal space is used, t o creat e more ef f icient workplaces for
a modern federal workforce while reducing operat ing cost s.
The Nat ional Park Service ( NPS) is improving it s operat ions
and t he physical condit ion of t he Nat ional Mall t o sust ain it as a
nat ional cult ural resource.
The Smit hsonian Inst it ut ion is preparing a mast er plan t o address
it s f ut ure facilit y needs in t his area.
A mult i-billion dollar privat e wat erf ront development project is
planned; area propert y owners are invest ing millions t o improve
t heir land and facilit ies.
Sponsors are considering t he st udy area for f ut ure museums
and memorials.
CSX is spending millions t o improve rail-based int erst at e
commerce, while Amt rak and ot her t ransit agencies are evaluat ing
how t o accommodat e t he long-t erm needs for passenger rail
service in t he growing Nat ional Capit al Region.
COSTS AND BENEFITS
A high-level economic analysis was prepared t o underst and and
guide t he public and privat e invest ment s necessary t o f ulf ill t he
SW Ecodist rict vision over a 20-year planning horizon. The SW
Ecodist rict Plan recommendat ions will result in measurable and
int angible economic, social, and environment al benef it s for t he
federal government , t he Dist rict of Columbia, propert y owners, and
t he American t ax payer. These benef it s will likely exceed t he cost s
associat ed wit h sust ainable building, ut ilit y inf rast ruct ure, and public
space improvement s, and t he invest ment s necessary t o expand
public-privat e part nership development opport unit ies.
Key benef it s of t he SW Ecodist rict Plan include:
Maximizing ef f icient use of federal facilit ies, land,
and inf rast ruct ure;
Reducing t he federal government s operat ing cost s;
Increasing savings by moving t he federal government out
of leased space;
Increasing land values and land sale revenues;
Increasing t he Dist rict s revenue f rom propert y, employment ,
and sales t axes;
Increasing t he net operat ing income of privat e development ; and
Conserving nat ural resources and reducing greenhouse
gas emissions.
Import ant benef it s more dif f icult t o quant if y include:
Increasing federal work force ef f iciency and at t ract ing t he
next generat ion of workers;
Ident if ying locat ions for f ut ure nat ional museums and memorials;
Prot ect ing t he hist oric landscape of t he Nat ional Mall; and
Improving air and wat er qualit y.
Overvi ew | Page i i i
PARTNERSHIPS
The plans focus on public-privat e part nerships recognizes
t hat economic condit ions and compet ing priorit ies limit t he
availabilit y of appropriat ed federal f unds t o implement t he SW
Ecodist rict vision. These part nerships are import ant because t he
individual and collect ive benef it s t o t he federal government , t he
Dist rict of Columbia, and privat e st akeholders are subst ant ial.
The GSA and t he NPS have t he aut horit y t o est ablish
part nerships t o carry out many of t he plan recommendat ions.
A few recommendat ions may require execut ive or legislat ive
aut horizat ion, such as allowing t he exist ing cent ral ut ilit y
plant t o serve nearby privat e development .
A ROADMAP TO SUSTAINABILITY
The SW Ecodist rict Plan is a 20-year roadmap t o seize exist ing
moment um and bring t oget her federal, Dist rict , and privat e
sect ors t o redevelop t he st udy area int o a f ully f unct ioning
and model ecodist rict . The plan is f lexible, not prescript ive;
it should inform planning, guide design decisions, and help
ident if y complex land use, t ransport at ion, and inf rast ruct ure
improvement s t hat require coordinat ion among t he areas
various st akeholders. The plan should be used t o ensure t hat
near-t erm act ions do not preclude implement at ion of longer-
t erm recommendat ions. Such an approach can benef it all
st akeholders because t he value of t he whole is great er t han
t he sum of it s individual part s.
The recommended ecodist rict project s are designed t o be
priorit ized and carried out over t ime as federal agencies missions
and space needs change; as f unds are available and align wit h
public ( federal and local) and privat e invest ment priorit ies; and
when t he rat e of ret urn on invest ment makes economic sense.
The plan cont ains near-t erm init iat ives t hat can be achieved
in t he next few years, while ot hers will require a longer period
of t ime. Project s will require det ailed planning and evaluat ion
t o comply wit h a host of federal and local policies and laws.
Individually, each recommendat ion addresses import ant issues
t o increment ally realize t he SW Ecodist rict vision; collect ively,
t hey are t ransformat ive.
The Vision
THE SW ECODISTRICT VISION
TRANSFORMS THE 10TH STREET AND
MARYLAND AVENUE CORRIDORS INTO
A LIVABLE AND HIGHLY SUSTAINABLE
COMMUNITY THAT IS:
A revit alized neighborhood and
cult ural dest inat ion;
A well-connect ed neighborhood;
A high performance environment al showcase;
A successf ul economic part nership.
Page vi i i | SW Ecodi st ri ct
The Path to Sustainability
The development scenario is based on t he plans area-wide
neighborhood and environment al f ramework st rat egies and sit e-
specif ic recommendat ions t hat best achieve t he SW Ecodist rict vision.
It seeks t o improve t he ef f iciency of federal ownership of land and
buildings and ret ain federal agencies in t he Dist rict of Columbia in
locat ions appropriat e t o t heir missions, while int egrat ing a mix of
service, hot el, and resident ial uses.
The neighborhood and environment al f rameworks guide t he
development scenarios land use, t ransport at ion, open space and
cult ural connect ions, overall charact er, and energy, wat er, and
wast e syst ems. Dist rict -scale and building-scale st rat egies are
incorporat ed t o reduce energy and wat er use, creat e energy f rom
renewable sources, improve st ormwat er management , and increase
connect ivit y. The dist rict -scale approach will achieve great er result s
and ef f iciencies t han individual improvement s sit e by sit e.
The development scenario incorporat es mult iple needed st rat egies,
including rehabilit at ing, repurposing, inf illing wit h new development ,
and redeveloping federal buildings t o inform t he overall development
pat t ern. The scenario:
Maximizes t he use of federal land and buildings;
Increases development by approximat ely f ive million sq. f t .;
Increases t he mix of uses;
Improves walkabilit y: and
Reduces t he federal government s operat ing cost s and
cont ribut es t o t he cit ys economy.
Rehabi l i t at i on - Ful l
Rehabi l i t at i on - Li ght
Redevel opment
Inf i l l
Repurpose
EXISTING REHABILITATION REPURPOSE INFILL & REDEVELOPMENT
+ + +
MULTIPLE SITE AND BUILDING STRATEGIES WILL LEAD TO REVITALIZATION
To revit alize t he area, light ly rehabilit at ed buildings
will be repurposed or redeveloped over t ime.
Repurpose - Some exist ing buildings
may be repurposed. Repurposing
involves f ully rehabilit at ing t he building
and changing t he buildings use. It may
also involve adding height and increasing
t he building foot print and pot ent ially
changing t he buildings ownership.
Inf i l l - Inf ill development will occur on
exist ing sit es t hat are vacant or have
small, under-ut ilized buildings.
Redevel opment - Some exist ing
buildings or sit es t hat are inef f icient
may be demolished and redeveloped.
Ful l Rehabi l i t at i on - Buildings t hat
will remain permanent ly will be f ully
rehabilit at ed by upgrading windows,
building skin envelopes, and
mechanical syst ems.
Li ght Rehabi l i t at i on - Buildings t hat may
be repurposed or redeveloped will be
light ly rehabilit at ed in t he near-t erm by
improving light ing and wat er f ixt ures t o
reduce energy and wat er use.
DEVELOPMENT SUMMARY
Gross Sq. Ft .
Exi st i ng -
Ful l and Li ght Rehab* 10.8 Million
Repurpose + 600,000-1Million
Redevel opment +3.0 Million
Inf i l l + 2.2 Million
Pot ent i al Devel opment Scenari o*
= 14.7-15.1Million
* Since light ly rehabbed buildings will be
repurposed or developed, t he pot ent ial
t ot al is not cumulat ive.
Page x | SW Ecodi st ri ct
The Development Scenario
The development scenario can be achieved over t ime as federal
space needs change, as buildings are modernized, or as opport unit ies
arise t o leverage federal, local, and privat e f unds. Collect ively, t he
rehabilit at ion, repurpose, inf ill, and redevelopment recommendat ions
will t ransform t he st udy area int o a high performance neighborhood
and creat e bet t er land use, t ransport at ion, environment al, and
economic out comes.
NEIGHBORHOOD FRAMEWORK
LAND USE
The area will maint ain secure federal of f ice space while increasing
development densit y and providing t he range of uses expect ed wit hin
a vibrant urban neighborhood. New development will accommodat e
cult ural, educat ional, resident ial, ret ail, and hot el act ivit y.
PUBLIC SPACE
The neighborhood will become a nat ional cult ural dest inat ion by
ext ending t he civic qualit ies of t he Nat ional Mall. It will provide a
dist inguished set t ing for f ut ure nat ional museums and memorials,
places for public gat herings, and neighborhood act ivit ies.
TRANSPORTATION
New development will break-up oversized superblocks and re-
est ablish t he st reet grid. The area will have a complet e and cont inuous
net work of sidewalks, bicycle lanes, st reet s, and t ransit services
ensuring mobilit y t o, f rom, and wit hin t he area for all modes of t ravel.
Maryland Avenue will be est ablished as an urban boulevard and an
expanded int ermodal st at ion will become t he nexus of regional rail,
Met ro, st reet car, and bus services.
ENVIRONMENTAL FRAMEWORK
DISTRICT ENERGY SYSTEM
Bot h public and privat e buildings will be served by a dist rict energy
syst em t hat relies on t he exist ing cent ral ut ilit y plant and f ut ure
micro-grids. Buildings will be rehabilit at ed or redeveloped t o increase
energy ef f iciency. Renewable energy will be produced onsit e and
dist ribut ed t hroughout t he area.
DISTRICT WATER SYSTEM
All st ormwat er will be capt ured, cleaned, and held in cist erns locat ed
beneat h 10t h St reet unt il needed for t he areas non-pot able wat er
uses such as t oilet s, mechanical syst ems, and for irrigat ion of t he
areas green st reet s and public spaces.
WASTE
Recycling and compost ing programs wit hin each building will
signif icant ly divert wast e f rom t he landf ill.
GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
Green roof s, new parks, bioswales, and st reet scapes will reduce t he
urban heat island ef fect , provide pedest rian comfort , and enrich
communit y life. This syst em will provide connect ed habit at corridors
t o t he Washingt on Channel and improve t he neighborhoods overall
visual charact er.
ECONOMIC VITALITY
Leveraging public and privat e invest ment s will maximize benef it s and
provide a t emplat e for reuse of federal propert ies. These invest ment s
will ensure t hat federal operat ions and missions are maint ained while
of fering privat e sect or land and development opport unit ies.
Page xi i | SW Ecodi st ri ct
Focus Areas
The development scenario comprises four focus areas as a
way t o organize t he plans recommendat ions int o building, sit e,
inf rast ruct ure, st reet , and public space cat egories. Each focus areas
recommendat ions ident if y opport unit ies t o leverage invest ment s,
link crit ical and f unct ional project component s, and address unique
and pragmat ic near-and long-t erm phasing condit ions. Individually
t he recommendat ions address import ant issues; collect ively t hey are
t ransformat ive in achieving t he SW Ecodist rict vision.
INDEPENDENCE
QUARTER
A mixed-use communit y
anchored by a nat ional
museum and a new
headquart ers for t he
U.S. Depart ment of Energy.
10TH STREET
CORRIDOR AND
BANNEKER PARK
An invit ing civic corridor
connect ing t he Nat ional Mall
and Smit hsonian Museums
t o t he sout hwest wat erf ront ,
anchored by an improved
Banneker Park, a nat ionally
signif icant cult ural dest inat ion.
MARYLAND AVENUE
AND 7TH STREET
CORRIDORS
An urban boulevard cent ered
on a signat ure park and an
expanded LEnfant St at ion
int ermodal cent er.
SOUTHWEST FREEWAY
A privat e mixed-use
development at op t he
Sout hwest Freeway will
support new connect ions
bet ween exist ing Sout hwest
neighborhoods, t he SW
Ecodist rict , and t he
Nat ional Mall.
Overvi ew | Page xv
The SW Ecodistrict in 2030
Development Scenario
The Cont ext | Page 1
The Context
BACKGROUND
The SW Ecodist rict Plan is t he out growt h of various
planning act ivit ies and relat ed init iat ives spearheaded by
t he Nat ional Capit al Planning Commission ( NCPC) . In 1997,
NCPCs Legacy Plan out lined a vision t o guide development
of Washingt ons monument al core and suggest ed t hat
federal development serve as a cat alyst for enlivening t he
cit y. In 2009, in part nership wit h t he U.S. Commission of
Fine Art s and consult at ion wit h t he Dist rict of Columbia,
NCPC prepared t he Monument al Core Framework Plan
which focused on how t o improve t he federally dominat ed
precinct s surrounding t he Nat ional Mall, including t he area
now ident if ied as t he SW Ecodist rict .
Addit ional guidance f rom t he nat ional and local levels
informed development of t he SW Ecodist rict Plan. In
2009, President Obama signed Execut ive Order 13514,
Federal Leadership in Environment al, Energy and
Economic Performance ( E.O. 13514) , making t he reduct ion
of greenhouse gas emissions a priorit y for t he federal
government . In 2012, Dist rict Mayor Vincent Gray released
A Vision for a Sust ainable DC, a communit y-designed plan
which calls for t ransforming t he Dist rict of Columbia int o t he
greenest , healt hiest , and most livable cit y in t he nat ion.
( Top image) Expansive building set backs, obst ruct ed
views, and a lack of veget at ion and pedest rian amenit ies
discourage pedest rian act ivit y along 10t h St reet .
( Lower image) The railway in t he Maryland Avenue
right -of -way disrupt s t he st reet grid, causing a physical
barrier bet ween downt own Washingt on and t he
sout hwest wat erf ront .
Page 2 | SW Ecodi st ri ct
( Top image) May 2011Task Force/ Working Group workshop
( Lef t image) February 2011public meet ing
( Above image) July 2011communit y meet ing
The Cont ext | Page 3
THE STUDY AREA
Locat ed immediat ely sout h of t he Nat ional Mall, t he 110-acre SW
Ecodist rict is bounded by Independence Avenue t o t he nort h, Maine
Avenue t o t he sout h, 12t h St reet t o t he west , and 4t h St reet t o t he east .
The 15-block st udy area includes eight federal buildings, eight privat e
buildings, and t hree federal parks. Approximat ely 56 percent of t he land is
federally owned, 26 percent is privat e, and about 18 percent is devot ed t o
st reet s, f reeways, and rail lines under t he jurisdict ion of eit her t he Dist rict
of Columbia, t he Federal Highway Administ rat ion, or t he CSX Corporat ion.
Originally est ablished t o support t he adjacent wat erf ront and milit ary
arsenal at Fort McNair, t he working-class communit y was t he nat ions
most ambit ious Urban Renewal Program following World War II. To make
way for t his modern development , t he communit y was physically razed
and it s resident s and businesses displaced. The const ruct ion of t he
Sout hwest Freeway physically separat ed t he neighborhoods resident ial
and of f ice uses. Nort h of t he f reeway, t he predominat ely federal of f ice
precinct remains charact erized by oversized superblocks, single-use of f ice
buildings, large set backs, and limit ed ground f loor act ivit y. Buildings and
public spaces are designed in t he lat e Modern Int ernat ional st yle. Tent h
St reet , lat er renamed LEnfant Promenade, became t he areas cent ral
spine. Ext ending bet ween t he Smit hsonian Cast le and a circular park
overlooking t he Washingt on Channel, t he imposing and elevat ed st reet
crosses an act ive railroad and f reeway. It s design creat es a labyrint h of
elevat ed st reet s, ramps, and st airs t hat make any form of navigat ion
dif f icult . The st reet scape is oversized and barren wit h lit t le veget at ion and
minimal amenit ies.
The form of t he st udy areas exist ing buildings, segregat ed land uses,
inf rast ruct ure, and condit ion of t he public realm creat e barriers separat ing
it f rom t he surrounding cit y. The result is a large, prominent area of t he
nat ions capit al t hat feels isolat ed and undesirable for improvement
and invest ment .
DEVELOPING THE PLAN
The SW Ecodist rict Init iat ive is led by NCPC in coordinat ion wit h t he
Dist rict Of f ice of Planning ( DCOP) , and is guided by t he SW Ecodist rict
Task Force, comprised of 17 federal and local agencies (see page 98) . The
Task Force f irst convened in spring 2010, and worked t oget her t o set goals
and develop recommendat ions for t he area. A st af f -level working group
provided t echnical support . NCPC had primary responsibilit y for oversight
of ZGF Archit ect s LLP, t he project s principal consult ant .
An import ant component of t he SW Ecodist rict Plan is t he Maryland
Avenue SW, Small Area Plan prepared by t he DCOP in consult at ion wit h
an advisory commit t ee of privat e propert y owners and t ransit and rail
operat ors. Complet ed in t he summer of 2012, t he plan addresses how best
t o reconst ruct Maryland Avenue t o support a diverse array of land uses
and improved public spaces.
Several met hods were used t o solicit input during preparat ion of bot h t he
SW Ecodist rict Plan and t he Maryland Avenue, SW Small Area Plan. The
SW Ecodist rict Task Force and Working Group held a t ot al of 17 meet ings.
The Maryland Avenue, SW Advisory Commit t ee held four meet ings.
Seven public meet ings designed t o obt ain cit izen input were host ed
independent ly or joint ly by NCPC and DCOP. Throughout t he process,
comment s were collect ed via a Dist rict -init iat ed on-sit e user survey,
an online public comment forum host ed by NCPC, a live chat wit h t he
Washingt on Cit y Paper, and by communit y blogs.
THE SW ECODISTRICT WILL BE A REVITALIZED COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL DESTINATION
The Nei ghborhood Framework | Page 5
The Neighborhood Framework
INTRODUCTION
Washingt on embraces it s dual role as t he nat ions
capit al and as a homet own. It s defining charact er is
est ablished by a diversit y of cult ural venues, dist inguished
archit ect ure, broad open spaces, an ext ensive public
t ransit syst em, and unique neighborhoods. Precedent
planning init iat ives including The Nat ional Capit al
Planning Commissions (NCPC) Legacy Plan and
Monument al Core Framework Plan and t he Dist rict
of Columbias Cent er Cit y Act ion Agenda envision a
capit al cit y wit h a t hriving downt own cent ered on t he
Nat ional Mall. These plans call for preserving t he civic and
ceremonial heart of t he nat ions capit al while promot ing
mixed-use, walkable neighborhoods and work cent ers.
This expanded definit ion of Washingt ons downt own looks
t o overcome t he t radit ional physical and psychological
boundaries bet ween t he federal and local cit y.
The federal and local government s share aspirat ions t o
advance Washingt on, DC, yet each has dist inct missions
and int erest s. The federal government is responsible for
using federal lands, facilit ies, and resources ef f icient ly;
providing secure, qualit y workplaces; recruit ing and
ret aining a t alent ed workforce; and preserving and
providing areas for nat ional gat herings and expression,
as well as places t o honor our count rys herit age and
heroes. The Dist rict is responsible for developing an
economically sound, livable, and inclusive cit y. In t he
cent er cit y, t he Dist rict and privat e sect or are creat ing
walkable, engaging, and dist inct ive places t o live, work,
and shop. Import ant t o all, mobilit y is t he backbone
of an ef f icient government and a livable cit y. Varied
and f lexible modes of t ransport cont ribut e t o well-
f unct ioning operat ions, af fordabilit y, convenient living,
and economic and social vit alit y.
The Neighborhood Framework provides object ives and
st rat egies for t hree areas t o t ransform t he st udy area
int o a revit alized and connect ed communit y.
Ci vi c Real m st rat egies enhance and creat e a
variet y of public spaces, est ablishing at t ract ive
set t ings for f ut ure cult ural dest inat ions and
neighborhood act ivit ies.
Land Use st rat egies accommodat e exist ing federal
of f ice space and promot e new resident ial, ret ail, and
cult ural uses.
Mobi l i t y st rat egies build on t he exist ing road, rail, and
bus inf rast ruct ure t o enhance t ransit capacit y, improve
bike and pedest rian syst ems, and bet t er connect all
modes of t ravel. These st rat egies re-est ablish and
improve exist ing right s-of -way t o promot e act ive,
walkable st reet s and provide connect ions t hroughout
t he st udy area and bet ween t he Nat ional Mall and t he
Sout hwest neighborhoods.
The Neighborhood Framework builds on t he SW
Ecodist rict goals and federal and Dist rict precedent
plans and responds t o exist ing condit ions and planned
project s in and near t he st udy area. Toget her wit h t he
Environment al Framework described in Chapt er 3, t hese
st rat egies inform t he development scenario laid out in
Chapt er 4, and propose a pat h t o a sust ainable, well-
connect ed and t hriving neighborhood. These st rat egies
should be used t o guide f ut ure planning, design, and
development decisions.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CIVIC REALM
Washingt ons net work of open spaces and cult ural inst it ut ions are
def ining feat ures of t he nat ions capit al t hat embody our count rys
democrat ic ideals of f reedom and openness. To ext end t he civic
qualit ies of t he Nat ional Mall and t he Smit hsonian museums and
gardens int o t he st udy area, it is import ant t o provide a variet y
of connect ed public spaces and locat ions for new cult ural and
educat ional dest inat ions. These spaces and facilit ies should
of fer int erest ing and st imulat ing places for personal enrichment ,
accommodat e large gat herings, support nat ional event s, and
provide opport unit ies for daily int eract ion and relaxat ion. It is
import ant t o locat e, conf igure and design t hese spaces and buildings
t o st rengt hen t he relat ionship bet ween t hem, and respect t heir
civic charact er.
THE AREA TODAY
OPEN SPACE AND CULTURAL FACILITIES
Alt hough direct ly adjacent t o t he Nat ional Mall and several of
t he Smit hsonian Inst it ut ions most visit ed facilit ies, t he plaque
celebrat ing Benjamin Banneker is t he only cult ural or educat ional
feat ure wit hin t he st udy area. Alt hough 10t h St reet was designed t o
be an iconic pedest rian promenade, it and t he surrounding net work
of public space are disjoint ed and ill-def ined. Exist ing public space
includes building yards, set backs, plazas, and parks, comprising
about 14.3 acres. Wit hin t he area, t hree public spaces are ident if ied
in NCPCs Memorials and Museums Mast er Plan as prime candidat e
sit es for f ut ure nat ionally signif icant memorials or museums. One
sit e is locat ed at t he int ersect ion of Independence and Maryland
Avenues, and is aut horized as t he f ut ure locat ion of t he proposed
Dwight D. Eisenhower Nat ional Memorial. The ot her t wo sit es are
Banneker Park and Reservat ion 113.
Bryant Park,
New York Cit y
Millenium Park,
Chicago
THE CASE FOR GREAT PUBLIC PARKS
St reet scape and open space improvement s can increase
propert y values, boost rent s, and creat e a set t ing at t ract ive
t o f ut ure cult ural, resident ial, and commercial uses.
Case st udies show t hat signat ure parks in close proximit y
t o development can increase propert y values bet ween
15-50 percent . Enhancement s t o Manhat t ans Bryant Park
increased adjacent propert y values by 50 percent . Creat ion
of Chicagos Millennium Park boost ed nearby propert y
values by 25 percent . In Philadelphia development wit hin
2,000 feet of it s enhanced park syst em increased rent
premiums by 15 percent .
PUBLIC SPACE AND CULTURAL FACILITIES
To est ablish t he SW Ecodist rict as a livable communit y and nat ional
cult ural dest inat ion, t he areas civic realm must be enhanced by
creat ing and linking a net work of high qualit y, diverse public spaces
bet ween t he Nat ional Mall and t he sout hwest wat erf ront .
OBJECTIVES
Dedicat e t he most import ant sit es for museums, memorials,
or ot her civic inst it ut ions of nat ional import ance.
Rest ore LEnfant Plan squares, st reet s, and avenues t o reclaim
t he st reet grid and open space net work.
Est ablish an int erconnect ed open space net work of mult i-purpose
public spaces.
Creat e dist inct ive set t ings for new and redeveloped parks, plazas,
and civic sit es.
Enhance visual and symbolic linkages and programmat ic
relat ionships among prominent buildings, icons, and public spaces.
DESIGN STRATEGIES
Use t he cit ys physical f ramework of major axial views, st reet grid,
prominent t ermini, reservat ions, and scenic overlooks t o sit e
cult ural facilit ies.
Use reciprocal views along corridors t o creat e focal point s t hat
est ablish symbolic connect ions t o ext end t he civic charact er of
t he Nat ional Mall int o t he st udy area.
Design buildings and landscape element s t o def ine public spaces,
f rame vist as, est ablish pedest rian orient at ion, and encourage
ordered movement t hrough t he st udy area.
Enhance avenues, st reet s, and public spaces wit h fount ains,
public art , landscape feat ures, and ot her pedest rian amenit ies.
Improve st reet t ree canopy t o st rengt hen axial views and ext end
t he park-like charact er of t he Nat ional Mall int o t he st udy area.
Design parks and plazas t o be accessible, safe, invit ing, and
f lexible for year-round recreat ion and act ivit y.
Orient building ent rances and plazas t o creat e usable
and engaging places for pedest rians.
Harden t he st ruct ural and archit ect ural feat ures of buildings t o
limit perimet er securit y in t he public space or building yards;
Minimize perimet er securit y and make it indist inguishable
f rom t he landscape.
The SW Ecodist rict will have an int erconnect ed open space net work.
Washingt on is recognized for it s walkable neighborhoods and it s
regional t ransit syst em. However, achieving t he SW Ecodist rict s
goal t o improve mobilit y t o, f rom, and wit hin t he area will require
reconnect ing t he st reet grid, expanding t ransit capacit y, encouraging
mult imodal t ransport at ion services, and enhancing int ermodal
connect ions. This is crit ical t o support high-densit y compact
development and is essent ial for a pedest rian-orient ed communit y.
Expanded t ransit also helps reduce roadway congest ion and air
pollut ion, lessens dependence on fossil f uels, improves public healt h
and business product ivit y, and makes it easier t o access jobs and
cont ribut e t o t he local and regional economy.
TODAY
The st udy areas great est asset s are it s t ransit and road connect ivit y
t o t he cit y and t he region, and convenient locat ion direct ly adjacent
t o t he Nat ional Mall, t he most visit ed Smit hsonian museums, and
t he sout hwest wat erf ront . The area is easily accessible f rom t he
Sout hwest Freeway and is well-served by numerous local and
commut er bus rout es, Met rorail, and Virginia Railway Express ( VRE)
commut er rail. Freight rail serving t he Mid-At lant ic and Midwest ern
st at es also t raverse t he area. As demand grows for f reight , passenger,
and commut er service, t he rail syst em is increasingly const rained. In
addit ion, t he disconnect ed st reet grid and mult iple levels of st reet s
and sidewalks make walking and bicycling unpleasant and dif f icult .
Freeway access is provided via t he 9t h and 12t h St reet f reeway
ramps. These roads serve about 15,000 vehicle t rips during t he
PM peak hour wit h 13,000 allocat ed t o of f ice t rips. Alt hough t he
SW Ecodist rict development scenario proposes subst ant ial new
development , it will likely have minimal impact on peak hour t raf f ic
since most t rips will be added t o t he t ransit syst em. As more housing
is int roduced, aut omobile t rips could decline because of great er
live-work opport unit ies and increased reliance on t ransit . In t he st udy
area t here are approximat ely 700 on-st reet parking spaces and
approximat ely 4,964 spaces wit hin garages; approximat ely 2,500
spaces are on federal propert y, equat ing t o about 1space for every 13
federal employees. Most federal buildings and privat e of f ices provide
below-grade parking for t heir employees. Public parking is provided
on-st reet and below LEnfant Plaza.
The Federal Highway Administ rat ion is st udying how t o reduce
congest ion and improve connect ions over t he 14t h St reet and
Case Bridges. The Dist rict Depart ment of Transport at ion ( DDoT)
is conduct ing t he M St reet Corridor Transport at ion St udy t o assess
t ransport at ion improvement s in Sout hwest Washingt on. The Dist rict
of Columbia, t he Nat ional Park Service ( NPS) , and t he Washingt on
Met ropolit an Area Transit Aut horit y ( WMATA) are considering f ut ure
t ransit improvement s t hat af fect t he st udy area. DDoT proposes t o
ext end a Circulat or rout e and a new st reet car line along 7t h St reet
and seeks t o improve int ercit y and t our bus operat ional issues t hat
impact adjacent neighborhoods and businesses. Nearby, t he NPS
is planning a Nat ional Mall Circulat or rout e, and is st udying how
t o address t our bus operat ions on t he Nat ional Mall. WMATA is
evaluat ing improvement s t o long-t erm rail service, including how t o
relieve congest ion on t he Green Line and at t he LEnfant Plaza Met ro
St at ion, and ways t o improve access t o t his Met ro st at ion.
Physical and operat ional const raint s out side and wit hin t he st udy
area will limit t he abilit y t o improve regional commut er rail and
int erst at e f reight services. Several init iat ives are underway t hat have
t he pot ent ial t o improve f reight t ransport at ion and t ransit capacit y.
The Dist rict Depart ment of Transport at ion is conduct ing a st udy of
t he Long Bridge t o det ermine how best t o increase rail capacit y.
The Union St at ion Redevelopment Corporat ion is st udying how t o
improve rail operat ions and t he user experience at Union St at ion.
CSX, owner of t he rail corridor, is improving t he rail line as part of
t he Nat ional Gat eway project t o increase f reight capacit y bet ween
t he Mid-At lant ic and t he Midwest regions of t he Unit ed St at es. These
init iat ives provide an opport unit y t o make improvement s wit hin t he
rail corridor t o enhance commut er service as well as deck t he rail line
t o reconst ruct Maryland Avenue above.
The number of st akeholders, t heir operat ional requirement s, and t he
jurisdict ions t hat cross neighborhood, cit y, and st at e borders makes
rail solut ions complex. Decisions made by one provider could hinder
or support robust commut er rail service in t he Mid-At lant ic region
over t he next 50 years. Const rained right s-of -way, growing ridership,
and compet ing operat ional needs call for st rong part nerships and
coordinat ion among all t ransit service providers.
MOBILITY - TRANSPORTATION AND STREET NETWORK
The Neighborhood Framework
Recommended Development Scenario
St udy Model ( 2030)
The Neighborhood Framework links civic realm, land use, and
t ransport at ion st rat egies t o promot e a revit alized, mixed use, and
connect ed neighborhood t hat balances t he needs of t he federal
and local cit y. Federal buildings are seamlessly int egrat ed wit h new
cult ural, resident ial, and ret ail uses. Well-def ined and invit ing public
spaces at t ract visit ors and resident s alike, and physically connect
t he Nat ional Mall t o t he sout hwest wat erf ront . An expanded st reet
net work and t ransit syst em connect t o t he larger region, and support
a walkable, bikable communit y.
CI VI C REALM AND LAND USE
Ret ain, reconf igure, and improve space ef f iciency of 7.9 million
sq. f t . of f ederal of f ice space t hat will accommodat e up t o 19,0 0 0
more employees t han current ly work in t he area. This is achieved
by rehabilit at ing and redeveloping buildings t o increase t heir
space ef f iciency. This helps ret ain federal headquart ers in t he
monument al core, consolidat es agency f unct ions, and reduces
reliance on lease space.
Creat e an addi t i onal 2.8 mi l l i on sq. f t . of pri vat e devel opment t hat
wi l l accommodat e 1.8 mi l l i on sq. f t . of resi dent i al and/ or hot el
devel opment and 1 mi l l i on sq. f t . of pri vat e or f ederal of f i ce space.
This is achieved by inf illing development on vacant or underused
parcels, using air right s, or repurposing pot ent ially excess f ederal
building space. New development will accommodat e 5,0006,000
addit ional workers, 1,250 resident s, and up t o 246,000 hot el
guest s annually.
Accommodat e at least 10 0,0 0 0 sq. f t . of convenience ret ail.
Communit y-serving ret ail should be locat ed at t he ground f loors
of privat e and secured federal buildings at key int ersect ions along
10t h St reet and Maryland Avenue. This provides t he opport unit y
t o privat ize and relocat e employee-only cafet erias t o t he st reet
f ront age and make t hem direct ly accessible t o t he public.
Est ablish up t o 1.2 million sq. f t . of cult ural and educat ional
development f or up t o f ive ident if ied museum sit es. Most could
be accommodat ed upon exist ing Nat ional Park Service land.
Redevelopment of t he Forrest al Complex and adjacent land will
provide t he opport unit y t o locat e up t o t wo addit ional museums
and a new memorial sit e in close proximit y t o t he Nat ional Mall and
Smit hsonian Cast le. Toget her, t hese new dest inat ions would at t ract
an addit ional 1.5 t o 2.5 million visit ors annually.
Creat e more t han 14.3 acres of new or improved public parks
and plazas and improve or creat e up t o f ive memorial sit es.
This is achieved by rehabilit at ing Banneker Park and Reservat ion
113, const ruct ing t he Dwight D. Eisenhower Nat ional Memorial,
est ablishing an urban park along t he 10t h St reet and Maryland
Avenue corridors, and est ablishing new public spaces on smaller
parcels or at import ant int ersect ions of st reet s and avenues.
Improve t he qualit y of t he public realm. This is achieved by
reconnect ing t he st reet grid, orient ing publicly accessible uses
t oward t he st reet , and improving t he f unct ion and qualit y of
t he st reet s and sidewalks, including vehicular viaduct s and
underpasses crossing act ive rail and f reeways.
MOBI LI TY
Increase accessibilit y. This can be achieved by improving access
t o and bet ween all t ransit modes, expanding t he VRE plat form at
LEnfant St at ion, providing t ransit lanes along t he cit ys st reet s, and
providing for carshare parking.
Improve act ive walking and biking. This can be achieved by
connect ing t he st reet grid; priorit izing pedest rian and bicycle
pat hs; providing at t ract ive st airs and ramps bet ween vert ical grade
separat ions; improving int ersect ion crossing dist ances and t raf f ic
signalizat ion; improving t he qualit y of underpasses and overpasses,
minimizing parking, and providing dedicat ed bike lanes, bike
sharing st at ions, bike parking, and ot her bike-f riendly amenit ies.
Est ablish a primary t ransit cent er at t he VRE Plat f orm of LEnfant
St at ion and improve commut er rail ridership. This can be achieved
by accommodat ing a four t rack rail corridor and expanding t he
widt h, lengt h, and plat form height s; maximizing surface t ransit
along 7t h St reet ; est ablishing new Met ro st at ion ent rances in t he
vicinit y of LEnfant St at ion; and improving pedest rian connect ions
t o and bet ween all t ransit modes.
Improve vehicular circulat ion. This can be achieved by connect ing
t he st reet grid, ret aining easy nort h/ sout h access t o t he f reeway,
and providing adequat e circulat ion for cars and buses t hat
minimizes impact on adjacent resident ial neighborhoods.
CONCLUSI ON
THE SW ECODISTRICT WILL BE A WELL-CONNECTED COMMUNITY
The Envi ronment al Framework | Page 25
The Environmental Framework
ENERGY, WATER, WASTE, AND GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
Over t he last t wo decades, bot h t he public and
privat e sect ors achieved measurable result s reducing
greenhouse gas emissions and nat ural resource
consumpt ion by int egrat ing sust ainabilit y early int o
t he building design process and t hroughout building
operat ions. While t his approach is now st andard and
widely used, t hese ef fort s can only achieve so much.
Today, each person or building may use less wat er
and energy t han in t he past , but t he worlds overall
development foot print cont inues t o grow and impact s
t he ecosyst em. Deplet ing scarce nat ural resources
also limit s t he nat ions success at being int ernat ionally
compet it ive. As a result , people must be even smart er
about how t hey develop t heir neighborhoods and cit ies.
The f inancial and sust ainabilit y benef it s t hat can be
achieved wit h dist rict -scale syst ems t hat operat e beyond
t he individual building and sit e scale are increasingly
acknowledged. These syst ems yield great er result s by
t aking advant age of economies of scale while st ill being
small enough t o adapt t o new t echnologies.
The federal government s foot print wit hin t he SW
Ecodist rict present s t he opport unit y for it t o be a leader
in support ing dist rict -scale st rat egies. These st rat egies
also support ef fort s t o achieve Execut ive Order 13514:
Federal Leadership in Environment al, Energy, and
Economic Perf ormance ( E.O. 13514) , signed by President
Obama in 2009.
E.O. 13514 requires all federal agencies t o reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, manage st ormwat er, and
reduce wat er use and wast e. Each present s challenges
for buildings in urban areas. Through dist rict -scale
planning t he Ecodist rict has t he opport unit y t o t ransform
a resource-int ensive environment int o one t hat is able t o
capt ure, manage, and reuse a majorit y of it s resources.
Through dist rict , block, and building st rat egies, t he
Ecodist rict can creat e energy f rom renewable sources,
capt ure and use rainwat er for it s non-pot able wat er
needs and divert a majorit y of it s wast e f rom landf ills.
It can also support connect ed, living corridors of green
inf rast ruct ure, wit h green roof s and walls, st reet scape
and t ree plant ings, and public open spaces cont ribut ing
t o improved human healt h and urban biodiversit y. These
st rat egies can provide cost savings over t he long run,
and enable federal agencies t o exceed t he goals and
requirement s of E.O. 13514.
E.O. 13514 also requires agencies t o prepare for t he
ef fect s of climat e changea process known as climat e
adapt at ion. The U.S. Climat e Change Science Program
examined t he pot ent ial ef fect s of climat e change in
t he Nat ional Capit al Region in 2009. Washingt on, DC
is part icularly vulnerable t o t hreat s associat ed wit h
sea-level rise. Because it s t opography is subst ant ially
elevat ed f rom t he Washingt on Channel near-t erm
impact s wit h regard t o sea-level rise and int ermit t ent
f looding are not an immediat e concern for t he
st udy area.
This chapt er f irst describes t he overall modeling process.
Then, st rat egies for energy, wat er, and wast e at t he
building-scale are proposed. These st rat egies are of t en
int egrat ed and focus on ways t o reduce a buildings
overall use of resources. Following t he building-scale
discussion, are sect ions on energy, wat er, wast e and
green inf rast ruct ure at t he block and dist rict -scale.
Conceptual Modeling of the Development Scenario
The development scenario ( which is described in great er det ail in
Chapt er 4) was creat ed t hrough t he concept ual modeling of pot ent ial
development alt ernat ives, urban design, and sust ainabilit y st rat egies.
The concept ual modeling measured t he resource use of energy,
wat er, and wast e on an annualized basis wit hin t he st udy area.
The modeling of improvement s was done at t he building, block,
and dist rict scale.
Through an it erat ive process, t he concept ual designs were ref ined
as modeling result s were ident if ied. The modeling result s were
compared against nat ional baselines for energy, wat er, and wast e
use. The modeling also included t he pot ent ial cost of proposed
improvement s based on a conservat ive est imat e of near t erm
const ruct ion cost s.
Resource use was measured on a square foot basis. For example,
gallons per square foot for wat er and energy use were used t o
illust rat e building syst em out comes. As t he design for t he st udy area
was developed, t he value of an improvement at each scale of t he
st udy area was assessed. For example, as t he populat ion in t he st udy
area increases t hrough redevelopment , t he relat ive use of resources
is reduced. The cost t rade-of f for t hese pot ent ial out comes informed
ref inement of t he development scenario.
The baseline for t he SW Ecodist rict included an assessment of
exist ing condit ions for wat er, wast e, and energy at t he building scale.
This was t he st art ing point t o measure compliance wit h t he Execut ive
Order as new building st rat egies were employed. Year over year
reduct ions in energy and wat er use will be required f rom t he exist ing
condit ion t o meet t he execut ive order. In t he f ut ure, reduct ions in
resource use will be achieved by exceeding t he baseline indices as
building occupancy changed. The baseline est ablishes t he point
beyond which t he likely cost and benef it s of higher levels of resource
use ef f iciency are reasonable. For example, energy use for new
buildings in t he st udy area can be measured against ot her buildings
nat ionally in t he Commercial Buildings Energy Consumpt ion Survey
(CBECS) of 2003. This is a nat ional index of energy use in commercial
buildings. In early phases, it is feasible t o achieve a 30 percent
reduct ion overall in t he Ecodist rict below t he CBECS survey indices.
In lat er phases, an 80 percent reduct ion below t he CBECS can be
achieved. For perspect ive, Leadership in Energy and Environment al
Design ( LEED) Plat inum cert if ied buildings in DC have achieved a
30 t o 40 percent reduct ion in energy use f rom t he CBECS survey.
Modeling of wat er and wast e will similarly measure success against
t he baseline.
At t he block-scale, t he model quant if ied how st reet s, open space, and
buildings will share resources. A key st rat egy in reducing st ormwat er
runof f is t o collect it for reuse. Here, a collect ion of buildings on
a block, or group of blocks, share a single st ormwat er syst em t o
clean and t hen convey st ormwat er t o a st orage t ank for reuse.
The measurement of t his block st rat egy included t he likely loss of
st ormwat er t o evaporat ion as well as t he loss of wat er t hrough t he
t ranspirat ion of wat er t hrough plant s. Roof, st reet s, and open space
areas were quant if ied. In t he block scale modeling, t he amount of
pervious or impervious area was measured t o quant if y t he amount of
pot ent ial rainwat er harvest ing.
At t he dist rict scale, t he resource use and cost of all building,
st reet , and open spaces improvement s were quant if ied for dif ferent
development alt ernat ives. Where blocks were redeveloped t he model
account ed for changes in land use and t he int ensit y of act ivit y. Across
t he st udy area, modeled building syst ems included rehabilit at ed and
redeveloped buildings, and buildings wit h new uses.
Energy, Water, and Waste at the Building Scale
CONCEPTUAL STRATEGIES
While energy, wat er, and wast e st rat egies at t he
dist rict -scale of t en result in great er sust ainabilit y
improvement , building-scale st rat egies can be
considered low-hanging f ruit . Of t en simple
improvement s t o buildings can vast ly improve
energy, wat er, and wast e performance wit hout
subst ant ial cost . Ot her, more cost ly improvement s
can also be made, yielding even bet t er performance.
Due t o t heir design and ant iquat ed inf rast ruct ure
syst ems, exist ing federal buildings in t he st udy area
are not energy or wat er ef f icient . When possible, t he
federal government is making improvement s such
as inst alling low-f low f ixt ures and energy ef f icient
light ing. These measures save money and resources;
however, t o meet t he energy, wat er, and wast e
object ives (described in t he following sect ions)
great er improvement s will need t o be done
in t he f ut ure.
An import ant component of formulat ing t he
development scenario was modeling individual
buildings and sit es. The concept ual modeling for t he
individual buildings ident if ied a pot ent ial 47 percent
reduct ion in energy use wit h a light rehabilit at ion
( upgrading cont rols and light ing) of exist ing
buildings. By f ully rehabbing or const ruct ing new
buildings, t he Ecodist rict can expect a 72 percent
reduct ion in energy use compared t o how t he
exist ing buildings perform t oday.
The modeling considered t he amount of wat er,
wast e, and energy t hat will used at each building,
st reet , or open space. The modeling also ident if ied
sources of power, heat ing, and cooling t o be supplied
across t he st udy area. This analysis provided t he
cont ent for init ial cost est imat es t o det ermine
t he value of individual improvement s in meet ing
E.O. 13514. The mat rix on t his page provides t he
guidelines for building improvement s.
h Light
Rhab
F Full
h b Rhab
Rpurpcs lnill Rovlcp
n Enrgy
lm Tnant lmprcvmnt
Lighting systm upgrao X X X X X
Plug lcao roucticn X X X X X
Sustainabl ano crti o matrials X X X X X X X X X X
Raoiant hating ano cccling X X X X
Lcw vclum air oistribut cn X X X X
c a Ccr ano Shll
Upgraos tc builoing systms ouring natural
cycl c cbsclscnc.
X
Nw mchan cal ano lctr cal systm - hyorcn c
thrmal nrgy oistributicn.
X X X X
High prcrmanc builoing nvlcp. X X X X
Maximiz th us c rnwabl nrgy rscurcs (PV)
ano sharo nrgy tchnclcgy.
X X X X
Maximiz builoing nrgy us c ncy. X X X X X
Capitaliz cn grcuno scurc hat blcw builoing sit. X X X
Capitaliz cn grcuno scurc hat blcw cpn spac
ano strts.
X
Vatr
Rplac xisting plumbing ixturs w th
high icincy ixturs.
X X X X X X
lnstall high cincy plumbing ixturs. X X X X X X X XX X
Ccllct rainwatr. X X X X X
lnstall ncn-pctabl watr systm. X X X X X
t Vast
Prcvio wast scrting staticns at pcint c us lccat cns. X X X X X
Rclaim, rcycl, ano ccmpcst th ma|crity c wast
(scl o ano crgan c) gnrato within th ara.
X X X X
Minimiz ccnstructicn wast X X X X X X X X
o n Ruiloing Stratgy
BUILDING SCALE DESIGN STRATEGIES
Energy
THE IMPORTANCE OF ENERGY
The majorit y of global energy consumpt ion comes f rom non-
renewable fossil f uels such as coal, oil, and nat ural gas which produce
greenhouse gas emissions, known t o cause global warming. As
a result of greenhouse gas emissions, our planet is experiencing
climat e change and ext reme weat her event s, which are permanent ly
damaging t he ecosyst em. There are various t ypes of greenhouse
gas emissions, wit h carbon considered t he primary cause of global
warming. To curb climat e change and it s det riment al ef fect s, it is
necessary t o reduce energy consumpt ion and swit ch t o renewable
carbon-f ree sources of energy t hat do not produce greenhouse
gas emissions.
THE AREA TODAY
ENERGY USE
In t erms of energy use, t he federal buildings wit hin t he st udy area are
inef f icient . These buildings have t hin walls and windows; are orient ed
nort h/ sout h which maximizes heat gain; have lit t le nat ural light
because of large int erior hallways and ext remely large foot print s;
and have ant iquat ed mechanical syst ems. When possible, t he U.S.
General Services Administ rat ion (GSA) has made energy ef f icient
improvement s, but t he overall design and layout of t he buildings
cont inue t o prevent signif icant improvement s in energy ef f iciency.
An exist ing federally-owned cent ral ut ilit y plant provides heat ing and
cooling t o t he federal buildings wit hin t he area, but is not aut horized
t o provide service t o non-federal users. The privat e buildings are
more energy-ef f icient because propert y owners made invest ment s.
However, none can benef it f rom use of t he cent ral ut ilit y plant
because it is not available t o privat e propert y owners.
ENERGY SOURCE
Today, t he majorit y of t he energy used in t he st udy area comes
f rom coal-f ired elect ricit y plant s. Coal is highly inef f icient and one
of t he most pollut ing energy sources. Burning coal is a signif icant
cont ribut or t o global warming and releases t oxic pollut ion int o t he air
and wat er. Approximat ely 74 percent of t he energy used wit hin t he
Ecodist rict is provided by Pepco and comes f rom burning coal.
Nat ural gas, a cleaner and more ef f icient form of energy, produces
26 percent of t he Ecodist rict s energy supply and is provided by
Washingt on Gas. While nat ural gas is a cleaner alt ernat ive t o coal-
f ired elect ricit y, it is also a non-renewable source of energy and
produces carbon dioxide and ot her emissions t hat cont ribut e t o
global warming. Less t han one percent of t he Ecodist rict s energy use
is current ly generat ed f rom renewable resources wit hin t he
st udy area.
THE OBJECTIVES
The SW Ecodist rict object ive for t he st udy area is t o creat e a zero net
energy dist rict , as measured in carbon. This means t hat in addit ion t o
producing all of t he energy it consumes on sit e, t he Ecodist rict must
not produce any carbon emissions or must pay for of f set t ing carbon
credit s. This object ive is derived f rom E.O. 13514, which requires all
new federal buildings ent ering t he design phase in 2020 or lat er, be
designed t o achieve zero net energy by 2030.
Buildings in warm climat es on large sit es have t he opport unit y t o
harness a signif icant amount of renewable energy f rom t he sun. If
t he buildings are also energy ef f icient , it is possible t hat t hey will
be able t o operat e on t he solar energy t hat t he sit e generat es ( t hus
becoming a zero net energy building) . Achieving t his object ive on
a sit e-by-sit e basis wit hin a dense urban environment , where solar
exposure is usually limit ed t o small roof t ops, is more dif f icult . Dense
urban areas such as t he SW Ecodist rict can, however, move closer t o
achieving t his object ive by t aking advant age of energy planning at
t he block and dist rict -scale.
ZERO NET CARBON BY THE YEAR 2030
Solar panels on the roof of the
U.S. Department of Energy Building.
BLOCK SCALE STRATEGIES
BLOCK-SCALE ENERGY SYSTEMS
There are several st rat egies t hat will allow bot h public and privat e
buildings wit hin any block t o produce and share energy.
SOLAR THERMAL - Solar t hermal equipment heat s wat er using
solar energy.
Use solar t hermal on bot h new and rehabilit at ed buildings. Of f ice
buildings t hat do not need a lot of hot wat er can share excess hot
wat er wit h adjacent resident ial/ hot el buildings t hat may need more
t han t hey can produce individually.
SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAICS ( PV) Solar PV equipment may be placed
on building roof t ops or int egrat ed wit h a buildings skin t o harness
solar energy for building use.
Inst all solar PV on all building roof s and over t he Sout hwest
Freeway bet ween 7t h and 9t h St reet s. The energy f rom t he
f reeway inst allat ion can support energy use in t he adjacent block
and dist rict .
GROUND SOURCE HEAT The eart hs relat ively const ant t emperat ure
under ground is used t o provide heat ing and cooling for buildings.
Use ground source heat t echnology for new buildings nort h of
C St reet on land where large blocks will allow subsurface wells
t hat do not conf lict wit h exist ing elevat ed st ruct ures.
CENTRAL UTILITY PLANT (CUP) At t he block-scale, t he cent ral
ut ilit y plant ( also see dist rict -scale st rat egies) allows t he sharing of
heat ing and cooling bet ween buildings. For example: excess heat f rom
an of f ice building can be used in an adjacent resident ial or
hot el building.
All new and rehabilit at ed buildings ( bot h public and privat e)
should connect t o t he exist ing cent ral ut ilit y plant .
BLOCK-SCALE
ENERGY SYSTEMS
Pc l t r Pc l t r Pctntial Partnrs Pctntial Partnrs
Foral - F
District - D
Privat Sctcr -P
Public Utility - PU
Scl ma . Sclar Thrmal Us sclar thrmal cn bcth nw ano rhabilitato builoings.
/s builoings ovlcp/rovlcp cr cn
xisting builoings
F,P
. cv a 2. Sclar Phctcvcltaics
lnstall sclar PV cn all builoing rccs ano cvr th rway btwn 7
th
ano 9
th
Strts (this will no urthr stuoy)
Frway sclar array must b cccroinato w th
th m crcgrio.
F,D,P,PU
c n Scu a 3. Grcuno Scurc Hat
Us grcuno scurc hat tchnclcgy cr nw builoings ncrth c C Strt cn lano
whr larg blccks will allcw subsurac wll los that oc nct ccnlict with
xisting lvato structurs.
/s builoings ovlcp/rovlcp F,P
Ccnnct nw ano rhabilitato builoings tc th CUP tc allcw cr th sharing c
hating ano cccling btwn builoings.
Mcorniz th CUP's uipmnt.
/oo rs ontial ano ccmmrcial uss tc incras ic ncy.
Sw tch th CUP tc a lss carbcnizo nrgy scurc whn tchnclcgy is availabl.
H i g 6. Swr Hat Mining
Ruilo a swr hat-mining acility in th scuthrn ara c th Eccoistrict tc
prcv o hating tc nw rsiontial ano cu tural builoings immoiatly ncrth ano
scuth c Rannkr Park. This nos urthr stuoy.
ln cccroinaticn with nw rsiontial
ovlcpmnt
P,PU
r i r 5. M crcgrios 5. Micrcgrios
Establish micrc-grios grcupo by ovlcpmnt aras cr bcth privat
ano oral builoings.
Pr cr tc sclar arrays ano in cccroinaticn with
CUP imprcvmnts
F,P,PU
Summa y r Summary Dscripticn h g Phasing
C l t 4. Cntral Utility Plant (CUP)
Mak imprcvmnts tc CUP pr cr tc ma|cr
rovlcpmnt in th Stuoy /ra. Ccnnct
builoings as thy ovlcp/rovlcp.
F,P
MICRO-GRIDS
Micro-grids are small-scale power grids t hat allow elect ricit y t o
be produced and used locally wit hin a small area. The advant ages
are numerous: micro-grids opt imize heat energy. Bet ween 60 and
80 percent of a t ypical power plant s energy consumpt ion never
becomes usable elect ricit y, but is inst ead lost t hrough product ion
and t ransmission. Energy produced and dist ribut ed locally
t hrough a micro-grid has a variet y of uses including heat ing of
wat er. Renewable energy produced wit hin t he st udy area can be
dist ribut ed t hrough a micro-grid t o ot her nearby buildings. This
creat es opport unit ies for propert y owners t o sell excess power
t o t he regional grid. Adding addit ional energy sources increases
elect rical reliabilit y wit hin t he area and reduces dependence on
t he regional power grid. As new areas are redeveloped in locat ions
remot e f rom t he cent ral ut ilit y plant , t hey may develop a micro-grid
dist rict t o balance loads among day and evening users.
Est ablish micro-grids, grouped by development areas of bot h
privat e and federal buildings, wit hin t he Ecodist rict . These micro-
grids can be connect ed t oget her wit h ot her buildings t hat might
share power and energy.
SEWER-MINING
Sewer heat -mining uses t he const ant t emperat ure of sewage f rom
buildings t o creat e even warmer heat for nearby buildings. It is
a below ground, complet ely enclosed process t hat requires no
combust ion and works well in densely built areas wit h high heat
consumpt ion, such as resident ial buildings.
Build a sewer-mining facilit y in t he sout hern area of t he Ecodist rict t o
provide heat ing t o new resident ial and cult ural buildings immediat ely
nort h and sout h of Banneker Park.
ENERGY - PROJECT RECOMMENDATIONS
Water
THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER
People, plant s, and urban wildlife depend on wat er for t heir exist ence.
People also depend on wat er t o heat and cool buildings. There are five
t ypes of wat er t hat are import ant t o t he sust ainabilit y of t he Ecodist rict :
Pot able Wat er wat er t hat has been processed and t reat ed so t hat it
is clean enough t o drink. It is pumped t o buildings wit hin t he dist rict
f rom t he municipal wat er syst em.
St ormwat er rainwat er t hat falls ont o t he St udy Area. It event ually
runs int o t he municipal st orm syst em where it is pumped t o t he wat er
t reat ment plant for t reat ment and discharge.
Greywat er wat er t hat is generat ed f rom domest ic act ivit ies such as
laundry, dishwashing, and bat hing.
Recycled St ormwat er/ Greywat er combined st ormwat er and
greywat er t hat is capt ured and reused for irrigat ion and/ or t oilet use.
Blackwat er wat er t hat is discharged f rom t oilet s.
Tradit ionally, t hese five t ypes of wat er funct ion independent ly.
Pot able wat er is current ly used for all wat er needs in t he st udy
area. St ormwat er, greywat er, and blackwat er are all pumped t o a
wast ewat er t reat ment plant . While t his has worked in t he past , it is
becoming increasingly clear t hat it is cheaper and more sust ainable t o
int egrat e syst ems. Highly t reat ed and energy int ensive pot able wat er
is unnecessary for all of t he areas wat er needs, especially when t he
st ormwat er and pot able wat er rat es (paid by propert y owners) are
scheduled t o increase subst ant ially by 2032. The monet ary savings
will increase as t he st udy area capt ures st ormwat er, reuses it for non-
pot able uses, and decreases it s dependence on pot able wat er.
THE AREA TODAY
While t his area is not part of t he Dist rict of Columbias combined
sewer syst em, where st ormwat er and sewage use t he same pipes
and f requent ly overf low int o t he rivers during heavy rains, it is st ill
import ant t o capt ure and t reat st ormwat er.
Approximat ely 92.4 million gallons of rainwat er falls on t he st udy
area each year. Wit h 82 percent of t he land area comprised of
hard surfaces, a majorit y of rainwat er f lows direct ly of f t he areas
buildings and st reet s int o t he municipal combined st ormwat er/
sewage discharge syst em. On it s way, it picks up pollut ant s such as
oil, gasoline, and pest icides. Once in t he syst em, it must be pumped
eight miles sout h t o t he Blue Plains Treat ment Plant where signif icant
amount s of energy are used t o clean t he wat er before it is released.
None of it is reused. The Blue Plains Treat ment Plant is owned and
operat ed by DC Wat er, t he wat er and sewer aut horit y t hat provides
wat er and wast ewat er t reat ment services t o t he Dist rict of Columbia
and part s of region.
Today, all of t he wat er t hat is used in t he st udy area is pot able -
meaning it has been processed and t reat ed so t hat it is clean enough
t o drink. Pot able wat er is unnecessary for many uses, including
irrigat ion, building mechanical syst ems, and t oilet f lushing since
rainwat er and greywat er can be used inst ead.
THE OBJECTIVES
The t arget s for st ormwat er and pot able wat er come f rom E.O. 13514.
The st ormwat er object ive is t o ret ain a 95t h percent ile rain event . In
Washingt on, DC t his means all rain event s t hat produce up t o 1.7 inches
of rain in 24 hours. Few rain event s in Washingt on, DC act ually produce
more t han t his amount so t he object ive is t o essent ially ret ain and
reuse all of t he rain t hat falls in t he area t hroughout t he year. This is
very challenging in a dense urban area wit h lit t le pervious surface.
The pot able wat er object ive is t o reduce pot able wat er use by
50 percent ( as measured per square foot ) . Today, t he area
uses pot able wat er for all of it s wat er needs. This amount s t o
approximat ely 22 gallons of wat er/ sq. f t ./ year. The object ive is
t o reduce pot able wat er use t o 11gallons/ sq. f t ./ year.
POTABLE
WATER USE -
REDUCE BY
50 PERCENT
STORMWATER -
RETAIN 95TH
PERCENTILE
RAIN EVENT
A key st rat egy in reducing st ormwat er run-of f is t o collect it for reuse.
Here, a single block or group of blocks share a st ormwat er syst em t o
clean and t hen convey st ormwat er t o a st orage t ank for reuse. Our
modeling at t he block-scale indicat es t hat t he project can maximize
t he capt ure and reuse of nat urally occurring rain and t he t reat ment
of wast ewat er leaving t he Ecodist rict .
ROOF STORMWATER - Collect rain wat er f rom building roof t ops
and send t o t he dist rict -scale wat er syst em.
STREET STORMWATER - Collect st ormwat er runof f f rom st reet s/
plazas and send t o t he dist rict -scale wat er syst em.
FLOW THROUGH PLANTERS - When possible, pret reat as much
st ormwat er in veget at ed f low-t hrough plant ers prior t o sending t o
t he dist rict -scale wat er syst em.
RECYCLED STORMWATER/ GREYWATER - Reuse collect ed
st ormwat er/ greywat er for all non-pot able wat er needs
and landscaping.
WASTE WATER - Solids capt ured f rom wast ewat er can ult imat ely
reduce t he Ecodist rict s greenhouse gas emissions while providing
an alt ernat ive energy source t hrough anaerobic digest ion. It is not
t echnically or f inancially feasible t o do t his in t he near f ut ure in t he
Ecodist rict . The solids in wast ewat er will cont inue t o be pumped
t o t he DC Wat er Blue Plains Treat ment Plant . The anaerobic
digest ion facilit y t hat DC Wat er is building will of fer a regionally
scaled process t hat is ef fect ive in capt uring it s lat ent energy,
result ing in usable fert ilizer and a low carbon energy source.
BLOCK-SCALE WATER COLLECTION SYSTEMS
BLOCK SCALE STRATEGIES
BLOCK-SCALE WASTE WATER SYSTEMS
nt r r Pctntial Partnrs
Foral - F
Distr ct - D
Privat Sctcr -P
Public Utility - PU
c a r . Rcc Stcrmwatr
Captur all rainwatr rcm builoing rcctcps in th stuoy ara ano sno tc
th oistrict systm unor Oth Strt.
/s builoings ovlcp/rovlcp P,D,F
Existing strts as oistrict systm is built
Nw strts in cccroinaticn with ccnstructicn
Gr S c t Gr S c t 3. Grcuno Scurc Hat 3. Grcuno Scurc Hat Sno grywatr rcm builoings tc oistr ct systm unor Oth Strt.
/s builoings ovlcp/rov P,D,F
a 6. Grywatr/
m r us Stcrmwatr Rus
Plumb all nw builoings ano ully rhabilitato builoings with pips
cr grywatr rus.
/s builoings ovlcp/rovlcp F,D,P
P,D,F
S i t Summary Dscripticn ha i Phasing
t m r t m r 2. Strt Stcrmwatr 2. Strt Stcrmwatr
Sno stcrmwatr cn strts in th stuoy ara thrcugh lcw thrcugh plantrs tc
th oistrict systm unor Oth Strt.
a 4. Vast Vatr Sno all wast watr tc DC Vatr in Rlu Plains cr tratmnt.
/s nw builoings ovlcp (xisting builoings
alraoy oc this)
P,PU
Di t V t S s 5. Distr ct Vatr Systm
Ccnstruct cistrns unornath O
th
Strt tc hclo ano trat stcrmwatr ano
grywatr cr rus.
Ccnstruct pricr tc any parcl ovlcpmnt ano
in cccroinaticn w th prmannt imprcvmnts
tc O
th
Strt.
F,D,P
WATER - PROJECT RECOMMENDATIONS
Waste
THE IMPORTANCE OF WASTE
Reducing overall wast e is crit ical t o t he success of t he Ecodist rict
because processing wast e uses a lot of energy and if it cannot be
reused, t he wast e is t rucked t o a landf ill where it consumes large
amount s of land, making it unusable for anyt hing else. This sect ion
discusses t wo kinds of wast e:
Bui l di ng wast e t he wast e t hat is produced in buildings every day
such as wast e f rom food and paper.
Const ruct i on wast e t he wast e t hat result s f rom building
mat erials t hat cant be reused when an exist ing building is
demolished or when a new building is const ruct ed.
THE AREA TODAY
Today, it is est imat ed t hat 60 t o 70 percent of t he st udy areas overall
wast e is sent t o t he landf ill out side of Washingt on, DC. This means
t hat approximat ely 30 t o 40 percent of it s current building wast e
predominat ely paper, plast ics, and glass is recycled. There are
limit ed compost ing opport unit ies for food and landscape residuals.
For comparison, t he Cit y of San Francisco in 2012 divert ed 77 percent
of all wast e f rom t he landf ill. This means t hat it is recycling and/ or
reusing 77 percent of it s wast e and t hat only 23 percent is sent
t o t he landf ill.
THE OBJECTIVES
There are t wo wast e-relat ed t arget s t hat are achievable in t his plan.
CONSTRUCTION WASTE -
RECYCLE 75 PERCENT AS BUILDINGS
ARE REHABILITATED OR REDEVELOPED
SOLID WASTE TO LANDFILL -
REDUCE BY 80 PERCENT
(No waste should be incinerated
in the study area)
BUILDING & BLOCK-SCALE STRATEGIES
WASTE STRATEGIES
DISTRICT SCALE
The Ecodist rict can ef fect ively reduce wast e generat ion t hrough collect ive
communit y act ion. In t his regard, sort ing wast e at t he point of use or alt ering
procurement prot ocols is best orchest rat ed at a dist rict scale.
USE REGIONAL WASTE AND RECYCLING SYSTEMS FULLY
The st udy area st rat egies ut ilize t he regional wast e and recycling syst em
because current ly it is not f inancially or t echnically feasible t o process and
reuse wast e wit hin t he area it self.
Operat ional improvement s such as designat ed compost ing and recycling
st at ions at all of t he buildings will go a long way t owards meet ing t he 80
percent diversion rat e f rom t he landf ill.
IMPROVED RECYCLING PROGRAM
Engage federal and privat e building occupant s in robust recycling
programs. Provide recycling bins t hroughout buildings, in parks, and on t he
st reet s. Measure and inform resident s and employees of annual progress.
PILOT COMPOSTING PROGRAM
In addit ion t o cont inue bolst ering recycling programs in federal and
privat e buildings, t he federal agencies and privat e buildings will
signif icant ly benef it f rom a pilot compost ing program for food and
landscape residuals.
CONSTRUCTION WASTE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
Operat ional improvement s during t he demolit ion and const ruct ion of
buildings are t he key t o meet ing t he Ecodist rict s const ruct ion wast e goals.
Const ruct ion wast e management st rat egies include:
Early planning t o set t arget s and adopt wast e prevent ion plans.
Requiring t hat reusable wood and ot her mat erials are used before
new ones.
Purchasing reused, recycled, or recycle-cont ent mat erials and equipment .
Finding creat ive ways t o reuse it ems already exist ing wit hin
t he project sit e.
Green Infrastructure
THE IMPORTANCE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
Green inf rast ruct ure is def ined as a connect ed syst em of landscaped
element s such as parks, living walls, green roof s, st reet scape
plant ings, bioret ent ion such as rain gardens, and mat ure t ree
canopies. When linked t oget her, green inf rast ruct ure can provide
a unif ied, resilient urban ecosyst em t hat improves bot h ecological
and human healt h. Green inf rast ruct ure, part icularly in t he form of
parks, can also increase propert y values and cont ribut e t o t he overall
economic healt h of a communit y. The most successf ul syst ems
seamlessly blend t hese element s int o energy, wat er and wast e
inf rast ruct ure, and enhance t he built environment for improved
human connect ions wit h nat ure.
Int egrat ing a green inf rast ruct ure syst em int o t he buildings, sit es,
and ut ilit y inf rast ruct ure will result in cost -ef fect ive improvement s
t hrough a living syst em t hat :
Cleans t he air and st ormwat er t o enhance urban ecology and
improve human healt h.
Cools t he overall t emperat ure of t he area, reducing t he heat
island ef fect , decreasing energy cost s, and improving habit at
and pedest rian comfort .
Connect s cont iguous green spaces along t he ground, up living
walls, and over green roof s, creat ing diverse habit at opport unit ies
and connect ing people t o nat ure.
There are t hree green inf rast ruct ure element s t hat work t oget her
t o improve t he urban ecology of t he SW Ecodist rict .
Permeable surfaces areas on t he ground and on roof s t hat are
able t o absorb wat er and oxygen. Permeable surfaces increase
t he healt h and vit alit y of veget at ion.
Tree canopy t he overall area covered by t rees. Ext ensive t ree
canopy coverage helps reduce t he heat island ef fect , of fers
great er habit at opport unit ies, and provides a more comfort able
pedest rian experience.
Parks and plazas publicly accessible spaces t hat provide
veget at ion, increase habit at opport unit ies, and improve
human healt h. They also cont ribut e t o t he cult ural charact er
of a neighborhood.
THE AREA TODAY
Typical of many urban areas, t he st udy area is a low-f unct ioning
ecosyst em. This is caused by a number of fact ors:
Approximat ely 80 percent of t he surface is impervious, a
st at e where t he ground is unable t o absorb wat er and oxygen.
About 50 percent of t he st udy area is built above t he ground.
Due t o weight rest rict ions, older elevat ed st ruct ures of t en limit
t he abilit y t o ret rof it st reet scapes wit h a large t ree canopy
and veget at ion.
The few areas t hat are veget at ed, including t he 10 acres of parks
and plazas, are most ly small spaces bet ween a building and t he
sidewalk t hat are unsuit able for habit at . They suf fer f rom severely
compact ed soil, are not properly maint ained, and cont ain non-
nat ive invasive species.
Only about 8.6 percent of t he st udy area is covered by t ree
canopy, and t he surviving t rees have limit ed growt h pot ent ial.
As a comparison, about 37 percent of Washingt on is covered by
t ree canopy.
As of November 2012, t here were no green roof s, living walls, or
bioret ent ion areas t hat collect and t reat st ormwat er, or ot her green
inf rast ruct ure element s in t he st udy area. However, t he Dist rict of
Columbias 2012 updat e t o t he Zoning Regulat ions requires parcels t o
calculat e and maint ain a Green Area Rat io (GAR) , a calculat ion t hat
compares t he permeable surfaces, t ree canopy and landscaped areas
t o t he overall sit e area. Based on t he Dist rict s underlying land use for
t he st udy area, t he GAR is 0.30.
THE OBJECTIVES
The t arget for green inf rast ruct ure in t he st udy area is t o achieve
a minimum Green Area Rat io of 0.45, well above t he Dist rict of
Columbias minimum GAR of 0.30. This will be accomplished by
using green roof s and living walls; bioret ent ion in parks, plazas,
sidewalks and medians; edible gardens and improved parks; and
permeable pavement s and sidewalks t hat allow for great er t ree
canopy and veget at ion.
Green roof s signif icant ly cont ribut e t owards increasing t he
Ecodist rict s GAR, and provide a variet y of benef it s t o urban ecology
and human healt h. They reduce energy use by providing superior
insulat ion qualit ies, increase permeable surfaces, and est ablish
veget at ed areas t hat provide habit at opport unit ies for pollinat ors
and roof t op gardens for occupant s. However, t he SW Ecodist rict
must balance t he benef it s of green roof s wit h t he need t o increase
renewable energy use and capt ure and reuse as much st ormwat er
as possible. Because t here is a limit ed amount of area available t o
successf ully achieve all t hree goals, t he use of green roof s should
be st rat egically locat ed in places where t hey are visible t o building
occupant s, maximizing bot h ecological and human benef it s.
Est ablishment of green roof s, renewable energy syst ems and recycled
st ormwat er/ greywat er syst ems should be planned holist ically t o yield
maximum result s.
As a part of t he GAR, credit is also given t o reducing t he amount of
impervious surface in t he area, increasing t he overall t ree canopy, and
est ablishing urban parks. By est ablishing a minimum pervious surface
area object ive of 35 percent , t he SW Ecodist rict will cont ribut e t o t he
improved healt h of t he Chesapeake Bay wat ershed. By est ablishing a
minimum t ree canopy area object ive of 40 percent and concent rat ing
new plant ings along st reet s and in t he 14.3 acres of new or improved
parks and plazas, t he SW Ecodist rict can help Washingt on move
t owards it s cit y-wide goal.
ACHIEVE A MINIMUM GREEN
AREA RATIO OF 0.45
STRATEGIES
BUILDING-SCALE STRATEGIES
The following st rat egies are able t o make t he biggest impact t hrough
implement at ion on a building-by-building basis.
Green Roof s Locat e and design green roof s t o maximize t heir
ecological f unct ion and t heir visibilit y t o on-sit e and nearby
building occupant s and/ or f rom t he st reet level.
Edible Roof t op Gardens Designat e select ive roof t op areas for
edible gardens, and use compost and mulch f rom t he area t o
amend plant ing beds and improve soil qualit y.
Green Walls Incorporat e green walls int o ext erior building feat ures
t o cool st ruct ures, decrease energy cost s, reduce heat island
ef fect , and enhance st reet s and plazas.
Rain Gardens Incorporat e rain gardens int o landscaping t o
manage and t reat st ormwat er.
( Images, clockwise f rom upper lef t ) - Solar/ green roof, edible roof t op
garden, edible green wall, green wall, rain garden
c a t Pctntial Partnrs
Foral - F
District - D
Privat Sctcr -P
Public Util ty - PU
s . Grn Rccs
Lccat ano osign grn rccs tc maximiz thir cclcg cal uncticn ano thir
visibil ty tc cn-sit ano narby builoing cccupants ano rcm th strt lvl.
/s builoings ovlcp/rovlcp P, F
R c ns 2. Eoibl Rcctcp Garons
Dsignat slctiv rcctcp aras cr oibl garons, ano us ccmpcst ano mulch
rcm th ara tc amno planting bos ano imprcv scil ual ty.
Gr l Gr l 3. Grn Valls 3. Grn Valls
lnccrpcrat grn walls intc xtr cr builoing aturs tc cccl structurs,
ocras nrgy ccsts, rouc hat islano ct, ano nhanc strts ano plazas.
a ns a ns 4. Rain Garons 4. Rain Garons lnccrpcrat rain garons intc lanoscaping tc prcv o stcrmwatr managmnt. /s builoings ovlcp/rovlcp P, F, D
St t M g 5. Stcrmwatr Managmnt
Captur ano trat stcrmwatr acrcss prcprty lins using intgrato grn
inrastructur lmnts in parks, plazas, builoing yaros, ano alcng strts.
Elmnts incluo lcw impact ovlcpmnt aturs lik rain garons, cistrns,
ano grasso swals.
Cccroinat with osign c cistrn inrastructur
unor Oth Strt
PU, F, D, P
v 6. Prvicus /ra
Maximiz grcuno ini traticn by incrasing cpn spac ano using prmabl
pavmnt ano structural pavmnt systms that allcw cr watr ano cxygn
abscrpticn tc imprcv vgtativ rcct grcwth.
/s builoings ovlcp/rovlcp; cccroinat in
public spacs with strtscap osign
PU, F, D, P
a v a c 7. Nativ Vgtat cn
lntgrat nativ vgtaticn intc parks, plazas, strtscaps ano bic-rtnticn
aturs such as rain garons tc imprcv watr ual ty ano visual astht cs,
lcwr nrgy/watr ccnsumpticn, ano prcmct mio-/tlantic cclcgy.
P, F, D
P r a 8. Parks ano Plazas
Dsign parks ano plazas cr pcpl tc sccializ ano rccnnct w th natur, trat
stcrmwatr, ccntrcl lccoing, ano prcvio habitat cppcrtunitis.
unor Oth Strt ano grn ccrriocr osign
F, D
r a i 9. Urban Scils
Establish halthir urban scils by using ccmpcst ano mulch rcm th Eccoistrict,
structural scils that rsist ccmpact cn, ano mcr prmabl pavrs that allcw cr
vgtativ rcct grcwth.
P, F, D
U t no O. Urban Hat lslano Ect
Us shao rcm trs ano structurs, as wll as surac matrials w th a high sclar
rlctanc inox (SRl), tc rouc th hat islano ct.
P, F, D
. n c . Grn Ccrriocr
Transcrm Oth Strt intc a grn spin' c vgtaticn tc ccnnct th Nat cnal
Mall ano th SV Vatrrcnt. Us strt trs, watr aturs ano cthr grn
inrastructur lmnts such as rain garons tc ccnnct parks ano plazas.
unor Oth Strt, parks, ano plazas
P, F, D
nc 2. Tr Cancpy
Us tr-rinoly ccnstructicn otails that incras scil prmability ano rcct
grcwth. Ccncntrat nw tr cancpy intc parks ano plazas,
rovlcpo parcls, ano alcng strts.
/s builoings ovlcp/rovlcp; cccroinat
in public spacs with strtscap osign
P, F, D
a ns a p i n 3. /warnss Campaign
lntgrat xhibits ano way inoing lmnts intc th grn inrastructur systm
tc ccnnct pcpl tc natur. Prcvio intrprtiv/oucaticnal incrmat cn abcut
rgicnal cclcgy, histcry, ano cultur.
Cccroinat with Eccoistrict
markting stratg s
F, P
. t 4. lnoicatcr Spc s
lontiy a biro cr insct tc srv as th inoicatcr spcis' tc mcn tcr th
cclcgical ha th c th SV Eccoistr ct.
Cccroinat with Eccoistrict
markting stratg s
F, P
a Ds n a Ds i n Summary Dscript cn Summary Dscripticn ha i ha i Phasing Phasing
GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE - PROJECT RECOMMENDATIONS
The Environmental Framework
St udy Model ( 2030) .
CONCLUSION
ENERGY, WATER, WASTE AND
The out comes of t he Environment al Framework
recommendat ions include:
ENERGY
Reduces t he energy use of all buildings, including light ly rehabbed
buildings by 47 percent and f ully rehabbed buildings and new
development by 72 percent .
Result s in a 30 percent increase in t he Ecodist rict s t ot al energy
use supplied by renewable energy. This assumes 15 percent will be
produced wit hin t he area and 15 percent will be purchased f rom
credit s. This energy will not creat e any greenhouse gas emissions
and will reduce cost s over t he long-t erm.
Result s in a 51 percent reduct ion in greenhouse gas emissions f or
t he Ecodist rict . This signif icant ly exceeds t he federal government s
goal t o reduce greenhouse gas emissions 28 percent by 2030.
If t he cent ral ut ilit y plant could adapt t o using a renewable f uel
source in t he f ut ure, t he area could be zero net energy wit h no
greenhouse gas emissions.
Demonst rat es t hat t he cent ral ut ilit y plant is ext remely valuable
in reducing t he ecodist rict s greenhouse gas emissions. The
proposed development scenario assumes t hat t he plant will
provide heat ing and cooling t o all buildings in t he Ecodist rict
result ing in 70 percent of t he areas t ot al energy use being supplied
by nat ural gas inst ead of coal.
WATER
Reduces t he overall pot able wat er use by 67 percent per square
f oot per year. This will be accomplished t hrough high ef f iciency
buildings and t he capt ure and reuse of st ormwat er for non-pot able
wat er uses.
Allows f or t he capt ure and reuse of all t he rainwat er in t he SW
Ecodist rict t hroughout t he year. Not only will t his provide a f ree
wat er source for non-pot able wat er uses but it will decrease t he
Ecodist rict s greenhouse gas emissions by eliminat ing t he need t o
pump and t reat wat er miles out side of t he st udy area.
WASTE
Increases t he amount of wast e divert ed f rom t he landf ill f rom
35 t o 80 percent . This will be achieved t hrough execut ing
programs t o reduce product consumpt ion and encourage recycling
and compost ing.
Improves human healt h wit h views and access t o roof gardens,
parks, and recreat ional areas f or rest and social int eract ions.
Increases t he t ree canopy f rom 8.6 t o 40 percent . This will improve
air and wat er qualit y, reduce heat island ef fect , and provide a more
comfort able pedest rian experience.
Increases t he permeable surface f rom 20 t o 35 percent . This
improves wat er qualit y and allows more st ormwat er t o be capt ured
and reused wit hin t he Ecodist rict .
THE SW ECODISTRICT WILL BE A HIGH PERFORMANCE ENVIRONMENTAL SHOWCASE
The Devel opment Scenari o and Focus Areas | Page 51
The Development Scenario and Focus Areas
GUIDING SUCCESSFUL REVITALIZATION
The recommended development scenario for achieving t he
SW Ecodist rict vision is informed by t he neighborhood and
environment al f rameworks present ed in Chapt ers 2 and 3. The
scenario recommends a phased st rat egy t hat includes rehabilit at ing
some facilit ies and repurposing ot hers, inf illing vacant parcels and
complet e redevelopment . Combined, t hese changes repair t he urban
grid and balance t he mix of uses and densit y necessary t o support a
revit alized, urban communit y in t he heart of t he nat ions capit al.
The symbiot ic relat ionship bet ween t he neighborhood and
environment al f rameworks support s t he development of a high-
performance sust ainable communit y. Ef f icient dist rict energy,
wat er, and wast e management syst ems combine t o support a high
performance built environment . To achieve ef f iciencies in t hese
syst ems, a diverse communit y of resident s, workforce, and visit ors,
who have dif ferent resource demands t hroughout t he day and
evening is needed. To at t ract such a diverse communit y, t he area
must be a mixed-use, walkable and t ransit -orient ed neighborhood.
While aspirat ional, t he development scenario ant icipates t he realit ies
of implement at ion. It is divided into four Focus Areas and designed
for flexibilit y. Wit hout displacing federal agencies, improvement s can
be made as federal space needs change, buildings are modernized, or
opport unit ies arise to leverage federal, local, and private funds. Inevit ably,
as individual improvement s are made, t he design and t he overall land mix
may vary, but t he basic philosophy of t he plan will remain.
The SW Ecodist rict will become a vibrant , sust ainable mixed-use
communit y and showcase of possibilit ies. The area will demonst rat e
sust ainable best pract ices, high performance building and landscape
design, int egrat ed safet y and securit y measures, and prove t hat
dist rict -scale st rat egies yield t he great est environment al and
economic benef it s.
The development scenario represent s t he physical design scheme
t hat best achieves t he overall object ives wit hout being prescript ive.
It provides direct ion for rehabilit at ing, repurposing, or redeveloping
buildings; developing underut ilized sit es t o meet high performance
building and landscape st andards; and a range of inf rast ruct ure
improvement s. The approach st art ed wit h an in-dept h analysis of
environment al and neighborhood element s at t he building scale.
These included:
Current and proposed energy, wat er, and wast e use;
Hist oric value of t he propert y;
Relat ionship of t he building t o t he st reet grid;
St ormat er management capacit y; and
Maximum development densit y.
Det ailed modeling and analysis informed t he development
scenario t o ensure t hat at build out , t he Ecodist rict performs at it s
f ullest pot ent ial.
To creat e t he development scenario, t he 2009 energy, wat er, and
wast e use of each propert y was collect ed. That informat ion was
compared wit h new development alt ernat ives t o det ermine t he
pot ent ial benef it s. These included development capacit y, t he share of
t ransit ridership, and sources and uses for energy, wat er, and wast e.
The development scenario was t hen adjust ed t hrough an it erat ive
process t o det ermine how best t o maximize result s. Buildings were
placed int o one of t he four cat egories:
Rehabilit at ion - Exist ing buildings t hat will remain in t he near f ut ure
will require a degree of rehabilit at ion.
Light Rehabilit at ion - Buildings t hat may be repurposed or
redeveloped will be light ly rehabilit at ed in t he near-t erm by
improving light ing and wat er f ixt ures t o reduce energy and wat er
consumpt ion.
Full Rehabilit at ion - Buildings ident if ied as permanent facilit ies of
t he Ecodist rict will be f ully rehabilit at ed by upgrading windows,
building skin envelopes, and mechanical syst ems.
Repurpose - Repurposing of some exist ing buildings involves f ully
rehabilit at ing t he st ruct ure and changing t he buildings use. It may
also involve adding height and increasing t he building foot print and
pot ent ially t ransferring t he buildings ownership.
Inf ill - Inf ill development will occur on sit es t hat are current ly
vacant or underut ilized.
Redevelopment - Exist ing buildings t hat are inef f icient or do not f ully
use t heir sit e may be razed and redeveloped.
The development scenario seeks t o ret ain federal agencies wit hin t he
Dist rict of Columbia in locat ions appropriat e t o t heir missions. The
scenario looks t o improve t he ef f iciency of federal ownership of land
and buildings and suggest s opport unit ies t o fost er a great er mix of
cult ural, hot el, and resident ial uses. New development will supplement
exist ing of f ice workers t o generat e day, evening, and weekend
act ivit y and support neighborhood-serving convenience ret ail. New
const ruct ion will provide t he abilit y t o rebuild t he st reet grid t o
improve connect ions and enhance public space.
Some say t he greenest building is t he one already built . While t his
may be t he case for individual facilit ies funct ioning at t he highest
level of efficiency, t he SW Ecodist rict seeks t o move beyond
individual buildings and achieve sust ainabilit y at a dist rict scale. While
rehabilit at ing exist ing buildings will dramat ically decrease energy and
wat er use and improve efficiency of int erior space, it is t he repurposed,
infill, redevelopment of sit es and infrast ruct ure improvement s t hat will
be cat alyt ic in realizing t he SW Ecodist rict vision.
Short t erm recommendat ions can be employed now wit hout major
invest ment in new inf rast ruct ure or signif icant redevelopment of
buildings. However, t here are progressive recommendat ions t hat
will be cat alyt ic and have exponent ial benef it s t o achieve t he
sust ainabilit y goals. These recommendat ions are summarized in t he
diagrams and project focus areas t hat follow.
DEVELOPMENT SCENARIO SUMMARY
Gross Sq. Ft . Popul at i on
1
Exi st i ng 10.8 Million 32,000
Rehabi l i t at i on - Ful l and Li ght
2
+ 11,000
Repurpose + 600,000-1Million Will vary by use
Redevel opment +3.0 Million + 6,000
Inf i l l + 2.2 Million + 2,000
Pot ent i al Devel opment Scenari o
2
14.7-15.1Million 51,000
1
Employees and resident s
2
Since light ly rehabbed buildings will be repurposed or redeveloped,
t he pot ent ial t ot al is not cumulat ive.
THE DEVELOPMENT SCENARIO
CREATING A HIGH PERFORMANCE COMMUNITY
Toget her, t he rehabilit at ion, repurpose, inf ill, and redevelopment
recommendat ions will t ransform t he st udy area int o a sust ainable
communit y. Wit h t he support of t he neighborhood and environment
f ramework recommendat ions, t his development scenario creat es a
high performance neighborhood where land use and development
decisions posit ively impact t he environment , and improved
inf rast ruct ure advances neighborhood amenit ies. Most import ant ly,
t he Ecodist rict will reint roduce bot h resident s and visit ors t o an area
now dominat ed by of f ices. Having a variet y of users day and night is
key t o providing t he vit alit y necessary t o t ransform t his area int o an
economically, socially, and environment ally successf ul communit y.
This relat ionship bet ween t he neighborhood and environment al
f rameworks is present t hroughout t he SW Ecodist rict , including:
TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORTS LOWER
CARBON EMISSIONS
Development decisions t o break-up oversized superblocks and
reconnect t he st reet grid encourages walking, provides increased
opport unit ies for ret ail, and decreases t he overall greenhouse gas
emissions produced wit hin t he Ecodist rict .
As st reet s and sidewalks are re-est ablished or creat ed, t hey will
accommodat e t he necessary inf rast ruct ure t o improve t he generat ion
and dist ribut ion of energy and t he capt ure, t reat ment , and st orage
of st ormwat er for reuse. St reet s will also be plant ed wit h t rees and
underst ory veget at ion t o improve urban ecology, increase pedest rian
comfort , and f urt her reduce carbon emissions.
DISTRICT WATER SYSTEM SUPPORTS GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
By capt uring, t reat ing, and reusing all of t he st ormwat er wit hin t he
area, t he Ecodist rict will reduce it s dependence on pot able wat er and
lower operat ional cost s. An overall lat t ice of green will support a lush
set t ing composed of shaded st reet scapes and elegant parks t hat will
t reat st ormwat er while providing human and environment al healt h
benef it s. These syst ems will provide connect ed habit at corridors
t o t he Washingt on Channel and improve t he visual charact er of t he
neighborhood. The int roduct ion of qualit y public spaces and out door
amenit ies will at t ract resident s and visit ors t o t he area, increasing t he
ef f iciency of t he wat er syst em.
DISTRICT ENERGY SYSTEM SUPPORTS DIVERSITY OF LAND USE
The plan seeks t o reduce energy use in exist ing and new buildings,
generat e and dist ribut e energy ef f icient ly, and use decarbonized
f uel and supplement wit h renewable power. The exist ing cent ral
ut ilit y plant will provide heat ing and cooling for all federal and new
or rehabilit at ed buildings. Microgrids will be est ablished for federal
and privat e development t o allow for more f lexible generat ion and
dist ribut ion of renewable energy. Most buildings and inf rast ruct ure will
support solar arrays and collect ground source heat .
The most ef f icient energy syst ems require a diverse mix of land uses
t hat dist ribut e t he energy demand t hroughout a 24-hour period.
Adding resident ial, inst it ut ional, and evening act ivit y t o balance t he
overabundance of t radit ional of f ice users will make t his dist rict energy
syst em more f inancially viable, lower t he carbon foot print of t he
Ecodist rict , and generally support a more vibrant communit y.
A mix of rehabilit at ion, repurposing, inf ill, and new development will
provide t he opport unit y t o deploy best pract ices in green building.
The increase in densit y and use mix will subst ant ially improve t he
operat ional ef f iciency of t he exist ing cent ral ut ilit y plant . Using LEED
Plat inum crit eria as a baseline st rat egy will guide t he placement ,
orient at ion, and const ruct ion of new buildings t hat employ innovat ive
sust ainable energy and wat er syst ems.
Implement ing t he development scenario at a dist rict scale will
support creat ion of an innovat ive new neighborhood at t he heart of
t he nat ions capit al. By planning and implement ing at a dist rict scale,
t he result ing Ecodist rict will cont ribut e t o t he regions environment al,
social, and economic healt h.
Success can be measured quant it at ively and qualit at ively. Inevit ably,
as individual improvement s are made t he act ual component s and
land mix may vary. Regardless of t he f inal design, t he land use,
t ransport at ion, energy, wat er, and wast e f ramework will guide t he
evolut ion of t his area t o be a sust ainable and f inancial success.
CONSIDERATIONS
To realize Independence Quart er, several considerat ions must be
addressed, including:
FEDERAL LAND AND FACI LI TI ES
GSA and it s t enant s are working t o signif icant ly increase space
ef f iciency of t he federal real est at e port folio t hrough physical
improvement s at individual facilit ies and t hrough workplace
management and operat ions. Several execut ive orders and
Congressional direct ives are driving ef fort s t o eliminat e excess
federal propert y and wast ef ul spending, conserve energy and wat er
use, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At t he same t ime, GSA
is addressing changing agency missions and shif t s in workforce
t echnology and demographics. The concent rat ion and conf igurat ion
of federally owned propert y in Independence Quart er will help
advance t hese direct ives.
Through t he years DOEs Forrest al Complex has been increment ally
improved t o increase t he energy and space ef f iciency. However,
t odays sust ainabilit y needs require much more. In response, GSA and
DOE are evaluat ing t he long t erm operat ional needs of t he agency.
GSA is also assessing t he feasibilit y, cost s, and benef it s of disposing
of underut ilized asset s.
While pot ent ial redevelopment of t he DOE headquart ers and t he
pot ent ial disposit ion of t he surrounding parcels will address agency
needs and help meet execut ive and legislat ive direct ives, it is
import ant t o ret ain ownership of an adequat e amount of federal land
t o meet f ut ure federal of f ice space requirement s and ret ain cabinet
agency headquart ers wit hin t he area. To maximize government
ef f iciency and ensure cont inuing operat ions of public service, it
is import ant t hat federal agencies not be displaced and t hat real
est at e and facilit y operat ion decisions are not made in isolat ion. A
comprehensive approach is crit ical t o also maximize t he use of federal
land and it s real est at e value.
CULTURAL FACI LI TI ES
The st udy area is gaining int erest f rom pot ent ial memorial and
museum sponsors because of it s proximit y t o numerous Smit hsonian
Inst it ut ion facilit ies, t he Nat ional Mall, and The Wharf.
The Nat ional Womens Hist ory Museum is seeking Congressional
approval t o purchase federal land at or near t he sout hwest corner
of 12t h St reet and Independence Avenue. Congressional legislat ion
was int roduced t o aut horize t he Nat ional Museum of t he American
Lat ino Commission t o use t he Art s and Indust ries Building and t o
develop an underground annex sout h of Independence Avenue for t he
museum. Addit ional sponsors are also exploring memorial or museum
development wit hin t he Ecodist rict .
HI STORI C PRESERVATI ON
Early in t he 20t h cent ury, t he area was a walkable neighborhood of
rowhouses and businesses. The st reet s and t he blocks were alt ered
wit h t he int roduct ion of t he Urban Renewal Plan af t er World War II.
Built in t he 1930s, t he Cot t on Annex pre-dat es urban renewal and
has been det ermined eligible for t he Nat ional Regist er of Hist oric
Places ( NRHP) . While t he LEnfant Plan of Washingt on is also list ed
in t he NRHP, t he port ion of Virginia Avenue bet ween 9t h St reet and
Independence Avenue does not cont ribut e because t he avenue was
abandoned and views t o t he Washingt on Monument blocked. If
rest ored, it s non-cont ribut ing st at us could be re-evaluat ed.
Alt hough 10t h St reet is a cont ribut ing element of t he LEnfant Plan,
t he view corridor bet ween t he Smit hsonian Cast le and t he wat erfront
is non-cont ribut ing because t he view was blocked wit h const ruct ion
of t he Forrest al Complex in 1970. The Forrest al Complex is nearing t he
t hreshold for considerat ion but has not yet been fully evaluat ed for
list ing in t he NRHP. However, t he DC St at e Hist oric Preservat ion Office
has indicat ed t hat it considers rest orat ion of t he view corridors more
import ant t han preservat ion of t he Forrest al Complex if it is ult imat ely
det ermined eligible for t he NRHP. Redeveloping t he Forrest al Complex
will reest ablish Virginia Avenue and it s link bet ween Reservat ion 113 and
t he Washingt on Monument , rest ore views bet ween t he Smit hsonian
Cast le and t he sout hwest wat erfront , and reclaim t he st reet grid and
t he block configurat ion of t he LEnfant Plan.
The federal government will be required t o comply wit h t he Nat ional
Hist oric Preservat ion Act in t he development of proposals t o sell, alt er,
repurpose, or redevelop resources considered eligible for or list ed in
t he NRHP.
INDEPENDENCE QUARTER - PROJECT RECOMMENDATIONS
P a | ts Phasing ano Rlato Prc|cts c P rs Pctntial Partnrs
Nar Trm Prc|cts (3-O yars) Foral - F
Lcng Trm Prc|cts (5-25 yars) District - D
Cccroinaticn with Othr Prc|cts Privat Sctcr - P
Cultural - C
Nar Trm - Rhab cr nrgy ano
watr us roucticns
Lcng Trm - Rovlcp Sit
2 2
2th Strt Tunnl 2th Strt Tunnl
/ g / g /ir-Rights /ir-Rights
D p t D p t Dvlcpmnt Dvlcpmnt
Dck cvr th ramp tc th 2
th
Strt Tunnl with a mix c uss tc incluo rsiontial ano/cr hctl ovlcpmnt. Ralign
th 2th Strt ramp tc stablish an at-grao intrscticn at Marylano /vnu. Crat a ccmmmcrativ park rcnting
lnopnonc /vnu btwn th ano 2th Strt. Ccnsior inccrpcrating th ccmmmcrativ park intc th osign c
th ao|acnt parcls (cr xampl, th US Navy Mmcrial at Markt Suar cn Pnnsylvania /vnu, NV).
Cccroinat with Fcrrstal Ccmplx
Rovlcpmnt
F, D, P, C
3 3 C n Ccttcn /nnx
Expano th Ccttcn /nnx tc maximiz us c surrcunoing parcls ano rhabilitat tc imprcv spac, nrgy,
no watr icincy.
Cccroinat with ao|acnt inill cr
rovlcpmnt
F, D, P, C
S Marylano /v Fccus /ra
Pctntial tc Cccroinat with Fcrrstal
Ccmplx Rovlcpmnt
5 5
l nc lnopnonc
/ /vnu
Dsign builoings, public spacs, ano strtscap tc nccurag postrian activity whil rspcting th civic ualitis c
th Naticnal Mall ano its ao|acnt cultural instituticns.
Rovlcpmnt
F, D, C
S Marylano /v Fccus /ra
Pctntial tc Cccroinat with Fcrrstal
Ccmplx Rovlcpmnt
7 77 7 V rg v V rg v Virginia /vnu Virginia /vnu
Rstablish Virginia /vnu tc crat walkabl blccks, imprcv accss cr all mcos c travl, ano rclaim impcrtant
viws ano linkags btwn th Vashingtcn Mcnumnt ano Rsrvaticn 3.
Rovlcpmnt
F, D, P, C
8 8 C S t C Strt
Rstablish C Strt btwn 9
th
ano 2
th
Strts tc imprcv mcbility ano prcvio accss cr oaily uncticns such as
builoing lcaoing, parking, ano srvic ntris.
Rovlcpmnt
F, D, P
9 9 S t S th Strt th Strt
Rstablish th Strt btwn Marylano ano lnopnonc /vnus tc imprcv mcbility ano prcvio accss cr oaily
uncticns such as builoing lcaoing, parking, ano srvic ntris.
Rovlcpmnt
F, D, P
O t Oth Strt S Oth Strt Fccus /ra
9 9th Strt
( (ncrth c
M ryl / Marylano /vnu)
Rosign 9th Strt btwn lnopnonc /vnu ano Marylano /vnu with a park-lik charactr that links
Rsrvaticn 3 with th Smithscnian's Riply Garon whil rtaining aouat accss tc th l-395 tunnl ano ao|acnt
builoings. Th sgmnt c th strt btwn lnopnonc /vnu ano C Strt shculo b phaso in ccncrt with th
utur rovlcpmnt c th Fcrrstal Ccmplx.
Rovlcpmnt
F, D
/ P /ll Prc|cts
Ccnstruct ano ccnnct inrastructur systms ano builoings tc gnrat, ccnvy, ccllct, stcr, ano oistribut thrmal
nrgy ano rcyclo watr thrcughcut th oistrict. Dsign ano crint builoing cctprints tc maximiz natural light ano
air vntilaticn.
F, D, P, C
6 6 M ryl / Marylano /vnu S Marylano /vnu Fccus /ra. F, D, P, C
a c Summary Dscripticn
l D cp nt Ruiloing ano Sit Dvlcpmnt
F c l Fcrrstal Ccmplx
Rovlcp th Fcrrstal Ccmplx tc incras suar cctag ano th mix c uss tc nhanc sustainability.
/cccmmcoat a mcorn haouartrs cr th Dpartmnt c Enrgy that suppcrts its missicn, prcvios mcr icint
gcvrnmnt cic spac, ano shcwcass high prcrming sustainabl practics. Dsignat prcminnt lccaticns cr a
naticnally signiicant musum ano mmcrial.
F, D, P, C
4 G / GS/ Parcls -3
Dvlcp unor uso parcls alcng Marylano /vnu with a mix c uss, pricritizing rsiontial ovlcpmnt. Ccnsior
incrasing th siz c ths parcls by aggrgating with ao|acnt lano whn asibl.
F, D, P, C
lnrastructur, Strts, ano Public Spac
/ Y
*Part ners will coordinat e improvement s but may not always be f unding part ners.
10th Street Corridor And Banneker
REVITALIZATION OBJECTIVES
Est ablish t he 10t h St reet corridor and Banneker Park as a cult ural
dest inat ion serving as a cont emporary ext ension of t he Nat ional Mall.
The corridor will inf use t he vit alit y of downt own Washingt on bet ween
t he Smit hsonian museums and gardens and t he sout hwest wat erf ront .
The corridor s prominent locat ion provides an opport unit y t o become
an environment al showcase displaying t he best of American cult ure
and innovat ion.
Primary object ives for t he 10t h St reet corridor and Banneker Park:
Design 10t h St reet as a walkable, vibrant mixed-use cult ural corridor;
Creat e a set t ing along t he corridor and at Banneker Park bef it t ing
a nat ional cult ural dest inat ion, t o serve as an ext ension of t he
Nat ional Mall;
Program t he corridor for daily act ivit y and for special exhibit ions
and event s;
Design t he corridor t o serve as t he energy and wat er
management spine of t he Ecodist rict ;
Use t he lower level of 10t h St reet t o accommodat e energy, wat er,
and parking inf rast ruct ure; and
Showcase st at e-of -t he-art urban design and environment al
pract ices t o increase public awareness.
TODAY
10t h St reet , also known as LEnfant Promenade, is an overscaled
unf riendly pedest rian and vehicular corridor on axis wit h t he Nat ional
Mall and Banneker Park. An elevat ed park overlooks t he sout hwest
wat erf ront and sit s on axis wit h t he Smit hsonian Cast le. Alt hough
t housands of people work along t he 10t h St reet corridor, t he area
remains desolat e and devoid of signif icant st reet act ivit y.
Nort h of t he rail line, t he Forrest al Complex visually and
psychologically isolat es t he st udy area f rom t he Nat ional Mall and
Smit hsonian museums. Sout h of t he rail, 10t h St reet is lined wit h t he
U.S. Post al Service headquart ers and t he privat ely-owned LEnfant
Plaza of f ice and hot el complex. These single-use superblock buildings
provide lit t le relat ion t o t he expansive 225-foot wide right -of -way.
A port ion of t he st reet sit s on sub-surface parking and a port ion is
elevat ed above act ive rail and t he 10-lane Sout hwest Freeway, ramps,
and relat ed access roads. A labyrint h of st airs and ramps conceal
View of 10 t h St reet , SW f rom t he Mall
( Top image) - Exist ing Condit ions St udy Model ( 2012)
( Lower image) - Recommended Development Scenario St udy Model ( 2030)
building ent rances and obscure pedest rian rout es. A lack of st reet
t rees or ot her veget at ion, minimal seat ing, maint enance, and subpar
building mat erials cont ribut e t o making t he st reet unconducive for
walking or social gat herings.
Banneker Park is an eight -acre elevat ed sit e t hat sit s 45-feet above
Maine Avenue. It overlooks t he Washingt on Channel wit h sweeping
vist as t o East Pot omac Park, t he Pot omac River, and beyond. This
federal parkland is managed by t he Nat ional Park Service. The park
cont ains a plaza t hat sit s at op a large, barren, sloping lawn cont aining
vehicular access ramps and int erpret ive signage commemorat ing t he
cont ribut ions of Benjamin Banneker. Despit e it s locat ion less t han
a half mile f rom t he Nat ional Mall, poor pedest rian condit ions and
building edges cause t he plaza t o seem disconnect ed f rom t he cit y
and cont ribut e t o it s lack of use. It is occasionally used by nearby
workers at lunch and for t hose passing t hrough t o access t he st eep
dirt slope pat h t o t he Maine Avenue Fish Market .
The Wharf, a new privat e wat erf ront development , will t ransform
t he sout hwest wat erf ront int o a lively mixed-use neighborhood
and regionally import ant dest inat ion. Just t o t he nort h, phased
improvement s t o t he LEnfant Plaza are also underway. These
development s will alt er t he mid-cent ury Modern public spaces along
10t h St reet and t he wat erf ront , and rest rict views of t he river f rom
Banneker Park.
CONSIDERATIONS
To revit alize t he 10t h St reet corridor and Banneker Park, several
considerat ions must be addressed.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION
10t h St reet was once a neighborhood road t hat serviced t he act ive
shipping wharf s along t he river. It was alt ered in t he mid-20t h
cent ury int o a large plaza-like st reet ( LEnfant Promenade) and park
( Reservat ion 719, now known as Banneker Park) . The vist as associat ed
wit h 10t h St reet and Banneker Park are ident if ied as non-cont ribut ing
element s in t he NRHP nominat ion of t he LEnfant Plan of Washingt on.
These non-conformit ies are a result of t he alt ered st reet grid, block
conf igurat ions, and art if icial t opographical changes t hat occurred
as a result of t he urban renewal and development of t he Forrest al
Complex. Alt hough t he int ent of t he SW Ecodist rict Plan is t o re-
est ablish t he st reet grid and t he block conf igurat ion of t he LEnfant
Plan, f urt her evaluat ion of t he mid-cent ury Modern buildings and
landscape will be necessary t o det ermine t heir hist orical signif icance.
LEnfant Plaza, t he privat e mixed-use complex f ront ing 10t h St reet ,
and t he Overlook were designed by I.M. Pei and Dan Kiley. Bot h
are renowned mid-cent ury Modern designers. The buildings and
landscapes of t his era are nearing t he t hreshold t o be considered
for inclusion on t he NRHP. Alt hough several nearby federal buildings
and spaces have been det ermined eligible for t he NRHP, neit her t he
U.S. Post al Service nor 10t h St reet has been st udied t o det ermine
eligibilit y. Init ial research has been conduct ed t o evaluat e t he pot ent ial
eligibilit y of Banneker Park and t he work of designer Dan Kiley;
however, research is inconclusive at t he t ime of t his st udys release.
Addit ional evaluat ion is necessary t o det ermine eligibilit y of t hese
landscapes and buildings, and compliance wit h Sect ion 106 of t he
Nat ional Hist oric Preservat ion Act . The federal government will be
required t o comply wit h t his act in t he development of proposals t o
sell, alt er, repurpose, or redevelop resources considered eligible for, or
list ed in, t he NRHP.
CULTURAL FACILITIES
Over t he cent uries t he area evolved f rom a river plant at ion t o a
set t lement of immigrant s and f reed Af rican Americans, t o t he
nat ions f irst f ull-scale urban renewal project . A cult ural herit age
t rail called River Farms t o Urban Towers det ails t he areas hist ory. In
1971, t he 10t h St reet Overlook was formally named Banneker Park in
honor of Benjamin Banneker, t he Af rican American ast ronomer and
mat hemat ician who helped survey t he boundaries of t he new capit al
cit y. The Washingt on Int erdependence Council ( WIC) , a memorial
sponsor, obt ained legislat ive aut horit y in 1998 t o place a nat ional
memorial t o Benjamin Banneker in t he Dist rict . WIC has advocat ed
for locat ing t his memorial at Banneker Park, along wit h a Mat h and
Science Technology Inst it ut e and a clock t ower, as well as a memorial
along t he lengt h of 10t h St reet . In 1999, t he Nat ional Capit al Memorials
Advisory Commission recognized Benjamin Banneker s import ant
cont ribut ions but suggest ed t hat alt ernat e sit es in t he Dist rict also be
considered. The legislat ive aut horit y for t he memorial expired in 2005.
New legislat ion has been int roduced but not enact ed at t he t ime t his
plan was writ t en.
Banneker Park is ident if ied in t he Memorials and Museums Mast er
Plan as a prime candidat e sit e for a nat ional museum or memorial.
The percept ion t hat t he area is isolat ed f rom t he Nat ional Mall has
det erred museum sponsors f rom previously considering t he sit e.
However, wit h cont inued invest ment in t he area, t he sit e is gaining
t he at t ent ion of several museum and memorial sponsors.
10TH STREET AND BANNEKER PARK - PROJECT RECOMMENDATIONS
P g - a rc c s P g - a rc c s Phasing - Rlato Prc|cts Phasing - Rlato Prc|cts n n Pctntial Partnrs Pctntial Partnrs
Cultural - C
c lntrscticn c
t o Oth Strt ano
o o Marylano /vnu Marylano /vnu
Establish th intrscticn c Oth Strt ano Marylano /vnu as a civic ostinaticn aturing strt-lvl rtail,
ccmmmcrativ wcrks, public art, kicsks, ano nwsstanos.
Nar Trm - Din ano implmnt intrim
imprcvmnts as part c lcng trm
rccnstructicn stratgy
F, D, P, C
Prcvio lccaticns cr naticnally signiicant musums ano mmcrials within a stting that mbcois th charactr c th
Naticnal Mall.
Clustr nw musums ano oucaticnal acilitis within th park tc bur Rannkr Park rcm th Scuthwst Frway.
Establish a signatur lanoscap alcng Main /vnu tc srv as a gatway btwn th Naticnal Mall
ano Scuthwst Vashingtcn.
Lccat ano osign builoings ano th lanoscap tc maximiz rciprccal viws tc crat an ntry thrshclo ano
wlccming atur btwn th Smithscnian Castl, Rannkr Park, ano th Pctcmac Rivr. Lccat, mass, ano ccnigur
builoings tc rspct th scal c narby rsiontial ovlcpmnt. Dsign ano prcgram builoings tc prcmct strt li at
th uppr ano lcwr-lvls c Rannkr Park cn Oth Strt ano Main /vnu.
lmprcv postrian ano bicycl accss btwn Rannkr Park, Main /vnu, ano East Pctcmac Park.
3 S P s U.S. Pcstal Srvic
Nar Trm - Dvlcp intrim strt-lvl
imprcvmnts in cccroinaticn with Oth
Strt rosign
F, D, P, C
/nchcr Oth Strt with cultural ano instituticnal uss hcuso in signatur public builoings.
Nar Trm - Dvlcp intrim strtscap
nhancmnts
Crat a grn ccrriocr that xtnos th civic ualitis c th Naticnal Mall tc th watrrcnt with a sris c lxibl ano
oistinguisho civic spacs.
Enlivn th ccrriocr with builoings, pavilicns, ano kicsks that ccntain rtail, cultural, instituticnal, cr public uss.
Pricritiz th ccrriocr cr postrians, bicyclists, ano transit.
Dsign th lcwr- ano uppr-lvl c Oth Strt ano surrcunoings lanoscaps tc inccrpcrat a bic-rtnticn systm
that ccnvys, clans, ano stcrs rainwatr cr rus.
Dsign th lcwr-lvl c Oth Strt tc acccmmcoat tcur bus parking. Lccat ano osign pctntial
unorgrcuno parking ano asscciato vhicular circulaticn tc prvnt buss rcm mctcring thrcugh ao|acnt
rsiontial nighbcrhccos.
5 5 t D Strt D Strt
lmprcv vrtical ccnnctivity btwn D Strt ano lvato Oth/th Strts with an attractiv,
postrian-rinoly ccnncticn.
Cccroinat with Oth Strt Nar ano Lcng
Trm imprcvmnts
F, D
6 G Strt
lmprcv postrian accss at th intrscticn c G ano 9
th
Strts. Rstrict buss rcm mctcring thrcugh th ao|acnt
rsiontial nighbcrhcco.
Cccroinat with Rannkr Park
imprcvmnts
F, D, P, C
7 7 u Main /vnu
Dsign ano prcgram signatur builoings, structurs, ano lanoscaps alcng Main /vnu tc rspct th viw ccrriocrs
tc th Vashingtcn Mcnumnt, strngthn th strt wall, ano activat th strt.
imprcvmnts
F, D, P, C
8 8
w i n Swr Mining
aci Facility
Ensur that th osign c th utility systm at Rannkr Park ocs nct impact viws tc th Vashingtcn Mcnumnt cr
any utur cultural acility.
imprcvmnts
F, D, P, C
P /ll Prc|cts
air vntilaticn.
F, D, P, C
l u t l ac l u l ac nrastructur, Strts ano Public Spac lnrastructur, Strts ano Public Spac
4 4 t t Oth Strt Oth Strt F, D, P, C
u D cri i Summary Dscripticn
R i o l Ruiloing ano Sit Dvlcpmnt
2 kr Rannkr Park
Nar Trm - Dsign ano implmnt intrim
ccnncticn btwn Rannkr Park ano
Main /vnu in cccroinaticn with
Vatrrcnt rovlcpmnt. Prpar a mastr
sit ovlcpmnt plan cr Rannkr Ovrlcck
tc oin apprcpriat urtur builoing sits at
Rannkr Park ano rlato lcng trm cpn
spac imprcvmnts ano parking asibility.
l sub-surac parking at Rannkr Park is
otrmino apprcpriat, it shculo nct limit,
oisccurag, cr prvnt th ovlcpmnt c
utur musums cr ccmmmcrativ wcrks.
F, D, C
Lcng Trm - lmplmnt r-osign c Oth
Strt in cccroinaticn with rovlcpmnt c
Fcrrstal Ccmplx, Pcst Oic sit, Marylano
/vnu, L'Enant Plaza imprcvmnts, ano
SV Frway /ir-rights rovlcpmnt
*
Accommodat e st reet -level ret ail, educat ional, and cult ural uses along t he USPS buildings 10t h St reet front age wit hout impact -
ing t he lobby on t he ground floor. Rehabilit at e t he building t o improve space and energy efficiency. When Maryland Avenue is
const ruct ed, incorporat e a civic use at t he int ersect ion of 10t h and Maryland Avenue wit hout impact ing
USPS building operat ions or securit y. If t he USPS ever relocat es it s headquart ers, consider repurposing t he building
Narrow t he st reet t o allow for maximum building building height s and build-t o-lines t hat improve pedest rian scale, are
compat ible wit h adjacent uses, and accommodat e wat er management and mult i-modal t ransport at ion syst ems. A 140 foot
right -of-way was used in t he modeling of t he development scenario concept .
EXISTING BOULEVARD
A boulevard wit h a large park-like median t hat priorit izes pedest rian act ivit y
along t he primary cent ral view corridor.
PRELIMINARY DESIGN CONCEPTS
10TH STREET CORRIDOR
The SW Ecodist rict Task Force has begun t o st udy a range of st reet scape
alt ernat ives t hat could help achieve public space programming and design
goals for 10t h St reet . These diagrams, illust rat ing a port ion of t he corridor,
show a range of approaches and will be st udied and developed in t he next
phase of work.
Pavi l i on
Ped
Pot ent i al
Devel opment
Pot ent i al
Devel opment
Ped Ped Ped Ped Vehi cl e Vehi cl e Vehi cl e Vehi cl e
225 BUILDING TO BUILDING 140 BUILDING TO BUILDING
PRELIMINARY DESIGN CONCEPTS
BANNEKER PARK
It s locat ion and designat ion as one of t he t op 20 f ut ure memorial
sit es in Washingt on makes Banneker Park t he next preeminent
nat ional cult ural dest inat ion. The 6.5 acre sit e can accommodat e a
signif icant memorial or a museum or a combinat ion of museums and/
or memorials sit uat ed wit hin a signat ure landscape. This locat ion will
become an import ant civic feat ure and welcoming sout hern gat eway
t o t he Nat ional Mall. This landscape can of fer int imat e seat ing areas,
wat er feat ures, public art , and opport unit ies for commemorat ion on
mult iple levels.
The elevat ion of Banneker Park present s an opport unit y t o build a
st ruct ure or feat ure on axis wit h t he Smit hsonian Cast le. This would
visually and programmat ically ext end t he civic qualit ies of t he
Nat ional Mall and Smit hsonian museums. This st ruct ure would also
serve t o ext end t his connect ion t o t he Washingt on Channel and East
Pot omac Park.
Banneker Park can be redesigned t o improve vehicular and pedest rian
circulat ion bet ween t he elevat ed park and Maine Avenue. An
innovat ive landscape design incorporat ing st airs, ramps, and garden
t erraces can connect t he 10t h St reet overlook and t he wat erf ront at
mult iple locat ions. The import ant element s of t he Kiley landscape
can pot ent ially be preserved, if det ermined eligible for t he Nat ional
Regist er of Hist oric Places or desirable t o do so for ot her reasons.
The t opography of Banneker Park also present s opport unit ies t o
unobt rusively incorporat e a sewer-mining facilit y, or pot ent ially
a parking facilit y int o t he hill near t he 12t h St reet Freeway ramp.
However, a parking garage for cars or t our buses will likely prevent
sponsors f rom considering t he sit e for a f ut ure museum or memorial.
In addit ion, bus rout es must be designed so t hey do not t raverse
neighborhood st reet s.
These diagrams, illust rat ing a port ion of t he corridor, are int ended t o
show a range of approaches and will be st udied and developed in t he
next phase of work.
EXISTING CONDITIONS STUDY MODEL (2012)
Banneker Park exist ing condit ions.
View f rom t he Overlook at Banneker Park t oward t he Wharf and t he
Washingt on Channel on t he Pot omac River. ( Hof f man-Madison Marquet t e)
POTENTIAL VIEW AXIS CONCEPTS MODELS POTENTIAL MUSEUM BUILDOUT MODELS
( Top image) - Pot ent ial development wit h buildings adjacent t o t he
Sout hwest Freeway and expanded Overlook at sout h end of 10t h St reet .
( Lower image) - Pot ent ial development wit h buildings adjacent t o t he
Sout hwest Freeway and vert ical memorial at sout h end of 10t h St reet .
( Top image) - Pot ent ial development wit h buildings adjacent t o t he
Sout hwest Freeway and a building at t he t erminus of 10t h St reet .
( Lower image) - Pot ent ial development wit h buildings f raming
10t h St reet , and f ront ing on Maine Avenue.
Maryland Avenue and 7th Street Corridors
REVITALIZATION OBJECTIVES
Est ablish Maryland Avenue as a prominent LEnfant st reet wit h a
series of civic spaces anchoring a new neighborhood. Expand t ransit
capacit y along t he avenue and t he 7t h St reet corridor, and improve
Reservat ion 113 as a signat ure park at t he cent er of a regional
int ermodal cent er.
Primary object ives for Maryland Avenue and t he 7t h St reet
corridors include:
Accommodat e f reight rail and maximize commut er rail along
t he CSX corridor;
Deck-over t he exist ing railroad t o est ablish Maryland Avenue
and reconnect t he st reet grid;
Develop and program parcels along t he corridor t o est ablish
a lively and balanced mix of uses;
Prot ect and enhance t he views t o and f rom t he U.S. Capit ol;
Design t he avenue t o feat ure a series of urban parks t hat
ext end t he civic qualit ies of t he Nat ional Mall;
Design and program Reservat ion 113 t o be a signat ure urban
square and neighborhood park;
Expand LEnfant St at ion t o maximize regional commut er rail
capacit y and design surrounding st reet s t o accommodat e
enhanced t ransit use;
Improve walkabilit y and est ablish great er connect ion
bet ween all modes of t ransit ; and
Design LEnfant St at ion t o int egrat e it int o t he neighborhood
and t o complement Union St at ion and it s civic purpose.
View of Maryland Avenue f rom t he sout hwest
( Lower image) - Recommended Development Scenario
St udy Model ( 2030)
TODAY
Today, Maryland Avenue is a disconnect ed series of unimproved
public spaces and st reet segment s int errupt ed by a depressed act ive
rail corridor, owned by CSX. The rail line is predominat ely used for
t ransport ing f reight along t he east ern seaboard. Passenger t rains are
limit ed. From t he sout h, t he rail line consist s of t wo t racks over t he
Long Bridge, and t hree t racks t hat run t hrough a short t unnel bet ween
12t h and 14t h St reet s which daylight wit hin an open corridor bet ween
9t h and 12t h St reet s. Along t his segment , t here are oddly-shaped
parcels of under-used land and buildings which t urn t heir back t o t he
corridor, est ablishing an indust rial charact er.
The rail line borders Reservat ion 113, an unimproved park at t he
int ersect ion of Maryland and Virginia Avenues and 7t h St reet . In
t his area, t he t racks ascend and cross 7t h St reet and cont inue on an
elevat ed t rack along Virginia Avenue, passing t he Virginia Rail Express
commut er rail plat form bet ween 6t h and 7t h St reet s at LEnfant
St at ion. The single plat form is not easily accessible or connect ed t o
adjacent t ransit services.
The corridor is f ramed by a mix of federal and privat e of f ice buildings.
There are no resident ial uses in proximit y. Many of t he federal
buildings include int ernal employee-only cafet erias. A single of f ice
building at 600 Maryland Avenue, near t he LEnfant Plaza Met ro
St at ion, includes some ret ail concealed wit hin t he int erior of
t he building.
Sevent h St reet is heavily used by commut er buses t hat t raverse t he
lengt h of t he cit y bet ween t he sout hwest wat erf ront and Maryland. It
is also one of t he cit ys proposed st reet car corridors. The lack of t rees
and expansive pavement make walking across t he f reeway unpleasant .
Beneat h t he rail t rest le, minimal light ing, nest ing birds, unsanit ary
condit ions, and poor visual qualit y det er
pedest rian act ivit y.
CONSIDERATIONS
To est ablish t he Maryland Avenue corridor, several considerat ions
must be addressed.
CULTURAL FACILITIES
On axis wit h t he U.S. Capit ol, Maryland Avenue includes t hree
import ant sit es ident if ied in t he Memorials and Museums Mast er
Plan for f ut ure commemorat ive works. Two are prime sit es reserved
for works of t he highest nat ional import ance; one sit e is locat ed at
Reservat ion 113, and t he ot her is t he proposed President Dwight D.
Eisenhower Nat ional Memorial at t he int ersect ion of Maryland and
Independence Avenues. A t hird candidat e sit e is locat ed wit hin t he
median near The Port als, a privat e development complex, bet ween
12t h and 14t h St reet s.
HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Reservat ion 113 and t he st reet s t hat ref lect t he hist oric plan for t he
cit y of Washingt on are list ed as cont ribut ing element s in t he Nat ional
Regist er of Hist oric Places. Alt hough planned as prominent avenues,
t he port ions of Maryland and Virginia Avenues t hat are locat ed in t he
st udy area are considered non-cont ribut ing element s t o t he NRHP
list ing because of alt ernat ions made t o t he corridors when t he rail
line was const ruct ed in t he mid-1800s. Several of t he buildings along
t he Maryland Avenue and 7t h St reet corridors were built during urban
renewal in t he mid-20t h cent ury and are nearing t he t hreshold for
considerat ion for inclusion in t he NRHP. The Robert Weaver Federal
Building ( U.S. Depart ment of Housing and Urban Development ) was
list ed in t he NRHP in 2008. The Wilbur Wright Buildings ( Federal
Aviat ion Administ rat ion) and t he Lyndon B. Johnson Building
( Depart ment of Educat ion) were det ermined eligible for list ing in t he
NRHP in 2011. The DC St at e Hist oric Preservat ion Of f ice may consider
t he Orville Wright Building and t he GSA Regional Of f ice Building
eligible for list ing.
Compliance wit h Sect ion 106 of t he Nat ional Hist oric Preservat ion Act
will be required prior t o t he federal government implement ing plans
t o alt er, repurpose, or redevelop resources considered eligible for or
list ed in t he NRHP.
HEAVY RAIL-FREIGHT AND COMMUTER RAIL
Wit hin t he st udy area, t he CSX f reight rail line shares it s t racks wit h
Amt rak and Virginia Rail Express ( VRE) . LEnfant St at ion is VREs
t op dest inat ion wit h about 7,375 daily riders or 40 percent of VRE
t ot al ridership. Amt rak passengers primarily board and disembark
at Union St at ion, which is also t he t erminus for t he Maryland Area
Rail Commut er ( MARC) service. VRE and MARC are eit her at or
nearing t heir current daily ridership capacit y. Bot h rail operat ors
have ident if ied t he need t o improve operat ions and t o expand t heir
service t o meet ridership demands and project ed growt h. Ideally,
MARC would ext end service past Union St at ion int o nort hern Virginia,
providing a st op at LEnfant St at ion. VRE has ident if ied t his as a
long range opt ion; however, it is not part of f ut ure expansion plans.
The impact s, such as corridor const raint s bet ween Alexandria and
Union St at ion, have not been st udied or evaluat ed. While addit ional
service will increase demands on t he shared t racks, it will also have
ot her benef it s. It will provide access t o jobs and cult ural dest inat ions,
cont ribut e t o t he regional economy, pot ent ially reduce congest ion
at t he Met ro Cent er and Gallery Place Met ro st at ions, and improve
overall rider experience. Amt rak, VRE, and MARC are st udying how
t o expand service at Union St at ion t o accommodat e increases in
commut er and regional rail and high-speed rail service wit hin t he next
20 years.
CSXs Nat ional Gat eway project proposes t o improve t he f low of
f reight bet ween t he Mid-At lant ic and t he Midwest St at es. To increase
t he movement of f reight t hrough t he corridor, CSX proposes t o
expand and upgrade t racks, equipment , and facilit ies. CSX proposes
t o reconst ruct t he Virginia Avenue t unnel and lower t he t racks
t hrough t he Maryland Avenue corridor t o accommodat e vert ical
clearance for double-st ack rail cars. Alt hough t hese project s will
improve t he movement of f reight t hrough t he corridor, t he t wo-t rack
Long Bridge across t he Pot omac River will const rain t he movement
of f reight and passengers. Therefore, t he cit y is undert aking a Long
Bridge expansion feasibilit y st udy t o evaluat e how t o increase
capacit y t hrough t he corridor.
Improvement of t he rail corridor provides t he abilit y t o increase t he
number of t racks and increase t he vert ical clearances. Increasing t he
vert ical clearances will provide t he opport unit y t o accommodat e
double-st acked t rains and t o deck t he corridor and const ruct a new
Maryland Avenue. Adding a fourt h t rack will increase rail capacit y,
accommodat e elect rif icat ion of at least one t rack, and help separat e
f reight t rains and commut er t rains t o t he ext ent possible t hrough
t he Dist rict of Columbia. Adding t his fourt h t rack may require
modif icat ions t o GSAs Regional Of f ice Building, it s sout hern side yard,
and t he Sevent h St reet bridge t rest le.
Some of t he const raint s and compet ing needs t o improve f reight and
commut er rail service wit hin t he area include:
Bot t lenecks caused by t he corridor s const rained inf rast ruct ure:
t he limit ed t wo-t rack capacit y across t he Long Bridge and t he
limit ed t hree-t rack rail corridor; Long Bridge operat ing policies;
and t he single VRE plat form at LEnfant St at ion t hat requires
t wo-way t rains t o share one t rack and a single-loaded plat form t o
board and disembark passengers.
Train propulsion met hods (elect ric vs. diesel) and f reight and
passenger loads which require dif ferent inf rast ruct ure syst ems
and design.
Pedest rian t ransfer operat ions bet ween syst ems ( vert ical and
horizont al access) and access t o t rains and plat forms ( t he number,
lengt h, and elevat ion of high and low plat forms) .
The LEnfant St at ion ent rances are locat ed near or wit hin t he
Maryland Avenue and 7t h St reet corridors. Wit h four Met ro rail lines
Green, Yellow, Orange, and Blueconverging at LEnfant Plaza, it
is one of t he busiest st at ions in t he syst em wit h 23,000 daily riders
exit ing during t he weekday and 5,000 riders exit ing on weekends. The
Green Line is one of it s heaviest used rout es. The nearby Smit hsonian
St at ionOrange and Blue Lines logs an average of 16,000 riders
exit ing on a weekday. WMATAs 2040 Regional Transit Syst em st udy
considers a range of new lines, st at ions, and inner-line connect ions
t o add capacit y t o meet growing ridership demands on bot h t rack
and st at ion inf rast ruct ure. These improvement s will help t o relieve
congest ion on t he Green Line and at LEnfant St at ion and provide t he
opport unit y t o improve Met ro access for resident s and visit ors sout h
of t he Sout hwest Freeway.
The number of t ransit services t hat converge in t he st udy area and t he
proximit y of LEnfant St at ion t o Union St at ion creat e an unparalleled
opport unit y t o make LEnfant St at ion a regionally import ant t ransit
hub. There are t wo Met ro ent rances wit hin a block and 7t h St reet is
a surface t ransit corridor for local and commut er bus, as well as a
planned dedicat ed st reet car line. In addit ion, t he expansion of Amt rak
service at Union St at ion will limit t he abilit y for VRE and MARC t o
expand operat ions at Union St at ion. Therefore, improving LEnfant
St at ion t o accommodat e expanded VRE and MARC service will help
t o maximize regional commut er rail
t ransit capacit y.
DECKING THE RAIL LINE TO ESTABLISH MARYLAND AVENUE
Est ablishing Maryland Avenue is a goal of t he McMillan Plan and t he
Legacy Plan. It has been subject of serious st udy since t he mid-
1980s, kicked of f by local archit ect Art hur Cot t on Moore and lat er
by NCPC and t he Dist rict of Columbia Of f ice of Planning.
These st udies show t hat decking t he rail line present s opport unit ies
and challenges. It provides t he opport unit y t o creat e a prest igious
address for newly accessible parcels along t he corridor, reconnect
t he st reet grid, as well as t he abilit y t o pot ent ially const ruct
subsurface parking. However, it will require innovat ive design t o
address life safet y and vent ilat ion considerat ions and t o change t he
vert ical prof ile of area st reet s and public spaces.
Some of t he considerat ions include mit igat ing elevat ion changes at
Reservat ion 113, at t he GSA Regional Of f ice Building, at t he Orville
Wright Building, and along 9t h St reet bet ween Independence
Avenue and D St reet . In addit ion, t he privat ely-owned building
at t he sout heast corner of Maryland Avenue and 10t h St reet was
const ruct ed encroaching int o t he hist oric Maryland Avenue right -
of -way. The alignment of Maryland Avenue will need t o be adjust ed
in t his area and provisions made t o ensure t hat t he building ret ains
appropriat e light and vent ilat ion.
View of Maryland Avenue f rom t he nort heast
( Lower image) - Recommended Development Scenario St udy Model ( 2030)
MARYLAND AVENUE AND 7TH STREET CORRIDORS - PROJECT RECOMMENDATIONS
i - l o Phasing - Rlato Prc|cts P Pctntial Partnrs
Cultural - C
C n Ccttcn /nnx S lnopnonc Ouartr. F, D, P, C
3
F / l F// (Orvill
V ht u i Vright Ruiloing)
Rhabilitat th Orvill Vright builoing tc ccnsrv nrgy ano watr us. lncras spac icincy tc acccmmcoat
aooiticnal mplcys.
Cccroinat with stratgy cr Vilbur Vright
Ruiloing, ano ccnstructicn c Marylano
/vnu, 9th Strt, ano C Strt
F, D
4
F / i ur ri F// (Vilbur Vright
R ) Ruiloing) & GS/
P rc Parcl 4
Rpurpcs th Vilbur Vright builoing ano ovlcp th inill parcl alcng Marylano /vnu cr cultural
cr mixo-us ovlcpmnt.
Cccroinat with stratgy cr Orvill
Vright Ruiloing
F, P, C
5
G / g GS/ (Rgicnal
O c i n Oic Ruiloing)
Rovlcp cr builo aooiticnal lccrs tc maximiz suar cctag ano mcoiy th lccr plan tc imprcv light ano
vntilaticn, ano ccnsior mcoiicaticns tc acccmmcoat rail ralignmnt. Ccnsior changing th us tc
cultural cr mixo-us ovlcpmnt. Establish th builoing's main ntranc tc rcnt cn Rsrvaticn 3.
Cccroinat with CSX r-alignmnt ano
Rsrvaticn 3 imprcvmnts
F, P, C
6 6
D t. n Dpt. c Eoucaticn Dpt. c Eoucaticn
R RRuiloing Ruiloing
Rhabilitat Dpt. c Eoucaticn builoing tc ccnsrv nrgy ano watr us. lncras spac icincy tc acccmmcoat
aooiticnal wcrkrs.
Nar Trm Prc|ct F
7 H o HUD Ruiloing
Rhabilitat HUD tc ccnsrv nrgy ano watr us. lncras spac icincy tc acccmmcoat aooiticnal wcrkrs.
Rccnnct tc th Cntral Utility Plant whn asibl.
Nar Trm Prc|ct F
Nar Trm - lmprcv strtscap alcng
xisting rcao sgmnts
Lcng Trm - cccroinat with xisting
imprcvmnts
9 R crri Rail Lin Ccrriocr
Ralign th CSX rail lin tc acccmmcoat a cur track systm tc maximiz th ccrriocr's right ano passngr srvics
carrying capacity cr CSX, /mtrak, VRE, ano pctntially M/RC. Ccnsior cppcrtunitis cr lcng-trm lctriicaticn c
th passngr rail lins cr M/RC ano /mtrak srvic. Dck ano osign th rail lin tc minimiz grao changs ano
inccnsistnt osign ccnoiticns alcng th avnu. lnccrpcrat pizclctric nrgy harvsting tchnclcgy intc th rail
ccrriocr tc shcwcas sustainabl practics.
F, D, P
O R n Rsrvaticn 3
Dsign a prcminnt urban suar that suppcrts L'Enant Staticn ano prcvios lxibl spac cr ccmmmcrativ wcrks,
ccmmunity vnts, ano passiv rcraticn.
Cccroinat with CSX Rail imprcvmnts F, D, C
Crat an intrmcoal hub tc suppcrt right ano ccmmutr rail srvics cr VRE ano M/RC. Lngthn ano xpano th
numbr c platcrms tc incras transit capacity. Ccnstruct a phctcvcltaic cancpy tc prcvio shltr ano ccntribut tc
oistrict nrgy nos.
Ccnstruct thr nw Mtrc ntrancs at cr nar: () 7th Strt |ust ncrth c th rway; (2) at th intrscticns c
D ano 7th Strts; ano (3) at th intrscticn c Virginia /vnu ano 6th Strt.
Prcvio vrtical ano hcrizcntal ccnncticns btwn th VRE platcrm, Mtrc staticn, ano 6th ano 7th Strts tc
nhanc accss cr all mcos c transit. Pricritiz transit ccnncticns ano postrian accss alcng th 6th ano 7th
Strt ccrriocrs.
2 2 7 77th Strt 7th Strt
Rovlcp 7th Strt intc a rtail ccrriocr ano intrmcoal ccmmutr hub. Maximiz th ability tc acccmmcoat bus,
strtcar, bicycls, ano vhicls tc incras mcbility cr all mcos c transpcrt within ano bycno th SV Eccoistrict.
lmprcv th postrian ccnncticn at th rail unorpass.
Nar Trm - Din intrim imprcvmnts
as part c lcng trm nhancmnts
D
3 3
9 99th Strt 9th Strt
(S c ) (S c ) (Scuth c Marylano) (Scuth c Marylano)
Dck th l-395 tunnl ramps ano builo a strt cr a linar park ano postrian ccnncticn btwn Marylano /vnu
ano D Strts, SV.
Cccroinat with Marylano /v F, D
4 th th Strt
Ccnstruct th Strt btwn Marylano ano lnopnonc /vnus tc imprcv mcbility ano prcvio accss tc
builoings cr oaily uncticns (lcaoing, parking, ntris).
Rovlcpmnt
F, D, P
5 5 C Strt C Strt
Dsign C Strt btwn 7
th
ano 9
th
Strts tc srv as an xtnsicn c th park at Rsrvaticn 3 whil maintaining a
cchsiv link tc Marylano /vnu. Dsign a postrian-rinoly plaza at th Orvill Vright Ruiloing tc mitigat C Strt
grao changs.
Rovlcpmnt, Marylano /vnu & Orvill
Vright rhab
F, D, P, C
6 tr D Strt
Rtain D Strt as part c th strt ntwcrk ano imprcv postrian ccnncticns btwn th lcwr lvl D Strt ano
th lvato O
th
Strt.
Cccroinat with Oth Strt imprcvmnts F, D
| ts /ll Prc|cts
air vntilaticn.
F, D, P, C
T ns nts T ns n s Transit Enhancmnts Transit Enhancmnts
Nar Trm - Dvlcp lmplmntaticn
Stratgy cr lcng trm imprcvmnts
F, D
ra r a o ub c ra t a o u c lnrastructur, Strts, ano Public Spac lnrastructur, Strts, ano Public Spac
8 M ryl / Marylano /vnu
Dck th CSX rail btwn 9th ano 2th Strt tc stablish an impcrtant park-lik bculvaro with th civic occrum c
L'Enant's raoial avnus. Minimiz th physical ano visual impacts causo by th varying grao changs ano ccnoiticns
alcng th /vnu. Dsign th avnu with a strcng strt wall that rspcts th histcric 6O-cct mcnumntal viwsho
tc th U.S. Capitcl. Maximiz strt ntwcrk ccnncticns, ano osign a oigniio ano cchsiv walkabl strtscap that
ccnncts a sris c signatur civic spacs. Limit vhicular orivways tc builoings. Maximiz stcrmwatr captur,
iltring, ano stcrag.
F, D, P, C
m D ri c Summary Dscripticn
S lnopnonc Ouartr. F, D, P
o S p t Ruiloing ano Sit Dvlcpmnt
2 G / GS/ Parcls -3
Pctntial tc cccroinat with Fcrrstal
Ccmplx Rovlcpmnt
**The pot ent ial ef f ect s of any alt erat ions will be f ully considered in t he NHPA Sect ion 10 6 process.
Near Term - Depress and realign rail
Long Term - Deck and develop
Maryland Avenue
Coordinat e wit h adjacent infill
or redevelopment
*
( Top image) Illust rat ion of
pot ent ial Int ermodal connect ions.
( Image at right ) Diagram of
pot ent ial int ermodal connect ions
( key above) .
Existing Metro Portal
Potential Metro Portal
Pedestrian Node
Potential New Development
Underground Metro Rail Station
Street level Metro Bus and Streetcar
boarding areas
Potential passenger platforms
Railroad Tracks
Primary pedestrian circulation
Additional pedestrian connection
associated with redevelopment
Potential Transit Connections
Diagram illustrating a potential scenario for
intermodal transit connections. For study by
WMATA and transit providers
( Top) - Sect ion t hrough Sout hwest Freeway f rom sout h t o nort h.
( Bot t om) - Sect ion t hrough Sout hwest Freeway and solar canopy bet ween 9t h and 7t h St reet s.
7t h 9t h
SOLAR CANOPY - PRELIMINARY CONCEPTUAL SECTIONS
SOLAR CANOPY
The rear yards of t he row houses at Capit al Square are bordered
t o t he nort h by t he Sout hwest Freeway. Inst allat ion of t rees and
a glare-resist ant solar canopy could buf fer vehicular noise, and
provide a source of renewable energy for t he SW Ecodist rict .
Inst allat ion of a solar canopy will also support const ruct ion of
new east -west pedest rian connect ions bet ween 7t h and 9t h
St reet s, and expand and landscape t he nort h-sout h sidewalks
across 7t h St reet and a port ion of t he 9t h St reet bridges.
( Top) - Enlarged sect ion at sout h edge of canopy.
( Bot t om) - Enlarged sect ion t hrough 7t h St reet showing enhanced pedest rian connect ions.
SOUTHWEST FREEWAY - PROJECT RECOMMENDATIONS
h g t | s h g t | s Phasing - Rlato Prc|cts Phasing - Rlato Prc|cts c n al r r c n a r r Pctntial Partnrs Pctntial Partnrs
Cultural - C
/ Ri h / Ri h /ir-Rights /ir-Rights
D Dvlcpmnt
Dck cvr th Scuthwst Frway with nw mixo-us privat ovlcpmnt btwn 9th Strt ano
th 2th Strt ramp.
Lcng Trm - rovlcp sit F, D, P
2 2 S l c y S l c y Sclar Cancpy Sclar Cancpy
Ccnstruct a ncn-glar sclar panl cancpy cvr th Scuthwst Frway btwn 7th ano 9th Strts. Th cancpy shall b
osigno with ogs buro rcm ao|acnt strts ano nighbcrhcco with grn plantings tc prvnt ngativ visual
impacts ano vanoalism.
Nar Trm - Dvlcp omcnstraticn prc|ct F, D, P
Nar Trm - Dvlcp intrim strtscap
nhancmnts
Lcng Trm - lnccrpcrat strtscap
imprcvmnts with air-rights ovlcpmnt
4 9 t 9th Strt
Rosign th 9th Strt ano l-395 intrchang tc acccmmcoat nw ovlcpmnt ano imprcv vhicular ano postrian
accss cvr th highway tc L'Enant Plaza.
Cccroinat with air-rights ovlcpmnt F, D, P
5 5
E r c a E Strt/ Frcntag
RRcao
Ccnstruct a nw E Strt abcv th rcntag rcao tc crat an at-grao vhicular ano/cr postrian ccnncticn
btwn 7th ano Oth Strts tc imprcv accss btwn SV nighbcrhccos ano th stuoy ara.
6 F S F Strt Ccnstruct a nw F Strt tc ccnnct 9
th
ano O
th
Strts ano prcvio accss tc air-rights ovlcpmnt. Cccroinat with air-rights ovlcpmnt F, D, P
7
7 7
th th
, 9
t tth th
n ano
O
t th
t t Strt
F y i g s F y i g s Frway Rriogs Frway Rriogs
lmprcv th 7th, 9th, ano Oth Strt rway spans tc acccmmcoat planting ara that will bur th rway ano
nhanc th postrian xprinc.
Cccroinat with sclar cancpy ano air-rights
ovlcpmnt
F, D, P
F y m Frway Ramps
Dsign rway accss ramps as urban intrscticns tc ccnnct tc th strt grio, allcw air-rights ovlcpmnt, ano
rouc th rway's cctprint.
/ | ts /ll Prc|cts
air vntilaticn.
F, D, P, C
o n n i v c m o n n i v c m Ruiloing ano Sit Dvlcpmnt Ruiloing ano Sit Dvlcpmnt
a t u n c ac lnrastructur, Strts ano Public Spac
3 h S Oth Strt Enhanc strtscap ano prchibit vhicular orivways tc builoings cn O
th
Strt rcntag. F, D, P
S m s r Summary Dscripticn
THE SW ECODISTRICT WILL BE LED BY ECONOMICALLY SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIPS
Successf ul Part nershi ps | Page 85
Successful Partnerships
IMPLEMENTATION
The SW Ecodist rict Plan ident ifies t he urban infrast ruct ure
and development recommendat ions necessary t o achieve t he
unified, sust ainable vision for t he st udy area. Implement ing
t he recommendat ions will require addit ional planning and
real est at e analyses, project execut ion, policy development ,
and new governing init iat ives, carried out by various ent it ies
over t he plans 20-year t ime horizon. There is no one ent it y,
project , or financing t ool t hat can do it alone all are
import ant t o achieve t he vision.
This chapt er provides a f ramework t o coordinat e, priorit ize,
and program f ut ure act ions and project s, recognizing t hat
individual near-t erm ef fort s, such as new zoning provisions,
st reet scape improvement s, or amended st ormwat er policies,
must support and lay t he foundat ion for more complex
inf rast ruct ure and development project s, recognizing t hat
federally appropriat ed f unding is unlikely. The chapt er also
summarizes t he f inancing t ools and policies available and
necessary t o make project s happen.
This chapt er is organized int o four sect ions:
ECONOMIC FINDINGS
The cost s and benef it s of implement ing t he
development scenario, including why dist rict -scale
planning makes economic sense.
IMPLEMENTATION
The part nership agreement s, new governance ent it ies,
and pre-development st udies necessary t o move t he
recommendat ions forward.
POLICIES, DIRECTIVES, AND REGULATIONS
A summary of t he exist ing policies and direct ives
available t o help implement t he recommendat ions.
FINANCING TOOLS
The f inancing t ools and part nership opport unit ies
available t o t he federal government , t he Dist rict of
Columbia, t he privat e sect or, and ot her st akeholders.
Implementation
The SW Ecodist rict Plan serves as a f lexible t ool for federal, Dist rict , and
privat e ent it ies t o inform f ut ure facilit y and inf rast ruct ure planning and
development decisions. Some of t he recommendat ions for t he focus
areas, discussed in Chapt er 4, could advance t oday wit h t he exist ing
f inancing t ools and aut horit ies available t o t he public and privat e
sect ors (described in great er det ail at t he end of t his chapt er) . For
example, federal and privat e building owners can make energy ef f icient
improvement s t o t heir buildings, and t he General Services Administ rat ion
(GSA) has t he aut horit y t o redevelop buildings and land for which it is
responsible. In some cases, it may be appropriat e t o t ake advant age of
t hese t ools and aut horit ies.
It is more likely, however, t hat implement ing t he SW Ecodist rict Plan
recommendat ions will require new approaches because exist ing resources
such as Congressional appropriat ions may not be readily available
in t he f ut ure. Given t he magnit ude of public ownership in t he area, a
combinat ion of part nerships among t he federal government , t he Dist rict ,
ot her public ent it ies, and t he privat e sect or of fer signif icant opport unit ies
t o pot ent ially leverage resources and coordinat e f ut ure improvement s t o
achieve a desired out come.
The crit ical next st eps t o help inform pot ent ial implement at ion decisions
include a series of part nership agreement s and pre-development st udies
t hat are organized around four t opics:
Financing
Organizat ion and Governance
Real Est at e Development
Inf rast ruct ure Development
PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS AND PRE-DEVELOPMENT STUDIES
There are several st udies and part nership agreement s, bot h underway
and proposed, which are necessary t o move t he SW Ecodist rict
recommendat ions t o t he next st age of implement at ion. These st udies and
part nerships, described in great er det ail below, will program and design
development and inform t he Nat ional Environment al Policy Act ( NEPA)
and Sect ion 106 processes. NEPA, 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq., requires
federal agencies t o caref ully consider environment al impact s in t heir
decisions. All federal agencies must direct , t o t he f ullest ext ent possible,
t heir policies, plans, and programs t o prot ect and enhance environment al
qualit y. Sect ion 106 of t he Nat ional Hist oric Preservat ion Act of 1966
( NHPA) requires federal agencies t o t ake int o account t he ef fect s of t heir
undert akings on hist oric propert ies.
FINANCING
Cost Benef i t Anal ysi s f or Independence Quart er and 10 t h St reet
A crit ical next st ep is gaining a bet t er underst anding of t he cost s
and benef it s t o each st akeholder wit hin t he Ecodist rict and using t his
informat ion t o develop a phasing and f inancing approach. As part of
t he next st eps, t he Nat ional Capit al Planning Commission ( NCPC) will
look at t he concept ual phasing/ sequencing and f inancing mechanisms
for t he redevelopment of federal lands adjacent t o Maryland Avenue
and bounded by 12t h St reet , 6t h St reet , and Independence Avenue. The
analysis will calculat e t he cost s, revenues, savings, and int rinsic benef it s
for each st akeholder and ident if y how f inancing gaps might be f illed
via value-capt ure mechanisms such as t ax increment f inancing, special
assessment s, or real est at e exchange t ools ( as def ined in t he Financial
Tools Sect ion) .
Fi nanci ng St rat egy
An overall f inancing st rat egy for t he SW Ecodist rict Plan recommendat ions
will be necessary prior t o t he design and development of st reet s, parcels,
public space or wat er and energy inf rast ruct ure. This development will
require public privat e part nerships and t he use of mult iple f inancing
t ools (discussed at t he end of t his chapt er) . The Cost Benef it Analysis for
Independence Quart er (described above) will help inform t he overall
f inancing st rat egy.
ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNANCE
Federal / Local Government General Part nershi p Agreement
Implement ing t he SW Ecodist rict Plan will require t hat t he federal
government and t he Dist rict of Columbia are commit t ed t o it s vision and
t ake act ions t o advance it s recommendat ions. Many federal and Dist rict
of Columbia agencies helped t o develop t he plans recommendat ions, and
each will cont inue t o play a crit ical and dist inct role in t heir successf ul
implement at ion. It will be valuable for all ent it ies t o ent er int o a general
agreement t hat serves as a good fait h commit ment t oward f ut ure
coordinat ion of individual responsibilit ies. For example: t he Dist rict might
commit t o developing new zoning regulat ions if needed, while t he federal
government might commit t o part icipat ing in dist rict -wide improvement s,
as appropriat e.
Speci al Improvement Di st ri ct Format i on
A governance ent it y managed by a board of public and privat e
represent at ives could be valuable in providing t he coordinat ion, advocacy,
f inancing, and management necessary t o achieve t he SW Ecodist rict
goals. The ent it y could be similar in st ruct ure t o a business improvement
dist rict but would also have a large role in developing t he sust ainable
inf rast ruct ure of t he SW Ecodist rict . Or, an ent it y could be est ablished
t hrough special legislat ion wit h t he appropriat e aut horit ies t o carry out
act ions necessary t o implement t he recommendat ions. Some of t he key
f unct ions of t his governing ent it y could include:
Develop a dist rict -wide plan t hat addresses st reet scape, public space,
st ormwat er management , and inf rast ruct ure improvement s.
Implement dist rict -wide programs t o manage st ormwat er and reduce
energy, wast ewat er, and pot able wat er use.
Champion and coordinat e dist rict -wide renewable energy
improvement s, including solar inst allat ions above t he Sout hwest
Freeway and on buildings.
Coordinat e wit h t he Dist rict of Columbia on priorit izing any t ax
increment financing funds (TIF) and/ or local improvement dist rict (LID)
propert y t ax assessment funds generat ed wit hin t he Ecodist rict for
environment al, st reet , public space, and t ransport at ion relat ed project s.
Finance, const ruct , and maint ain dist rict -wide green inf rast ruct ure
improvement s. This could be done using a combinat ion of LID/ TIF
f unds or t hrough a privat e part nership.
Administ er a green power purchasing program and a st ormwat er
credit program.
Def ine a neighborhood ident it y t hrough market ing and branding
st rat egies, and develop a plan t hat ref lect s t he Ecodist rict s
sust ainabilit y goals.
While t his ent it y may not ult imat ely manage all of t he project s, such
as t he dist rict -scale wat er and energy syst ems, it could provide t he
leadership and coordinat ion t o init iat e t he project s and develop and carry
out necessary public-privat e part nerships.
Regi onal Transi t Coordi nat i on Ent i t y Format i on
The Nat ional Capit al Region is well-served by a variet y of regional
t ransit syst ems, including t he cit ys t wo busiest t ransport at ion hubs,
Union St at ion and LEnfant St at ion. The Union St at ion Redevelopment
Corporat ion, Amt rak, t he Virginia Railway Express ( VRE) , t he Maryland
Area Rail Commut er ( MARC) and Washingt on Met ropolit an Area Transit
Aut horit y ( WMATA) are assessing how t o accommodat e increased
ridership, improve t he commut ing experience, and improve t ransit
operat ions. Addressing t he growing t ransit demand will require looking
beyond t he st udy area boundary and coordinat ing solut ions t o t he
complex operat ional and ridership requirement s of all providers. Current ly
t here is no single ent it y t o manage t his ef fort .
Furt her st udy is needed t o det ermine if it is feasible t o expand t he
exist ing Union St at ion Redevelopment Corporat ions aut horit ies t o include
t ransport at ion planning for LEnfant Plaza St at ion, or alt ernat ively, if a new
ent it y is needed alt oget her. Eit her of t hese opt ions may require new or
amended legislat ion.
REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT
Devel opment Part nershi ps
As part of t he next st eps, part nerships bet ween t he federal government ,
Dist rict government and/ or privat e propert y owners will be needed t o
redevelop one or a combinat ion of parcels. These part nerships would
develop preliminary development programs, concept ual mast er plan(s) ,
and init ial f inancing st rat egies t hat would ult imat ely inform NEPA and
Sect ion 106 processes.
Mi d-Cent ury Modern Cont ext Assessment
Prior t o design work, it will be helpf ul t o conduct t he research necessary
t o underst and and evaluat e t he hist oric signif icance of buildings and sit es
const ruct ed during t he urban renewal era. Recent research on Banneker
Overlook revealed t he need t o gain a broader underst anding of how
planning and designs for individual sit es were relat ed t o or inf luenced
by t he larger planning cont ext of urban renewal. This assessment could
provide guidelines for evaluat ing individual sit es as well as t he collect ion
of propert ies in Sout hwest Washingt on, in accordance wit h Nat ional
Regist er of Hist oric Places crit eria.
Zoni ng and Bui l di ng Code Eval uat i on
The Comprehensive Plan f or t he Nat ional Capit al: Dist rict Element s and
t he zoning regulat ions do not apply t o federal land. However, if t he federal
government were t o dispose of land, t hese policies and regulat ions would
apply. It is import ant t hat t he regulat ions necessary t o implement t he
SW Ecodist rict Plan be in place prior t o any federal disposal or long-t erm
lease. The Dist rict , in coordinat ion wit h t he federal government , will need
t o evaluat e and pot ent ially updat e t he Comprehensive Plans Dist rict
Element s and zoning regulat ions for t his area.
St reet scape/ Publ i c Space/ Bui l di ng Gui del i nes
This init iat ive will prepare st reet scape and public space guidelines for all
st reet s and public spaces in t he SW Ecodist rict . The purpose is t o ident if y
st reet sect ions, programming guidelines, and mat erials t o ensure project s
are coordinat ed and result in a cohesive and beaut if ul public realm t hat
ref lect s t he SW Ecodist rict recommendat ions.
Monument al Core Tour Bus Parki ng St udy
The Nat ional Park Service (NPS) is st udying t he issue of t our buses
circulat ing and idling around and near t he Nat ional Mall, which generat es
t raffic and environment al problems. While t our bus service is import ant t o
t he local t ourist economy, t he absence of a comprehensive t our bus parking
policy and management plan makes it difficult t o mit igat e t heir negat ive
impact s: congest ion, air and noise pollut ion, and visual clut t er around t he
Nat ional Mall and vicinit y. The result s of t his st udy will inform a follow-up
st udy t hat will consider specific locat ions, including t he SW Ecodist rict .
INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT
Cent ral Ut i l i t y Pl ant St rat egy
Modeling st udies conduct ed t o develop t he SW Ecodist rict Plan
recommendat ions concluded t hat expanding t he number and use of
public and privat e buildings served by t he cent ral ut ilit y plant would
dramat ically reduce t he areas greenhouse gas emissions. It could also
help f inance operat ions and maint enance. The GSA does not , however,
have t he aut horit y t o expand t he cent ral ut ilit y plant s operat ions t o
privat e buildings. This plan recommends t hat t he GSA seek aut horit y
t o examine t he environment al and f inancial implicat ions of expanding
t he service of t he cent ral ut ilit y plant t o privat e buildings in t he area in
addit ion t o t he impact s of federal buildings disconnect ing f rom t he plant .
A new policy expanding t he GSAs aut horit y wit h regard t o t he plant
should be considered.
Sol ar Inf rast ruct ure and Mi crogri d St udy
This st udy will assess how t o phase and f inance t he inst allat ion and
operat ion of a dist rict -wide solar array and microgrid inf rast ruct ure.
St ormwat er Management St udy
This st udy will evaluat e how t o phase and f inance t he inst allat ion and
operat ion of t he st ormwat er inf rast ruct ure syst em wit h a focus on t he
10t h St reet corridor. It will assess t he dist rict -wide collect ion, conveyance,
and t reat ment of st ormwat er, and t he dist ribut ion of non-pot able wat er
t o new and exist ing buildings. It will calculat e t he cost s, revenues, savings,
and ot her int rinsic benef it s, account ing for t he one-t ime and ongoing
cost s and benef it s of syst em improvement s. The st udy will also consider
t he regulat ory and policy hurdles t o a dist rict -wide collect ion syst em and
make recommendat ions.
Devel opment of Operat i onal / Management Agreement s
Upon complet ion of t he cent ral ut ilit y plant st rat egy, solar inf rast ruct ure,
and st ormwat er management st udy, agreement s will need t o be
developed bet ween public and privat e propert y owners, ut ilit ies, and
possible t hird part y companies regarding t he f inancing and const ruct ion
of dist rict -wide inf rast ruct ure syst ems. New or amended legislat ion may
be needed t o execut e pot ent ial agreement s.
CSX Nat i onal Gat eway Pl an
CSXs Nat ional Gat eway Plan proposes t o improve t he f low of f reight
bet ween t he Mid-At lant ic and t he Midwest St at es. To increase t he
movement of f reight t hrough t he corridor, CSX is proposing t o upgrade
t racks, equipment , and facilit ies t o accommodat e double-st ack rail cars.
This requires reconst ruct ing t he Virginia Avenue t unnel and lowering t he
t racks t hrough t he Maryland Avenue corridor t o accommodat e vert ical
clearance. Implement at ion of t his plan present s an opport unit y t o lower
and expand t he t racks t o reconst ruct Maryland Avenue and increase
f reight and commut er rail capacit y.
Long Bri dge St udy
The Dist rict Depart ment of Transport at ion ( DDOT) and CSX began t he
Long Bridge St udy in Sept ember of 2012 t o address t he signif icant
bot t leneck t hat exist s over t he Pot omac River. The st udy will assess
t he feasibilit y of improving t he span and corridor for mult iple modes
of t ransport at ion ( f reight and passenger rail, Met rorail, and bicycle/
pedest rian access) which will inf luence operat ions at LEnfant St at ion.
Rai l Transport at i on and St at i on Pl anni ng
Const rained inf rast ruct ure, growing ridership, compet ing operat ional
needs, and mult iple jurisdict ions t hat cross cit y and st at e boards call
for st rong part nerships and coordinat ed planning among all f reight and
commut er service providers, including t he operat ors at Union St at ion and
LEnfant St at ion. Planning init iat ives t o address some of t hese issues were
recent ly complet ed or are now underway, such as t he July 2012 Amt rak
Mast er Plan for Washingt on Union Terminal ( Union St at ion) , t he CSX
Nat ional Gat eway project , and t he Cit ys Long Bridge St udy. However,
a comprehensive Commut er Rail Expansion St udy and an Economic
Analysis are needed t o assess t he feasibilit y, cost , and benef it s of t he
physical and operat ional improvement s t o t he rail lines, t he st at ions, and
t he connect ions t o mult iple t ransit modes at bot h Union St at ion and
LEnfant St at ion.
Transport at i on Feasi bi l i t y St udy f or Maryl and Avenue
To coordinat e inf rast ruct ure improvement s as recommended by t he
Dist rict of Columbia Of f ice of Planning Maryland Avenue, SW Small Area
Plan, DDOT is undert aking a Transport at ion Feasibilit y St udy for Maryland
Avenue and t he adjacent st reet net work. It will provide guidance for
implement ing st reet improvement s t o t he area. It will be benef icial t o
phase t he st udy t o align wit h t he Nat ional Gat eway Plans
project schedule.
Policies, Directives, and Regulations
The federal government and t he Dist rict have a range of exist ing
legislat ive t ools and regulat ions t hat can be used t o ef fect ively implement
t he SW Ecodist rict Plans recommendat ions. Development on privat e land
in t he Dist rict is guided by policies in The Comprehensive Plan f or t he
Nat ional Capit al: Dist rict Element s and regulat ions in t he zoning code.
The federal government is guided by t he Comprehensive Plans Federal
Element s, a number of execut ive orders, exist ing laws, and policies t hat
encourage t he federal government t o advance livable and sust ainable
communit ies. These policies encourage federal land and facilit ies t o
cont ribut e t o t he civic life of local communit ies.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Policies and regulat ions t hat guide t he GSA t o promot e t he use of
federal space t o st rengt hen cit ies, encourage a mix of uses wit hin federal
buildings, and encourage programming and landscaping of public
spaces include:
Federal Space Management , Execut i ve Order 12072
Promot es t he use of federal space t o st rengt hen cit ies and make t hem
at t ract ive places in which t o live and work; t o improve t heir social,
economic, environment al, and cult ural condit ions; and t o improve t he
administ rat ion and management of federal agencies.
The Publ i c Bui l di ngs Cooperat i ve Use Act of 1976
Encourages t he locat ion of publicly accessible commercial, educat ional,
and recreat ion facilit ies wit hin federal buildings.
The Good Nei ghbor Program
Set s fort h t he goal of making t he federal government s propert ies safer,
cleaner, and livelier while helping t o rebuild cit ies, block by block. The
program promot es providing space for shops and rest aurant s t hat invit e
people int o federal buildings, and developing plazas and public spaces
around federal propert ies. It encourages propert y managers t o program,
design, and maint ain public space; st reamline and int egrat e securit y;
improve image and aest het ics; and enhance access and circulat ion.
The Fi rst Impressi ons Program
Advances t he GSAs Design Excellence goal of creat ing federal buildings
t hat express t he vision, leadership, and commit ment of t he government
in serving t he public and expressing t he values of t he nat ion. Specif ically,
t he First Impressions Program enlivens public spaces such as lobbies and
plazas t hrough bet t er programming and enhanced signage
and landscaping.
The Publ i c Bui l di ngs Act
Permit s t he GSA t o exchange or acquire propert y. This exchange aut horit y
requires t he GSA t o det ermine t hat any propert y exchange is in t he best
int erest of t he government . This aut horit y was used by t he GSA in 2000
t o exchange a federal building in Charlest on, Sout h Carolina, for a sit e
owned by t he Cit y of Charlest on. The exchange allowed t he GSA t o obt ain
a more suit able sit e for a new federal court house while providing t he cit y
wit h a desirable sit e for it s own purposes.
Ti t l e V of t he St ewart B. McKi nney-Vent o Homel ess Assi st ance Act ,
as amended ( 42 U.S.C. 11411)
Requires t he GSA t o submit t o t he Depart ment of Housing and Urban
Development ( HUD) all propert ies report ed t o GSA for disposal for a
HUD det erminat ion of suit abilit y for homeless use. Propert ies det ermined
suit able are post ed by HUD for 60 days t o provide not ice of availabilit y
t o int erest ed part ies. Int erest ed part ies may apply t o t he Depart ment of
Healt h and Human Services ( HHS) t o obt ain t he propert y by permit , lease
or deed for homeless use. HHS reviews and approves applicat ions for
homeless use of surplus real propert y, and recommends assignment of
t hese propert ies f rom federal disposal agencies t o approved applicant s.
Policies and regulat ions applicable t o all federal agencies for sust ainabilit y
improvement s wit h regard t o greenhouse gas reduct ions, energy, wast e,
and wat er ef f iciencies, and public t ransport at ion include:
The Energy Independence and Securi t y Act of 20 07
Requires all federal buildings t o reduce t heir overall energy consumpt ion
30 percent by 2015. New buildings and buildings undergoing major
renovat ions must reduce fossil f uel-generat ed energy consumpt ion 55
percent by 2010 and 100 percent by 2030. The act also est ablishes t he
Of f ice of Federal High Performance Green Buildings wit hin t he GSA t o
oversee t he implement at ion of t hese requirement s.
St rengt heni ng Federal Envi ronment al , Energy, and Transport at i on
Management , Execut i ve Order 13423
Calls for, among ot her it ems, all federal agencies t o reduce t heir energy
consumpt ion 30 percent by 2015 and requires t hat at least half of an
agencys energy use come f rom renewable sources.
Federal Leadershi p i n Envi ronment al , Economi c, and Energy
Perf ormance, Execut i ve Order 13514
Int roduces new greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions management
requirement s, expands wat er reduct ion requirement s for federal agencies,
and addresses wast e diversion, local planning, sust ainable buildings,
environment al management , and elect ronics st ewardship for federal
agencies and propert ies.
Policies and regulat ions t hat promot e t he prot ect ion and use of hist oric
buildings for federal occupancy and permit s ( wit h consult at ion) t he long-
t erm leases and adapt ive reuse for places list ed on t he Nat ional Regist er
of Hist oric Places include:
Federal Faci l i t i es on Hi st ori c Propert i es, Execut i ve Order 130 0 6
Promot es t he use of hist oric buildings and propert ies for federal
occupancy t o support Execut ive Order 12072, Federal Space
Management and t he Nat ional Hist oric Preservat ion Act .
Sect i on 10 6, Nat i onal Hi st ori c Preservat i on Act of 1966
As amended by 36 CFR, Part 800, Prot ect ion of Hist oric Propert ies,
requires federal agencies t o t ake int o account t he ef fect s of t heir
undert akings on hist oric propert ies, and af fords t he Advisory Council on
Hist oric Preservat ion a reasonable opport unit y t o comment .
Sect i on 110, Nat i onal Hi st ori c Preservat i on Act of 1966
Promot es t he preservat ion and prot ect ion of hist oric propert ies owned
or cont rolled by federal agencies. The act also provides for t he t ransfer
of surplus federal hist oric propert ies t o ensure t heir prot ect ion and
enhancement and for t hese agencies t o undert ake planning t o minimize
harm t o Nat ional Hist oric Landmarks t hat may be direct ly and adversely
af fect ed by act ions. This legislat ion was used t o rehabilit at e and rest ore
t he Nat ional War College at Fort McNair in Washingt on, DC.
Sect i on 111, Nat i onal Hi st ori c Preservat i on Act of 1966
Permit s long-t erm leases and adapt ive reuse for all or port ions of asset s
list ed on t he Nat ional Regist er of Hist oric Places, af t er consult at ion wit h
t he Advisory Council on Hist oric Preservat ion. This legislat ion was used t o
adapt t he hist oric Tarif f Building locat ed on 7t h St reet , NW for reuse as a
hot el and rest aurant .
Preserve Ameri ca, Execut i ve Order 13287 and t he Whi t e Houses
Preserve Ameri ca Ini t i at i ve
Builds on t he Nat ional Hist oric Preservat ion Act and NEPA t o prot ect
and ut ilize hist oric propert ies t o advance economic vit alit y and fost er
awareness of U.S. hist ory and American values, part icularly t hrough
public-privat e part nerships. They also endorse public agency collaborat ion
t o promot e t he use of hist oric propert ies for herit age t ourism and relat ed
economic development . They support local communit y preservat ion
act ivit ies and herit age t ourism programs, including t he annual Preserve
America grant s t hat may be used for herit age t ourism planning and
implement at ion.
THE DISTRICT
Dist rict of Columbia legislat ion, policies and regulat ions t hat promot e
sust ainabilit y on Dist rict -owned and privat ely-owned sit es include:
Parki ng
The Dist rict of Columbia regulat es parking on privat e propert y based on
development use and size. The parking requirement s are current ly being
reviewed as part of a larger zoning updat e. The Comprehensive Plan f or
t he Nat ional Capit al: Federal Element s, which guides NCPCs review of
federal project s, recommends minimal parking for federal buildings in t his
area due t o it s cent ral employment area locat ion and proximit y t o mult iple
modes of t ransport at ion.
The Green Bui l di ng Act of 20 0 6
Est ablishes high-performance building st andards t hat require t he
planning, design, const ruct ion, operat ion and maint enance of building
project s and est ablishes a green building incent ives program. All Dist rict
public buildings meet t he U.S. Green Building Councils Leadership in
Energy and Environment al Design ( LEED) cert if icat ion st andards for
environment al performance. The Dist rict of Columbia expedit es all LEED
Gold-level project s t hrough t he permit t ing process and by 2012, all new
privat e development project s will be required t o meet LEED cert if icat ion.
Cl ean and Af f ordabl e Energy Act of 20 0 8
Requires public buildings t o benchmark t heir energy use and publicly
post t heir rat ing on an online dat abase. Annual benchmarking of privat e
buildings is being phased in, and af t er 2013, all buildings of 50,000 sq.
f t . or more will be required t o part icipat e. Rat ings are based on expect ed
energy performance of a project s modeled energy use.
Di st ri but ed Generat i on Amendment Act of 20 11
Increases t he Solar Renewable Port folio St andard (RPS) requirement s for t he
Dist rict (which is t he percent of renewable energy required in ut ilit y services).
Addit ionally, it no longer allows renewable energy dist ribut ors locat ed
out side of t he DC grid t o gain SRECs (Solar Renewable Energy Credit s); t his
encourages local product ion and consumpt ion of renewable energy.
The Mayor s 2012 Sust ainabilit y Vision t o become t he greenest and most
livable cit y in t he nat ion is result ing in t he development of new legislat ion,
policies and regulat ions t o promot e sust ainabilit y on Dist rict -owned and
privat ely-owned sit es. These include:
Energy Ef f i ci ency Fi nanci ng Act of 20 10
Aut horizes t he Dist rict of Columbia t o issue, sell, and deliver DC revenue
bonds t o finance low-int erest loans t o Dist rict propert y owners for t he
purpose of making energy efficiency and renewable energy improvement s t o
t heir propert y. The propert y owners who elect t o part icipat e in t he program
would repay t he loans t hrough an assessment on t heir propert y t axes.
Communi t y Renewabl es Energy Act of 20 12
Allows ut ilit y cust omers t o subscribe t o energy creat ed by Communit y
Energy Generat ion Facilit ies. This enables communit y renewable energy
use; credit s t he benef it s f rom a communit y energy generat ing facilit y
direct ly t o a cust omer s mont hly ut ilit y bill; allows for-prof it , non-prof it
or t hird-part y ent it ies t o build, own, and operat e communit y energy
generat ing facilit ies; and creat es opport unit ies for part icipat ion by
low-income ut ilit y cust omers.
Renewabl e Energy Incent i ve Program Amendment Act of 20 12
Allows t he Dist rict Depart ment of t he Environment ( DDOE) t o cont inue
t o of fer rebat es t o Dist rict businesses and residences t hat inst all energy
improvement s t o t heir facilit ies.
20 12 Di st ri ct of Col umbi a Const ruct i on Code
The Dist rict bypassed t he 2009 Int ernat ional Code Council ( ICC) Codes
in favor of t he more progressive and environment ally conscious 2012 ICC
Codes. This will enforce sust ainable building pract ices for all new and
renovat ed resident ial and commercial buildings.
Di st ri ct of Col umbi a St ormwat er Regul at i ons rel at ed t o t he
Muni ci pal Separat e St orm Sewer Syst em ( MS4) Permi t
Newly developed and redeveloped propert ies will have t o ret ain 1.2
inches of rainfall on-sit e t hrough t he use of green inf rast ruct ure cont rols
like green roof s, rain gardens, and t rees plant ed along st reet s. This will
dramat ically decrease t he amount of runof f int o t he Anacost ia River which
suf fers f rom st ormwat er runof f f illed wit h pollut ant s.
The Green Area Rat i o and Ot her Sust ai nabi l i t y Measures i n t he
Di st ri ct of Col umbi a Zoni ng Code Updat e
The Green Area Rat io (GAR) is an environment al sust ainabilit y zoning
measure t hat is int ended t o set st andards for landscape and sit e
design t hat is measured by a scoring met hod developed by t he Dist rict
Depart ment of Consumer and Regulat ory Af fairs. The GAR model allows
a user t o implement landscaping and energy-ef f icient t echniques which
t ranslat es int o an overall GAR score for t he propert y sit e. The GAR will
apply t o all new buildings requiring a Cert if icat e of Occupancy, t o major
building renovat ions t hat more t han double t he assessed value of a
propert y, and for resident ial propert ies wit h more t han t wo unit s.
Financing Tools
The federal government , t he Dist rict , and privat e int erest s can use a
variet y of f unding t ools t o implement component s of t he SW Ecodist rict
Plan recommendat ions. In some cases, it may be appropriat e t o use
an agencys exist ing f unding resources. However, it is more likely t hat
implement ing t he SW Ecodist rict Plan recommendat ions will require new
f unding approaches. Given t he largely public ownership int erest s in t he
area, a combinat ion of any number of part nerships among t he federal
government , t he Dist rict , anot her public ent it y like WMATA, and t he
privat e sect or of fer signif icant opport unit ies t o leverage resources. This
is possible because t he plans recommendat ions achieve broad benef it s
t hat ext end t o t he federal government , t o t he Dist rict , it s workers and
resident s, and t o exist ing propert y owners in t he area. Pot ent ial f inancing
mechanisms include:
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
Land disposit ions: The GSA is allowed t o use money f rom t he
disposit ion of federal land t o reinvest in t he Public Building Fund.
Capit al budget s: Agencies could priorit ize project s in annual budget s.
Congressional appropriat ions: Alt hough current and foreseeable
budget condit ions make t his unlikely, Congress could appropriat e
money for individual project s when appropriat e.
Federal grant s: The federal government of fers grant s t o st at e, regional
and local jurisdict ions and t o public and privat e ent it ies. These grant s
include t he Bet t er Buildings Init iat ive ( Depart ment of Energy) , t he
Sust ainable Communit ies Init iat ive ( Depart ment of Transport at ion/
Environment al Prot ect ion Agency/ Housing and Urban Development ) ,
and TIGER Grant s ( Depart ment of Transport at ion) .
Federal Payment t o a Business Improvement Dist rict ( BID) : The
federal government can make payment s t o BIDs ( as it does wit h t he
Downt own DC BID) t o receive services provided by t he BID.
Federal bonds: Build America Bonds program expired in 2011but
ot her programs could exist in t he f ut ure.
THE DISTRICT
Capit al budget s: Dist rict agencies could priorit ize project s in
annual budget s.
Tax Increment Financing ( TIF) : TIF creat es f unding for public project s
by borrowing against project ed f ut ure increases in propert y t ax
revenues. The Dist rict of Columbia uses t he TIF t ool for project s
t hat creat e a public benef it such as t he Great St reet s Program or
af fordable housing.
Payment s in Lieu of Taxes ( PILOT) : PILOT f unds allow t he Dist rict of
Columbia t o collect f unding t hat replaces lost propert y t ax revenues
on federally-owned propert y or ot her non-t axable ent it ies. PILOTs
can also be made wit h privat e ent it ies as part of public/ privat e
part nerships for development .
Freeway Air Right s Tit le 23 Funds: If t he Federal Highway
Administ rat ion ( FHWA) approved t he sale of t he air right s over t he
SW Freeway, t he Dist rict of Columbia would t hen be allowed t o use
t he money f rom t he sale t o reinvest in Tit le 23 eligible project s
( i.e. road inf rast ruct ure) .
Local Improvement (or Special Assessment ) Dist rict s:
see Part nership sect ion below.
PRIVATE
Privat e development : New const ruct ion could be f inanced by
privat e invest ors.
Energy saving performance cont ract s: A company pays t he upf ront
invest ment for energy-ef f iciency renovat ions and ret rof it s in a
building in exchange for payment s f rom energy savings over t ime.
Special purpose ent it y for wat er/ energy syst ems: A privat ely-owned
ent it y could build, own, and operat e a dist rict -scale wat er or dist rict -
energy syst em wit h revenue coming f rom energy/ wat er sales and
local credit s.
PARTNERSHIPS
Public-privat e part nerships for sit e redevelopment : The federal
government could part ner wit h a local government or t he privat e
sect or t o develop a new federal building in exchange for federal land
or facilit ies.
Enhanced-Use Leases: A company is allowed t o develop government
land wit h renewable energy or ot her project s in exchange for
payment or in-kind services such as reduced-rat e energy.
Local Improvement Dist rict Tax Assessment : A special assessment is
levied against propert y wit hin a part icular area t o fund infrast ruct ure/
public realm project s. While federal government land cannot be
assessed, an alt ernat e form of payment could be considered.
Special purpose ent it y/ part nerships for energy and wat er syst ems:
This model would be a shared dist rict syst em bet ween t he local and/ or
federal government and a privat e ent it y.
St udy Model ( 2030) .
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Plan Applicability
The SW Ecodist rict Plan is not a prescript ive mast er plan; rat her, it
ident if ies opport unit ies t o coordinat e complex development , public space,
inf rast ruct ure, and t ransport at ion improvement s. It will guide f ut ure
programming, planning, design, and development decisions for federally
owned propert y under t he jurisdict ion of individual federal agencies, such
as t he GSA or t he NPS. Alt hough not applicable t o Dist rict -owned or
privat ely-owned land; part icipat ion by t he Dist rict of Columbia and privat e
propert y owners is vit al t o achieving t he goals of t he plan.
Individual project s t hat benef it one agency could be led by a single ent it y;
however, ot her project s may exceed t he scope of a single federal or local
agencys mission and operat ional budget . Some init iat ives will only be
considered when t he usef ul life of a facilit y or inf rast ruct ure syst em is
close t o it s end, alt hough init iat ing det ailed feasibilit y st udies may be
warrant ed sooner. The near- and long-t erm project recommendat ions will
require addit ional det ailed planning, evaluat ion, and design t o comply
wit h NEPA, t he Nat ional Hist oric Preservat ion Act , and ot her requirement s.
Project s can be pursued as f unding becomes available. The plan ident if ies
t he pot ent ial part nerships necessary t o carry out t he project s, as well as
t he possible legislat ive t ools and governance approaches t hat may help
move t he project s t oward implement at ion.
NCPC will advise federal agencies, and encourage Dist rict and privat e
propert y owners, t o use t he plan as a guide when programming, planning,
and designing f ut ure development proposals in t he SW Ecodist rict . In
addit ion, NCPC will also use t he plan t o:
1. Evaluat e and comment on:
a) development proposals t hat go beyond t he rout ine maint enance
of public buildings; and
b) proposals for improvement s t o parks, public spaces, and public
t ransport at ion syst ems.
2. Guide input on federal, local, and privat e planning st udies and report s.
3. Inform f ut ure updat es of NCPCs St rat egic Plan t hat describes t he
Commissions mission, values, and vision, and conveys t he agencys
goals over a specif ied t ime period.
4. Develop or amend f ut ure NCPC planning st udies and report s,
including t he Comprehensive Plan f or t he Nat ional Capit al: Federal
Element s and t he Federal Capit al Improvement s Program.
Acknowledgements
The SW Ecodist rict Plan is a part nership init iat ive led by t he Nat ional
Capit al Planning Commission in cooperat ion wit h 17 federal and local
agencies t hat comprised t he SW Ecodist rict Task Force. The Task Force
served as t he st eering commit t ee for t he plan, and a Working Group
provided t echnical expert ise.
SW ECODISTRICT TASK FORCE AND
WORKING GROUP
Nat ional Capit al Planning Commission, Chairman and
President ial Appoint ee
Dist rict of Columbia Of f ice of Planning, Direct or
Dist rict of Columbia Deput y Mayor for Planning and Economic
Development , Deput y Mayor
Dist rict of Columbia Depart ment of t he Environment , Direct or
Dist rict of Columbia Depart ment of Transport at ion, Direct or
Federal Aviat ion Administ rat ion, Direct or of Facilit ies
Nat ional Park Service, Associat e Deput y Regional Direct or for
Lands, Resources, and Planning
Smit hsonian Inst it ut ion, Direct or, Of f ice of Facilit ies
Engineering and Operat ions
U.S. Commission of Fine Art s, Secret ary
U.S. Congress, Archit ect of t he Capit ol
U.S. Depart ment of Agricult ure, Direct or of Facilit ies
U.S. Depart ment of Educat ion, Of f ice of Management , Chief of St af f
U.S. Depart ment of Energy, Direct or of Facilit ies
U.S. Environment al Prot ect ion Agency, Assist ant Administ rat or
Of f ice of Administ rat ion and Resource Management
U.S. Depart ment of Housing and Urban Development ,
Direct or of Facilit ies
U.S. General Services Administ rat ion,
Public Buildings Deput y Administ rat or
U.S. General Services Administ rat ion,
Direct or of Planning and Design
U.S. Post al Service, Direct or of Facilit ies
TASK FORCE MEMBERS AND REPRESENTATIVES
Dan Amon, St ephen Ayers, Terry Bellamy, Cat hy Berlow, Troy L. Brown,
L. Prest on Bryant , Jr., Robert E. Byrd, Brian Cost low, John Hart ,
Vict or Hoskins, Bruce Kendall, Bruce Lawson, Thomas Luebke,
Pet er May, Brandon Mit chell, Pet er OKonski, Robert Peck, Tom Samra,
Desa J. Sealy, Brendan Shane, Richard Smit h, Harriet Tregoning,
Christ ophe Tulou, Curt is Wilburn, Mina Wright
WORKING GROUP REPRESENTATIVES
A Working group of Task Force agency represent at ives were joined by
represent at ives f rom t he Washingt on Met ro Area Transit Aut horit y and
t he St at e Hist oric Preservat ion Of f ice.
Dawud Abdur-Rahman, Nina Albert , Dan Amon, Dan Barry,
Cat hy Berlow, Melissa Bird, Cat herine Broad, Drew Campbell,
Laine Cidlowski, Chris Dickersin-Prokopp, Fred Fanning, Nia Francis,
Frank Giblin, Robert Goo, Dan Guilbeault , Karen Handsf ield,
Jamise Harper, Jamie Henson, Thomas Hof f man, Chris Hudson,
St ephen Hurley, Joseph Imamura, Arlova Jackson, Doug Jacobs,
Mark Kellogg, Andrew Lewis, Andrea Limauro, St eve Lorenzet t i,
Jennif er MacDonald, Jason Marcinkoski, Michael McAvinn,
Rebecca Mont oya, Rodney Moulden, Robin Snyder, Jef f rey Selt zer,
Deborah Smit h, Richard Smit h, Joseph St eller, Ann Trowbridge,
Mat t hew Troy, Jacob Weisman, Danielle Wesolek, Meredit h Upchurch,
Eliza Voigt , Karen Waldvogel, Allen Whit ley, Pat ricia Zingshiem
SW Ecodi st ri ct | Page 99
PROJECT TEAM
Component s of t he project were joint ly funded by NCPC, GSA, CFA,
and t he USDA. NCPC had primary responsibilit y in oversight of t he SW
Ecodist rict Plan and it s principal consult ant , ZGF Archit ect s. GSA had
primary responsibilit y for oversight of t he Building Modeling Component
wit h it s principal consult ant , Onuma Inc. The Dist rict of Columbia Office
of Planning funded and led t he planning effort for t he Maryland Avenue,
SW Small Area Plan wit h oversight of it s primary consult ant , AECOM. The
Maryland Avenue corridor lies wit hin t he SW Ecodist rict and is an int egral
component of t he Task Forces recommendat ions.
NCPC EXECUTIVE STAFF
Marcel Acost a, Execut ive Direct or
Barry Socks, Chief Operat ing Of f icer
William Dowd, Direct or, Physical Planning Division
Julia Kost er, Direct or, Of f ice of Public Engagement
Anne Schuyler, General Counsel
NCPC PROJECT TEAM
Elizabet h Miller, Project Manager
Diane Sullivan, Lead Sust ainabilit y Planner
Core Team: Sarah Moult on, Amy Tarce, Ken Walt on
Cont ribut ors: William H. Herbig, Jennif er Hirsch, Paul Jut t on,
Christ ian Madera, Scot t Sowers, St ephen St audigl,
Roszonna Whit set t , David Zaidain
GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION PROJECT TEAM
Bret t M. Banks, Real Est at e Port folio Coordinat or
St ephen Hagan, Building Informat ion Modeling Coordinat or
Cont ribut ors: Hallie Fut t erman, St ephanie Leedom, Frank Palermo,
Greg West phal, Nancy Wit herell
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROJECT TEAM
(MARYLAND AVENUE, SW SMALL AREA PLAN)
Vincent C. Gray, Mayor
Harriet Tregoning, Direct or of t he Of f ice of Planning
Rosalynn Hughey, Deput y Direct or, Cit ywide & Neighborhood Planning
Geraldine Gardner, Associat e Direct or, Neighborhood Planning
Joyce Tsepas, Project Manager
Alan Harwood and Ryan Bouma, AECOM Consult ant s
Core Team: Melissa Bird, Dan Guilbeault , Jamie Henson,
Arlova Jackson, Jared Kahn, Andrew Lewis, Andrea Limauro
Cont ribut ors: Eulois Cleckley, Dan Emerine, Art Rodgers
TASK FORCE CONSULTANTS
ZGF ARCHITECTS LLP
Ot t o Condon, Principal
Charles Kelley, Archit ect / Urban Designer
Design Team: Jason Kasparek, Greg Mat t o, Robert Pet t y,
Elizabet h Schult z, Meghan Spigle
ARUP
Fiona Cousins, Principal
Engineering Team: Deepak Kandra, Jack Mahoney
HR+A ADVISORS
Candace Damon, Part ner
Economic Team: Kumar Kint ala, Lionel Lynch
KITTELSON & ASSOCIATES, INC.
Ed Myers, Senior Principal
Yolanda Takesian, Lead Planner
Conor Semler, Planner
ONUMA INC. AND ATKINS
Kimon Onuma, Principal
Core Team: Thomas Dalbert , Finit h Jernigan, Kerry Himes,
Yong Ku Kim, Ken Kost

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