Overview Maritime Plaza Boathouse Row East M News Items
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The easternmost portion of Near Southeast is bounded by the 11th Street Bridges, the Southeast Freeway, Pennsylvania Avenue's Sousa Bridge, and the Anacostia River. Maritime Plaza is an office development at the northwest corner of the area (along 12th Street south of M) on what was once a huge Washington Gas property. Running along the water's edge, and even continuing east past the Sousa Bridge, is Boathouse Row. (image from Google Earth)
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There are two street entrances to the East M area from the west: the lovely M Street entrance (showing the equally lovely 11th Street Bridges)... (10/03)
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... and the lovely O Street entrance. Now we know why this area isn't exactly hopping! (10/05)
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M Street is the northern boundary of this area, and some very nice streetscaping was done to it as it runs past Maritime Plaza. (10/03)
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However, once you get past the traffic circle at the northeastern edge of the development, M Street becomes downright rural. A local developer tried to build a residential project on this land south of M and north of Boathouse Row in the late 90s, but could not get the necessary zoning changes passed. (10/03)
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In 2010, the Cohen Companies began the first of many steps in the approvals process for an 815,000-sq-ft office/hotel/retail project at 1333 M Street. (See more early design documents in this National Capital Planning Commission document.) No timeline for this project has been announced. (5/10) 
Another drawing showing the possible scope of the planned project, as viewed from the Anacostia River. (Image from NCPC.) (5/10)
Another drawing showing the possible scope of the planned project, as viewed from the west. (Image from NCPC.) (5/10)
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If you continue along M Street, eventually you get to Pennsylvania Avenue's Sousa Bridge; this road continues east/northeast, but the bridge marks the easternmost boundary of Near Southeast. (8/23/08)
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Turning around under the Sousa Bridge to see the view when arriving in Near Southeast along M. (8/23/08)
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Here's a four-step panorama of the area as seen from the 11th Street Bridge's M Street exit ramp). First, looking to the northeast, with Maritime Plaza dominating.... (11/05)
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Then the east-northeast... (11/05)
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... Then the east, where Water Street runs along Boathouse Row.... (11/05)
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... And then to the southeast, where someday the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail's construction should cleanup the waterfront considerably. (11/05)
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In some spots along the river, you can be mere steps from it and it doesn't seem much like a waterfront. (11/05)
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Then, once you get to the river bank, it's not exactly a natural delight. (11/05)
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Lincoln Property Company's concept plan for Maritime Plaza. The first two phases (Buildings I and II) have already been completed, offering 345,000 sq ft office space, and housing contractors working with the Navy. Phases III and IV are each 175,000 sq ft/7-story office buildings; there are also plans for a 250-room 8-story hotel at the southwestern edge of the property. A full-size image of the concept plan shows complete development area (and you can read the text on the drawing!). It shows plans for a parking lot or possible Phase V 3-story office building on the eastern edge of the project. No timetable has been announced for construction of the rest of the project.
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M Street east of the 12th Street, with one of the Maritime Plaza buildings to the south. Plans are for Maritime Plaza to eventually add two more office buildings and a hotel. (10/03)
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A view of Maritime Plaza from 12th and Water Streets, peeking from beneath an 11th Street Bridge overpass. The proposed hotel site is on the empty lot in the middle of this photo. (10/05)
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Looking south past Maritime Plaza I--the Phase III office building will be built at the left of this photo. (10/05)
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The west fronts of Maritime Plaza I and II--despite the nice landscaping, there's no getting around the fact that two big ole' freeway spans separate this area from its neighbors. (10/05)
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Anacostia Community Rowing Center
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The Anacostia Community Boathouse Association boathouse, seen during the second Youth River Sports Day. (8/23/08)
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The second structure, for which the Association received a $300,000 restoration grant. (11/05)
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The upstream span of the 11th Street Bridge doesn't look quite so bad from here. (10/07)
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... And here's the downstream pier. (11/05)
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A wider view of the boathouse's docks, on the second Youth River Sports Day. When people tell you that the Anacostia Community Rowing Center is "nestled" between the 11th Street Bridges spans, they aren't kidding. (8/23/08) |
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A late-fall view of the upstream pier at the boathouse. (11/05)
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The entrance to the boathouses and docks, from O Street. (11/05)
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A peek inside the boathouse. (8/23/08)
Boathouse Row
As you continue east along Water Street, there are additional Anacostia River marinas
that many people aren't even aware of. In 2008, the city began work on a Boathouse Row Master Plan, seeking to "to provide upgraded public facilities, improve environmental conditions, preserve existing functions and utilize remaining land to enhance and expand boathouse, marina, dock and water recreation uses." The land, long owned by the federal government and managed by the National Park Service, is being transferred to District control in late 2008.
Looking at Boathouse Row from across the Anacostia River. (12/08)
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East of 12th Street and south of Water Street are some District DPW facilities. (10/05)
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If 13th Street were to be drawn through to the Anacostia River, it would arrive at the waterfront approximately here, which as of now is just an open parking area with access to the water. (10/05)
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This portion of Water Street, heading east toward M, can surprise visitors with the overgrowth, so close to the riverfront. (8/23/08)
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The entrance to the Eastern Power Boat Club, at 1301 Water Street. (8/23/08)
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The District Yacht Club, at 1409 Water Street. (8/23/08)
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The entrance to the Washington Yacht Club, just before Water runs into M Street. (8/23/08)
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The intersection of Water and M streets, with a National Park Service sign pointing visitors to the various marinas. (8/23/08)
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Along the stretch of M Street between Water Street and the Sousa Bridge, work is underway on the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail. (8/23/08)
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If you continue along M Street, eventually you get to Pennsylvania Avenue's Sousa Bridge; this road continues east/northeast, but the bridge marks the easternmost boundary of Near Southeast. (8/23/08)
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Turning around under the Sousa Bridge to see the view when arriving in Near Southeast along M. (8/23/08)
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JDLand Blog Posts on this Project
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Another Waterfront Project on the Boards
May 6, 2010 11:49 AM
 Thanks to one of the National Capital Planning Commission's fabulous documents, we're starting to get first hints of plans by the Cohen Companies for what they are describing as a three-building, 815,000-square-foot office, hotel, retail project on the very eastern end of M Street, nestled between Boathouse Row and the CSX tracks east of Maritime Plaza. It's so early in the process that it's not even on Cohen's New Projects page, but City Paper's Housing Complex blog has learned that the company will be putting together a planned unit development application to the Zoning Commission "over the next six to nine months." (No financing is lined up, though, so don't look for digging to start anytime soon.) See the NCPC document for some early drawings and some basic information on how they envision the offerings of the three buildings. (Cohen Companies, by the way, is the developer of Velocity.) Back in 2003-ish, there were plans for this site to be a townhouse development (see page 15), but those never got off the ground partly because of zoning issues, which then begat an attempted rezoning of the area in 2004 that failed. But rezoning of the site will have to be back in the forefront when this project's PUD application hits the zoning committee, since the space is still zoned "M" (industrial). The project is in front of NCPC because of Cohen's request to close "paper street" segments of Virginia Avenue, M, and 14th streets. This is a part of a settlement between 1333 M Street, SE, LLC and the city from a lawsuit over waterfront development in South*west*, where the Cohen Companies are agreeing to release their claims in exchange for three small pieces of government land at 1333 M SE as well as the city's support in requesting the street closures. (The street closures themselves have been approved by the city council as bill B18-0572, and are expected to become law later this month.) The NCPC is objecting to the street closures; and thankfully Greater Greater Washington has been writing in detail on the case, so I'm just going to throw it over to them for all the nitty gritty, because it's way out of my league. ( Read also this GGW entry about connecting this area to the neighborhoods to its north if/when the remnants of the freeway to Barney Circle are removed.) But, again, the NCPC staff recommendation report is also a great read for not only the NCPC's concerns but also for the history of the area under review and other details. The NCPC board is meeting this afternoon, and we'll see what comes out of the session (I assume GGW will be hot on the trail). If you've never ventured down that way, my East M page has a few not-particularly-current photos of the location (I don't get there very often myself), along with more images of Boathouse Row. When the project begins to wind its way through the zoning process, I'll get more on the ball. The city's 2009 Boathouse Row Planning Study is also a good spot to learn more about the area. UPDATE: Thanks to commenter Evan, I'm reminded that I should have included the additional information that, because this is part of the old Washington Gas (and I think Steuart Petroleum) site, there are some serious remediation issues to be addressed, which are mentioned both by Ron Cohen on page 25 of this 2003 ZC transcript and on page 19 of this 2004 ZC transcript (saying that the contaminated soil is 11 feet down). Remediation is also mentioned in the 2009 Boathouse Row Planning Study and in this EPA document (under "Washington Gas and Light"). Oh, and the EPA's 1999 record of decision on what cleanup remedies would be needed. It should be noted that both Maritime Plaza buildings were completed after this document. (This is all before my time, so I'm researching on the fly.) UPDATE II: Here's a WBJ article (subscribers only for 7 days) on the NCPC angle; it also reminds that, outside the monumental core of the city, NCPC's rulings are purely advisory.
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Overview Maritime Plaza Boathouse Row East M News Items
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