Near Southeast hits the bigtime, with a front-page story in Monday's Post ("A Transformed Neighborhood Awaits Stadium") that jumps to two full pages of information and photos about the 'hood. The story gives a great feel for the mood as the land rush by developers transforms this formerly neglected neighborhood. A huge map lists 64 spots within Near Southeast that are being developed, sought after, or are held by developers who aren't divulging their plans. If some of the information and photos seem familiar, that's because your humble Near Southeast webmaster temporarily escaped the Post's Newsroom IT department and helped put together the package. Dana Hedgpeth and I will be taking questions and comments on Monday Aug. 15 at 11 am in a washingtonpost.com Live Online chat, so please join in to talk about all the goings on.

While frequent JDLand visitors will be up-to-speed on much on the content, there are some new nuggets to be found:

The DC Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting regarding Early Right of Way Acquisitions on the South Capitol Street Bridge Alignment Study Project, Tuesday, August 16, 2005, at 10 am, at the Reeves Municipal Center at 14th and U, NW. According to the press release, the "purpose of this meeting is to provide the landowners and other interested persons with an opportunity to receive information about the project, DDOT's Early Acquisition Program, and to submit written and verbal comments." The realignment of the South Capitol Street (Frederick Douglass) Bridge is part of the huge plans for the redesign and redevelopment of South Capitol Street, as detailed in both the New Vision for South Capitol Street (NCPC), and DDOT's South Capitol Gateway Corridor and Anacostia Access Study. (UPDATE: Bumped up as a reminder.)

The mammoth transportation bill that's making its way through Congress contains a few nuggets for Near Southeast--$123 million for the rehabilitation of the South Capitol Street Bridge, and $17.6 million for upgrading of the 11th Street Bridge and construction of new ramps for access to M Street, SE.

A reminder that the next South Capitol Street Corridor and Baseball Master Plan public meeting will be held May 24, 2005 from 6:00 - 8:30 pm at the King-Greenleaf Recreational Center, 201 N Street SW. The DC Office of Planning has posted the presentation materials and flipchart notes from the April 23 workshop.

From a DC Office of Planning press release: The Anacostia Waterfront Corporation, the DC Office of Planning, and the DC Department of Transportation will be holding a community planning workshop for the South Capitol Street Corridor and the area around the planned baseball stadium on Saturday, April 23, 2005 from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm at Van Ness Elementary School Auditorium, located at 1150 5th Street, SE.  This workshop will build on previous planning efforts to gather additional community input for the South Capitol Street Master Plan with a special emphasis on how the planned new baseball stadium will be integrated into the South Capitol Street Corridor to achieve the best results for the surrounding community and the city as a whole. See the press release for the agenda and more information.

Today's DC Extra in the Post has a big story on the plans to revitalize South Capitol Street, "On the Brink of a Major League Makeover." No breaking news in it, except that "initial street improvements -- such as replacing the concrete Jersey barrier median with crosswalks at N, O and P streets, upgrading lights, and widening sidewalks -- will begin this spring or summer, using some of the $30 million in federal funds already allocated to the project." 

The National Capital Planning Commission's South Capitol Street Task Force is holding a public meeting on Wednesday, March 30 at 5:30 pm and 6:30 pm at 401 9th St. NW, Suite 500 to discuss its vision for transforming South Capitol Street. To attend, RSVP to 202-482-7296 or southcapitol@ncpc.gov .

The National Capital Planning Commission has released its New Vision for South Capitol Street, a beautiful brochure giving more details on how they foresee the redevelopment of South Capitol Street into a grand boulevard, from a new Frederick Douglass Bridge northward to Virginia Avenue. As always, visions and realities are two very different things, but there is strong backing from the federal government (mainly in the persona of Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer), and now with the baseball stadium poised to be built along South Capitol, the interest in making this street into a showcase approach to the Capitol is considerably heightened. But don't look for any of it to happen next week, there's a 10- to 15-year timeline on it all....

Federal and local leaders have signed an agreement to pledge to rebuild the Frederick Douglass Bridge and to redevelop the South Capitol Street corridor as a grand gateway into the District from Prince George's County (more). Does it actually mean anything? Hope so!

The National Capital Planning Commission has released a preview of a Urban Land Institute Advisory Panel's recommendations for South Capitol Street; the detailed report will be made public at a later date.