202_cyclist says: (11/12/15 1:38 PM)
I am impressed with the progress of 82 I Street. It seems like they are completing at least one floor per week.

In other news, something needs to be done about the gun-play in DC. We had our windows open yesterday afternoon to enjoy the nice weather and there was another shooting just on the other side of South Capitol Street, almost directly next to the police station. If crime continues to increase, it will be interesting to see if as many people will move back cities throughout the US.

dude says: (11/12/15 10:50 PM)
I'll be honest that I'm not terribly excited by pictures of dirt and holes, I thought I should at least post some comment because this post is full of info. So there.

As for crime and guns and shootings and killings, just remember these wise words: you can be killed any day in any fashion.

conngs0 says: (11/13/15 9:13 AM)
You really threw some sunshine down on that one, dude! Indeed, the pictures of dirt and holes aren't all that exciting on their own, but I find the progress that they represent is quite exciting. The time that lapses from conceptualization of a project to visible progress can be pretty significant. Of course, I'm always amazed by how long it takes to dig those holes before a structure starts to come out of them, but the whole experience is just an exercise in patience I suppose.

And yeah, amidst all this development progress and prosperity (for many), we do get reminders that we still live in a big city. Right now seems to be an especially scary time (at least compared to the last few years). There are too many facets to the recent uptick in crime to address in a post. I'd just agree with 202 and dude inasmuch as the trend bears scrutiny, but it's important not to panic or overreact. In the meantime our responsibility to continue to get to know our neighbors, develop relationships with the police and stay on top of any negative trends.

202_cyclist says: (11/13/15 10:12 AM)
dude-- the holes in the ground and LIVE CRANE ACTION 2015!!!!! is one of the best parts of this blog.

JD says: (11/13/15 10:50 AM)
See? I have readers with a very wide range of interests that I try to accommodate!

JHUGrad says: (11/13/15 11:48 AM)
Well said, conngs0. I feel pretty fortunate to own property in the Capitol Riverfront. I think in 5 - 10 years, this will be one of the more dynamic places to live in DC. One way to keep crime down is for people living in the area to get to know one another and voice concerns to their ANC representatives, who can then voice these concerns to the police and councilmembers.

JD says: (11/13/15 5:36 PM)
I can't remember whether this has been mentioned anywhere (here or otherwise), but the city has begun eminent-domain-ing some property along South Capitol Street near Potomac Avenue and the river for the right-of-way for the new Douglass Bridge and the big traffic circle.

dude says: (11/13/15 7:27 PM)
Oh, I just want to make it clear that JDLand is my favorite blog on the Internet. To me the dirt and holes are the least exciting part is all.

As for cranes, how do they get that big weight to the top? Anyone ever seen that in action?

202_cyclist says: (11/13/15 7:34 PM)
Hey dude-- they use another crane, called a crawler, to assemble it.

Alan says: (11/14/15 11:21 AM)
And the crawler is often assembled by a smaller crane. So in order to build a crane you need a small crane to build the crawler crane to build the big crane. It's bananas.

JD says: (11/14/15 3:36 PM)
After hours permit alert for the F1rst site (1277 1st St):

AH1600122 / CONSTRUCTION
AFTER HOURS TO POUR CONCRETE ON JOBSITE FROM 5AM TO 9PM 11 / 13 / 2015 TO 12 / 13 / 2015

JD says: (11/17/15 3:13 PM)
WC Smith @WCSmithDC
Hi @MarkEMalone! Right now we're looking at move-ins starting in February. Head to parkchelseadc.com to sign up for updates.