The Park Morton Quarterly Open Steering Committee meeting was held on February 28th, 2019 at the Park View Recreation Center. Read on for updates about the Bruce Monroe Zoning Appeal, the Park Morton phasing plan and interim control funding from the Deputy Mayor for Planning for Economic Development. Meeting materials can be found below:
NCI consistently hears from residents and other stakeholders about the need to acknowledge the beauty of the existing neighborhoods where we work, even as we plan for future transformation. As one way to honor that request, NCI commissioned DC-based design company Victory Dance Creative to create a series of images that pays homage to each of the four NCI neighborhoods. NCI showcased the images at this year’s DMPED March Madness event. Victory Dance Creative has a DC Neighborhood Project that showcases many neighborhoods across the city, and now the NCI neighborhoods are in that number, with an image that captures a building, landmark or street view that commemorates the neighborhoods’ past, present and future. View the images below.
Starting this month, our teams will be in the community hosting a series of events focused on building relationships among residents in the Park Morton and larger Park View community. A few special events we’d like to share with you include our Pop-Up Parties and our bi-monthly NeighborUp Nights.
Stay tuned for other events throughout the summer and we hope to see you soon!
This week, residents and community supporters, including the Park Morton Resident Council, and public policy organizations DC Appleseed and the Coalition for Smarter Growth, filed an “amicus brief” to show support for continuation of the mixed-income Bruce Monroe Planned Unit Development (PUD). These supporters hope that by filing this brief with the court, that it will help provide additional voices of support to the development of Bruce Monroe and creation of high quality affordable housing in the District. You can view a news release describing the action and appeal below.
On May 9, during the Park Morton Resident Meeting, the Park Morton development team provided an update on the Bruce Monroe appeal, next steps in the development process, and the phasing plan and unit mix in the new developments. During the meeting, the team also discussed the relocation process and what residents can expect during that time. You can view the entire presentation at the link below.
BELL Architects has been selected to lead the design of the acre park that will front Georgia Avenue and Columbia Road NW. The chosen team also includes the Landscape Architecture Bureau and Wiles Mensch Corporation. A key factor in BELL’s selection was their experience and qualifications leading comprehensive community design. Accordingly, BELL believes that community engagement is the key to a successful project and community satisfaction. Their project team has experience leading interactive community meetings to gain feedback to incorporate into the design. The first community-wide meeting is being planned for March 2018 and will be announced broadly.
New faces will be seen at Park Morton as The Community Builders’ Community Life team (TCB-CL) begins outreach efforts. TCB-CL, whose office will be at 611 Morton Street, Apartment #11, will focus initially on surveying residents to determine their relocation preference and to assess what support individuals and families may need in order to have a successful transition. Residents have the option to relocate to the new Bruce Monroe homes, utilize transportable vouchers, relocate to other public housing properties, explore homeownership options, or move into the incoming Park Morton redeveloped units. An introductory meeting is being planned for residents and will be announced by flyer and email so stay tuned!
Last year, NCI launched Neighbor Up to focus more purposefully on community building and engagement to encourage successful neighborhoods that go beyond the development of physical spaces. So far, we have launched Neighbor Up DC (a citywide network) as well as Neighbor Up Park View (around the Park Morton development) and Neighbor Up Marvin Gaye (around the Lincoln Heights/Richardson Dwellings development). The citywide network also often convenes in the Northwest One area, and many residents from Northwest One participate. Click below for to watch a video from the monthly events that residents and community members have been leading called “parties with a purpose.”
On Jan 11th, the New Communities Initiative (NCI) debuted the “I Belong Here” photo series at the Office of Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development’s annual Cluster Open House. The series highlights the diversity of the Park View neighborhood that neighbors value and are working to maintain, even as their neighborhood changes. Check out photos from the series below.