D.C. Halts New Permits On 14th Street NW

[goodeats]

From the Washington Business Journal.

[DonRocks]

From the Washington Business Journal.

Moral of the story: Build 'em high, build 'em sterile, build 'em Columbia Heights.

[Antonio Burrell]

What's particularly frustrating about this is that they are counting spaces that have closed in the last year as part of that number, which makes absolutely no sense. The other thing that is frustrating is that the district that is under consideration, 1B02, extends from 14th street down U St., so it's not only 14th street frontage space that is being counted....

[Rhone1998]

I found this comment from the 14th & You Blog interesting:

Earlier this week, Matthew Le Grant, the Zoning Administrator for the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, announced that the office would no longer be granting certificates of occupancy to bars and restaurants throughout the Arts Overlay District, without those businesses first seeking--and obtaining--an exception from the Board of Zoning Appeals....The net affect of this decision has yet to be seen, but in all likelihood it will be more symbolic than anything. BZA is notoriously supportive of bars and restaurants throughout the 14th and U Street corridors, and it is likely that any bar or restaurant with a solid business plan that would improve the neighborhood will obtain the exemption.

Source

[Miami Danny]

My feeling is that there will be exemptions/exceptions, and that there will continue to be new restaurants/bars opening-the article doesn't mention how many permits are already in the pipeline, for example. However, there can be a problem with too many restaurants/bars in a neighborhood-rents skyrocket because then landlords only want to rent to those types of businesses. The point of the arts overlay is to encourage business diversity, and to encourage artists and galleries to come to or stay in the neighborhood.

[Waitman]

I hate to side with the bureaucracy and against bars and restaurants, twice in one day -- almost as much as I hate not picking a fight with Danny, 'cause he always comes out swinging -- but there's reasonable value in having an Arts District, and there are a lot fewer arts districts than bar districts. And, like any "cluster" an arts district needs a certain density to succeed, which won't happen if small-profit or nonprofit arts institutions are pushed out, one by one, by high-profit bars.

One of the reasons 14th Street caught on is because places like the Studio Theater made it seem safe and desirable to tremulous yuppies. It would be poor reward to throw them out, now that they made 14th Street safe for fusion tapas.

[Toogs]

Get me in on one of these high-profit bars please.

[DonRocks]

Sounds like Estadio hit a 3 at the buzzer.

[leleboo]

Sounds like Estadio hit a 3 at the buzzer.

Did they make it under the wire?