Robert Devaney • September 15, 2014

Tari D.C. Boutique-Couture Consignment, opened by owner Sara Mokhtari in November 2010 at 1525 Wisconsin Ave., NW, will close at the end of Sunday, Aug. 31.

“We regret to inform you that Tari will be closing its doors,” Mokhtari wrote to her clients. “The building is under new ownership, and they plan to occupy the space for a different use. Due to the limited notice we received, we have not secured a new place as of yet. We have been diligently looking for a smaller space in Georgetown as well as other areas in the city . . .”

“After four years of tears and sweat yet still lots of laughs, I’m taking a little break,” Mokhtari further wrote to her friends on Facebook. “I’ve sold my building and will keep you posted on my future plans. Please stop by Tari.”

Having renovated and redesigned the property, Mokhtari said that she received an offer she couldn’t refuse. She did not reveal who the new owner is — or if it is a retail business.

Meanwhile, the owner of the sophisticated shop and ultracool space is putting most of everything up for a blowout sale at Tari: dresses, gowns, accessories, jewelry — and, for the guys, suits and shirts. Some fixtures are up for grabs, too.

The event space above the main shop — which is part of the sale — will honor already scheduled events, Mokhtari said.

Robert Devaney •

“I feel I am at my real-life Hogwarts,” said Heather Sewell of Halcyon House. She is one of seven inaugural fellows of the Halcyon Incubator, a 14-month fellowship and social entrepreneurship program, administered by the S&R Foundation.

The Halcyon fellows were publicly acknowledged at a Sept. 4 presentation at historic Halcyon House on Prospect Street, where they will live for the next four months with 10 additional months of collaboration, support and consulting with program staffers.

“The Halcyon Incubator is a place to work . . . and learn . . .,” said Kate Goodall, chief operating officer of S&R Foundation, which takes no equity from the fellows’ projects. Goodall said the no-strings-attached fellowships benefit from “the unique properties of Washington, D.C.”

The program, according to the foundation, “provides fellows with rent-free housing and office space, food and living stipends, mentorship, complimentary strategic, legal and PR resources,” as it “nurtures problem-solvers addressing 21st-century social challenges by transforming raw talent and audacious ideas into scalable ventures.”

Citing the story of calm nesting days for the Halcyon bird, as pictured in the program’s logo, S&R Foundation CEO and co-founder Sachiko Kuno said, “Halcyon is such an aptly named house for an incubator.” At the presentation in Halcyon’s ballroom, she introduced her husband Ryuji Ueno to the crowd — “my media-shy co-founder.”

Kuno and Ueno — who hail from Japan and made their fortune in the pharmaceutical business — made a big splash in Georgetown, when they purchased the Evermay Estate ($22 million) on the east side in July 2011 and then Halcyon House ($11 million) on the west side in March 2012. Both historic properties are used by S&R Foundation. (Halcyon House underwent a $3-million renovation.)

The foundation was founded in 2000 and includes the Overtures Concert Series, the Evermay Chamber and science programs and awards.

Introduced by Incubator program manager Ryan Ross, each fellow had his or her story to tell and vision to persuade — and each made quite an impression. They are seven chosen out of 200 applicants. (Next year’s class application deadline is Sept. 18.)

Olivier Kamanda of Ideal Impact wants the news to go further; his website shows how or where one can help to volunteer or contribute. Ari Raz of Purejoy wants to produce fresh baby food for all. Diana Sierra of BeGirl wants to help women around the world have sanitary pads they can use, as they work or go to school, during menstruation. Ben Reich and Dan Gallagher of Datasembly run a data aggregate that helps small businesses sift through it all, avoiding the “data-rich and info-poor” conundrum. Founder of the Daily Prophet, a online newspaper inspired by the Harry Potter book series, Heather Sewell of NewsEase wants reading news and other stories to be more educational. Matt Fischer of Control A+ has constructed a monitor that predicts asthma attacks.

Can these fellows change the world? It might just help that they started to make it all work at Halcyon House — and in Georgetown, more innovative than most suspect.

Robert Devaney •

Film production for the upcoming summer 2015 “Pixels” shut down Wisconsin Avenue from M Street to Dumbarton Street for a street scene of pedestrians and cars Saturday morning, Sept. 6, roughly 7 a.m. to just past noon. Martin’s Tavern and other classic stores were in the shoot.

The film stars Adam Sandler, who plays a former video games champion with a less than great job. His character is called by the government to help fight extraterrestrial aliens, who have mistaken videos of games as an act of aggression from the Earth and attack. Haven’t we heard this plot before? Most of the film is being shot in Toronto.

Robert Devaney •

For those who love rum and love those who love rum, National Rum Day brought a nice mix of people and mixed drinks. First up was media day Aug. 11, catered by the Mason Dixie Biscuit Company, at Project 4 Gallery on U Street. The 4th Annual Rum Day D.C. hosted a three-day celebration for rum lovers with a Rooftop Rum & Smoke Soiree Aug. 14 atop the Graham Hotel, with the multi-destination Rum Runner Party Bus on Aug. 15 and concluded Aug. 16 with the Rum-B-Que at Jack Rose. [gallery ids="101852,138269,138250,138267,138261,138256" nav="thumbs"]

Robert Devaney • September 12, 2014

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E held its monthly meeting on Sept. 2, as a few problems concerning new construction were worked out to most neighbors’ satisfaction.

• Owned by Mark and Sally Ein, the house at 2920 R St., NW, also known as the Beall-Washington House, got its plans OK’d for a new smaller eastern addition and underground garage by the ANC as well as an approval from the Citizens Association of Georgetown. The Eins’ neighbors due east of their house — Jane and Calvin Cafritz — objected to the designs.

• Meanwhile, the Alexander Memorial Baptist Church condos will have a three-unit repurposed church and a single home for the rectory building. The idea of a newly built third building was dropped with an Italian-style garden planned for the west side and front of the property.

• Liquor license applications or change requests for J. Paul’s (3218 M Street, NW), Myia pizza parlor (1419 Wisconsin Ave., NW) and Yummi Crayfish (1529 Wisconsin Ave., NW) were protected by the commissioners to the Alcohol Control Board.

• Look for the new working intersection at 35th Street and Wisconsin Avenue with its blinking lights soon to be come operational.

• Finally, executive director Melanie Gisler has moved to a new job and is succeeded by Leslie Maysak.

Robert Devaney • September 10, 2014

Another Georgetown classic is about to vanish.

Mr. Smith’s — “the friendliest saloon in town” at 3104 M St., NW, since 1965 — will close within weeks, probably by Sept. 1, its general manager Juan Andino told several media outlets.

Andino told ABC 7 News and others that the Boston-based landlord is raising the rent to levels his business cannot afford. He also said that he hoped to relocate the restaurant elsewhere in Georgetown, just as those who ran the closed Neyla, due to a lost lease, have indicated.

Said local advisory neighborhood commissioner Bill Starrels: “Mr. Smith’s, a fixture on M Street since 1965, was one of Georgetown’s enduring establishments. It added a nice flavor to the scene, and its piano bar will be missed.”

Mr. Smith’s with its piano bar and sing-alongs amid vintage furnishings is known to many Washingtonians as a spot where they had some of their first dates. As the restaurant wrote on its website: “One customer summed up Mr. Smith’s quite nicely a few years ago when he said, ‘…with its faded Victorian elegance, Mr. Smith’s is the place to go for good food and great fun!’ ”

Robert Devaney •

Another Georgetown classic is about to vanish, and another Georgetown classic was about to vanish.

Chadwick’s on K Street — the friendly, classic hamburger joint where everyone knows your name — will close Aug. 31, according to former owner and Chadwick’s founder Michael Kirby, who has been assisting the Russo family with the business after the death of owner and restaurateur Tom Russo.

Kirby — who began Chadwick’s 47 years ago — also confirmed that Mr. Smith’s has purchased the business at 3205 K St., NW, which includes all licenses and leases. Kirby also said he believed that the Chadwick’s in Alexandria would continue.

As for Mr. Smith’s — “the friendliest saloon in town” at 3104 M St., NW, since 1965 — it will close within weeks, probably by Sept. 1, its general manager Juan Andino told several media outlets a few days ago.

Andino told ABC 7 News and others that the Boston-based landlord is raising the rent to levels his business cannot afford. He also said that he hoped to relocate the restaurant elsewhere in Georgetown, just as those who ran the closed Neyla have indicated.

Mr. Smith’s with its piano bar and sing-alongs along with its back patio and vintage furnishings is known to many Washingtonians as a spot where they had some of their first dates. On Sept. 1, expect to see Mr. Smith’s in its new location on K Street.

Robert Devaney •

Love locks, which have been showing up on the railing of Key Bridge that links Georgetown and Arlington, will be cut off the structure Thursday by the District Department of Transportation, the agency says.

While Washington, D.C., may not want to look like it is anti-romantic, the padlocks are seen as damaging to the bridge over the long term.

“We are all about love—a nice bridge is love, a working bridge is love—but we are going to have to take them down,” DDOT spokesperson Reggie Sanders told WJLA. “It is an aesthetic problem as well.”

While love locks have been around for a long time, love locks on bridges gained major popularity in Europe within the past 10 years. Locks are put on railings or fences with a special inscription for the two lovers. Locks have also been cluttering up the Brooklyn Bridge. In June, the love-famed Pont des Arts footbridge in Paris near the Louvre lost part of its fencing which collapsed under the weight of so many locks.

Sanders further argued to WTOP: “Locks are being removed because we don’t want to establish a precedence where our structures could become polluted with these types of campaigns. Also, it could jeopardize the functionality of the railings.”

Robert Devaney •

Besides the dumpsters and service vehicles lined up for house renovations across Georgetown, major projects have gotten underway that involve schools, parkland and an old theater.

Duke Ellington School of the Arts is closed until September 2016 for redesign, renovation and additions. It is surrounded by a painted plywood barrier. The $82-million project will expand the historic school — built in 1898 and originally known as Western High School — to 294,900 square feet. The interior of the school will contain an atrium and a new 850-seat theater. The rooftop will have a classroom along with limited-use space. The school’s main portico will be preserved.

Work on the addition for Hyde-Addison Elementary Public School is being set up. Here is what the D.C. Department of General Services has said, in part: “This project involves the construction of an addition to Hyde Elementary that will consist of approximately 9,500 feet of additional space as well as a Phase 1 modernization of the existing Hyde school. It is contemplated that the addition will house a ‘Gymatorium,’ a media center and building service space (i.e., additional bathrooms, custodial and circulation space). This project will NOT include interior renovations of the Addison building. Site work will be directed at conserving the existing parking availability, preserving existing playground areas and circulation management. Due to the historic significance of the school and surrounding neighborhood, this project requires presentation of the proposed design to the Old Georgetown Board, the Commission on Fine Arts and State Office of Historic Preservation.”

Part of Rose Park at 26th and O Streets is closed for reconstruction “until sometime in November,” says the D.C. Parks & Recreation Department and D.C. Department of General Services. The playground, tot lot, basketball court and recreation center, including restrooms, are closed. The tennis courts remain open as does the ball field along P Street. The tennis courts will close in late September for two weeks of resurfacing. For more details, contact David Abrams of the Friends of Rose Park at jake.chase@juno.com.

Demolition and rehab work has begun on the old Georgetown Theater property with its iconic “Georgetown” neon vertical sign. Owner and architect Robert Bell contacted the Georgetowner concerning the upcoming reconstruction on the building at 1351 Wisconsin Ave., NW: “I will be removing the old sign and having it rebuilt by the original manufacturer — Jack Stone Signs — who still has all the templates and parts. I expect to have it removed in September and returned renovated in October, during which time I will be removing the faux stone and stuccoing the front façade to return it to the 1940 design.”