Ground Gives Way at Work Site, Overturns Trailer
• June 25, 2013

A construction trailer at 1045 Wisconsin Ave., NW, next to the C&O Canal was found overturned June 7, when the ground beneath it gave way. A residential condominium by EastBanc, Inc., is planned for the site.

Workers from McCullough Construction said they did not know exactly when the trailer fall from street level down toward the canal but added that no one had been in the trailer and no one was hurt. The trailer, along with concrete sections from the sidewalk and fence railing, was pulled from the collapse zone toward the more level parking lot, next to the construction site.

Whether the rain storm contributed to the earthen collapse is unclear. McCullough Construction Co., also built out the Ritz-Carlton Residences, a half block away on South Street. The Ritz-Carlton condos were a EastBanc and Millennium Partners project.

The Life and Work of Jim Weaver Celebrated at Business Awards Lunch
• June 24, 2013

The Georgetown Business Association held its annual Leadership Awards Luncheon at Sea Catch Restaurant & Raw Bar June 19 to posthumously honor Jim Weaver of W.T. Weaver & Sons with its Lifetime Achievement Award. The Weaver family has run the Weaver Hardware business — founded in 1889 — at 1208 Wisconsin Ave., NW, for generations. Weaver’s widow Peggy Weaver accepted the award along sons Bryce and Mike Weaver and daughter Joan Weaver Inglesby.

Introduced by GBA president Riyad Said, Ward 2 councilmember Jack Evans was the first of several speakers. Evans had just arrived from the dedication of the Frederick Douglass statue at the U.S. Capitol and said, for D.C., “it’s a start.” Evans then listed a string of decade-long Georgetown successes and called Jim Weaver “a stalwart of the community.”

Bryce Weaver (James B. Weaver III) said that his father is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery on R Street and noted his parents would have celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary a few weeks ago. “It is still raw for us,” Weaver said of his father, who died at the age of 81 on April 24 of cancer after being diagnosed only months earlier. “Our father was a wonderful gentleman.”

Weaver spoke of the business community’s “grand old parades,” put together by the likes of his father, Tim Jackson of Swensen’s Ice Cream Parlor, Arnie Passman of the Hallmark Gallery, Rick Hinden of Britches men’s store and David Roffman, retired publisher of the Georgetowner newspaper. (The parades in the 1980s were dedicated to “the Star-Spangled Banner” and its author Francis Scott Key, a Georgetown resident.)

Weaver said the business award was “a consolation to our whole family” and that he accepted “for our dad and all those who passed away.”

Councilmembers Muriel Bowser, Vincent Orange and Tommy Wells also spoke of the importance of local businesses — as well as keeping D.C. business dollars in D.C. — and saluted the Weaver family.

Kate Carr, president of Cardinal Bank, a major sponsor of the event, likewise praised the Weaver family and said that her company was excited to be coming to Georgetown soon, on Wisconsin Avenue near Safeway.

GBA vice president Janine Schoonover wrapped up the meeting and reminded all that D.C. is not just the president, Congress or monuments but has businesses with “regular folks.” She also noted that the next GBA networking reception would be on July 17 at F. Scott’s.
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Washington Harbour Sold for $371 Million?
• June 20, 2013

Georgetown’s waterfront landmark, Washington Harbour has been sold, according to bisnow.com, which reported June 18: “A partnership between Principal Real Estate Investors and a Korean pension fund group is the winning bidder for MRP Realty/Rockpoint Group’s Washington Harbour, market sources tell us. … The sale price, which sources say comes in at $371M ($700/SF), represents a hefty profit for the sellers, which three years ago paid $245M for the mixed-use asset on the Georgetown waterfront. …”

The Georgetowner contacted MRP Realty about the report of the sale and received a succinct “no comment.”

Malmaison Officially Opens
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Malmaison, conceived as a lunch and dinner restaurant as well as a dessert specialty eatery and bar, was officially opened June 17 by father-son team Zubair Popal and Omar Popal. The Popal family, headed by Zubair Popal, also runs Cafe Bonaparte on Wisconsin Avenue and Napoleon Bistro and Lounge on Columbia Road. The building at 3401 K Street, NW — or 34th and Water Streets — also houses Gypsy Sally’s Acoustic Tavern on the second floor. Chef Gerard Pangaud has set up the menu for Malmaison and will cook there occasionally, but the main chef for Malmaison is Yomi Faniyi, Zubair Popal said.
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Tuscany Cafe Has Closed
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A favorite college student eatery is gone. Tuscany Cafe, the pizza and sandwich joint, next to Booeymonger’s on Prospect Street, has closed, according to the Georgetown University student newspaper, the Hoya. The newspaper also reported: “Public records show that Tuscany’s license was set to expire May 31. According to the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, Aokas Brothers Inc.’s license was not renewed. The DCRA could not provide information as to whether or not Tuscany applied to renew its license.”

Arcuri Opens in Glover Park
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Trattoria Arcuri is now open for dinner. At 2400 Wisconsin Ave., NW, it takes over the space left by the popular Kavanagh’s Pizza Pub. Its grand opening will be June 22, one of its owners, Adam Hitebeitel told the Glover Park Hyperlocal blog.

Key Bridge Exxon Condo Design Admonished by Neighborhood
• June 18, 2013

EastBanc presented its revised design for a high-end condo complex at 3601-3607 M Street (the gas station property next to the Exorcist stairs) during the April 4 meeting of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E.

Jack Davies, philanthropist, AOL International founder, co-owner of the Washington Capitals and Wizards, lives on the 3600 block of Prospect Street and spoke about the proposed condo’s height on behalf of his neighbors and himself. “The revised proposal does not address neighbors’ concerns.” The backyards of Prospect Street look out towards the C&O Canal, Key Bridge, the Potomac and beyond. “People in the pool on the roof would be a disruption,” Davies said. “This will lower property values.” Davies called for the condo height to be capped at 40 feet and four floors instead of the proposed five floors.

Georgetown architect Robert Bell, designer of the Volta Place police station condos, called the design “Marriott-hotel quality.” For such a signature site, he said, “It’s a shame that Georgetown does not have a stronger stand for historic contexts.”

As for history, the 19th-century stone wall on the 3600 block of M Street would be hidden behind the five-floor building, seen only from the narrow space at the Exorcist stairs between the Car Barn and the future condo.

EastBanc’s Mary Mottershead showed drawings of a green roof as high as the top of the wall and said that she considered the view from Prospect Street only slightly obstructed. The condo will contain 35 to 37 units.

The property is owned by DC gas station king, Joe Mamo, who also owns Parker’s Exxon on MacArthur Boulevard, Georgetown Exxon at Q Street and the Watergate Exxon. Key Bridge Exxon will close by the end of July 2012.

In a related action, the ANC approved EastBanc’s redesign for 1045 Wisconsin Avenue: condos at the C&O Canal to be built in the parking lot of the Verizon building across from Grace Church.

Body Found in Potomac River
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A body of a man was found in the Potomac River Aug. 20, around 7 p.m., Metropolitan Police reported. Discovered near Thompson Boat Center, yards from Rock Creek and the Georgetown Waterfront, the body was that of an unidentified Hispanic man, police said. No other information was available at press time.

Citizens Expand Use of Cameras on the Streets
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The Citizens Association of Georgetown has expanded the use of security cameras in the neighborhood.

Here’s CAG president Jennifer Altemus’s report: “In response to serious and wide-spread community concerns about public safety, the Citizens Association of Georgetown has broadened its Public Safety Program. We are installing security cameras in various locations throughout the residential community. We hope that the presence of these cameras will act as a deterrent to crime and assist the Metropolitan Police Department with criminal investigations. Right now we are focusing on the gateways into and out of the community, but we hope to expand the program within the year.

“Georgetown resident, Bill Dean, CEO of M.C. Dean, Inc., has generously donated the cameras for our pilot program. His company will handle the camera installations and maintenance.

“These cameras are just one of the elements our association has in place to keep us safe. Our private security guard program employs two guards in patrol cars policing our streets, escorting residents home, checking up on properties when residents are away, and working with the police to deter crime and track down criminal suspects.”

Visit CAG’s website to see how you can help and contribute: www.CAGtown.org

Beautiful Day for a Beautiful House Tour
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The Georgetown House Tour — the 83rd on April 27 — could not have asked for a more beautiful Saturday. Nine homes were on the tour, which began in 1931. It is the oldest in the nation and the programs of St. John’s Episcopal Church on O Street. Organizers estimated that a least 1,200 persons had gone on the tour. It was a busy Saturday in Georgetown. Besides checking out some beautiful houses, visitors and neighbors may have also spied the likes of Conan O’Brien and Psy who were in town for the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner on Saturday. O’Brien was seen walking along P Street. [gallery ids="101271,148402,148379,148396,148386,148393" nav="thumbs"]