Robert Devaney •

In step with its agreement with the neighborhood to lessen main campus expansion, Georgetown University announced July 19 that its School of Continuing Studies “will relocate to the heart of downtown Washington, D.C. Georgetown signed a lease agreement with Brookfield Office Properties for a new space to house SCS at 650 Massachusetts Ave. NW, at the intersection of 7th Street near the Gallery Place/Chinatown neighborhood. Located just eight blocks from the university’s Law Center campus, the move expands the university’s ‘Georgetown Downtown’ presence. It reflects Georgetown’s commitment to aligning itself with the growth and development goals of the city.”

The announcement came just days after the D.C. Zoning Commission approved the university’s campus plan, thus ending years of tense, sometimes hostile, debate over town-gown issues.

The university says, “1,100 students will take classes and study at the new campus. . . . There will be four levels of leased space that cover 91,000 square feet, allowing for future program growth. The school welcomes conversations with local community leaders about new ways to engage and collaborate at the new campus.”

Across from Mount Vernon Square, the continuing education school is one block from the Washington Convention Center at 7th Street and Massachusetts Avenue, and near Chinatown’s restaurants and shops and three blocks from the Verizon Center, home to the Georgetown men’s basketball team. Currently, the school holds its classes at the university’s main campus at 37th and O Streets, NW, as well as in Arlington, Va.

“This expansion of Georgetown Downtown is a defining moment for the university,” said John DeGioia, president of Georgetown University. “Just as the construction of our Law Center did 30 years ago, this new home provides us with an opportunity to extend the impact of the university into new parts of the city and to broaden the reach of our work.”

According to the university, the school “offers graduate degrees in human resources management, journalism, liberal studies, public relations and corporate communications, real estate, sports industry management and technology management, as well as over 25 professional certificates, summer school and special programs. It also includes the university’s only part-time bachelor’s program. The school intends to launch several new master’s programs in the coming years. In fall 2013, for example, it will launch two of those programs – urban and regional planning as well as emergency and disaster management.”

Robert Devaney • July 23, 2012

After the thunderstorm passed, the Georgetown Business Association met for “a taste of Thailand and an evening of networking” at Mai Thai of Georgetown July 18. As part of its summer series of get-togethers, the group enjoyed chicken satay, seafood lemon grass salad and spring rolls along cocktails, such as Thai Tiger and, of course, Mai Thais. Georgetown Spice & Tea Exchange provided specialty teas and Thai-inspired gifts. Rokas Beresniovas, president of the Georgetown Business Association, greeted members and guests around the room. The Mai Thai staff kept the sweet drinks coming and the buffet table full. GBA secretary Janine Schoonover said, “The excitement is back.” Schoonover praised the GBA’s new event organizer Adra Williams and her partner Joseph Otim, adding, “We’re solid and moving forward.” [gallery ids="100909,128509,128472,128502,128496,128481,128489" nav="thumbs"]

Robert Devaney • July 12, 2012

We all want to go green, but this is ridiculous.

The June 29 storm felled a huge tree at the corner of Prospect & 35th Streets, NW. The downed tree is a traffic-stopper and apparently wins the prize for biggest tree on the ground in Georgetown.

The entire tree snapped from its roots and landed directly along the sidewalk. The branches destroyed windows, damaged roofs and blocked access and egress to the several homes for a time. While cars were parked on the street, all but one BMW escaped serious damage.

At one Prospect Street house, which has no power, tree branches not only damaged the roof and smashed glass and paster into a second-floor bedroom, it pulled an electrical box off the outside wall of the house near its main entrance which is now blocked by tree branches. (All other homes on the 3400 block of Prospect Street have power.)

D.C.’s Department of Transportation stopped by the corner to look at the tree June 30 in the afternoon and recorded information into its system. (The tree is on District of Columbia land.) Advisory neighborhood commissioner Bill Starrels rushed to the scene when called July 1 by a resident. He, too, was astonished by the downed tree, saying, “It is the biggest one I’ve seen in Georgetown.” Starrels immediately contacted the mayor’s office.

Residents sawed off branches to clear the entrances to their homes. All the while, curious on-lookers photographed and posed alongside it — verifying the phenomenon, known as “disaster tourists.”

As for the powerless Prospect Street home, the owner who has lived there for decades said that she saw tiny sparks coming from the smashed outside electrical box. Pepco arrived to check the house without power around 9 a.m. July 2 and said tree branches were blocking its access to the box and walked away.

Meanwhile, the popular tree in front of six houses now poses traffic safety problems: curious amateur photographers take pictures of the tree, sometimes in the middle of the busy intersection, and cars stop to gawk and further block traffic. (Prospect Street is a mini M Street with delivery trucks, tour buses and commuters using it constantly.)

As for the Prospect Street residents, like many around D.C., they are fed up — and are chopping, sawing and clearing a pathway, waiting no longer. [gallery ids="100889,127683,127675,127657,127670,127665" nav="thumbs"]

Robert Devaney • July 9, 2012

The Georgetown Business Improvement District is looking for a new executive director. Less than three weeks after its annual upbeat meeting, the Georgetown BID unexpectedly announced the resignation of James Bracco, its executive director since 2009.

“Jim Bracco, has decided to leave the BID after an exemplary three-and-a-half years of service,” reported Georgetown BID’s board president, Crystal Sullivan in a July 3 e-mail to its members. “On behalf of the BID’s board of directors, we would like to thank Jim for his great efforts on making Georgetown a clean, safe and enticing community for our businesses to thrive and visitors to enjoy. He has been a steady presence in not only the Georgetown community but in representing our neighborhood amongst city agencies and initiatives. We greatly appreciate his time and level of service to Georgetown, and he will be missed.”

At the June 13 meeting at the House of Sweden, Bracco gave an update on projects and said he was especially proud of the clean-up crews, whose work he admired each morning when driving to work. Among other projects, he also showed images of the holiday plantings to come as well as a sketch of the holiday ornament to be dramatically suspended over the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and M Street, much like the lighted decoration that hangs each Christmastime at Fifth Avenue and 57th Street in Manhattan.

At its big meeting in 2011, the BID launched its new website and with its re-branding effort revealed the neighborhood’s latest retail motto: “Come out and play.”

No replacement for Bracco has been announced.

The next big BID event is Georgetown’s Fashion Night Out, Sept. 6. Its tagline is “Liberty and fashion for all.”

Robert Devaney • June 29, 2012

After months of contentious discussions along with private and public meetings and press coverage as well as D.C.’s Zoning Commission hearings on Georgetown University’s 2010-2020 campus plan and the adjacent neighborhoods’ objections, the hour of decision is at hand. And it has taken the added weight of the District government to seal the deal.

The Executive Office of the Mayor of the District of Columbia issued a media advisory Tuesday: Mayor Vincent Gray, Georgetown University President John DeGioia and Ron Lewis, chair of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E, “will make a major announcement regarding Georgetown University’s campus plan and engagement with neighborhood and city leaders” at the intersection of 36th and P Streets, N.W., just outside the university’s main campus, Wednesday, June 6, 2:30 p.m.

After a tense impasse on zoning discussions on the campus plan, Gray began to get his office more involved. The mayor had spoken at an October 2011 ANC meeting and said that he thought the issues surrounding the campus plan could be resolved. Last week, he spoke at the annual meeting of the Citizens Association of Georgetown and indicated that an agreement was 95 percent complete.

According to the mayor’s office, “District leaders have been working closely over the last several months to bring Georgetown University officials and Georgetown neighborhood leaders together regarding the school’s campus plan.”

Robert Devaney •

The Georgetown Senior Center, headquartered at St. John’s Episcopal Church on O Street, held a fundraiser May 9 at the legendary F. Scott’s restaurant, part of the Clydes Restaurant Group, on 36th Street. Hosted by Sally Davidson, John and Ginger Laytham and Lila and Brendan Sullivan, the happy group celebrated the center and its founder, Virginia Luce Allen, who died in 2009 and whose birthday is May 10. The center’s fundraising campaign has reached about $15,000 for its programs and services, which includes its popular lunches and lectures at St. John’s Blake Hall on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Neighbors are invited to participate, whether as cook or guest, or to assist with the center’s day trips. To donate your time or money, visit GeorgetownSeniorCenter.org, or call 202-316-2632 [gallery ids="102451,121113,121119,121130,121124" nav="thumbs"]

Robert Devaney •

You may not have noticed that resident-only parking already exists in Georgetown. At least, along certain sections of 33rd, 34th, 36th and P Streets, thanks to the O&P Street Project.

Here is an update from the project leaders: “As part of the O&P Street Rehabilitation project, street lights within the project zone are being updated or, in many cases, added. In response to public concern for safety, the finalized lighting plan increases current lighting by 40 percent, while still preserving the historic feel of the area. You may notice a new light fixture or foundation for a new light fixture near an existing light. In many cases, the existing light will be removed at a later time. Many of the new foundations are covered with orange drums. These drums are in place for pedestrian safety and will be removed once the light poles are installed. When the new lights are operational, you may notice a significant increase in brightness the first couple of nights. Per DDOT’s policy, any existing street lights designated for removal will stay turned on until we verify all of the new lights are fully operational. Once they are deemed as such, the existing lights designated for removal will be turned off.”

The website is FixingOandPstreets.com. As far as the new parking signs go, let’s see how long they stay up.