June 2, 2010
Minutes of the NCHCA
June 2, 2010
Park Triangle Community Room
Speakers: David Stein, Director of Building Operations for DC USA
Jack McGrath, CEO of Ellwood Thompson’s
A. Jack Mcgrath: Introduction/History of Ellwood Thompson’s
-Who are we?
- Ellwood Thompson’s started in 1988 as provider of organic produce, fresh groceries and a small take out deli. The original building was 3,000 sqft.
- 5 years later moved to Richmond, VA. Expanded to 5,000 sqft. with a staff of 8.
- Currently ET is a 15,000 sqft. business with 120 staff members, full and part time.
2- Philosphy?
- Commitment to customers, local growers and farmers through supporting sustainable products.
- “Local products” (100 miles or less)
- Respect for the planet, resource renewal, energy conservation, low environmental impact practices.
3- Intent?
- Prove to be a stable business model/company by offering the best organic products available.
- Seek to exceed customers, “guests”, expectations through their self learning and self discovery.
- Provide educational experiences to the community.
- Community Gardens
- Encourage employees to volunteer in the community.
4- Details regarding the current ET development:
- Current ET development projected to be 15,000 sqft.
- Products will be multisourced, as with the other ET in Richmond, VA.
- Construction to begin July 2010
- Store opening mid January 2011
- Compared to Giant and Wholefoods, ET prices will be more expensive.
- This will be the 2nd ET location.
B. David Stein: Other Business
1- DC USA is selective in choosing tenants.
- Prefering to have community related, local, diverse food and retail.
2. Wants to create a “Columbia Heights experience”, a pedestrian shopping experience.
3. IHOP confirmation?
-Under negotiation.
4. Tenant package timeframe?
- Hope to have the space fully occupied in 12-18 months.
5. Sports Outfitter? - DC USA is still continuing to talk with retailers.
6. Parking garage usage? Fully utilized?
- Zoning restrictions
- Insurance regulations
7. Will there be opportunities for small businesses to apply for tenancy?
- There are no exclusive documents keeping local and small business from setting up a location (rental).
C. Concept draft for park at 11th and Monroe introduced.
1. 6 months – 1 year before construction begins.
D. Farmer’s Market
1. Saturdays 9am-3pm.
September 1, 2010
Meeting Location: Basement of Park Road Community Church, Park and Sherman
Meeting Date: Wednesday, September 1, 2010, 7:00-8:30
Guest Speakers: Barry and Sia Madani from Madison Investments, developers of the new mixed use building at the corner of 11th and Monroe (1020 Monroe, formerly Hope 7).
The Madanis noted that they consider themselves investors rather than developers. Originally from England, they built a bakery business from scratch that now supplies 700 venues in D.C., and employs 100 people. They also did development work in Dubai.
Since 2005 they have begun to focus on DC development as well, primarily in Columbia Heights. They like the energy here and potential for growth. They have completed a six unit project on Harvard Street, and also have a project on Ogden Street (Trevelyan House), but 1020 Monroe is the “gem.”
The building will feature 28 two bedroom units priced in the $300′s and $400′s. The bottom floor will be entirely retail, and they should have exciting news to announce on that front in the near future. Construction is expected to begin in October and be completed in Spring of 2011 (it is expected to take about eight months total). They plan to have a green common roof area. The units will have top-end finishes. There are no parking spaces available. They have all permits and approvals needed to proceed.
Some audience members expressed concern about the price point of the units, in particular, and the gentrification of the neighborhood, more generally. The Madanis empathized with those concerns but said that for this project, considering what they paid for the site, there was no way to have lower-cost units included. They noted that the building is currently vacant and has been for some time, and is a challenging building to develop because of its history / legal issues involved. Unfortunately the prior developer is in jail, and that complicated the project. They noted that, as they continue to succeed, they hope to soon build some low to moderate income housing in the neighborhood in the near future, and they remain committed to inclusiveness and to being part of the fabric of the community.
* * * * *
The board discussed having a block party in the spring on 11th street, and the Madanis expressed enthusiasm for providing support for such an endeavor. NCHCA will continue to plan behind the scene for such an event, and welcomes ideas and participation for an event that would feature live music, food, and other attractions.
The next NCHCA meeting will be held on the first Wednesday in November (November 3rd) and will focus on community service opportunities in the neighborhood, as well as planning for the Great Day of Service. We will have guest speakers, including a speaker from 826DC, which opens this month in Park Triangle.
November 3, 2010
NORTH COLUMBIA HEIGHTS MEETING MINUTES
NOVEMBER 3, 2010, 7:00 P.M.
TOPIC: COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
We discussed the Great Day of Service and set Saturday, April 2 as the date. Mark your calendars now! The plan is for organizations to either create a discrete service project for that day, or host an open house with informational sessions to sign up volunteers. The folks from Columbia Heights Day are interested in helping promote the day. Organizations will provide lists of supplies they need and encourage volunteers to bring those to the meetings / service projects. Finally, organizations will provide blurbs about the services they provide for a brochure that will both advertise the event and serve as a community resource going forward. If interested in having your organization participate, or in signing up to volunteer, contact NCHCA.
Some suggested community service projects include a community garden that St. Stephens Church plans to build, street cleaning sponsored by NCHCA and the Tivoli North Business Association, reaching out to local schools like Harriet Tubman or Cardoza for any projects they need, and reaching out to churches, generally, for projects they need and for volunteers. We also discussed Columbia Heights Day’s Community Yard Sale, and potential opportunities for coordination / cross-promotion. We should seek out an ANC grant and work with blogs and CM Graham on publicity.
Nathan Mishler from Thrive D.C. spoke about his organization (see www.thrivedc.org):
The organization, located at 1525 Newton Street, provides dinner for homeless people, emergency assistance in the form of two meals per day, and typically erves 200-250 per day since moving to Columbia Heights in 2009. In addition to meals, provides social services such as intensive employment training. The organization has in total about 1200 volunteers, many of whom work with the meal program, give out emergency clothing, and work in the organization’s free computer labs. They are looking for volunteers who can help work the labs, help with employment training, or any other areas that the organization is engaged in.
Kira Wisniewski from 826 D.C. spoke about her organization (see www.826dc.org):
826, located in the Park Triangle building adjacent to the Columbia Heights Civic Plaza, provides free tutoring and a free after school workshops for children ages 6-18. They also operate a retail store, with the proceeds helping to keep programming free. One of the items they sell are annual student publications written by students at Cardoza High School. They are looking for volunteers who can do after school tutoring in all subjects. Writing is their primary focus, but they are looking for volunteers for all areas.
Lisa Pollin from Lift DC spoke about her organization (www.liftcommunities.org):
The Columbia Heights Lift DC location is contained within Centro Nio, at 1420 Columbia Road. Two days per week, they provide services to families. They are staffed by college student volunteers. Lift helps low income individuals find employment, housing and child care. Lift is excited to attract volunteers beyond their traditional base of college students. After the meeting, Lift also provided the following additional information:
LIFT is a growing movement to combat poverty and expand opportunity for all people in the United States. Our mission is to alleviate poverty in D.C. and our country by engaging our nation’s college students in this effort. LIFT operates a network of service centers, staffed by college student volunteers (known as Student Advocates).
LIFT Student Advocates work one-on-one with clients to help individuals and families secure employment or placement in job training programs, find safe and stable housing, apply for public benefits, and connect with resources such as healthcare, childcare, legal services, and food and clothing assistance.
If you need assistance:
- Searching for a job
- Creating a resume
- Getting into GED or job training program
- Searching for housing
- Applying for public benefits
- Obtaining health care
- Finding child care
- Acquiring legal services
- Finding clothing
- Finding food resources
- Learning computer skills
- Obtaining your credit report
…Come to LIFT-DC! LIFT has no eligibility requirements and provides all service free of charge. Please contact one of our offices to get started. For Spanish-speaking clients, please call our Columbia Heights office.
