NoMa Meander

THE PARK IDEA

This project was conceived to create a fun, inviting, four-block-long retail and pedestrian promenade that runs north/south from Pierce Street to New York Avenue between North Capitol and First NE. The promenade is planned to include green spaces, seating, and active retail in the adjacent developments. The NoMa Parks Foundation received the “go ahead” from DDOT and the DC Office of Planning to design and implement unique, curbless mid-block crossings intended to invite pedestrians to these new spaces and enhance their protection from traffic.

THE DETAILS

Initially conceived in the 2006 NoMa Small Area Plan as a “mid-block connector” and later incorporated in the NoMa Public Realm Design Plan, the intent of this project is to enhance neighborhood livability by breaking up the “superblocks” between North Capitol and First NE. As nearly all of the property included along the NoMa Meander is privately owned, the conceptualization and development of the Meander is one of the NoMa Parks Foundation’s most ambitious public-private partnerships. Some property owners along the Meander have embraced the vision for the Meander and created development plans to incorporate and address the Meander.

The first project constructed incorporating the Meander is Skanska’s RESA. Construction of this new apartment building, with its entrance and King Street Oyster Bar on the Meander is now complete and Skanska is currently building another apartment building at 44 M Street, NE  adjacent to The Meander. Avalon Bay included Streets Market at The Meander corner of Ava NoMa and MRP Realty is planning to include retail and connectivity to The Meander in its DCHA Headquarters project.

The right-of-way improvements the NoMa Parks Foundation is focused on will bring seating, special paving and lighting, and unique plantings to the crossing between RESA/44M on the north side of M Street, and the DCHA Headquarters project and AVA NoMa on the south side of M Street. Pedestrian safety will be enhanced with a raised table crossing and pedestrian safety bollards.  NPF and NoMa BID will continue to encourage  other developers with properties along NoMa’s North Capitol to First Street NE superblocks to incorporate features of The Meander and these pedestrian-friendly crossings.