Washington Post: As D.C. embraces its industrial past, New York’s High Line Park shows the way
NEW YORK – Julian Hunt went to see the High Line Park in New York City’s West Side before it was even open.
Hunt, a D.C. architect, made the trip as part of a painstaking labor of love. For the better part of a decade, he has been attempting to convert a series of abandoned concrete tunnels beneath Dupont Circle, where streetcars once rumbled, into a menagerie of art galleries, performance space, cafes and exhibitions.
WASHINGTON, DC, November 21, 2014 — The NoMa Underpass Design Competition continues apace, now with thoughtful feedback from more than 350 people who took a survey launched in October.
“The NoMa Parks Foundation is thrilled at the amount of interest from the neighbors and other stakeholders,” said Robin-Eve Jasper, President of the NoMa Parks Foundation. “We are embarking on a number of transformational projects in NoMa using the same public/private partnership approach that has been the bedrock for the success of NoMa. As we work to create wonderful public spaces to delight residents and visitors, we will continue to look to the community for creative input and practical advice,” said Jasper. “We are excited at how engaged the neighborhood has already been in this process.”
The idea for the underpass improvements grew out of two community planning efforts sponsored by the NoMa BID, in 2011 and 2012. The objective of the underpass improvements is to fill the four connectors at Florida Avenue, L, M and K Streets, NE, with light and art, making them into beautiful and enjoyable spaces for passing through or lingering. The competition for designs for the underpasses launched in April 2014, garnered significant press and drew international attention. 248 designers from 14 countries submitted entries. The 248 original responses were narrowed to 13 qualified applicants and their concept designs.
The NoMa Parks Foundation sought feedback from the community and encouraged engagement through several outlets:
- The Foundation created a web site (NoMaUnderpasses.org), where images of all 13 finalist concepts are still available for viewing. The site has received more than 11,800 unique page views since the competition launched in April.
- The Foundation launched a 27-question survey in mid-October asking for input on the 13 underpass finalists; the survey received 337 responses.
- A public community meeting held on October 16 was well attended.
- A public exhibit of the submissions was displayed in the lobby of 1200 First Street, NE.
“We’d like to underscore that all 13 designs presented to the community were conceptual schemes, not construction plans. As we have been working continuously with city agencies, Amtrak and Metro on safety and other operating matters, we were particularly interested in the community’s input on aesthetics. There is much more work to be done, and the selected artists will incorporate agency and community feedback into their final designs,” Jasper said.
The Foundation hopes to select a finalist for at least one underpass by the end of the year, and start construction in 2015.
About The NoMa Parks Foundation
The NoMa Underpass Design Competition is led by the NoMa Parks Foundation, and is one of several projects that are proceeding concurrently to acquire land, improve existing sites, and execute the long-term vision set forth in the NoMa Public Realm Design Plan. The NoMa Parks Foundation was formed in 2012 and the following year received a $50 million commitment from the District government to acquire land, build parks and enhance public space in NoMa.
In the rapidly redeveloping NoMa neighborhood, one critical ingredient is missing: parks. More than 18,000 people live in greater NoMa, and the population is projected to double in the next 10 years; but currently NoMa contains no publicly accessible parks, playgrounds, or plazas. While the District of Columbia averages 12.9 acres of open space per 1,000 residents, none of these spaces exist in the NoMa neighborhood. They are urgently needed to serve the residents and more than 40,000 daytime employees and visitors to the neighborhood. Undeveloped land is becoming more scarce each year as development occurs on the remaining empty lots. The creation of refreshing, inviting parks and public spaces – before it is too late – will improve the lives of people in NoMa today and for generations to come. More about the NoMa Parks Foundation can be found at www.nomabid.org/parks.
About NoMa
NoMa is a vibrant, growing neighborhood nestled among Union Station, the U.S. Capitol, Shaw, and the H Street, NE corridor in Washington, D.C. Over the last several years, private developers have invested more than $5 billion in the 35-block area within the NoMa BID boundaries, and have plans to develop more than 16 million square feet of additional office, residential, hotel, and retail space. NoMa is home to more than 3,800 new apartments, and more than 40,000 people work in NoMa each day. With unparalleled transportation access via Amtrak, VRE, MARC, two Red Line Metro stops, and vehicular access to Interstate 395, visitors, workers and residents can easily travel throughout the region as well as to New York or anywhere on the East Coast. For more information about NoMa, visit www.nomabid.org and sign up for our bimonthly newsletter.
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For immediate release
News media contact:
Rachel Davis
202-997-3846
rdavis@nomabid.org
Washington, D.C., October 14, 2014 – The NoMa Parks Foundation invites the community to view the final 13 designs for the NoMa Underpass Design Competition at a community meeting on Thursday, October 16, 2014. Those who are unable to attend the meeting are invited to take an online survey, or view large image-rich boards of the projects and take a paper survey in the Lobby at 1200 First Street, NE, from October 14 to 17.
The NoMa Underpass Design Competition is an initiative of the NoMa Parks Foundation to beautify and improve the neighborhood’s four railroad underpasses (at Florida Avenue, K, L and M Streets, NE) with engaging artistic light installations. The project is a partnership between the District of Columbia government, WMATA, Amtrak and the NoMa Parks Foundation.
The Community Meeting
Date: Thursday, October 16, 2014
Time: 6-8 PM
Location: Lobby Project, 1200 First Street, NE
Light refreshments will be served.
Can’t attend the meeting? Take the survey, or stop by the Lobby to view the presentation boards of the finalist designs from Tuesday, October 14 at noon to Friday, October 17 at 6 PM.
A prestigious jury selected 10 distinguished artists, architects, lighting designers, and landscape architects representing three countries and seven cities across the United States as finalists in the competition. View a full list here.
With community feedback in hand, the jury will select the winners by year-end. Installation of the winning designs will begin in 2015.
“We encourage the neighborhood to come give their input on these incredible installations,” said Curtis Clay, Director of the NoMa Parks Foundation. “While much of the difficult technical work lies ahead, as we delve into the installation details of these pieces, we are excited to create a significant impact in these four underpasses as we transform them into exciting and beautiful passageways.”
The underpass competition has generated overwhelming interest and excitement since its announcement in April. During the Request for Qualifications (RFQ) phase, the Foundation received 248 submissions from 14 countries, including the District of Columbia. After a rigorous review, 49 semi-finalists were selected, which was then narrowed down to 10 finalists who submitted 13 project proposals for the four underpasses.
The competition’s jury is comprised of Elizabeth Broun, Director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum; Roger Lewis, FAIA, Architect, University of Maryland Professor Emeritus of Architecture, Washington Post Columnist; Robin Rose, Washington artist; George Hemphill, local art curator/gallery owner; and Charles “Sandy” Wilkes, Chair of the NoMa Parks Foundation.
About The NoMa Parks Foundation
The NoMa Underpass Design Competition is led by the NoMa Parks Foundation, and is one of several projects that are proceeding concurrently to acquire land, improve existing sites, and execute the long-term vision of the NoMa Public Realm Design Plan. The NoMa Parks Foundation was formed in 2012 and the following year received a $50 million commitment from the District government to acquire land, build parks and enhance public space in NoMa.
In the rapidly redeveloping NoMa neighborhood, one critical ingredient is missing: parks. More than 18,000 people live in greater NoMa, and the population is projected to double in the next 10 years; but currently NoMa contains no publicly accessible parks, playgrounds, or plazas. While the District of Columbia averages 12.9 acres of open space per 1,000 residents, none of these spaces exist in the NoMa neighborhood. They are urgently needed to serve the residents and more than 40,000 daytime employees and visitors to the neighborhood. Undeveloped land is becoming more scarce each year as development occurs on the remaining empty lots. The creation of refreshing, inviting parks and public spaces before it is too late will improve the lives of people in NoMa today and for generations to come. More about the NoMa Parks Foundation can be found at www.nomabid.org/parks.
About NoMa
NoMa is a vibrant, growing neighborhood nestled among Union Station, the U.S. Capitol, Shaw, and the H Street, NE corridor in Washington, D.C. Over the last several years, private developers have invested more than $5 billion in the 35-block area within the NoMa BID boundary, and have plans to develop more than 16 million square feet of additional office, residential, hotel, and retail space. NoMa is home to more than 3,900 new apartments, and more than 40,000 people work in NoMa each day. With unparalleled transportation access via Amtrak, VRE, MARC, two Red Line Metro stops, and vehicular access to Interstate 395, visitors, workers and residents can easily travel throughout the region as well as to New York or anywhere on the East Coast. For more information about NoMa, visit www.nomabid.org and sign up for our bimonthly newsletter.
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For immediate release
News media contact:
Rachel Davis
202-997-3846
rdavis@nomabid.org
DC will spend some green to get some green in NoMa. Mayor Gray recently authorized $50 million for new parks in the fast-growing neighborhood.
Mayor Vincent Gray recently signed a measure to let the NoMa Business Improvement District (BID) spend $50 million in parks and public realm funds for the neighborhood.
The first of the parks is planned for the underpasses under the tracks approaching Union Station, on Florida Avenue and K, L, and M Streets NE. The NoMa Parks Foundation is evaluating at least four more sites for future green space in the area.
WASHINGTON, DC, April 14, 2014 – The NoMa Parks Foundation announces today an international design competition to transform four railroad underpasses in NoMa. The long hoped-for initiative will turn the underpasses at Florida Avenue, NE, and K, L and M Streets, NE, into stunning contemporary art installations, and further strengthen east-west connections in NoMa and to Capitol Hill.
Qualifications are due May 9, 2014 and will be followed by a formal RFP issued to qualified entrants. Neighborhood residents could begin to see installation start as early as 2015. Details about the competition can be found at www.NoMaUnderpasses.org.
“With this enormously exciting project, we envision each NoMa underpass not only becoming an inspiring and engaging space but, together, they will comprise a signature moment in NoMa,” said Charles (Sandy) Wilkes, Chairman of the NoMa Parks Foundation Board of Directors.
By transforming these thoroughfares with a series of interactive design solutions, NoMa will ensure these spaces are vibrant, safe, dynamic and inviting for vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic moving through the neighborhood. As the NoMa Parks Foundation and the NoMa BID begin to implement projects from the 2012 Public Realm Design Plan, we are closely following the community input that played a strong role in the decision to move this particular project forward.
The NoMa Parks Foundation seeks artists and designers who will envision bold, creative approaches to the underpasses. Finalists will receive stipends to refine their ideas prior to final selection. The selected artists/designers will be responsible for final design and oversight of installation.
This design competition is the first project to be funded by the $50 million grant from the District of Columbia government to improve parks and public spaces in the NoMa neighborhood.
About NoMa
NoMa is a vibrant, growing neighborhood nestled between Union Station, the U.S. Capitol, Shaw, and the H Street, NE corridor in Washington, D.C. Over the last several years, private developers have invested more than $5 billion in the 35-block area within the NoMa BID boundary, and have plans to develop more than 16 million square feet of additional office, residential, hotel, and retail space. With a capital investment of $50 million from the District government in 2013, NoMa will soon have great new parks and public spaces as well. NoMa is home to more than 3,900 terrific new apartments, and more than 40,000 people work here each day. NoMa is the most connected neighborhood in Washington, D.C. With unparalleled transportation access on Amtrak, VRE, MARC, two Red Line Metro stops, and vehicular access to Interstate 395, visitors, workers and residents can easily travel throughout the region as well as get to New York or anywhere on the East Coast. NoMa has a WalkScore of 92 and offers great biking facilities, including three free outdoor air pumps, the East Coast’s only Bikestation, the 8-mile Metropolitan Branch Trail, and seven Capital Bikeshare stations. The NoMa BID organizes more than 50 free award-winning community events each year, connecting more than 20,000 friends and neighbors. For more information about NoMa, visit www.nomabid.org and sign up for our bimonthly newsletter. Follow us on Twitter @NoMaBID and like us on Facebook.
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For immediate release
News media contact:
Rachel Davis
202-997-3846
rdavis@nomabid.org
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