Saturday, September 19, 2009

*goodlinks: expect the unexpected


vacant home on W Street SE - ready for revival

A Class 4 tax rate for blight? via Washington Business Journal
the DC Council recently lowered the vacant property tax rate from $10 per $100 of assessed value to $5. But Ward 4 councilwoman Bowser is fighting to recognize the benefit of a higher tax: property owners are finally acting.

Art Monk and Charles Mann Sell Former City Property for Millions, Bail On Anacostia Job Training Center, via Washington City Paper
for many years the Good Samaritan Foundation has been promising to open a job training center in the old Carver Theater on MLK Ave near the metro station. Now its former-Redskins founders have sold the building to Howard Road Academy. Another school on our main street within a block from Metro?

And We've Got Tracks, via Barry Farm (re)Mixed
the Anacostia Streetcar Line is finally under construction, and tracks are actually being laid on Firth Sterling Avenue now. Nobody yet knows if this will be a boon for the neighborhood, but my fingers are crossed that investors and developers see this exciting new form of transportation as reason to start building.

11th Street Bridge Under Troubled Wires, via DC Mud
it's no secret that overhead wires aren't allowed in the Federal City, but now the National Capital Planning Commission is threatening to disallow wires crossing the new 11th Street Bridges, arguing that they might interrupt important views to the city's monumental core.

Waterfront Precidents
, via City Block
following up on a discussion about narrowing the Anacostia River to encourage more urban development on both sides, this blogger explores urban waterfronts around the world and compares their features to our own waterway.

2 comments:

Brandon Green said...

Ready for renewal is right--I see a lot of potential there!

Carrick said...

Hey,

Kojo Nnandi talked about this today and Prince of Petworth highlighted it. Can you share it too? WEAVE (the battered woman's assistance organization might have to close its doors. They only need another $10k in donations ($75k collected so far) by Sept 30 to stay open.

http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2009/09/help-save-a-local-non-profit-in-danger-of-closing/

Help Save a Local Non Profit in Danger of Closing
From an email:

“Think you could help us out? I am the Legal Director at a great local non-profit called WEAVE, Women Empowered Against Violence. WEAVE providers legal, counseling, and emergency services to survivors of domestic violence. It is one of the few organizations in the country that provides all of these services within one organization. We have one of four attorneys in the country who specializes in working with LGBTQ survivors of domestic violence. Sadly, WEAVE is on the verge of closing its doors. There has been some recent media coverage:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/19/AR2009091902383.html

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local-beat/WEAVE_Going_Away_Washington_DC.htm

Also, there is a happy hour fundraiser tomorrow night:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=153764874578&ref=mf

Please do what you do best and help spread the word so that we can keep doing what we do! www.saveweave.org.”