The three alternative design plans for Eastern Market Metro Plaza Design Study are now available online. The comment period, which began July 1, ends Aug. 17th.
The goal of this project, according to the project’s website, is to transform the Eastern Market Metro Plaza into a town square and community park. The project hopes to create a beautifully landscaped and sustainable green space, as well as to link Eastern Market businesses with Barracks Row businesses and, by extension, to the new southeast waterfront community beyond.
One of the plans calls for improvements to the current layout – with Pennsylvania Avenue remaining where it is now. The other two plans re-route Pennsylvania Avenue Southeast in different ways. The three plans are known as Existing (improved); Triptych and Central Park.
This is supposed to be a long-term project (i.e. the shovels are not out) so there is time to ensure that the neighborhood gets what it wants—but it’s up to you to do the homework and make yourself heard, notes CHAMPS Executive Director Julia Christian.
As background, in 2007 a special Task Force, consisting of representatives from many Capitol Hill organizations, was established to initiate and subsequently guide an architectural design study to explore alternatives to improve the Eastern Market Metro Plaza and Park, as well as to better integrate Barracks Row and Eastern Market.
Barracks Row Main Street’s Task Force retained locally prominent architect Amy Weinstein, president of Weinstein Associates Architects, and her design team. Weinstein is also a lead architect on the Stanton/EastBanc proposal for Hine development. The Task Force held a public meeting at St. Peter’s Church on July 1st, at which three different designs alternatives for the Plaza were presented by Weinstein, and covered by THIH earlier this month.