FAQ

About

• What exactly is being proposed?

  • • –   A mix of new homes, shopping, offices, a central park and smaller park areas is being proposed for this 25-acre property east of First Street, which is owned by the District of Columbia.
    • –   The redevelopment effort will pursue LEED-Neighborhood Development certification, ensuring it adheres to the latest environmental standards.
    • –   Careful planning is underway to incorporate the former sand filtration cells into the new development to honor the unique history of this site.

• What is the City’s view of this development?

  • • –   The City’s Economic Development Office expects that McMillan will become a unique place for the District, a special environment of civic infrastructure, green features and offices. Nearby medical campuses could expand here and possibly create 4,000 new jobs. McMillan is being planned as a set of pleasing parks and buildings – as another part of “Washington’s great urban fabric.”

• How much of the land will remain undeveloped?

  • • –   More than seven of the 25 acres will be reserved for active and passive green space, which is being thoughtfully designed by top urban design experts. Nearly all of the green space will be available to the general pubic.

• Is the entire reservoir property being developed?

  • • –   No. The reservoir west of First Street, which is still active, is owned and controlled by the federal government.

• What are the plans for the private aspects of the property?

  • • –   Townhomes are proposed on two blocks adjacent to Channing Street to complement the row home architecture on many of the surrounding streets.
    • –   Three or four apartment buildings are proposed, including affordable apartments for seniors.
    • –   Office buildings are proposed, targeting medical office uses
    • –   Neighborhood-serving retail will enliven the new development, including a possible grocery store.

• What’s the best estimate for this project to get started?

  • • –   After many years of community review and discussion, the City is now prepared to pursue entitlements for the master plan and buildings in 2012 and 2013. With approval from all the required regulatory bodies, infrastructure work would begin in 2013 and continue through 2016 to complete the buildings and the public green space.
    • –   The first visible development of buildings would begin in 2013 and continue through 2016, with historic preservation work and public amenities happening simultaneously.

• Is there a date when the entire development will be finished?

  • • –   If plans proceed as described, the new McMillan should be completed in 2016.

• Where are the latest studies of the site?

  • • –   We have included the most recent traffic study, storm water management study, fiscal impact analysis and historic reports on this site. Each has a long form version and an overview summary. The PUD process will include reviews of each by the appropriate city agency—DDOT reviews the traffic study and provides input; DDOE reviews the storm water management study; and the Historic Preservation Review Board reviews the historic report. Each review provides the opportunity for public input.

• What is the plan for storm water management on the site?

  • • –   The project, as built, will include a storm water management system that conforms to the 2013 regulations for such proposed by DDOE.  Specifically, the system will capture 100% of the first 1.5 inches of rainfall, capturing a total of 350,000 gallons of water, which will be treated and reused.  The unused portion of that water will be slowly released, over time, into the combined water and sewer system.  Additionally, the project will use trees, plants and porous pavers to help with the water management.  Our plan will vastly improve the current site condition, which does not manage any runoff.

• How will the plan impact traffic and transportation?

  • • –  The site will include both east-west streets and north south streets that will reconnect it to the city grid.  Additionally, traffic relief at 1^st and Michigan, North Capitol and Michigan and on Channing as a whole are integral parts of our plan.  VMP will build a transit hub into the site, and it will be a primary spot for accessing bus, bike and car share options.  Additionally, the team will advocate relentlessly for the addition of premium transit options to the neighborhood, in an effort to improve the ability to travel to and from the area.  Finally, the site will restore and expand the Olmstead walk around the site and include hiker-biker trails through the site, improving the overall ability to traverse the entire site.

• What is the plan for open space and historic preservation?

  • • –   The plan includes the preservation of all of the above ground items on site—silos, washers, change houses, cell doors and pathways.  Two of the underground cells will be preserved.  All of the preserved items have the potential for adaptive reuse: in the north court the structures will be incorporated into the overall super-local retail experience, with the potential for the underground cell to be used for a variety of innovative business concepts.  The southern court will include preservation and restoration of some of the structures to demonstrate their past uses and provide views across the site.  The other structures would be ideal light industrial space for local artists.  The preserved cell in the southern part of the site has been envisioned as part of a recreation/community center, providing a community use with a section preserved to provide more information about how the site originally functioned.

• Are there plans for a community or recreation center?

  • • –   Yes.  The current concept is targeted at 10,000 to 15,000 square feet and will include an appropriately sized pool.  Additionally, the center will have a workout room, a large flexible meeting room, smaller office rooms and a catering kitchen.  The center could provide the launching point for a self-guided tour of the site showing its history and community context.
      .

• Community Outreach

  Has the development team engaged the community?

  • –   Yes. The District of Government owns this property and it has hosted many community meetings, and will continue to engage the surrounding neighborhood as the project moves forward.
  • –   The City also initiated a lengthy community outreach process using the online Wikiplanning system, which involved many community members who freely and regularly offered their opinions.
  • –   Most of the resulting progress from the City’s outreach took place in 2010, which helped focus planning efforts and move the process forward towards the next step, the entitlement of the site.
  • – Since 2007, we have collected community input from numerous meetings, and here are examples of how the community feedback is reflected in the current plans.

• How will the community stay informed throughout the process?

  • • –   This website will be a new and primary source of information as progress occurs. Citizens are urged to sign up to receive email updates.
    • –   Community meetings will continue and there will be direct points of engagement during the next 3-4 years as plans move through the entitlement and site planning process.

• Are there more opportunities for citizen input?

  • • –   Yes. The City has made a commitment to the community to maintain communications with it on all aspects: entitlement, planning, preservation, development, nonprofit interests and more. The City vows that the new McMillan will be a community-driven process.

• Can the community aid or expedite this long process?

  • • –   Letters of support from individuals, community groups and the ANCs to appropriate City agencies are very important and will help advance the process.

• Has there been outreach to nearby academic and healthcare institutions?

  • –   Yes. This area is fortunate to have a significant university and healthcare presence and those institutions are very interested in the plans to develop McMillan.

• Housing

  How many residents will this development bring to the community?

  • • –   Plans are for about 800 new households in a combination of apartments and townhomes

• Will affordable housing be included?

  • • –   Yes. Residents made it clear throughout the engagement process that the plan must include not only affordable housing, but also specific affordable options for seniors wishing to age in place. As a result the current plan includes 758 units of affordable and workforce housing over a broad spectrum of pricing, and with options for adults across many age and income categories. In addition to a planned senior housing building, which will be 100% affordable, there will also be affordable housing units available to rent and to own onsite.

• Retail – Office

  Will there be retail at McMillan?

  • • –   Yes, the Master Plan calls for retail, which will likely be a mix of independents and national names. Some sit-down restaurants can be expected as well as neighborhood-serving, fast-casual dining spots.

• Will there be a grocery store?

  • • –   There is a desire for a grocery but that is dependent on the number of households and nearby competition.

• Is there opportunity for the community to provide input on its wants and needs?

  • • –   Yes, definitely. It’s important that the community is involved so it can advocate for top quality retailers

• Will there be offices?

  • • –   The Master Plan does call for offices targeting the adjacent medical users.

• Development Team

  How was the development team selected?

  • • –   The City conducted a competitive, public process in 2006-2007 to enlist experienced real estate developers to plan and develop the site.  The Vision McMillan Partners team was selected  as the District’s development partner through that process.  That team will work with the City through the entitlement phase and development phases of the project to deliver high-quality development to the site. Learn more about the McMillan Public Private Partnership.