Comments on: After A Very Long Time – Nehemiah Shopping Center Demolition Finally Happens!

By: Rambuncle

Rambuncle — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:46:40 +0000

(I am pretty liberal, but the American small business still is my absolute economic ideal)

I’d like to know what this sentence means. Do you consider liberals anti-small business? If so, why? If not, why make the above statement?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 02:37:09 +0000

i spent a day with dc fems while they “practiced” tearing the place to pieces several months ago. the inside of the place was crazy – some stores still had inventory. until they took the steel saw to it, of course.

By: New2CH

New2CH — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:45:13 +0000

I think Prince’s putting two different ideas in one post has confused some folks — that design is for the Park Triangle space, NOT the former Nehemiah Center, which is going to be replaced by condos with ground floor retail. So no worries Steve and U. As for that design, I think it is basically OK but I really hope they do all they can to get some more greenery / shrubs / grass in there, because there is very little green anywhere in northern columbia heights as is.

Agreed that the District has to do more to help 14th Street north of Tivoli. Some quality small businesses are starting to fill in, some signage is starting to improve, and the Allegro opening will help, but it is still a pretty dicey walk up towards Red Derby. Improving the street scape to bring it in line with what is being done elsewhere on 14th would really help.

By: Heather

Heather — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:44:09 +0000

Whoa, for a second I thought you meant they were putting that horrific streetscape where Nehemiah is, but that’s just the silly concrete area by the Metro between Kenyon and Park, right?

Does anyone know what’s going where Nehemiah is?

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:33:01 +0000

Looks like another great spot to sell drugs. Sad. I hate to say it, but that sight would have been better off being developed. Sigh.

By: U

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 15:25:42 +0000

Yea, I’m not very excited by the design, or even by the decision to put that sort of concept there. Why would anyone sit there when Malcolm X Park is one block away? This is going to be a horribly underused addition to the neighborhood. Retail to connect Columbia Heights to U street would have been more welcome (especially with all those gigantic condo buildings going up there).

By: GforGood

GforGood — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:45:33 +0000

2012.

What I worry about is whether they will do anything about the sidewalks/street scape North of the project area. It would, to me, make imminent sense to make sure there is not a huge contrast between a shiny shiny new area and the blocks immediately next to it.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:11:54 +0000

wow looks great…. a landscrape of concrete !

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:38:44 +0000

The boarded up vacant shopping center was such an eyesore, so glad they have finally begun to demolish it.

By: Neener

Neener — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 04:03:16 +0000

While I never lived close to this shopping center, I was threatened many times at the gas station, both figuratively and, yes, literally. For years in the late 80s/early 90s we used to mock it when driving north on 14th. It was a Mayor Barry era embarassment to the city and an affront to American entrepreneurship.

(I am pretty liberal, but the American small business still is my absolute economic ideal)