The Wizards and Capitals are staying put in their Chinatown home—and now, DC is looking to do some remodeling.
The Gallery Place Chinatown Taskforce, established by Mayor Muriel Bowser in January with the goal of revitalizing the neighborhood at a time when it looked likely to lose its most notable tenant, returned its first suggestions on Saturday, at an event called “8 Big Ideas” at the MLK Library, with Bowser in attendance.
The pitches, which can be viewed here, focused heavily on urbanizing the area, including making part of 8th Street a walkway, converting federal office space to residential development, and establishing more green space downtown. Here’s what Washingtonian found most enticing:
1. Offices to Homes
Perhaps the task force’s most ambitious proposal is its suggestion to redevelop three underused federal buildings in the Gallery Place area—the FBI Building, the Labor Department campus, and the Government Accountability Office building—into more than 7,000 units of residential space. While the FBI is set to vacate its offices for a new HQ in Greenbelt, the latter two agencies have no public plans to move.
2. The 8th Street “Gallery Walk”
This idea would add a pedestrian walkway down the center of 8th Street, beginning at the National Portrait Gallery—hence, the “Gallery Walk”—flanked by lanes of southbound and northbound traffic. The task force noted that 8th Street already exhibits low car traffic.
3. A New Square?
Similarly, the task force envisions “a civic commons and gathering space around the perimeter of the Reynolds Center,” with F Street also being opened up more for pedestrian access.
4. Greener Streets
The task force has recommended establishing shady “botanical streets” throughout the neighborhood, planting more trees to bolster DC’s urban canopy coverage. The task force also called for adding more green space to Judiciary Square.
5. Celebrating Chinatown
Paying homage to the neighborhood’s roots, the task force called for more festivals and events celebrating Chinese heritage, as well as potentially introducing a pop-up night market.
