Construction has started in the lot at 5th and Eye, but it is not for development.  The lot is being turned into a parking lot temporarily until development for the Arts at 5th and Eye begins. From the Deputy Mayor’s Office:

 

“The parking use is temporary and will not replace the planned hotel development.… David Jannarone and I informed the community leadership about the parking project in a November meeting at the Wilson Building.  The community leaders who attended the meeting included ANC Karen Wirt, ANC Charley Docter, ANC Keith Silver, and a Neighborhood Association Leader, Miles Grove.  The community leaders expressed the community’s interest in a dog park.  David and I explained that the District opted to choose an income-producing temporary use.” -Clint Jackson

 

 

Washington Post, Saturday, January 30, 2010

 

A few years ago, Mount Vernon Triangle was an area known for parking lots and prostitution. Today, it is a popular destination in the District for young homebuyers, where new high-rise condos sit amid remnants of what was once an urban wasteland.

 

The neighborhood didn't happen by accident. In the early 2000s, the redevelopment of downtown and Penn Quarter was in full bloom, and builders were looking eastward for more opportunities. Underdeveloped but with great proximity to downtown and public transit, they turned to the area just east of Mount Vernon Square. In 2002, the city and developers launched an initiative to revitalize the area. The Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District (CID), established in 2004, coordinates the initiative, provides community services like cleaning and safety, and markets the nascent neighborhood. Six years later, the housing inventory in Mount Vernon Triangle has grown from about 500 residential units to 2,000, effectively quadrupling the population of the neighborhood.  For the rest of the article, click here.