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I live on the other side of the reservoir in Park View. And what I've never understood about the McMillan site debate is the concern about "the architecture and scale of its surroundings."

For the several dozen townhouses along North Capitol and Channing Streets, it seems it would be relatively easy to front the development with townhouses or low 2-4 story buildings that are then stepped up to larger buildings.

Other than that, you have to the west a reservoir protected by barbed-wire fences. To the north, an assortment of anti-urban hospital complexes with as many architectural styles as buildings. Catty-corner you have the Cloisters, protected from its surroundings by fences. And behind the neighborhood of townhouses on North Capitol - sometimes only one house deep - you have two very large cemeteries and suburban-style college campuses.

Given its near-isolation, it seems that for the development to be successful there would need to be a fair number of people working, living and/or shopping there. And it would help developers pay for things like shuttles to Metro stations, accelerated streetcar plans, or open space if they were able to build more densely.

I wish I'd been free to attend one of the salons. I would have liked to hear first hand how "retail and residential" need to be qualified by "building community pride and city identity." It seems to me that - in the middle of the city - shops, homes and offices should be more than incidental concessions to a project of this magnitude.

by Patrick on Oct 29, 2010 3:08 pm • link • report