Government
ANC gets illegal Uline Arena signs removed
The illegal signs on the west side of the Uline Arena are finally down. Dogged determination from the local ANC, rather than any city agency, managed to get a powerful owner to comply with the law.
Two of the large signs have been removed from the west wall of Uline Arena. Photos by the author.
The arena is at 3rd and M Streets NE in NoMA, just east of the railroad tracks. We first discussed the illegal signs in June 2011. A little over a month later, DCRA fined Douglas Development, the owner of the building, for illegal billboards. More than a year has passed, during which time Douglas appealed the ruling and fines.
While Douglas appeared to be successfully running out the clock by keeping the appeal active, another deadline became more pressing. The company needed an extension from the Board of Zoning Adjustment (case number 17809B) that required ANC 6C's approval. The ANC presented Douglas with a list of items the commission wanted completed before giving its consent.
The items on the list included:
- Painting/removing graffiti on the roof
- Fixing any openings providing access to the roof
- Fixing the leak in the side of the wall along the west side of the building
- Rebuilding the sidewalk at the corner of 3rd and M Streets (at the 3rd Street side)
- Getting Clear Channel to paint the billboard post (in the plaza area)
- Complying with any DCRA orders concerning the (potentially) illegal billboards at the west wall
- Installing additional fencing (approximately 4 feet high) to prevent cars from parking in public space at the M Street side of the "ice house" property, along with associated gates, benches and other site furnishings.
Number 6, you'll note, addresses the signs on the side of the building. Douglas Development could have responded that they believed the signs were legal and that their appeal would bear this out. Apparently, this wasn't an action they wished to pursue. Instead, the signs have come down, and other improvements for the historic, yet vacant, shell are underway.
Vines covering the south side of the building have also been cut and are beginning to wither away.
Kudos to the ANC for holding the developer's feet to the fire and getting a substantial set of actions in exchange for support. There's no reason a building can't be minimally (and legally) maintained while it's being warehoused for development, and ANC 6C has proven that's the case.
 | Geoff Hatchard is a geographer working for the U.S. Census Bureau. He lives in DC's Trinidad neighborhood. The opinions and views expressed in Geoff's writing on this blog are his, and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer.   |
Comments
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Kudos to them about the signs, and that too shows how that system's broken. Even after the fines, the signs remained.
by Matt on Oct 2, 2012 2:03 pm • link • report
As for the fencing, DPW rarely fines for cars illegally parked in public space. It's far easier (and can be more attractive) to install fences, planters, bollards, and other engineering controls.
The Uline Arena is one of the most historically significant private buildings in DC, and I know that Douglas is trying hard to find the right tenant for this space. Until then, these little fixes will help remove some of the negative impacts of such a large vacant building.
by Tony Goodman, ANC 6C04 on Oct 2, 2012 2:46 pm • link • report
Almost all of the "improvements" that the ANC has demanded are simply requests that Douglas comply with legal and building codes (as was the case the last time around when we asked the developer to brick up the dangerous gaping holes in the ice house).
How about something meaningful? My suggestion would be to ask Douglas to front some money to make sure that the trees on M St get watered. Every year I've lived here, DDOT and Casey Trees have planted new trees in front of the Uline Arena on M St, only to have them whither and die before the end of the year.
(Oh, and who exactly is the "right tenant" for that space? Haven't the 9:30 Club's owners been trying to buy/lease that space for years?)
by andrew on Oct 2, 2012 3:33 pm • link • report
by Kolohe on Oct 2, 2012 3:48 pm • link • report
Billboards in general are a form of blight, but when the ads are for blech stuff like fast food and liquor, it can get really depressing. And for some reason public transportation ads tend to be super depressing too. When I last rode Philly's SUPTA, the ads alone were enough to convince I was risking my life by entering the system.
by M.V. Jantzen on Oct 2, 2012 4:16 pm • link • report
wrt andrew's point about 9:30 Club. Yes, since at least 2007 IMP has attempted to get "a meeting" with Douglas Development and they expressed interest in buying (or leasing) the building. While there may have been meetings, their expressions of interest were never taken seriously by DD.
I suggested in 2003 I think that the building could have been managed in association with XM Satellite as "XM Satellite Coliseum" to build that company's brand and business and bring new life to the facility.
So yes, I do think it is disingenuous the now Douglas Dev. people talk about "their ideas" to use the building for music.
by Richard Layman on Oct 2, 2012 5:11 pm • link • report
by Tom Coumaris on Oct 2, 2012 6:52 pm • link • report
by aces on Oct 2, 2012 10:53 pm • link • report
by ontarioroader on Oct 2, 2012 11:23 pm • link • report
by Sunny Florida Avenue on Oct 2, 2012 11:25 pm • link • report
Douglas can be quite shameful at times, such as in the care of this building.
by H Street LL on Oct 3, 2012 7:35 am • link • report
by Ward 6 Resident on Oct 3, 2012 10:12 am • link • report
by Steve on Oct 3, 2012 11:01 am • link • report
WRT DD, I don't think he's a slumlord exactly and should be heralded somewhat for his commitment to investing in the city. OTOH, it's not perfect. He gets ideas for each property and won't deviate from them (mostly) until they come true, even if it takes decades. And he works to get the highest rents possible, that's great for him, but not for variety and nonchain development. E.g., the Fuddruckers rent is $140/s.f.!!!!!!!!!!!!! That sure makes it unlikely a local will outbid them for such a prominent space.
by Richard Layman on Oct 3, 2012 2:33 pm • link • report
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