Dupont Tunnels - Greater Greater Washington

And...

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 08:36:00 EDT

Dan Malouff has some pictures of a tour of the abandoned streetcar tunnels under Dupont Circle. (BeyondDC) ... WMATA is testing three-bike racks on some of its buses. (PlanItMetro) ... Google Maps returns to iPhone. (Post)

Comment

Weekend video: Buses and bike racks (Feb 19, 2011)
Arts groups trying to re-open Dupont's underground tunnels (Sep 12, 2008)
Dinner links: You should go to Monday's hearings edition (Jul 8, 2008)
ODMPED suddenly very eager to develop Dupont tunnels (Dec 11, 2009)
This weekend: kill with kindness and see Dupont houses (Oct 17, 2008)

Pop under in Dupont

Sat, 19 May 2012 10:39:00 EDT

by David Edmondson

The Dupont Underground has languished so long without a major financial backer that the steering board is considering short-term leases of the space. Such pop-ups would raise visibility, but the board fears it would poorly brand the project and make it less attractive to institutional investment. (City Paper)

Comment

ODMPED suddenly very eager to develop Dupont tunnels (Dec 11, 2009)
Dupont tunnels likely to contain arts and a winery (Oct 21, 2010)
Artists still waiting to revitalize Dupont Underground (Oct 19, 2009)
I Wish This Were... in Dupont Circle, part 1 (May 30, 2011)
Old zoning forces unneeded parking on Dupont building (Sep 7, 2011)

Build down instead of up?

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 08:13:00 EDT

by Steven Yates

In a new urban planning effort to "eat every part of the animal," planners are considering the idea of retrofitting old, unused underground spaces for parks and recreation, including the Dupont tunnels. (Salon, Brian C.)

Comment

Arts groups trying to re-open Dupont's underground tunnels (Sep 12, 2008)
Artists still waiting to revitalize Dupont Underground (Oct 19, 2009)
Dupont tunnels likely to contain arts and a winery (Oct 21, 2010)
I Wish This Were... in Dupont Circle, part 1 (May 30, 2011)
ODMPED suddenly very eager to develop Dupont tunnels (Dec 11, 2009)

And...

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 09:15:00 EDT

by Eric Fidler

The still somewhat secret plans for the Dupont tunnels might include decking the Connecticut underpass. (Atlantic Cities) ... Should Manhattan add landfill to connect to Governors Island? (NYT) ... Governor McDonnell appointed his 2 new members of the MWAA board with jet speed. (Washington Times)

Comment

McDonnell trying to take WMATA seats from NoVA (Jun 4, 2010)
Govs, Fenty should lead instead of whining about WMATA (Apr 20, 2010)
Distribute enforcement camera money to residents, Alaska-style (Dec 9, 2009)
MWAA: A public authority in even more need of scrutiny (Mar 7, 2011)
If those who pay for transit should pick the WMATA Board, where are the rider reps? (Jun 18, 2010)

And...

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:30:00 EDT

by Eric Fidler

DC for the Dupont Underground within a yearmay finalize a lease for Dupont Underground within a year. (DCist) ... Falls Church tops the commonwealth in recycling. (Post) ... A 1974 bus strike caused parking havoc in downtown DC, when what's now the Reagan Building was a huge parking lot. (Atlantic)

Comment

Dupont tunnels likely to contain arts and a winery (Oct 21, 2010)
ODMPED suddenly very eager to develop Dupont tunnels (Dec 11, 2009)
Green companies' marketers miss the point (Aug 10, 2009)
Pay by phone for parking in DC starting Monday (Apr 9, 2010)
Artists still waiting to revitalize Dupont Underground (Oct 19, 2009)

Dupont underground movies?

Sat, 12 Nov 2011 09:42:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Tenants pondering using space in Dupont's underground tunnels include a movie theater and a big retailer. The revenue would help fund arts space in much of the tunnels. (City Paper)

Comment

Dupont tunnels likely to contain arts and a winery (Oct 21, 2010)
Artists still waiting to revitalize Dupont Underground (Oct 19, 2009)
Arts groups trying to re-open Dupont's underground tunnels (Sep 12, 2008)
ODMPED suddenly very eager to develop Dupont tunnels (Dec 11, 2009)
I Wish This Were... in Dupont Circle, part 1 (May 30, 2011)

How about an underground park?

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 12:33:00 EDT

by David Alpert

3 New Yorkers want to turn an old underground trolley terminal into a park, using fiber optics to get sunlight into the subterranean space. (New York Magazine) ... Could something similar work for the Dupont tunnels? Though Dupont doesn't lack for park space like the Lower East Side does.

Comment

Arts groups trying to re-open Dupont's underground tunnels (Sep 12, 2008)
Dupont tunnels likely to contain arts and a winery (Oct 21, 2010)
Artists still waiting to revitalize Dupont Underground (Oct 19, 2009)
I Wish This Were... in Dupont Circle, part 1 (May 30, 2011)
On the calendar: Lincoln Park CaBi tonight, tons Wednesday (Oct 18, 2010)

And...

Sat, 23 Jul 2011 15:14:00 EDT

by Eric Fidler

A new park is helping revive downtown Phoenix. (NAC) ... Are Amtrak's new locomotives a bad deal? (Streetsblog) ... A group beat the heat by touring the abandoned streetcar tunnels under Dupont. (via DCist)

Comment

Dupont tunnels likely to contain arts and a winery (Oct 21, 2010)
Arts groups trying to re-open Dupont's underground tunnels (Sep 12, 2008)
ODMPED suddenly very eager to develop Dupont tunnels (Dec 11, 2009)
I Wish This Were... in Dupont Circle, part 1 (May 30, 2011)
The Triboro RX (Jun 30, 2007)

I Wish This Were... in Dupont Circle, part 1

Mon, 30 May 2011 12:26:00 EDT

by M.V. Jantzen

Dupont Circle is considered to be a fully-developed neighborhood, and certainly during the District's tough years it was ahead of other areas. Yet there are still parts that are ripe for improvements.

Dupont Circle is surrounded by shops, cafes, and hotels, but the park itself is difficult to get in and out of. Its four lanes of counter-clockwise traffic are divided into two parts, with the inner part serving as Massachusetts Ave, and the outer part working as a typical traffic circle for the other four streets intersecting the park.

Pedestrians can connect from the three avenues (Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire) but not the two streets (19th and P). At the Connecticut and New Hampshire crossings, pedestrians have to wade through two levels of traffic signals, waiting for the second on a narrow concrete median, not wide enough for bikes, and without room for more than a single wheelchair.

In 2006 the Project for Public Spaces put Dupont Circle in its Hall of Shame, saying "the road around the Circle is two lanes too wide, and the connections from the interior park to the edges could be dramatically improved."

To make the park more accessible, Massachusetts Ave's inner roadway should be removed, with Massachusetts Ave traffic merging in a simpler two-lane circle.

This blog has already suggested we put a lid on Connecticut Avenue. The block of the underpass north of Dupont Circle and south of Q St should be decked over to give us a new park.

The new park would connect the two distant halves of Connecticut Ave, expand the circle's green space, and might even provide a better home for the farmers market.

The biggest missed opportunity is under our noses. Where planters fill the Connecticut Ave medians, we once had trolleys that dipped below the surface, and came to rest in two semi-circular (and unconnected) platforms. That underground space should be given a use that opens it to the public.

The space became vacant when the streetcars stopped running in 1962. In 1995 the western half was turned into a food court called Dupont Down Under, which soon failed, and tied up the space with lawsuits.

Last year a group called The Arts Coalition for Dupont Underground (ACDU) presented the only submission for the city's call for proposals. The underground space is so vast, their art space would use up only part of the tunnels, so their proposal included a restaurant and a winery.

It is a shame the city can't take the initiative to clean the space up, so it can at least be used for temporary events while ACDU gathers funding.

Nearby, another vacant government space is showing how commercial and artistic organizations can team up to revitalize a dormant space: a building at 14th & Florida is being used by BYT and Art Whino to host Vitaminwater� Uuncapped Live. Dupont's tunnels could foster similar events. Residents have proposed many other alternatives, but without investors this is wishful thinking. Ideas have included a dance club, a gym, a storage facility, and a pool hall. And even a sex club has been given serious consideration.

A clean, empty space will give rise to many creative temporary uses.

I Wish This Were... is a series where contributors imagine a better use for vacant properties and poorly-conceived public spaces in the DC area.

26 comments

I Wish This Were... in Dupont Circle, part 2 (Jun 1, 2011)
Dupont tunnels likely to contain arts and a winery (Oct 21, 2010)
Artists still waiting to revitalize Dupont Underground (Oct 19, 2009)
I Wish This Were... in Dupont Circle, part 3 (Jun 4, 2011)
Arts groups trying to re-open Dupont's underground tunnels (Sep 12, 2008)

Can the new Dupont Underground succeed?

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 08:28:15 EDT

by Erik Weber

Are the old streetcar tunnels under Dupont Circle doomed to failure? While underground retail is risky business, Richard Layman fails to note that the new galleries may position themselves as destination retail. (RPUS, Eric Fidler)

Comment

Dupont tunnels likely to contain arts and a winery

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 11:04:00 EDT

by David Alpert

The Arts Coalition for the Dupont Underground, which seeks to develop the old trolley tunnels into arts space, is the only eligible bidder and will likely soon begin lease negotiations, representatives from the coalition announced last night. Besides including arts space, they hope to include a restaurant and winery.

The coalition will seek a 50- or 100-year lease on the space from DC. To afford the ongoing costs, they plan to use some of the space for arts events and some for the restaurant and winery or other "concessions." A winery would use the underground space to actually make wine as well as serve it.

The first phase of the project would cost $10 million to build, including 20,000 square feet for arts and 20,000 for the businesses. The full space is 100,000 square feet. No money will come from the DC government as part of the deal.

Besides the concession revenue, they hope to rent out the space to other large arts organizations, like the Phillips, Corcoran, and Katzen Center, who sometimes need larger spaces than they have. They are also talking with the Corcoran about giving some space to artists as long-term studio space, similar to the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria.

There was one other bid, to operate a winery, from the group that owns Buffalo Billiards and other pool halls. According to architect Julian Hunt, DMPED extended the bidding deadline at the last minute so the winery group could submit a bid. However, Hunt their bid was ultimately found not to qualify. The Arts Coalition has reached out to that group to see if they would still like to run their business as one of the concessions.

There are two tunnels, one on either side of Connecticut Avenue, each with four stairways. The team expects to turn some into elevators including a freight elevator. Others may become openings for mechanical equipment like HVAC.

Some neighborhood leaders have asked about the possibility of returning the space to trolley use if one day DC builds a streetcar on Connecticut Avenue. Streetcars are unlikely to come to Dupont soon since it's already well served by transit, doesn't need economic development, and reopening the tunnels at the ends would require ripping out the existing medians. Still, it would seem to make sense to structure the deal so that DC could get the space back sooner, perhaps with some payment, if circumstances changed and DC determined it to be worthwhile.

26 comments

ODMPED suddenly very eager to develop Dupont tunnels (Dec 11, 2009)
Arts groups trying to re-open Dupont's underground tunnels (Sep 12, 2008)
Artists still waiting to revitalize Dupont Underground (Oct 19, 2009)
ARTS report balances bars and arts, requirements and bonuses (Sep 9, 2009)
On the calendar: Lincoln Park CaBi tonight, tons Wednesday (Oct 18, 2010)

Development approvals not stopping

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 16:06:29 EDT

by Steven Glazerman

Mayor Fenty is moving forward on development projects during his last months in office, including Dupont Underground, Hill East, Franklin School, and Bruce Monroe. DMPED officials say they are working with presumptive Mayor-elect Gray. (WBJ, Steven Glazerman)

Comment

Then and Now: Monroe School auditorium (Sep 29, 2009)
Bruce-Monroe won't stay a park, might not be a school (Jul 30, 2010)
Bruce-Monroe to get "temporary urbanism" over parking lot (Mar 11, 2010)
Will one old school become a new school? (Oct 7, 2010)
Should urbanists be nervous about Vince Gray? Part 3: Does Gray believe in Smart Growth? (Aug 12, 2010)

On the calendar: Lincoln Park CaBi tonight, tons Wednesday

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 13:12:00 EDT

by David Alpert

There's no need to stay home Wednesday evening, since at least five fascinating and/or important events are vying for your time. First, tonight is the showdown over placing a Capital Bikeshare station at Lincoln Park.

Photo by Rukasu1 on Flickr.

ANC 6A, which covers the area northeast of the park, is meeting tonight to discuss the controversy over placing a station in the area.

The meeting starts at 7 pm in the Community Room of the Capitol Hill Towers, 900 G St, NE. If you live in the neighborhood, be there to make sure the ANC, DDOT, and other neighbors hear your voice. We've criticized DDOT for simply assuming a few complaints reflect the broader community; now we need to make sure DDOT actually hears the broader community.

There are four of Vince Gray's town halls left, Tuesday in Columbia Heights, Thursday in Barry Farm, next Tuesday in that area that few agree what to call it, the part of 14th Street north of Spring Road, and next Wednesday on H Street.

And Wednesday is a community meeting extravaganza. I wish I could split myself into five people that night.

The Arts Coalition for Dupont Underground will discuss their plans to turn the old trolley tunnels under Dupont Circle into a performance and exhibition space. Up the Red Line, DDOT will discuss pedestrian and bicycle safety in their Rock Creek West II Livability study.

In the aforementioned hard-to-name 14th Street neighborhood, the Office of Planning will talk about revitalizing retail. And farther east, the Historic Preservation Office, HPO, and Councilmember Muriel Bowser will discuss the Takoma Theatre, a landmark that's become a controversial flashpoint on historic preservation versus development debates.

If the federal sphere is more your thing, NCPC is hosting White House officials to talk about how agencies are responding to President Obama's directive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. GSA has done a lot; I'd like someone to ask why the Park Service, which ought to be one of the greenest agencies, isn't pulling its weight.

4 comments

On the calendar: Lockwood, Gray, Walter Reed, McMillan Sand, Lincoln Park CaBi, retro bikes and much more (Oct 14, 2010)
DDOT will place CaBi station on NE corner of Lincoln Park (Oct 23, 2010)
Lincoln Park CaBi station decision imminent (Oct 19, 2010)
On the calendar: 17th, 18th, bike lanes and streetcars (Jul 29, 2009)
Lincoln Park CaBi station canceled after complaints (Sep 30, 2010)

Dupont tunnels: Public money or not?

Mon, 24 May 2010 08:54:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Roger Lewis thinks DC should make the Dupont trolley tunnels a great civic amenity using some public and private money, as New York did with the High Line, instead of requiring an all-private project as they are in the current RFP. (Post) ... The arts coalition bidding for the space thinks they can fund a rehab on their own, and is raising money right now.

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Trolley tunnel RFP released

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 15:00:00 EDT

by David Alpert

DMPED has released the RFP for developing the trolley tunnels under Dupont Circle. Any development would be a lease rather than a sale so the District could potentially restore their use for streetcars one day. Arts groups will bid on the space; will any retailers or other private uses also make a bid? (DCmud)

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Spelunking below Dupont

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 08:59:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Community leaders and reporters including Katherine Shaver got to tour the old trolley tunnels under Dupont Circle. Arts groups are still interested in bidding for the space. (Post)

Comment

ODMPED suddenly very eager to develop Dupont tunnels

Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:07:00 EDT

by David Alpert

After years of inaction, DC economic development officials want to quickly find use for the long-empty streetcar tunnels under Dupont Circle.

Current condition of the tunnels. Image from conoperative.

At the Dupont Circle ANC (2B) meeting last night, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (ODMPED) representative Neil Goradia said that they have finally worked out the legal issues around the lease, and are eager to move ahead with an RFP for the site. So eager, in fact, that they are hoping to release the RFP this month and simultaneously collect community feedback between now and the end of December.

But why the sudden urgency? ANC representatives repeatedly asked why this process was being accelerated beyond the typical schedule for an RFP. Just a few weeks for community input isn't much, they said, especially with the holidays. Goradia could only say that he had been instructed to move this project forward.

Does ODMPED have a particular project in mind and is trying to rush the project through to minimize other submissions or opposition? We don't know, but it smells that way.

It doesn't help that many past bad experiences have built up substantial mistrust toward ODMPED. They have frequently passed over good projects with community support for bad ones and ignored the long-term public interest in favor of short-term gain, either financially for the city or for favored developers. That may or may not be happening here, but the timing and lack of explanation is suspicious.

While the Arts Coalition for Dupont Underground had been pushing for an RFP so they could try to secure a lease, this came as a surprise to them as well, ACDU's Adam Griffiths said at the meeting.

Some people asked about the possibility of restoring the space as a streetcar station in the future. Goradia said that ODMPED is talking with DDOT about their plans and may go for a shorter-term lease to accommodate that. Griffiths said WPA would be happy to use the space on such a basis, as rehabilitating it for gallery and performance space doesn't require a very extensive buildout, unlike most other uses.

DDOT has no plans to build a streetcar on Connecticut Avenue, and with a Metro line there, the need has diminished a great deal since a streetcar last ran under Dupont. Still, this was built as a streetcar station and if a streetcar ever comes back to the area, it should certainly use the station.

ANC 2B asked ODMPED to follow the normal process and allow more time for input. Either way, what do you think should go in the space? I think the arts space would be terrific, and should get one of the two tunnels. Several of you also suggested a bike station in the past. If ODMPED wanted to link development to achieving some of DC's sustainability goals, it could ask a private institution using one tunnel to reserve space and one of the stairways for a bike station.

One of the two tunnels. Image from Hunt Laudi Studio.

33 comments

Dupont tunnels likely to contain arts and a winery (Oct 21, 2010)
Artists still waiting to revitalize Dupont Underground (Oct 19, 2009)
Arts groups trying to re-open Dupont's underground tunnels (Sep 12, 2008)
On the calendar: Lincoln Park CaBi tonight, tons Wednesday (Oct 18, 2010)
Dupont's 18th Street next for reconstruction (May 16, 2008)

Artists still waiting to revitalize Dupont Underground

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:28:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Beneath Dupont Circle lie two long, dank tunnels that were once a bustling underground streetcar station. A coalition of arts groups want to reactivate the space for arts exhibition and performance, but they need community support and action from the Deputy Mayor's office.

Dupont's tunnels.

The tunnels became empty in 1962, as DC was dismantling its streetcar system. Today, the only remnant is the many covered staircases surrounding the circle, which now look more like utility shafts. In 1995, one developer tried to turn the space into a food court, but that project failed quickly and morphed into drawn-out litigation. As reported a year ago, a number of arts groups have banded together to propose renovating the space into a shared arts exhibition and performance space.

Arts space could succeed where fast food failed. Food establishments rely on foot traffic for much of their patronage, and a dark, cavernous underground tunnel is not exactly the ideal dining space. The tunnel is curved, reducing sight lines. But exhibitions and performances typically don't want outside light, and people travel to them purposefully rather than happening by.

Concept sketch for Dupont Underground. Image from Hunt Laudi Studio.

What's the holdup? The organization, the Arts Coalition for Dupont Underground, has been waiting for city government to release an RFP for a new lease. Initially, an outstanding contract mandated that only adjacent property owners could bid for the space, according to coalition representative Adam Griffiths. But, of course, the adjacent owners already have space on Dupont Circle, and aren't necessarily interested in this. The DC Council passed a law voiding that requirement, but the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development has still not moved ahead.

Recently, DMPED officials also told Griffiths and the Coalition that they wanted to conduct community discussions about the future of the space. As a Dupont Circle resident, I think the arts would be a great use for this space where commercial enterprises are unlikely to succeed. Many other residents have expressed enthusiasm for this arts option. It's worthwhile to also consider other possibilities, but would any work?

Back in 2003, the Dupont Circle ANC discussed potential uses (DOC). Suggestions included a movie theater, DC permit offices, storage for nearby residents, and retail. Some suggested a gay and lesbian museum, but GLBT officials were unenthusiastic about the symbolism of locating a museum underground for a civil rights issue that spent too many decades in the figurative closet.

In any event, DMPED has still also not scheduled community meetings, and the coalition is still waiting for the opportunity to bid and begin real fundraising. If they can secure a lease, the coalition will still face obstacles. The tunnels are in bad shape from years of neglect and the water that inevitably collects in underground spaces unless actively removed. They hope to raise money to renovate a small portion of the space for about $100,000, then begin a capital campaign to fund the remainder of a Phase 1 build-out at a cost of about $500,000.

There are actually two tunnels, one on each side of the circle. The group currently proposed to use the western tunnel, which is closer to more of the existing galleries and the P Street commercial area. The tunnels are also much longer than just surrounding the circle, though all of the entrances are on the circle; they include long, straight segments along Connecticut from R nearly to N Streets. The coalition would use the circular section for programming and small pieces of the straight portions for storage. Conceivably, the eastern tunnel could go to another use, if another company or organization were interested enough and could afford to renovate that space.

Concept plan for Dupont Underground. Image from Hunt Laudi Studio.

31 comments

ODMPED suddenly very eager to develop Dupont tunnels (Dec 11, 2009)
Dupont tunnels likely to contain arts and a winery (Oct 21, 2010)
Arts groups trying to re-open Dupont's underground tunnels (Sep 12, 2008)
On the calendar: Lincoln Park CaBi tonight, tons Wednesday (Oct 18, 2010)
What's green and fun in the spring? A Greenbelt bike tour, a Dupont green festival, and bike fundraisers (Apr 6, 2010)

Arts groups trying to re-open Dupont's underground tunnels

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 11:06:00 EDT

by David Alpert

A coalition of arts groups is trying to raise money and get a lease from the city to re-open the old trolley tunnels under Dupont Circle as a new art gallery and event space. Here's their flyer.

Former entrance to Dupont Down Under. Photo by buschap on Flickr.

The tunnels form two semicircles on either side of the underpass. They were built in the 1940s for trolley cars to stop on their way up and down Connecticut Avenue. When trolley service ended in 1962, the tunnels became abandoned until 1995, when the Dupont Down Under food court tried to reuse the space. It closed within a year, and became tied up in litigation between the developer and the city.

In 2003, the Business Journal reported that a sports club was trying to reopen in the space. Nothing came of that. When ballpark construction displaced several adult gay clubs in Southeast, Councilmember Jim Graham suggested relocating some of them to the tunnels. Community opposition predictably killed that idea. WashCycle suggested a bicycle station for bicycle commuters to park-and-ride onto Metro. GGW commenters discussed the idea here.

An art gallery and event space could be a great use for the area. Galleries don't need so many windows, and the odd shape shouldn't be a deterrent. The space exists; we should take advantage of it to bring more life to Dupont Circle.

21 comments

Artists still waiting to revitalize Dupont Underground (Oct 19, 2009)
Dupont tunnels likely to contain arts and a winery (Oct 21, 2010)
ODMPED suddenly very eager to develop Dupont tunnels (Dec 11, 2009)
This weekend: kill with kindness and see Dupont houses (Oct 17, 2008)
Feet in the Street Saturday in Fort Dupont (Aug 28, 2009)