1911 AW-2.2 SOUTH CAPITOL STREET

1911.1 South Capitol Street is one of the District's four principal axes and marks the division between the District's southeast and southwest quadrants. It is an important part of the regional highway system, with traffic volumes of approximately 52,000 cars per day. The street provides many residents and visitors with their first view of the U.S. Capitol building and is an important gateway into Central Washington, DC.

1911.2 This symbolic role contrasts with the current state of the corridor. Awkwardly shaped properties, some vacant and others barricaded from public access, front the street between the U.S. Capitol and I-395. Elevated railroad tracks and freeway ramps obstruct vistas and the Capitol Power Plant is an additional presence. South of I-395, the street enters into a mix of new residential high-rise buildings, historic single-family homes, commercial uses, Nationals Park, and parking lots. South of the Frederick Douglass Bridge, these give way to an eclectic mix of industrial and utility uses along the shoreline, including a power plant.

1911.3 The transportation infrastructure in the area also creates a significant barrier to connectivity to surrounding areas. Both South Capitol Street and the Frederick Douglass Bridge need repair. South Capitol Street has no bike lanes, and sidewalks are minimal and unshaded. High-speed traffic and the lack of signalized intersections have been a deterrent to increasing active and safe bike and pedestrian access. These issues will be addressed as part of the South Capitol Street Corridor Project currently underway. This major capital project, extending across the Anacostia River, will make major streetscape improvements to South Capitol Street and create a new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge. This project represents the largest capital project that the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has ever undertaken.

1911.4 Since the mid-1990s, the District has been working with its federal partners to transform South Capitol Street into a grand urban boulevard with a mix of land uses and commemorative works that are more fitting of its role as a gateway to the national capital. Such a vision was first laid out in the 1997 NCPC Legacy Plan and later refined by the 2003 South Capitol Urban Design Study. A task force including federal and District representatives was convened in 2004 to develop design options and an open space framework for the corridor.

1911.5 Over the coming years, South Capitol Street will continue to be transformed into a waterfront gateway with new mixed-use development, green space, broad sidewalks, and a beautiful new and realigned Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge. High-density office, housing, and retail uses are envisioned along the corridor between I-395 and the shoreline. Nationals Park has become the

centerpiece of a new entertainment district that includes cultural attractions, retail, restaurants, row houses and high-density housing in the Capitol Riverfront/Navy Yard area. Near the foot of the reconstructed Frederick Douglass Bridge, an oval traffic rotary is planned to create a green commons for a future national memorial. Further south in Buzzard Point, the opening of Audi Field, the new stadium for the District's professional soccer team, is leading the transformation of this formerly industrial land into a new waterfront neighborhood with multiple mixed-use residential and commercial development planned or under construction.

See the Buzzard Point Policy Focus Area for further guidance.

1911.6 As the design and construction of the South Capitol Street Corridor Project continues into the coming years, through additional agency coordination this major infrastructure investment can achieve other District goals for the Lower Anacostia Waterfront Area. Plans will need to focus on the Buzzard Point waterfront, addressing issues such as land use compatibility transportation and access, urban design, and opportunities for new park and open space amenities. The Buzzard Point Vision Framework and Design Review Guide, completed by OP in 2017, provides urban design-based guidance to shape future public investments and private mixed-use development as part of Buzzard Point's transformation into a new waterfront community. The framework supports making South Capitol Street more pedestrian- and bike-friendly to and from Buzzard Point and includes recommendations to inform the design of the new Oval Park being created through the South Capitol Street Corridor Project. Plans for this area should improve connections between Southwest and the waterfront and retain and improve the established low-scale residential areas on the west side of South Capitol Street.

1911.7 Policy AW-2.2.1: South Capitol Street Urban Boulevard

Transform South Capitol Street into a great urban boulevard and walking street, befitting its role as a gateway to the U.S. Capitol and a major Anacostia River crossing. Development along the street should include a mix of federal, District, and private uses.

1911.8 Policy AW-2.2.2: Ballpark Entertainment District and Capitol Riverfront

Leverage the success of Nationals Park and Audi Field (the new professional soccer stadium), drawing residents, workers, and visitors to the Capitol Riverfront/Navy Yard area to catalyze additional development of the South Capitol Street corridor with retail, high-density residential, entertainment, and commercial uses.

1911.9 Policy AW-2.2.3: South Capitol Commemorative and Civic Uses

Incorporate ceremonial uses, such as memorials, plazas, monuments, museums, and other commemorative works, along the South Capitol Street corridor. The

revitalized street provides a significant opportunity to expand civic and cultural facilities beyond the confines of the monumental core.

1911.10 Policy A W-2.2.4: South Capitol Street Transit Improvements

Promote multimodal transportation improvements along the South Capitol Corridor, including transit options like streetcar or bus rapid transit, and improve pedestrian connections to the Navy Yard and Waterfront Metro stations1911.11 Policy A W-2.2.5: South Capitol Open Space

Create additional open space in the South Capitol Street corridor, including an oval traffic rotary and South Capitol commons, as well as new waterfront parks and plazas along the Anacostia shoreline.1911.12 Policy A W-2.2.6: South Capitol Neighborhood Buffers

The established communities adjacent to the South Capitol Street corridor, including the James Creek, Syphax Gardens, and Greenleaf Gardens housing developments and adjacent residential areas, shall be buffered from adverse impacts associated with increased development capacity and traffic relating to stadium area development. Avoid displacing these communities because they are an important part of Washington, DC's fabric and provide affordable housing resources for the Southwest community.1911.13 Action A W-2.2.A: Coordination with Federal Agencies

Continue to coordinate with the NCPC, the NPS, and other federal agencies on implementing the South Capitol Street Corridor Project.1911.14 Action A W-2.2.B: South Capitol Gateway

Create a civic or commemorative feature of national significance at the north end of the Frederick Douglass Bridge to celebrate this location as a riverfront and District gateway.1911.15 Action A W-2.2.C: South Capitol Transportation Improvements

Continue efforts to improve traffic flows and accommodate additional travel modes along South Capitol Street, including completion of the South Capitol Environmental Impact Statement and the reconstruction of the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge and related access points.

SOURCE: District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; 31 DCR 1049 (March 9, 1984)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Element Amendment Act of 1984, effective March 16, 1985 (D.C. Law 5-187; 32 DCR 873 (February 15, 1985)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-129; 37 DCR 55 (January 5, 1990)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989 NCPC-Recommended Amendments, and Closing of Public Alleys in Square 669, S.O. 88-452, Act of 1990, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-132; 37 DCR 2213 (April 6, 1990)); as amended by District Government Land Use Temporary Amendment Act of 1994, effective October 1, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-190; 41 DCR 5360 (August 12,

1994)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1994, effective October 6, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-193; 41 DCR 5536 (August 19, 1994)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Amendment Act of 1994, effective March 21, 1995 (D.C. Law 10-235; 42 DCR 30 (January 6, 1995)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1996 effective April 18, 1996 (D.C. Law 11-110; 43 DCR 530 (February 9, 1996)); as amended by Second Technical Amendments Act of 1996 effective April 9, 1997 (D.C. Law 11-255; 44 DCR 1271 (March 7, 1997)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 1998, effective April 27, 1999 (D.C. Law 12-275; 46 DCR 1441 (February 19, 1999)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1999, effective April 12, 2000 (D.C. Law 13-91; 47 DCR 520 (January 28, 2000)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2006, effective March 8, 2007 (D.C. Law 16-300; 54 DCR 924 (February 2, 2007)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 2008, effective March 25, 2009 (D.C. Law 17-353; 56 DCR 1117 (February 6, 2009)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2010, effective April 8, 2011 (D.C. Law 18-361; 58 DCR 908 (February 4, 2011)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2021, effective August 21, 2021 (D.C. Law 24-20; 68 DCR 006918 (July 16, 2021)).