2412.1 Bladensburg Road extends from the starburst intersection at H Street and Benning Road approximately 2.7 miles northeast to the District/Maryland border. The road is an important community gateway, providing access to the National Arboretum and residential neighborhoods in Upper Northeast, as well as a commuter route for suburban communities in Prince Georges County. The road contains two distinct segments: the lower portion (addressed here) is south of New York Avenue. The upper portion (addressed in Section 2.4) is north of New York Avenue and is part of the South Central/Gateway and Fort Lincoln neighborhoods.

2412.2 Hechinger Mall anchors the lower end of the Bladensburg corridor. The mall was developed in 1982, in part to help bring retail back to Northeast Washington, DC following the period of economic hardship of H Street NE after the unrest in 1968. At one time, the 190,000-square-foot mall had one of the largest stores in the Hechinger chain, but today it serves as a community shopping center anchored by a supermarket, a pharmacy, and several national discount retailers. The adjacent Benning Road NE and Bladensburg Road NE are part of the H Street Main Street service area.

2412.3 The area immediately to the east includes the Langston Terrace and Carver Terrace public housing developments, historic Langston Golf Course, and the Schools on the Hill campus comprised of the former Spingarn Senior High School, Brown Junior High School, and Charles Young Elementary. The area has played an important role in the history of the District's Black community. Langston Terrace Dwellings was the District's first public housing complex and was designed by renowned Black architect Hilyard Robinson. When it opened in 1938, prospective residents had to be gainfully employed Black residents with children. The federally owned Langston Golf Course shares a similar history: when it opened in 1939, it was the only golf course in the city open to Black residents. The nearby 42-acre Schools on the Hill campus offers a scenic academic environment above the Anacostia River and is one of the largest complexes of public-school buildings in Washington, DC.

2412.4 The Hechinger Mall and Benning Road corridor is experiencing significant change, driven in part by the revival of northeast Capitol Hill, the H Street corridor, and the Anacostia waterfront area. Approximately 257 units of housing were delivered at Arboretum Place just north of Hechinger Mall. The mall itself offers long-term opportunities for redevelopment as a more pedestrian-friendly and urban mixed-use center, with additional square footage and possibly new uses, such as housing. Pedestrian-oriented retail storefronts along Bladensburg Road hold the potential for revival and restoration. The historic 42-acre Schools

on the Hill campus has also been considered as the showpiece for a dedicated academic environment, with new educational facilities, mixed-use development, and services that are integrated with the adjacent neighborhood. The H Street/Benning Road NE streetcar line started passenger service in 2016. The Spingarn streetcar and training facility was also completed at that time and includes space for light vehicle maintenance and a community room.

2412.5 Policy UNE-2.2.1: Mixed-Use Development Along Benning and Bladensburg Improve the overall appearance of Benning and Bladensburg Roads in the vicinity of Hechinger Mall. Pursue opportunities for additional pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use development fronting on these streets, including ground-floor retail uses and upper-floor housing. Housing opportunities should accommodate a mix of incomes, families, and other household units. Such development should be linked to transportation investments along these streets, including the streetcar along H Street/Benning Road NE.

2412.6 Policy UNE-2.2.2: Hechinger Mall Promote continued reinvestment in Hechinger Mall as a community shopping center. Support additional development on the Hechinger site, creating a more urban and safer pedestrian-oriented streetscape and adding new uses, such as housing. Housing opportunities should accommodate a mix of incomes, families, and other household units.

2412.7 Policy UNE-2.2.3: Arboretum Gateway Improve the visual quality of Bladensburg Road and enhance its function as a gateway to the National Arboretum.

2412.8 Policy UNE-2.2.4: Langston and Carver Terrace Sustain the Langston Terrace and Carver Terrace developments as essential housing resources for lower-income families. Historic Langston Terrace should be preserved.

2412.9 Policy UNE-2.2.5: Schools on the Hill Campus Improve the integration of the Schools on the Hill Campus (former Spingarn, Brown, Phelps, and Young Schools) with the adjacent Carver/Langston neighborhood.

2412.10 Policy UNE-2.2.6: Extension of H Street NE Arts District Work with area stakeholders to develop a strategy for promoting development of an arts district along the eastern end of Florida Avenue NE by considering linkages with the H Street NE arts and entertainment district and planned development on lower Bladensburg Road. Support additional development and visual improvements on the corridor.

2412.11 Action UNE-2.2.A: Crime Prevention Implement the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) plans outlined in the Benning Road Corridor Redevelopment Framework.

2412.12 Action UNE-2.2.B: Bladensburg Road Corridor Explore a tailored planning effort for the Bladensburg Road corridor that provides analysis and guidance for land use and urban design.

2412.13 Action UNE-2.2.C: Langston Golf Course Continue to work with the federal government to transform the Langston Golf Course into an appealing amenity for the surrounding neighborhoods.

2412.14 Action UNE-2.2.D: Connectivity Leverage the existing streetcar and continue to explore transit options to improve connectivity to RFK Stadium to the south and the Anacostia River to the east.

See the Capitol Hill Area Element for additional information.

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)).