MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release Julia Koster February 8, 2019 202-482-7211 or [email protected] Stephen Staudigl 202-482-7279 or [email protected]

NCPC Approves Preliminary Plans for National World War I Memorial Commission Approves Final Plans for South Capitol Street Corridor and Memorial Bridge Project Landscape Design

Washington, DC—At its February 7 meeting the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) approved preliminary site development plans for the National World War I Memorial submitted by the National Park Service in collaboration with the World War I Centennial Commission. The memorial, proposed for downtown Washington’s Pershing Park, will honor the service of members of the Armed Forces in World War I. The primary memorial components are a freestanding memorial wall with a sculptural element on one side and an inscription on the other, and a pool with a central plaza.

The Commission found that the design of the memorial wall’s inscription side is improved and noted that is reminiscent to the park’s original fountain. NCPC requested a lighting scheme for both sides to be part of its next review stage. The Commission supported the applicant’s preferred design for the central plaza with a single pedestrian connection. It recommended that the applicant consider different types and colors for the plaza’s paving materials to help reduce solar heat gain, in particular. NCPC also supported simple, horizontal signage at the park’s southeast and southwest corners to assist those seeking to enter the park. The Commission anticipates considering final development plans, the last stage in its review process, in late spring or early summer.

The Commission also approved final site development plans for the South Capitol Street Corridor’s landscape design submitted by the District Department of Transportation (DDOT). Components include a new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, esplanades and open spaces on the west and east sides of the bridge, four interpretative plaques on the bridge honoring Frederick Douglass, and rehabilitation of several parks along with the I-295 Interchange. NCPC appreciated DDOT’s responses to the Commission’s previous comments, noting that more trees and plants were added to the west oval’s southern end to help frame views of the bridge. NCPC also expressed its support for keeping the west oval’s center as an open lawn with clear views north towards the U.S. Capitol and as a potential site for a new memorial or piece of art. This concludes NCPC’s review of the bridge and associated projects. It is anticipated that the new span will open in 2021.

NCPC heard two information presentations before adjourning (note, no action is taken on information presentations). In the first, a representative from the Federal Railroad Administration discussed a study examining two potential routes for a Superconducting Maglev transportation system connecting Washington, DC and Baltimore. Plans call for a line extending from in Washington (two station locations are under consideration) to downtown Baltimore (to be located at either Camden Yards or Cherry Hill). There would be an intermediate stop at BWI Thurgood Marshall International Airport. 80 percent of the route, including both end stations, would be underground. A draft Environmental Impact Statement is anticipated for public review and comment in the fall of 2019. NCPC will review potential impacts of the system design on federal land.

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NCPC Media Release February 8, 2019 Page 2

The second information presentation provided an update on the National Native American Veterans Memorial, to be located in a 50-foot diameter plaza on the northeast portion of the National Museum of the American Indian grounds. The memorial will honor Native Americans who served in the United States Armed Forces. The memorial’s central feature would be a ceremonial warrior circle of honor. The outer ring would include bench seating. In the center a 12-foot wide vertical ring would sit atop a drum base. The Smithsonian seeks to dedicate the memorial on Veterans Day 2020.

This month’s agenda included one consent calendar item (no presentation given): 1. Antenna installations at the Theodore Roosevelt Federal Building, 1900 E Street, NW. (8034)

The Executive Director approved three items, under authority delegated by the Commission. 1. Preliminary and final site and building plans for a ground solar array facility at Oxon Run, 4669 South Capitol Street, SE. (8035) 2. Approval of a report to the Zoning Commission of the District of Columbia about a proposed zoning Text Amendment to St. Elizabeths Zones (Subtitle K). (ZC 12-08B) 3. Approval of a report to the Zoning Commission of the District of Columbia about a Southeast Federal Center (SEFC) Design Review for The Yards Parcel I and Square 744, Lot 807 - Forest City SEFC, LLC. (ZC 18-20).

The National Capital Planning Commission is the federal government's central planning agency in Washington, DC and surrounding counties of and Virginia. The Commission provides overall guidance for federal land and buildings in the region. It also reviews the design of federal projects and memorials, oversees long-range planning for future development, and monitors capital investment by federal agencies.

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