Getting to Capitol Hill Town Square

Hine School Multipurpose Room
Originally uploaded by rllayman

Thomas writes:

I agree that the ideas developed in the Project for Public Spaces exercise are excellent. In particular, I like these three elements: (1.) "Demand citizen-driven, not expert-driven, public space process in their own communities," and (2.) "The S.E. Library, one of two Carnegie libraries on Capital Hill... can be thought of as the 'head' or focal point of the park and should be linked physically and visually to the Metro Plaza and the other parks," and "Focus the plaza on books and learning. Hold used book fairs and market new products for children. Celebrate local writers," and (3.) "Hine Middle School .... Draw the school into the adjoining open spaces with art displays," and "the school should be viewed as a major institution and user of the spaces rather than as the source of problems."

I hope all neighbors will attend next Tuesday evening, July 22, when Tommy Wells is hosting a meeting at Tyler School to discuss the Hine site development...and the Community-wide Input Meeting for the Town Square in early September.
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I neglected to mention that the Capitol Hill Town Square website is well laid out and the news section lists upcoming meetings that are relevant. Note that the Tuesday meeting is not at Hine School but at Tyler School:

2nd Hine Site Community Meeting
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
7:00 – 8:30 pm
Tyler Elementary School Auditorium
1001 G Street, SE

The image is of the exterior of the Hine School Multipurpose Room. It's a great auditorium facility, one hardly used by the non-school public. During the presentations at the PPS exercise, it occurred to me that we needed to recapture this auditorium space and use it for more public activities, especially at night and on weekends, and I piped up about it.

One of the "controversial" things I have been saying is that North Hall should be converted back to food uses. This is extremely important, because I think it's clear that Eastern Market needs to offer more food activities, in order to be more competitive. Plus, they are unable to add new vendors. Places like the Cross Street Market in Baltimore have new vendors that offer "home meal replacement" options. The Uncle Brutha hot sauce operation could be located there instead of closing, etc.

This is tough to say because I have a great deal of respect for the Market 5 Gallery operation, and I think that Market 5 has helped make Eastern Market one of the only places in the city where races truly mix.

But in a repurposed Hine site, arts activities for the Eastern Market "district" could move to the auditorium.

Or not.

Perhaps the Natatorium could be rebuilt as a pool-community center, with space above as well to accommodate the Pottery studio and even more arts uses.

There are options. If we plan. And there are restrictions if we don't plan and if we continue to rely on the Eastern Market legislation to dictate how the Market is "planned." The legislation is too static to be able to use it as a guide on how to operate a commercial district on a day-to-day basis as well as lacking the flexibility to respond to an ever changing and more competitive marketing situation.