Graduate student thesis on Florida/Union Market, DC

This proof of concept directory and history signage for the then "Florida Market" were developed by Christopher Taylor Edwards and myself back in 2008.

A few years ago, Christopher Winnike, a DC Ward 6 resident, got his architecture degree at Virginia Tech in Alexandria. He did his thesis and another project on the "Florida Market" and he interviewed me because of my activities in "saving the market" from an urban renewal like future pushed by then Councilmember Vincent Orange and other interests back in 2005-2006.

which in the intervening period has been solidly rebranded as Union Market, as a result of the various activities of the shopping center company Edens, which owns a significant chunk of the land at the market, including the cinder block market building, which has been significantly upscaled ("Capital City/Florida Market is now being actively marketed ... as Union Market" and "Union Market district and wayfinding").

It took awhile, but recently he put his thesis online.

He puts forward some interesting ideas, sees things in different and interesting ways, and has some references that deserve to be put in my reading queue (I've already bought one of the books, Street Value, which is on Fulton Street Market in Brooklyn and the various iterations of market-revitalization improvement initiatives).

One thing his renderings make me realize is that the parking structure on the Gallaudet campus immediately across from the market space is also a redevelopment opportunity going forward, that a new building with underground parking could eventually take its place.

More recently, various projects have been announced, including a new building north of the Union Market building, which will contain the Angelika Theaters and two different multiunit apartment developments.

The market area is definitely changing and upscaling in response to the real estate market and proximity to the NoMA Metro Station.