Living with Giant/Cathedral Commons Construction – Update #13

Miraculously enough, the construction work on the Cathedral Commons development is all but over, and the Liaison Committee which has been meeting monthly for over three years [really!] to monitor and address issues as they arise has disbanded, passing responsibility for dealing with any concerns to the ANC.  The community is deeply indebted to the ANC Commissioners who have served on the committee (Nancy MacWood (Chair), Victor Pereira, Carl Roller, and Margaret Siegel) as well as to the representatives of the Chesterfield Cooperative, the Cathedral Heights neighborhood, Vaughan Place, and the members of the public who have regularly attended meetings.

The apartments in both the North and South Blocks are fully rented, as are seven of the eight townhouses on Idaho.  With arrangements for the rental of the “rotunda” space at the corner of Wisconsin and Newark to a “high-end beauty store” almost complete, all the commercial space in the South Block will be leased, except for some 850 square feet on the ground floor of the rotunda, facing the Giant.  On the North Block, the “flatiron” space at the corner of Wisconsin and Idaho has been leased to My Eye Doc, and a lease has been signed with Ah Love Oil, an olive-oil-and-vinegar emporium, leaving only three commercial spaces available.  The final restaurant, Grilled Oyster, on Newark, will be open by the time you read this.  And the lower parts of the windows on the second floor of the rotunda will be frosted, denying passers-by the heart-warming sight of young ballet dancers at work, but according them a greater degree of privacy.

The last remaining work, except for some minor punch list items, is completion of the paving on Wisconsin Avenue, which will involve some relatively brief closures of a lane of traffic.  Most of this work has to wait for warmer weather, but work on the concrete layer below the asphalt will proceed as weather permits.  Similarly, replacing dead trees and final touches to the landscaping will also have to await the early signs of spring.

It’s been a long and often-bumpy road, but it is quite gratifying to be arriving at the destination.  It’s wonderful to have a grocery store, a drug store, and a dry cleaner back on our stretch of Wisconsin, and it is a delight to have many new shops and restaurants, as well as new neighbors.  Welcome to Bozzuto and Cathedral Commons!  And farewell to the Cathedral Commons Construction Management Agreement Liaison Committee!