D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 10, r. 10-A1612
This Policy Focus area is located east of Metro Center and the Retail Core. It is roughly bounded by 9th Street NW on the west, 5th Street NW on the east, Pennsylvania Avenue NW on the south, and I Street NW on the north. The area includes the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metrorail station and the Archives-Navy Memorial Metrorail station. Its character is more diverse than the Metro Center area, with a large number of housing units, galleries, theaters, museums, and hospitality uses as well as offices and retail shops. 1612.1
The Gallery Place and Penn Quarter area has made an astounding comeback in the last ten years. Since opening in 1997, the 20,000 seat Verizon Center (formerly the MCI Center) has brought millions of sports and concert patrons to the area. The arena has brought about a boom in restaurants, bars, night clubs, and entertainment-oriented retailing. The opening of the 250,000 square foot Gallery Place mixed use complex in 2005 has further boosted the area's reputation as the center of Washington's night-life and entertainment scene. 1612.2
At the same time, the opening of the International Spy Museum in 2002, the reopening of the National Portrait Gallery/Smithsonian Museum of American Art in 2006, the soon-to-open Newseum, and the presence of major art galleries and theaters has made the area the city's preeminent center for arts and culture. The Woolly Mammoth Theater, E Street Cinemas, and expanded Shakespeare Theater are bringing additional evening foot-traffic to the area, and further supporting the restaurant and gallery scene. 1612.3
The area is also Downtown's premier residential neighborhood. Penn Quarter buildings like the Lansburgh and the Pennsylvania have become some of the city's most desirable addresses. 1612.4
The continued development of this area as an arts and entertainment district should be supported. As thousands of new housing units come on line in Mount Vernon Triangle and along Massachusetts Avenue, the area's resident customer base will expand. Its location as the city's top location for arts and entertainment should be sustained by encouraging additional venues, providing new amenities, and strengthening connections to the National Mall, Retail Core, and emerging Mount Vernon District. 1612.5
Policy CW-2.2.1: Art and Entertainment District
Promote the development of the Gallery Place and 7th Street area as a pedestrian-oriented arts and entertainment district, with nightlife and restaurants, theaters, galleries, and independent and national retailers. Continuous ground floor retail, arts, and entertainment uses should be encouraged along 7th Street between Mount Vernon Square and Pennsylvania Avenue. 1612.6
Policy CW-2.2.2: East End Theater District
Promote the area bounded by 6th Street, 14th Street, F Street, and Pennsylvania Avenue as an internationally recognized theater district, capitalizing on the presence of long-existing theaters, such as the National, Warner, Ford's, Woolly Mammoth, and the Shakespeare's Lansburgh Theater and new theaters such as the Sidney Harman Center and the Washington Stage Guild. Marketing, promotion, signage, and special programs should be used to "brand" the area as the region's top performing arts center. Complementary evening uses such as restaurants should be encouraged in this area.
Policy CW-2.2.3: Penn Quarter Neighborhood
Continue to develop the Penn Quarter as a mixed use urban neighborhood. Residential uses should be complemented by additional arts, cultural, retail, and office use, as well as open space. 1612.8
Policy CW-2.2.4: Urban Design in the Arts and Entertainment District
Retain and adaptively reuse historic buildings within the Penn Quarter/ Gallery Place area. The area's historic features are an essential part of the Quarter's success and ambiance as an arts district and must be preserved. New construction in the area should respect the historically low scale building features along 7th Street, stepping down as appropriate to protect the scale and context of important historic buildings. 1612.9
See also Urban Design and Historic Preservation Elements for additional policies relating to historic resources and design.
Policy CW-2.2.5: Links to Adjacent Areas
Improve the linkages from the Gallery Place/Penn Quarter area to the National Mall on the south, the Retail Core on the west, and the Mount Vernon Square and Triangle area on the north. The north-south linkages along 7th, 8th, and 9th Streets are particularly important. Given the low traffic volumes along 8th Street NW between F Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, the street's role as a pedestrian-oriented space linking the National Archives and National Portrait Gallery should be emphasized. Its potential as a large, flexible, programmable open space should be recognized. 1612.10
Action CW-2.2.A: Gallery Place/Penn Quarter Streetscape Improvements
Prepare streetscape improvement plans for 7th, 8th, and 9th Streets NW that physically reinforce the desired character of the area as the city's "Arts Walk" and provide space for performance, street theater, public art and exhibitions, and other activities that reinforce its role as an entertainment district. Streetscape improvements should be consistent with the approved Pennsylvania Avenue Development Corporation (PADC) Plan for this area. 1612.11
D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 10, r. 10-A1612