D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 10, r. 10-A2412
Bladensburg Road extends from the "starburst" intersection at H Street/ Benning Road approximately 2.7 miles northeast to the DC/Maryland border. The road is an important community gateway, providing access to the National Arboretum and residential neighborhoods in Upper Northeast, as well as a commuter route for suburban communities in Prince Georges County. The road contains two distinct segments: the "lower" portion (addressed here) is south of New York Avenue. The "upper" portion (addressed in Section 2.4) is north of New York Avenue and is part of the South Central/Gateway and Fort Lincoln neighborhoods. 2412.1
Hechinger Mall anchors the lower end of the Bladensburg corridor. The Mall was developed in 1982, in part to help bring retail back to Northeast DC following the demise of H Street NE after the 1968 riots. At one time, the 190,000 square foot Mall had one of the largest stores in the Hechinger chain, but today it serves as a community shopping center anchored by a supermarket, a pharmacy, and several national discount retailers. The adjacent area includes the western end of Benning Road, which is included in the city's "Great Streets" program. 2412.2
The area immediately to the east includes the Langston Terrace and Carver Terrace public housing projects, historic Langston Golf Course, and the "Schools on the Hill" campus comprised of Spingarn Senior High School, Brown Junior High School, and Charles Young Elementary. The area has played an important role in the history of the District's African-American community. Langston Terrace Dwellings was the District's first public housing complex and was designed by renowned African American architect Hilyard Robinson. When it opened in 1938, prospective residents had to be gainfully employed African American residents with children. Langston Golf Course shares a similar history; when it opened in 1939, it was the only golf course in the city open to African Americans. The nearby 42-acre Schools on the Hill Campus provides a particularly attractive academic setting above the Anacostia River, and is one of the largest complexes of public school buildings in the city. 2412.3
The Hechinger/Benning area is expected to undergo significant change during the next 20 years, driven in part by the revival of northeast Capitol Hill, the H Street corridor, and the Anacostia Waterfront area. Some 500 units of housing are planned at Arboretum Place just north of Hechinger Mall. The Mall itself offers long-term opportunities for redevelopment as a more pedestrian-friendly and urban mixed use center, with additional square footage and possibly new uses such as housing. Pedestrian-oriented retail storefronts along Bladensburg Road hold the potential for revival and restoration. Langston Terrace has been suggested as a possible "new community" site, raising the possibility of infill development and new mixed income housing around the complex. The 42-acre Schools on the Hill campus also has been considered as the showpiece for a "city of learning" initiative (Hilltop Career Academies), with new educational facilities, mixed use development, and services that are integrated with the adjacent neighborhood. 2412.4
Policy UNE-2.2.1: Mixed Use Development Along Benning and Bladensburg
Improve the overall appearance of Benning and Bladensburg Roads in the vicinity of Hechinger Mall. Pursue opportunities for additional pedestrian-oriented mixed-use development fronting on these streets, including ground floor retail uses, particularly uses consistent with creating an arts and entertainment district, and upper floor housing. Such development should be linked to transportation investments along these streets, including the proposed streetcar along H Street/Benning Road.
Policy UNE-2.2.2: Hechinger Mall
Promote continued reinvestment in Hechinger Mall as a community shopping center. Support additional development on the Hechinger site, creating a more urban and pedestrian-oriented character and adding new uses such as housing. 2412.6
Policy UNE-2.2.3: Arboretum Gateway
Improve the visual quality of Bladensburg Road and enhance its function as a gateway to the National Arboretum. 2412.7
Policy UNE-2.2.4: Langston and Carver Terrace
Sustain the Langston Terrace and Carver Terrace developments as essential housing resources for lower income families. Important historic elements of Langston Terrace should be protected and restored. 2412.8
Policy UNE-2.2.5: Schools on the Hill Campus
Improve the integration of the Schools on the Hill Campus (Spingarn, Brown, and Young Schools) with the adjacent Carver/Langston neighborhood. 2412.9
Policy UNE-2.2.6: Extension of H Street NE Arts District
Work with area stakeholders to develop a strategy for promoting development of an arts district along the eastern end of Florida Avenue NE by considering linkages with the H Street NE arts and entertainment district and planned development on lower Bladensburg Road, support of additional development on the corridor, and support of visual improvements.
Action UNE-2.2.A: Schools on the Hill Campus Planning
Undertake a planning process to enhance the physical environment of the Schools on the Hill Campus, enabling the campus to function more effectively as a neighborhood resource, a gateway from the neighborhoods of Upper Northeast to the Anacostia River parklands, and an educational complex ("city of learning") that benefits residents of all ages. 2412.10
Action UNE-2.2.B: Lower Bladensburg Road Development
As described in the Northeast Gateway Small Area Plan, consider the use of form-based zoning along Bladensburg Road to encourage housing and mixed use development and to discourage additional auto dealerships and automotive uses. 2412.11
Action UNE-2.2.C: Reconfiguration of the "Starburst" Intersection
As recommended by the H Street Small Area Plan, redesign the starburst intersection at Florida Avenue, Benning, Bladensburg, H Street, and Maryland Avenues, and provide a public plaza in the northeastern quadrant of the intersection, adjacent to Hechinger Mall. 2412.12
D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 10, r. 10-A2412