Plans for McMillan are Chillin’
3 02 2010The huge planned development of the old McMillan Sand Filtration site along North Capitol Street NW has been in the works for some time. Ever since the development was awarded to Vision McMillan Partners (led by EYA) neighborhood advocates have been very vocal about the site which has sat unused since the late 1980s.
Of course a big element of the project is historic preservation of the iconic sand filtration silos which are prominently featured in the designs (pictured above). The overall design includes eight acres of green, open, public space, over 1,000 residential units, 400,000 sq ft of office space, and 100,000 sq ft of retail space. We were never really a big fan of the way the silos looked next to the planned architecture, but certainly like the idea of preserving them as part of a park system (pictured below).
The first phase of construction for the project is still tentatively scheduled to kick off later this year and go through 2012 despite plans not being finalized yet. A second phase would follow with everything coming to completion by 2014 according to the office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Development.
One more rendering after the jump…
[Renderings: Vision McMillan Partners]
I don’t think those filtration silos are worth saving, how exactly are they historic? They were part of the water treatment facility, next thing they are going to try and preserve is the sewage treatment facility? This is going over board with preservation.
Totally agree on the silos. They remind me of something sinister. If they where to preserve anything, they should keep the whole facility as a “green” water treatment plant that’s not reliant on the chemicals prevelant in modern plants.
Agree with SS & Thayer on the silos, although they do represent the history of the site. I say save a couple of them (maybe the ones in the park) as a monument to the historical significance of the site, but don’t let the others impede a successful urban or semi-urban environment.
I happen to live in Bloomingdale, and it can be frustrating to hear members of the community in such opposition to dense development at this site. There is such a great opportunity to connect the existing, pedestrian-oriented residential fabric to the auto-oriented medical complex just north of Michigan. A dense, well-planned and walkable development at McMillian will lead to smarter planning of the remaining medical center sites, which will be a key connection to the Soldier’s Home to its north and the N Cap cloverleaf to its NE.
For those worried about traffic, please support the street car idea. One of the proposed lines would run from the Brookland station (red line) to Columbia Heights (green, yellow lines) via this site and the hospital center. What a great opportunity that would be.
Bryan,
As a resident of Eckington: Thank You! Please repeat your comment frequently and loudly. It’s not all about the silos and the green space around it (though that sort of site planning is important). It’s also about how we re-imagine our part of the city as more than a vehicular pass-through.
I live in Bloomingdale as well and would love to see this break ground. Our neighborhood has too many people that are apposed to any change?
People opposed Baraki as it would bring crime. I would think more foot traffic would be a great thing to have through our neighborhood. Not just people visiting the local bulletproof laden mart.
I think they should keep the silos. They are beautiful. Like ancient roman ruins like the forum in rome. The history of the filtration site is very compelling and the silos and the catacombs underneath tell the story.
Anything that gets implemented (I’ve seen the EYA plans…. terrible) needs a great landscape architect and a better master plan.
It’s “McMillan” not “McMillian”. Hence, “Vision McMillan Partners”, McMillan Reservoir, etc.
I like the silos and would prefer a park to commercial development. I would love a playground, grassland, a jogging course, picnic tables. Open space like this is rare and worth saving. Residents of this area don’t have a lot of recreational greenspace. By the way, this land is similar in size to Millennium Park in Chicago.
Still, if development happens, I hope there will be some decent stores, restaurants and bars. The mixed-use component looks good but the residential pictures look a bit stifled.
It is somewhat baffling to discover that this site is listed on the National Register for Historic Places, and is one of the DC Preservation League’s list of “most endangered” places. Yet to the naked eye the site appears to be approximately 98% flat, vacant, tree-less land, apart from the concrete silos. If people think it’s better used as a park, that’s one thing, but calling the site “historic” to achieve that end seems a bit far-fetched to say the least.
As for Steven’s question, since I can’t imagine anyone arguing the architectural merits of the silos, and since they apparently don’t have much practical re-use value, I have to assume their “historic” value is that of a symbolic reminder of the prior use of the property. But they are not even very good at that, since that use is not at all self-evident from their design. To design the entire project around accommodating ALL the silos seems unnecessary and wasteful.
I like that they’re keeping the silos, but EYA just plopped down a few of their units here, with only a weak attempt to integrate them into new design. Unfortunately, they’re not too interesting by themselves, but more creativity in re-use and design references to the old use could have made for better architecture.
The “not too interesting” architecture is EYA’s attempt to blend in with the urban fabric. It’s distinct, yet very DC, and very in line with what’s across North Cap from this site. The last 2 renderings provided here are really old and I doubt it’ll look anything like them.
Robert,
It is indeed an historic site. Regardless of what your naked eye sees.
In addition to the important engineering of the filtration system, it was designed by Frederick Olmsted as a public space in the spirit of the City Beautiful movement.
Eric, I agree that it’s an attempt to blend in. How is it distinct?
EYA is sitting on a goldmine of architectural history, and once again, not making good use of it. You don’t need to upset the urban fabric to make something more compelling.
It’s called “McMillan” Reservoir because of Senator McMillan whose commission established the comprehensive park plan for DC. It’s almost as significant as the L’Enfant plan for how the city was developed. This site was part of that plan. Before the filtration site the city was basically uninhabitable, with cholera outbreaks and terrible sanitation.
It’s “flat” because it was part of a huge Army Corps of Engineer project that leveled the site to create the sand filled filtration cells that are below the surface. The site sloped significantly from north to south. Some areas were 30′ higher than they are now. Take a look at the berms that surround it — that’s closer to where the original grade was. A lot of those cells are in various states of decay. I’ve seen the historic drawings and it’s really amazing. The silos were used to clean the spent sand from the filtration process.
The technique they employed to clean the water (slow sand filtration) resulted in almost pure water. A lot of developing nations are starting to re-look at this technology because it doesn’t require expensive chemicals to treat water. It’s actually baffling that they built this in 1907. This was one of the first implementations of the system.
The site is HUGELY significant both to the fabric of the city, the history of water treatment, and really the history of the entire country. EYA just isn’t up to the task. We need better architects and planners to get involved.
Is all this talk of the “historical importance” of these unsightly concrete cylinders a joke?
how does one actually combat ignorance and denial?
does it need to be on tv or in dwell magazine?
those of you that simply see concrete cylinders, do a bit of research before you advocate destruction.
its breaks my heart that ya’ll can be so dismissive of something that was so vital to DC and actually has a unique and interesting vibe.
once its gone, its gone forever.
Develop it and let’s get on with it….To perserve some of the site for an interactive programs geared for kids like the Post Office Museum is a great idea, but trying to keep it all, and make it into a total greem space is not a viable solution. It is not a “hugely significant” site. Please! Get a grip! Stop hugging every tree in town, this is a city! It’s an industrial site for goodness sake, one with grass on it, doesn’t make it a park. A prak is for people to enjoy, no one has been on the site in 100+ years! Re-developing this site with some Multi-use development, balancing residential, commerical and open space is what needs to happen. So lets get a plan that gets us out of paying to maintain this waste land into something that generates value for all!
I agree with Charles - keep those silos! They are awesome and add a character that most DC neighborhoods lack. And by the looks of those elevation drawings, the new construction will be the same ‘ol same ‘ol blah DC architecture. Roman aqueducts have been preserved for what, a couple thousand years? Who knows - maybe the old green/clean technology will come back one day and those silos will be studied and admired - as they should be! Otherwise, it all gets bulldozed and we loose our connection to past innovations. Would be interesting to get more photos of what that treatment plant looked like in the past when it was built. Was it open to the public? You can see there’s Victorian lighting and steps and stuff. Also would be interesting to see what it looks like from the hospital. I wonder if the silos are high enough for a view of DC such that they could be open to the public for viewing…keep ‘em!