CUA Supports Most of Small Area Metro Plan

Catholic University supports most of the recommendations of the Brookland-CUA Small Area Metro Plan, a spokesman said this week.
“The university’s South Campus development has been enhanced by many suggestions from neighbors engaged in the city’s Small Area Plan process,” said University Spokesman Victor Nakas. “Like many Brookland citizens, the university supports most of the plan but disagrees with some of its recommendations.”
The deadline for submitting comments to the Office of Planning about the Brookland-CUA Metro Small Are Plan is today, Oct. 10.

In addition to the neighbors who came out against the plan or specific aspects of the plan, an association of bicyclists protested the effects the plan would have on the Metro Branch Trail, which runs along John McCormack Road.

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association came out against the Brookland/CUA Small Area Plan this week that extends 8th Street NE, which is part of the Metropolitan Branch Trail. WABA said on their website that it supported Abdo Development, which is working with the University to revitalize Southside, in its efforts to make the other side of 8th Street a pedestrian area with an arts walk.

“Abdo Development, which had proposed the pedestrian area, would also have constructed the Met Branch Trail in that area, greatly speeding up the design and construction process at no cost to D.C.,” said the post on their website.

Abdo Details Plan for South Campus

The University and Abdo Development presented their plan to replace three aging residence halls with a mix of residences, retail stores and studio space for artists to the campus and Brookland community on Monday.

Both said they believed the area has great potential and envision the space as creating a stronger connection between Brookland and the University.

“This is kind of like Christmas,” said Jim Abdo, founder and CEO of Abdo Development. “I don’t know if you’ve ever made a gift for someone and you’ve just been really excited to show it and you just can’t wait to open it up. That’s sort of the way we feel right now with all of you.”

University President Rev. David M. O’Connell opened the presentation and said he liked the idea of “ending the south campus experience and relocating our students to main campus.” He said the idea is to have a community of students living together, learning together and socializing together.

“We’re going to take down south campus and we’re going to take down the O’Connell trailer park, Curley Court,” said O’Connell.

Julie Englund, the University’s treasurer and vice president for finance and administration, said she hopes the redevelopment will improve the safety of south campus because of the number of people it will bring to the area.

“Jim is committed to this city. He has gone into parts of this city and brought into those neighborhoods new amenities and facilities that didn’t exist before,” said Englund.

Abdo wants the style of the architecture to be complimentary to the buildings on campus. There is also a possibility the University bookstore would be moved from the Pryzbyla Center to one of the spots in the retail outlet.

“It will blend very nicely with our campus, not some monstrosity across the street that doesn’t really fit with us. It’s a beautiful addition to our campus that will benefit us in the long term,” said Englund.

There are at least 1,000 artists looking for studio space in the Washington area. Abdo thinks artists are going to be ecstatic about the opportunity to relocate. “When you get the arts community excited about this, people come,” said Abdo.

O’Connell said the University is on track with the construction of Opus Hall and an additional residence hall on north campus, but is “not as enthusiastic now about a third residence hall” because he does not know if the school will actually need it.