What's Happening on the 1300 Block of 14th St.?

Back in May, we received word--via that month's ANC meeting--of a project ongoing on the rather dilapidated south west side of the 1300 block of 14th St. The owner of several buildings on that block, all unoccupied and badly in need of renovation, was moving forward with plans to stabilize and renovate the the structure. The work was to begin on the interior of the structures and then move outdoors. A "temporary" fence was set up along with a large dumpster, ostensibly to handle the removal of all of the junk that was going to be hauled out of the structures during the renovation process.

That was over three months ago. Today, the fencing and dumpster still sit there, taking up space on the street and creating an eyesore, while no visible work has been done on the structures. No evidence of work crews, no detritus filling up the dumpster, and no evidence that anything is moving forward with regards to the rehabilitation of these buildings.

As the main commercial corridor through Logan, the rehabilitation of the 1300 block of 14th St.--particularly the south side--is important in order to bridge the gap (real or perceived) between Thomas Circle and downtown, and Logan to the north.

It was welcome news when we received word that the property owner of those structures was moving forward with a plan to stabilize them and, eventually, redevelop them. However, as we have become all too familiar with, inevitably permitting issues come up, or an unexpected discovery is made while excavating a structure (witness the discovery of an unmapped waterway located beneath the condo building going up at 15th and P that delayed construction for nearly a year). So--does anyone have any idea as to what may be holding up the work on these buildings? Is it procedural, structural...or did the owner simply decide to hold off for now? Inquiring minds would like to know.

What Happened to Pink November?

In a comment in another thread, this question got asked:

"Sorry for the off topic question, but does anyone know what happened to the store Pink November on 13th and U?"

I think I might be able to shed some light on that one. A few weeks ago, I was dropping off a pair of shoes at George's at 13th and U, which shares the building with Pink November. While chatting with George, he mentioned that his shop would soon be moving--to the corner of 16th and U. The reason being, a developer has purchased the building at 13th and U and has plans to redevelop the property. George mentioned at the time that he had approached the owners of Pink November and inquired about partnering with them to purchase the building, but they were not interested.

So while I can't say for certain what has happened to the store--whether or not they plan to reopen elsewhere, or whether they're gone for good--what I can say is that they won't continue to exist at their current location.

And I would be remiss if I didn't throw out a plug for our favorite neighborhood shoe repair guy, George. He does great work at reasonable rates, and he's been a neighborhood fixture for years. He was still in business at 13th and U the last time I checked (about a week ago), but he should be moving to his new digs shortly.