Gateway Arts District Facade Improvement Projects

                                    Artmosphere Cafe - Brentwood Arts Center - Colors by Tangie - Francis Carry Out - Glut
                                             H + F Fine Arts - House of Health - Island Style - Joe's Movement Emporium
                                  Mount Rainier Artist Lofts - MRPO Artist Studios -  Nisey's Boutique - Pan Lourdes Bakery
                                                  Potomac Fish House - Strictly Business/Alpha Omega - Quest for Fresh

In December 2006, NDC formed a partnership with Gateway CDC to improve 16 business facades in the Gateway Arts District, through a Facade Improvement Program funded by Kevin Maleki from Prince George's County's Economic Development Corporation.  NDC staff and NDC volunteer architects and graphic designers spent the better part of last year creating funky, unique, and artistic facade improvement designs for these businesses.

This has been a wonderful project for NDC and our volunteers to be apart of.  This project is unique and exciting because (for the most part) the facade improvements will look exactly like the designs our volunteers produced and therefore are being used for implementation, as well as to secure the funding, move the project forward, and empower the business district.

The amount of design assistance NDC has provided the Arts District with through this project is amazing! Not only have we been lucky enough to attract many talented and dedicated architect and graphic designer volunteers to create the designs, but we have also helped the business's overcome the road blocks they faced through language barriers and process mis-understandings in dealing with permiting issues.  NDC staff has helped both the businesses of the Arts District and the Mount Rainier MUTC Review Committee move these projects forward at a faster rate, producing quality facade improvements that will benefit each individual business and create a unique identity for Arts District. 

The first sign went up on December 27th at Artmosphere Cafe!  Stay tuned for updates on other installations!

Project Completion: 2007
Project Location: Gateway Arts District
(along Route 1/Rhode Island Avenue and 34th Street in Mount Rainier and Brentwood, MD)
NDC Volunteer Architects: Guillermo Alfaro, Billy A. Arias-Rueda, Nick Bernel, Megan Elcrat, Natasha Fahim,
Seth Harry, Phillip Jones, Ryan Jordan, Lisa Reed, Lindsay Ringwelski, Nicolae Soare, Sarah Stein, and
Phillip Wagner.
NDC Volunteer Graphic Designers: Corey T. Beasley, Anne Ditmeyer, Luke Hanyok, Michael Jordan,
Stephanie Leonardis, Deepali Moondra, Karen Pang, and Matthew Wallace.
Links: Gateway CDC