🏗️ All-affordable housing coming to Navy Yard

What's CITY Talking About?

Huge All-Affordable Housing High Rise Coming to Navy Yard

Developers are moving forward on a 12-story, 127-unit, all affordable apartment building in Navy Yard. The development sits at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, near Nats Park, and would be available to households earning 30% to 50% of the area median income. [Washington Business Journal]

Chilly Weather Prolongs Bloom

After the cherry blossoms' second-earliest peak bloom of all time, colder weather this week could extend this year's bloom. While freezing temperatures can kill the blossoms, this week’s weather is just right to prolong our time to enjoy this year’s bloom. [City Cast DC 🎧, Axios]

Mendelson Blames Mayor’s Office for Budget Delay

City Council Chairman Phil Mendelson has canceled the 2025 budget presentation which was supposed to happen today, blaming the mayor’s office for dragging their feet. City council voted in January to set the budget proposal deadline for March 18 to allow for plenty of deliberation time. The Mayor’s office did not comment on the delay, which follows reports of a substantial budget deficit. [Washington Post 🔒, City Cast DC 🎧]

Urban Almanac: The Life of Ole’ Stumpy

Yoshino Cherry Blossom tree and social media sensation, Stumpy, will be removed later this year from the Tidal Basin, at the tender age of 25, leaving behind a short but mighty legacy, and a massive fandom.

His fate was decided by the National Park Service who plan to remove 300 trees as part of a project to restore sea walls around the Tidal Basin and West Potomac Park. More than half of those trees planned for removal are cherry trees, but only one of them is a Stumpy.

Planted in the southeast part of the Tidal Basin, tides would regularly cause water to flood the seawall near him, ultimately damaging his root system. You can see the damage in his branches, of which he has few. Yet, while experts predicted his demise for years, Stumpy still stood strong.

Stumpy first went viral in 2020, when a Reddit user shared a photo of his frail frame. "This tree a little away from Jefferson memorial is as dead as my love life, but I love it!” the author wrote.

His resilience was an inspiration to many during “unprecedented times” and since. It wasn’t long before D.C. residents started anticipating Stumpy’s bloom every spring, sharing photos and videos of him in his prime.

Stumpy will leave behind clippings which will be propagated and replanted by The National Arboretum after the reconstruction project concludes. You can pay your respects during his final cherry blossom season which is happening now and is anticipated to end around mid-April, but we’re sure Stumpy will appreciate off-season visits too. Stumpy, thank you for sticking it out with us.

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Today on City Cast

How to Survive DC's Wild Allergy Season

Allergy season is here. It may seem a little early, but this year’s unusually warm weather has pollen counts near record highs in D.C. Dr. Rachel Schreiber shares her tips for surviving allergy season.